Guys,

here is a couple of pictures of my Curare.

Just the radio install to finish!!

The center of gravity is coming out on target and I am so happy to find that I can easily fit a 13 or 14 inch prop

So nice when a plan comes together - just need to finish off and get that scary maiden over

Kevin,

Your Curare looks awesome.

Leo

Thanks!

That canopy looks sweet doesnt it?

Thanks again for your kindness Leo.

Kevin

Kevin,

You did a great job with the canopy. Did you have any issues with it along the way? My plan is to make more in the future. I may be changing jobs. If this change happens I will not be traveling and will be able to devote more time to tinkering.

Leo

Well I finally finished this project and will be giving it its maden flight this afternoon. Finally got nice weather here in mid Okieland. Windss below 30 mph and temps in low 90s. It finished out at 7.5 lbs and had to add 1 oz to tail inspite of servos mounted back there for balance. Of course battery pack mounted just behing fuel tank, which added to nose weight. I used duel individual servos on elevatorts as well as alerons. I original attempted to mount the engine up right but fuese to narrow so cut the nose off and rebuilt to give it a side mount. If we survive the maden flight will get grand daughter to photo and attempt to post some photos. It is basically red, white and blue but the paint job is poor. Never again. Thought could paint better then monokote but not so.

I use the word seldom but I'll say it here - awesome!

I look forward to hearing maiden reports along with pictures of the two latest Curare's to join the fold!

Happy landings.

David.

I did it. Take off was fairly easy and smooth. Weighing 7.5 lbs and slightly nose heavy she climbed out with only small adjustments. On first take off could not get air in tanks so could not retract gear however before second flight removed wing and examined air lines to find one partically plugged. Re-arranged wireing, filled tank to 90PSI air and Springair gears worked great. No problem on second flight, smoth as slik with all maneuvers easy and smoth. However, on third flight pressure line from fuel tank came loose and the new 61 OS konked causing an attempt at a dead stick. Fortunately was just off field but the low altitudes glide back to run way was a streatch. Barely made it but touch down was a little bumpy and right gear gave out. Unfortunately on further examination had stress liner cracks on both top and bottom of left and right wing. Should repair fairly easy with epoxy and re-fix gear. This was my first expierence with an old type patterns and it was a blast. Can't wait to get it back in air. Just have to wait a little longer for pictures.

Congratulations on the maiden!! Sorry to hear about the minor damage - but it sounds likemyou will be able to fix it easily.

I will look forward to seeing photos.

My last 10% is taking ages! I am having a few issues mounting the ESC and battery. Really It would work much better if the ESC power leads were about 6 inches longer - but extending them means adding extra capacitors etc. and I dont really want to take that risk.

Also - I bought a Scorpion 120A ESC thinking that a) it would match the Scorpion motor and b) would be able to loaf along supplying 60-70amps without getting warm. But on line I read that some folks have had the capacitors burst into flames!! So I am vaguely considering buying another make.

Then... to top it all when I hooked up the flaps one channel was reversed, bound and stripped the servo gears - so I had to remove and replace the servo.

Getting close though - and having flown helicopters for a couple of years I know that things should not fly until they are RIGHT.

Kevin: Sorry about electrics. Some folks really go for electrics but I like the sound and smell of alcohol and nitro. However, at $17 per gal, which don't last to long, I thinking about going to bigger and gasoline. $2.45 per gal sounds lot better. Damage was more extensive then original thought. Spent most of day cuttting out cover panels, shoring up ribs, gluing sheeting from bottom and will fill with epoxy and baby power/microbaloons. Never tried it but I'm told it sands easy. Repaint and hopefully will be able to go again this weekend. What I'm told about electrics though is keep battery, motor and speed controler cool with plenty of air flow. With as little room as the Curare has, that may be a problem. However, your photos looke great so keep me posted.

I agree about the cooling, but I have a large hole around the nose ring (I will not use a spinner - just a nice DuBro prop nut and a large (2 inch) hole under the cowling.

The ESC is mounted in the nose retract bay so it should see a howling gale going by.

The battery is above the retract bay and I have made a bunch of holes to let air through. If it gets too hot I will just have to ad some scoops to drive air in and around it.

Ed Lyerly's (now lost) electric Curare seemed to do OK with a similar setup, so I am keeping my fingers crossed. I like the howl of my Webra 61 coming on the pipe too - but it is SO nice not to have to worry about getting a bad motor run - or wondering if the darn thing will open up again after you close the throttle for a spin!

Glow fuel is getting expensive. The batteries for the curare are not cheap (around $90 a piece), but if they last a hundred flights (which they probably will) thats only 90 cents a flight - not too bad really its just that you have to pay it all up front! I do have some batteries that have lasted nearly 200 flights - so it can work out financially.

Glad to hear that she flew so well. Curares are great arent they!

Kevin

Excellent news and congratulations on successful maidens!

Kevin, I hadn't caught wind that Ed's Curare passed away - that is truly sad news. I know he put a lot of work into it. I'm going to have to check out his thread to see what happened.

I look forward to hearing further good news on your maiden. In the meantime, I have to put the finishing touches in my mini Tipo and get her on the wing too. Hopefully this weekend or next; just waiting for the lipos.

David.

Since the original trim flight and dead stick landing cracking the wings pretty bad I finally got it all back together, weather cooled down and winds dropped off to about 10-15MPH so made a second attempt. Added a longer pressure line as well as wired it to the tank. It was a little nose heavy so added another ounce to tail and shortened mains to allow for a lower nose. Taxed out, powered up nose lifted off then the whole bird. Gear up and began manuevers. What a great bird. Only problem she doesn't knif edge on the left but does well on right. Snaps are a little slow, not really "snap" just fast roll. Probably need more rudder or less right thrust. Pattern trimming is not one of my specialties. I'm just thankful the sky is so big because I use it all. Made three flights without a hitch. New 6l OS pulles it through all the patterns real well, even the stall turn to about 2K AGL. Giving thought to building a second to correct errors in #1. Kevin how are you coming with a finish?

I am all done as of yesterday. All programmed, balanced and tested.

First nice day that I can find some spare time I will fly her. SOON!!

Congrats on your flights. I'd love to see her (photo) some time

Keep us posted!

She flies!!! Oh HOW she flies!!!


I am pleased to report a totally successfull maiden outing for my electric Curare.

Thanks to Ed Lyerly's pioneering work everything went perfectly. Performance is astounding using my "low powered" prop (a 13 * 8) I cant imagine what it would be like with the 13 * 10!! (The 13 * 8 pulls an SPA legal 1400W, the 13 * 10 about 350W more)

Speed in the air was very noticeable - especially with the gear up.

Landing was a little hot - but noticeably tamed by the flaps.

Cooling was not an issue. The motor seemed not to have warmed above ambient and the battery was barely warm.

One of my clubs members took some video which I will edit and upload.


Kevin

Excellent news and congrats Kevin!

Hard to believe it... 13x8/10 props on a classic. I actually picked one up for a 1600W motor I recently bought - my first industrial sized rotator! I'm not sure why but I find big outrunners (actually these are just medium) almost intimidating compared to say a 50cc or even a 200c gasser. Something about the unassuming nature of them until they are propped and electrified. Then they show their real capability!

I hope you enjoy many hours flying your Curare.

Cheers, David.

Kevin:
Glad to hear your completion and wonderful flight. Nothing like a Curare is there? Everything is so effortlessc, smooth amd just a pleasure to fly. I was really nurvious since I had never flown a true pattern, but mine just responded so well it is really hard to discribe. Youll have many great hours of flying.

Guys,

here is the link to the video of my Curare. (Better in HQ). Unedited!!! (as you will see by the final "arrival" into the tall clover surrounding our runway!!! No damage though

She sure seemed fast to me. Probably because I have only flown heli's in the last 6 months


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4K4AgFja14

Whoa! Outstanding performance Kevin!

That Curare sure moves out. What can do you have out front again? Did you say she's pulling 1400W on a 13x8? What's the AUW of the plane?

I was thinking of putting 1600W on a 9 lb/6' span plane on a 13x8 or 14x7. I hope she preforms just as nicely.

David.

Kevin:
Great video! Nothing flys like a curare. If I recall you added the flaps to yours however I did not put flaps in mine. Figured didn't need them. How wrong I was. Have to start final mile out, cut power and then hope the glide will slow down enoough for touch down. Not really a mile but she sure wonts to stay air born. I too fly on grass and with 2" wheels, don't travel well through the thick bremuda well. Glad no injury on touch down.

Have you guys tried to see if flaperons might help? If you have two servos per wing, it's pretty straight forward. Switching to half flaps might produce enough to slow the bullet down.

The power system is a Scorpion 4025/16 , a Scorpion 120Amp ESC and a zippy Rhino 6S1P 3700 lipo.

A Six minutes flight used 2000 MA so it looks like I am good for 8 or 9 minutes

I have just dialed in more flap and was thinking of mixing in flaperon "droop" as well. I will try it next time. I do also couple the flaps to elevator in the "in flight" flight mode - she definitely responds!!

Part of the reason for the hot approach is me. I have not explored the slow end of the envelope yet and I did not want to stall her on approach, maybe holding a little power and some up trim would slow her down.

Funny thing is that she IS slowed down already - when I drop the gear and flaps (I have them coupled to a 3rd flight mode - the flaps come down over a 2 second period - about the same as the gear and a little down elevator is added) - you can see her really almost stop by comparison - but really she is still moving.

I think that flat out she must be near 100MPH - I believe one of our club members has a radar gun - i'll get him to check it

Quite a machine by any measure - and definitely a successful "electrocution" as Ed Lyerly calls it

Oh - missed the weight question/answer

She is just nudging 7.5 pounds

I've never used flapprons. I'm not smart enough to figure them out. Mine weighs in right at 7.5 with the OS 61, no pipe and Springair retracts, 7 servos on the 2.4 Futaba. To land cut power completely on down wind leg at about 100 ft. AGL. Extend down wind twice as long as normal, turn base then final, holding slight up. She does not decend much. We have a 4 ft. fence to clear at each end of our 700 ft. grass field located in the middle of a farmers field planted with anything from corn to cotton, so there is really plenty of room for about a 50 ft roll out. Don't know but others estimate flight speed at full power on the OS at 100 plus. All I really know she is like a bullet but very gentle and responds immediately. On inverted just hold slight down for level but on split S after roll over she will continue to climb with out any input of controls. On pass by, she holds level all by herself. Rolls require little to no control imput. Of course with Oklahoma cross winds need to hold enough rudder. In my opinion, a real great bird.

Further flights have provided more information with regard to the landing speed.

I moved the center of gravity back about 3/8 of an inch which made a huge difference - she rolls better (without hardly any elevator correction) - and flares better in the landing.

I added a few more degrees of flap and she definitely slowed down more. I tried adding down flapperon and she floated a bit more still. I tried Up flapperon and down flaps (I think the glider guys call this Crow mixing - my 9303 calls it "butterfly") - this steepens the angle of the approach a LOT - speed stays about the same - but it does avoid the long trip down the runway trying to get her slowed down. I wonder if being an electric she is cleaner drag-wise at the front without a great big engine cylinder and tuned pipe dragging in the breeze.

Next time I am going to try adding brake to the ESC - as I noticed that the prop is buzzing around still - even throttled fully back.

Overall her flying is great though - loops and rolls are just brilliant. For some reason my stall turns are a bit hit and miss - maybe I need more rudder throw? I have to work on that one.