RE: Balsa Nova 120 ARF Help Needed.
 

well im just about done with mine and i have a ys 140 mounted and we will see what the weight is

RE: Balsa Nova 120 ARF Help Needed.
 

Finally got to fly!

RE: Balsa Nova 120 ARF Help Needed.
 

Has any one taken out the dihedral from the plywood wing joiner?

RE: Balsa Nova 120 ARF Help Needed.
 

Med601,
I seem to recall a fellow that lost his dihedral brace and glued the wing together flat. He filled in the subsequent hellacious gap on the top joint with epoxy and phenolic filler of some kind. (Looked like crap-ola!) Well, after a side by side flight test one could say without question that it flew like crap-ola also! Just my humble little old opinion............. Don't do it on purpose. If you lost your dihedral brace or are just wanting a flat wing, re-think your position on this.......... Probably not worth it.
Terry

RE: Balsa Nova 120 ARF Help Needed.
 

Don't do it. This plane is rock solid just the way it is. It will KE from horizon to horizon 50' off the deck with very little input except rudder ( and very little of that ) flies inverted almost as well as upright. I have flown mine at 13 lbs. ( Brison 2.4 ) and at 15.5 lbs. ( Saito 270 ) and it will slow to a walking pace without stalling. I don't think taking the dihedral out would improve anything. IMHO

RE: Balsa Nova 120 ARF Help Needed.
 

Don,
Knife edge at 50 ft?? Why so high up? You wanna get nose bleed from being so high up?:D LOL! It sure makes me look good when its down on the deck doing that knife-edge thing! The great thing about the BN 120 is that the plane actually FEELS COMFORTABLE being that low. I found myself making pretty much the whole flight in the knife edge position. And if you program the snap function to your button, (I have mine on my 10X) snaps from knife edge back to knife edge and snaps on take-off down really low are easy and predictable. I just sold my Rascal 110 powered by a Saito 1.80 last weekend to a friend. I have had it for four years and it was my "relaxation plane." The only reason I got rid of it was my BN 120 had taken its place as my new "relaxation plane." I like the way it flys but might slip a 150 or 180 under the cowl just to see what it feels like then. Keep you posted on this. BTW...... You're right about different engines and heavier weight. This thing doesn't care WHAT it weighs!
Terry

RE: Balsa Nova 120 ARF Help Needed.
 

All that sounds pretty good…

I was reading about the BN 1.20 and it is a very unusual airplane. A short while ago I lost a Yak – so I had a EVO 26GT gasser and the “guts” looking for a new home. E-bay (?!)…, well I got one for $169 plus shipping and tax. The total bill was $216 and some change.

The delivery date is set for today – I paid on Monday per Pay-Pal, that’s a fast shipping what?



Happy landings[sm=thumbup.gif]
G-Pete

RE: Balsa Nova 120 ARF Help Needed.
 

The reason I said 50' is that we have trees at each end of our field that are 49.5 ft. high ;) Maybe this summer I better go up another 6" in case they've grown :D

Here's mine with the Saito 270 in it. I had to add 18 ozs. of weight to the tail to balance it. But it sounded real cool.

RE: Balsa Nova 120 ARF Help Needed.
 

You're gonna love the Balsa Nova. I had a Supet Tiger 2300 on it and changed to a BCMA 26 gas. It'll land fast as a rocket or slow as a walk, you're choice. Don't mod the wing. It's rock sollid as it is.

RE: Balsa Nova 120 ARF Help Needed.
 

Thanks for the advice, I'll certainly take it.

This plane sure sounds like it's going to be fun to fly! I'm planing to put an OS 1.60 in it, that should be enough, I hope, if not I've got a First Place Engines 2.4 @ 3lb that should fly it.

RE: Balsa Nova 120 ARF Help Needed.
 

I read some where in this forum that some one had made mods to the ailerons and elevator. Is this necessary for 3D ?

I don't want to bother with the ailerons but the elevator would be easier to enlarge by adding a piece of triangular stock to the trailing ege of the stab. But only if needed.

Any other tips or mods I should know about? I have just started putting this bird together and have only installed servo's in the the wing.

Any help would be appreciated

RE: Balsa Nova 120 ARF Help Needed.
 

I do not fly 3D so I can't comment on any mods for that but the plane is just fine the way it is for my style. Balanced properly the elev. are quite effective. I would think that there are much better planes out there for doing 3D if you are so inclined. I can tell you that the servos you have in the wings should have lots of power and be MG servos. I had 2 very good quality coreless servos ( nylon gears ) in mine at first and stripped both out in very short order. I installed 2 Hitec 5625 MG servos and the difference was night and day, quicker, smoother and no more stripped gears. I had never used digital servos before and this demo sold me on them. I have bought about 20 Hitec digitals since then.

RE: Balsa Nova 120 ARF Help Needed.
 

MED 601,
Here's you something weird....... I have a Saito 1.20 on mine and while it doesn't "explode" out of a hover, it does hover well with an APC 16-6 prop on 15% Ritch's Brew four-stroke fuel. As far as rolling harriers and blenders, etc. it is all in how you set it up. I read where somebody extended their rudder on their BN 1.20 as well as their elevators. Seemed like a waste of time since the standard rudder on this plane is sufficient to do really tight rudder turns and the elevator can be sensitive depending on how much throw you give it. (I felt like I wasted enough flying time by changing the color of my BN 1.20........ I could have been out flying!!) I'm guessing that is what this plane can be all about. Do what you want to it, you're still going to have fun flying it.
Terry

RE: Balsa Nova 120 ARF Help Needed.
 

I have been working on my plane over the weekend and making good progress, as usual I getting excited about flying it and hoping to have it ready by next weekend if all goes well.

Every time I install CA hinges using thin CA it always fogs, it happened when I glued the belly pan to the wing . There must be a trick or something to avoid it. You know what i mean it leaves a white film on the covering that wont come off.

How are you guys filing you fuel tank. Fuel dot? if so where have you installed it?

Iwoud like to here from any one else who has used an OS 1.60 about flight performance, battery placement and balance.

components so far
OS 1.60
Hitec 605 in the wing, Hitec 635 for elevator and Hitec 645mg for rudder.

RE: Balsa Nova 120 ARF Help Needed.
 

MED601,
Are you using kicker to set the C/A? If you are, don't. Once I have a slot in the covering, I take a sharp X-acto and trim a 1/32" piece of covering away from the slot. (above and below the slot) This exposes not only the slot but the bare balsa on either side of the slot. When you have the C/A hinge in the slot, the balsa and the C/A hinge gets wicked with glue and does not leave the white residue.

As far as the belly pan, use thick C/A to tack it to the bottom of the wing and then a thin bead of clear silicon does the actual holding and provides for a smooth, fuel-proof, aerodynamic seal. (Make sure you seal down the covering really well before you do this and also trim away some small areas of the covering on the wing so the glue can adhere well.)

I cut a "U" shaped opening on the entire under-side of the cowl so my motor is exposed. The fuel tubing coming from the tank has an "L" shaped fuel fitting on it and another piece of tubing connects from that fitting to the fuel nipple on the carb. This fitting hangs about flush with the bottom of the cowl opening so reaching it and separating to put a fuel can line on is easy. No fuel dot required.

Balance is achieved by putting the entire plane together and moving the battery to where it takes to make the nose go slightly below level without fuel in the tank. I don't think I ever had a plane that balanced as easy as this one.

A 1.60 ought to make this thing scoot. Remember that when the nose goes down, the throttle should come back proportionately!

I've had four failures with 635's and started using JR Sport 125's in planes up to 72". Not saying anything bad about Hitec but I personally am staying away from 635's. Your 605's and 645MG's are bulletproof.

I'm taking mine out this weekend to rid myself of another gallon of fuel. I just hate letting fuel get old!
Terry

RE: Balsa Nova 120 ARF Help Needed.
 

Terry, thanks for the advise. I didn't use kicker but will try your method of opening up the covering a little
more the next time I install CA hinges.

I have finished the belly pan intsall and apart from the foging it looks good and it has a good bond.

I was working on the engine installtion last night and having some problems trying to fit the OS 1.60. I was trying all different positions but settled on side mounted which leaves me having to cut the bottom of the cowl away to fit the pitts style muffler. I guess there's not much choice given that the cowl is so small.

One thing I am confused about is the throttle servo location. There dosn't seem to be a place for it! Unless I'm missing the obvious I'll have to make a rail for it.

RE: Balsa Nova 120 ARF Help Needed.
 

Quick hint on your hinges, PIN Them. Run a straight pin all the way through the balsa, hinge and out the other side of the surface everywhere that they are CA'd. Cut off the extra. It helps keep the hinges from pulling out. I use T-Pins but straight pins look better. I do it on all my planes regardless of the size.

RE: Balsa Nova 120 ARF Help Needed.
 

Throttle Servo

RE: Balsa Nova 120 ARF Help Needed.
 

Don,
Neat installation, but why no foam around the most "tender" part of your radio equipment? I'm seeing yellow Tygon tubing so I'm assuming there is a small gasser in the nose. Gasser of any kind = a bit more vibration. That receiver has your crystal in it and is prone to the vibration. Just a thought....
Terry

MED601 : Put the throttle servo next to the rudder servo on the appropriate side for the motor. You must be getting close to flying it!

RE: Balsa Nova 120 ARF Help Needed.
 

Thanks for the thought but there is foam UNDER the receiver and since that is the only place that touches the airframe why put anymore around it. Besides I had no room under the rudder cables to put foam. If you look close you'll see I raised the rudder servo in order to clear the receiver as it is. That's another thing I guess your not supposed to do is run steel cables that close to the receiver. Yes there was a gasser in it, a 26cc MVVS which was replaced by a Saito 270, Which was replaced by a Taurus 52cc, which was replaced with a Brison 2.4. The receiver is still in the same place, 250 flights now.


And if your worried about the receiver in case of a crash - I don't crash :D

RE: Balsa Nova 120 ARF Help Needed.
 

Have decided to place throttle servo closer to engine as opposed to the rudder servo, either way I will have to modify some thing. I going to wait untill I balance her. I'm still hopeful that I'll be able to fly her this weekend

RE: Balsa Nova 120 ARF Help Needed.
 

Don,
NONE of us ever crashes! The dadgum planes do it all by themselves!:)
Terry

BTW: You had a 52CC motor on a BN 120?

RE: Balsa Nova 120 ARF Help Needed.
 

Yes Sir I sure did. I was having a lot of problems with a brand new TS52 so I stuck it in for maybe 5 flights. It worked OK for maybe 1 flight and I flew the snot out of it. That 1 flight was A-L-M-O-S-T enough power :D

I now have a Brison 2.4 in it and at 13 lbs. it is ideal. Actually lighter and much more power than the MVVS 26cc.

RE: Balsa Nova 120 ARF Help Needed.
 

Where did you route your antenna?

RE: Balsa Nova 120 ARF Help Needed.
 

If you look closely in this pic you can see the antenna come out of a piece of fuel tubing at the top and run along the "backbone" of the plane. I take a short piece of clear Nyrod and put a small bend in it with the heat gun and glue it to the front edge of the rudder fin. The antenna passes through this and then I put a knot in it where it exits at the top of the fin to keep it from coming out. The fuel tubing acts as a shock absorber and since the antenna runs along the "backbone" it is never in the way.

I do this with all my gassers and the glow fuel planes have the antenna inside. I don't know if it is necessary to have the antenna outside on gassers but I feel better and never have interference problems.