Isaac F

Hey guy, have any of you have the PHOENIX TUCANO .40-.51 ARF
Can you share your experience with this ARF?

THX,

Isaac

aussiesteve

Used to have one powered with a 46AX - good flying plane but like many of the lower cost ARFs the hardware package is marginal. (It all works ok but I prefer better). Make sure the tailfeathers align properly before going near any glue - mine were out of horizontal alignment but it was quickly fixed with some light sanding.

They break into quite a lot of pieces when they hit the ground vertically after a radio failure though

SunShyne

My Feedback: (68)

looks very sharp, I am not sure if any of the US dist for Phoenix is bringing these over, at least to my knowledge.

Does it come with retracts? The PC-9 from Seagull which is similar is a great flying machine but the lack of retracts took away some of the fun for me.

thanks for sharing, the Tucano is a beutiful bird

aussiesteve

No it doesn't come with retracts.
It's pretty well identical to the Seagull PC9 as far as flying quality goes (Still have one of those) and almost identical to look at side by side (Depending on which color scheme the importers get in - in Oz the Seagull comes in the Roulettes color scheme)

Isaac F

Towerhobbies is selling it for around $125.00


Isaac

jship

My Feedback: (4)

I to like the looks of the plane but at 6.3 lb? It's to pork for a .46.
john

jship

My Feedback: (4)

I to like the looks of the plane but at 6.3 lb? It's to porky for a .46.
john

I think I allready said that, said that..............

mert1978

My Feedback: (1)

Guys,

Is it possible to convert the Tucano into a taildragger? I have done this on previous models (i.e. Goldberg Tiger 2) and wonder if it is as simple as those.

Woody 51

It's a large model, almost .60 sized. It needs more than a .46 anyway.
I have one and when I built it, decided that a Super Tigre G.51 might be the go. Only problem was that the ST was too long to fit in without really butchering the front of the cowl. So I looked at an MVVS. 49. Same deal. It was apparent that the model was designed around an OS type engine. I eventually settled on an ASP.52 and it fitted very well.
One of the new OS.55's would be ideal.
Flying wise, they are pretty good, but have to be powered right.
The supplied hardware was average but I have seen worse.
I didn't use the pushrods as the dowel was far too flexible. Also the wheels. They were horribly out of round and too small for grass anyway. I also used a cable on the throttle rather than their wire. The spinner deformed when it was done up. I junked it.
I did use the supplied control horns and fuel tank. The undercart wire wasn't too bad.
The Oracover covering was wrinkle free and the general build/glued joints was good. The wing joiner is a huge aluminium tube. The fibreglass cowl is good quality work and nicely painted.
The tail feathers on mine lined up pretty well.
All in all, for the price, its not bad value.

mimoore67

My Feedback: (51)

I keep looking at this plane! I'm right in the middle of bashing a H-9 T-34, with flaps and retracts, so this may be the next victim.


Is there any dihedral in the wing on this Tucano????


What about modifying for retracts? Sounds like a removal a hardwood blocks that support the landing gear wires.


Pics please?????? of the airplane close up would be nice, if anyone can help out!

I keep watching Tower to see if the ever get a damaged one in, so I can bash that with some of my modifications!!!!

the pope

I like the seagull pc 9 .I started off with a46 ax but hated the inverted set up I then changed to a side mounted tt 54 4banger which didnt have enough go for even my likeing.Finally it now has a 70 os 4 stroke and Im happy with its performance.Its a nice flying plane
now. Cheers the pope

Isaac F

What problems you get with the engine inverted setup? Do you have problem with you idle? PLease let me know becuase I am interested in one of this tucano and I am thinking on installing a Webra 50.

THX,

Isaac

georgee

Hi Folks,

I"ve found a slightly larger Tucano,this is equipped with flaps for 10-15 cm glow engines.

http://shop.lindinger.at/product_inf...ducts_id=65829
I think the manufacturer is the same.I"m flirting with the idea of buyin it.It would be a nice everyday sportflyer.

Georgee

learning

Hi Isaac,

I personally agreed with The Pope, my Phoenix Tucano originally fitted with OS 55 2 stroke engine (inverted). It look like difficult for me to tunning this engine. It still can take off and fly stable but not to the expected RPM. Finally I opt to replace this engine to 70 4 stroke engine and it fly great.

Chow

Woody 51

Mine is powered by an ASP.52.
I have not had any problems with inverted running. (note I had to put about 35 grams of ballast up the rear to get the correct C of G)
However for asthetics, this model cries out for a 4 stroke.
Before you go putting a Webra in, 1st measure the LENGTH of the engines crankcase. If it is the same size or longer than an MVVS .45 or .49, or a Super Tigre G.51, then forget it.
To get an engine with the dimensions of one of those in, you will have to really butcher the front of that lovely cowl up.
It's designed around an OS dimensioned engine. (OS; Magnum; GMS; ASP etc)
All these are shorter in the crankcase than the European origin engines mentioned.
I still had to shave the inside of the engine mount to get my ASP in.

matt13

Old post I know, but was just flying one of these yesterday. I have had it at least two years now and it flys well on an old tired OS46FX. I had to throw away the push rods and used closed loop to the rudder, a Y push rod to both elevator halfs. With maximum posible control throws this bird will do to BEST negative spans EVER for a sports model. The flat inverted spin stops people in their tracks to watch how slowly it comes down. The main gear is a bit loose now in the wings and it will snap if you get too slow flying inverted, but bang for buck this model is the best. Do they still sell them? Matt

Isaac F

Hey Matt13, thx for your coments. I order it from Tower Hobbies. Just do a search on Tower under Tucano and it will come up or check here [link=http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXRLR6&P=ML] Phoenix Models Tucano Sport/Scale ARF .40-.46,61.4"[/link]

I am buiding it very slow since I just have time to work on it on saturdays. The only bad thing I can say at this moment is that the fuel tank harware is junk! No mather what I do is leaking air.

It comes with some plastic tubes instead of brass tubings and the hole in the center of the rubber for the screw to tight it is to big and air leak from there. I will go this next saturday to the hobby shop to buy new fuel tank hardware.

This ARF looks very good, the quality also is very good and the oracover is 100% OK.

Isaac

Here are a few pics. I will take more pics later.

Isaac F

Ok, here are some pics of the way the rod guides that goes inside to the fuselage to the rear, Also the pushrods has metal clevis. It use individual pushrods for each elevator Then it have some type of Y conector near the servo horn.

Isaac F

More Pics:

matt13

OK, it looks like they have updated the elevator push rods since mine, which is good. I ended up lowering the tank position by using a hacksaw blade on the formers through to some lighting holes. My friend did this first as he could not get his engine to idle, and although mine did idle it was touchy and would oftern quit. Once I changed the tank to a lower position it was a lot more reliable and fuel did not keep running out of the carb when the engine was not running and the tank was full.

matt13

Here is a photo of mine in the air, the file size is a bit too big to post more than one.

Isaac F

Hey Matt13,

I have check the fuel tank and its look like is in line with the carburator. But I will keep an eye on that and if it give me problems, I will lower it a little...... THX for the tip.

Also, what about the CG? Do you follow the manual and was OK? Or you move your CG?


Thx,

Isaac

matt13

Setting it up was a while back now, the battery is forward of the servo mounts and I only did a rough check of the CofG (with fingers on the wing) and compared this to the instructoins which seemed close and then just went out and flew it. I have never given it anymore thought as it was pretty good as is.

Isaac F

Hey guys, just to let you know that today I make the first Tucano fly. It fly verry good and at slow speed does not have any bad issue, I will say it float a lot. CG was perfect, I follow the instrucction 100mm and is perfect.

I was flying it with a Webra 50GT Speed with a APC 11 x 6 (Tach it at 12,300RPM) with 10% nitro. I will say it was flying slow[X(] Maybe this was because dont have the caowl intalled yet but I want this thing to go faster. So waht you people recomend me in order that goes faster?
What prop you recomend?

THX,

Isaac

Here are some pics I took with my Celular Phone.

kochj

Tuned pipe!!
I had a St 5.1 w/a tuned pipe on a Modeltech p-51 and that was very heavy after I re-built it after it was totaled! It was in the .60 size weight-Nojoke!

Anyway that combo was awsome! Talk about haulin the mail!! Never clocked it but, I gues it was over 110MPH