I received the graphics from CFC Graphics. They are beautiful!! They will look great on an already awesome airplane. Thank You, Charles, I will keep you in mind for future work. Anyone else looking for graphics CFC is #1 in my book. Charles was more than helpful and willing to go out of his way to make a set of N numbers for my rudder. I thought they came with the set I bought (error on my part) Had I looked at the kit prior to talking to him I would have seen they are already supplied with the kit. This is what customer service is all about. Quality workmanship, and fast delivery A+++ what else could you ask for. If anyone is looking for graphics for any projects give him a try you will love his work!!!

Do you have the name of the hobby shop that still had the staggerwings? Thanks.

The hobby shop is:

Hobby Club USA
10820 S. Central Ave.
Ontario, CA 91762
909/628-4300

[email protected]

I'm not sure if he'll ship it or not, but I guess it's worth a phone call.

I could not find the one with a g26 but I did find one and he claims it is a 28cc. The g26 I saw seemed to fly just like this one so I do think this is a 28cc.

[link]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d49g1PH***g[/link]


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d49g1PH***g[/youtube]

Thank you for the info. rowdog_14. Seems to me that a G-26 will be fine for my t/f Stagerwing. A lot of people said that a g-38 will be a good match, and it won't need nose weight. i am very thankfull !!!!!
if you know something else please let me know,
Alex

I have a OS 160 in mine. The engine by itself is 32oz and I have a pitts muffler about 6-8 oz I think. That is about 40oz total weight with engine. I had to add a lot of weight in the cowl.

Weight= about 4-6oz of lead and a big 4200mah battery nimh(probably about 8-10 oz)= about 15-20oz

So that being said I think the g26 will be right on the money and the g38 will probably be a little nose heavy which is better than tail heavy.

I see what the guy was talking about the "bouncing/pogo" factor with those landing gear...
I don't get it, but one couldn't make them have some fluid dampening...

Not really, as designed. However, one could disassemble the strut and coat it with petroleum jelly, which would give some restriction/damping, but not alot.

I talked to one of the Staggerwing owners at the EAA Airventure in Oshkosh,Wisconsin this year about the landing gear characteristics. He said the real ones are the same as our models. No damping. He said you can feel the springs take the load as the aircraft settles, and that you must be very smooth and carefull when landing on grass, as even small bumps can bounce the aircraft back up if lightly loaded, ie no passengers or luggage, and light on fuel.

Thanks for the reply....
Nice to hear that we have it very close to the real one's

I have been reading a lot about this model.

Somebody don`t like it because it is so tricky and has violent tipstalls while other seems to love it.

SP all in all is it a good airplane as long as you are intermediated  pilot?

affas,
This is an excellent aircraft for an experienced pilot, but I wouldn't recommend it for an intermediate pilot. This is a very good flying aircraft, but it is not, repeat not, a model for a low time pilot.

The violent tipstalls occur if the plane gets to slow, which is caused by the fairly high wing loading. If it can be built very light, which is not easy, but it seems can be done, by some, therefore keeping the wing loading down, would tame it a little.

I would recommend some real time on one or two good warbirds first, as this plane requires good warbird skills. There are many good, readily available kits out there to learn/practice on. Especially the Top Flight .60 size series, which can be built a little heavy and fly well, while teaching you to be on your toes. A good T-6 Texan would also be a good first warbird.

The reason I suggest starting with something else, is the fact the Top Flight Staggerwing is no longer available, nor or replacement parts. And when things go wrong with this plane in the air, it's sudden and usually fatal.

I have had my staggerwing for about 2 years now but have a question about other peoples setup. I have a OS160FX and I had to add about 22oz(1.5lbs) of weight to the nose of the plane to balance. My weight come from 9 oz of lead, and 13oz 3600mah battery. That being said people using the OS160fx and the OS160 Gemini how much did you all have to add to the front to balance. Now I do not have the retracts so that is probably why I have to add so much weight to the front. Oh I do not have the dumy radial in it either so that would probably add a few oz if I did have it installed. I do not want to go gas and I know it would be cheaper if I did.

Rowdog

I have had mine about the same time, I think you were on the build thread the same time as I was. I use the 160 FS Twin, retracts everything (the receiver and glow battery) right up against the firewall no nose weight, came out at 20.5 lbs

as for pilot skills: advanced only !!! even then this is NOT and airplane you fly while talking to your buddies or drinking a beer. Early on I even had a slight mishap (which means little damage) on a landing with full flaps it bounced a bit hard jumped back into the air where I decided to do a go around, so i went immediate full throttle, and as you can guess the torque flipped it right on its back and slid on the ground for about 10 feet.

the proper procedure would have been very slow gradual throttle and milk the flaps up untill a climb is established.

Denis

Thanks for the input. I have flown mine about 10 times over the past 2 years but I was just recently thinking about all that dam.... dead weight up front. I am guessing your batteries are on the outside of the firewall right? Well I guess I will start saving for the air system and retracts and then re-balance. Mine is 17.8 lbs right now but after adding the retracts and air system I will probably hit 20.Thanks for the input.

rowdog,
When I had my os 160 twin in mine, i had the glow battery right on the cg, and the reciever battery about under the dash panel. I have full retracts, with retractable tail wheel and air ram mounted in servo position. I still had to add 2 full lbs of tire weights to firewall. Came out just short of 25 lbs. Flew well, but engine was tired, and no take-off power. After snap on take-off, and wing replacements, I converted to electric power. Now weighs 21.5 lbs, AUW. Still carry 8 oz of tire weights on motor mount, just behind motor. Battery tray could have been more forward mounted, if I had known how at the time. (This was my first electric conversion. Have learned a lot since.)

The wings carry the weight fine, just have to keep the speed up, even when landing, as she will tip stall easier as weight goes up. If yours flies well now, the dead weight is not hurting. Especially if yours is as light as you mention. When you go with the retracts, balancing the tailwheel assy will require the most weight. If you go with it, that is.

Denis,

10-4 on the torque flip when slow!! I've had quite a few of those bounces and go arounds, lately, and slow, easy throttle is definitely a must!! Wow.

Funny, after the last damaging crash, bending the left main gear, right after getting the second replacement, requiring ordering the 3rd one!! [X(], I told the plane, "You better not crash again, I'm NOT fixing you again!!" (Really, I did!) and it hasn't! I've had some close calls, including one where I lost motor power, from running to long, and it went in over a dyke, by a creek, landing on it's back three feet off the ground in high reeds!!! Missed going in water by two feet! It was listening!!
BTW, all the bent gears were caused by the dreaded tip stall on landing! I just had to learn to fly it down to the ground, instead of trying to hold it off and three point it. This plane does not like to three point!

thanks guys I thought I was doing something wrong with all that weight up front.

All weight is just aft of the firewall. My throttle servo is mounted ON the firewall, not much weight there as its a HS 81 micro



Denis

Mines been put up for the summer, in AZ I hate dragging around a 20 lb airplane in 115 deg heat, cooling off now should be high 90s this next week

Has anyone her put a OS BGX in their staggerwing...????, and if so does it fit in the cowl without cutting.

I do have a lot warbirds, the largest one a T6 from Vogelsang with Moki250 so used to tricky planes. Not a pro but I do fly all kind of planes.

So even if I do fly advanced planes, there are allways some planes that do not fly well at all whoever flies them.

I am going with ASP 160 twin and I will reduce weight as much as I can during the whole assembly.

Exciting project to see if I am able to have a nice flying bird. :-),

I have about 60oz (4lbs) in the nose of my plane to get it to balance out. I do not know the weight of the ASP 160 but if it is less than or equal to the OS 160 twin then I would put a bigger motor in just to have the extra weight and power. Now I do not have the air retracts of the dumy radial, just fyi if you are trying to compare apples to apples. Good luck on the build!

I'm cracking up at all of the terminology about operating this model! "Torque flip" is the best so far! Reminds me of the time when a buddy was flying his fast EDF and a guy was sure he'd seen it "hyper stall"!
How many of you guys use the rudder when adding power on a go-around? Take off, initial climb, low speed flight? That's what is used on full sized airplanes, works great when flying models of Staggerwings, too.
Timing during a landing is what makes a good three pointer. That, and a stable approach. If the pilot isn't up to the task, or the CG isn't correct on the model, or the controls are set-up improperly, any landing would be iffy. BTW, landing a Staggerwing 3-point is a real timing maneuver and many full scale pilots can't do it either.
The RC term "tip stall" is actually translated, "I don't know what the hell I'm talking about". When a wing drops during a low speed ending to a botched approach to land, it just means the model's wing was fully stalled from root to tip and the poor model wasn't able to continue to fly. The pilot allowed the model to decelerate to a speed too slow to fly and still hadn't touched down. Most model pilots do a series of pitch excursions on approach, and cannot predictably touchdown at a selected spot.
Some guys need to get the FAA Private Pilot Handbook and read up on the realities of airplanes and how they fly!
Chris...

I also have a Saito 300 twin, but I think it is to big.

What is the inside diameter of the cowling?

StuntFlyr

You are 100% correct. Fortunately I flew full size (almost all TailDraggers) so I have been able to understand flight dynamics. I use coordinated rudder with turns, slow flight use rudder to pick up a dropped wing,ect. and especially with a high wing loaded/heavy aircraft if my approach is not stable I go around. Having said that I have found at my flying field 300 + about 1% is actually interested in learning this stuff. Thats O.K. its a hobby, hobby's are supposed to be fun and it seems the majority have fun overpowering a J-3 cub so they can fly 3D. Errrrrrr !!!!!

but I'm just saying ????

This aircraft is not really too demanding: in the air, very stable and absolutely gorgeous with the gear retracted. But you DO need to know rudder and speeds !!


Denis

I do fly the T6 in my avatar fullsize and no doubt that the understanding of flight characteristics increases with understanding fullsize flying

A little or, but here is my second day with my 3,45m T6. A little overspeed, but better safe than sorry the first flights....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBcV3...e_gdata_player