RCU Forums - BME Edge?

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- - BME Edge? (https://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/arf-rtf-75/1753711-bme-edge.html)

Thanks for the info on the Smart Fly products. I've been looking at them for a while myself. I'd pretty much already decided to go that route. Looking forward to your "first" impressions of the Edge when it arrives as well. Good work!

I've just launched a new version of BME Aircraft's site...

It includes a VERY preliminary manual for the Edge... hope they get it done soon!!!

It's probably a no brainer anyhow... :)

In case you guys weren't aware, they are giving away 5 CAP Maniacs... sign up to win from the homepage...

[link=http://www.bmeaircraft.com]BME Aircraft Website[/link]

Let me know if you find any anomolies with the site... There are some dead links like photos and details on the Edge... they haven't sent me any yet... But we'll take care of that right guys? :)

Maudib
You have WH and BME Edge 540 now. How would you explain the BME Edge is 1 pound lighter than WH Edge?

If we forget the engine and hardware weight, how can BME build a plane 1 pound lighter for the same size? Does the BME have balsa ribs wing? Do they put helium in their foam wings?
Does BME change the plane's integrity.
Will the wings breake after violent snap rolls?:D

Please feel free to comment. Just curious to understand how they can built it so light when WH can not?[8D]

Note: Good job on the BME web site except the Edge instruction manual seems very poor. Keep it as a constructive comment!
Daniel

Daniel, for a plane of this size it's not that difficult to have one the same size come out a pound lighter or heavier than another one. You could probably lose/gain a pound just on balsa selection alone.

If you think thats amazing the 87" Extreme Flight Yak 54 will weigh 14.5lbs-16lbs depending on motor and there weights are accurate. Its extremely easy to lose a lb off of just the airframe. Using contest grade balsa can save a lb, no ply except for firewall and high stress area.

I get a 404 error when I hit the enter me now button on the web site??? In reality the plane will probably weigh close to 16, but we will see, after all noone has one yet. gear and tube choice will save more weight than all the balsa in the plane IMO. remember the down side to very light is if you dork it you pick up splinters

Dopn't re-enter... it took it, the link is broke to teh "you have been entered page"...

Will be fixed in 1 minute...

J.

The site looks good. I have been considering going to a gasser for my next project and depending on a few other factors, (like money for one), this looks like a good prospect. Like the color schemes. Can't wait to hear what others think when they get them in the air.

T.

P.S., when are the winners of the Maniac going to be announced??

I would assume as soon as they are close to being in stock...

I am a freelance designer and don't have that close of ties with the inner workings of any of my customers. But I try and get as much info as possible to share with RCU community...

You'll be subscribed to this thread now and will notifications of people getting them, first reports... etc.

Keep in mind that this plane is a little closer in price to the WH Edge as it costs another $70 for the hardware kit... The BME doesn't come with the control hardware but it does have the wheels, tailwheel and basic hardware.

I guess when all is said and done you'd have about $30 more inthe BME Edge over the WH...

Yes, I have a pretty good idea of what I am in for as far as a model like this is concerned money wise. I just have to get my son to figure out which college he is going to attend this fall so I can decide whether or not to sell my soul to the Devil or just a few fingers and toes....That will determine if I get one now or later...

I'm new at building airplanes, (only been douing it about 18 months) but have building one thing ar another all my life..just want to know what the defination of "contest grade balsa" is? I have been purchasing basla via various sources and am almost finished building a GP extra 330L and I didn't like some of the balsa included, (great kit though) and ordered more from balsausa. I just got the standard stuff though. I've got one of these edges on order and want to know how to inspect it. How should I review the grade of materials?

Maudib, the new BME web site looks good. A few blanks fulled in and I think you will have a winner! As soon as my 540 gets here I'm ready to go. FPE 3.2, Hitec 5645 on elevator and ailerons, 5945 on rudder,PCM of course, Dave Brown 3 1/2 Ultimate spinner, 1200 NiMh ignition, 1650 on receiver & Rocket City hardware. I will most likely go to carbon fiber gear when it comes in. Get the sealing Iron and epoxy ready, fun time is upon us!:D

CryHanoc,

Contest grade balsa is the lightest stuff balsa offered... it is classed as 4-6 lb balsa. Meaning one cubic foot would weigh between 4 and 6 lbs...

"Standard" balsa will run anywhere between 6-12 lbs... literally up to twice as heavy...

Contest and regular balsa is also cut into 3 categories of grain... A Grain, B Grain and C Grain.

A grain is tangent cut and shows long grain lines and no short lines... it is good for curved surfaces, planking etc. because it bends easy across the sheet

C Grain is quarter cut and has mostly short grain and a lot of mottle... great for fuse sides, sheeting, ribs formers, etc... very stiff across the sheet, more prone to split if bent across the sheet.

B grain is a combination of the two called random cut... It is more multi purpose, but if the other two are at hand use them for their specific job and fit these in where needed for "fill"

Contest grade shouldn't be used everywhere in the manufacture of a plane as it is softer, less stiff and not as strong. Items like ribs derive their strngth from the wood and should be heavier... Sheeting derives it's strength from the spanning (or the mterials willingness to stretch) and can be lighter, tho I prefer not contest for this either... I'll hand pick the lighter 7-8 sheets for this....

Stick balsa is a great place to use contest balsa... it usually is structure that derives strenght from spanning AND geometry. And can make a big difference as would any block balsa... rudder "sockets" using contest balsa block would be very light... but using standard COULD require as much as 3-4 extra oz in the nose to balance...

The variance in standard balsa is HUGE... I take a grain scale to my LHS who caries a good selection...

I have weighed sheets that come in at .5 oz and the very next sheet weigh 1.2... that is a lot when you figure that wing sheeting alone could on a plane this size could use maybe 20 sheets... if you erred on the heavy side it could easily add up to 10 OZ JUST IN WING SHEETING!!!

Now.. on the BME Edge... I doubt seriously that anything in the plane is contest grade balsa on purpose... It runs about 50% more in cost. However, the range of 8-12 lb in a standard shipment CAN be hand sorted for lighter material. This easily could save a full lb on an aircraft this size... If the total balsa used weighs 4 lbs using 8-10 lb material vs. 5-6 using 10-12 lb material... The remaining heavier material is either purposely used where required or more likely sold off in batches to less discrimating companies or companies using it for other purposes than models.

Perhaps a little more info than you wanted... but it was some info I gleaned when getting into scratch building...

- JDavid

Quote:

1200 NiMh ignition, 1650 on receiver & Rocket City hardware

Ronk1, Do not forget to bring your battery charger at field with the Nimh pack. That's what i am using in my 24% Extra300l (JR8411+FU9152+micro servo) and i must recharge them on the 3trd flght![:o].

That's why, i am going to go with Fromeco pack li-ion 2200 mamp like MAudib next time. The digitals servos pull more amps than standard servos
Daniel

Acutally Maudib, that's exactly the type of info I was looking for. My next building project is going to be the Cobra Bipe. I've already got the plans and just have to put together my materials list. Thanks for the info, it will come in VERY handy.

Just got my letter requesting payment. It said they're ready to SHIP! My money will be in their hands MONDAY! WAHOO!

Bad news, delay in shipping. Max told me the Edge will not be at BME Aircraft untill the first week of July.[:o]

Yeah, got the same message. I'm not going to be able to wait any longer. Gotta get a plane up and going. Told Max to put me in next batch. Sigh.... Will be watching closely for first build and flight reports though!

Anyone got one yet? I saw on their website it saids they are in stock and many had been ship out. I had"nt got my yet.

That notice was placed with the expectation that they were on time a week ago... but the delay (already mentioned here by others) is not reflected.

It doesn't actually say they shipped, just that many were gone, meaning spoken for...

The good news is that it is July 1st and they should be shipping any day now.... so we should start hearing reports of some of us getting 'em in by the end of next week....

Yehaw!

I jest received an email from Max about another delay July 20-23. This is getting old but I think I'm going to hang in there.[:@]

I tried and tried to hold off...sigh... but couldn't wait anymore. Max called a couple of days ago and said there'd be another delay, so I bought another plane. Gonna keep a real close eye on this though.

I was talking with Max at BME Aircraft. Finally some good news, shipping is moved up! They are to start going out next week. I sure hope this is true.[8D]

Being new in the industry can hold some hidden pitfalls... We've seen it with every manufacturer.

What I was told was that BME received a great deal of preorders and decided to have a smaller shipment sent to cover all preorders and have a few in stock. It turned out that most ships were already booked but after some searching they selected a reputable shipping company that bid a fair price only to find out after the ship had left that they would "drop off" the planes on thier route which turned out to be multiple stops. However, confirmation now says they will arrive in the U.S. (Washington State) on the Tuesday the 13th.

The second shipment, which was shipped with what will be their regular shipping company was shipped on time and will arrive on the heals of the first shipment... Saturday the 17th.

I too have been discouraged by the delays, (I could have been flying the WH Edge I sold for a month now) it IS encouraging to know that BME was trying to make things faster and taking a profit cut in order to do so.

Production delays, shipping delays, customs delays... it's no wonder that all the manufacturers have problems getting their ducks in a row.

I'm hopeful that these Edges's will really be the cat's meow... Max has shown a lot of excitement when talking about them and insists they are nicely crafted and fly great.

I guess we'll all find out starting in a week or so...