Greatplanes Cherokee 40 ARF Assembly Thread
 

Today i will start assemblying my GreatPlanes Cherokee 40 ARF !

The engine is already bought, a very nice SAITO FA-80 4str.
http://images.rcuniverse.com/gallery.../lg-218654.jpg

First i am going to strengthen the fuel tank area with thinned Epoxy ( 30' ) & fiberglass cloth...

Enjoy some pictures.

RE: Greatplanes Cherokee 40 ARF Assembly Thread
 

And....

RE: Greatplanes Cherokee 40 ARF Assembly Thread
 

Looking good !!!! Keep the pics coming.

RE: Greatplanes Cherokee 40 ARF Assembly Thread
 

Yesterday,
i installed the Saito FA-80 on the firewall & i used the supplied engine mount.

The beams where a little bit too short because the intake assembly was hitting the nose steering arm assembly.

I installed the engine as far forward as i could,practically at the end of the beams of the engine mount.

I used Dubro 6-32x1-1/2 SHCs , washers and 6-32 safety locking nuts.

For mounting the engine mount on the firewall i used the supplied 6-32x1in. SHCs with success and some thread locking compund.

x3 servos inside the fuselage are also installed,so far.

Pictures will be posted soon.

BUT i see that at the wing GreatPlanes uses x4 servos which are too many IMO.

How can i operate the flaps using only x1 servo ?????

RE: Greatplanes Cherokee 40 ARF Assembly Thread
 

Fuselage SERVOS mounted

I used x2 Futaba S3004 for rudder & elevator and x1 Futaba S3003 for the throttle.

RE: Greatplanes Cherokee 40 ARF Assembly Thread
 

Test-fitting engine mount and engine

RE: Greatplanes Cherokee 40 ARF Assembly Thread
 

Engine successfully mounted : SAITO FA-80

RE: Greatplanes Cherokee 40 ARF Assembly Thread
 

Anyone who has an idea of how to link both flaps into 1 servo ????

RE: Greatplanes Cherokee 40 ARF Assembly Thread
 

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXAFN1&P=SM
This might be what you need. It reverses one of the flap servos so they will both go in the same direction.
Oops, you want to use one servo for both flaps. Nevermind.

RE: Greatplanes Cherokee 40 ARF Assembly Thread
 

The simplest way to connect both flaps to one servo is to set up as if you were doing ailerons, using a torque rod set up like this:

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...LXD946&P=7

Doing this requires that the trailing edge be cut along the hinge line, install the torque rod and reglue the trailing edge back on to the wing. Since this will degrade the structural integrity of the trailing edge, it would be a good idea to reposition the wing hold down bolts to a position forward of the cut portion. Then install the flap servo in the wing center section. Simple.

RE: Greatplanes Cherokee 40 ARF Assembly Thread
 

Not needed on this plane, as the stock set up positions the flap servos so they move in the same direction, not like ailerons.

RE: Greatplanes Cherokee 40 ARF Assembly Thread
 

Kostas,

The one thing that concerns me on your engine mounting is that the engine mount bolts look to be curved when the nuts were tightened down. That looks like it may be because of the angle of the bottom of the motor mount. That bend in the bolts puts some stress on the bolt and while you may never have a problem with the bolts breaking you might consider re-doing that a little bit. When I have run into this I have usually filed or ground down some of the engine mount level where the bolts pass through on the bottom of the mount to make sure the bolts get tightend straight without causing them to bend. In this case I guess you would say it's the top of the mount because your engine is mounted inverted. Just a suggestion :).

I would imagine your Cherokee is going to be a screamer with that Saito .80.

Dan

RE: Greatplanes Cherokee 40 ARF Assembly Thread
 

RCVFR ,

i cann't understand the setup with the torque rod....i must make a hole all the way to the other side of one of the flaps.

That's almost impossible. [:'(]

RE: Greatplanes Cherokee 40 ARF Assembly Thread
 

There really is no way to make the flaps work off one servo, this is a 2 piece wing. You will want flaps on this plane as it just doesn't slow down. Plus it look very scale on final with flaps down and putting on a 4 stroke. I have 2 of these planes one with a saito 56 and the other with a saito 62 and they pull this plane very well, that 80 is going to make it fly like a rocket :-)

RE: Greatplanes Cherokee 40 ARF Assembly Thread
 

I used to have one of these and it's a very nice plane, One tip I will pass on that being if you install the wheel pants be prepaired for the nose pant
to punch a hole in the bottom of the fuselage if you have a slightly rough landing. As for the flapsI used them at first but later discontuined using
them they didnt not seem to make much difference in landing over all it was pretty fast with OS46AX and I thought handled well no bad habits I
think you are going to enjoy it.

RE: Greatplanes Cherokee 40 ARF Assembly Thread
 

Do you have any pictures ?

RE: Greatplanes Cherokee 40 ARF Assembly Thread
 

Nope ??? :eek:

RE: Greatplanes Cherokee 40 ARF Assembly Thread
 

I flew my cherokee with the Satio 56 in it Sunday, we have a radar gun at the field, clocked 98 mph with a 12x8 prop,    woohoo!!!!!!

RE: Greatplanes Cherokee 40 ARF Assembly Thread
 

Any pictures ?

RE: Greatplanes Cherokee 40 ARF Assembly Thread
 

Check this out.....

[link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10467327]GreatPlanes Giant SuperSportster maiden flight (HD)[/link]

RE: Greatplanes Cherokee 40 ARF Assembly Thread
 

Parts .02 & .03 are now UP !!!

Enjoy in HD1.080p...

[link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10469210]GreatPlanes Giant SuperSportster maiden flight![/link]

RE: Greatplanes Cherokee 40 ARF Assembly Thread
 

Currently ,
after a short ;) break, i am assemblying the wing....

oh....that wing-tube has a very tight fit inside the tubes of the two wing halves....

RE: Greatplanes Cherokee 40 ARF Assembly Thread
 

Ok....

x2 aileron servos installed ( Futaba S3004 ) & x1 flap servo installed....( S3003 )

As i said the wing tube fits inside the wing halves , very tight...But this is good.

Here is some of the equipment i will use.

RE: Greatplanes Cherokee 40 ARF Assembly Thread
 

Some more....

I used 5' epoxy to glue the servo, rectangular, blocks.

I will also use a NiMh 2.600mAh battery !

RE: Greatplanes Cherokee 40 ARF Assembly Thread
 

Some more.....[8D]

Watch the colour change of the epoxy while it dries.....oh the temperature really goes high!

I also used this "trick", with the clear tape to remove the excess epoxy while it dries,
so as not interfere with the servos.