RE: Mini 3d
 

I've gotten several requests for the Mini 3D manual so I posted it on my web site, if anyone is interested.

http://www.fastcashrc.com/Mini3d_Manual.pdf

RE: Mini 3d
 

Well I just flew my first one with a OS .15CVA on a nitro pipe with an APC 9X4 and it was terribly under powered.I set it up as per the instructions,and everything was fine takeoffs and all on a grass field. I switched to a APC 8X4 and was way better,but hovers at almost full stick. I am starting my second one tonite and it will have an OS .25LA. The .15 is ok but definitely needs more IMHO. It weighs 2lbs 3oz
Mike

RE: Mini 3d
 

If you do that, you might also want to consider a slightly taller tail skid as well. The back of the rudder gets awfully close to the ground and the included skid is pretty flimsy. My rudder already has a few scrapes on it (I'm thinking of rounding my rudder off a little in the back if it gets bad). It's just a thought. Take a look and see if you think you need that, or maybe even make it of a slightly stiffer wire.

Chuck

RE: Mini 3d
 

For those of you using HS-81 Nylon servos, I just stripped the gears of the rudder servo. Thank god it wasn't the elevator....

I'm going to switch everything over to HS-85 metal gears. If you are going to fly radical 3D with this bird, the MGs are a must!

RE: Mini 3d
 

Well, this is the way to start the new year...flying at the field. I think I got the same air mass you had yesterday Going Vert. I got eight flights in with the Mini3D today. There were about a dozen cabin-fevered guys flying and nothing came close to the attention this plane got. It's amazing isn't it? I cannot get over how stable it is. Harriers are ridiculously easy...and I'm still new to 3D. A lot of people wanted one of these. One guy who I let fly it staged a mock theft when I hit the john (at least I hope it was staged, he was halfway to his truck when I caught him :D ). It loops in a tiny circle, inside or out, and it does the most beautiful slow knife edge.

The 2 1/4" wheels I put on worked well enough in our grass although the takeoff run still took a while. There seemed to be a lot of drag on the ground but it tracked straight and made it...that's all I really cared about.

Now, on to the only sore point...the engine. I'm slowly beginning to admit to myself that the OS 15 CVA isn't good enough for this plane. Yes, it WILL do everything I see in the videos and it's a total blast...with the exception of hovering. I propped down to an 8x4 Master Airscrew (all the LHS had) hoping for an improvement. The rpms went from 11.5K to 15.5k...pretty decent, right? It still took full power to hover with essentially nothing left to spare (and that doesn't make for good hovering). Now I can switch that to a better APC prop and run 30% (I was using 15%), and maybe even put on a tuned pipe...but that's all been tried in posts above with mediocre results.

I'm afraid I'm one of those guys who's a little power-hungry and I'm jealous of the reports with the 25LA hovering at 50-60% throttle. This engine is good enough for a lot of fun, but I want more. I suppose I should try yet another prop and better fuel because that's cheap, but I get the feeling I may eventually opt for a different engine. I've been spoiled (or ruined, depending on how much a purist you are) by my 91-powered Funtana.

Back to the good stuff: I had an absolute blast today. This is one awesome plane.

Chuck

Edit: I forgot, I had one deadstick today. That's a total non-issue because this plane floats and lands at a very slow speed. Was very easy (CG at 4" ).

RE: Mini 3d
 

All Thumbs - try 30% cool power on the .15. I got three good flights in today and the .15 is doing better now that it's broken in. I can hover around 70% and do have some pull out power. I'm going to throw a pipe on this bird. I think that w/ the 30% will really help!

Also, be careful of those 81s. I would think about upgrading to 85s on the rudder / elevator...

Drew

RE: Mini 3d
 

Well I've got to try the fuel anyways...much cheaper than an engine replacement if it works. I can live with 70% hovering throttle. By the way, what prop are you using now?

Thanks,
Chuck

RE: Mini 3d
 

Hey Guys
What do you think of a 9oz K&B 28 in this plane would it be a good engine?

RE: Mini 3d
 

I was running the APC 9x4 today. I'll try the zinger tomorrow.

RE: Mini 3d
 

Anybody got a pic of the OS 25 la installation?

RE: Mini 3d
 

Give me a couple hours and I will..

RE: Mini 3d
 

did you have to nix the stock motor mount?

RE: Mini 3d
 

You don't have to, but that's what Chris recommends. I'm putting a Dave Brown in a Bridgeport and trimming some fat. Probably won't weigh much more than the stock ply beams when I'm through.

RE: Mini 3d
 

Anybody got a tach number with a 25LA? Does it do OK with a 10x3 prop, or is it too much? Is the 9x4 better?

RE: Mini 3d
 

Paul.
I am just about to head to the shop to start working on it.

I plan on using the stock motor mount. Widened to accept the .25 and then I am going to use 1/8" in the shape of the mounting rails that will be glued to the mount. The motor will wind up being 1/8" higher on the new mount than the stock. Reason I am doing this is that the mounting holes on the .25 are different enough than the .15
The 1/8" spacers will give me new wood to drill into for mounting the .25

RE: Mini 3d
 

I got to fly mine this weekend at long last. Norvel 15 w/ 8x4 APC on 25%. It was a blast!! I did things I have never done before. Waterfalls, lollipops, great flat spins and much more. Not quite enough power, but still lots of fun.

RE: Mini 3d
 

Wayne and Paul, I'm converting mine to an LA25 as well (sorry Drew, didn't mean to leave you like this). I've just removed the .15 and made some measurements. The stock mount is 1/8" too narrow...therefore 1/16" will have to come off of each inside edge. Not a big deal as far as I'm concerned.

The 25's holes definitely don't match up. I just cut out a small rectangle where the original holes were and epoxied in a new piece of ply. I'm certain that will work fine and I won't have to raise the engine. The holes for the 25 look like they overlap no more than about 25-33% of the other holes, not to mention the front to back spacing is longer, so the front holes should be pretty much in new wood. Since the pull is forward I don't think this will be an issue. After my epoxy dries I'll trim the inside 1/16" like I need. I won't have to go much farther back than the new ply I put in. I'll drill the holes and thin CA the thing afterwards for fuel protection.

I'm likely going to make a hatch like Maudib did, but probably one former back, for the battery. I'll decide exactly where after the engine is mounted to check the balance. Shouldn't be a big deal.

Chuck

RE: Mini 3d
 

Just my 2 cents worth.... If I go to the 25 I plan to remove the lower triangle stock from the engine mount, epoxy some ply to the underside of the rails that are there (all the way back to the firewall), add new triangle stock, fill the old 15 mount holes with epoxy, and fit the 25 up front. I think this will add enough strength and still keep the engine at the right level.

RE: Mini 3d
 

I would like to know if anyone put a .25 fx in this baby.

RE: Mini 3d
 

Boogie, Chris Hinson told me the other day that he had installed an FX in one.

Tom

RE: Mini 3d
 

To balance my 25LA, (it sits all the way back in the mount) I ended up with the battery siliconed to the underside wing, about 1.5 inches behind the CG. The battery is a 5 cell 700mah NiMh. I'm making a simple hatch (1/64 ply) for the fuselage side where I cut away covering to get it in there. The Rx will be just behind the battery, right in front of the servo lead hole. I don't see any reason to have the hatch easily removable, so I'll just cover over it.

For wheels, I'm thinking about just getting some 2.5 or 3 inch foam wheels, and sanding them down. I'll put a bolt through the axle hole, and chuck it right into the drill. With the wheel spinning, I'll hold it against a sanding block, and cut the wheel down to a diamond shape with about 1/2 inch of tread left to roll on. It should look pretty cool with the shape of the fuselage. There is no way that the stock wheels will make it off of my field.

A 25FX would rock, but the battery would probably be in the turtle deck or something.

I'm also going to switch my elevator servo to an HS-85MG. The rest I'll leave as 81s.

RE: Mini 3d
 

I flew it again today w/ the .15 OS. I'm going to leave the engine in this plane. Once I get the pipe I should have more than enought power for what I need to do. The motor is getting stronger and stonger with each flight. It's not a rocket, but it'll do. I'm still totally amazed w/ how this thing floats.

I changed to a HS81 MG on the rudder and HS85 MG on the elevator. I left the 81 nylons on the ailerons.

Has anyone come up with a creative way to fix the landing skid? Mine is bent all over the place.

RE: Mini 3d
 

This is what I did to fix the wimpy skid, but I did it before the rudder was installed. If you're handy, you can probably pull the rudder to one side and cut the old one out and do this mod to yours. I used .055 piano wire to bend another one and I made it about a half inch longer. Installed it and cut a small piece of 3/4 oz. fg cloth and epoxied it over the back of the skid. Stronger and taller.
Tom

RE: Mini 3d
 

Stupid pic didn't post.

RE: Mini 3d
 

Twister, I like the idea with the wedggie wheels, gonna do that myself as well as bend up a new set of mains about an inch longer.

Tom