ORIGINAL: RVM
The 3/16 already bends a great deal. Don't you think 5/32 would be even worse?
I wonder if there are any better and lighter gear applications for this plane...
By the way, awesome covering job! It's gorgeous!
ORIGINAL: PilotFighter
I honestly believed I could bring mine in at 6 1/2 lbs. I was wrong. 7lbs. If I had left of the fiberglass wheel pants off and used standard 5/32 wire for the gear, I do believe I could have shaved another 5 oz off the final weight. But what happens is this: The plane starts really lookng good. So you think, Gee, it would be a shame to have such a nice plane and not put the pants on it. And then I realized I had already drilled the gear holes for 3/16, so I used the stock gear. Many people complain about the landing gear on this kit, they say the blocks eventually give way. I think its because the wire is too large. I build alot of 60 size birds, and I have never seen a kit call for 3/16 wire before. I think its too large to flex and absorb the landing shock. I believe the entire shock is transmitted to the blocks . Well, so far, they seem OK, but I did use triangle all around them. And I did hit a 6 inch ant hill with the right main sometime in the first 20 flights.
Most people complain that the gear doesn't bend. It just breaks the structure in the wing. A thinner gear would give a little and save the structure. My theory anyway. My gear don't seem to flex at all and have never bent.
I used micro servos on the ailerons, 14 0z inch of torque. So, thats 28 oz inches if you add them together. When I started flying, the standard sevos had 18 inch oz of torque.
I just installed a Kevlar pull pull system on a Cap232. This is the way to go. No slop at all. It might be tricky trying to use pull pull on the Chippy elevator.
Thanks for the compliment. There was a build thread a couple of years ago. I think the guys name was Buhle, from Mexico City or there abouts. Check out his mods, very cool. He raised the cock pit seat up off the floor.....looked great. He was rounding off the bottom of the fuselage also.
I think 6.5 lbs is do-able. Mine has a OS61 on it. That seems fine. I am about to start experimenting with some climb props. The MA 12X6 seems a little lame. I'll run by the shop and see if they have any 13X5's or 13X4's, something in that range.