xtraflyr

My Feedback: (11)

Hello,

Mine is right about 18 lbs.and flies great there. IDK if you had just 2 A123's without regs. if that would drop it down at all ? Like I said mine is about the same weight and flies just fine.Go out and fly it and you won't even know how heavy it is.. I'm not sure how some got so low unless the wood varies in weight and density from plane to plane..

JoeAirPort

My Feedback: (41)

Mine is 17#, 13 ounces and was built very light. I used the Kavan 4" air tires which gave me a couple of ounces less than Dubro. I just use one rx battery but it's 6.5 ounces. A 22x8 Xoar is an once or two lightern than the 23x8. Your header and pipe are probably twice the weight of my feather weaight DL stock muffler (4 oz ?). Good thing you went CF or it would have been even heavier. So for a pipe setup, near 18 pounds is very good. This ARF floats like you wouldn't believe. At my weight it's incredible. You're pretty close to me. 16 pounds for this huge monster is not realistic. 17-19 is the realistic range. Getting to 17 would be very tough unless you got a really light kit and used a BME 58 with a stock exhaust. Plus you'd have to do everything else light. I wouldn't sweat it man, you'll be floaten.

Aerobatic_Tom

Ok, thanks guys for quick replies and excellent info.

Guess the prescription is the same old same old - Stop thinking, measuring and wasting time on the internet. go out and fly it.



Thanks
Tom

propchief

My Feedback: (65)

I'm also sure you will not be disappointed. Fly it! You can loose a few ounces easily with some battery choices. Ex: I have a 4.8v 900mah battery for ignition that weighs 1.2 ounces. Enough for 4-6 flights.

Barry Cazier

My Feedback: (17)

Mine weighed 17lbs 9ozs less fuel but ready to fly. I don't believe those that say their's weigh 16lbs. There's always a few that make unrealistic boasts. They probably weigh before they get everything assembled. Just weighing the parts. Somehow they always get heavier than that. Mine doesn't have any wheel pants or any "bling". Mine had the BME 58 with pitts style muffler. I don't really see where it could get much lighter without ruining the integrity of the airframe.

I know Chris's personal plane, at least the one he originally built for this thread, was over 18lbs. So they haven't gotten lighter over the years. And I don't think you could make a 2lbs difference no matter what wood density you used. This is a big plane with a big weight. But, as others have said it flys very well, even at 17.5-18 lbs.

So....I'm back to the story that I don't believe the 16lbs weight for any of these planes. Too many honest people are getting the weight you are.

However, you'll probably really like the way it flys.
Thanks
Barry

Barry Cazier

My Feedback: (17)

I just looked at your post and set up again. Your CF pipe is pretty light, but the header pipes usually weight 6ozs or so I think. So a pitts style muffler would probably be the easiest way to shed a few ounces or so. Also, as others have said, battery selection may help a little also. You could probably easily get to 17lbs 9 or 10 ozs, but not much lighter.
thanks
Barry

xtraflyr

My Feedback: (11)

I don't think the oz. here or there is really going to make the difference,plus the better performance with the pipe it's well worth it. I'm using the heaver KS 1060 aluminum pipe and it's just a blast to fly..

Fly it and enjoy it!! I'm going to Mexico NY to fly off my friends 1000' grass runway,going for a guys type of thing. The plane of choice for me to bring is my Yak!

Frank

JoeAirPort

My Feedback: (41)

I like that !!

Aerobatic_Tom

Thanks guys! I will chime in when the maiden is done!!

This thread has been fantastic. I have been modelling for 20+ years and still there is so much new info in a thread like this to be learnt from.

I put a mini that I had laying around on the choke. I know... vibs gonna kill it... so I did a shock absorbing pushrod for it. Simple job from carbon tube cut in two parts. Insert and CA a carbon rod fitting the ID on one side. Slide into the other leaving 10mm of the thinner rod showing. Silicone fuel tube covering the 10mm and up 10mm on each rod end. Strap it down with small zip ties at the ends. This can now be used as a shock absorbing push rod for the choke.

Need a picture?

JoeAirPort

My Feedback: (41)

Yeah I'd like to see a pic. Sounds pretty clever.

zoomer199

Why change the plug?

ArcherIIDriver

Assuming you are referring to JoeAirPort's signature (which I like, Joe!)...I'll chime in.
Because the one that's included is a guaranteed dead-stick at the most inopportune time.

JoeAirPort

My Feedback: (41)

Cool it worked !!!

I just wanted to save anybody I could from the stock spark plug problems. So I just put it in my signature. heh heh

zoomer199

Well I guess a missed that peice of info along the way. Ive been running may stock plug (champoin brand) all summer long with no problems.
So I guess I have been lucky? I will change mine out before I fly again

JoeAirPort

My Feedback: (41)

Champion? That's a first. Usually they are plane wrapper that look like a CM-6. I'd put a CM-6 in there.

Barry Cazier

My Feedback: (17)

Wow....I'm getting ready to maiden my new airplane and I didn't know about changing the spark plug. I think I have a spare CM-6 laying around somewhere. I'll change it out just to be safe. Mine is a DL 55. Haven't even started it yet, but probably tonight.
Thanks for the tip.
Barry

diamondave

My Feedback: (29)

hey archerdriver, we may be relocating to your area soon, my wife has a interview planned at the medical center in houston, if all goes wll we will be wanting to move outside of houston somwhere, we found some nice places for sale and rent in spring, looks like not too far to commute for her so that may be our 1st choice, looking to rent 1st i think so we can take our time to buy and see if we want to stay in that area, i found the bomber field on monaville, but havent found anything closer yet, you have to let me know where you fly

ArcherIIDriver

There is a good selection of club fields in the area...much closer than Bomber. Personally, I'm a member of two different clubs, Northwest Houston RC Club and Houston Sport Flyers.
http://www.nwrcc.com/news.php
http://www.houstonsportflyers.com/

NWRCC is by far my 1st choice and what I consider my "home" field. It is huge and is never busy...but about 40 minutes from my house.

HSF is also a great club, but much busier & quite a bit smaller. Still plenty of room for the GS stuff and only 15 minutes from home. This is where I do my "after work" flying and where I go to get my "quick fix" close to home.

There are also a few other good clubs in the area. I know guys at all of them, and would be happy to take you around & introduce you to any of 'em.

Be sure to let me know if you are in the area for any reason...house hunting, interviewing, etc. I'd love to meet up, hang out, take you out to the field(s), etc.

Good luck with the wife's inverviews!

cjcyclesrc

My Feedback: (10)

Dave,

If every thing works out and you move here to Texas. We'll all have to get together and do some flying.

I've flown at the NWRCC field. It's a great place to fly. The 07 DOD fly-in was held there.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlMTzFlR1cs[/youtube]

ArcherIIDriver

So, Charles...when you want to come down again? You are welcome to fly as my guest anytime!

Richard D Bahmann aka/Wrongway

My Feedback: (42)

Charles, nice vid....nice time stamp, everyone has a chrome pole to fly....

So tell me, all those airplanes and all the pilots are tall and skinny and young and look like the Alien. Is that typical of Texas pilots???

ArcherIIDriver

That WAS the Alien! [:-]

And yes, we are ALL young & skinny..............on the inside

Richard D Bahmann aka/Wrongway

My Feedback: (42)

Looks like he was flying everyones plane that day!

JoeAirPort

My Feedback: (41)

Cool !!!!!!!!

diamondave

My Feedback: (29)

her phone interview went very well, she is flying out next weekend for an interview in person on the 24th, i am not going to that, but its all looking good at the moment, just listed my bike to try and hep with some $$, the main problem here is our home is worth less than what we owe, so we are looking to rent ours out to start with and maybe sell it next year(or whenever economy says), anyway hopefully we dont end up owing 2 house payments for too long, but we saw some nice rental properties on line in spring already, im excited for a change, btw i see the elevations are lower there, i learned to fly rc in northern az at 5000' and now i fly at 2200', this is the lowest ive flown so far, curious what closer to sea level will be like, i only had one plane that made the move with me before, i didnt notice much power difference, had plenty even at 5000', but it did seem to "float" more here, landings got a tad slower......thanks for the info so far and will definetly keep you posted