TLH101

My Feedback: (90)

The tank is smaller because they do not use any of the air supply to go down. Variable rate valves can only be used to control the down motion, as they adjust exhaust air, to control speed. Air only exhausts on the when gear are lowered.

dasintex

My Feedback: (10)

We can take as long as we want, it's not your plane, nothing wrong with taking your time and getting it right the first time, even if it is an ARF, if we wanted to build a kit we would. My 2 cents worth.

DiscoWings

My Feedback: (76)

Once you fly long enough, you'll realize 4 strokes are better made engines, specially saitos. I used to have 4 Hangar 9 warbirds with 2 strokes: P-40 w/st g90, mustang w/st g90, texan w/st g90, and corsair w/magnum xls 91
The magnum was the most powerfull because it was abc and was able to spin a 14x8 prop around 11,800 rpm with 15% omega fuel, it hit over 100 mph no sweat. I just sold this on RCU: http://www.rcuniverse.com/market/item.cfm?itemID=134058

But now I got 5 Saito 100 engines. I'm breaking them in slowly. I have to say the transition and sound are really nice. I'm rebuilding all 5 hangar 9 warbirds, I bought all the ARFS again and this time I will be redoing with all Saitos, all air retracts and scale exhausts (my p47, p51, and p40 will have scale exhausts from www.keleo-creations.com)

Now I don't say 2 strokes are bad engines, they are very easy to tune, and run good on not so expensive fuel. However, if you want scale performance 4 strokes sound/run better. They don't have the same performance as 2 strokes, but they do nice solid transition.
I still have 2 OS 160's that I use in my Funtana and Showtime, but thats because I need the power they put out. But if you don't need the power, you can't go wrong with a saito.

I won't say more, but you will realize something when you see the same plane you have flying with a 4-stroke and you'll get this kinda depressed feeling...[&o]

DiscoWings

My Feedback: (76)

To those people that ordered the 650 striaght robostrut...

[sm=stupid.gif]I TOLD YOU SO![sm=stupid.gif]

Look at the dimension form www.robart.com:
650 lenght: http://robart.com/RoboStruts/drawings/650.pdf
VS
653 lenght: http://robart.com/RoboStruts/drawings/653.pdf

Now compare: 5 9/32 inches vs 6 7/8 inches

THe 653's fit the bay nice and snug NO CUTTING, just slip them, tighten the clamp and your done. Plus the offset fits the H9 wheels perfect.

My retracts should be coming in on Thursday I will show you all the install..

DiscoWings

My Feedback: (76)

The great plane adjust mount is garbage, in order to do the least amount of buthering to the plastic dummy engine you will wnat to have the engine as close as possible to the firewall, but stupid great planes heavy duty mount sticks out too much plus it has this stupid uphill thing going on towards the end of the mount.

I find this mount to be very friendly:
http://www.horizonhobby.com/Shop/ByC...?ProdID=HAN90M
you will have to redrill new holes in the firewall because the mounting bolt patern is not the same, but its not that bad. Many people generally change the position of the engine to face downwards so if you were planning on doing that, you would have had to change the mounting wholes anyway.

However, if you must use the great planes, you will have to cutt off the tips poking out, about 1/3 on an inch

oldtyme

DW, That may be true if you bought the RoboStrut ready gear, but I bought the gear with wires
and intend to keep the coil so the 650's will work just fine.

Terry, thanks for the explanation.

Hellcat............I probably will take a year or two with a kit..........this is not a race and I enjoy
the assembly/building as much as flying so I don't care if it takes me 6 months to get this
bird flying.

This discourse on this thread alone with all these other guys is very enjoyable to me so I'm in
absolutely no hurry.

Cheers,
Andy

CAPT John

My Feedback: (15)

Doug,
I just received a reply from Robart saying the 511 retracts can't be drilled out for the 7/16" struts. Here's their reply

"John:
Sorry, but you can not drill out the trunions of the #511 Retracts. That is done on a CNC Milling machine. You would never get it correct with a drill.
Sincerely
Gary Ernst
Robart Mfg."

I wish I had followed DiscoWing's lead and ordered the 653 offset struts in the first place. [:@]. Now I have a set of the 650s in the mail back to Tower and a set of 7/16" struts on their way from Tower that will have to be returned as well.

DiscoWing,
I look forward to seeing your retract install. How are you going to fit the gear doors on the offset struts?

John

oldtyme

John,

Is it that you don't want to work with the wires. I think that my retracts with the wires and
the 650's is going to work fine. I've just been holding them up and I don't think anything
but the coil at the top end of the Robostrut will show. I think the the 653 offsets will not allow
the struts to be below the surface of the wing. That's why Robart confirmed to me that it was
a good selection for the P47.

Andy

DiscoWings

My Feedback: (76)

You can use robostrut gear door cover, availible for 9.5 form towerhobbies http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXES73&P=0

Personnaly I don't know if I will isntall the gear door covers, because I really like the way robostruts look like...e.g. here is a picture of Richard L's mustang which has the offset robostruts installed:
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_3058048/tm.htm

CAPT John

My Feedback: (15)

Andy,
I bought the Robostrut ready 511 retracts, so I have to use the clamp-in struts or return the retracts for the wire version. For now, I'm going to work on finishing everything but the retract installation and wait to see how DiscoWing's install pans out. I have the airframe finished and the engine mounted. I think she looks great with the bubble canopy installed! I will install the servos and control rods/horns and cowl this week.
John

DiscoWings

My Feedback: (76)

Navyflyer,
what engine are you using? Are you going to leave the bottom of the dummy engine covered or going to cut away the part where the supercharger goes?
My saito 100's head is going to be sticking out for sure so cooling won't be that bad, but I'm still going to open away the bottom area of the dummy engine to as an inlet of air.

CAPT John

My Feedback: (15)

DiscoWing,
Thanks for the link...I didn't realize Robart makes gear door brackets. The challenge will be mounting the door over the offset in the 653s. I visited the National Air & Space Museum in Washington DC last week and looked at the their full scale P-47D. The full scale aircraft uses offset struts (scissors point forward) and the gear doors are in two pieces. The lower half covers the wheel, and the upper half covers the strut. Here's a poor quality photo taken from my camera phone (I was on a business trip and didn't plan on a stop at the museum).
John

CAPT John

My Feedback: (15)

DiscoWings,
I'm using an OS-91 FS. The cylinder head comes to within about 1/8" of the cowl, so I'm going try it without cutting an opening for the head. I cut away all the areas between the dummy radial cylinders but left the lower supercharger area covered. I intend to make an oversize exhaust opening on the bottom of the cowl for airflow.
John

camss69

My Feedback: (46)

Wow, retracts, retracts, retracts!!!

I keep waiting for a flight report! Did anyone try to fly it with the stock setup? Are they really that bad that you have to take a $250 ARF and go to a $450 ARF for retracts? I have a hard time dropping $450 for a plane that is a 60 sized ARF!

I'm very interested in this plane, but not if I have to drop another $115 for retracts and another $80 for robostruts.

I have a YS 120 looking for a home, but it sounds like it might be too much for this plane?

It does look great, and I'm happy to see something a little different come out. I'm sure it flys great but I'd like to hear if someone has tried the stock gear.

TLH101

My Feedback: (90)

Here is a link to the construction of "scale" gear doors on the T/F giant P-47 kit with struts. Shows exactly how to do it, and it should work with kit as well.
http://www.top-flite.com/techsupport/topa0415tech.html

CAPT John

My Feedback: (15)

TLH101,
Thanks for the info. I see the T/F giant P-47 uses straight struts. I suspect making gear doors for the offset struts will be challenging.
John

DiscoWings

My Feedback: (76)

camss69,

The stock gear will work fine. I flew my Mustang around on my grass field with stock retracts and they held up just fine. Asuming they are the revised version of the retracts (the original stainless shiny steal ones were total crap on the mustang) But Horizon revised the gear and the new gear is hardned steal and should hole up just fine on both grass and pavement.

I just prefer the look and scale movement of robostruts and robart air retracts, You can get a full setup for 200, which is not bad I think, however if you are on a budget, then all you need is a 30 dollar HS-75 retract servo, you'll be fine.[8D]

DiscoWings

My Feedback: (76)

Also, just to warn you, if you are using stock retracts, then DO NOT install the wheel gear fairings. What will happen in mid flight is that they will start to create drag and pull the retract downward! I have seen some gear fail and eventually it will create enough play on the retracts that they will have to be replaced.

However, if you using air retracts, they will not let this happen.

dasintex

My Feedback: (10)

DiscoWings; Are you going to mount the 653's on the stock retracts and slip the robostruts over the wire gear; or are you getting the Robarts wire gear retracts 510's or Robostrut ready 511 retracts; if you are getting the 511 Robostrut ready will the 653's be long enough.

dasintex

My Feedback: (10)

John; What a disappointment, your plan sounded great; we will see how Andy's set up works; I see DiscoWings posted that the offset Robostruts are longer, would they work in the 511 retracts and be long enough; or are we going to have resign ourselves to the fact that we are going to have to mount the Robstruts onto wire gear; I wonder if Robarts is just telling you that it won't work, drilling out the 511, because they would rather see you buy the more expensive Retracts that are 7/16" Robostrut ready. Doug.

dasintex

My Feedback: (10)

John; On those photos of the Top Flite P-47 that TLH101 Linked to his post; what retracts do you think are being used? Wire Gear or Robostrut ready, it's not clear to me because I'm not real familar with retracts, although it looks like theres a clamp on the end of the Robostrut like it were clamped onto the wiregear, with that being said, the Robostruts clamped onto wire gear may not be all that bad. Doug.

CAPT John

My Feedback: (15)

Doug,
I believe the photo of the T/F P-47 gear is Robostrut-ready retracts. The wire option won't work for me as I have the 511RS (Robostrut-ready) retracts. I plan to wait to see how DiscoWings offset strut install goes before I decide how to proceed. Meanwhile, I may ask around a bit to see if anyone else has drilled out Robart retracts to accept a larger strut.
John

Hellcat716

My Feedback: (2)

That is about what your comment is worth 2 cents.

TLH101

My Feedback: (90)

Those are actually Robarts 622-P47, that are near scale gear made for the T/F GS P-47.

dasintex

My Feedback: (10)

WHAT EVER!