Craig and John

Please realise that this is very much a working plane that I have used as a test bed for several years now and it is getting a bit tired now and was never the neatest installation! I hope though that it will give some ideas.




The engine angle you can get from this photo. If the throttle is thrown open with the K45 there is a noticeable pitch down but can easily be programmed out on the radio. I didn't bother though.
The engine mount is a tongue of 6mm birch ply that extends down onto the top of the rear tank. This ensures the rear tank does not come loose. to stop this tongue from coming out there is 2 3mm ply plates on either side of the tongue on the outside and in the inside I have glued 2 triangular fillets of hardwood. I am well aware of the danger of the engine mount pulling out as happened with Ali flying the Opus jet with my Sprite turbine on it. The equipment I fitted on a slide out tray so I could get to the retract wheel underneath. The design called for a rudder servo operated by a cable in a snake. This failed and I changed to a direct servo mount in the fin. The fin is covered with special ceramic/aluminium adhesive sheets that Colin Straus used in one of his gliders. I am sure I need not have bothered and a simple aluminium take would have been enough. I also put a strip of aluminium tape on the top of the fuselage, this has not proves necessary.

The engine mount is a strap of thin stainless steel like the tailpipe is made from and I spot welded the over centre clip and the thicker stainless brackets to it. This allows me to change engines very quickly when testing.

I used the recommended servos Hitec 225 though you can fit the slightly strainer digital version.



The retractable main wheel is factory fitted and has rubber operated doors that have worked well just getting perished and being renewed occasionally. The retract wheel has been trouble free.
The extra wheel I used a BVM wing servo operated retract and a small HK leg and wheel. This has very little force on it as all it does is to stop nose over when taking off. I am a bit embarrassed about the extra wheel I fitted and I am sure you can some up with something better.



To join the wings securely I fitted a threaded joiner with a that I can screw into blind nuts I screwed into the wing rib. The thread has heat shrink on it so it is screwed in so far and when both are ready I can push the second wing on clicking the joiner together. This makes it much quicker than screwing screws in from the inside of the fuselage.

The only problem we have had with the plane was the rudder which developed flutter and came off the plane together with the wire in the snake! The plane was still flyable and it was retrieved and fitted more securely with a direct link and 3 hinge points.

It is a great flying plane and it would be interesting to see a better fit out. Hope this helps.

Best Regards

John


John