By the way, I just realize something...forgot to ask

-Why do you put the tape or glue the wings together?...if I do that I can't fit the wing in my car in one piece!![X(]
-Can they stay in halves so I can take them apart?
-Has anybody had any experience converting the Alpha to electric?

Glad you got it running! I think you'll be very pleased.


You tape or glue the wing halves together so that they don't come apart while flying. This wing is designed to be permanently assembled, not to be taken apart after each flying session. If you can't get the wing in your car in one piece, it probably wasn't the best choice of plane. Will it not fit at all? I had a 90" span Cub where I would run the wing long-wise, with one end on the dashboard and one end on the rear deck lid.

Worst case scenario, if you absolutely had to take it apart, build it with the bolt on option. At least theoretically, with both halves bolted in to the fuselage, it shouldn't come apart. If it is rubberbanded in, the halves could easily work their way apart in flight.

I agree that the plane isn't meant to have a wing that comes apart. If you want to go that way, then I'd probably try putting in some kind of bolt system to do it. Either a pair of bolts threaded through the wing tube, or putting hard points in the wing and using a strap or two between the wing halves (on the underside, where you can't see it). I'm not confident that the wing bolts alone would be enough. If the wing tube has a nice, tight fit, it might work though, at least at first. I don't know what the wing tube socket in the wings is made from. If it's just holes in a couple of the ribs with some plywood connection to the spar rather than a full tube arrangement, then I'd be worried that the fit might wear and losen up over time and allow the wings to move a bit. Then again, it might work fine. It is a trainer, after all, and a little movement probably won't kill you, and I have confidence that the wing won't fold up on you.

About the noise, yeah, the Alpha 40 and 60 are both really quiet planes. Part of it is the prop, and part of it is the muffler. You can get more performance from the plane and more power from the engine if you use a conventional 2-bladed prop. The APC brand props are fairly quiet and produce good power, but will be louder than the stock 3-blade prop. Removing the baffle from the muffer results in a bunch of extra power, but a lot more noise. On my Evolution .45, I use a 10x5 APC prop and I have the baffle out. It's a powerful combiation and really pulls the LT-40 I have it in, but it makes a racket compared to the stock alphas.

It sounds like you took the engine off the airframe to put the prop on? that's not necessary, but you do need to use a real wrench and torque down the prop nut as much as you can. Don't use those small cross wrenches, they just don't give you enough leverage.

I would agree with everything Kirk says on the wing issue. If you REALLY want to make it in two pieces, one way would be to strip some covering off the bottom of both wing halves right at the joint in two places, one near the front and one nearer the back. Then cut rectangular holes in the sheathing right next to the root ribs. Epoxy hardwood blocks to the root ribs on each side, leaving them flush with the sheeting. Then make a couple of metal plates with two holes. Screw the plates into the hardwood blocks on each side of the joint.

This is merely an idea. I've never actually done it, I was just thinking it might work.

HI GUYS, IM ALEX, FROM MEXICO CITY............ IM BEGINER IN THIS HOBBY, WANT TO ASK WHICH TRAINER PLANE ITS THE BEST FOR ME..... I WANT BUY ONE RTF I WAS THINKING THAT MAY BE THE HOBBICO NEX STAR OR THE ALPHA 40 ARE GOOD IDEAS...... PLEASE TELL ME WHICH ONE ITS BETTER THX (GRACIAS)

Alex-

The Alpha 40 and Nexstar are both good planes. I used to be a big fan of the Nexstar, but having now flown the Alpha 60, I would recommend Alphas. They are less expensive and they are easier to repair if you have a mishap. Just my opinion.

I just bought an Alpha 60 (you can read a bit more above on this thread) and other then a little problem with the propeler bolt that was more my wrongdoing then the plane's I can tell you that it looks real nice. I have not been able to fly it thou, because the weather has been just lousy[], raining every day, so I can't tell you yet a complete opinion from a total newbi. But I went with it because I have read only good comments all over the forums about the Alphas.

By the way, in my opinion for the difference in price and if you don´t have a problem moving around a 1.82 mts. wingspan, go with the Alpha 60. At least on the simulator the bigger plane is so much easier to see in the distance.

It’s easy to bolt wing on the Alpha 60 as it comes with all the parts necessary. One work of caution - make sure the nylon wing hold down screws tighten up in the blind nuts. I opted for the bolt-on wing since I won't allow very many other pilots to land my plane so I'm not worried about it dinging a wing tip. I've found one of the blind nuts has mal-formed threads and I can't get the screw tightened properly on that side. I've swapped screws side to side, and tried another set of 1/4-20 bolts with the same result. I'm just going to knock out the blind nut and add another one. If that gives me problems then I’ll dowel it, re-drill and tap it.

I have both the NextStar and Alpha and after flying the Alpha a few times I think's both are very good trainers. I'll give the Alpha the edge in crosswind capability - it'll handle a 15 mph crosswind where the NextStar is taxed in 10 mph, but I'll give the deadstick glide to the NextStar. That think can really stay up deadstick, especially if using dual aileron servos on full span flapperons dropped 1/8". If you factor in the flight sim, the NextStar flight sim is much better.

Price wise both the NextStar RTF and the Alpha 60 RTF cost roughly the same, are close to the same size, but you’re also looking at a .46 vs. a .61 engine for what its worth. I think for the money, I'd lean toward the Alpha 60 unless you plan on spending a lot of time in the flight sim this winter. For $100 less there is the Alpha 40 which is as good as the Alpha 60, just smaller.

Hogflyer

I just finished setting up the engine on my Alpha .60 according to the manual. Everything seem to work just as described there (the whole pinching the hose routine) and transition from low to high rpms seems smooth and without hesitation.

My question is that the RPMs reading I get are:

Max Power motor and everything seems to work fine

Sorry...hit the wrong key on my previous post...here is the rest.

Max Power 9,000 rpm
Idle 2,500 rpm

Are these figures ok for a Stock Alpha .60?

Well, don't keep us in suspense too long - what is the tach reading?

Hogflyer

Looks like you posted as I did.

I get 9500 rpm top end and 2250 idle from mine with the stock 3-blade prop and fly-wheel. I'm changing mine to a 2-blade 12 X 6 Top Flight wood prop and hope to see it over 13,000. I've heard Evolutions are not fast runners but will swing some lumber. I'll try a 13 X 5 wood on it after flying it with the 12 X 6 for a while just to see what difference it makes on the aircraft performance.

One word of caution to the newbies out there - don't fly a wood prop until you get your landings down, or let me know when you do so I by a lot of stock in the company that makes the props you'll use while learning landings.

Hogflyer

Just by changing props will increase the RPMs from 9,000 to 13,000??!!...wow!...please let us know if that is the case. Now, once you achieve that, what happens with the plane...it will fly faster I suppose, will it climb faster as well?...will it consume more fuel?...what about vibrations? and engine wear?...can the EVO take that much speed?...today I noticed that at full speed this thing vibrates like a paint shaker...man does it vibrate??!!!

Why would you want to increase RPMs to that extent?

Thanks in advance for the lesson.

THX SO MUCH GUYS....ILL POST SOME PICS WHEN I BUY MY PLANE.............

BEST REGARDS FROM MEXICO CITY

The stock prop is meant to have a highly oblique pitch while presenting a large blunt disk to the airflow.

It is purposely designed to make the plane very "docile" for the novice.

Switching to a two blade prop as he is contemplating transforms the plane, increasing RPM and effective power transfer, making the plane much quicker and more responsive.

It's worth doing this once you are through basic training.

Yep, what Opjose said.

to expand a little, all engines will get some kind of RPM change when you change the pitch or diameter or even brand of prop. Engines are non-linear, and the aerodynamics of props are fairly complicated (though you can simplify to "rules of thumb"). So different engines will react differently to prop changes and just changing a prop can really change the performance of an engine and airframe.

Fwiw, there's a guy in my club with 2 Alpha 60's, both put together from the ARF. One has a K&B Sportster .61 and the other has a Super Tiger .90 in it. He used the Alpha's 3-bladed prop on both engines, and they pretty much acted like the Evolution .61's act in the air. (well, except that the ST .90 could over-rev and had much more power).

This is very interesting to know and I thank you all for explanations.

So once I feel more confident flying my Alpha, by just changing propeller I could have better performance, or at least more speed.

Can you please post what is the "cruise" speed of the Alpha 60 stock but:

- With the stock 3 blade prop.
- With a 2 blade prop (please give size and brand)

Thanks,

David

The airspeed is going to vary a lot with things like fuel, weather, and where you fly. The cruise speed doesn't really have to change, the plane will float along in a slow, stable cruise with either prop.

At full power, a stock Alpha 60 will usually go around 45-55, I'd guess. Depending on prop, you could probably push that to the upper 60s, but I haven't tried playing with props for max speed, it is a trainer after all, and trainers often fly better and are more fun with a larger diameter, lower pitch prop for better climb and acrobatic performance while keeping the max airspeed down. Espeically because most trainers don't have control linkages that are really set up well for high speed flight. (I've not looked at an Alpha 60 from the perspective of making it go fast. Again, no real point).

As for a prop to start playing with, a 12x6 APC seems to be a pretty good place to start, but you'll want to experiment.

I think I should expand a bit on what I'm doing with the prop change. Since I haven't seen much data on the Evolution .61 engine and how it performs with various props, I’ve decided to experiment with different brands, sizes (pitch & diameter) and materials of props with and with-out the flywheel. I'm not after speed as I have several planes that are capable of flying over 100 mph and the Alpha 60 would probably come apart at the seams flying at that speed.

I want to find out which prop will offer the best overall performance - speed, climb, basic aerobatics, and general overall flying and training characteristic. Changing from the 3-blade 13 X 4 prop to a 2-blade 12 X 6 should allow me to fly at a lower RPM for the same speed and hopefully reduce the sound level a bit. It should provide a better glide with the big air-brake off the nose - I've flown an Alpha 40 with a 2-blade and it will by far out-glide my Alpha 60 with the 3-blade. My initial trials will be with 12 X 6 Top Flight wood, Evolution 2-blade and APC (I'll have to modify the spinner for the APC to fit). From there I'll move around in pitch, diameter and material type just taking my time evaluating how the plane responds. I’ll be using a tach to record the RPM on the ground (top end and idle), then flight test each prop at least 2 or 3 times using the same flying routine. I’ll repeat this process using the flywheel hub that comes with the plane and a plain hub with-out the flywheel. The only variable should be the weather and this unfortunately can’t be controlled.

This is where RC can be fun - playing around with different combos to see what response or characteristics are evoked from the plane – and what I find I like may not be what the next guy out there likes, but that’s what makes this hobby so great! And this is another example why you want to keep a trainer flying after you’ve moved on to bigger, better, faster planes.

Hogflyer

sounds like quite a plan there .

Btw, one thing to try, get a bigger plastic spinner. If you use a spinner that reaches to the sides of the fuse (like 3"), you'll find you pick up airspeed and get a longer, flatter glide. Even when the prop is turning, the spinner can really smooth out the airflow around the front of the plane and reduce drag. It won't show up in RPM checks, but it shows up in the air, espeically with larger pitch props.

An Alpha 40 with an APC 10x7 and a 3" spinner can be quite fast, for example.

I have a 2-3/4" spinner for it that comes close to the cheeks. It should do OK, and I don't think there will be much drag around the inside of the cheeks. Not if the 20 - 30 mph wind would subside for a couple of days I'll get it airborne and do some testing.

Hogflyer

Finally whether cleared up today, actually it was quite a beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky, yet a nice 70°F with a mild breeze.

I tried for the first time my Alpha .60 trainer, and can resume the performance with one word: excellent!.

Having flown a TwinStar II a handful of times and many hours on the flight simulator I was kind of anxious to say the least on the mainden flight. But what a docile trainer it turned out to be!...it does exactly what you want, is not affected at all by moderate wind, other then being a little slower on the upwind leg. It takes off in 40 to 50' and lands in even less. At 115 oz. with a full tank it can cruise at half throttle or a bit less for 20 to 25' and as soon as you increase throttle you can see how easily it begins to claim. Rudder and Aileron authority is ample and crisp, and confortably turns as soon as you push the sticks, and stays on the turn with a tendency to right itself if you leave the sticks.

In summary a very stable, very predictable platform. It was so forgiving that I was able to land it right on the 3 wheels on my very first try. Succesive take off and landings where just as unventfull, and had to quit flying because the vertical stabilizer got a bit loose and since it is glued I am going to have to add a reinforcement to get it to stick again.

Can't say enough about how easyt this plane is for a total newbi as myself. Can't wait to go flying again!

imora-

Congrats! I told you they fly nice. As you start to get more comfortable and try aerobatics, one piece of advice. At the recommended control throws, it is difficult to do a roll with ailerons only. Add some rudder input as well and it does a nice barrel roll. Also, despite what others may tell you, the Alpha will fly inverted.

Regarding the vertical stabilizer, is yours not also bolted on? Mine is, although I my add some epoxy as well.

I had the vertical stabilizer come loose on my Alpha 40 as well. I epoxied it on with tri-stock supports on each side. I also epoxied the horizontal stabilizer to the top of the fuse. Shortly after that, my stabilizers came loose again, during flight. I was able to land it, and found that the top part of the fuse, where the stab was epoxied, came loose from the sides of the fuse. I ended up adding tri-stock below the horizontal stab to reinforce the connection to the fuse, and it has been solid as a rock ever since.

Congrats on flying your "60". It is a great plane to train on.

Thanks for the advice guys. I guess I will pay extra attention and reinforce properly all around the tail parts to be safe.

Not confident on my flying skills I had ordered an ARF version of the Alpha 60, you know for spares...() after all sooner or later I know I will crash by beloved new plane.

Anyways the point is that I also ordered the electric conversion that Hobby-Lobby recommends ( http://www.hobby-lobby.com/g2e-h9alpha60.htm ).

I can't wait to compare how both planes will behave to each other. One thing I know...the electric one will be less messy...man those glow engines do they spill oil all over or what??!! [>:]...messes up my new Alpha!