Servo481

Shrike Enthusiasts

I built my Shrike about 4 years ago from a kit. I was inspired by one that I saw on the web with retracts. Also I wanted to add rudders to use as air brakes. I home made retracts, with the nose gear rotating 90 degrees to fit under the fuel tank. This Shrike needs 8 channels to operate, 2 for rudders, 2 for ailerons, 1 elevator, 1 Throttle, 1 gear, 1 for nose gear steering. Its powered by an OS ringed 50 with a tuned pipe and weights 5.5 pounds. In level flight it does 135 mph and more in a dive. To slow down I crow the rudders out, raise the ailerons up and lower the elevator. With the extra drag it slows down and is easy to land. I hope the images down loaded ok I'm new at this.


Ray


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Quikturn

My Feedback: (12)

Hi Ray,

I luv your Shrike! Great job! RC Don's Shrike with retracts inspired me to build a shrike as well. I just decided not to do retracts because at the time I was flying from a not so well kept public flying field (tall grass).

I'm curious to see how you set up the inside to make it all work.

I used 2 servos for ailerons so I can play with flaperon functions but I have yet to use them. Any reports on how well it works with this model? My thought is if you lower the flaperons you get a slower approack for landing and if you raise the flaperons you could achieve high alpha flight (harriers).


Joe

Mustang Fever

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Your name is forever "Rad Ray". Well done.

Mustang Fever

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Ran it up outside today, just for something to do that does not involve sitting in the basement. 13,900 with an APC 10x6. Very steady 2500 rpm idle. (This engine is two seasons old and well run in on two different airplanes.) (46AX)

That's good for about 80 mph and a bit more thrust than airplane weight, so maybe hand launch will work after all. I'll wait for a windy day to try it, tho.

Mustang Fever

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It barely got into the 50's, today, with a pretty brisk wind blowing right down the paved runway at the Midland club. Away I went. Four TOs and landings, the last two real pretty, after I learned that the "wheeled" ones have to be landed the same as the "wheeless" - come in flat and just pull the nose up a little as it gets near the ground. Landing gear held up real well, in spite of bouncing the length of the runway on the first two attempts.

The 600 pack starting fading real fast, so I didn't even get to use up a tank of fuel. Swapped it for my 1450 NiMh. Don't know why I didn't use it to begin with- same size and weight.

I had forgotten how much fun Shrikes are. With this ordinary 46, it literally howls.

combatpigg

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Very good Bob! Sounds like you're going to be patrolling the skies around there some more, weather permitting. Let us know how it glides on snow....

Quikturn

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Glad to hear it Bob. Unless you're using digital servos, it sounds like your 600ma battery was starting to go anyways.

Here's an idea about that bouncy gear. I found a set of spring shocks (3 pack) on ebay that go for $11 shipped. Not sure if they work yet but for the price I figured what the hell. I bought them for a Kyosho P-40 I've had trouble with . Our club runway is made of landscaping fabric and can be bouncy for some models.

Just a thought.

smoknrv4

My Feedback: (11)

Nice!!!I like the retract install.
Good job.[8D]

Mustang Fever

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Found a 6 or 7" SIG canopy at an LHS that will look perfect. In NJ right now, so have to wait to install it.

I'm thinking of cutting a hole clear through the hatch and putting the canopy in from underneath, so I can glue the flange to the balsa. Any thoughts on that?

Me and the Shrike are going to my NJ club field in about 2 hours for a sky burning session. (JCSF)

Quikturn

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Bob,

No need to cut up your hatch for that canopy. I glued mine on over the monocote using Formula 560 canopy glue and it's very secure. It dries clear too.

On my model I found some glossy black folder material that I sued underneath the canopy for a better look. That way you won't see the same covering material underneath the canopy too. I glued that in place with rubber cement. I then finished it off with gray trim tape.

Joe

Mustang Fever

My Feedback: (2)

Joe:

How much flange do you leave around the canopy when you do that?

Flew mine again, yesterday, at the NJ club. I am really, really impressed with it. The grass at that club is cut a bit longer than most places, and the Shrike had no trouble with it. Airborne in less than 100' and climbing like a rocket. I think this bird will replace my Big Stik 60 as my "throw in the car and go fly" sport plane. This was the second flight, and I started playing with it. I did a couple high speed passes followed by pulling up to near vertical and going into a series of fast rolls. Fun, fun, fun. The vertical is really strong, maybe close to unlimited, I didn't use it all.

Quikturn

My Feedback: (12)

Bob,

I have no flange at all on the canopy. I also used a dremel tool to sand down/shape the middle of the canopy to fit the contour of the hatch. That way when you glue it in place the canopy won't spread apart and spring up while the glue is setting. The canopy glue goes on white so you know where you're putting it and then dries clear. Tape it in place and leave it over night. I put a generous amount on my canopy and it's held on very strong. It's beautiful stuff! Just use alcohol or some cleaner on everything beforehand.

That Shrike has a slippery airframe. Glad you're having fun with it.

Joe

Mustang Fever

My Feedback: (2)

Got two more flights on the Shrike today, great weather for it in this part of NJ. She appears to have an unlimited vertical, basically until she gets so small I'm afraid I'll lose her. Loops are great- the left/right balance appears right on and there's no tendency to drop a wing. I did a take off from fairly long grass with a little bit more up elevator than I planned, and she broke ground and climbed out almost vertically after about a 10 foot roll, with a bit of a tailwind. Makes me think hand launch will not be a big deal.

This is my favorite sport plane. It's going to spoil me for everything else.

Mustang Fever

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Got the canopy on. Makes it look more like a jet fighter, which it kinda resembles. One of the guys in NJ thought it was a small jet until he spied the engine. Got rid of the small nosewheel in NJ, too, as it couldn't handle the grass. The foam one gives it a definite positive incidence, which makes TO really easy.

Strykaas: I'm starting another Arrow. I reactivated the old thread on it.

Mustang Fever

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First flight since Thanksgiving, and first flight with the canopy, a Macs muffler and the CG a touch to the rear of where it was.

Flies great. It's really easy to flare it for landing, now, and it sure looks pretty. I haven't tached it, but the engine is turning up a lot faster, because I really had to richen the main needle up.

Mustang Fever

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Well, the engine isn't taching up near as much more as it sounded like, it's just that the Macs muffler is considerably louder than the OS ugly box.

I'm getting about 14,500 with the macs, as compared to 14,000 with the OS. My conclusion: if you're buying a Macs, at least for this engine, don't buy it for power, but buy it for the 50% less weight, which is why I got them for my Shrike and my Arrow.

I saw in Model Aviation today that a 46 AX with a MAS GF 3 10x6 and a Bisson Pitts muffler only gets about 12 thou. (The Great Planes Cherokee article.) I always suspected that pitts type mufflers killed the performance of whatever they are on, and quit using them long ago. The prop might have something to do with it, though. I've never had the results with MAS that I've had with APC.

Quikturn

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I'm no expert on props but I think APC's are stiffer than MAS and have better effeciency. I do have a MAS simitar prop on my P-40/Saito 65 that I'm happy with.

I've heard Macs muffler don't improve performance much and looks like your numbers prove it. If you want more you may want to try a Jett Stream muffler or Macs tuned pipe for better performance.

Joe

Mustang Fever

My Feedback: (2)

Sometimes a mishap can be a blessing in disguise.

I got in trouble on a go around today, and when I throttled up, the crosswind flipped her over to one side and I had to close the throttle and just go in from about 5 five as the wind got behind it and dropped it out of the sky. Only damage was the nose gear got removed from the firewall, along with a chunk of the firewall bottom.

I took the mains off, fired it up, and hand launched it for the first time. There's so much power that she just climbs out of my hand and heads for the wild blue.

I can't believe how much better it handles, how much faster it is, and how much easier it is to belly land deadstick. I think I'm gonna close up the hole in the bottom (for the nose gear) and stick to HL from now on.

Quikturn

My Feedback: (12)

Bob,

That is a blessing in disguise. IMO, hand launch is the only way to go with this model. Even in no wind conditions I don't notice a dip from a hand lauch. I did break 2 wooden props because they weren't perfectly horizontal when the engine was shut down. Got it set up now.

I remember from my flight instructor days (as speed doubles, drag quadrouples) so it's not surprising you notice a big improvement in speed. If you could make speed measurements, it would be interesting to know what the difference really is.

Mustang Fever

My Feedback: (2)

Theoretical pitch speed at the RPMs I'm seeing on the ground (14,500) with a 10x6 is a shade over 82mph. I suspect that the gear was taking at least 5 mph off that, maybe more. I guess unloaded she might see 15K, or 85mph. I'm going to stick with the 10x6, as it gives gobs of thrust (over 6# with a 4# model) for easy hand launches. Any other prop I can use to get more speed drops the thrust to equal or less than the model weight.

Mustang Fever

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Switched back to the factory muffler, because the Macs is just too loud. I was afraid of problems at my club in Virginia, as they have very tight noise restrictions, and it was hurting my ears during runup.

Took one 9mm bullet in the weight compartment way aft to correct the CG to that shown on the plans. Test flew it today, and didn't notice any difference in performance. If anything, it's faster. With the factory muffler, it wanted to be richened one quarter turn at the low end, and leaned out 4-5 clicks on the high end. I reduced my "flap" setting a little- the PMX that couples the flap switch on the transmitter to the elevator, so as to get a little up reflex trim for launch. It still goes out nearly vertical with just a toss and something less than full throttle.

Every time it lands, I go pick it up and tell it: "You're such a good flyer. I'm keeping you."

If anyone needs a Macs one piece black muffler (the one for the OS 46 and a bunch of others) let me know. I have three.

I'm looking at doing a 150% Shrike, with retracts and the wing panels removable, with the separation even with the fins. I'm looking at a 75AX for power. Specs would be:

65.25" Wingspan
OAL: 50.5" (approx)
Fuse Width 4.5"
Individual wing panels: 30.4"
RC 18.09"
TC 9.75"
MAC 13.92
Wing Area: 908 square inches, not quite twice the standard Shrike.(6.3 square feet)
Wing thickness at root: 2.8"
Estimated weight: 120 oz (7.5 lb) (WL: 19 oz/square foot)

Strykaas

Sounds interesting . RCU currently lacks innovating projects

Mustang Fever

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I was just looking at those numbers. The removable panels are way too big. Must have added wrong somewhere.

Quikturn

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Hey Bob,

I'd be very interested in watching a 60/75 size Shrike build. Call it the "Super Shrike". I like the removable wing panel idea too. Would you go with 2 wing tubes?

I flew my Shrike yesterday and I had the fastest runs to date with it. I was taching 15k rpm static with a 40 FSR/tuned pipe setup using an APC 10x5 prop and 15% fuel. How fast is that? It's loud but it sounds great in the air.

Did that Macs muffler add power to your engine. If so, what was the rpm increase? I may be interested in one for another project. Let me know if you still have one available.


Joe

Mustang Fever

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Joe:

15000 with a 10x5 calculates to about 71 mph.

I still have all three of the 46 size Macs pipes. They don't seem to add much performance, maybe 300 rpm. I used them because they were so much lighter than the factory mufflers.