RE: Great Planes Super Skybolt ARF
 

I love OS engines, but I haven't hear too many good things about the pumped versions. Spend your $100 elsewhere

As for the prop, try a Graupner 13.5x8 or 14x7 These props are fantastic - especially on 4-strokes

If your LHS doesn't carry them you can get them here:

http://www.hobby-lobby.com/grprop.htm

RE: Great Planes Super Skybolt ARF
 

Thanks Mike I will either get the Graupner 14x7.2 or Master Airscrew 14x6 or 14x8 . It 's easier for me to get the MA because I can just add them to my order from my LHS . Of the MA which do you think is best 14x6 or 14x8 ? Two of the Graupner props with shipping will cost me $30.40 with out tax while 2 MA will cost only $12.60 and no shipping .

RE: Great Planes Super Skybolt ARF
 

Yea, Graupner's are a little more expensive, and I'm usually the first guy to go the cheap route, but to me, they are really worth it.

For the MA, I would go with the 14 x 6

RE: Great Planes Super Skybolt ARF
 

Hi Everyone,

I am thinking of purchasing this plane, I have an OS 91Fx sitting around. Would this be too much power for the plane ?
Is this a fast bipe?

Thanks

RE: Great Planes Super Skybolt ARF
 

That will work fine. And it can be fast or slow depending on what you like

RE: Great Planes Super Skybolt ARF
 

Thank MinnFlyer

I do enjoy a nice highspeed tower buzz now and agian.

RE: Great Planes Super Skybolt ARF
 

hello , it is elvir , just wanted to ask did any one try to put a g20 ei in the Skybolt?

RE: Great Planes Super Skybolt ARF
 

Bipes are seldom found to be "fast" no matter what power is up front. Drag increases exponentially with speed and anything that can pull it faster uses up the extra power very quickly with just a little "more" speed.

If you're going to put an oversize engine on this airplane, do consider a real plywood doubler for the firewall. The present one is two layers of liteply and there is virtually nothing behind that from about 2/3's up.

RE: Great Planes Super Skybolt ARF
 

Have not used a G20 but I do fly my Skybolt with an OS 1.20AX. The G20 is only rated a 1.7 HP at 8500 rpm while the 1.20 AX is rated at 3.1 HP at 9000 rpm and both engines have the same prop size range. I use a 15 x 8 which makes the plane a rocket at full throttle. I have had my Skybolt since the first month the arf was available with hundreds of hard yanking and banking flights and no firewall issues. The only structural issue it has ever had was the servo tray coming loose but I should have reinforced it during the build. I did add tri-stock to the inside of the firewall during the build (as I do with any ARF).

In short, if you take reasonable precautions to reinforce the firewall, a G20 should not present any problems...unless you crash.

RE: Great Planes Super Skybolt ARF
 

Inside the top quarter of the firewall there is only foam behind the firewall. Did you glue the tri-stock to that?

And how did you get access past the fuel tank support that blocks off most of the fuselage a couple of inches from the firewall?

RE: Great Planes Super Skybolt ARF
 

To get to the back of the firewall is a trick and a half.

See the bulkhead in the picture that's marked with the yellow "1." That supports to rear of the fuel tank. It's the first thing you have to get past.

The bulkhead that's marked with a yellow "2." and that's being repaired with the orange clamps supports the front of the fuel tank. And has even smaller lightening holes in it and they're not lined up with the one hole in the back bulkhead.

And the blurred area in the picture where the black "3." is where you've got to get to. That's where the liteply bulkhead is glued to the foam that's the front top of the fuselage. The foam is sheeted with something like 1/16 balsa. It's hidden by the covering fold.

BTW, that red cowling in the background is the original and it came through this "crash" in perfect shape. The 4 attachment screw holes were slightly affected. Notice the sharply defined failure line around the firewall remains. Matches the motor mount almost perfectly. That's one weakness of LitePly. It doesn't take compression worth spit. And you're going to tighten your motor mount to the firewall right?

The out of focus areas are there because the camera was on automatic focus and the distance to the back bulkhead and the firewall area were far enough from the middle bulkhead that the focus didn't cover them. An indication of how far it is inside that sucker from the back bulkhead to the firewall.

RE: Great Planes Super Skybolt ARF
 

thank for the info i do not want to make a rocket , i was just intrested in gas because to get nitro in croatia is very expensive. i have the gp cap 232 with the fujio 43 in it, i had to do a lot of work to rebuild it . so i am fimaliar with how is the firewall and to renforse it, and the landing gear mount also , again thank you for your in put , i am comming to the states this winter and looking to get a plane or two.

RE: Great Planes Super Skybolt ARF
 

Hope you enjoy your visit. What part of the US will you be visiting?

RE: Great Planes Super Skybolt ARF
 

The tri-stock was added on the sides, not the top. Had to glue the tri-stock pieces to a small dowl and push it into the epoxy. Once the epoxy was dry, I snapped the dowl off. I then poured in more epoxy over the tri-stock at a 45 degree angle and layed the fuse on its side so the epoxy would coat the side walls of the fuse. This was all done through the fuel tank compartment.

You can see from this picture that I screwed spruce members on each side to front of the firewall. The screws go all the way into the tri-stock. These members sandwich the firewall between them and the tri-stock and replaced the blocks used attach the cowl.

RE: Great Planes Super Skybolt ARF
 

Cool it is just about what I did with my cap, I crashed it on the first flight due to radio problems. I will be in Westchester NY. I have a few friends flying at Floyd bennet field in Brooklyn.

RE: Great Planes Super Skybolt ARF
 

some repair pics

RE: Great Planes Super Skybolt ARF
 

Hey guys, I love this plane. However I have flown the skybolt on realflight and it was extremely unresponsive, even while on high rates. Its roll rate is very slow.  Is this a characteristic of this plane, or is it just that the model on the sim is made with very low throws?

Thanks,
Jeremy

I saw this thread, and even though it is old, was wondering if anyone was still flying their Skybolt ARFs?
Recently, I bought a half built ARF version that was on consignment at the local hobby shop, and was wondering what reinforcements/mods needed to be done to the air frame, or what others who have been flying this plane thought it needed over the 'stock' configuration.
For power I was considering the recommended OS 91 Surpass II, or the newer 95V. However, it appears with the OS 91 Surpass II, the plane is still tail heavy? If this is the case, then the OS FS-1.10a would seem to fit the bill perfectly.

Any comments or information would be helpful as I finish this beauty up!

I still fly mine with the OS 91 Surpass II.

I don't find the plane tail heavy though I do have the battery pack forward. I find the balance perfect this way, though some might find it a bit further back than what they are used to.

As far as reinforcement, what you have to look at is the firewall. The default firewall was not reinforced enough at the point it attaches to the airframe.
Adding some more supports will not hurt, nor will adding another lamination sheet of wood. This should not affect the plane at all.

Skeezix- I bought my Skybolt as a wreck a couple years ago at a swap meet, and did an thread on the repairs and mods to make it a superb flyer, and structurally stronger than the factory build. Check out my thread here, and it should help u make ur Skybolt MUCH better- Dean
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/cras...-purchase.html

I put a 20cc VVRC gas engine in the one I have and then moved the RX and Ignition Battery to balance the plane. Good power for our altitude and runs like a dream.

Hello, I recently purchased a GP Super Skybolt at local swap meet NIB and never started. I felt lucky to have found this plane as I have been looking for this out of production ARF for some time. I always admired the way they flew at the field.
I read the thread and saw the recommended firewall reinforcement recommendation. I will do this and this kind of Mod is to be expected. Also the landing gear reinforcement, also not a surprise. Any others?
I would like to run a gas 4 stroker on this plane. Any recommendations? I am likeing the price on the evolution engines, are they good, havent been able to find a review as of yet.

speedracer,
thanks for the reply. I have been hearing from others that the 4 stoke gassers are not reliable as of yet. get fouled and valves get sticky requiring disassembly and cleaning. Not something I want to do on a regular basis.
Are the YS engines you are referring to glow or gas? As I remember YS was like one of the most expensive engines on the market.