RE: Vectorflight Edge 540 build
 

Gary: The wheel pants idea from horizon doesn't sound that bad. How do they look? Pretty strong? The tough time i had on landing the other day i would probally think id tear those to shreads also...

I did order a graphtech landing gear for my bird. Its gonna look B.E.A. utiful!!

RE: Vectorflight Edge 540 build
 

They look just fine...pretty decent quality. They are just a little shorter in length than the VectorFlight's. I'll poat some photo's later 2nite.

RE: Vectorflight Edge 540 build
 

For $7 they would be a better deal then the ones I have. I looked at Hobby People website, they are selling them for $10. The pants are plastic but they have a dull finish. Which is why I'm going to get some clear coat and touch em up so they have a shiny finish. But they fit well and look good. Besides, I had them laying around in the garage.

RE: Vectorflight Edge 540 build
 

Here's some photos of the "Seagull Edge 540 wheel pants. Also, I included some shots of the wing TE hold down modification using #64 rubber bands for those builders who may now be familar with this method.

RE: Vectorflight Edge 540 build
 

Gary,

The wheel pants look good. I see you went the same way I am with the spinner, white.

I'll try and post a pic or two of the pants I have. I put a small piece of wood on the inside and want to get some CA to put around the screw holes before I mount them.

RE: Vectorflight Edge 540 build
 

Here are a couple of pics of my wheel pants. I decided not to paint them, for now.

I'm going to cut my cowl tonight and put on the tail wires in the morning. I just need to drill the holes for the wires.

RE: Vectorflight Edge 540 build
 

Salty, your plane is comming along great!!! is that the 91fx? Im sure that will really make the plane sing. Have you thought up a way to mount your antenna? If i might add I tryed routing the wire inside the fuse to the back but, for some reason ive been getting a little bit of glitching at some distances. I then basicly routed the antenna on the outside on the bottom of the fuse and havn't had any problems. I took some of the extra covering VF provided and taped it to the bottom. It does get quite messy with a lot of flying but the covering is pretty tollerant with the oil mess.
I can add pics if needed.

Gary: Where did you end up putting your reciever and battery? I put my reciever right behind my tank on the bottom which is then held in by a scrap piece of balsa which i screwed in. I get kinda worried bout the TX being that close to the tank. But it works....

RE: Vectorflight Edge 540 build
 

Nathan,

I'm using a Magnum 91. I had it laying around when I stumbled onto this thread and decided to buy one.

I put the tail wires on but didn't get the cowl cut. So when I get that cut all I have left to do is balance and dial in my radio. Oh yeah, wait for the new belly pan to come in. THEN I can maiden this baby. [8D]

I have issues, I'm already looking at another plane. [X(] But hey, wife says go for it so I can't complain. :D

RE: Vectorflight Edge 540 build
 

So what other plane your looking at? Im looking for another EDGE 540.. I just love the zivco's design. mmmmmmmm Right now i have my eye on the dave patrick edge 540. Looking to get into some of the gassers but, dont know yet.

RE: Vectorflight Edge 540 build
 

I'm looking at a CAP, 120 size. I'm thinking of the Extreme, nice scheme and I understand they designed the snap problem pretty much out of the plane. I was thinking of going gas on the CAP. A friend at the field has a CAP for sale with a gas engine RTF, but it's the Lanier model.

So I'm trying to decide which to get his or the Extreme.

Loyd

RE: Vectorflight Edge 540 build
 

I'm pretty much done with the build, almost ready to fly. Hey didn't I buy this ARF? [:-]

Just waiting on the belly pan to come in so I can balance it. I did a quick balance and I may have to put 1/2oz of lead in the tail. I'm going to wait for the new belly pan before I put any lead on. I figured for a 1/2 oz it's not worth it to put the battery in the tail. I'm going to put some numbers on the tail but the pack I bought didn't have the right combo so I have to get another one.

Loyd

RE: Vectorflight Edge 540 build
 

Here is one more pic I took.

When the plane was sitting on the table I thought the wing looked like it had dihedral so I took out my trusty ruler. There is a 1/4 inch difference from the root to the wing tip. [:@] I may be able to get this out with redrilling the wing bolt holes.

Is it worth the trouble I should I just go for it?

RE: Vectorflight Edge 540 build
 

Mine had a tad bit of dihedral in also. Maybe it was designed that way. Personally i would just fly the thing. When i flew my plane its very true in whatever direction ive point the thing.
then again i can be a little picky even on the smallest of things. Fly the plane if i feel you want to take the time and take it out (i wouldn't) go ahead.

If i could make another suggestion on the plane. That tape that VF used to join the cowl together. Reinforce that with some fiberglass. Mine peeled right off after like the second flight. I was wondering why everything was just vibrating around when i was flying it. Im allready getting stress cracks from where i screwed the cowl into the fuse. I just put a little bit of fiberglass around the end of the cowl.

RE: Vectorflight Edge 540 build
 

Here is a pic of the bottom. Nothing special but I like the way it came out. See what you can do with a five inch brush and some black latex. Just kidding. I used sticky back and put a five inch space between the strips.

So now I just need a belly pan and a pilot.

Wife got upset with me last night because I wouldn't go ahead and order the Extreme CAP. It is so hard to keep a woman happy.

Loyd

RE: Vectorflight Edge 540 build
 

Wow, man its gotta be great to be in your shoes. My GF was like NOT ANOTHER PLANE!!! "Dont you have that one allready" No this EDGE 540 is differant than this edge 540.. Heheh

Oh yeah.. Plane looking HOT!!!

RE: Vectorflight Edge 540 build
 

Well recient events had a minor bruises on my plane and I found out how flimsey the tailwheel and LG are. The landing gear was bent back into shape until my Graphtech LG comes in. Anyway i have a pretty simple question, I purchaced the sullivan tailwheel bracket for the plane and would the stock screws that held the other bracket work for this setup? Or should i try to find a way to place the nuts on the other side of the included bolts? Probally just try the stock screws and see how they hold up.

RE: Vectorflight Edge 540 build
 

I put a Sullivan tail wheel on also. I used regular wood screws on my other planes with the Sullivan setup. If the holes don't line up I would CA a bamboo stick, it's what I use, to fill the hole then redrill. I keep a pack of those bamboo skewers for different things like that.

I got my belly pan in and hope to maiden this baby on Tue or Wed when I'm off again.

RE: Vectorflight Edge 540 build
 

Salty let us know how it goes with the new pan. I was thinking of the new pan but, wasn't sure. I know its a pain, not bad though. Actually the time consuming part is the wing joiner bolts. My hands are just a little to fat. heheh.
Last night my new carbonfiber LG came in. I have to redrill everything so i may take my time on it.

RE: Vectorflight Edge 540 build
 

Hey ya'll,

Just wanted to report that the VF Extra 300 that I helped my buddy put together had it's maiden flight(s) today.....and man, what a plane. That thing streaked thru the sky like it owned it. He had one of the more experienced pilots we fly with actually do the maiden and whatever trimming it needed (which was pratically nil), and then my buddy took it up a couple of times. I'm here to tell ya, it's one heck of a plane.

The Saito 100 he has on it is awsome, but we still have some work to do on the throttle adjustments. He's got a JR 8103 and it's alot more difficult (at least for me). I've got a new Futaba 7C (my first computer radio), and it just seems so much more simple than the JR. Not knocking it, it's just totally different.

Anyway, just wanted to let ya'll know how great it went. Only real glitch was the landing gear collapsed on his last landing, which was a little hard, but I think alot of you have had that happen. He'll be looking for a new one, so any suggestions will be appreciated.

Take care,

B

RE: Vectorflight Edge 540 build
 

Nathan,

The pan came in last Thur but I wasn't able to put it on until Sat morning. I think it looks great.

I got my pilot installed and it's all ready to go fly. I may try to take it tomorrow or Thur. If I can't either of those for some reason I'll go on Sat for sure.

Here are a couple of pics for ya.

RE: Vectorflight Edge 540 build
 

This may sound kinda basic, Is it better to balance the plane rightside up or upside down. Orginally i balanced it upside down and it was real tough to find the right spot, but it flew. Reading some threads users said to balance it right side up since the edge is a midwing. Also when measuring the cg, what has to be level? The thustline i take it? Im going to move my CG a little forward to help with the pretty bad coupling towards the belly during knife edge.

RE: Vectorflight Edge 540 build
 

I balanced mine upside down. I have always went with putting the wing to the top when balancing; i.e. low wings upside down high wings right side up. The Edge is a mid wing but I think it should still be balanced upside down. But then what do I know. :eek:

106 today; to darn hot to fly. If I could get up before sunrise maybe I could do it, but around 10 or so, it's around 95.

RE: Vectorflight Edge 540 build
 

Hi all! New VF Edge owner here. :)
I got mine in last thursday and really just got started on it. In the word document emailed to my by VF it says

Is that the fuselage width inside the recession where the joiners go inside? Sorry if this is a stupid question as I don't want to end up with it being the side of the non-recessed fuselage.

RE: Vectorflight Edge 540 build
 

Shakes: Welcome to the VF edge community-

what they mean is the furthest outside portion of the fuse sides, ie outside of the plane. Take the measurments from all corners of the opening to the opposite side's opening. Take those measurements and transfer them to a scrap ply template.

Salty: I can agree with what you say about it being to hot. Last few days its been in the near 90's-100's, and standing in a open field with no shade could really put you to a boil. Let me see what VF says about the balance issue...

RE: Vectorflight Edge 540 build
 

Shakes,

I put a ruler in the hole where the wing joiner goes and measured from one side to the other, on the outside. I measured at the front and the rear of the hole. I then got a scrap piece of wood I had and two spacers, one for the rear and one for the front. When I glued the wings I put the spacers in place and laid it on a table I had in the garage.

BREAK

Sat is my day. I'm taking her up. Clear skies and temps in the low 90's. That's spells fly in NV. [8D]