Got a bunch more work done last night on the chippie. got all the control rods in place and hooked up got the engine mounted and throttle set up as well. I will take some pics tonight but i bought a 6oz dubro tank for the smoke and it fits perfectly between the servo tray and what would be the bottom of the cockpit. Also got the charge jack power switch mounted and installed the reciever. That sponge with the cutouts for the reciever and battery is a nice touch. The list of things to do is getting shorter

got some more work done last night. Good thing the wife has crafts she wants to work on out in the garage, this way i can build and we can still spend time together. Anyways got the pilot and canopy on but i am thinking i should add some clear tape at the front of the canopy or put a screw there as my last canopy ripped off in the wind due to the front lifting. Also got the cowl cut out and installed. I was a little worried and i haven't had much luck in the past with cutting and fitting but i am ok with how this one turned out. I had a bit more to work with as i still had the old canopy from my crashed chippy so i slit the side of it and used it instead of the clear plastic one. I am having trouble uploading pics from my work computer so i will give links to my photobucket album. The wires are quite messy right now and i still have to run the tubing for the smoke oil tank and install the sullivan smoke pump but the end is in sight. I set all the control throws as well. I just set the spinner and prop on for looks but will be replacing it with a chrome spinner and a black master airscrew prop with red tips, should look good. If things go well and the weather cooperates i should be able to maiden it this weekend. Getting pretty excited.

Flyboy76

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...cowlcutout.jpg
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...ipsideview.jpg
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...ipfrontend.jpg
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...lectronics.jpg

Flyboy - you should have gone inverted ... that hole is really big!

I am ok with it. I did cut away a little more that i would have liked and i could have ran the muffler inside the cowl pointing out the bottom and cut a lot less out but this is the way i did it so what's done is done. I am by myself tonight so i should get it pretty much finished.

flyboy76

Flyboy - wait till you see me do a cowling job, its PERFECT ... A PERFECT DISASTER!!! Its like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre ... I can build ok but I have no finess for cowlings.

got pretty much everything done tonight. I need to break in the engine and install the smoke pump when it arrives. I will have to add a little weight to the tail to get it to balance but i will wait and fill the smoke tank before adding anything.

Flyboy76

Swapped the empty tank and the reciever/battery pack around and that did the trick as far as balancing goes, plus the smoke tank is right on the CG so it won't make a difference if it is full or empty. Ran a couple tanks of fuel through the 91 last night does it ever sound awesome. This is my first 4 stroke and i have to tell you i think that is the end of the 2 strokes for me. Anyways here is a couple pics, i had the assembly engineer with me as well. She love planes i am going to get her a rubber band one to play with. IF it is calm tonight i will maiden it right now the wind is blowing pretty good. Going down to the lake today to open up the cabing i guess i had better get my beaver on floats ready to fly. Spring is officially here!! IT's about time!!!!!

Flyboy76

Flyboy - please get us some pics of the pouring smoke! I got a nephew and he is just over 4, he gets to keep my slighly damaged EP planes ... he always promises not to tear them apart but he has been lying to me for the last few planes!!! Hope to get him flying soon too, maybe when he turns 6. Wanna hook him up with your daughter? Hahahaa ...

Here is a pic of my No. 2 Chippie on its maiden ... noticed how nice my cowl is?

Great looking plane Flyboy! Yours too Tianci. I too have a couple of pride pics as well as an "assembly engineer". Let us know how it flies!

And although it's a little late, I am adding a pic of the inverted mounted front shot.

[img][/img]Trying to upload a pix of my chippie, flyboy I think you need to put a elmo pilot in your chippie, I am sure your engineer would agree

Nice pics guys, hopefully tonight is nice and calm. Was down at our cabin this morning and the ice is starting to come off the lake a little already, so i'll have the get the engine back into my beaver. Hindsight being what it is i should have mounted the engine inverted but i am happy with how it looks. The smoke pump is supposed to be here on Monday so i can mount it and program everything and hopefully tuesday night i should have a smoke show. Anyways cheers for now

flyboy76

I still haven't maidened my Chippie the wind never came down and i would still like to run another tank through it as well. Man that thing just purrs. I spent today working on my other chippie a Nitro models one that i bought used after the owner had a really rough landing and messed up the landing gear and cowl. Just about ready to mount the engine and then it will be time to order another cowl and landing gear. Cheers for now.

Flyboy76

I've been flying my WM Chippie for 5 years with a YS 1.20. It has never flown as good as my Goldberg Chipmunk(s) due to weight issues. So...I re-engined it with an OS .91, removed the twin elevator servos and put in an MK elevator crank from Central Hobbies. I could not make myself do the elevator pushrod thing, way too flexy for my taste. I also got to take out 5 oz of tail-weight. In total, I removed nearly 3\4 Lb. so I am excited about the way it should fly now.

Good Luck Flyboy76 on your maiden!

The elevator pushrod has bothered me as well, but the first one i had didn't have any problems so for now i will go with this. If i feel i am not getting enough authority i will swap it out for something more rigid. I was considering dual elevator servos but would prefer not to do that for weight reasons. On a pos. note my smoke pump showed up today so i will be installing it tonight and hopefully will have a chance to try the smoke out.

Flyboy76

Here is a pic of the MK elevator crank on another airplane of mine. Simple to set-up, but with less weight and more rigidity than twin pushrods.

If i am looking at that pic properly you take and have the thing all the way through the fuse and hook up the middle one inside on a single pushrod??

Flyboy76

Fly - hope that you gut your Chippie up soon ... the bell crank works with a single pushrod or even a pull-pull and is a really good solution for split elevators. But again if you really want, you can install 2 HS85s for the elevator. Not too heavy at all. Still the bell crank is a cheap but effective solution.

I used to have two Hitec 425 servo's just to balance out the YS 1.20. I'm glad to be rid of the extra weight, and those Y-reversers drift frequently. I think two HS 85MG servos would work well. I used that combo on a 3D plane with no problems.

I just finished the bell-crank on the Chippie this afternoon. No weight needed after the weight-loss surgery. Yeah!!

I am going to try it out the way it is and go from there. If i have any problems i will get 2 HS85;s and drop them in. My smoke oil comes today and i should have the pump in and plumbed tonight.

Flyboy76

Well i finally got the chance to install the smoke system. I am def. adding some weight here but the 91 should still yank it around ok. I will just have to be careful on takeoff and landing. I do believe everything is done i will just have to check my balance again and make sure, but i have the options of moving the battery packs around. I am using a seperate battery pack for the smoke pump and have plugged it into the radio on a y-harness with my retracts. I still have to run one more tank through of break-in so i will leave the retracts unplugged and test the smoke system at the same time. I don't think you would want to have a bigger tank than 6 oz. as room becomes an issue. You could stuff either the smoke pump or the tank up under the fuel tank but it is not easily accessable so i chose not to. Anyways here are a couple of pics of the install, i plan on tucking the reciever in just behind the pump.

Flyboy76

SHE FLIES!!!! Got to maiden the Chippie this afternoon. I was a fair bit nose heavy but she flew awesome, to bad i had the smoke pump plumbed backwards. Took it home and fixed the plumbing and tried it out on the ground. The smoke really pours out of her!!! My buddy has a video camera and sometime this week i am taking it back out and will get some vid of the smokin chip!!! Added 2 oz. of weight to the tail and it balances perfect. Even running rich that 91 is a stump puller!! I can't imagine what it will be like once it is completely broken in!!

Cheers!!

Flyboy76

Thanks for the update, Can't wait to see the video. Can you let me know where your CG ended up?

Can't remember the distance off the top of my head but it was right at the edge of the front blue covering. I will take a measurement in the morning and post it.

Flyboy76

Whats up guys? I have a quick question. I just picked up a wm chipmunk used and was wondering if I need high torque servos or will standard servos do. I have Futaba S3151 available. Thanks.

Standard servo's are just fine. I ran standard servo's with a YS 1.20 yanking mine around for more than 5 seasons.