Bdegan

Doug,
You were right about the 55. Nothing like the 50.
started easy, idle, topend and transition. All smooth and strong.

Its all mounted in the plane tonight. Going flying in the morning if it doesn't rain.

wyo69cowboy

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Maiden and 2 more flites Saturday. Another one this morning. Love this plane! DLE55 is strong and likely will get stronger; I've only got about a half gallon thru it. The 24oz tank is huge; I can fly 15 minutes and still have almost half a tank left. I think a 16oz tank and then a smoke tank and pump will be in order later this summer or fall when I get some funds!

Super08

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Congrats, she is a real fun bird for sure.

Bdegan

Flew mine Saturday for 4 flights with the new DL55. I am happy with this plane again
Agreed on the big tank, I have a 20 oz. Getting the forward wing bolts tightened is not easy. Not much space between the tank and the fuselage sides.
Picking up a 16 oz today. Next friday i plan to get a new muffler, the stock one is too loud for my liking.
I am going back and forth between a pitts style or a canister.
I can get my hands on a rear exit canister setup pretty cheap. It would require some surgery to the bottom of the fuse to creat a recess or channel for the can to sit in.
It would be about 50% below or outside the fuse. I don't think it would look to bad. Heck the new Aeroworks 85cc Yak is done the same way.
But a pitts muffler would be a straight bolt in and no fuselage mods needed.

Decisions, decisions

Super08

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Brad if you can swing it the JTec P51 muffler for this plane is sweet. Not that loud and no rpm loss over the stock muffler.

Bdegan

I will have a look.

Where is the best place to order one ?

Super08

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I usually get them direct from Jtec. It won't be as quiet as cans, but it is quieter than stock. A bunch of the guys at our field asked what I had on it as they liked the sound of it.

wyo69cowboy

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That is the muffler I'm running too. JTec P51 Pitts; noise is not bad. I've never run the stock muffler, so I don't know the difference, but I'm happy with this one, and you don't have to cut the cowl on the Reactor for it!

Bdegan

I was just on the J-tec site.
They now have the Giant Reactor listed seperately from the P-51.
I wonder if there is a physical difference in the mufflers or they just listed it seperately to make it easier ?

Super08

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Probably just to make it easier, give Al a call at Jtec and he will let you know.

Bdegan

Doug, I did 4 flights on Saturday with the DL55 and a Xoar 23x8. After the first tank and half on a test bench it was turning 6380 ( stock muffler ) before it ever went in the air.
I never got to tack it after the first 4 flights with the 23 inch prop. Broke the prop on the 4th flight in a bad crosswind in front of 200 people [:@]. It was our annual open house and air show.
But i found a 22x8 and did 2 flights last night. after the second flight last night I tached it at an avergae of 6840rpm. It peaked at 6900 for a few seconds.
I was doing unlimited verticles at half stick with the 22x8. I don't think I have quite 2.5 litres or half a gallon through it yet.
I think I got a good one [8D]

Super08

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Stange, both of mine are higher. Out of the box with a quick tune I had them turning a Xoar 22x8 at over 7100. They now turn that prop at 7400~7500. I run a CF 23x8 at 6900 on one and a CF 22x10 on the other at close to 6800. Both Xoars. I am running Redline Racing at 40 to 1 with Premium gas btw.

Super08

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I just noticed in the quote I had 22x8 in that post. It should read 22x10. I went back and fixed it, that was farther back than I realized.

Bdegan

Got it
I'm liking the 22x8 for now. I will burn some more fuel and let it loosen up some more. Its still quite tight.
I will try a 23x8 again later. I also plan to try a Xoar 22A, see how that works.

Bdegan

I am just at 32:1 mix ratio and its still rich. I am trying to tune that out. Its still quite burbly in the midrange.
What altiude are you at ? Our field is at 930 ft.

Super08

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Ours is about 1400. Both of my 55's ended up with the low needle at about 1 to 1 1/8 out and the high is close to 1 5/8 to 1.75 out. I have the carbs vented to a can inside the fuselage on both. They run like a dream with no burbling and instant response. Here is how I did my carbs, there is a hose that runs from the vent to the film can in the fuselage. The film can has a small hole drilled in the end of it.

wyo69cowboy

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This is my second go round on this plane and motor, after crashing the first one due to stupidity (low batteries). Been using a Xoar 22x8, but broke it on my second flight on a rough "plop" landing, so I switched to a Xoar 22x8 3DA. Was getting about 6900 on the first prop, about 6700 on the 3DA. I've only got about a 1/2 gallon thru mine so far, but my first motor (before the repairs to this one) was turning 7400 at this point, so I hope mine loosens up some more...
either way, it pulls really well. BTW, mine came in at 16lbs 2oz. Tower Digital (Hitec knockoff) servos, 1450mah 4.8v ignition, single 3600mah 6v for receiver.

Bdegan

I had to run a pressure line into the fuselage on my MT-57 and Aeroworks Ultimate.
But so far this combo of the DL55 and Reactor don't seem to need it. Maybe once I switch mufflers and don't have half the cowl wide open.
I am pulling the 20 oz tank tonight and putting in 16 oz.
I also have to pull the cowl off and adjust my end points for the throttle. As I have been leaning the carb, my idle is going up and I can't get it set lower anymore.
I think the idle stop screw needs to be turned out a touch. I also want to move my receiver batteries back a bit more.

wyo69cowboy

My Feedback: (2)

I didn't officially balance this plane, because I had flown the first one with the components in the same basic place, but my receiver pack is were Super08's receiver is, and my ignition pack is right where his film canister is. Mounted both switches low and just behind that on either side. Plane flies inverted with just a touch of down elevator at this point. I think moving the CG back a little more would be just fine, especially for 3D flying.

dobro

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Way to go on the maiden wyo69cowboy, Keep her flyin. It is a fun plane. I Haven't tried any 3d yet. Just been pattern flying.

DanS

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Since the wing bolts are such a pain I was going to loctite a stud into the wing and use a wingnut with a washer on the inside. It works well on my edge 540.

DanS

My Feedback: (1)

Ready to do the maiden flight in the morning. Fired up the DLE 55 for the first time today and it just didn't seem to be pulling hard at all. I went to check all the bolts after the first run and found that in my hurry to fire it up I put the prop on backwards[X(] pulls much better now Still need to get it on the scale but it should be pretty light since I went with the Funtana 125 CF tube, LiFe batteries, and no tail weight to balance at 7 inches.

Super08

My Feedback: (2)

Sounds good...good luck with the flight.

Bdegan

DanS Good Luck with your maiden [8D]
You're going to love it

Bdegan

The Graphtech Gear shows that it should be delivered tomorrow ( wednesday ) I am also just waiting to hear back from a couple of suppliers in regards to Cannister mufflers.
I want to quiet it down a bit.
I figured if I am going to cut into the bottom to fit the one piece landing gear, why not go the next step and make the cut a bit bigger
Tentatively planning to build a half tunnel into the bottom of the Fuselage for a cannister to sit in.
i will either get it to work or possibly ruin a perfectly good fuselage [&:]