hunfifl

Jeff looks great!! Me and my son are about ready to start ours. I think I am going to get the OS 160 also. I just got a OS 120AX and it is
an awsome engine. I put it in a 25% Extra 330 from Peak.

maineflyer

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I hope to get the cowl finished this weekend and then it will just be a matter of balancing the plane and putting the throttle servo in. Hopefully it will fly as good as it looks.
Jeff

TheStinkyWeasel

Thanks for the thread. Seriously considering the 118" version and I'm impressed with the quality of the plane. It will fly great for sure.

maineflyer

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Not a problem, I will be anxious to see how the bigger planes are going to come out.
Jeff

maineflyer

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Cowl & Canopy
I got some work done this morning on the cowl and fit it along with the canopy to the fuse. No issues to speak of but I had to cut more of the cowl than I would have liked to get it to fit over the muffler and allow it to be attached to the fuse. The canopy slides right under the rear fo the cowl in the front and attaches using 2 hex head bolts into pre-mounted blind nuts. Two thing I am going to do is take some canopy glue and follow the mounting points of the canopy and add some more glue there and cover the front of the fuse with black ultracote so that any fuel cannot enter. I noticed the front of the EF yak comes pre-covered and I can see impending issues with the Pitts muffler blowing exhaust back into the fuse. so to prevent this I will cover the entire fuse front with some black ultracote. I will probably mount the Hitec 225 throttle servo in the front end right behind the fire wall. I also mounted a coule of vinyls from TBM on the tail "The start of a little bling"!
Here are some pics!!
Jeff

vipersandubs

is it still snowing up in maine?

maineflyer

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Not lately but I am at the very top of the state. It was 62 today and I was out this evening and raking the sod off the last of the snow in my yard so the grass will grow and I can mow the lawn...

ed42d-RCU

My Feedback: (13)

I ordered the same plane about a month ago...guess what just showed up at the door? Looks great! I also have an Extreme Flight Yak 74" with a SPE40. I was hoping to use a BCMA SPE26 that I have, but the size is almost on par with my other Yak. The wing area on the Magic Hand Yak is quite a bit smaller and seems to be geared toward the SPE26, but from what I've read in this thread...weight may be an issue.

Have you flown your plane yet? What is your final weight?

maineflyer

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I am still building. It should be ready to go by next weekend and as soon as it is I will post the all up weight. Now I am going flying
Jeff

hunfifl

I think the SPE 26 will fly ths plane OK but not for 3D. I am putting one together also.
I was curious about the weight so I can decide what to put in it also.

maineflyer

My Feedback: (44)

It should be close to what I originally guessed. 11-12 lbs. Hopefully lighter. I have 2 digital scales and will weigh it all up this week. I will put a weight in as soon as I get it.

ed42d-RCU

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Bad news...my canopy has two large cracks in it toward the front. I emailed TBM to see how to get a new one.

Here are the weights I have for the plane. I used an Ultra-30 digital postal scale that I got off the internet.

Right Wing 15.0 oz
Left Wing 15.1 oz
Hor Stab 5.8 oz
Rudder 3.0 oz
Fuse 32.0 oz
Cowl 7.2 oz
Gear 6.1 oz
Wing tube 9.0 oz
Hardware 8.8 oz

Total weight = 109 oz or 6# 13 oz

maineflyer

My Feedback: (44)

Done:
I finished the plane up this morning except for balancing. I have the throws set for 3d and a lower amount (about 50%). The plane came in at 11 lbs 5 ozs or a 25.89 oz per sq'. All up ready to fly weight. I will be taking the spats off before flying on the grass so that should save an ounce or 2. Here are the final pictures. I hope to have some flight reports soon. The speed of the servos with the A123 and the amount of throws I can get is OUTRAGIOUS!!
Here are a few pics.
Jeff

lfuller

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I ordered the 73 inch a few days ago.also thinking of using the os 160.I cant wait to hear how yours flies with the 160 on it.thanks for the great build thread

maineflyer

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Hopefully I will get it in the air this weekend.
Jeff

plowboy1966

Lookin' Good Jeff!![&:] I sure hope there is a video in the offing!! Can't wait for the flight report. My wife decided she had to have a bird for a pet so guess who is getting a new plane!!

maineflyer

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cool, what kind of bird are you both getting?

vipersandubs

will you post a vid?

lfuller

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guess what I found on my porch today when I got home?took me an hour to get the box's open and everything unwrapped.all the parts appear to be in perfect condition so far.I do wish it came with an instruction manual though.cant wait to get started

maineflyer

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lfuller,
You can download it off TBM's website but it isn't much...

vipersandubs
If I can find someone with a digital video camera we will take one. Although the weather doesn't look good for the weekend.
Jeff

lfuller

My Feedback: (2)

I got it, thanks.looks like your building thread is going to be more helpful.

maineflyer

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If you need any help or have any questions either post or pm me and I would be glad to help you.
Jeff

plowboy1966

The wife got a Cockatil and I'm leaning toward the Yak you are building. I'm just waiting to find out what you think after you've flown her. I am also considering selling my 25% Edge with the 1.80 Saito and buying the 1.60 FX. That is one awsome engine. I know it flys the EF Yak very nicely. By the way, how is that build going and how do you feel the two Yaks compare?

Good luck flying this weekend!

maineflyer

My Feedback: (44)

plowboy,
I haven't started the EF yak yet. I got some awsome deals on a brandy new 1.60 and some Hitec 5985s for the tail. I tried the wing tube from the EF yak and it is a perfect fit in the Magic hand but about 6 inches shorter so I couldn't use it. The cuople of areas I would look to upgrade with the Magic hand would be a carbon fiber wing tube and gear (save 6-8 oz easy) and a better tail gear assmbly. It is spring steel but I am uncertain how it will hold up. I am hoping I can get the Yak into the air between showers tomorrow but the weather is still real spotty.
I will post some still pics of it regardless and am looking for a video camera to borrow to shoot some video.
Jeff

maineflyer

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Maiden:

I got the plane out to the field today and got the motor running good. The pumped 1.60 was spinning the APC 18x6 at just over 9,000 RPMs and idling at around 2,000 with good transition. I wish I had some video but I couldn't find a camera. We did get some pictures.
I had the balance at 152mm which seemed ok (just a touch of down elevator inverted. First flight was pretty much the usual shake down. I little aileron trim and some rudder. The plane tracked ok but was pitch sensative due to the throws I had set. (all I could get on high rates with 70% expo) and about half that on low with 30% expo. Knife edge on low rates was very good but needed some coupling which I thumbed out (Pulled to the gear). Inverted spins on high rates were very, very flat. I brought the plane in a little hot to see what it would do and the glide was very nice. I went around and lowered the idle some and it came in over the runway and settled in nice and neat. Taxied back and refueled.

I have to say the pumped 1.60 started and transitioned like a dream. I was very happy with it knowing there was only 4 tanks through it.
The next flight is where the problems began. I added 50 % expo on the elevator low rates and this cured the pitch issues immensely. I just got back into the air and did a respectible rolling circle and notice the engine burbling some so I brought the plane by at about 30' and it seemed to smooth out so I pulled up and added throttle and the engine quit. So here I am in a nose up attitude with little airspeed at about 45-55' over a plowed field, down wind of the field. I pushed the nose over to get some speed and the only option was to pancake it into the field. Well needless to say light ply and balsa in a plowed field don't equal a happy outcome. The gear immediatley pulled out and then the prop caught the dirt and fulcromed the engine mount and fire wall out and the throttle servo and mount came loose. The cowl is totally trashed but other than that, the fire wall and gear mount, everything else is unscathed. I looked everything over once I got it home and the prop, spinner and engine are all fine. Wings, tail and canopy don't have a scratch.
I also found the cause of the problem when I was going over the engine. The one thing that didn't make the trip was the glow plug. When I preflighted the plane I went over everthing at home and all was ok. I can only think that it worked loose during all the preflight fiddling and I didn't think to torque it down before the first flight nor did I check it after.
MY FAULT!!
Anyway, the plane flew well for what I did with it and I will be repairing it for more flights to come. I will call TBM and order another cowl and have at it.

Here are a few pics of the plane.
Jeff