longwaytofall

hey guys, i have a q500 that i am looking to modify for speed. i dont plan on running in any events, so i am not worried about being within spec. i have already trimmed the nose about an inch or so and put on a OS max 60, and i have been considering retracts and trimming the wings down to the ends of the ailerons. has anyone else done anything like this? i am currently using an 11x11 prop, is there any you guys would recommend? thanks allot guys

FlooredCOBRA

You probably would be able to get more speed with a good hot .40 size engine rather than the a sport 60. Especially on a Q500 type plane.

longwaytofall

just what i had lying around. i am thinking about getting a hotter motor, but i dont know which would be best for this application.

daven

My Feedback: (1)

Now that you've shortened the nose, you'll have a hard time balancing it with anything other than a .60.

I think Dub Jett makes a .75 that should take it pretty quick.

The first response was probably the best. It would have been fastest had you gone with a high performance .40. Trimming the wings will definately speed it up. However, I'm not sure If I would go all the way to the ailerons. Start with about 3" off each tip. If you go all the way to the ailerons, you will most likely have flutter issues.

Stormbud

I think the retracts are a bad idea............just throw the landing gear away. Too much weight and trouble for a project like this.........just belly flop it. I mean you already mangled the plane by ripping off part of the wing...I dont think some skid marks on the belly are going to hurt much. And I second or third the hot forty idea.....if you have never seen a Nelson perform you are in for quite a shock!!!! Good Luck and be SAFE !!!

searcher

My Feedback: (1)

Hi Guys,

I am just beginning to enjoy flying my Lanier Predator. I have an OS .32SX with a MAC pretuned pipe turning a 8x6 prop. It is just breaking in.

I have a spare wing for it which I purchased in anticipation of modifying it for more speed. If I trimmed 3" off each side, would you cap the end with a wing dam?

Regarding a Nelson or Jett, are they easy to tune and keep running? I love the OS engines because they are so easy to tune and fly....this is, after all, meant to be fun!

Thanks in advance for your input!
- Searcher

longwaytofall

the plane was originally pretty nose heavy, even with the 40 i had. the model is a scat cat, and i saw somewhere on here that u should trim it 3/4 of an inch strait outta the box anyways, so i guess i am not all that screwed. and btw, i have not trimmed the wings yet, so dont trip about the whole skid landing thing.

longwaytofall

also, if i trimmed to the ailerons, i would still leave the tips on, so it wouldn't really be all the way to the ailerons. do you still think i will have problems with flutter? thanks

daven

My Feedback: (1)

You are right about scat cats. They are nose heavy to begin with, so trimming the nose probably hasn't hurt you, as we use to do that with .40s.

Ailerons that extend all the way to the wing tip, will be more susceptable to flutter than if you have a piece of solid TE stock for the last 3 or 4 inches. I would make sure your gaps are sealed, and your linkage is solid. What servo are you using on your ailerons?

Rather than retracts, the hand launch/belly landing is a good idea. Even though the standard quickee gear is not that much drag.

longwaytofall

ok, mabey i will just move over to the super skinny o ring style wheels. not sure on the aileron servo, i will have to check.

banktoturn

longwaytofall,

All of the 'standard' drag reduction tricks should be on your list. Many of these are things that are regulated in the rules of Q500. Clipping the wings is a great start. Some others would be: add nice smooth fillets where the wing joins the fuselage, round the corners of the fuselage to the largest radius that is practical, reduce the cross-sectional area of the fuselage, cowl or partially cowl the engine ( this is a biggie ). Definitely, lose the gear or switch to retracts. The skinny gear used for Q500 has much less drag than standard gear, but it is still very high in drag.

banktoturn

SSAN

Searcher,

That really depend on your engine experience level. The Jett and Nelson are a racing engine and it take the "know how" to properly tune or run these baby. Although, it's not a big deal once you've figured it out.

If you're talking about the Sport Jett (no Sport Nelson), then it's like ABC 123. So simple and consistence and you probably never touch the needle once it's set correctly. Unlike most sport engines out there, the Jett are by far the most consistence running engines in the market. Beside that, it's also the most powerful and friendliest engines to use, period.

FlooredCOBRA

I had a Scat Cat years back and it was a awesome flying plane.

I had my wings shortened also but i did this when building it. I cut down on the center where the 2 halves joined. On my ailerons I took away about 2 to 3 inches at the tips of wing. The left over aileron I glued solid to the rest of the wing tip. Then sealed the gap of hinges with monocote. I never had any problems with flutter.

My servos was set in the rear of the plane behind wing to balance it out. I had to make a small hatch to access the servos.

As for the retracts i don't think would work to well. The thickness of the wing is very slim as it is. The wheels would almost be the same thickness as the wing. Then again it may work out.

Good luck with your Scat Cat for it is a very fast fun flying plane!

longwaytofall

yeah, the scat cat is a blast! i have already moved the servos into the rear section, and have moved the battery pack about halfway between the wing and rear stab. as i was looking around this great site, i noticed the ddust, and now i have one on the way. should satisfy my need for speed with having to butcher the Q500 too much. thanks for the help

FlooredCOBRA

You will love your new DD. I been flying mine for some tine and its a blast! It has a huge WOW factor flying it!

searcher

My Feedback: (1)

I trimmed 3.5" off each side of the wing on my Lanier Predator.

The first impression during flight was the increased roll rate. I can now do nice aileron rolls. Previously the plane was extremely docile and would not do a reasonable axial roll.

The plane also takes a bit more runway to take off and she now lands like a brick if I cut the power completely.

I capped the wingtips with 1/8" wing dams...I wonder if they are creating enough drag to be an issue?

I cant say that it appears to be much faster on a high speed flyby, but it is hard to tell.

I am having lots of trouble with the fuel foaming causing all of the issues that one would expect in flight. I guess I will look into running a fuel bladder or a header tank.

Thanks for all of the good ideas out there!
- Searcher

FlooredCOBRA

yeah thats what I was going to say. Like on the helis.

Rudeboy

Put a Nelson Q500 engine on it...it will be "twice as fast" as the OS .60 powered version...well not really, but it will perform great...

Tuning is not a problem...just don't run 'em lean.... if you do that you will be shopping for a new liner and piston in a hurry...
Experiment a little with props...

Loose the landing gear...it is a major drag item...

Q500 planes are designed to meet minimum wing thickness requirements...if you can, build another wing, with a different wing section (thinner)...