megabucs

My Feedback: (24)

Gents,
If you want an easy way to balance a large low wing plane, try this.
Buy a pair of drum sticks (those used to beat a drum, not the ones you eat.
Find a piece of 2x4, cut two pieces about 6 inches long.
Drill a hole in the center of the 2x4s the size that will hold the bottom of the drum sticks tight
insert and epoxy the sticks into the 2x4s. You can shorten them prior to this depending on how high you
want to work.
Next fina a piece of plywood that is about 3/8 inch thick, cut two pieces about 2inches square, drill a hole in the center that is just a little larger than the tip of the drum sticks.
Now find the c.o.g. on the wings and make a small mark with a erasable marker, tape the plywood over these marks, turn the plane over and place the drum sticks in the holes, PRESTO no longer a need to worry about struts or tearing the covering, place them over a spsr or solid part of the wing.
I know it sound like a lot of work, but believe me, if your into big stuff its worth it.
Ray

Johnny C!

A few comments...


runner..
If you disable the springs on your
tail wheel, you will beat up your rudder
servo. Full size aircraft leave the chains a
little slack, so the rudder does most of the
work & the tail wheel is for big corrections...

For balancing, I use a hole punch to cut out
small dots of pool tread tape & place on a rib
at the CG. That allows you to feel them. It's
much easier that having to look for marks.
Low wing planes need to be balanced upside
down. This places most of the mass below the
contact points. High wing planes are opposite.

I like the Gentech strobe If I can get that kind
of functionality from an add on, I like it.

And what's the cost of the Sullivan smoke system?

Great thread!

Johnny C!

mobyal

This IS a great thread. You guys are getting closer and closer to convincing me. Trouble is, I've got so many projects waiting right now. But looks like this one could be ready in a week or so...
Engines? Got a couple of 2strokes around: EVO 46, OS 46fx and EVO 61. Think any of those would work? I know the EVO46 is great in the H9 80" Cub and the Pulse XT -- smaller, of course -- and this thread seems to say this one is similar. But I'd like to have some vertical here for the big sweeping wingover/stall turns at the end of the spraying run! LOL Suggestions? Comments?
So far as balancing is concerned, it is hard to balance the big stuff. There are several good suggestions on here. Also, I know it's expensive, but I recommend the EZ Balancer from Southwest Systems. It works just great and you can put the plane on there, leave it hands off, move stuff around and get the balance just right without struggling with things. I just wish I'd gotten mine sooner. I've used it on two new builds, and also gone back and rebalanced a couple of airplanes w/ great results.
So. Should I get one?
Al

MormonMike

My Feedback: (2)

Aw, go ahead, what the heck is one more plane. What's the web site for Southwest Systems. MM

OldScaleGuy

My Feedback: (2)

Sure,,, go for it. It is a very nice kit. Based on what i have read, any of those motors should work. I am putting an O.S. .61 in mine because that is all i have that will work. I have a Saito .65 but i am afraid that will not have quite enough to fly it as it should be flown. It sounds like it will come out nose heavy with a .61 in it so i am thinking of putting a hatch in the rear of the fuse like one of the other fellows did to put the battery in the rear for balance and try to avoid dead weight.

mobyal

I think it's www.ezbalancer.com
Or you can just Google EZ Balancer Southwest Systems and it'll pop up.
Al

OldScaleGuy

My Feedback: (2)

Nice, but WAY too much money!

rogue-RCU

My Feedback: (2)

I'm going to put a OS 70 surpass II in mine . It has plenty of power to pull my Great Planes Fokker Dr1 around so it shouldn't have any problem with the pawnee.

mobyal

Well, I ordered one. After calling all around, Don's Hobby Shop in Salina KS had ONE left! Also got the EVO 52 to go in it. What the hell. "In for a penny, in for a pound", right?
Can I tell my wife that you guys are enablers, and blame you all?

jaybird11

You dont have to balance a low wing up side down, balance is balance . Think about it if you have the cg where it belongs its the same upside down or standing regular. I have talked to many season pilots who say the same thing. So try it balance it , measure it , turn it over and do it again. Let me know. All 10 of my planes from filton bype, twist 60, cub 60, alpha 60, Tang 40, Hot Stick to 25% yak 54 and the Pawnee are balanced from the bottom. That's bottom wings, center and top! Balanced front to rear and touch nose heavy, balance side to side, I use a string around the prop shaft and lift up the nose, This is very important too. Balance your plane tail heavy and it wont be around long, not if you want to get it back to the run way on a dead stick to land it instead of where ever it goes down. I told a lot of others that 3 d, learn to hoover and you dont need the plane tail heavy to do it. Sorry didn't mean to get off subject.!

Johnny C!

Ok, It's just easier to balance a low wing
upside down...

I ordered two GEM 2000's yesterday.
Bob (I think? Bad connection...) is a
really nice guy. They have the 2006's
on sale for $26 for two. I couldn't pass
them up.

I'm looking for smoke components today!

Later!

Johnny C!

Johnny C!

No smoke stuff at Hobby Town in Charleston, SC...

I was also looking for a DP tail wheel...

I'm also going to look at Walmart for the
washer fliud pump...

Johnny C!

lowbubba

My Feedback: (1)

Thanks to Bassfisher and MoronMike, I was able to get mine to balance. It took moving the battery to the back and also adding lead under the elevator. I have uploaded a couple of pictures to show what I have done. It took 4.5 oz of lead plus the battery in the back. A good place to get stick on lead weight is a tire shop. They use it to balance mag wheels. I used longer 4-40 bolts and then lock nuts to hold the popsicle sticks that I covered with ultracoat.
Take care,
Randy

Akulakat

Anybody else screw up thier aileron / Flap servo mounts? The directions said centered so I centered the servo on the hatch. Later pictures showed the spindle to be centered which is not centered on the hatch. I think i'm still ok (haven't hooked up the radio to it), but I'm hoping I'm not the only one. [&o]

OldScaleGuy

My Feedback: (2)

Not a big deal, worst case you will have to cut the servo blocks off and move them or replace them.

Akulakat

Any of you guys build a hatch underneath to get to the wing servo wires? This is my first 'bolt on' wing plane and I really don't like the idea of fishing for wires everytime i fly.
Maybe there are some tricks I don't know about.
My receiver is not installed yet, so I can go anywhere with it.

Thanks in advance for any help.

ChuckW

I just leave the wiring hanging out of the fuse then tuck it up inside the wing when I put it together. It's really not that big of a deal.

MormonMike

My Feedback: (2)

Yo Randy, That's the best mis-spelling of my log-on name I ever heard !!. LOL, Even I never thought of that one !!. MoronMike.......... Ya know....... I wonder if that is'nt a better........ Na, I better not. . That's great ! . Seeya, MM

lowbubba

My Feedback: (1)

Sorry about that, MormonMike, that's what I get for being in the basement, epoxy glue fumes a rolling and to lazy to open the window,and then trying to type on the computer, all late at night. Anyway, it worked and I gave you something to laugh about. We both got something, can't wait till Bassfisher reads this, I know I had to do something wrong on that end also.
Take care,
Randy

bladerunner1955

My Feedback: (72)

jaybird11, Iam with you on balancing most planes but with this one I got a way different outcome when I tried it rightside up. It would go tail heavy, big time. Then with the C/G marked on the top of the wing I tried it upside down and it balanced perfect, go figure???
I flew mine today for the third time and it is a fun plane to fly. I fly mine as an electric conversion with a 5320/16 on 10 cells, my friend Roger used a 4120 and that flew it just fine, mine is way over powered but thats how I do it. I fly alot of electric warbirds and I just got stuck on over powering my planes. When my friend sends me a clip of it I'll stick it in here.
Bladerunner
Here is a Kyosho Cessna 188 NEW in the BOX I pulled down and assembled the weekend before I assembled the Hanger 9 ARF. I guess I am into the ags right now. Here is a clip of the Kyosho untill the Pawnee clip come over to me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W__3HSXQOQ4

Johnny C!

runner & Jay,
That's what I meant about balancing so that
most of the mass is below the contact points.
Technically both CG's are the same, but inverted
on a low wing & it will actually balance there...


Looks great!

Johnny C!

CRG

My Feedback: (3)

You can balance an egg or a weeble on it's head too if you try hard enough, but it's far more difficult. The point here is that balancing a low wing model inverted gives more reliable and repeatable results. It can obviously be done upright, but depending on how far above the point of suspension the CG is, it can be inconsistent.

nitro wing

My Feedback: (1)

I agree

jaybird11

Maiden my pawnee today two flights! Saito 82 . Lift off was at 15 feet two thirds thro. Some trim on elevator and 2 clicks on ail. The high rates for this plane should be set for the low and give it all you can on high on the ails, rud and ele can stay pretty much the same, But by the book high rates dont impress me at all so they will be my low rates. Takes the corners so nice, and looks really nice on the run way and in the air. Flaps set to book on high slow the plane down really nice but I didn't use them.
this plane floated 2/3 of the runway with engine at idle 5 feet off the ground. A real pleasure to fly and the only rudder I used was on take off. Ran ail as much thro as I could give them and flew a lot better on second flight . 10 to 15 mph the plane didn't even feel it.

bassfisher

My Feedback: (21)

lowbubba - looks like you did a great job on that hatch - I'm lazy and just covered mine.

I was able to get some really good flights in yesterday. Saturday, everything was great with the plane, but I could not get the Magnum 80FS to go past half throttle without it dying. After messing with it for about an hour, I gave up and flew my modified PTS P51 with an Evo 61 2S on it. After I got home, I took the Mag. off for a good carb cleaning and looking at the other flight-ready planes in the hanger(I like to bring a back-up plane to fly at the field just in case), decided to try the Evo 61 with a 13X6 prop on the Pawnee. I was surprised that the mounting holes were the same. Hated to cut the cowling to fit the muffler, but I guess it still looks good from the left side!!! Took a little while to get the throttle pushrod to work, but it worked out. And no rebalancing! Sunday morning, fueled up and took off. Now the plane turned from docile flier to a fire breathing speedster. Take-off is still the same, with a slow transition on the throttle and now it breaks ground a half power, looks very scale like. Putting around at a little more than 1/4 to 1/3 throttle was cool, but I still punched up to full throttle a few times. What a screamer and the sound of the prop was really cool. I started to really practice my landings and getting used to how slow I can get it - ended up dialing a little more elevator in, it was running out of elevator for the flare. I also set up the duel rates on ther rudder, High rate for taxi and take-off, low rate for flying. Now, I think it is right on. I'm very pleased with the plane. I might still put a Mag. 91 FS on the front end, but right now the .61 will do the trick. I can't wait to fly it next weekend. Now to get the Mag. 80 running right.