New Great Planes Revolver
05-08-2010, 10:50 PM
#2577
Senior Member
RE: New Great Planes Revolver
lilprops,
Very sweet pool!!! I mean plane!!!
I was out flying my 59" today and I was having a blast!! Now when you fly this bird, you will see why we love it so much!!! I was mad because I had to leave both 70" Revolver at home because I had to fly the Great Plane Seawind to get it ready to play in the water this year!! Have fun my friend with your bird and then after a day of flying, than you can sit by the pool and smile!!!
Sonny
aka
jet22b
Very sweet pool!!! I mean plane!!!
I was out flying my 59" today and I was having a blast!! Now when you fly this bird, you will see why we love it so much!!! I was mad because I had to leave both 70" Revolver at home because I had to fly the Great Plane Seawind to get it ready to play in the water this year!! Have fun my friend with your bird and then after a day of flying, than you can sit by the pool and smile!!!Sonny
aka
jet22b
05-11-2010, 05:26 PM
#2583
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RE: New Great Planes Revolver
Lilprop - checkerboard trim looks nice. Though I'm not sure how well you'll see it from the ground. Still, looks cool. I'm currently building a 78" Texas Hurricane and thought the trim design was a bit dull. Under the wings I added a longitudinal 5" stripe of checkerboard. Should help me differentiate between my plane and the seagulls.
05-11-2010, 07:29 PM
#2584
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RE: New Great Planes Revolver
you should post the pic and progress of that plane. i would like to see it. i also thought about doing the whole underside of the plane in chek board. but im not sure yet.
05-11-2010, 08:00 PM
#2585
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RE: New Great Planes Revolver
LilProp - Will post some pics on the Texas Hurricane. But first, a quick story.
Had beautiful weather here in NY this morning (before work) for flying - 45deg, 6mph NNW (perfect for my field). Did six nice flights with my 59" Revolver - plane was flying very nicely. Fast, sharp, beautiful red and white against a bright blue sky. It was a bit chilly, and there's nothing like flying low inverted passes with numb fingers to get your heart pumping. Then, on the last flight (why is it always the last flight...), the plane is flying away from me, maybe 3-400 away, when I see something small and black fall off the plane. I still have control of the plane, so start my approach to land right away. As the plane is heading back toward me I see what's missing - the right wheel. Great! So now I have to set-down a fast-landing plane in a ROUGH grass field, with a wheel on one side and a HOOK on the other. No problem. Fortunately, the wind had picked up a bit, so I had a little headwind to help me slow it down. And I managed to pull her up at the last second and got a decently soft landing in, with no spinning, tumbling, or ripping itself asunder. Whew! Now I go look for the wheel. 20 mins of searching - no luck. Very frustrating. I'm starting to keep a list of all the parts that have fallen off of my planes that I've NOT found in that field. Back half of an OS muffler, two rear landing wheels, and now this wheel. Two parts that have also fallen off but I HAVE found - anther main landing wheel, from my NitroStrike trainer, and, last week, the spinner from this same plane, the 59" Revolver.
Maybe I should start tightening things down.
Had beautiful weather here in NY this morning (before work) for flying - 45deg, 6mph NNW (perfect for my field). Did six nice flights with my 59" Revolver - plane was flying very nicely. Fast, sharp, beautiful red and white against a bright blue sky. It was a bit chilly, and there's nothing like flying low inverted passes with numb fingers to get your heart pumping. Then, on the last flight (why is it always the last flight...), the plane is flying away from me, maybe 3-400 away, when I see something small and black fall off the plane. I still have control of the plane, so start my approach to land right away. As the plane is heading back toward me I see what's missing - the right wheel. Great! So now I have to set-down a fast-landing plane in a ROUGH grass field, with a wheel on one side and a HOOK on the other. No problem. Fortunately, the wind had picked up a bit, so I had a little headwind to help me slow it down. And I managed to pull her up at the last second and got a decently soft landing in, with no spinning, tumbling, or ripping itself asunder. Whew! Now I go look for the wheel. 20 mins of searching - no luck. Very frustrating. I'm starting to keep a list of all the parts that have fallen off of my planes that I've NOT found in that field. Back half of an OS muffler, two rear landing wheels, and now this wheel. Two parts that have also fallen off but I HAVE found - anther main landing wheel, from my NitroStrike trainer, and, last week, the spinner from this same plane, the 59" Revolver.
Maybe I should start tightening things down.
05-11-2010, 08:58 PM
#2587
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RE: New Great Planes Revolver
So sounds like you had a nice day of flying. lol, im sorry about your luck. yea i would probly be best to tighten every thing down
.. i hope i have no problems like that. i would probaly crash looking at the pice fall to the ground.. good story tho
05-11-2010, 09:32 PM
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RE: New Great Planes Revolver
As I've said, I would not use the stock gear anymore, only the Dubro. Much stronger, nothing to worry about. Actually, if that wheel had fallen off of a stock gear ... there's NO WAY that plane would NOT have sustained major damage on landing today. The Dubro gear is tough. btw, also as I've previously written, I dont' bolt the Dubro gear into the existing stock blind nuts - for one thing, they're in a straight row - no good. Instead I install an additional 3/8" floor, using 7 or 8 separate "slats" of wood - onto the space behind the stock blind nuts. 30 min epoxy that in place. VERY strong.
05-11-2010, 09:40 PM
#2591
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RE: New Great Planes Revolver
i will deff do that. i love this plane and would hate to haveanything bad happen to it. i want to fly but the weather hear has been crappy for about a week now. hopping for good weather this weekend. supose to have a big bird fly in at my field.. can u post some pics for me on how you did it? or tell me were to go. i have been looking alot at the .60 revolver and think im going to try to find me one.
05-11-2010, 10:10 PM
#2593
Senior Member
RE: New Great Planes Revolver
microdon2;
Here is one better!! Try landing the 59" Revolver with no wheels!!! I had to do that this past weekend!! Last flight of the day, having a blast, and like you I saw something fall from the plane. Than 1 min later I saw something else fall from the plane!!! Made a low pass over the runway and was shock to see both wheels was gone!! Flew her around to burn off fuel. Time to land her. I went for the tail grass at the end of our runway and made the best stall landing I ever done. No damage to the plane at all, but I did have to change my shorts!! Make sure make a nice flat spot in the axle for the wheel coller. Now my wheels will not fall off!!
I did find both wheels the next day!! I hope that never happen again!!!
Sonny
aka
jet22b
Here is one better!! Try landing the 59" Revolver with no wheels!!! I had to do that this past weekend!! Last flight of the day, having a blast, and like you I saw something fall from the plane. Than 1 min later I saw something else fall from the plane!!! Made a low pass over the runway and was shock to see both wheels was gone!! Flew her around to burn off fuel. Time to land her. I went for the tail grass at the end of our runway and made the best stall landing I ever done. No damage to the plane at all, but I did have to change my shorts!!
Make sure make a nice flat spot in the axle for the wheel coller. Now my wheels will not fall off!!I did find both wheels the next day!! I hope that never happen again!!!
Sonny
aka
jet22b
05-11-2010, 10:16 PM
#2594
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RE: New Great Planes Revolver
Lilprop - Here's some pics from this past winter, showing where \ how the Dubro gear is installed. Also painted white (fuel-proof paint) and tri-color trimmed (my design) - looks much nicer that just plain white. If you want to do the trim then buy the sticky monokote from Tower - the blue is not the exact shade of blue of the plane - they don't sell that for some reason - but it's close enough. Place the widest color first (in my case, red), and be sure to wrap it around and underneath, so the wind can't peel it back. After some use you may need to touch it up (glue it back down) with some thin CA - no big deal.
Two other pics - I install the Voltwatch meter onto the cockpit dashboard - easy to see there, and it looks cool. And a pic of the Great Plains rear landing gear. This removes the load that the stock gear puts onto the rudder hinges (which, I found out, can rip out).
As you can see, also use skis - what a blast! And a snowy field is the BEST landing strip.
05-11-2010, 10:26 PM
#2595
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RE: New Great Planes Revolver
Hey Jet22 - HA!! Have to admit, your story topped mine! Nice landing, btw.. Can't believe you found both wheels, too.
LilProp - I see in your posts that it's windy in Texas (have heard that from others, too). FYI - the 70" Revolver is more stable and less jumpy than the 59", so handles winds much better. Whenever it's over 10-12mph, I break out the Rev 70. (not that the 59" couldn't handle it...). Also, on the 59" Revolver I always tape black construction paper to the bottom of the cockpit - from above, to me, it gives the illusion of depth and a "more real" cockpit. On the Rev 70 Great Plains seems to have had the same idea - they installed a wooden, black base to the cockpic - the opening is now in the back (which I now cover with black paper).
LilProp - I see in your posts that it's windy in Texas (have heard that from others, too). FYI - the 70" Revolver is more stable and less jumpy than the 59", so handles winds much better. Whenever it's over 10-12mph, I break out the Rev 70. (not that the 59" couldn't handle it...). Also, on the 59" Revolver I always tape black construction paper to the bottom of the cockpit - from above, to me, it gives the illusion of depth and a "more real" cockpit. On the Rev 70 Great Plains seems to have had the same idea - they installed a wooden, black base to the cockpic - the opening is now in the back (which I now cover with black paper).
05-11-2010, 10:53 PM
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RE: New Great Planes Revolver
i have one of them volt meters, identical to that. i was planning on installing in in my canopy like that. i am moving from texas to colorado on the 19 of this month. its snows alot there so your photoshots help out alot.
05-11-2010, 11:47 PM
#2597
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RE: New Great Planes Revolver
To fly in the cold and snow I highly recommend getting a "RaydioWarm" (http://www.raydiowarm.com/). Does a great job of keeping your bare hands warm when it's 5 deg out. WELL worth the $75. I could not fly in the cold without it. And you get used to it quickly. And if you get one I'll let you know about my two minor mods on that.