Bob Pastorello

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If there's a thread on this specific plane, someone please redirect me. I know this plane has been around for awhile, but it is "new" to me.
If not, I'd like to share here my experiences, questions, insights on this "70" size plane.

But first - I'm looking for a set of the "original" WIRE gear and pants setup. The fiberglaas-springy-weak-bounce gear supplied with mine doesn't suit me.
Anyone have some, or know where I can get some?

cweeks0515

Welcome and yes there is a thread devoted to the BJCraft Monolog series -- 2M and the smaller 70.
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/show...php?t=11080573

I understand they went away from the bent wire gear and are now using a CF gear.
Best

Bob Pastorello

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I'll check that out, thanks. That thread is on the 110, and I have one of those, also, yet unflown. The combined threads I looked at were very difficult to track which plane was which....I bought my 70 from F3A Unlimited about two weeks ago, and it is *NOT* carbon or composite gear. It is an extremely rubbery-flexible fiberglass deal. Would love to have wire or genuine CF gear if rigid....thanks again.

cweeks0515

here is a real good build out of the UK on the ML 70! Note that he made a very interesting "stiffener" for the gear!

http://www.gbrcaa.org/smf/index.php?topic=2894.0

Bob Pastorello

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[QUOTE=cweeks0515;11605405]here is a real good build out of the UK on the ML 70! Note that he made a very interesting "stiffener" for the gear!

Interesting. I rigged crossed steel cable like flying wire from wheel pant to opposite fuse corner. No springs.
Reading that thread jives exactly with what I've seen so far. It is REALLY, REALLY sensitive to rudder, and does NOT like to be flown slowly through the sequence. That's kind of a problem, because I prefer a much slower pace. Hoping that the 110 will permit slower overall pace.

cweeks0515

what was your setup? motor, batt combination?how did the build go overall?

Bob Pastorello

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sent you pm

john agnew

Got a few flights on my Monolog 70 now, flies very well. I have a super cheap motor / ESC setup.Turnigy Sk 4025-500kv / Dlux 70amp ESC cost around £50 or $70US. Giving 1200watts on a 5S 3700Lipo with APC 16x10E prop, no shortage of power, I am using the wire U/C with no problems.

John

cweeks0515

Thanks for the update John and great on your flight tests. I gather you are one of the lucky ones if you have the wire U/C. I got the "floppy" gel
gear and questioning whether I even install it! I may have to learn how to form spring steel!!My setup is going to be 6S 15/8 prop.
-did you encounter the elevator trim issues referenced in the past? was the setup up per BJ's documentation?
-did you install the rudder update "dive brake"?
Just curious!

john agnew

My elevator looks to be at neutral, I only needed a couple of clicks of down to get It flying level, ailerons needed no trim, I didn't install the dive brake. I set it up as per BJ on the throws, I haven't done a great deal of knife edge yet as the weather has been pretty windy. I want to set up the rudder on a calmish day, it is certainly very responsive to rudder, might have to reduce the throws a bit.

John

Bob Pastorello

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Thought I'd share my setup and opinions....I like this plane a lot.
Prop is APC 16x10, motor is OS "50" which is 375kv rated, putting out about 1350W on fresh 6S.
My batteries are 6S4000, I have used a variety of flavors, finding that "cheap" is BAD (duh), and that some less-expensive bands are okay. The "Sky Lipo" label from Hobby Partz has proven very good, holding up well. I've ordered 4 Zippy Compact 6S 4000's which should be here very soon; they are lighter, and have earned good reputation so far.
My ESC is the Turnigy HV 80A, also inexpensive from Hobby King. Rock solid. It's an opto - no BEC, but wouldn't use one on this large a servo-airplane setup.
RX setup is 2S Turnigy LiFe 1700mah, feeding a 10A Turnigy 5v/6v safety-switched regulator. (Guess you're seeing my pattern of trusting the Turnigy stuff - but the higher dollar Turnigy. NOT good luck with low-end, just like many things.
Rudder/Elevator are JR DS831's, wings are the Hobby King 94158 BB MG high-torque coreless; they are doing very well. Very precise, excellent centering and resolution. Like them as much as the 8231's.

The CF landing gear from eBay worked just fine...3 arrivals, last of which was kind of a bouncer/back and forth crosswind semi-crash. Stayed on the fuse.

On setup - Rudder is very sensitive - overly-so. I've cut back total travel to 85% of the spec'd 15mm both ways. That throw reduction is AFTER removing the 20mm shown in the setup photos to solve sensitivity issues. Except that I removed only 15mm, being somewhat skeptical.

Elevator sort of mushy for my taste, so I went up on Up to 15mm, Down is at 18mm. These give me a good spin entry, and nice snap. Ailerons at 15mm each way.

Ailerons just used increased travel to taste, no trim required...seem very effective.

I truly like the airplane; it is very precise, knife edges extremely well, can knife edge loop (I cannot) and holds a solid line, even in bumps.

Bob Pastorello

My Feedback: (198)

here's the link to the gear I bought for the ML 70 off ebay. They shipped pretty fast, I think about 10 days, maybe little less.http://www.ebay.com/itm/151098185636...84.m1439.l2649
The part attaching at the fuse is too wide, of course. So, what I did was cut the "top" such that I left about 30mm of "tab" for each leg, and that left a section of CF that I could glue to span the two legs after installed.
All I did was drill mounting holes in each leg-top where the original mounting holes are located, and used the screws provided from the kit. After those were mounted, tight and flat, I roughened up the outer surface where the spanner-doubler would glue in place, did the same to the doubler. Removed both legs, glued and clamped, then reinstalled.
Drilled holes for the screws/axles, mounted pants and wheels, and done.
Not half bad, and survived three landings of mine already!
Pics attached.

learn2turn

What kind of flight time do you get with the 5S 3700?

I'm going to use the F3aunlimited combo with a Hacker A50-12S and will need to pick out lipos. I'd like to get 7 to 7.5 minutes reliably.

john agnew

Sorry for the delay in replying, I have just got back from vacation. I have been flying for 6 minutes and there is around 30% left in the 3700 battery so I would think 7 minutes is doable depending on throttle management.

John