Hello i just received my Alpha 60 and was wondering if the 3 blade prop and plastic spinner it came with would be fine to use on an Irvine 72.I have other props and metal spinners for this engine.Thanks.

I wouldn't use the 3 blade. I have 2 friends who used the three blades on their Alpha 40s. They prefered 10x6 (Evo. 40Nt) , and I agree with them, the 3 blade is grose on this plane.

Unless you have stick experience with your Alpha, just use what came with it. It will fly just fine. The 3 blade prop allows you slower landings so you can practice them without undue stress. Sure, later on you can change the prop, and it will fly faster. It will also get a lot more acrobatic on you too when you do. I have 2 of them, one converted to a taildragger with the dihedryl taken out of the wing, and it is a fairly sporty aircraft. I get a lot of mileage out of mine, I hope you will also.

The only real problem is that prop is sized for a .61. It might be a bit small for your .72. Check the specs on the irvine and see if it fits. If they only list two blade props, then just subtract one inch in diameter, and the pitch can stay the same, or go up one in for a three blade prop. For example, if your irvine manual recommends a 13 X 5 prop, then you could run a 12 X 6 three blade with no problem. this is according to MAS. I've found this conversion to be pretty close to true. You just don't want to severly underprop your engine, and over-rev it!

I just purchased the Alpha 60 ARF, haven't flown it yet, it's just about ready. Everything I've read about the included prop, says it's for beginners. It loads the engine to slow the plane. Gives better stability at slow speeds and landings.

I have a slight problem though. I installed the OS .61FX. When I put the (ARF included "Evolution") spinner backing plate, prop and (OS included) washer and the nut, only a little better than half the nut grabs thread. Are Evolution shafts longer than OS?

I've purchase a 2 blade prop "Master Airscrew" and a "Dubro" spinner, combined they seem to be a little thinner than the Evolution blade and spinner. The OS owners manual recommends a 12-6, 12-8 or 13-6 prop. On the Alpha 60, with the OS .61FX, which prop would work best?

Will running the trainer prop (without having a full nut, as long as it's tight) be ok in the beginning? If it helps beginners, I need all the help I can get.......

I would take the washer off and get all the threads I could before I'd put it in the air with only half of the threads grabbing, but that's just me...

BB as 2slow suggested to fly with only half of the prop nut theads engaged is a real bad idea. On the groung the first time you hit the starter slightly flooded the prop and spinner will be flying through the pits. The first time in flight that you get a lean run likewise the prop and spinner will depart the airplane.

Much more functional and actually more attractive are machined spinner nuts. There is no back, plate the spinner nut has a machined washer face so a washer is not needed. The cone shaped one fits most starter inserts far better and you will never have to put up with that ugly black ring from the starter that always occurs with plastic spinners. Also plastic spinners if not properly fitted will break up when a starter is applied, this is a frequent occurance.

This what they look like and your Fx .61 Uses the 5/16 24 thread size.

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXE158&P=ML

Just a word of caution on the Alpha 60. Check it out very carefully with an experienced pilot before flyig it.

I helped a friend get his in the air and got a few flights on it. However, when he came over we spent 4.5 hours getting the plane ready to fly and he thought it was ready. The prop was serverly out of balance, I mean severly. The plane was so nose heavy I would not fly it, we moved the battery from in front of the receiver to behind the servos and then added 2.5oz of lead to the tail. It was still forward of the recommended CG, but flew fine. We are gonna put an APC 12x6 2 blade on it to help with the balance and hopefully get it off the ground faster. It took better than 150' to take off at full throttle.

The included tansmitter had a failure while I was getting it set up. The elevator gimble quit working. Thank god it was not in the air or it may have been lost. I have landed without elevator before, that's why I say may have. We used my tried and true JR662 for the day.

He had also managed to get 1 of the 2 tail bolts cross threaded and not tight enough. I'll admit it was tough to get it lined up. Take your time and get it right.

Also the engine mixture needles have stops to prevent the engine from being adjusted to much, but on his they were preventing the engine from being adjusted well enough actually. We needed to lean the low end more than permitted to get a good transition and the high end needed to be richened beyond the limit as well. We removed those darn stops.

After all was said and done the plane flew very well. It was very docile on low rates, fairly agile on high rates and quite stable in the 10 mph winds we had for his first flights. It's also very easy to see the plane at training altitude, 300'.

I was very suprised by the plane, not exactly what I'd call RTF, but it flew very well and that's what's important.

Thanks John and Chris

I am very particular and cautious. Have put several parts together and taken them apart again, just to check and see if I did it right.

Chris, I am building an AFR (not a RTF) I got a Futaba 7C (not the stock JR radio) I also got an OS Max .61 FX engine, (not the stock Evolution engine) I wanted the best equipment. That's funny though, Evolution states their .61 engine for the Alpha 60 is factory run (break in) and adjusted so as not to cause new pilots an problems.

Well, I took my soon to be instructors advise and bought Futaba and OS to go with my Alpha 60, I'm glade I did.

I still have several things to complete before the maiden flight. Two of which were mentioned by Chris CG and prop balance (I had them on my to do list before my first post) but thanks for your imput.

Right now, only two things need work; linkage/servo adjustments, I've got a little buzzing in the throttle and the rudder/nose gear servo's.

I have set the plane up for medium response to begin with, center holes on rudder,elevator and aileron servo arms and control horns. The nose gear linkage, I left with the most travel. Not sure where the throttle linkage will end up, where ever it's not buzzing and gives me full range of throttle control, right now that seems to like less travel, but I don't like the bend it puts in the linkage.

Oh well, thanks for all the help, before and now.

bbell

bbell

Sounds as though your on a good track and you selected some fine equipment. Chris was quite right when he talked of factory settings being off. You see that line that the engine is factory set is just sales hype. Yes they can put restricters on the needles to get somewhere in range but the problem is its a physical impossibility for some factory on the pacific rim somewhere to preset your needles for your altitude, Temperature and humidity thousands of miles away for the very day you will first run that engine, can,t be done. There is simply no substitute for an experianced mentor not just in flying but operating your engine and all facits of this hobby.

Its a fact that 95% of the new folks show up with there shinny new trainer invaribly have far too much control surface throws set. While setting the mechanical linkage up you may want to keep that in mind. Even though you have a computer radio and it can be toned down electronically if this is done to excess it can present other problems one of which is poor servo resolution and neutral centering. Best to start with the basics (mechanical linkage) and things will go smoother on that first outing with less preflight tinkering (lost time).

Setting maximum travel on your nose wheel is indeed a mistake and one of the most common, even for some more experianced pilots.
Set like that will always result in the first takeoff roll meandering wildly back and forth accross the runway. Best if you set the nosewheel for minimum travel and the differance will be amazing, Even if it means that you cannot do a sharp 180 on the runway.



Enjoy

John

John,

The reason I set the nose gear to the most travel is, It (the tire) doesn't appear to move more than 20 degrees in either direction. Is that to excessive?

bbell

My preferance would be a little less, yes.

John

Well........ IT FLIES, IT FLIES, IT FLIES. What a great sight to watch my instructor pull back on the stick, and see it climb. And nothing fell off...... Then, I got to fly it! The instructor only had to take control a few times. It was great....ya-who......

bbell

Ye-Haw

Thats great, i'm up here in Canada so i'll have to wait a few more months.[]Good tip on the nose gear.

Congrats bbellfish, it's a great feeling isn't it. There's nothing quite like the feeling of watching you're aircraft lift off the ground and then actually controlling it's flight.

You did get some good stuff fro you're plane. I will say the Evolution engine runs well, but as said it can't be preset at the factory erfectly at least. Close maybe, but not perfect.