RE: Mini 3d
 

Thanks,

That's good news. Quick calculations show that I can probably build it to 28oz. Should be a great electric 3d'r !

Marc

RE: Mini 3d
 

My Mini3D arrived last night, Fedex dropped it off at 7PM (snowstorm slowing things down here)

Everything looks great, but I think they put a blank CD in the box, my computer can't read it at all.
I'm PM'ing you my emaill addy, a copy of the manual sure would help me out.

Thanks,
David

RE: Mini 3d
 

David,

In the meantime, let me know if you have any questions about putting it together.

RE: Mini 3d
 

Going vert, I sent you an email requesting a copy of the pdf manual. Hopefully my plane will ship on Monday, but this could keep me sane until then!

Thanks,
Chuck

RE: Mini 3d
 

Getting the wing glued onto the fuse is a little tricky, but managable. Here is the sequence:

1) mount one servo in wing w/ the lead coming through the hole in the wing
2) run the pull wire from firewall (over the horizontal braces of the formers) and out the wing opening
3) slide the fuse onto the wing between the servo lead hole and the servo mounting hole
4) Mount the second servo and pull the lead out the hole in the wing.
5) tape the two leads together and then tape the pull wire to the leads
6) slide the fuse over the servo lead hole in the wing
7) pull the two servo leads out the firewall

RE: Mini 3d
 

Ahhh...so you wish to explain it to us in real English I see :D. The instruction manual is amusing if nothing else, but the pictures do a good enough job (thanks again for sending me the pdf).

I'm curious though, did your aileron servo leads reach all the way out of the fuse, or did you have to use some extensions? Also, does it look like you have to do anything special with the receiver, battery, and tank to secure them in place...or do the formers do a good enough job of keeping them stationary (as it appears in the pictures)?

Thanks,
Chuck

RE: Mini 3d
 

Just wanted to say thanks once again to James and Drew who emailed me the manual. I wanted to start working on it this weekend and now I can, you guys ROCK!

David

RE: Mini 3d
 

I had to buy servo lead extensions for the rudder, elevator, and ailerons. I used HD 12"ers for the ailerons and HD 36"ers for the rudder / elevator. Actually, 36"s was a little too much, but I couldn't find 30" and 24" was a little too small.

I was wondering the same thing about the receiver/battery myself. I'll probably mount them under the power pod. I was thinking about zip tying the battery to the pod and reinforcing the fuse with light balsa for the receiver.

Chuck - How are you going to do it? Also, I guess once the power pod is glued into place the receiver and battery cannot come out??

The manual says not to use a switch to save weight. Not sure that's a good idea. Do you know who makes a light weight switch? I think MPI might...

RE: Mini 3d
 

Hi Guy's

I put the 270 Mah batt and the receiver under the pod.
Do not glue in the pod! You wont have any way to get your stuff if you need to.
Glue the Pod to the yellow firewall piece and then screw that whole aseembly to the fuse from the front.
The pod needs to be able to slide in and out if needed.

I did not use a switch because then you'd have to have another lead or some way of charging the battery. If you just have the batt lead and the a lead to the RX exposed you can charge directly into the batt.

RE: Mini 3d
 

Hi, just got back from maiden flight on the mini 3d. Set up is LEO 15, GWS rec., 350 MA NIMH, 5 Ehobbies micro servos. All up weight 30.5 oz. Plane came out a little tail heavy but it didnt seem to bother it, just a little sensitive to up elevator. Plane does every thing in the vidio and some other wierd stuff i cant explain. Overall im pleased with the outcome and cant wait for the 87" yak for the DA 50. Thumbs up for Cris for a plane that actually flys as well as the plane on the vidio that sold me to begin with.

D Boothe

RE: Mini 3d
 

How many flights can you get out of that 350?

RE: Mini 3d
 

I flew 3 seven minute flights "small gas tank" didnt check the battery when done but flew this same setup on a mini pizza box looking thing and could get at least five 6 to 8 minute flights.

RE: Mini 3d
 

I have no clue yet because my plane isn't due to ship until tomorrow, that's why I was asking...I'm overcome with curiousity. I really need to see the plane. Yes, don't glue the pod. The manual says nothing about attachment but the picture that shows the electric engine reveals four screws on the firewall. Actually, the manual says next to nothing doesn't it? I'm only guessing, but maybe with enough foam wrapped around the battery and receiver they will remain in place. I don't know if there's anything to stop them from moving rearward, or even if that's an issue. And I'm thinking the same thing with the tank, but again, I have no real feel for what the spaces are yet until I get the plane in hand. I'll be starting immediately once I get it.

I appreciated your listing of steps for the wing attachment process, thanks. Some of that may be obvious, and some of it not. But I think it's going to be important to stay organized with this one, especially since the manual is only at about 25% at best.

Chuck

RE: Mini 3d
 

There is an addendum to the instructions in the box with the airplane. It discusses the firewall installation etc.
Jim

Hi res photo, just zoom in to read it.

RE: Mini 3d
 

That's funny. My description of installing the wing is here in the addendum. Thanks for posting it.

Drew

RE: Mini 3d
 

Flew mine today! I got it on friday, spent yesterday and this morning putting it together, and flew it this afternoon. Has Magnum .15, HS81's, GWS 8-channel receiver, and a 270mAh nicad. I put a Great Planes 4oz tank in it and that was the only mod. It is very straight forward to assemble. MAKE SURE you check the orientation of the engine mount rails and the firewall before glueing! I glued mine backwards the first time. It has right thrust built in so just double check. I am very impressed with everything about this little airplane. Wayne G. recommended it and he wasn't kidding. I never would have guessed that my little magnum .15 would have enough power but sure enough, hovering right in my face (a'hem, i mean 25' in front of me) and power left to pull straight out of the hover! Thinking of putting a Norvel .15 or possibly a light .25 on it for extra FUN! I didn't weigh mine but all i can say is it flies light as a feather. By far the most stable airplane of this size i have ever flown, it does fly like a big profile. The only thing it doesn't do well is knife edge. It might just be my setup, only have 2 flights on it so still tweaking. Anyone else have comments on knife edge? Anyway, i would recommend it to anyone, great airplane for little money!!!

RE: Mini 3d
 

Hey Sean,

Cool plane huh?
I knew you'd like it. Hows things?

You guys start my 35%'er yet?

RE: <span class=
 

I would like to try one of these but I only have a magnum .28 I think it would be to big let me know if any has success with bigger motors

RE: Mini 3d
 

What sort of problem with knife edge?

D

RE: Mini 3d
 

Wayne...

How do you think it will handle a Norvel 25? That's what I've planned for it, but I could do something else if I had to...

Anyone with an OS 15CVA, could you give me the actual weight WITH muffler?

D

RE: Mini 3d
 

Hey Sean, try a lower rate on your rudder for knife edge. The rudder is massive on this thing and too much travel will cause unwanted coupling. The Mini 3D will knife edge well at a moderate speed with very little rudder input.

RE: Mini 3d
 

FWIW guys,

I got an MDS .18 from Horizon Hobby to put on this plane. I put it on a break-in stand and ran two tanks thru it... I was very impressed with it's ease of breakin-in and starting. The needle was not overly sensitive making it easy to dial in... first time I've had such an easy time with a non-OS engine.

It's currently spinning a 9x4 APC at about 12,400 on 15% nitro/18% cator/synth blend. I've seen it come up from 11,000 on the first rich run, so I expect to get a few more hundred RPMs as it breaks in... Thrust HP shows about 3 lbs of thrust...

They run $60 from Horizon direct, but your LHS might cut a few bucks off them...

The engine weighs 9.5 oz. with muffler and 9x4 installed...

I have a .25 fx and with muffler & same prop weighs 11.9 oz.

I'm GUESSING that the OS .15 CVA weighs arouns 9 oz. with muffler and prop. Can anyone confirm this? (They list it as 6 oz. which I'm sure is without muffler, add 2.5 oz for it (the .25's muffler is 3 oz) and .5 oz for the prop)

At any rate, I think the MDS weighs an .oz or 2 more than the .15 CVA but costs less than half and spins a little bigger prop...

Just thought I'd share my recent first experience with this engine brand...

RE: Mini 3d
 

You're close...8.2 oz. keeping it clean, and 8.8 oz. with my break in setup (including a 1 1/2" spinner and muffler extension). The prop is an APC 9x4.

Chuck

RE: Mini 3d
 

Cool man... thanks for the data...

I just added the same exhaust deflector and a spinner nut... 9.8 oz.

So the .15 CVA is (within reasonable accuracy) 1 oz. lighter.

Curious... I thought most people run the 8x4's on that engine... or is it only in SSC competition (combat)?

RE: Mini 3d
 

Maybe most people DO run an 8x4. This is my first experience with this engine and I went with the recommendations directly out of the 3D video. I've run one tank through the engine so far...a fairly big tank which ran it for about 30 mins. I didn't try to over tweak the rpms because I wanted to keep it rich. At one point I noticed an rpm reading in the neighborhood of 11,500. But I need to run another tank and take a more careful reading. Most of my breakin so far was done very rich keeping the rpms under 11k.