Hi guys,

Well finally got the "Phoenix" done and flying. YIPPEEE!!

It came out at exactly 9.5 lbs with the Kioritz 23.6cc stroker motor. I'm running a 16 x 8 APC prop, the wing loading came out at just under 22 oz/square foot, and it balanced with no added weight. It flies really great!! Rolls are perfectly axial, it has tons of power, and floats on landing. I couldn't be happier!

Now the scary part. On the first landing, I was a little hot and high. I thought about going around, but I had lots of runway so I went ahead and brought her in. After landing it was getting a good ways away, so I did a low speed ground loop to get her turned around. When I went to give her power to taxi back, nothing happened. I thought perhaps the throttle linkage had come undone, but when I tried the other controls, they didn't work either! Long story short, the extension I had made up for the battery pack out of some connectors I had lying around had a bad connection at the connector. If I would have gone around on the approach, I would have lost the airplane. That's the second time I have run across a bad connector. I have now thrown away all my older connectors I had in my parts bin, and bought new ones!!! Something for everyone to watch out for. BTW, the connectors looked perfect with no signs of corrosion, but you could touch the connector and it would make contact, touch it again and it would lose contact. Very spooky. I had even had them tie-wrapped together for security, but it didn't help.

Hope this helps someone save an airplane.

Take care,
AV8TOR

AV8TOR,,, Congrat's on the Pheonix, glad to hear of your great success and good connector luck ! Ran into the same connector problem with some I'd been keeping in my "box 'o stuff". New ones are cheap insurance.

Thanks.

I really thought I would get more than one response to this however!!

Oh well, it flies great, and I would highly recommend a similar project to anyone interested in the smaller conversion motors. The Kioritz 23.6cc stroker motor I built is just great. Most flying is at half throttle or less, and when I open it up; look out!

As I said, weight came out very reasonable at 9.5 lbs. and with the 1000 square inches of wing area, it still just floats in like a feather for landing. I used my computer radio to dial in a little aileron differential, and the rolls are straight as an arrow. I'm sure having fun with it!! The only thing I would do different, and might change, is that I gutted the stock muffler, cut it in half, then welded a plate across where I cut. In this plate I drilled holes and brazed in two 7/16" brass tubes. If anything, it is too quiet! Next time, I'll use larger tubes, and probably gain some power as well as a more throaty sound.

Take care,
AV8TOR

GOOD GOING AV8T0R ...... Hey what brand of connectors are you using. I like you would have lost my plane...a Giles G202 with a Zenoah G38 on it. The Y harness connectors made the elevator and the ailerons intermitant. Hey nice plane you got there. Wish I lived closer. I woukd be out having fun flying with you!!! Take care Catch you Later....Capt,n

AV8TOR, How about telliing a little more about the "Pheonix"? Wing span, tail moment. nose moment, empenage dimensions? It sounds like yours really flys well and looks good to boot. I just may have to put something like it togeather. What airfoil?

Av8tor

Sounds awesome!!! I recently put a Kioritz 22cc engine in a Seagull models Edge 540. These little babies are exceptionally light! Hopefully, I will have the same results as you had with the Pheonix.

After success with the Ultimate, I am beginning to think almost anything is possible.

Great news on the Pheonix....it looks really great too!

Tom

Nice plane... good job on the conversion, and the save, too.

Are there any "readily available" parts for the little Kioritz?
I've recently acquired a practically new hedge trimmer that I believe has the small Kioritz inside.
Been thinking seriously of some sort of 90-sized airplane to stuff it into, once I've converted it

Hi guys... (and girls?),

I'm really busy right now, but I'll try to post some stats and measurements soon. (of the plane, not my wife in the pic!)

For the moment though, I'll cop to the fact that I used a ready made wing from a Great Planes Big Stick 60 ARF. It had the measurements and area I was looking for, and I was too lazy to scratch build a wing, so I ordered one. Things didn't work out so easy however, as it arrived seriously damaged! The company gave me a nice rebate, and I just completely rebuilt the wing. I think in retrospect that it might have been easier to scratch build one like I usually do!!

As far as ready made parts for the Kioritz engines, I can't answer that one. I make my own prop hubs, magnet hub, sensor bracket, mufflers, etc. I use CH Ignition systems, and larger carbs from other engines, etc. There are lots of suppliers that would make you up parts if they don't have them in stock and you don't want to make the pieces yourself.

As for the connectors, they were Futaba originals that I've had in my electronics junk box for years. Like I said however, they looked like new; no corrosion, damage, etc. My brother has run into this problem on his planes, and I recently read an article describing the same thing. Very scary! I don't know if electrical contact cleaner spray is the answer, or just replacing all your connectors every few years.

More as soon as I can,
Take care,
AV8TOR

The Big Stik 60 wing is the perfect mate for many conversions. The area is perfect and the airfoil is, well, near perfect for general flying. I fly a big Stik 60 with a homey conversion and it works out great. The wing has taken over a year of rough flying with no signs of stress. AV8tor, you gave me an idea how to come up with a great wing with little effort.....cool!

Tom

Well, I guess the muffler I cobbled up is pretty efficient on my modified 23.6cc Kioritz. Today, just for grins, I ran it without the muffler to see if/how much rpm's it might gain. It gained maybe 50 rpm's!! I was pretty surprised. The muffler is the stocker, cut about in half just below the port hole. I took out all the baffling, then welded a flat plate across the opening. I then drilled two holes, and brazed in two 7/16" i.d. brass tubes about 5" long each. I made them that long to get them to exit below the low wing, so that any "glop" would not get on the airplane. The only complaint I have is that the seams of the muffler leak a bit, and I still get just a little bit of crap on the plane. I'm fixing that little problem right now! It weighs 6 oz., which seems a little hefty though. Someday I'll get a tig welder and be able to play with aluminum! What do the aluminum store bought mufflers you guys use weigh?

I don't know why I'm still searching for more performance, as this thing flies just great, and most flying is done at half throttle. It's just my nature to keep looking for more power I guess. I do it with everything I own; hence my motto below!

AV8TOR