smkrcflyer

Looks nice.
https://www.horizonhobby.com/vans-rv...-han4885#close

Flying Giants forum
https://www.flyinggiants.com/forums/...13756#poststop

Planejaw

My Feedback: (53)

I've had it on an advanced pre-order through a hobby shop my son works at. May be coming in this week (July 21). Hoping the cheeks are wide enough to shoe-horn in a DLE 40-Twin. If not, a DLE 35 will fit quite nicely. Per the instruction manual and write-up, seems like it's going to be a little on the heavy side, (17-19 lbs) for a 30cc airplane. Of course, I use Savox digital/metal/coreless servos and a Smart-Fly, with three batteries, so mine will likely be near the upper part of the range.

tailskid

My Feedback: (34)

Let us know when you get yours.....and take a lot of pictures!

althepal88

My Feedback: (31)

I'll continue to order my stuff through my LHS; I want him to stay in business. I ordered mine the day I saw it on RCU, so I am hoping that Horizon fills their orders on a first to order basis. They have in the past.

The 40cc twin should fit with lots of room to spare, be patient.........it's coming.

althepal88

My Feedback: (31)

I understand that they have left Horizon in Illinois.

tailskid

My Feedback: (34)

Wonder if any are going to their Nevada warehouse?

althepal88

My Feedback: (31)

Okay, mine came in today via FedEx to my local hobby shop. If you are having it come to your house, great, because the box dimensions are 19 1/2 x 14 1/2 x 58 inches. Big box! I will unpack it tomorrow morning and examine it more closely. I will post the firewall measurements and try to give you an idea on the cowl. I plan to use my VVRC 40cc slant plug twin, but I have another motor (Ngh 30 cc 4 stroker) that I can "trial" fit for you. If they fit with no cutting, anything in that range/size should be no problem. I haven't posted pics on this site (any site for that matter), but I can take photos and send them to any of you via email and you are welcome to re-post any pics. Any other questions that you have, just let me know and I'll try to get back to you asap. Good luck with yours! Al

althepal88

My Feedback: (31)

Okay, you will really like this latest Hangar 9 offering! I found the quality incredible and I don't really see anything that needs to be upgraded. The manual is pretty complete, but didn't have the firewall to backing plate distance in it, but it turns out to be seven inches. The VVRC will fit very nicely as you have a fairly long snout on this engine and 10 inches inside the cowl cheeks to work with. The Ngh 30 cc will have to be mounted sideways. I didn't have a DLE to hand fit, but you might have to cut a little on the bottom of the cowl. It was really designed around the Evo 33 cc gasser, and it includes all of the standoffs and what you need with that engine. For the VVRC 40, you will need 1 and 1/2 inch standoffs. The included standoffs are 1 1/8 in. A straight plug twin should fit, too. A 4 in spinner is included, it is designed for a single bolt style prop hub. All of the hinges are mounted and use a singe pin to secure them (really nice). The included tail wheel is really nice. Even includes a foam wheel if you want to change from the hardrubber wheel. The hatch, canopy, pilot and dash panel are all separate, so you can change anything around or detail out as you wish. It is secured with nylon thumbscrews. There is a bottom panel on the fuse and a panel on the lower part of the firewall making access to the cavernous fuselage easy for big hands like I have. Good, solid wheels (Dubro style) are included along with fiberglass wheel pants and optional gear fairings. The Hangar 9 fuel tank included is about 15 oz, I may go with a clear tank just so that I can see my fuel level. Pull-Pull cables on the rudder and pushrods on the elevators. Hangar 9 is back!

tailskid

My Feedback: (34)

Good to know and ...........................thanks!!!

Planejaw

My Feedback: (53)

Missing the instrument panel on mine...did anyone else get one? I am using small 1/4" servo-screws to attach the canopy to the removable hatch, instead of glue. I want to be sure I can get back under the canopy when needed.

I also found that when using a 3" servo arm on the rudder servo, it came into contact with the elevator servo arms, so I added spacers to raise the rudder servo and I also flipped the rudder servo in the opposite direction.

Bought a nice aluminum spinner from Tru-Turn. I don't completely trust a plastic spinner for a gasser. Ordered a DLE-40 for the business end. It completely fits within the cowl, with only a small amount of extra trimming for the exhaust tubes and maybe a little to clear the front of the mufflers, on the under-side of the cowl. I'll need to mount the throttle servo underneath and behind the firewall.

Servos are Savox 128TGs and one Align on the rudder. Smart-Fly with three 3200 Mah LiFe packs for power. Good possibility these ships will be tail heavy, so mounting batteries up front...just behind the fuel tank, which is a Roto-Flow 20 oz.

tailskid

My Feedback: (34)

Planejaw, nice collection of 'other' planes....is that a Taylorcraft unfinished in the background in the middle pic?

Planejaw

My Feedback: (53)

Tailskid, thanks for the question. That's a 1/3 scale Balsa USA Super Cub. Finishing up the aluminum work on the wing roots, then it's time to cover the wing. Solartex on the fuselage and for the wings. DLE-60 twin in the nose. I've been working on it for about 5 years now, hoping to finish it up this winter. Goes well with a BUSA J-3 I have, with a DLE 55 in it. Here's a better view with a few others in the background.

tailskid

My Feedback: (34)

now THAT is a very nice 'workroom'.....can you adopt me as your son????

Planejaw

My Feedback: (53)

I have had three sons, all grown up now, but what's one more!! There are two more rooms, one is a tool room with all the walls covered in peg-board and equipped better than most hobby shops. Just wish my son would put tools and things away when he's done using them (youngest son, last one at home, finishing up college). The other is a sewing room that my wife never once sewed in. It's got airplanes all over the floor and ceiling! Guess it's now my "sewing" room!! Have a full bath, two large storage closets...just need to get that refrigerator and microwave down there...particularly during our long Michigan winters.

Planejaw

My Feedback: (53)

Almost forgot Tailskid, my two oldest sons live in Phoenix...not too far from you. The youngest may go down there soon. No more sons here at some point.

tailskid

My Feedback: (34)

I guess after living in 'the north', Phoenix is a nice change....I'm a Detroit native, still call it home, but haven't lived there since the Riots! Oh, the temp today is supposed to be 110 and 111 tomorrow (when we go flying MWF). We leave around 11:00AM "when it gets hot"

Do any of your son's fly models?

jerry

Planejaw

My Feedback: (53)

I guess we shouldn't complain when it's 85 and muggy here! I was born and raised in Detroit, but now live in the Kalamazoo area (spent a few years out in Pennsylvania too). One of my sons in Phoenix used to fly, but busy with his career now. The youngest flies airplanes and is a great 3-D helicopter flyer as well, but again, expect him to move to Phoenix in the next couple of years. I'll be one of the gray-haired retirees at our flying fields in under two years, so I'll have lots more time to fly with the other retired guys.

tailskid

My Feedback: (34)

When you get tired of shoveling snow, join your son's here! We ONLY have to shovel 3" of sunshine off the driveway every day

Planejaw

My Feedback: (53)

That's exactly what my sons keep telling me. Maybe shoveling money into the electric company to pay for the air conditioning, though!! Who knows, may get tired of snow someday.

Planejaw

My Feedback: (53)

As you may be able to tell, I'm not all that into gluing things to the airplane, like the canopy or wheel pants. Last night, used a pin-vise to drill some small holes in the upper landing gear fairing and installed some #2 Phillips 3/16" screws. Again, this will allow for access to the landing gear mounting screws, if ever needed. I haven't decided if I will also use screws to attach the lower landing gear fairing where it attaches to the wheel pants. It also appears the wheel pants will not properly fit over the locking nut that holds the landing gear axle...the fairing rubs on the nut/inner axle and will quickly wear through or crack the fairing. I'll take a Dremel and cut a circular hole in the lower-inside of the wheel pant fairing to ensure there is a good fit.

althepal88

My Feedback: (31)

I like what your doing with the struts and fairings. I'm ironing out a few wrinkles before I get to work; and order a few things like tank and spinner. My workbench was ready to go to work before I went out to the field and had a couple of "problems".

Planejaw

My Feedback: (53)

Well, the DLE-40 was delivered on Friday, so a marathon session Friday evening and into Saturday. A lot of planning and a couple of good hours with the Dremel tool cutting relief areas in the cowl to fit the engine, specifically to give the carburetor a little room (and also to access the choke), along with the areas cut to clear the mufflers.

My Tru-Turn spinner worked out well, except the 10/32 bolt to attach the spinner was about 1/2" too short and it was bent (the bolt that came with it was only 3" long). Scrounged around and could not find a 3 1/4 or 3 1/2" bolt in my shop. Local hobby shop only had 3" bolts. Finally found a regular, fully threaded 3 1/2" bolt at a local Tru-Value hardware store.

Attached both the throttle servo and ignition module on the firewall. Hard to see the throttle servo in the photos, so I'll take another one later.

There is no real flexibility to move the cowl attachment to the fuselage around, as you have to match up the stripes in the extend tails of the cowl, so be sure you drill your engine mounts accurately. Drilled mine spot-on (measured and lined up three times to be sure) and the engine could have been mounted about 1/8 inch higher, but it still looks like a good match.

Planejaw

My Feedback: (53)

Mocked up the ship yesterday. Very difficult to work my hands down between the rudder pull-pull cables and the elevator pushrods to install and tighten the wing-attach bolts. I also attached the lower landing-gear fairings to the wheel pants with small #2 screws. Just hoping not too much vibration to crack any of the fairings. Nearly time to get a rough CG check.

Planejaw

My Feedback: (53)

Maidened my RV this past weekend. Accurately determined the CG and found I needed to mount the three LiFe batteries in the rear of the fuselage, on a shelf I built just about the elevator control rods and the rudder pull-pull cables. With batteries, less gas, total weight was 19.26 pounds. Set the rates as noted in the instructions, with plenty of expo. No trim needed on first flight, except for down-elevator. On the first landing approach, the aircraft seemed very pitch-sensitive. Subsequent landings with the first flap setting were good, but still pitch-sensitive. Moved two of the batteries forward, which helped. At home, moved all of the batts up front, about 3" behind the fuel tank. Full-flaps, as outlined in the manual (around 5") seemed excessive. I think I'll reduce this setting a little.

With and without flaps, she's a floater. Landing gear is springy, so if you wheel-land, relax the up elevator to plan the main gear down. DLE-40 has plenty of power and with the relatively stubby-wings, she'll get up a good head of steam when you open up the throttle. Roll axis seemed very stable. I'll post some flight photos later.

althepal88

My Feedback: (31)

Nice to know about the CG. I'll be much more on the tame side (floater flyer), so I'm really interested in how you final CG point works (and where it is). I, too, was concerned about the 5 inch measurement for full flaps. Very interested in your results. BTW, that 50%er can make a 33% look small. Al