FentonFlyer

My Feedback: (11)

Where are you guys mounting your throttle servo in the Katana? It seems as though they gave us some "creative freedom" here

dancer 3d

If mounting the engine on its side then there is a cut out for a midi size servo in the engine box...... but if mounting inverted you will need to make a bracket. I have built two of these with the engine inverted, so i made a ply plate up and glued it to the inside of the engine box

Travis73

Well I finally made up my mind and ordered a YS 160 DZ

M.C. can you give me an idea of a good prop to start with.

Thanks

closetguy

My Feedback: (13)

travisw
Now that would be just MENTAL power!!! try a 19-8 PT carbon prop,the YS 160 is a real THUMPER also,great power,and light.
ENJOY!

Rocketman_

My engine is a side mounted OS 1.60FX and the throttle servo is mounted on two small pieces of plywood added to the fuselage frame as shown in the picture. I use flexible throttle cables in many of my models to make servo positioning noncritical.

M.C

Fenton - Good work getting the 160!

If it were me, I'd use a Mejzlik 19X8 and an NMP muffler or a slimline...oh and 30% Magnum seems the best fuel...this is the setup that Nath (3D Dancer) uses....simply awesome!
Ask him for any more info

The factory in China are incredibly rigorous. They have told us that if we can test something for at LEAST 200 flights with no probs (e.g a spring-loaded hatch latch was suggested, in preference to the two retaining bolts), then they will use it. All prototypes and production samples are flown for 200 flights as proof of concept.

We have suggested to the factory that the U/C is a weaker design (than say a hunk of ally), but they said it is better to have the legs break rather then do worse, more lasting, internal damage to the fus structure/woodwork...They have no personal experience of legs breaking.

Some time we will be trying solid carbon rod for the U/C legs (have to do some thinking on the axles, but shouldn't be a problem...Nath is a machine-meister!).
If this proves to be a good solution then it will be submitted to the factory.

So far, all our legs have been fine, as far as I'm aware.

Regarding positioning of the throttle servos, the user is left to do it themselves, due to the huge choice of engines (and hence different throttle positions) available. YS, OS, Petrol, (even leccy) all have different throtle positions!

Finally, the YS is a REAL bone-shaker but our Kats have held up fine so far...
as with ANY ARTF I would always suggest going around joints with cyno, just in case.

Eric.Henderson

FYI, I have not been able to break the legs during landings etc. once a carbon tube or rod had been was inserted into the std leg. One modified set was "heavily" crashed by its owner and the legs survived even though the pants and wheels were ripped right off.

Regards,

Eric.

FentonFlyer

My Feedback: (11)

M.C.,

Mines gettin a Brison 2.4. Travis went with the 160.

Travis73

Hi, whats your opinion on mounting the YS160DZ, is inverted the way to go and using the stock mount? I am thinking about going with the slimline muffler, dont know anything about the NMP, what size spinner works good with the YS/19 inch prop and how about an electric starter will the heave duty 180 types work, I see the YS manyal says do not start by hand or is that more of a liability thing from them. Dont mean to ask too many questions but the big four stroke is new to me so any tips are appreciated.

Thanks,
Travis

Travis73

I have and am going with the JR st125mg servos, looking for something high torque for the rudder like the JR ds8611a which might be a bit much but doesnt seem too heavy at 2.24 oz with 320 oz/in @ 6V and a light weight for the throttle, how much torque does one safely need on the throttle.

Does anyone have any ideas on light weight RX batteries, sounds like around 1700 and up is the norm

Rocketman_

JR ds8611a, 320 oz/in? Wow!! 2.24 oz? Holy moly!! $114.99? Good grief!!

Travis73

A bit too much eh I am looking for something around 200 oz/in I see the futaba S9155 is 2.15oz with 192 oz-in @ 6.0V yet still alittle pricey.

dancer 3d

I have built one of these kats for a mate and mounted the engine inverted, when i built mine i mounted the engine side on and used a slimline muffler. I think side on is best with the slimline as it has been problem free. As for the mount........ a soft mount is a must, remember you are bolting a ys 160 to a very lightly built airframe I am using an irvine 89mm spinner and swinging a pt 18x8 prop but this set up would be fine with a 19 inch prop.

Hope this helps!

FentonFlyer

My Feedback: (11)

A Hitec 5945 or whatever the equivalent is now would be fine for this plane. I think they're around $90.

Travis73

Ended up going with a JR DS8411 for the rudder.

I was going to mount my YS160 on the side but after installing a Hyde soft mount found that it puts the motor too far foreward to where I would have to hack up the cowl pretty bad. I went inverted and the cowl will just fit after cutting up to the cowls nose ring. Sent the side mount slimline muffler back in exchange for the inverted model and went for the smoke version this time just incase I get that itch, I could not find out how much more weight the smoke version adds, hopefully not much

Rocketman_

Better weather allowed me to put a few more flights on my new Ultra RC Katana-X. The new OS 1.60FX with it's Perry VP-30 pump is running fine. I like the plane a lot and it's a keeper.

It does good inverted flat spins but the Ultra RC Giles beats it.
It does good elevators but the Giles beats it.
It does good harriers but the Giles beats it with less wing rock and less effort to keep it in a harrier.
It does a good knife edge with only a very slight pull to the landing gear and beats the Giles which requires a little more elevator correction.
It does good knife edge loops a little better than the Giles.
It does knife edge loops from a hover, kind of like an outside knife edge loop. Haven't tried that with the Giles yet.
It does inverted flight with a little down elevator to stay level with the CG at 6 3/8 inches (limits 5.25 to 6 inches). The Giles requires no down elevator with the CG at 10 inches (limits 7.87 to 9.84 inches) but requires more mental concentration during landings.
It hovers easily like the Giles.

Remember, this evaluation was based on MY planes and setup. Your results may vary[8D]

bbagle1

Well I maidened my Katana last weekend and i can't understand why this thread isn't on fire. I can't say anything about the build as I didn't do it but so far this is an amazing fluing plane. With a YS140 and two 2100nimh receiver batteries I came in at 10lbs 3 oz. My cg without fuel is right at 6inches behind the leading edge and my tank is just in front of the wing tube which may be moving it forward some. It seemed like I could move it back a good bit for better 3d. Does anyone with experience with this plane have any thoughts? Also my wing is all the way back so I can move it forward or move batteries back which is the better solution? Is there an optimum wing position that anyone has found?

GarySS

My Feedback: (13)

And these Katanas are on sale for $269 now. If I didn't have a Giles waiting to be assembled I might jump on another project.

bbagle1: which YS 140 do you have------the Sport, F or D??? Thanks

RVM

Would a Saito 2.20 be too much for this bird?

RVM

Or maybe the new YS 1.70DZ?

closetguy

My Feedback: (13)

____________________________
i have a 2.20 on a Chip Hyde Tunnel Vision,at 12-3/4 lbs. pulling out of a hover is not real strong,so on a 10 lb. bird i think the 2.20 would be more at home for me,i already have one of these birds in the box and that is where the 2.20 will be going. should be just rite.
her's what i get on 30%
PT Model 19-8 carbon 7700
Beila 20-6 carbon 8000
ENJOY!

bbagle1

i have a 140fz that i bought used on ebay with a slimline muffler.

Travis73

I have only flown my Katana a few times before breaking off the legs, the ys died just far enough out for me to barely make it back to the runway for what looked to be a nice landing with hardly any air speed left when it just droped about a foot to the runway at a dead stop. I didnt think any harm would come from that but was surprise to see both legs broke flush with the bottom of the plane which I knew was a weak point and easy fix, but I had a nice surprise when I notice the $125 hyde soft mount was broke due to nothing keeping the ys160's head off of the asphault
If it wasnt for the head just barely hanging below all I would have had to do was slide in some new legs as the mounts held up perfectly and no damage to the plane due to the weaker legs.

Other than that the Katana is AWESOME, I cant wait to get it back in the air again.

bbagle1

Did you reinforce the legs originally? The guy who built mine used the CF puchrod from central hobbies and he said it was a perfect fit.

Travis73

I was going to but ended up not reinforcing the legs thinking if I ever did come in hard they might break rather than tear the mounts from the plane. I will say now though that they do need to be reinforced as the legs should handle more than what I put them through in my opinion.
It looks like Ultra Rc has replacement legs for $35 + $10 shipping, I have not been able to find rods any cheeper that I could use to make my own legs, either way I will be reinforcing them this time, the carbon pushrod sounds like a good idea, thanks.