Look how much right thrust I had to put just to keep it from flying straight up.

From reading the instruction, Mike Cross said that if the CG is not at the recommended location, there will be coupling in movement. Also, he recommended 15x6 APC for propeller. Maybe this prop is dynamically most suitable for this plane. If a plane is symmetrical and balanced, engine torque should cause the plane to rotate instead of yaw. Well, I will see what happens when I put mine together. Maybe I will end up with massive right thrust...

How much thrust is that and how did you do it? How much mix are youguys using? I have about 20-25% rudder-ail and elevator!

I think this is about 3.5 degrees. I added 3 washers that is about .7mm thick per washer on the left side of the engine mount per screw. Without this much RT my hovering pulls to the left, this keeps it very steady almost effortless. I also use a 16x4W prop. The 15x6 I was using didn't have the pulling power out of a hover.

I have a YS120NC in mine turning an apc17x6. I added two washers under each left engine mount to firewall, and I can see that I probably should add one more. Mine does have a small tendency to pull over on canopy when hovering it, but I'm debating if it's enough to add down thrust. I just flew it today with the battery mounted in the rear, and it still didn't act tail heavy. I then added 3 oz of lead to the tail, and I diidn't feel much of a difference. Tonight I removed the lead, and added some 8 oz of weight (two large bolts) in the rear with my battery. I'll check tomorrow to see how that affects it. I am really not afraid of making this plane quite tail heavy, maybe ending up with CG 2-2.5" behind recommended. It is my experince that these long tail moment planes don't become ultra sensitive on elevator like a short tail moment plane does.
I don't have any mix other than flapperon and spoileron on a 3-way switch. Mine tugs a little to the gear in kniife edge, but no more than is easily compensated with input from me. Once I have the CG where I want it I'll look into mixing that out.
DKjens

Weight :
With the saito 100, mine weighs 7 lb even. This is without the belly pan or wheel pants and with servos that weigh 0.8 oz each. (JR DS368's).


Yaw/right thrust :
I also have left yaw with throttle application problems. The instructions say there's right thrust built into the kit. There's not. I shimmed in 1.5 degrees (shim thickness 0.05") and it's not nearly enough. Hovering requires 50% high rate right rudder to keep from falling off to the right, and if you stomp it at low speed it'll immediately yaw left about 30 degrees.

Waterfalls :
I saw someone saying they couldn't get this plane to waterfall well. Mine waterfalls great -- better than my 33% Edge but not as good as my 35% Extra 260. The trick is to have enough power. I have to use full throttle with the saito 100. Two clicks less and it'll start flying out of the waterfall after 270 degrees of rotation.


Knife edge :
This thing tucks to the belly like mad with rudder input. I added 15% rudder to elevator mix and I'm going to need more. I have the CG at ~6 inches back.

I flew my friend's UCD yesterday for the first time. It was only his 2nd day out with it, so everything is stock (no shims under the engine, CG as marked). With YS91, I was able to hover it almost hands off, not needing to hold rudder or elevator, just corrections as needed. It is one VERY fun airplane. Anyone wanna buy a heli...? :spinnyeye

Rick

i am getting one with o.s. 1.08 2 stroke
my dad is getting one with magnom 1.20 f-s
our best friend is getting one with os 1.20 f-s

we all have 33-35% planes and can hover and need a new toy to perfect the hover
who do u think will have the mest engin plane combo
what is ur alls weight
where did u ballance
any mods to the kit i need to know about

philip
gary
tim

all from louisville ky river city raido controlers(rcrc)rc flying club

I just picked up my UCD this Saturday from my LHS. I opened the box to look for the infamous shipping induced broken wingtip and it was fine. Got it home and pulled everything out only to fine the trailing edge of right aileron broken as well as the covering torn at this location. Oh well, hopefully it'll be replaced soon. Can't wait to fly it!!

I picked up my UCD at my LHS on Sat. Pulled it out sunday night and my right side of wing was crushed at the next to last wing rib.


My brother picked up his UCD at same LHS on Thursday. His was crushed in the middle of wing. he already called hobby shop and he is going to give him a new wing. I will have to wait untill friday, till I can get me another.


I plan on flying mine w/ saito 91 w/ 15x4W APC prop. I have to order stronger servo and prop for motor. Maybe will swap t bigger motor if needed.

My brother is going to fly his w/ a YS61 2stroke. This his is 2nd UCD. His first 1 the plastic clevis pulled out of elevator and plane went in totally destroying plane. His YS61 2stroke flew the plane wonderfully.

Well guys, after seeing one at my LHS on Friday, and reading about them, watching mecam's video like 93 times, I broke down and got one today. I looked mine over really good, and it looks great. I am going with robart hinges all the way around, and will seal the hingelines with clear ultracote (lower temp works great over monokote). Going to mount the elevator servos (hitec 225's) higher up in the fuse to accomodate wire pull-pulls, and moving the rudder servo (hitec 625) to under the fuse, for pull-pull.
Still unsure on what to use for the ailerons (have some standard futabas and hitecs in the shop). Would 225s handle the stress on the ailerons?

6 volt 1600 nimh battery pack

Since the wing and elevators are bolt-ins, I was also contemplating building some "alternate" wing/elevator arrangements. Ever since I saw Don Sczur talking about interchangable wings/stab on his Focus, that got my mond grinding. Im thinking of making a slightly smaller, thinner pattern type wing and elevator with less movable surface. I think this airframe would be perfect for it, and would be a heck of alot cheaper than a full blown focus. Imagine showing up at a pattern contest with that, covered in the same scheme, and have it fly on rails. hehehehehe.

What other mods have you guys done, and what worked and didnt work?

Steve

Crap ! they better come up with a better package. I picked mine up from the LHS I gave it a once over there. got it home took it out of the bags the wing covering was wrinkly?? I squeezed the wing the ribs were all broke. they use some sort of crap ply on the ribs they are brittle as heck. pieces were rattling . Not real happy! Have to see what the LHS can do for me. Bummer no fly this year !

Beavis242...WELCOME TO THE CLUB!! If you scweeze each rib you can tell if the others are broken also. at least two on each side of mine were broken. Been flying it anyway and so far it has not folded but I don't fly for speed with thisplane. If you got yours from your LHS, I would bring it back. I received mine via Tower Hobby and didnt want the hassel. good luck!

Ron

Gramling/Beavis, Just send an e-mail to Great Planes hobby services:
([email protected])

I sent an e-mail out on Sunday and recieved a message back today that my aileron will be here in 7-10 days! I was going to go thru my LHS but the notes in the front of the manual said to get in touch with hobby services for missing or broken parts.

Also, can anyone comment on Hitec 225 servos in the UCD? I was looking at a pair for elevators as the torque seems okay but they are mini servos and don't have metal gears. Any issues?

Thanks........Mark

I'm thinking about one of these as well. I wouldn't hesitate to use the 225's on this. I have a pair on my 1/4 GP Giles elevators. I prefer the nonmetal gears. The metal gets sloppy to quick for me. If you aren't planning on any high speed, 225's would be fine all around except rudder.
Later,,,basmntdweller

OK
I sent them the letter lets see how they do!
This should be a good test I will post how I make out with them.
Seems they have a possible logistics problem with that box. Or mabe it is the material the ribs are made out of. anyone look at the ply stuff they used. Very brittle high fiber type. seems light though! And man did they hollow them out for lightness. When you do that you gotta come up with a good box.

PS my main former in the fuse was also popped. Made of similar light ply stuff. no dammage to anything it looks like it popped under its own exspansion ?

Don't do it!!! I ordered 4 HS-225's for a Magic and within one week one aileron servo's POT went haywire (alomost costing me the plane) and the other's bearing was either worn out of missing fromt he get go...

I took a 3rd fromt eh plane and used it as a thottle servo....

8 minutes into an on-the-plane run in... the throttle went to full and locked in...

SHut down the momo by pinching the fuel line...

Removed the servo arm and the servo wnet POT haywire....

I will NEVER get another HS-225 for obvious reasons...

You mileage may vary, but if one does what it did to me what would YOU do?

(I've got 4 others I had just put in a Weston Cougar.... I sent HiTec an e-mail and demanded they replace the eight 225's with other model servos.... I simply will not risk a plane, or worse yet injury to someone on some junk servos.... I can 0only assume they got a bad batch of potentiometers... but I've never seen another servo do the same thing, and I had 3 of my first 4 go bad....)

I think the standard hardware is fine except for the pushrods...

Go get 4-40 with metal clevis...

Despite the LONG tail moment.. the plane was tilheavy with a YS .91... I would have to place the battery on a tounge and slide in down the fuse for good 3D balance.

This plane flies very cleanly.

(I am not a fan of YS engines... 4 YSs me and a friend own have been the most finicky engines I have EVER SEEN ANYONE MESS WITH. I will NEVER buy another)

OK, definately had too much time on my hands this morning at work. We came up with several unique names for the U-Can-Do-3D and you can use them all just by rearraging the factory stickers. There are 4 equally large stickers, that you can mix n match and add onto.

U-Can-Do-3D (Stock)
Can-U-Do-3D? (add a couple ? marks from a sign shop) could be asked in a questiong or mocking way lolol. I'm thinking of doing this on my plane just to see if anyone notices.
Do-U-Can-3 (named after wingspan99's favorite adult movie)
Do-U-Can-3D (named after wingspan99's favorite 3d adult movie)
Can-o-Doo-Doo (if it doesnt fly well at all)
U-Can-o-Doo-Doo (if it doesnt fly well at all)
U-Doo-Doo-Can (again, if it doesnt fly well at all)
U-Do-Can-Can (as in dancing in the sky)
Can U Doo Doo (when it waterfalls at less than 6 feet AGL)
CanUdo (pronounced like Menudo, wingspan99's favorite singing group of all time)


Post more if you can think some up. We can make use of those stickers, one way or the other.

Steve

i cut mine up and changed to "can u do 3d"

just my ideas lol.

I just call mine the U-3D...

I looked at those stickers, and with a very quick crumble, threw them into the garbage can.
I feel much better now, and I think I heard the plane breath a sigh of relief.

Ok so far no response from great planes but the auto reply. Thats 1 and 1/2 days so far. As the proud owner of a 200 dollar broken wing im not thrilled to date.
Does great planes have a # to call

I know the owners of the hangar 9 540's when they had bad wings in the first kit were sent new wings. We just called the # provided and it was here by end of week.

If you sent the wing to Hobby Services (listed as the warranty return in the manual somewhere I am sure) with a copy of your receipt and a letter of what happened, you will have a replacement probably within a week to 10 days. Great Planes will probably have you do just that anyway... don't waste another minute....

BTW... your dealer/LHS REALLY should be taking care of this... they make money on the thing for a reason.... if UPS damaged it, then HE, UPS and Great Planes neee to figure it out NOT you... A dealer should give you the wing from another ARF and send back the bad one if replacement wings are not readily available. One call to his rep from Greatplanes would have a resolution pronto... ESPECAILLY if this is a recurring problem...

FWIW, my U3D was fine...

Great Planes IS good about problems like these... I sent in the remains of a Shoestring ARF that went in on it's maiden flight with a letter of what happened... 10 days later a new ARF was at my door...

Have patience Beavis. GP always responds to emails. It might take a couple of days longer, depending on the volume of messages they're receiving. I'm sure it's busy right now, with the release of several new planes, and the end of the flying season fast approaching. People are desperately trying to get planes in the air, radios fixed, etc. etc., before the snow flies

You can find out ANYTHING about GP, including their customer service phone number by going to their website: http://www.greatplanes.com

Give them a call if you can't wait.