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Old Christen Eagle II ARF....Need Help!
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Hey guys I need some info on an old Christen Eagle II that I recently picked up for $50 bucks. It has a wing span of approximately 50" and has a wood frame construction with a thin foam sheeting over top that has a preprinted paper/plastic covering. It is set up for gas with large wooden motor mounts that appear to be spaced for at least a .60 sized engine. The guy that built it did a poor job and I had to completely disassemble it to include cutting the bottom wing back in half due to the poor wing alignment. I don't know what the guy used for glue but I was able to easily pop off nearly everything that was glued to the exterior covering. I also popped the tail off with no problem....needless to say it is a good thing no one put a motor on and flew it or the top wing would have popped off and the tail parted company with the Fuz. Other than that it is in like new condition and never flown.
My questions are? Does anyone know who made the ARF? What were the flying weights? Control Throws? Recommended Engine sizes? Does anyone have a manual that I could copy or borrow? It has a tiny factory printed CG mark on both sides of the Fuz towards the bottom so I think the CG will be easy to set up. I plan on converting this plane to Electric (90sized?) with 6S. I'm also going to run a heading hold Gyro on the rudder hooked to the gear switch for takeoffs. That short Fuz looks really ugly (squirrely) for takeoffs and I've always wanted to try a gyro on a tail dragger for takeoffs. ANY HELP IS REALLY APPRECIATED! Skip |
RE: Old Christen Eagle II ARF....Need Help!
This looks like an old Indy R/C kit, I built one years ago. It needs lots of power. I think I started with a OS.61 and wound up putting a 1.08 on it. It flew OK, but was a little heavy. I don't have any data on surface deflections etc, sorry.
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RE: Old Christen Eagle II ARF....Need Help!
Articflyer, I don't want to rain on your new plane, but I would not invest any time or more money in it. Lion put these out right after EZ put out their .40 eagle in the late eighties. I don't think that there was one model that stayed in the air longer that 15 or 20 seconds. They absolutley will not fly controllable in any manner. The incidences and moments are totally screwed up. Do some research on it and you will see what I'm talking about. A very well known scale modeler tried to re-rig the thing once, and even he said that it was useless. Again, I'm not trying to dog your new airframe, I just would hate to see you waste alot of money and then get totally frustrated.
Good Luck! |
RE: Old Christen Eagle II ARF....Need Help!
sj3cub- I appreciate your responce/concern and your advice is well taken....the problem with me is that I love a challenge. You are probably right and a couple of months from now I will probably say "you told me so" but I'm gonna fly this thing even if it ends in a glorious crash and burn. I am a builder and I don't mean ARF's so my mods to this thing will be extensive. I've got all winter and nothing else to do other than my old Pica Duelist E conversion that I am working on. Here are my plans...I'm gonna go electric and go on the cheap with a large HK outrunner and servos left over from other planes. If it is that bad of a design, I could never of a good conscience (now that I know it) sell it to another modeler, so I guess I'm stuck. I'll use old lipos in series and protect the electrics as much as possible. I never keep anything that I don't use sooooo....since I can't sell it I'm gonna fly it or crash it.....and if it ends up in the dumpster......it won't be the first. I've always wanted to experiment with gyros on a plane so I guess this one will be the test bed!
I am just guessing here but the airframe looks like the CG is super critical, very narrow and if not inside the lines will lead to the inevitable crash and burn(your friend already discovered the moment problems). Getting the thing to balance might be nearly impossible!!!! I already saw what you described about incidences when I was taking it apart and yes I agree 1,000% it is a piece of garbage 1st generation ARF. But....for 50 bucks......the challenge is killing me! I wasted that much on a stupid depron foamie awhile back that was high tech modern garbage!!!!! I'll know the second the wheels break ground if it will fly or the first turn will send it to the dumpster. LONG LIVE EXPO!!!! In all seriousness again.....THANKS! |
RE: Old Christen Eagle II ARF....Need Help!
Any more news about the Eagle. I bought one NIB today for $5 at a flea market. If it only flies once, I'll get my money's worth. I have all the hardware in my junk box.
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RE: Old Christen Eagle II ARF....Need Help!
I'd put it together ec an give us your flight report.
I fly alot of bipes an the top wing needs negitive incedent compared to the lower wing. If you build it it will fly |
RE: Old Christen Eagle II ARF....Need Help!
Did this one fly?
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RE: Old Christen Eagle II ARF....Need Help!
ORIGINAL: arcticflyer sj3cub- I appreciate your responce/concern and your advice is well taken....the problem with me is that I love a challenge. You are probably right and a couple of months from now I will probably say ''you told me so'' but I'm gonna fly this thing even if it ends in a glorious crash and burn. I am a builder and I don't mean ARF's so my mods to this thing will be extensive. I've got all winter and nothing else to do other than my old Pica Duelist E conversion that I am working on. Here are my plans...I'm gonna go electric and go on the cheap with a large HK outrunner and servos left over from other planes. If it is that bad of a design, I could never of a good conscience (now that I know it) sell it to another modeler, so I guess I'm stuck. I'll use old lipos in series and protect the electrics as much as possible. I never keep anything that I don't use sooooo....since I can't sell it I'm gonna fly it or crash it.....and if it ends up in the dumpster......it won't be the first. I've always wanted to experiment with gyros on a plane so I guess this one will be the test bed! I am just guessing here but the airframe looks like the CG is super critical, very narrow and if not inside the lines will lead to the inevitable crash and burn(your friend already discovered the moment problems). Getting the thing to balance might be nearly impossible!!!! I already saw what you described about incidences when I was taking it apart and yes I agree 1,000% it is a piece of garbage 1st generation ARF. But....for 50 bucks......the challenge is killing me! I wasted that much on a stupid depron foamie awhile back that was high tech modern garbage!!!!! I'll know the second the wheels break ground if it will fly or the first turn will send it to the dumpster. LONG LIVE EXPO!!!! In all seriousness again.....THANKS! I love this post! Do a video! NorfolkSouthern |
RE: Old Christen Eagle II ARF....Need Help!
Has anyone flown this plane yet? I have the same one, it's been sitting on my shelf for 20 years, and would like to know how it flew, and what did it take to get it to fly.
Pat |
RE: Old Christen Eagle II ARF....Need Help!
I am sure I had the same ARF 15 years ago, was made by EZ
Flew OK on a 91 4 stroke. bit of a handful all around, and fast with poor vertical due to power lack. looked good but not fun by todays standards at all. |
RE: Old Christen Eagle II ARF....Need Help!
I have the EZ eagles, and they fly very nice. But Lion tried to copy EZ, and although they look alike, they don't fly alike. The Lion models are uncontrollable.
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RE: Old Christen Eagle II ARF....Need Help!
Myself I wonder what a DLE 20 would do for it.
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Hello, I know this thread is old. I also got a Lion Model Christen Eagle in my fleet. Did anybody succeeded to make it flying electric? I was thinking about a 620kV engine with 5S 4500mAh and 8.6lbs final weight (1000W propulsion). Is there any chance I may make it fying this way?
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Indy Christian Eagle?
Originally Posted by AeroEternalNewbie
(Post 12595290)
Hello, I know this thread is old. I also got a Lion Model Christen Eagle in my fleet. Did anybody succeeded to make it flying electric? I was thinking about a 620kV engine with 5S 4500mAh and 8.6lbs final weight (1000W propulsion). Is there any chance I may make it fying this way?
Hello, After 26 years, I have finally pulled my INDY Christen Eagle off the shelf and decided to build it. Now, people are talking about Lyon models... Does anybody know about this kit? It it a dud? |
I truly beleive there are no duds, it all depends on how much work you want to put into it. These days with powerful mini servos and light LiFe batteries you can easily save a pound of weight compared to what was available when that airplane was new. I would also suggest you study up on biplane wing incidences ( models not full scale ), I personally have all mine set with the top wing at zero and bottom wing at +1 degree. This makes the bottom wing stall first and improves inverted performance. Also CG is critical on short coupled bipes. Too far forward is almost as bad as too far back, don't fall for the wives tale that forward is better on a CE, it don't like it.
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Thank you For The Reply!
Originally Posted by speedracerntrixie
(Post 12602096)
I truly beleive there are no duds, it all depends on how much work you want to put into it. These days with powerful mini servos and light LiFe batteries you can easily save a pound of weight compared to what was available when that airplane was new. I would also suggest you study up on biplane wing incidences ( models not full scale ), I personally have all mine set with the top wing at zero and bottom wing at +1 degree. This makes the bottom wing stall first and improves inverted performance. Also CG is critical on short coupled bipes. Too far forward is almost as bad as too far back, don't fall for the wives tale that forward is better on a CE, it don't like it.
Thanks for the reply. I started R/C but started flying full scale about the same time. I have a multi-engine as well as IFR/Comm ratings as well. I've actually flown in a pitts for my CFI checkride so I do understand the physics you mention. Because of the COVID-19 virus, I've not been able to go out to my local field and meet friends. I've got a trainer plane that I will fly this summer. I'll ask for help on when I put this together from others. I don't know if I should power it by a never run supertiger 45 or a thrunder tiger 61. Of course, I'll let the experts land it and I'll just enjoy some flying around the pattern. Thanks for the advice. Regards. John |
Some of my worst students were full scale pilots/ want to be's . ENJOY RED
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I think I had the Lyon Models version. (48in) in the early 90's. I powered mine with a YS 1.20. Mine flew a little squirrelly until I reduced the top wing incidence -1 deg compared to the bottom wing. That cured all its bad behavior. I'd buy another immediately if I ever run accross one again
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