I finally got my SIG Mayhem almost done! I bought this plane right after the new year and just now getting it finished. (Work, Kids and Wife) I have a Saito 1.50 installed upright like Big Barry due to not wanting to cut and do serious modifications to the firewall so it would fit. Plus, this is my first 3D plane and I wanted it simple. I still have to balance it and it looks like I may have to do the rear battery hatch too.

These are the problems I've run into:

Tried first installing a 6 volt 1400 battery but it caused my aileron servos to constantly twitch... couldn't fly! Now I'm going back to the 4.8 and no twitching problems... long time spent figuring this one out.

Will be replacing the axles.

What did you all use for mounting your control horns? I did the method described in the instructions... using the four wood screws after CA'n the screw holes. Will this really hold?

The cut you make in the tail to insert the elevator, did you all keep this gap or fill it in afterward's?


Zig

for those fo you guys using larger than the rec 1.2 engine, do you still use the stock mount, or do you buy an aluminum one like Sig recommended?

KZig, I put my control horns on as it said in the manual. I've flown my about 25 times and have had no problem so when I built my latest UCD60 I mounted the ailerons the same way with the same cool horns. They pulled out on the first flight. Luckily there was little damage and I was able to repair and you guessed it I drilled all the way through on the UCD. I think the difference is on the UCD the wood where the horn mounts is balsa on the Mayhem it's hardward of somekind. I insprect this area regularly but so far I haven't found a problem.
Where my elevator went through I was just careful when I cut the area out then I glued the same piece back in to make a complete circle back there. I didn't like the looks of it.
Thanks,
Barry

I flew the Mayhem for the first time today! Man... what a squirrel of a flight that was! I'm lucky it's still all fine. I installed the battery way back to get the CG in at 5 inches from LE. This plane WILL be great! Take off was so easy and VERY smooth... lifted up and I did nothing to adjust, she just was flying perfect... no trim needed. Made a small left bank turn to come back around and all crap broke out!

I haven't flown a plane like this for 2 or 3 years. My last one like this was an Extra 300. So I take this plane to the field today and had all the low rates set in just like the instructions say. I had this plane going everywhere trying to keep some control and not crash. Jeez, the smallest stick movements and BAM!!! Just not used to this type of flying from being idle for 2 years. BUT, I came in to land and something just clicked. I really thought about what I was doing and what a landing... so gentle and SLOOOOW.

I was so shakin' in my socks then that I just asked another fellow if he'd fly it again and make sure I had CG right and trim it out for me... mostly elevator trim was needed. I think he had a UCANDO he was flying. What a sight. This plane flew great for him.

Do you all use a transmitter with exponential for this plane? I just couldn't get a feel for it using my regular JR XF631. Just would like to know if I'm thinking the impossible trying to learn to fly a 3D plane with such huge control surfaces without having EXPO.

Thanks for your input

Zig

I originally tried to fly it with out expo and thats a no-go. when you flip on high rates and things start to get out of control you need expo and learn not to yank the sticks around. As soon as you can get another radio with expo it makes all the difference, I know I was there once myself.

Glad to hear that you saved it and will fly again another day, good for you, good luck and stick with it.

KZig, Congratulations on a good maiden flight. Yeah, this plane would be pretty sensitive without expo. Get a radio with a little expo in it, about 30% and you won't believe the difference. Of course that would be true with all 3D type planes. But oh isn't she a sweet flyer?Thanks,


Barry

are you guys still using the stock motor mount? The manual said that you shouldn't use it if your motor is greater than 1.20.

Thanks
Josh

yes stock mount is fine for 120+<


keep the engine as far back on the mount as possible to increase your mechanical advantage/leverage...

What do you do about the cowl in that case?

just slide the cowl on...it's adjustable as well .....

I used a Saito 1.50 and stock everything. BUT, in order to do this I installed my engine upright. With the name "Mayhem", why not?

Moved my CG back to 5 7/8" and it flys great. I got it into a nice inverted flat spin, I used a bit of right aileron when needed to keep it flat but it was nice. I also got a nice waterfall, you need to snap it over with a little momentum but it was good. Walls are great and it does a nice harrier now. Landing is fun but managable, I basically eighther do a harrier type landing under power or hold some down elevator untill it levels out about a foot off the deck and then as it slows feed in up elevator. I have some new video and I will put something together this weekend.

How did you guys install the pull-pull rudder on the Mayhem. I noticed the instructions say to install it on the top of the tail. I've never seen that before. Is that how you guys did it? Also...How did you push the wires through the supplied holes? You can't attach any weight to it and the end has to travel through the whole fuse.

Y do the instructions say that you must have 5 3/4 clearance in order for the cowl to fit. It would be really helpfull to move the engine back so you can move back the CG.

Here's how I did it.

Very Interesting.

The picture doesn't show it well but it is pull-pull. I didn't want to screw with the problem you are having and I needed the weight in the back with a Webra 120 up front.

Denis

nice way of doing it. I was thinking initially putting it on the other side, but it might not be wide enough. However, putting a pull-pull kinda defeats the purpose (of hiding the servo)

I was really getting into it this morning. I added more spoileron and now I can hover-waterfall-into a hover. I was torque'n it about 30 ' off the deck and it was the first time I ever really did a good torque rolling session. Unfortunatley durring my second flight my tank moved back on me and I knew something was wrong because the plane kept pitching up. I tried to harrier land it into the wind but as luck would have it the wind quit about 3' off the deck and it hit hard on the tail and broke the tail wheel off and scraped the right wing tip. The main gear was basically fine, I was really surprised i didnt tear up the bottom of the plane. I did however ruin a new APC 16x4W and no hobby shops in this area ever carries anything for the 3D croud, so I stuck on an APC 17x6 and I will fly it around tomarrow, just burn holes in the sky and I'll get another video going. I really like the way it flys with the YS .91 I got asked a few times today if it was a 1.20 good verticle with the 16x4 and great motor response. Did I say that I like this plane?

Any other Mayhem owners?

Big Barry, sounds like you are really enjoying your Mayhem. I really like mine too. What a nice airplane. And I've said all along, it doesn't get the respect it should. It's better than most, including the Funtana. Yet not too many people know about it. And that's ok. There isn't that many at the flying field. Makes mine that much different. Anyways, good job with your flying. Sounds like you're having fun.
Thanks,
Barry

Barry (both of you guys I guess ),

How do you mount the rudder servo? Do you stick with the pull pull still when you move the servo back? A pic of your setup would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

btw, for all you Mayhem owners, do you mount your engine inverted as per instruction? I tried to see how my Saito 150 would mount sideways, but a good chunk of it would be sticking out (yuck)

BoneDoc, I mounted my engine inverted. Works good that way. It also helps on the lateral balance. Obviously you don't have the cylinder sticking out the side to make that side heavy. I'm sorry but I don't have a way to take a picture to show you my rudder servo. I think there are some earlier in this thread by Stratos. I did mine the same way he did. But what I did was to mount it on the opposite side of the elevator servo and the length of the servo further forward so they wouldn't hit. I just cut away the covering and glued, with 30 minutue epoxy, a brace on each side just wide enough to hold the servo mount. I glued my braces in vertically and made them long enough to capture all the wood on the fuse that I could. (top to bottom) I think the sticks I used were 1/4" square. I used spruce, not balsa. I was able to fit the stick in there by feeling from the elevator side opening as well as the freshly cut rudder opening. It really wasn't hard at all. I use another stick to wedge between each brace from the opposite side, which I didn't glue, just to hold it in place while the glue dried. Then I drilled the holes for the servo mounts with a 1/16" drill and mounted the servo. I had to patch an area above the servo with white covering just because I had the hole larger than it need to be. This is actually a very easy thing to do. I wish I could give you a picture, but I don't have the means. Anyways, it was easy and I like how it turned out. It'll really help your balance, especially with the 150. That engine will make this plane sing.
Thanks,
Barry

BoneDoc, Try page #9 post #254. There is a picture of a similar way to mount the rudder servo that I used. Good luck.
Thanks,
Barry

so you mount your rudder servo further forward, not toward the tail right? I looked at it, but there's not much wood (if any) at all further forward (but that's why I guess you reinforce it and make your own mount I guess right . I assume that this is a pushrod config, not a pulll-pull right?

Also with the rudder servo this far back, how far do you need to mount your battery to obtain the CG you wanted? And what size battery do you use?

Thanks