RCU Forums - Opium

RCU Forums (https://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/)

- Electric Pattern Aircraft (https://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/electric-pattern-aircraft-385/)

- - Opium (https://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/electric-pattern-aircraft-385/10585918-opium.html)

Was gonna do a build thread, but it's so time consuming while working in a hurry to finish a plane. So I'll get to the details at some point. I did vary in construction on a few things. I put in rear gator wing adjusters instead of the supplied setup. I also put in a stab adjuster which has one screw through the bottom of the fuse. I'll get pic's up for that at some point.

I just recently had to come up with a plane to fly so I had to get this done as quick as I could. I am quite slow in the paint department. I was limited to the PPG colors on hand.. Looks kinda like my Emotion eh? hehe

I just have to install the stuff in it, and she's good to go. I was hoping to fly it today, but I guess the Mythbusters are filming at my field again so I won't be test flying it till Friday before the contest. I will have a full report in the weeks to come. It's a really awesome looking plane IMO and I am really looking forward to flying it!

Equipment:

Pletty inrunner with F3A Unlimited mount
Castle Ice 80
Airtronics 761's elevators, 758 rudder (will switch out with a 775 soon I think), 774's ailerons
Power Unlimited 25C batteries
2 cell TP 730
Oddino 6v Regulator

Everything on the scale with the plane as it sits including a very heavy spinner that doesn't fit (I gotta get a spinner still) was 4911grams. If I can make weight easily building a plane, I would think most people could.

Thanks to Chris Moon for making this plane available in the US or I probably wouldn't have got one!

Looks great Chris. Looking forward to your flight report.

Thanks Steve!

I am looking forward to the flight report also! haha

I'll get some more detailed pics of the interior once I get it done. Too hot to do much in the garage right now. Once it cools a little in the evening, I'll get out there.

C

Nice work! The looks of this plane is really growing on me....I like it!

Chris - Looks great! Can't wait to see it this weekend.

Thanks Jon,

I probably won't fly the contest. I feel like I am rushing it to try to fly it at the contest this weekend and I shouldn't do that as I really need/want this plane to be around for a while.. But I will see if I can finish it today/tonight. Running the pull pull now. Found the tail ring former is in the way. So trying to figure my best option.

You coming out on Friday? Where are you staying? I think Meierhoff is not coming so I have the extra room.

Chris

Definitely do not rush it! It's way more important to get it all "right" and have it trimmed and ready for the Nats!

I already have a hotel room reserved but thank you for the offer. We need to boot Greg M. and make him come up and party with us!

This is how I did the adjustable stab. It obviously adjusts from 1 screw, from the bottom.

Pics of the tail setup and how I put the gator phenolics in the existing wing phenolic holes. I just filled it with a dowel, and drilled the new holes for the phenolics.

Some pics of the inside.

More pics of the inside. Obviously I need to clean the inside still. hehe

pics didn't post. I'll try again.

1 more to thank Chris Moon for bringing this kit into the US! And also to Delro for making such a great quality kit! Easy to build!

I still have a lot to do to it tonight and it's 10:20 pm.. Hope for the maiden tomorrow. Shoot, I'd better charge my packs! Gonna be up late. haha

Chris

Chiris, once again I must tell you, you do beautiful work and can tell this is a 1st class kit. IMHO, this is yet another example of "you get what you pay for". Yes, Chris Moon should be recognized and thanked. Congratulations, Everette

I agree Everette. The Delro planes are as good as I've ever seen. The quality is impressive. Good luck with this new badboy Chris

Hi
Having long since drooled over this aeroplane I am curious why you went for the Gator tailplane adjusters. Is the plane not supplied with adjusters, were they, in your opinion not up to the job or was it simply personnel preference?

Mike

It does come with an adjuster carbon rod. But it's a bit heavier than 2 gator adjusters so I chose this route. I wanted to do everything I could because I just can't paint as light as some of the people out there. Still, coming out with the weight I did, I am seriously improving.

The normal adjusters are well up to the job. No reason to change from them. I just wanted to make this plane as light as I could is all. I would like to see them go to a allen wrench type of screw though instead of a phillips head screw. If I was to put their adjuster in, I would probably install it upside down and make 2 holes in the bottom of the fuse sides to adjust it. And also make the screws allen screws.

That's a very good question though Mike. Hope this answered it.

Chris

Hi Chris
Thanks, you answered my question.

Mike

4 quick flights on it yesterday in 20mph wind. Gotta test fly it sometime right? haha

The honest truth for the test flight. It flew like it's on rails, no mix needed. I turned the radio off, and it flew the whole masters sequence while I drank a cold one. :) Now seriously, I set the cg and the recommended spot, I took off, and I have really desensitized trims. It took 2 clicks of down ele and 2 clicks of right rudder. I came to the realization that it needs a touch more right thrust to get rid of the rudder trim. With 2 clicks of down ele, the elevators are still centered on the stabs. Not sure what was with that. Maybe I had them up a hair? Dunno. I know they didn't move much with 2 clicks.
Anyway, I pulled many knife edge passes because I wanted to be sure if it had any bad tendencies where I had it set up. It "honestly" took no elevator in either rudder. It needed 2 percent opposite aileron to right rudder and 3 percent in left rudder. Now it was pretty windy and I am not sure they are 100% right yet. But it was really close to being correct. As for uplines/downlines. Hard to tell as it was so windy. I will say that it rolled really really nice in all axis. Took much less rudder than I am used to to do horizontal rolling stuff. I did try a few snaps. Stopped instantly. Only did a few single snaps on a horizontal, not on a 45 so the verdict isn't complete yet.

The Pletty has a lot of power. It will require a much different throttle curve than I am currently using though. Needs a lot more down low. Plenty up high, will have to take that down a few notches and perhaps limit full throttle and only use it in the wind.

So no blowing smoke, I did like it! It looks really good in the air. And it is the best maiden day I have had to date. I am shocked at how straight it flew right off the deck. For some reason, my incidence meter lets me down from time to time (or maybe I'm a bit cross eyed when I do it ;)) and I end up having to change a wing to get rid of a small roll or something. Not this time! I'm very happy. I did take an extra few days when setting it up to get things right. Glad it worked. Looking forward to flying it when it's a bit calmer!

I'll continue to update here as I find out more, and will hopefully eventually get a video for ya once I get more used to the plane.

Chris

Chris sounds like a normal senerio. I hate and I mean hate working out the bugs on a new plane. My Spark is finally getting good but gezzzzz does it have to be so hard? Good luck with it. Pics at the fiels would be really nice. Thanks, Mike