davegr1

My Feedback: (2)

Im gonna polish my spinner [X(] That thing is goooood looking. Congrats on the flight. I flew mine again today. Your right about the tail wheel. I have it in high until I start my TO roll and then flip back to mids. I did move my CG back 3/4" . Makes a big difference. She will hold an eaiser hover. Tracks good, harriers really good. Running the 22x10 with the da is strong. Oh yea, the canopy was clear, I smoked it out. I was to lazy to go find a pilot . Im kinda impaitent. Gotta have it now... Any way there is a no wind forcast for tomorrow, Ill be putting it up again. Time for the low hovers... 50 grit passes baby.. . It could be a heli day also. Gotta fly the darkside once in awhile..

gboulton

My Feedback: (15)

Thanks for the compliment on the spinner. I'm pretty proud of it, even though it has nothing to do with how it flies. Good info on the CG...I THOUGHT maybe GP's 1/2" range was too narrow, but nice to hear from someone with experience.

I JUST noted you're in Louisville. I get up there 2-3 times a year, as the wife is from there and her folks still live there. Was thinking of coming up this weekend for Thunder to see the Angels, but Stanley Cup playoffs start this weekend, and not even the Angels can make me miss being at those games. In any event, we need to get both these birds up together sometime.

Kostas1

Could you please take some pics of your YAK from the field?

zrider

Hey Dave, this may be a dumb question, but how did you smoke out your canopy?

davegr1

My Feedback: (2)

Spray smoke colored paint , painted from the inside. Gotta love Krylon My wife took some pics at the field, Ill load them. I flew it again today. Little windy, 15-20, the weather nut lied... Direct cross wind to the runway. I love this yak, slow to a crawl, come across the runway, turn and land. Who needs side slip. Well dont laught at the pics, she tried...
Hey gBoulton, If your ever in Louisville, Come out to Tom Sawyer park. If its a nice day Im flyin...

gboulton

My Feedback: (15)

You're not kidding...what a fantastic plane to fly, huh?

Will do! Looking forward to it

Dave, if I may ask...what's yours weigh all up with the DA-50 in the nose?

davegr1

My Feedback: (2)

Dont really know, I never wieghed it. I would guess about 14.5 With the da and the smoke up front, on the engine box, it balanced right out. But with the power I have, who cares what wieghs Ill wiegh it tonite and give ya the exact figure..

Dave...

gboulton

My Feedback: (15)

I dunno...the wings might.

Still, I immagine it flies wonderfully at anything less than 16 lbs or so, so as you say...who cares?? As you might immagine, at 12.5 (down since I took some nose wwight out) mine's almost a kite.

I DID discover a MAJOR flaw in mine today though...

It flatspins WAY too well.

We tried our first flatspin as a team today...downline...left aileron rollrollrollroll...blender, off the aileron and *whack*..instant flatspin. It's not THAT easy on the stupid SIM for chrissakes.

And it was GORGEOUS. I sat there, simply blown away (shakes, I know how you felt now)...watching....and watching...and admiring...wow, look at that...man, that's ust gorgeous...right around the center of the plane...nice slow rotations...wow, look at that...man, that's just..hey, what are those green leafy things? Err...shouldn't the pilot recover that thing? OH! HEY! RIGHT! THAT'S ME!

Thankfully, she recovered in less than half a rotation, and flew right out. But I really DID almot flatspin her right into the trees, too busy admiring. I mean, clearly it wasn't ME at the controls, I'm nowhere NEAR that good of a pilot.

Gotta say...I'm lovin this plane more every time I fly it.

Bob Pastorello

My Feedback: (198)

Good looking airframe here... fighting the temptation.
Would someone measure the landing gear leg height? From axle to fuse mounting pad, vertically? Sure would appreciate it.

Anyone flying this with a 2.4 successfully ??

gboulton

My Feedback: (15)

Give up the fight...you KNOW you want one.

11" if measured along the gear itself, 8" if measured verticaly with plane sitting on the ground.

Hope that's what you wanted.

Stripe 1

My Feedback: (26)

My DA turns a Menz s 22x8 wood @ 7300.

The MacDaddy

My Feedback: (10)

What kind of prop clearance are we talking about w/ 22" props on the stock gear?

Mac

The MacDaddy

My Feedback: (10)

I have a cooling question, with that great big intake, you would have to cut almost all the bottom out to even get a 1:1 in/out ratio. Is the cooling concerns the same for a gas engine vs. a glow? Just to check it out, I ordered the dummy radial engine off the GP Stearman from Tower;

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXGDB0&P=Z


It fits great, a couple of wood blocks epoxied inside and some screws should do it. I belive the full size Yak has a radial like a Sukhoi, as both have motor (?) operated lintake ouvers to control cooling. You might think someone might realize the Yak market and make different size louvers.

Mac

The MacDaddy

My Feedback: (10)

I will take some pics for you all to see the fit.

If I use a gas engine, what kind of paint can you use? Is Top Flight Lusterkote gas proof?

Mac

AirTech

My Feedback: (18)

Mac,

In my experience is not necessary to cut a big exhaust hole in the cowl. I am using an Evolution 45 and most of the head cooling fins are exposed outside the cowl. I only cut a cooling hole about 6"X5", and that should be adequate.

You are correct that in the full size Yak the radial engine is similar to the one used in the Sukhoi, a Russian built M14P. These engines are equipped with intake shutters (that work like a diaphragm) in order to regulate the engine temperature. The hot air is removed from inside the cowl via extensive exhaust louvers that produce low pressure areas. If you want to increase air flow through the cowl you may want to install an air dam in front of the exhaust hole. This will create the necesary low pressure area. The other option is to install baffles around the cylinder in order to create a low pressure area behind. In any case I don't believe these measures are necessary. Just check the head engine (with a good pyrometer) after the first few flights to make sure.

Since there is no nitromethane in gasoline, and gasoline burns hotter than glow fuel, there is very little oil left in the exhaust gasses. Any good quality polyurethane paint will work fine

dunaman

Did someone made a video of the Yak flying?

gboulton

My Feedback: (15)

I had one of a short boring flight that ended with a deadstick...wasn't worth keeping though. TRIED to get one earlier this week, but the guy on the camera wasn't very good so it's a pretty lousy video.

I'm going to TRY to get one of the plane actually being put through her paces this weekend.

AirTech

My Feedback: (18)

Well......Just finished the maiden on the 54, and I am overwhelmed. This plane is just amazing.

The Evolution 45 fired up on the fifth flip, and there was no need to touch the carb needles. It ran like a clock. I forgot my tach at home and could not get any precise readings. The winds were wiping around 15 M.P.H. and I had the flying field all to myself. After some 30 minutes of break-in, and some taxi runs it went up like on rails. Needed four clicks of right aileron, and it felt slightly nose heavy, otherwise it flew beautifully. When inverted on a 45 upline the nose went down, so it definitely needs less nose weight (I placed some 5 OZ. in the nose to balance at 5 1/8"), so I'm going to shift the gas tank back a little. Right now on high rates it feels very docile, and loops, slow rolls and wing overs are really smooth. Next time I might try 3D rates and see what this baby is capable off.

I already can tell she will slow down a lot. I had a lull in the wind (less than 8 M.P.H.) and it touch down on three points at a crawl. I can wait to put it through the paces next time out. I'll post some pics soon.

Hajduk

Congratulation AirTech!

I am really looking forward to finishing my bird. I am waiting for BME 55cc. Since I don’t know when I am going to get it, just yesterday I ordered Yak-55 foamy from tower Hobbies to kill my time until BME 55cc becomes available

Loopman

My Feedback: (195)

Flew my GP Yak last weekend. Well, I did'nt fly her one of our seasoned test pilots gave her the go around. Flew magnificently with the Brillelli 46 cc gas engine. No additional weight anywhere! CG was dead on and man does this plane track staright and true! More than enough power for all manuevers! I was planning on flying today but winds are at 20-30mph. Maybe next weekend!

Happy Flying!

AV8TER2

AirTech

My Feedback: (18)

Thanks Hajduk. Hope BME gets that 55 out soon. I am also interested in one of them for my next project. I heard from a friend in Texas that it may be a while before the 55 is thoroughly tested. He also said it will be a real powerhouse. He has a BME 110 that he says pulls like an ox, and the 55 is supposed to be one half of the 110. Good luck and I'll be posting some photos after the rains stops this weekend.

AirTech

My Feedback: (18)

Seems like it be raining till Wednesday here in northen Indiana, so I may have to wait a little longer to work on doing some more flight triming. Since I did not have anything better to do, took some hangar photos of the finished plane.

Hajduk

Nice pictures!

I have "Smart Fly" system too! I am surprised you had to go for pull-pull system with Evolution 45GX?

Corwin38

My Feedback: (2)

Hey Airtech, I am using the 45GX as well. Are you adding three more cap screws to hold the prop on or are you just going with the three it came with?

I'm also having some balance issues. I'm considering mounting the batteries for the EI module and receiver (both 6V) on the top and side of the box the engine mounts to. Do you see any issues with them being mounted this close to the engine?

Thanks

AirTech

My Feedback: (18)

I
Hajduk,

The Evo proved to be too light for this bird. I needed some 5 oz. of lead in the very nose of the cowl to balance at the 5 1/8" called for in the instructions. I am thinking on going with a single Hitec HS 5955TG for the Pull-Pull, which may let me remove some of that dead weight. Definitely if you are using a lightweight gasser with this plane, plan on moving most battery weight well forward.

P.S. I forgot that I also have some extra weight behind the CG with the addition of the scale pilot and instrument panel. If you don’t use any of these additional bling it may not be necessary to add any weight, although you will need to push as much weight forward as possible.