Kyosho CAP 232 Arrived.
 

I just received a new Kyosho CAP 232 (.40 sized). CAPs in general seem to be discussed a lot around here, so I though I'd post some pictures and general impressions through assembly and the first flight.

If anyone has experience with this model, please chime in. I've already read that I should consider replacing the tail wheel assembly and maybe the landing gear.

I'll take some photos during assembly.

Current Plans:

Engine: O.S. 46FX
Radio: Futuba 6XAS
Servos: 5 Futaba 3004 BB

Kyosho CAP 232 Arrived.
 

Box

Kyosho CAP 232 Arrived.
 

If it flies anything like the 60 size, you're gonna love it. Personally, I'd use a Saito 72 or even a 91 in this. The 72 probably weighs less than the OS 46 and bunch more power. The 91 was barely adequate for the 60 size. It would hover and gradually climb. The 91 fx would have been cool. I 'd definitely look for the next step up for power. For 2 strokes, the 50sx(cost more than the Saito) or Irvine 53.
Be very careful of your elevator throws also. Keep it 1/2" or less at full deflection for low rates. It won't look like much but Caps are sensitive and that is more than enough.

Kyosho CAP 232 Arrived.
 

Here are some previous comments I made. May e of some help.

Roy gave you an outstanding responce RC. I desided to respond also because of some significant differences between what Roy did and experienced and what I did and experienced. I did experience a lot of what Roy did.
I built 2 of these, one with the original Kyosho color schemes and one brietling, so there was quite a bit of time between the production of the planes. I powered one with a ST.45 ABC (pits muffler) and one with a webra.40 (pits muffler). They both perform the same. Flight characteristics are good, they have no ugly tendicies and don't snap under any conditions unless told to. They are extremely nice to land and takeoff. Both airplanes came out with the CGs at 3 and 3/8s without adding any lead and with the battery packs just over the front of the wing. 3&3/8s is the aft limit per the addendum as I recall. I have about a 150 flights on the first one and just a few on the second
Building:
Build per the addendum, especially control throws.
I used almost all the hardware that came with the plane even though it was of poor quality. I haven't had a failure of it in 150 flights but I would still recommend throwing it away. I'm just not smart enough to do that. I did throw away the shrink sleaving for the control rods and instead used flat cord and ca. I also chucked the bolts intended for the axels and replaced them with dubro axels. Threaded bolts in bending is a fundamental no no.
I hate the vacumn formed plastic for the wheel pants and cowl. Don't put the wheel pants on untill you have a good solid feel for the plane and can grease it in every time. Even then they probably won't last long. I used 9 screws to attach the cowl. 3 on top, 2 on each side and 2 on the bottom. The cowl is still cracking out at the attachments after only 150 flights.
The engines are completely enclosed in the cowl so I cut a one inch on a side triangle out of the cheek behind the engine head about .5 inch forward of the trailing enge of the cowl. I don't have any heat problems but I have heard of others who had but had not made this change.
Both planes came out between 5.25 and 5.5 lbs.
Landing gear mounting to the fuselage has not been a problem.
I a got good quality covering job on both. I mounted the canopy with 4 wood screws.
Flight:
I have just slightly more control throw than the addendum calls for and I'm very happy the way it flies. I haven't been able to get it to do tumble maneuvers as yet but that may be me. Flat spins aren't quite as flat as I would like. It will spin in either direction from upright or inverted without the need for aileron input. I like that. I also like the fact that it will stop snap maneuvers the instant I neutralize the controls. I don't have use a big handful of rudder to stop the rotation. This I'm sure is do to the very light wing.
On my first flights I had about 2 inches of rudder throw instead of the called for 1.25 inches. This was a mistake. The rudder will start stalling at about 1.5 inches. This results in pitching to the gear and in spins with aileron it will actually cause rotation in the oposite direction. I could actually roll the plane inverted, apply full rudder only and do an outside loop. The heading changed of course but it would complete the loop. Knife edge maneuvers are good with only a little rudder input.
Hope this helps.

Kyosho CAP 232 Arrived.
 

Thanks guys. I'm a little concerned with the engine power as well, but I'll try it first and if it needs more and I like the way the airplane flies otherwise, I'll swap the engine and use the .46 elsewhere.

djlyon - what is "flat" cord? can you elaborate? I have some concerns about the shrink wrapped control horns as well.

Kyosho CAP 232 Arrived.
 

It's an industrial cord used for wire ties on wire bundles. You can do the same with heavy thread. The stuff used for sowing leather.

UPDATE
 

6 hours in so far...

My fiancee hinging the ailerons.

Update
 

Joining the wing:

Update
 

Aileron servo bay. A bit of a pain trimming the sheeting and sanding the tray for a perfect fit. The tray sits in the bay about 1/8"

Update
 

The recess is to allow flush installation of the servo covers. These look horrible as is -- they've been sprayed navy blue since.

Update
 

The completed wing bottom (minus servo covers which are drying)

Kyosho CAP 232 Arrived.
 

Hi!

My wife has one of those .... we placed a Saito 91 up front and the plane balanced perfectly.

Even though this plane is NOT good for 3D type of flying, it snaps REALLY nice; probably the fastest / most violent snaps I've ever seen.

Unlike popular opinion, this plane IS quite stable thus takeoffs and landings are easy.

Kyosho CAP 232 Arrived.
 

It's good to hear an alternate opinion on this plane's handling...I've been hearing horror stories.

Fit the wing last night....the saddle needed a considerable amount of sanding for fit. This is an ARF right?

10 hours and counting....

Kyosho CAP 232 Arrived.
 

Well take the horror stories to heart and be careful when flying slow, on the other hand this cap is a riot to fly as stated above it does snaprolls better than just about any other plane I have flown and tumbles are a thing of beauty but it doesn't like to fly slow without snapping. I had a Tiger Shark 75 on mine and it was perfect for balance and power it is also a pretty tuff plane over all. I traded it for a H9 1/4 scale cap to a friend of mine and he had a riot with it till he was shot down, used to do something he called the pilot puke with it and could never get any other plane to do them, you can do things that would tear a lot of 40 size planes apart it's built stronger than it looks.

Question.
 

Engine installation question for you guys...

The addendum calls for adding 2 degrees of upthrust by inserting a pair of #6 washers between the firewall and the engine mount on the bottom two bolts.

The 2 cycle engine mount is at almost (not exactly) 45 degrees. I could put washers on the lowest bolt, but this would seem to add upthrust and a touch of right thrust since that bolt is not exactly on the central vertical axis.

Has anyone done this on this airplane or similar?

Update
 

Eninge mounting. Instructions call for 125 mm from the firewall to the spinner plate.

Kyosho CAP 232 Arrived.
 

Engine mounted. I choose to do this before attaching the empenage because the fuse is just easier to manipulate without the tail surfaces attached.

The cowl will have to be trimmed a bit on the bottom to accommodate the muffler. Any tips on the best method for trimming?

Kyosho CAP 232 Arrived.
 

A Dremel with a cone shaped stone for trimming the cowl. I left the upthrust out of mine and noticed no ill effects. Ground handling, take-offs and landings were a piece of cake. Make sure your gear has a degree or two of toe-in. Don't forget lateral balance. You're gonna love this plane. And if there's a better trim scheme out there, I haven't seen it. Always draws a crowd. :) Unfortunately mine is deceased cause I flew it till dark and I couldn't see it anymore...twice! :(

The 46FX will be marginal but fun. Take the baffle out of the muffler. Try an 11-5 prop to start.

Kyosho CAP 232 Arrived.
 

Ouch. :( Thanks for the tips!

I think I'm going without the upthrust because I didn't re-locate the centerline and as a result, the prop shaft is too high for the cowl opening with the washers installed. Oh well, live and learn.

What's the method for adding weight to covered wings for lateral balance, cut, peel, stick, recover?

Hoping to get flying by Sunday. :D

Kyosho CAP 232 Arrived.
 

If it's a 1/2 ounce of less I wouldn't bother. But you could use stick-ons on the underside sheeted area. Stick directly to the covering. If it needs serious weight or you want it concealed, the wingtips have some thickness you can violate and recover.

I had a cooling issue which I solved by enlarging the muffler opening and making about a 3/4 to 1 inch oval shaped hole in the cowl directly in front of the engine head.

Don't forget a pilot. That big cockpit looks awful when empty.

Carry on.

Kyosho CAP 232 Arrived.
 

Another option to squeeze a little more RPMs out of the .46 FX is to get a MACS 1 piece muffler. It'll get you about 500 more RPMs and it's lighter, and I think it looks cool as well.

MACS muffler

Kyosho CAP 232 Arrived.
 

How about the noise level. Will it be more noise or not ?

Kyosho CAP 232 Arrived.
 

It is a little more noisy, but not a ton. It still muffles the exhaust pretty well. The big plus of less weight and higher RPM's I think make up for the slight gain in noise.

Kyosho CAP 232 Arrived.
 

I had to add weight to the nose (4 oz.) anyway, but the extra 500 RPM might be usefull!

Given the weight in the nose, I'll almost certainly upgrade the engine. I hate adding dead weight up front.

Kyosho CAP 232 Arrived.
 

Ok, turns out my pilot was a bit porky. Janine received a small teddy bear in aviator garb (leather bomber jacket, scarf, the whole bit) in the mail just as we were finishing the airplane.

He didn't seem that heavy...but yanking the little fur-ball allowed me to remove 2 1/4 ounces from the nose. So he's lost his medical....