Meesh

My Feedback: (135)

Vic,

What make and size 3- blade are you using. I'll be putting in a Saito 100

Monsterman--HBF

My Feedback: (28)

Hello all,

I really like all the Lancair's! I am thinking of maybe getting one for Christmas. I was just wondering if anyone has detailed out the cockpit in one yet? I havent seen anything posted in those regards. If not though, does it look possible or is this one of those Arf kits that you can make many changes to?

Thanks,

avi8tir

I have my Lancair on order and it should be here by the end of the week. I am definitely considering getting the Robart front strut from all of the bending stories that I have heard with the stock gear wire. I was wondering if any one can post the model number that they have used and tips on installing the wheel pant properly with this new strut. Pics would also be helpful! Thanks!

SkyDude

Well, you guys all lucked out getting the front strut from Sierra Precision, because I still have not received mine. It's now been two months. I just got off the phone with him and he says he'll send it today. We'll see...

It's a shame because I wanted to fly this plane over the holiday break. I don't get a lot of time off, so this time was important to me.

Anyone have new pics?

Meesh

My Feedback: (135)

I'm in the same boat. Ordered mine end of Oct.

It will come.

Unlike you, I can't fly now because of the weather.

SkyDude

Hopefully, he'll do yours along with mine and we'll both get them soon.

The weather here has been OK for flying. Winters in the Bay Area are pretty tame by national standards. Lately it's been in the mid 50's to lower 60's during the days. I can't complain about the weather, but I can about the mortage/rent payments.[:'(]

Here's a look at the weather from last weekend on Dec. 13th. Typical for Dec. thruough Feb, when it's not raining. Actually, it's just an excuse to show a pic my Cub.

Meesh

My Feedback: (135)

Looks pretty good by New England standards!

Which Cub is it? I just got the GP 81" ARF. I'll be putting a Saito 60Twin in it.

Bob

SkyDude

Yup, that's the one I have. I have an OS .91FS in it which is a bit overkill, but I like the extra power. I also have the floats, so the extra power helps there too. Watch out for the wing strut CA hinges, they tend to break after a few flights.

Meesh

My Feedback: (135)

Thnaks for the heads up. I'll wind up with pinned hinges in there if they cause me trouble.

jetfght

My Feedback: (2)

Skydude,

Where do you fly in Sunnyvale?? I used to live up there.... would like to know what fields are there now...

stregaracer007

That looks like the Tomcats field in South San Jose. http://www.sccmas.org/

There's a club in Fremont http://www.baysidercclub.com/

They fly electrics out of Baylands Park, Sunnyvale and Rancho San Antonio (Cupertino?). Both are public parks. No hard runway, so you'll need to hand launch or fly off the grass.

rcoregon

Hope springs eternal! This is a picture of our new flying site this last weekend. The fog had just lifted. A couple of weeks ago the runway was completely underwater. I didn't fly this day due to some pilot error problems.

SDCrashmaster

Looking Good Mark. I usually hear the term "pilot error" thrown around shortly after an unexpected merging with the sod, or as I call it...mixing (see my sig.).
Did you forget the TX, field batt. or what?
From the looks of the field, you certainly had better land on the mains
New Lancair pics coming in a couple o' days.
Paul Reese

Meesh

My Feedback: (135)

At least you guys are flying. It was 6 below here (-6F) at 8:45AM on Saturday. Brrrrrr!

SkyDude

Yo Jetfight - yes, it's at the Santa Clara County Model Aircraft Skypark, or SCCMAS as strega said. It's a great club with good facilities (toilets, snacks, power, water, etc.) and even though there are over 400 members, it doesn't get too crowded too often. I think it's actually up to the #2 AMA club in terms of membership, but I may be wrong.

Sorry I didnt' reply sooner, I didn't visit this post for a while... I still haven't got around to building my Lancair. Just too busy/lazy to get it going, and then when I do build, it's repairing that darned Cub (usually struts). It will happen someday soon, I hope.

SDCrashmaster

You'll lose all interest in that Cub once you get the Lancair flying

kh6oo

I hope to get my Lancair in the air this weekend. How forgiving is it for a novice. I will be coming into it
as a second plane. I plan on Buddy Boxing the first few flights.

Tom

SkyDude

Yes, I'll probably hang up the Cub with the floats on once I get these other planes built. It's fun to fly, but almost every day flying it leaves me with repair work. Those struts are a PITA.

Got to finish the Super Sportster, then the Lancair. I have pretty much all the components now. The nose strut came in and looks nice, although I don't really like all the side to side movement of the nose wheel. It seems to have at least a 1/4" to 3/8" of play.

YS-I-DO

My Feedback: (-1)

Don't hang the Cub up too high, because you'll need it when your Lancair's wing breaks off in the air. As for the slop in the nose gear strut, you can buy aluminum or vinyl spacers at Lowe's and cut them to take up the slack.

gary41

My Feedback: (5)

Regarding the possibility of breaking the Lancair's wing...you might consider replacing the kit's joiner brace with one that you fabricate from 1/4 inch aircraft plywood...use plenty of 30 minute epoxy per the instructions. I also removed a section of covering using their soldering iron method and affixed some 3 inch wide fibre glass tape, just in case. Covered the section with matching monokote trim sheet...you can hardly tell it's been altered. I don't plan on flying the Lancair like an Extra 300, but the extra added strength might be an asset if I do something stupid. Not planning too, but you know how things somehow just "happen"!

YS-I-DO

My Feedback: (-1)

I had the unfortunate privilage of seeing my Lancair reduced to a pile of garbage. The left wing snapped off in straight and level flight. I had already assembled the wing before I discovered the Lancair thread, so the joiner was stock. I did reinforce the top of the wing at the joiner with fiberglass, maybe I should have done the bottom too. I can honestly say that the plane was never abused or flown beyond it's design limits. I always used the factory specified low-rates. I've included some pictures of the area that failed.

rcoregon

76, It's always a horrible experience to watch when your plane goes in - but when it's not your fault, it's even worse. According to your post I have assembled my wing similar to yours. So far, I've got a couple of powderpuff flights on mine, last night I installed a new os61fx. This weekend I was looking forward to tearing up the skys but I think I'll glass the bottom of the wing instead. From the pics it looks like the root of the wing survived pretty well. Three years ago they replaced a 40 size ARF cap when the H stab broke into - but I had to send the plane back to G.P. Good Luck. Let us know what response you get from Great Planes.

SkyDude

76 - that's just plain sad. My sympathies. Maybe GP will be interested in your report?

I guess I'll fiberglass the section when I build it. I've got some fiberglass that I use for surfboards. That stuff is probably overkill, but it's super strong. Does the FG affect how the wing mates to the fuse? Seems like it will add about 1/8 " to the width where used. Should I trim the wing area a little before glassing to make room or can the trimming be done on the fuse?

gary41

My Feedback: (5)

I used the fibreglass "tape" that is sold at most hobby stores for wing joint re-inforcement.
I glassed both the top and bottom. I had no trouble with wing mount clearances. I used 3 inch wide "tape". (same stuff I've used for decades on most models). Never had a wing separate. (I've destroyed many planes, all but one was due to some sort of mis-communication between my fingers and brain

YS-I-DO

My Feedback: (-1)

Skydude-
If you cut the glass to fit inside the opening in the fuse, you won't have a problem. If I remember correctly, the area is roughly 6"x6". As far as the surfboard glass being overkill, I thought that what I had done was overkill. I was wrong.

RCOregon-
I shipped my Lancair back to GP this week, hope to hear from them next week. I corresponded with another Lancair owner who had the same exact thing happen, and he said the turnaround was approx. a week. Great Planes has excellent customer service, they sent me a free replacement cowl for my Lancair, since the original had cracks straight from the factory.

To all-
Both my failure and the other gentleman's occured after achieving straight and level flight from either a loop or a dive. I could understand it happening if an absurd amount of elevator was used at WOT. If the failure was caused by a high-G manuever, why didn't the other wing show any sign of stress? In each instance both myself and my witnesses, and the other gentleman said it sounded like something exploded. Maybe that's just the way it sounds when a wing snaps, but I've heard of cases where 1/4 and larger scale Lancairs have exploded in high speed flight. Something about pressure building up in the fuselage. Could air be entering the wing without a place to vent? All I can say is watch your speed, even if you are straight and level.