RE: Balsa USA enforcer
 

Mark: the metalic covering has just reminded me of an accident years ago when my old trainer lost control due to the arial being inside the fuzz and the fuzz was covered in metal flake solarfilm.

Just a thought!!!;)

RE: Balsa USA enforcer
 

I had to move the antenna to the outside of the wing to give me a decent range check. It's not my favorite covering...I'll be changing it soon...

Just picked up a bunch of McCoy No. 9 glow plugs...going flying this weekend!!

RE: Balsa USA enforcer
 

I thought the "Enya" Number 3 was top dog....
Whats the deal on the McCoy type then?

Regards steve UK

RE: Balsa USA enforcer
 

I can't get the Enya plug locally, but the McCoy No 9 plug is available. If you go on Tower's site, they say it's the plug to run in Ducted Fans...but if anyone has a secret about a plug that will last longer than a few flights, please clue me in....

Also, what's everyone using for fuel? I'm currently running Wildcat Ducted Fan Fuel...10% nitro/23% oil. I'm using it because I have it, but it's not something I can easily get.

Thanks...Mark

RE: Balsa USA enforcer
 

If you need to try an Enya type plug ..i can easy send a couple.

Its been carved in stone over here that this is the one n only.

But im always lookin for information thas better than previous.

Years ago the "Hydroplane" guys used this type just to get an enxtra 15
seconds out of it before it burnt out. Thats one run for half a minute costing
around $9 a run....Jeeeeees!!!!

Just got to the slot bit on the enforcer....not looking forward to the carving of leading edge...yikes!

RE: Balsa USA enforcer
 

The enya 3 is a great plug for m mose mormal engines, but is to hot for the high rpm DF motors. the Mccoy number #9 is a df plug. Hanger 9 is now sell a df plug but guess what, it's made by mccoy :D

RE: Balsa USA enforcer
 

My Modified enforcer construction is underway, Below is a couple of pic's On with the nacelle just sitting in place, the second had the retract plates inplace. notice no slot for the the prop.[img][/img]

RE: Balsa USA enforcer
 

It flies the same with the DF conv. as it did with the Tower/pusher? I thought the DF would be much quicker-

RE: Balsa USA enforcer
 

I think it's because of the fan I am using. I'm using a Dynamax fan...which puts the motor behind the fan. I had to put soooo much weight in front to balance it out. Also, I'm unable to build anything behind the fan to straighten out the flow....the motor and the pipe are in the way. Right now, it's not much more than a motor turning a fan...no duct work.

Mark

RE: Balsa USA enforcer
 

My next question is that when you look thru the section of the wing (right hand side of drawing) you can see that the edges of the prop slot are rounded one side and sharp the other. Just wondering what the importance of this is.

RE: Balsa USA enforcer
 

Another question guys: having the tank back to front, are there any clunk problems or are there any different types to use for this set up? And as the fuel goes down, is there a noticable weight shift on the nose?


cheers n beers Steve UK

RE: Balsa USA enforcer
 

The fuel tank on the Enforcer is almost right on the CG so there isn't any change to CG as the fuel level go's down.

Also the tank is installed normally with the tank cap facing forward and the clunk to the rear. the big options is how you do the fuel tubing for the tank. I use a tubing bender to make a 180 degree sweep in the fuel supply and vent tubing, this way the tubing is pointed at the engine. This keeps from having to make a 180 degree bend in the fuel lines that could kink.

you will also have to buy extra brass tubing to do this, what comes with the tank isn't long enough. make sure you get the soft tubing, the hard won't bend without kinking even using a tubing bender

RE: Balsa USA enforcer
 

I only bought the basic kit as a lot of stuff in the box aint up to scratch
and thankfully there are oodles of tanks to choose from. im at the point now of sheeting the wing
from spar to L/edge ...and have made up a kind of lengthy "permagrit" tube from some square robot
tubing about a yard long to shape the rad when i lift the wing off the board. Yeah i know im not a quick builder just a fussy one when it comes to straight lines etc. I cant help but keep looking at the construction
at the front and saying it aint strong enough and is gonna clap hands in a tight loop.

Tell me im wrong:D

Thanks for replying ..it is good to know ya not left alone to guess n wonder ....BIG thumbs up!
Has anyone clocked one of these in a dive and pull out?

RE: Balsa USA enforcer
 

I little advise on clapping hands:D

I too don't like the open "D" wing construction, so what I plan to do is close the "D". By adding a peice of 3/32" sheet between the 1/4" upper and lower wing spares and between each rib you effectively turn the spares into an "I" beam. I also plan to do this to the longitudinal spars. This will give the wing the strength of two I-beams.

RE: Balsa USA enforcer
 

Well you read my mind .....maybe thin ply will be the order of the day.
"Beam" yes my very thoughts.

Did "Laddy" get it wrong i wonder and just leave it and reap the benifits of people buying spares like a lot of companys do in telling you the C of G is here ..knowing that its gonna be another visit to the shop;).


well bussiness is bussines <G>

RE: Balsa USA enforcer
 

I don't see the need for ply, most of the pieces are going to be around 1.2 x 3 inches so 1/16 or 3/32's balsa should be fine.

The one I'm currently building is going to be modified quiet a bit, 91 Ducted fan for power, spring air retracts, Nose will be extended about 6 inch, to house the retract system and help balance it out. Fuel tank will be in the 24 ounce range with a 4 to 6 ounce header tank.

Servos are probably going to be futaba 9252 digitals.

Also the forward top of the fuselage will be removable for access to air tank fills, switches and such.

RE: Balsa USA enforcer
 

A Little up-date on my Enforcers progress

RE: Balsa USA enforcer
 

OOOOHHH!!!! Das nice ;)

RE: Balsa USA enforcer
 

OK. This is my turf.
I have done kit bashing before specially on the delta side ( North star ). Mobileraptor you are doing just fine with all the modification very nice job there, the removable top is a very good idea much like a D/F jet. One of my mod. on the North S. was to sheet all of the wing surface with 3/16 balsa for reinforcement and added a spar on the center much like the Enforcer, it did very good, to much weight on the nose and the fuel tanks were to low from the carb. center line, got about 10 flights then no more.

NM_Mark, Also you are having excellent thoughts, I'm going to convert an Enforcer that's the why I'm here, I will be going the Turbax/7.5 and Dinamax/K&B 82/ OS 91 fan and engines. ( I will be able to change fan/engine unit a any given moment.

At the moment I'm flying a Tiger 60 that has been converted to D/F on the top of fuselage ( pictures if you like ) with a lot of modifications, now I'm looking for something fast and light and with a good amount of wing area, the Enforcer is it and with my past experience with other modifications this is going to come out right, light and simple to build.

Please keep posting as I'm going to follow your progress and will be shearing my project in this post with pictures,

NM_Mark. I see that you have a header with some angle, how about the header that came with the engine and a old JMP pipe.

This is so cool, it's going to be another exciting project.

CARS II

RE: Balsa USA enforcer
 

Well, My build is progressing nicely.

The wing is fully sheeted with the exception of the area around the Necelle, kind of a catch 22 I can't finsh the sheeting until the nacelle is installed and I can't install the necelle till the glass work is done and the nacelle is painted. Glass work is near complete, I should be primeing it pretty soon.

The Main landing gear is installed and cycling beautifully. This is My first set of Spring-Air retracts and from what Iv'e seen so far of them I will never run anything else but. They cycle on as low as 20 psi and getting 12 to 15 cycles per 100 psi tank full and this is a very small tank. I set the entire retract system up out of the plane, presurized it, put the gear in the up posisition. 10 days latter there still up, I cycled them 10 times before I ran out of air. Tightest air system I've ever seen.

I have extented the nose 6.5 inches, had to redo the formers to match the spaceing but all good so far.

I have pretty much made up my mind that this is going to be a one peice airplane. sence the engine is no longer mounted to the fuse it's not practical to have to dis-connect fuel line, air lines, throttle and mixture linkages to seperate the plane halfs

here are a few pic's just to update progress.

RE: Balsa USA enforcer
 

Here are the pictures

RE: Balsa USA enforcer
 

The pipe and header on my convertion is what came with the motor...and I've seen the same thing on Tower's site. If I had to do it all over again, I would use the Byro-fan...because the motor is in the front of the fan unit. Even though I'm told the tractor fans like mine (it's a Dynomax) are more efficient...because my motor is so far back, it takes more weight in the nose to balance it. The plane handles the weight fairly well...but it is harder to land now because of the increased wing loading. I have to carry quite a bit more speed on my landing approach.

Mark

RE: Balsa USA enforcer
 

One More Picture :) Make that two

You can see the nose extension by the difference between the lite ply and balsa.

You can also see the removeable aft hatch, also the windshield pilot compartment will be removable also. the front of the nose will have an access hatch also.

RE: Balsa USA enforcer
 

Mobileraptor, are you going to use the elevator or are you going to use elevons?
I can see the were you added the balsa for the nose, any thoughts on adding body wings much like the F-18.

CARS II

RE: Balsa USA enforcer
 

Mark, my North start came out much like you Enforcer, heavy over all and man I had to keep it moving, with the Enforcer I'm planing to use a Dynamax for a fan and it will go a bit forward from the original engine position to stay away from adding nose weight also the nose will probably be longer much like Mobileraptor is doing.

CARS II