Radical Departure

My Feedback: (13)

I'm in the same camp, 18oz just isn't enough for me. My gas comsumption was far greater during break-in than it is now, thankfully had a bigger tank or would have experienced the same. Plus I like knowing there is plenty of reserve if needed. Fly mostly IMAC pattern as well, but it has no problem w/3D either. My plane is well under 17lbs, (16.4 or 16.6 dry), so weight isn't an issue.

rc-plane

IM FINISHED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I got the CG done tonight and all I have to do is set up the throws, servos, and break the DA in. I am going to get a guy to help me at the club with the servos (first time with digitals) and then I am ready to fly.

BTW the Dietrich Extra 260 Will fit in a newer Toyota Tacoma. It only has about 1/2 in. room left but it works for me.

salerno

Godd luck with that bro! have fun and let us all know how it went for ya!

FlyerRick

Good Luck RC! You got to love the "Maiden"...you'll only experence it once. Kinda like a good woman...she's only a virgin once. Be sure to let us know how it goes and if possiable, take some pics or vids. [8D]

Hey guys...I've started my next build. The H9 Sukhoi SU26MM/DA-85R. Heres the link if you want to check out this plane. [link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_7846501/tm.htm]Aerozona's New Sukhoi[/link]

rc-plane

It will be a little bit before I can fly it. I am a Life Guard at the local pool and I am working weekends till Labor Day but then the summer jobs over and I can FLY!!!!

Radical Departure

My Feedback: (13)

Outstanding! Since it'll be a bit longer before ya fly it, take your time to make sure all is set up correctly. Speaking for myself, love building but loathe getting the linkage and such set up. Sometimes I'd rather take a whippin'! So, it usually takes me two evenings to work through it, but it'll be dead on because I DO NOT like to go back and dick with it.[:@] Ha! Used the H9 anglepro to set deflection. Mike McCormicks article on setting up dual elevators w/ DX7 was also helpful, as had not done dual ele's before. Thanks for the truck info. as well. Been shopping around and nice to know what might work. I have about an inch tops in my '97 Dodge Ram, so have to take the spinner off, but otherwise it fits fine.

To digress a bit... About a year ago I bought a 3-4 lb. bag of granules to spread over the backyard for bugs and such. Intended to take it out and use it, but I used it as an expedient chock one day since it was in the truck. Worked great! (I also use a high quality anti-skid pad on top of the rhino lining, chock other wheel with tool box, I know, sounds like a disaster in waiting.. but actually its worked great, and have experienced all manner of hills, braking and potholes, it stays put!). Odd part is have had folks at the field walk past the truck, seen the bag, look at it, and asked me if I would like to part with granules. Guess they never stop by wal-mart.. Keep us posted!

Radical Departure

My Feedback: (13)

Nice build!
Okay, I'm a curious george type.. I've got to ask.. noticed in one of the pics part of a tattoo on left wrist. What is it? Are you prior service by chance?

rc-plane

I am ready to fly it!!. Actually just got my decals today (well most of them). Thats why I am getting a more experanced guy to help out with the servos and throws, figured it would not hurt to get some help plus it keeps me from having to buy a programer!!!!

FlyerRick

RC...1972 SS/M Sniper. Long time ago, long story![sm=tired.gif] Who did you get your decals from? Bad Brad I hope???

rc-plane

Bad Brad and Dietrich. I bought the plane myself and my dad said he would buy the decals if I bought the plane. So we got the Dietrich decals from Dietrich and all the other decals (radio, engine, ect....) from Bad Brad.

Radical Departure

My Feedback: (13)

Hey Guys,
Just wanted to let you know about a problem I had with my DPA 260 this weekend. If you don't use wheel pants, and used the INCLUDED axles, you will find this of interest. On Sunday, first flt. of the day, lifted off and was about 15 ft. off the deck when the left wheel fell off! [X(] My first thought was to fly the gas out of it, but then said heck with that, wanted the extra weight on landing. Had a nice headwind of about 10 or better mph, lined it up and flew a nice approach, putting it near or at stall when it contacted. The strut dug in, the plane went tail up, touched the spinner to the ground, and sat back down. Saving grace was one; the wind, and two; it had rained heavily the day before. The prop sliced the ground so cleanly there wasn't even dirt on it. If fact there was no dirt or grass on the plane. Only damage was a hairline crack from the left side of the gearbox to the first rearward blindnut, picked up for another 1/2 " on the other side of same blindnut. Soaked some thinned epoxy into it then reinforced with some light area over the cracks. Now.. why did the wheel fall off? At the field, it looked like it had sheared somehow, but once got it home learned the truth...

At the end of the axle is a bolt head with 5/16th screw. Now.. I thought these axles were cut from one piece. Wrong! That screw is hollowed out and the axle is heat pressed or such onto it. Thats what came loose. Once the 3/16 axle separated from the bolt, there was absolutely nothing to keep the wheel on. Not sure how often something like that happens, but am replacing the included axles with DuBro. PSP might be better, but looks like those have a spacer built on, which would be great if using wheel pants, but otherwise sets the gear too far out. Anyway, defective part almost cost a nice repair job, thankfully nature intervened with wind and damp ground. The plane has never had a hard landing in 91 flights. I may slop some of my flying, but I'll ace the landing, so I don't think it was preventable. Gotta love those gremlins!

Ahh.. former 1/75th Ranger here, you're a couple years ahead of me, signed up in '78.

rc-plane

IT FLIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I got to fly it for the first time on Sunday. We got out to the field early and broke in the motor a little bit and then it was time. I got one of the real experienced guys to take it off and trim it out but then he handed me the radio........WOW! It flew great (although a little bit nervous) I decided to land it because I had been up for a while and we were not sure about the gas and everything. First time I brought it in I bounced it and then landed pretty good a little bit further down the runway.(That was my first time to land a big plane) I taxied it back and put a little bit more expo on the ailerons and then decided I had enought gas, so I took back off. (Boy does this thing look good when its taking off...well actually it looks good all the time) I flew it around to see about the ailerons, they were still fast but I could live with it. So I set up for landing again and this time it was perfect. Boy was I happy! Then I had to go to work so I had to put it up for the day![&o]

I went out and flew it again today and I liked it even more. I was at a sod farm this time (not the usuall flying spot) so it was wide open. Took of and the winds were strong today but it still flew great, I landed it again but it wasnt the best landing in the world. It was hard to land because the winds were so high (never flown in that kind of wind) and it was a new place (always hard the first time) but I got it down. Let the motor cool down and did it again. I let one of the other guys fly it when all of a sudden everyone saw something fly off..................... So the guy that was flying it landed it perfect. It was the canopy. Not the hole canopy section just the cockpit part. We found it and there was nothing wrong with it. It landed in a soft clump of grass.

I am planning of flying it Sat. but not Sun because we are going to the Clover Creek Invitational in Toone, TN. Some of the guys I fly with are competing so my family thought it would be cool to go out there and watch. It will be the first large scale IMAC contest I have been to. There are going to be some big name pilots out there so it should be fun.

I will let you know how it goes and I will try to get some pics on here.

rc-plane

rc-plane

Some more pics...........

FlyerRick

This is a great post...Nice looking plane and a nice job indeed on your maiden RC! We all want the best of luck for our fellow flyers on their maiden day and it is truly a great feeling for all of us when everything goes well!

Radical Departure

My Feedback: (13)

Outstanding! As time goes on you'll get more comfortable with it. Landings will get better, just modulate the throttle a bit to arrest the decent, let it grease right on in. Resist the urge to use the elevator to flare. It'll settle in so nice you'll find you rarely have to use it during final / touchdown. And it'll handle winds very well. On a good cross-wind it'll seem like you have to pile the rudder on it, but it will hold steady and track solid. Take a bit time to work through getting the surfaces tuned to your style of flying. I have my low rates setup for IMAC, running somewhere around 40-50% expo. High rates are full throws with around same expo. Truthfully, I haven't flown it with high rates all around. I'll flip a switch depending on what I'm doing, i.e. for harriers I'll flip the elev, etc.. You'll find yourself wanting to fly this plane a lot!

Congratulations on a successful maiden!

Radical Departure

My Feedback: (13)

Didn't really have anything else to post right now.. just wanted to hit the 100 post mark!

rc-plane

Out of the pics I posted what pic do you think would be the best to send in to RCU for the home page picture thing?

Radical Departure

My Feedback: (13)

I'd think either the first pic in post one or the first pic in post two.

salerno

well done on your first flights! she does fly nice hey!
That grass looks great! wish we had grass like that to fly off! i actually prefer grass to bitumen as it has more give if somthing goes wrong like a wheel coming off! just that our grass field is very bumpy!
nice pics too!

I got someone at the field to video my plane with smoke on the weekend. all he managed to film was the sky! so it no good!

rc-plane

Thanks for the compliments. Yea the grass is looking really good, earlier this summer it looked pretty bad the weeds got really thick, but one of our members does farm stuff so he had the right chemicals that knocked them out for good. The only thing I wish was different about our field is the trees. We have trees on one end of the runway and then some that run paralle (SP????) which are prett far away but there is a swamp behind those trees. You get used to them but it sometimes does scare away new members.

rc-plane

What prop should I got to next?? The DA 50 is breakin' in and I will need a new prop soon. Should I to with a 22x10 or 23x8 (think that is what the manual recomends)? I want to do IMAC with a little 3D.


Please Help

Chris

Radical Departure

My Feedback: (13)

Running a Xoar 22 x 10 here. Has worked great for break-in, IMAC and most 3D. Thought about a 23x8, but decided not to, won't brake as well as the 22x10 on downlines, so really don't see the need for me to use anything else. If you're not using the manufact. recommended prop (22x10, 23x8) for break-in, what are you using? Just curious why you would be using a different size?

With that, my DPA will be in the hanger for a bit. After the 99th flt., was holding the rudder positioning it on the restraint, when I felt it wiggle. It looks like most of the hinges have come loose. [:@] None are broken, just loose. So will likely take it off and re-hinge the thing and be done with it.

FlyerRick

137 flights here. I did re-new my kevlar pull pull lines on my rudder at 120 but I just stayed with the Xoar 22x10...as did 3 other flyers with their DPA 260's. The prop works great! I have 2 23x10 "Swords" but never even drilled them yet.

Radical Departure

My Feedback: (13)

Used the Dons HS lines for the pull-pull, which seem to be holding up very well.

Ha!!! I don't feel too bad then.. I too have two 23x10's sitting on a shelf, not drilled. Going to put them up for sale. Can't see going with anything but 22x10 on this bird. As you mentioned.. it works great!!!

FlyerRick

Hey I'll tell ya what radical...we'll take your 2 Xoars and put em with mine and start our own PropShop! (LOL)