Picked up used H9 Taylorcraft w/G26 have questions
 

I have searched and read anything I can find on the H9 Taylorcraft. Seems as though opinions vary on the power plant . . . imagine that. I was looking for a high wing gas aerobatic plane and thought this would fit the bill. I realize it won't have unlimited vertical and that's ok. Price seemed fair compared to putting together a new plane. It's in good shape and was told that it was never flown. Has a little bit of hanger rash but nothing severe. Have a handful of questions about the plane and power plant:

1. What is the preferred prop for this plane with a G26??
2. I plan on taking off on a reasonably smooth grass runway. How long of a run should I expect? This is planned to be sort of a beater plane to fly at the house. Have hundreds of acres to fly on, just not a perfect runway. I basically mow a waterway for a landing strip. Plan on losing the wheel pants and putting on some bigger tires.
3. What torque servos are required? I really only plan on lazy maneuvers, not trying to hover this thing or 3D. It appears to have standard JR servos installed. I am a Futaba guy and know nothing about JR servos. Did a search and they appear to only be around 45 ounces. Are 90 ounces required?? Came with a JR radio that is new but probably 6 yr's old. I will probably use it since I am near memory capacity on my 9C.
4. What's the deal with the spacer in front of the wing?? Doesn't seem to be the best fit. I plan on cutting a new one to snug the wing up tight especially since I didn't build it. This should insure no twist of the wing or getting out of square with the fuselage.
5. Wing struts needed or not?
6. General consensus is that it fly's really well if set up properly of course. Any tricks to set up outside of the manual, or from you experienced pilots??

Thanks a bunch. I think this is a great looking plane and hope it flies as good as it looks. Picked it up for 500 bucks ready to fly so I figure I can afford some time to "fix" some things if needed.

RE: Picked up used H9 Taylorcraft w/G26 have questions
 

I've got a used T-Craft that I picked up a while back. It's got a 2500 SuperTigre on it and an 18X8 prop. It flies well and balanced out well also. It's got plenty of power but not unlimited vertical. I think you'll be fine. I put 133 oz servoes in the rudder and elevator and it had aileron servos in it. Not sure what they are though. I think you'll like the plane. it's a blast to fly. A LOT of rudder control. Does a hammerhead that would knock out a full scale pilot. :D

RE: Picked up used H9 Taylorcraft w/G26 have questions
 

Scooter04,

You can run a 16X8, 17X6, or an 18X6 prop on a 26cc gasser. I like a little over kill on my planes as far as servos so if it were mine I'd probably run Hitec HS-645MG at 107 oz of torque. I have a Sig Rascal 110 with a G26 spinning a XOAR 18X6 prop and on a smooth runway with a little head wind it will left off in less than 50 feet. If it's heavier grass and bumpy there will be a lot of drag on the wheels and it will take a whole lot more space. If they are funtional wing struts they are needed. Refer to the manual to see if they are funtional. I've been looking in the RCU Classifieds at buying a H9 Taylorcraft but most of what I see is $400.00 to $500.00 just for the NIB ARF.

RE: Picked up used H9 Taylorcraft w/G26 have questions
 

Thanks guys.

I had a feeling that I would replace the servos. I'll check out the price on the 645's. Do you run them on the ailerons too? I would assume standard on throttle is ok.

Motor has a 16x8 on it currently, but I may try the 18X6 as well. Should give the shortest take off and best climb if I am thinking correctly.

Seems like there is a velocity stack missing on the carb. I have the manual but not the box the motor came in. Is it needed?

I was surprised the manual has such a wide oil mix ratio listed. (25-40:1) Based on experience, is there a recommended oil brand and mix ratio?

Sorry for all the questions. First gasser and I don't usually buy used stuff, so I am back tracking through the manuals and checking over everything. Been flying more heli's than planes over the last few years. I like the high wing acrobatic planes and figured the Taylorcraft would be a good plane to get used to a gas engine.

Thanks again. What in the world did we all do before the internet??

RE: Picked up used H9 Taylorcraft w/G26 have questions
 

Scooter04,

Yeah, run the 645's all around and I normally run a 425 on the throttle. Most of the time a velocity stack is not needed. Try it without the velocity stack first. Some planes have a strange air flow coming over the cowl and I've had to use the velocity stack before. I run Pennzoil for air cooled engine at 40:1.

RE: Picked up used H9 Taylorcraft w/G26 have questions
 

Thanks Zippi.

Carb is completely inside the cowl. Since the previous owner had no idea how to cut a cowl, there should be plenty of air flow due to the giant hole in the bottom. We'll see how it goes. What will be the signs . . coughing of the motor, reduced power?

How do you like your sig? Was thinking of putting the sig or an RC Guys Decathlon together, but came across this plane.

RE: Picked up used H9 Taylorcraft w/G26 have questions
 

Well, if it gets to hot it will shut down and if the air flow isn't right it will go flat and may stay running until you cut it to idle and then die. My Rascal runs fine with the G26. Took it out this past Saturday and had a great time. The G26 is plenty of power for this plane.

RE: Picked up used H9 Taylorcraft w/G26 have questions
 

I also bought one used and crashed on the second flight. Cause of the crash was pilot error. A cross wind existed, which put the base leg downwind and I slowed the plane too much and at the moment of initiating the final turn, it stalled. Powering up almost saved it but it pancaked, throwing the wing and ripping out the gear and pretty much everything up front. The plane is rebuildable with only minor damage to the wing and no damage aft of the cockpit. The cowl actually survived but with many abrasions. I've got a thread working in the crash and repair forum.

The foot windows make this plane somewhat weak structured aft of the forward cabin bulkhead. Repairs have been started and it was discovered that the plane had been damaged previously. Gear mounts had been ripped out and some bulkhead damage. My repairs are going slow as it is a low priority effort.

I would suggest some careful attention to slow flight testing for tip stalling (do so with plenty of altitude). Slow it down well and initiate some turn and look for any tip stalling. I did not have a chance to test mine but when back together it will certainly get a test very quickly.

If it has any tip stalling tendency as mine seemed to have, there is a way to reduce such nasty behavior, especially on planes like this and a Cub having plenty of wing and barn door ailerons. Simulate washout by mixing a slight bit of up aileron at reduced throttle settings. It does require setting the model up for flapperons with individual channels for the aileron servos. I've got a Cub that had such nasty character and doing so solved it and I'll likely do the same with the T Craft when rebuilt. On the Cub, up trim is started at about 1/3 throttle and increases to about 1/8" total at low throttle. Landing glide slope did not suffer on the Cub and no elevator mix was needed to offset the very slight spoiler effect.

Note: Setting up for flapperons also allows easy differential trim. I don't know about the T-Craft but a Cub also enjoys a healthy amount of aileron differential and the T-Craft might also.

RE: Picked up used H9 Taylorcraft w/G26 have questions
 

I always wondered why they quit carrying this arf. It's still sold in Europe. Seen one fly several times. 5 foot knife edges down the runway are really cool looking. The guy lost it when hovering it.

RE: Picked up used H9 Taylorcraft w/G26 have questions
 

AA5BY - I will be sure and do some testing on the stall tendencies up high. I have read that it is similar to a cub in handling, in that you initiate turns with the rudder, and that it is squirrelly on the ground if you just punch the throttle. I have a 40 size cub, so I have some idea of their quarkiness.

So you have programmed the ailerons "up" and found them effective? I was wondering if it would like the ailerons dropped slightly like flaps. Seems to vary depending on the plane in my experience. I will remember your comments when I reprogram my radio.

Sorry to hear about yours. That's my biggest fear. Go through everything and whack it on the first couple flights. If it's pilot error, I think I would feel better than if it was something due to the previous owner. I am basically taking everything back apart that I can to make sure it's ok.

mrbigg - I thought the same thing when I found this plane. I jumped on the internet to find out more about it and couldn't believe it wasn't made any more. Seems to be a very small selection of large high wing acrobats. Thought about not buying it, but figured about the only thing I would "buy" if I smacked it would be the cowl and windows. I guess the cowl is still made so I figured it shouldn't matter too much. Wonder if it did not sell well? I haven't really read any threads that say it doesn't fly well.

Zippi - I guess I will hope for good air flow then! Is the point of the velocity stack to also penetrate the cowl or not necessarily? Even within the cowl I would assume it changes flow, hence the name.

One thing has me puzzled on the G26. On the throttle linkage, it looks like a nylon horn from a steerable nose wheel is used to attach to the carb. Looks the the diameter of the hole is a little large, so that when the set screw was tightened, there is a little gap looking down through the horn. I gotta believe there is something that fits better. I have used rods with z-bends, threaded rods with clevis, golden rod, cable, you name it for linkages. Is there something appropriate for gas engines that I am not thinking of??

Also, how does everyone work the choke? This guy had nothing set up on the choke and it will be under the cowl. Again, this one was apparently never flown, so I would imagine they did not figure out some of these issues.

Thanks again.

RE: Picked up used H9 Taylorcraft w/G26 have questions
 

If I recall, a 5/32 wire nose gear arm fits the shaft quite well. I prefer plastic linkage to the throttle using a short threaded section to the throttle arm on a gasser for the reason of avoiding carrying RF noise back to the receiver or near the antenna.

The idea behind slight up trim to the ailerons is to simulate wing washout and reduce the stall tendency at the wing tip. With washout not wanted at full speed or while inverted, the simulated washout at lower throttle settings seems to be working well. I should add that on the Cub at the same time as the up mix was programmed, which required setting the plane up as flapperon type, the door was open to also set a generous amount of differential to reduce some yaw effect away from the turn. The idea there of course is to reduce the the outboard (to the turn) wing drag caused by a down aileron. Between those two changes in setup, the nasty habits of that Cub were controlled. There is also on that Cub some rudder mix with ailerons but this was done from the start knowing that Cubs liked it.

RE: Picked up used H9 Taylorcraft w/G26 have questions
 

I have a H9 T-Craft with a G-26 and 645MG's. It tip stalls when brought in too slow, but I just keep my thumbs on the sticks, and anticipate it.

RE: Picked up used H9 Taylorcraft w/G26 have questions
 

Scooter04,

If you look at an aluminum velocity stack you'll see that it is cut on an angle and that IMO is to capture more air and that was the problem I was having on my Giles 202, needed more air to the carb. If you look at the black plastic velocity stacks they are more round in shape and are mint to give a more even air flow over the carb. Some times a static line needs to be attached to the carb on the mixing plate and ran back into the fuse to keep a good flow of air that is to be mixed with the fuel. I had to do this on two of my Brillelli engines. I always test fly my new plane with no velocity stack or static line and if things don't go well I start adding.

RE: Picked up used H9 Taylorcraft w/G26 have questions
 

A good illustration of the purpose of a velocity stack is one of those air chucks that has a nipple to fit a small hose. Even though the air coming out of the chuck has some constriction, its rapid flow past the nipple tube creates negative pressure at the hose nipple and the air chuck can be used with a hose to suck degreaser from a jug when cleaning up an engine for repairs.

The same dynamic is true for a carb throat that is square to the oncoming stream of air. To prevent the reduced pressure and allow the engine to perform as it does without the oncoming rush of air, a velocity stack is used to stop the lowering of throat pressure.

RE: Picked up used H9 Taylorcraft w/G26 have questions
 

I guess the trick is to figure out how slow is too slow. Ha! I suppose we do that with every plane and just don't think about it anymore.

The explanations of the velocity stack makes sense. Thanks for the education Zippi & AA5BY. The more I thiought about it, in looking at the cowl, if I do have to add the stack, it looks like it may hit the cowl. Previous owner seems to have the motor mounted off center a little too far. I realize he was compensating for the thrust line and trying to get the nose cone centered . . . but he missed. Not by a lot, but enough to notice. Enough discussion on that subject, if I am back on here crying the thing won't run right, then you can tell me where to get G26parts. :D

Octanehuffer - What kit or ARf is the little one? Is that an Eflite T-Craft? Also thanks on the tip stall warning. Sounds like everyone agrees on that charateristic. Do you like how it flies? Nice hammerheads and basic aerobatics? Am I gonna get a little vertical with this motor?

AA5BY - I was so stinkin lazy with my cub, I never mixed anything out of it. I'll get into the radio on this one and get her flying nice and polite. I'll also compare the horn on the throttle to one at the LHS and see if it is indeed a 5/32. Your theory on the linkage makes sense. I just had a bad experience with the "Nyrods" or whatever brand came with the sig somethin extra. The weather made the rods change in length and it seemed like I trimmed the thing everytime I went to the field. I changed them all out on that plane. Poor thing has been hanging in the basement for about 4 years.

I pulled the muffler off tonight. I think I could have sneezed and knocked it off. No loctite. Appears to be a Bisson Muffler, because it has the letters B.C.M. on it. It only has one outlet. The ones on Bisson's website for the G26 have two outlets. Maybe they changed them in the past couple of years. Does the muffler make that much of a difference on the G26?

Pulled the motor, and you guessed it, no loctite. I think if this plane was flown it would have vibrated itself apart.

Pulled the gas tank and the two front lower corners were cracked. LHS said that H9 didn't have a direct replacement so I grabbed a Dubro that fit. I'm replacing fuel lines, clunk, etc. How long of flight times with the stock tank? I believe it's 18 ounces.

Picked up some 645MG's and will be changing out the standard servos. Is everyone using the "stick" for the elevator control rod?? I have a similar set up on an Aeroworks Edge and was never fond of it, however, it does seem to work okay. I have a suspicion I should fish this one out of the plane and make sure the rods are attached to the stick properly. Losing elevator control would be exciting.

Thanks again for all the input. Not too many people at the club into high wing planes with Zenoah engines, so this is very helpful. Plus they look at me like I am an alien since I have been flying helicopters for the last few years.[X(]

RE: Picked up used H9 Taylorcraft w/G26 have questions
 

Sorry I can't help a lot with the flight characteristics of this plane with a gasser on it. Mine has a ST 2500 on it which I believe is quite a bit lighter than a Zenoah 26cc. I do like the way mine flies and I'm sure that the gasser shouldn't make much of a difference on flying. Mine has great vertical with the 2500. I have to agree that Octane's little guy is pretty cool. I had a Great Planes T-craft for a while and have thought about getting another one. Having a mini-me is a cool idea.

You'll definitely enjoy the T-craft though.

RE: Picked up used H9 Taylorcraft w/G26 have questions
 

The little one is a Great Planes T-Craft. It has an OS 40LA in it. WAYYYYYY over powered, but I had the engine around and didnt want to waste a .32SX on it. It gets 28 min flights just putsing around. It only needs to fly at 1/3 throttle and is a very fun plane.

RE: Picked up used H9 Taylorcraft w/G26 have questions
 

I didn't realize that Great Planes had a T-Craft. I have seen the E-Flite one and it looks pretty nice.

Octanehuffer - How do you like the performance of the G26 in this plane? What kind of flight times? Sounds like the little guy gets along well!

TCrafty - Yours must be nice and light. With the size of this wing, I have a feeling you could fly pretty well with several configurations.

I haven't found a bunch of time to work on mine. Basically have stripped everything out of it, including some sloppy blocking and shims on the servos and motor mount. Never understand why people don't take just a little longer and do things neatly. The hardware is all mismatched. To take of the wing struts I think I used 3 different drivers. The servos didn't even have all the same fasteners . . . Geeeez. Looking forward to getting it set up. I keep stopping by the LHS and picking up the odds and ends to match things up again.

She'll be good as new soon.

Thanks guys.

RE: Picked up used H9 Taylorcraft w/G26 have questions
 

Hello,
Just to let you know another option. I am running a Fugi 32 with an 18x6 Zinger. Great power for smooth aerobatics. I also had one years ago with the G38. That was plenty of power.

Jamie

RE: Picked up used H9 Taylorcraft w/G26 have questions
 

I have one with a G26EI and on standard Futaba 3010 servos and it flies GREAT~! I love to cruise around with mine and it provides a nice relaxing flying time :D

as far as prop, I uses a mezjlik 18x8 and it seems to work nice for the motor

good luck

matt

RE: Picked up used H9 Taylorcraft w/G26 have questions
 

I feel like I abandoned this thread and thought I would update and also ask a couple more questions. Everyday life seems to get in the way of this hobby for me, you know work, paying the bills . . .

Finished going through the used Tcraft and have flown almost 1 gallon through the G26. It seems to be running well and is picking up a little power and idles a little smoother each flight. So far I have leaned the low end a few times. When I get some time I want to tach the high end and see how I have affected it so far, but transition is smooth. It has been consistent in starting, about 3 flips on choke to burp, and then 1-3 unchoked to start. The C&H ignition was a life saver for me, although it added another battery to fuss with. I used a 4 cell 2000 mah for the ignition and a 5 cell 2000 mah for the receiver.

I also decided to put the spectrum module in my 9C, so this is my first 2.4 set up on a plane. It has worked well so far.

I did loose a muffler bolt which was pretty exciting. Relative to how the motor is mounted, if I would have lost the rear bolt the muffler would have swung into the prop. As it where, the muffler pivoted away from the prop which is a good thing.

The question I have is in regard to the landing gear stiffening wires. I lost one in flight or on a landing, don't know which. I noticed the holes that the wire goes through were elongated. I would not say I have had any real rough landings, some definitely prettier than others but it hasn't been smacked down on the runway if you know what I mean. With the wires on, the gear obviously seems real stiff with no give. Did everyone leave the wires on or take them off? They don't seem to be needed for anything but looks as the gear are pretty stiff. I now need to decide rather to replace the missing one or take the other off. Tonight I flew with just one because I wanted to burn some gas.:D

All in all this is a real nice flying plane. If the new one is anything like the original, you guys are really going to enjoy it.

Thanks!

RE: Picked up used H9 Taylorcraft w/G26 have questions
 

How was the vertical with the G38? Was it close to unlimited?