jimmymac52

My Feedback: (4)

I am in the process of finishing my 1.20 AT6 and I'm not sure exactly where the 130mm CG measurement should start. The diagram shows it starting from the leading edge beyond the wheel well, where it connects to the wing leading edge. Does anyone know if this is correct or should it be measured from the wing at the root, which would include the well protrusion? I appreciate the help............... BTW, I'll post build pics when I finish.

jimmymac52

My Feedback: (4)

I am in the process of finishing my 1.20 AT6 and I'm not sure exactly where the 130mm CG measurement should start. The diagram shows it starting from the leading edge beyond the wheel well, where it connects to the wing leading edge. Does anyone know if this is correct or should it be measured from the wing at the root, which would include the well protrusion? You said your measurement was at the fuse but in the picture, it looks as though your indicator rod is after the wheel well. Is this correct? I appreciate the help............... BTW, I'll post build pics when I finish.

Thanks

Kostas1

I am definately waiting for some pictures!!!!

jimmymac52

My Feedback: (4)

Here are some of my build pics. I'm running a Saito 150, HiTec HS485 HB, (2) Hyperion 2S 2100 mAh LiFe batteries on two independent electrodynamic switches and an AR 9000 Rx. The retract units are e-flite with stock struts and Dubro Low bounce tires. The firewall was re-inforced with tri-stock pieces epoxied fore and aft of the firewall. The elevator servos were moved to the rear of the tank because one of them blocked access to the hi speed needle for adjustment. The CG of 130 mm as measured from the leading edge of the wing makes it very nose heavy while measuring it from the leading edge of the wheel well protrusion makes it slightly tail heavy. If the measurement is taken at the actual wing leading edge, then I need to relocate the batteries. I understood that this design would require a lot of nose weight which is why all the servos are in front of the firewall. The manual seems to indicate it's on the wing just before the well but you just can't be too sure of these diagrams, as we all know.

jimmymac52

My Feedback: (4)

The prop is 16 x 8 MAS with Tru Turn prop hub. I still have to do some electrical work, lock tight, bench trim, decals, etc..........

jimmymac52

My Feedback: (4)

I need to find another pilot, more fitting of the plane and era...........anyone have any links for reasonably priced realistic pilots? I haven't seen any that don't cost $$$. I added a fuel port and remote glow igniter connection using a standard servo jack. It has a clean look.

Kostas1

Jimmy i see that you didn't vote for the stock retract units....why; where they cheap ;


Also,

i like your Saito choice....

mobyal

Jimmy
When you hoggrd out the wood in the wheel well/retract mount area to get thr EFlites to drop in, did you put in any sort of covering/barrier to keep exhaust and other debris from getting into the inside of the wing?
Al

jimmymac52

My Feedback: (4)

Not yet. I'm going to cover it with ultracoat clear. I did spray monokote clear throughout the inside the wing as far as I could and in the well where I cut out for the retract units but I'm sure it didn't fully coat the entire interior.

jimmymac52

My Feedback: (4)

Stock retract units? I wasn't aware there were stock retracts. I only know of the fixed stock. Robart advertised struts for this model but there were two problems. The first was that they had to be cut below the spring retaining plug in the tube in order to fit. Then after inserting the wire spline adapter, they would not have enough travel and would bottom out even on soft landings. The second problems was that the torsion link when the struts were in the retract position, fell in line with the rib. That could easily be fixed by cutting away a part of the rib and building it up in other areas. I still may try the 3/8" struts and see if they fit better.

mobyal

Thanks for the info Jimmy. I'm just going to use the stock EFlite struts and the DuBro lowbounce wheels. Trying to get the Robart struts to work is more aggravation than I want.
Good luck finishing it up!
Al

jimmymac52

My Feedback: (4)

So, now I performed the balance and realized just how nose heavy she was with the Saito 150. So the batteries got moved to the rear of the wing section and that seemed to get the balance at 130 mm from leading edge. I used the Vanessa CG machine that I built and then confirmed it with the Great Planes CG Balancer. So far, so good.

jimmymac52

My Feedback: (4)

I think I mentioned that I had purchased robart struts for this bird a while back and that they were extremely too long and would not work. So I placed an ad on craigs list and ebay to sell them but didn't get one offer. So the other day, I decided since I already was out $130.00 I might as well attempt a modification and install them. They say courage is moving forward in spite of the fear inside, well, today I am courageous. I made the measurements, checked them several times, checked them several more times, and with shaking, sweating hands, brought the spinning dremmel cut-off wheel ever closer to the first strut that was clamped in the bench vise, lowered it and began my first cut.....................in the attempt to drastically shorten the strut to its former self so I could have scale looking landing gear for this AT6. Here are the pics of the first one. Also, I had to cut into the wing rib to accommodate the torque link. Fun, Fun, Fun.............

Kostas1

I love these double-box fuselages!

jimmymac52

My Feedback: (4)

Yeah! Great for running wire.........

Kostas1

Is the stabilizer designed like an airfoil;

baddley

My Feedback: (1)

Hi

Iam looking into buying one of these models. Does anyone if BH Models still make their big texan?

Jimmymac52 how does your plane fly with the 150 would the saito 120 be enough power for some nice scale aerobatics and good vertical ?

Has anyboy had luck with the a DLE20 or a Zenoah G-26, without having to relocate all of the servos ?

Thanks Scott

AA5BY

My AT-6 had its fourth outing yesterday and a mishap. The flight was fantastic in a very light crosswind providing bump free flight. I'd had it out two weeks ago at our fun fly but couldn't get it started. That was remedied by soldering the choke hole closed on the Zenoah G-20 making it easy to start.

Takeoff was smooth and climb out was very nice and the plane was put through a full range of aerobatics. It is a very good tracking plane and the G-20 suits it quite well providing ample power for all aerobatics. It spins nicely but comes out of a spin with ease.

Unfortunately it suffered a landing mishap. Without any headwind on landing, I simply slowed it too much with it stalling a wing at 3-4 ft off the deck, where it performed the most perfect cartwheel that I've ever seen. Some how the plane rolled a near 90 degrees, caught the starboard wing tip, then over onto the prop hub, next onto the port wing which dissipated most of the force, and ending up facing down the runway on its feet.

I can't find a scratch on the fuselage, cowl, canopy or tail section. The wing tube bent 5-10 degrees between the port wing and center section and in doing compressed the trailing edge of the center wing section buckling it inward about an inch. Each wing tip suffered only slight damage... possibly just a matter of removing some covering and re-gluing the tips. The damage to the center section looks minor but could possibly be more extensive than it looks from the outside. One strut twisted around some.

After repairs, it will get set up with a landing switch to ensure that adequate rpms are kept on and to trim the ailerons up a bit while landing to reduce tip stall.

For those inquiring about a DLE-20... certainly it would be a good choice and as it is lighter than the Zenoah G-20, it might allow leaving the servos forward of the firewall and end up with a little lighter plane... always a good thing. The DLE-20 is claimed to have more power than the Zenoah G-20 so will certainly be fine power wise.

tailskid

My Feedback: (34)

jimmymac52 Your project looks great!!!

Syssa Pilot

My Feedback: (7)

The DLE20 does  a good job. I flew one a number of flights until I had a tip stall only with MAJOR damage. I am building another with the SYSSA180, 30cc. Should be a blast., Dave

baddley

My Feedback: (1)

Has anybody using the gas motors had any problems with mounting their servos right next to the motor causing interference or anything?

It seems like this would be a little bit more attractive ARF if Seagull would have inlcuded flaps on this bird.

I am debating between the DLE 20 and the Saito 1.5.

Jimmymac52,

Nice looking project. Just curious why you are running 2 LIFE packs instead of just one big LION or NIMH pack ? The 4200 MAH between your 2 packs should be suffeceint for everything.

Thanks Scott

jimmymac52

My Feedback: (4)

Thanks. I have each battery on a completely separate circut so should one component on one circut fail (switch, wire, cell, connector etc....) the other circut continues to supply power. Its a redundant power sys. Too much time and money invested to chance a cold solder joint taking her down.

jimmymac52

My Feedback: (4)

Hi baddley,
I haven't flown her yet. I just haven't had the time to go to the field. I'm still waiting for the pilot bust (John Wayne) and then I want to check everything over one more time before I take her on the maiden. I am told the 1.20 will be enough power for it but I got a great deal on a new 1.50 and couldn't resist. And yes, I think they should have built it with flaps as I understand it comes in a little fast. Can't wait to get her up..........I'll soon post a few pics with all the decals and stencils..........

AA5BY

Something that I came across while doing my repairs that might be of help to others is the wing tube length is thirty-seven inches... or one inch longer than Lowes carries down at the home center. To save others some grief, one might consider when building the model to move the location of the holes an inch closer to the center so that a 36" tube will work.

The Lowes tube is slightly heavier wall thickness and weighs 5oz instead of the 4oz for the stock. It is also about eight thousands smaller in diameter but close enough to work and can be wrapped with some packaging tape to bring the fit very close.

Also... when drilling the holes, drill through the wing first without the tube inserted because otherwise the burrs tend to lock the tube and wing together. I made the mistake of inserting both wing tip sections and drilling the holes and had a really hard time getting the tip sections apart.

aeroscale

Here's mine. Great flyer!

Aeroscale