Generic Ebay Edge 540 build.
 

Hope someone will be able to let me know...

I was looking around for a relatively cheap 60-90 size aerobat to beat around - before I move up into some more expensive, larger scale planes.

I found this ARF on ebay - obviously direct from an Asian manufacturer, but decoded what the heck. $140 shipped doesn't seem like that bad a deal. I figured this was a plane made similar to the specs of whoever the factory supplies kits to - but I can't find a 64"ish Edge with plug-in wings in another manufacturer's lineup. - The ebay auctioner also lists a picture of other kits they sell on Ebay - I'll post those as well - maybe the other kits they import might clue someone in. I haven't received mine yet, so I can't take any pics of the inside/construction details of the plane.

http://www.adrenalnjunky.com/gallery...anes/edge1.jpg

http://www.adrenalnjunky.com/gallery...anes/edge2.jpg

http://www.adrenalnjunky.com/gallery...anes/edge3.jpg

http://www.adrenalnjunky.com/gallery...anes/edge4.jpg

http://www.adrenalnjunky.com/gallery...anes/edge5.jpg

RE: Who makes this Edge 540?
 

That looks to me to be an older Powerline Hobbies Edge 540 color scheme. I could be wrong. Take a look at Skysharks Edge 540. I'm currently flying one with a Saito 1.00.
http://www.skysharkrc.com/

RE: Who makes this Edge 540?
 

Yeah - I thought the same thing about the Powerline - thier edge is a 73" wingspan though - I can't find a wingspan on thier smaller edge .46.

I seriously considered the Skyshark, it was my top choice if money were no object - but for $100 less I went with the mystery ship behind door #3 here.

I hope to step up to the Wild Hare 73" Edge, or the upcoming Extreme Flight 74" Yak sometime next spring.

RE: Who makes this Edge 540?
 

I've seen this too, wondered how it flies. Please report your findings when you get to it. It looks like a CMP ad, but don't see it on their site. I'm not familiar with Powerline, what is their website or who carries their product?

RE: Who makes this Edge 540?
 

I just got my tracking number today - I didn't know PayPal is now holding eCheck transactions a few days, the seller got the kit in the mail the morning after the check cleared - he responded to my request for a tracking number promptly.

So far so good.

Now how long does it take USPS to get an ARF from California to Louisiana?

I'll do a build thread on it when I get it if I think that the kit is worth doing a build thread.

RE: Who makes this Edge 540?
 

Chris,
I'm guessing it will take you a week to receive it (hopefully in good condition!). I'm guessing your weather there is still great for flying, here in MI it's about 30 deg! Definitely let us know how it looks when it arrives, and more importantly how it flies once you get her in the air.

Jeff

RE: Who makes this Edge 540?
 

http://www.raidentech.com/aerobatics.html


looks alot like some of these ads...Rog

RE: Who makes this Edge 540?
 

What did you guys end up paying for this Edge 540???

RE: Who makes this Edge 540?
 

$145 shipped give or take a buck or 2.

RE: Who makes this Edge 540?
 

Was that a staight up price or was that a bid ???

RE: Who makes this Edge 540?
 

It was a bid - auction closed at $115.50 with a fixed $28 in shipping + $3 insurance I think.

Looking at his other auctions for this airframe, most are ending under the $130 mark.

RE: Who makes this Edge 540?
 

Nice, let me know how you like the plane and its quality.

RE: Who makes this Edge 540?
 

A-JUNEY
HEY I COULDNT OPEN YOUR PICS TO TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR EDGE
CAN YOU EMAIL THEM TO ME @ [email protected].
I TOO GOT ONE OFF LINE W/O INSTR, NO MNFCTRS NAME, NOTHING. IT WAS A 76" W/S EDGE FOR $175 SHIPPED, SO I GOT IT- $175 FOR A NEARLY 1/4 SCALE ARF !!!!
I TRIED TO ID IT BUT TO NO AVAIL. HERES A PIC OF MINE
THX
MARTY

RE: Who makes this Edge 540?
 

A-JUNKY
I GOT YOUR PICS OPENED. DEFINATELY LOOKS LIKE RAIDEN TECH PLANES
YOUR EDGE AND THE ONE I GOT APPEAR TO LOOK LIKE H9 EDGES BUT THE TAIL HAS NO FAIRING TO INSTALL ON MINE, THE WING SPAN IS DIFF, THE TOP HATCH IS DIFF AND THE WINGS WERE 2 PIECE NOT ONE. QUALITY WAS AWESOME, EVEN GOT INCIDENT ADJUSTERS (4) FOR THE WINGS.
MARTY

RE: Who makes this Edge 540?
 

Yeah - I think I responded to your post in another forum about looking for a cowling for your plane.

Once I get the plane and such, there are ways of looking up the manufacturer - I have a friend who dealt with foreign manufacturers for clothing and such - I'll see if he can help.

RE: Who makes this Edge 540?
 

yea
i was able to repair and that cowl is in primer now waiting for new custom blu.red,yellow fade to match the fuse. i dropped it off tonite. who was the seller of your plane?
marty

RE: Who makes this Edge 540?
 

seller goes by: mkland0124

RE: Who makes this Edge 540?
 

Marty,

Curiousity overwhelms me. In the last pic of your Extra, that looks like a U-Can-Do 46 wing in the upper left corner. Correct?

If so, then the date mechanism on your camera needs adjusting. Don't think there were any UCDs around in October of 1999...;)

And did you ever figure out who the manufacturer/distributor of your plane is?

RE: Who makes this Edge 540?
 

Hey all - got the kit in the mail today - going to post a few pics and observations. (My camera sucks - hopefully Santa might hook me up...)

It was packaged well, no damage due to shipping. Everything is in the kit that is supposed to be there.

Firewall is notched like some of the Seagull planes - that would allow a standard muffler to be used when engine is mounted on it's side. Saving you $35 on a pitts.

Covering is probably chinacote - but is applied very well - hardly any wrinkles or bubbles that need to be ironed out. the Cub yellow is semi-transparent - you can see woodgrain through it. I'll go over everything with an iron on med heat before it flies.

Wings are balsa sheeted, foam cored. Plug-in style with an aluminum wing tube. The fuse and wings both have a fiberglass sleeve for the tube to slide into. One thing I'm not sure if I like is the wing bolt - they want you to tighten a bolt through the upper wing panel to tighten on the wing tube. I would much rather have a bolt that goes through the fuse wall into a blind nut or something.

Before I cut the covering to allow the wing bolt to slide in, I may have one of the giant scale guys in our club take a look at modding the wings for a bolt. The only hesitation is that the root rib on the wings appears to be 1/8th" balsa, and realatively soft at that.

also - the anti rotation pin setup is a little different than I have seen before - pay attention to the picture of the hardware - the anti-rotation pin assemblies bolt into the fuse from the inside - and they are adjustible to allow incidence to be tweaked.

the rest of the hardware needed to complete the plane is included - the wheels are 2.5" generic foam models - light, but I hate how a foam wheel will lose shape if it sits on them for too long. I have a pair of sullivan skylites laying around I thik I'll substitute.

The landing gear legs are 2 piece, and thick - heavy too. The fuel tank is a smallish 320cc tank - about 11 oz - I'm going to try to get a 14oz I have into it if possible.

Tail sections are conventional. The rudder and elevators are stick-built, while the horiz and vertical stabs are solid 1/4" balsa. I'm going to install a set of flying wires I think. All control surfaces are pre-hinged on one side with CA hinges. I might go to the trouble of cutting them and installing pivot style hinge - but most likely not. Control surfaces are generous - not super 3D sized, but larger than I have seen on other planes.

The tailwheel assembly just looks downright flimsy. I have a sullivan 60-90 size tailwheel I will install - the fuse does have a layer of lite ply at the tailwheel mount as a hardpoint.

The ailerons have a lite ply hardpoint in them too for secure control horn installation. The stock control horn assemblies are pretty nice looking - similar to the dubro 867 in function, but with a more conventional plastic base. I have a few sets of the dubro's laying around that I think I'm going to install. I think the supplied horns are fine - I just like the dubro stuff, and already have it. The stock pushrods seem heavy to me - might just be my mind playing tricks on me there.

The fiberglass cowl is nicely painted, and almost matches the colors perfectly. The wheelpants are a joke - they are plastic - and not ABS plastic - they seem more like a cheap dog's toy, made out of a flexible plastic. I doubt I'll use them. I fly off grass so I may not put any pants on it - but if I do - I like buying the fiberglass pants from the U Can Do series - usually less than $18 a pair from Tower. I think the ones from the .60 would fit this plane well.

Motormount is included - although you have to line up and drill the firewall. Not something I normally see on an ARF. Also included is a white 2.5" spinner - it doesn't really match the plane, and the opening ring on the cowl is 2.75" in diameter. 3" would look less out of place than a 2.5" if you can't find a 2.75". The included 2.5" would still perform fine - it's all an asthetics thing.

Of all the hardware - at first inspection, only the tailwheel bracket, and the wheelpants don't pass the test if I had to fly the plane straight out of the box. (tailwheel bracket might work if flying off a paved runway all the time).

RE: Who makes this Edge 540?
 

There are no markings on the box, instruction pamphlet or kit itself that gives any hint to it's origin. No country of origin info, no manufacurers R/N #, no copyright info, no trademarks - not a single thing to hint as to where this kit came from.

The instructions are a joke - they show servo installation in the wing - the servo hole is rotated 90 degrees to the opening in my wing. Not that it makes a difference, but it seems that this kit is something that has evolved to a 2nd Gen wing somewhere along the line.

It shows where to put the incidence adjusters, but not how to use them properly - I figured it out by looking at it all for a minute, but not everyone may be as quick to catch on. And not everyone knows how to properly set up wing incidence, or how important it is on a plane that can potentially have 3/8" of difference between one wing and the other.

Also - on the section that shows sliding the wing onto the wing tube - there is a warning that says:
"!!Warning!! Ensure that the two wing halves are securely glued together."

Obviously that shouldn't pertain to a plug-in wing model - but heck - not everyone may have the experience to know better.

control horn installation steps don't stress the importance of lining the clevis hole up with the hinge line to avoid offset. Fuel tank assembly shows setting tank up with 2 vent lines - but never tells you where the extra line should go.

The elevator pushrod setup is a split pushrod going to each elevator half - but there is absolutely no description of how to rig all of that up properly. No pushrod installation for rudder is depicted as well. No in depth radio installation, battery, switch - none of that.

It does have control throws suggested - all is in metric, 25mm up and 25mm down on alierons - which I come up with almost one inch either direction? That seems extreme to me for normal flight. Elevator is listed at 40mm up and 40mm down - or 1.6 inches each direction - again I think that's a lot of throw. Rudder is listed at 55mm left and 55MM right - or 2.16" each way. Until I'm sitting there eyeballing it - I think I'm going to go with something a lot more tame for my low rates for maiden. CG is listed between 105 to 124mm (4.1" to 4.9").

Guys - be glad that although most of the big name companies get their planes out of these very same factories - at least they have somewhat competent technical writers making good comprehensive instruction manuals for hobbyists. When was the last time you saw an ARf come with only 8 pages of assembly manual?

RE: Who makes this Edge 540?
 

I have one of the Extras off ebay.Its from a diff seller but like yours has no namebrand or any origin of manafacture.It is my first plane to fly in about 8yrs.I put a magnum 91 2 stroke on it.First off,it needs a computer radio.The instructed throws are a tad slow for even basic aerobatics.I sped everything up a little,now without expo on my radio,it turns like a pylon racer and all you have to do is think about up or down and it s headed that way.Mine didnt have an exit hole for the rudder pushrod and the rudder didnt have a "hardpoint" for the control horn.Servo tray broke loose the first flight and the landing gear mount came out on 2nd flight.With a little going over,it made a decent plane for the money(116.00shipped),just nothing like my old Goldberg Extra.Be sure and add some glue to all the joints you can reach and watch the control throws and they make ok planes for the cost.My neighbor just got the Skyshark Edge.Wish I had spent the extra 100 and got it.

RE: Who makes this Edge 540?
 

Yeah - I've seen the Extra you mention - if it's the white and purple one? CMP makes one that has a 2 seat style cockpit, and then I've seen the single seat cockpit for cheap on EBAY.

Mine has very nice hardpoints on all control surfaces. I doublechecked my servo tray and some other main former joints that I can see and all show glue on them - I too always get a little more glue on them. this ARF even has the firewall/fuel tank area pre-fuelproofed.

today I glued in my hirizontal stab and vertical stab - both fit in their slots very well, no excess slop - the horiz stab was almostperfectly lined up with the wingtube through the fuse. The vert. stab required a few degree correction to get to being 90degrees from the h-stab, but it wasn't much that I needed to do to either of these pieces.

So far my biggest hangup is the wings - I slid them both up onto the fuse today and my right wing half either has it's guide tube glued in slightly crooked, or the wing root is off a touch. At the trailing edge of the wing root there is a 1/4' gap. On the left wing panel it is a much smaller gap - maybe 1/16"th.

I swapped my wingtube around the other direction and the problem persisted - so it's either the wing panel, the wing root, or the tube through the fuse is off.

I've never come across this issue with a plug-in wing plane before, so I'm going to look for some expert advice before I do anything. Voice in the back of my head is telling me I just need to sand the root rib down a little til evertything sits flush against the fuse. The Root rib is much thicker than I thought it was originally - it must be 3/16 or 1/4 inch balsa - I have some room if I want to start sanding. If I have to sand it a lot, I can always trace me another root rib out of 1/8th or something and glue to it to make up the width.

Since an edge is supposed to have a straight leading edge - I'm thinking I can slide both wing halves into the tube - then set the leading edges on a flat building board - if they're straight , the would rule out the crooked guide tube in the wing right?

RE: Who makes this Edge 540?
 

Spent some time at a friend's shop last night - we determined the wing panel was fine, but the fuse side was slightly bowed inward creating the gap at the wing root.

ended up adding a little balsa to the root and sanding down for a flush fit. We also talked about modding the wing so that the wing bolt will screw in through the fuse instead of through the hardpoint out in the wing. We're also not 100% sure that we're going to use the supplied incidence adjusters.

As soon as I buy a battery for his incidence meter, we're going to get moving on that. In the meantime, I'm going to start installing radio gear.

I test fit a DuBro 14oz tank and it should fit with only slight trimming of one former.

I will post some pics later.

RE: Who makes this Edge 540?
 

Freak Louisiana weather kicked in yesterday- Beautiful 83 degree day, with 20-25mph winds all day. Since I didn't want to deal with the wind, I decided to get some work done on this edge. (Of course today it's back into the lower 50's just like 2 days ago.)

Few little things I changed - I installed some DuBro 5/32 axles for the LG - I just don't like the "bolt through the LG" axle setup on any model. When tightening the 4mm bolts that held the LG halves to the fuse, one of the blind nuts stripped out. I knocked all 4 stock blinds out, and replaced with 1/4-20 blinds, and nylon bolts. I had to cut through the sheeting in the fuse radio compartment to get access to the blinds and LG block. LG block looks sturdy, and is 2 pieces. Good amounts of epoxy visible on all.

I'm going to try internal antenna routing down the fuse and out at the tail - I took a scrap piece of Ny-rod and fed it through the hardwood piece in front of the tailwheel assembly I have installed. My earlier concerns with the supplied tailwheel bracketry might have been a little harsh - I'm going to actually use the supplied parts on a different kit I'm scratchbuilding.

You can compare the picure I posted a few posts back of the F1 former and the pics below to see how much sanding I needed to get the DuBro 14oz tank to fit - it wasn't much hassle at all, and should give some longer runtimes for little weight gain.

The majority of my work was surrounding the motormounts - I really want to buy a Saito 100 or the new 125 in the near future, and it might end up in this airframe. It happens that I have a friend's 100 sitting in my shop that I can use to set the plane up with. Comparing the 100 to my OS 61FX I was surprised to find that they have almost exactly the same width between mounting beams, and the drive washers are maybe 2mm different when the mounting lugs are lined up. The 100 should truly be plug and play if I upgrade from the 61FX. The only issue is that the cowl on this plane can't easily be adjusted forward - you really only have about 3/16 inch of fore/aft adjustibility on the fuselage. with the cowl set on the plane I was measuring just over 4.5" from firewall to the nose of the cowl. With the 100 sitting in the stock motormount, the drive washer was almost 5" from the firewall.

To modify the motormounts to clear the Saito's carb/needle, I had to cut the top lug off, and some of the stress webbing out. You can see in the pic how much I had to cut to clear the 100's carb throttle arm. I also ground off the tabs on the mount that would have been the part of the mount actually touching the firewall. I'm sure that was designed to transmit less vibration to the firewall, but I had to get another 1/16 inch whereever I could to move the engine closer to the firewall.

I also figured out what one of the random pieces of lite ply in the kit was - the upper firewall brace. I coated it with thinned epoxy to fuelproof it, and will install it down the road.

RE: Generic Ebay Edge 540 build.
 

That looks like a real nice plane for the money. Concerning the "Guys - When was the last time you saw an ARf come with only 8 pages of assembly manual?" Well, the Vector Flight instuctions for the Extra were less than that.