RE: RC Guys Super Decathlon coming
 

Sometimes "easy" isn't always fun. I get bored with easy after a while and need a challenge. But besides that, it is my opinion, and only my opinion, that until full scale airplnes start flying with electric motors, there will never be any room in my hangar for a 'scale' rc airplane powered by electric. I think they should be restricted to the fun fly category...but to each their own. I have nothing againts electrics. It's just extremely weird to me to see a 1/4 scale Decathlon whiz silently by me without the sound of a combustion engine. Again, it's just my opinion.

RE: RC Guys Super Decathlon coming
 

Outacontrol, This love of the SD is shared by many builders, flyers, and some like them yellow, or red, or blue, or white. This is why this hobby of ours is so exciting. Some try to fly it with an old Cox 20, others will fly it with a twin 3W 150, and some like electric. I do my things, they do their things, we meet at the field and have a good time.
Moja has a video of his plane is flight. it was flying better than good. I respect him and how he goes about this hobby. There is so much flexibility and choices out there that more people become interested and we will haVE more enjoymnent. We are safe, Cap Canaveral does not llunch with electric yet.
Kidding.
Hourra for the SD, built by American Aircraft!
Ray

RE: RC Guys Super Decathlon coming
 

Ray, here is my Dynaflite Decathlon now formerly owned by me. had a G38 for power swing an 18 x 8 prop. Believe or not, I had Futaba standard 3004 servos throughoit the plane and never had a failure or bad event. I know...crazy[:-] but I knew little about servos when I put it together and thought the power of 6 volts would handle all the crazy and wild aerobatics I put it through. With probably luck alone, I was right. But, I strongly advised the gentleman I sold it to to change out all the servos to S3010's or something similar as I thought the 3004's would fail one of these days to old age or stress or both. I'm sierprised I never sheared a gear...I was rough on it! It was a nice plane but I didn't think it looked very scale compared to RC Guy's Decathlon. And...it always irritated me that the landing gear was so weak. had to straighten it out after almost every landing.

RE: RC Guys Super Decathlon coming
 

Point taken. Whatever brings them to the field and enjoy the hobby. :)

RE: RC Guys Super Decathlon coming
 

I think your yellow bird is pretty nice. If I do a scale plane, I pick one full scale and it is the plane I will be doing. I researched it, it becomes my goal. On the subject of servos, I always put enough, always carefull at the back. I do not like the surface of your runway, should look for something smoother.
The soft gear is easy to fix, it becomes your challenge to land smooth, to fly it to the runway, or you give up and buy aftermarket to put that out of the way, but then maybe you will frog land and cause more damage. It is like golf, many options.
Ray

RE: RC Guys Super Decathlon coming
 

LOL! That's not my runway....that's my stone surfaced driveway. I took a few pics of it there the night before I sold it the next day. As far as the landing gear being soft...that's the next guy's problem now, may he be challenged to make smooth landings on the runway. [sm=lol.gif]

RE: RC Guys Super Decathlon coming
 

I am in a good mood, I knew it was not your runway! Serious, I am building now an original Goldberg Falcon 56, silk and dope with a Veco 19. Next a Tiger 60, next an original Skylark, next a TF Arrow II converted to III. I have a lot of work on my board, good to late spring. The Falcon is the plane that got me into this hobby back in 1969. Go see my gallery, I build a lot of planes.
Ray

RE: RC Guys Super Decathlon coming
 

LMAO bud, that was a good one:) But I'll stick with the easy stuff, no slimers for me... Hope you had a great holiday also. I'm heading back down south in May. I'll have to look you up for a beer and a trip to your local flying field.

RE: RC Guys Super Decathlon coming
 

I'm working on the RC Guys Decathlon right now. Up next is the Austars 110'' Agwagon ARF with simulated spray using smoke, then on to the hangar 9 J-3 Cub 1/4 scale I bought a while back. Then I have a project to really put my heart in: a Gruman Agcat ARC kit from Duane Habets. It has a 89'' wingspan (top wing) and should weigh in around 26-28 lbs. I may add smoke / spray system to it depending on how much it actually does end up weighing. It, like my first Decathlon, is also built heavy...probably have to go with a G62 or more with that one.
Going to check out your gallery now.

RE: RC Guys Super Decathlon coming
 

Let me know where you will be. May, I should be around.
Ray

RE: RC Guys Super Decathlon coming
 

It's all good, no insult taken.:D Opinions are like butt holes, everybody has one and mine usually stinks... I say HOOOOORAAAAAH to whatever shows up at the field. It's all fun to watch and even more fun to fly. This may surprize you guys, but the noise generated by my motor and that 18 inch prop spinning kinda has a unique muffled motor sound to it. Now settle down troops, I didn't say it's the same as a bad ass 4 cyl 4 stroke, but it's kinda cool and the plane flys like the devil. [X(] My 1/5 scale KMP DeHavilland Beaver e-conversion is almost done. She's 18 lbs, 95 inch span, fiberglass fuse, running an AXI 5345 motor and will swing a 3 blade prop. Here's the link.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_9355967/tm.htm

RE: RC Guys Super Decathlon coming
 

Warbird, will do. I'll look you up when I hit town.

RE: RC Guys Super Decathlon coming
 

Question for anyone knowledgeable about gas engines...I am installing the radio in the RC Guys Decathlon (powered by a Cermark SPE-43)and the kit provides hardware for pull-pull rudder connection. The cable provided is not the plastic coated stuff...now for the question...I had to cross my cables in the tail (left wire goes to right side and right wire goes to left side) to make things work smoother...Will this be a potential radio interference problem with the two metal cables touching due to vibration??? Or am I getting worried about nothing??? Also I have my cables pretty tight...any advice on how much tension there needs to be on these cables??? I have a 1/4 scale servo for the rudder.

RE: RC Guys Super Decathlon coming
 

Route your radio antenna as far from the rudder cables as you can and you should be fine. I'm wondering why you would cross them? Is there tension in the cable if you routed each cable to it's respectve side?

RE: RC Guys Super Decathlon coming
 

R/CA, I'm no radio guru but i would think coated cable would be better if they rub.  I always use coated cables or Kevlar cord, and have never had problems. As far as the tightness, they don't have to be tight as a banjo string, just enough so there is no slop in the system.
Imo radio systems are much better than they used to be, and most set ups do not require as much attention to eliminate rf interference as they did in the past.  hope that helps
 

RE: RC Guys Super Decathlon coming
 

No idea why you had to cross the cables. Cable tension should be snug, not overly tight. Too much tension will eventually damage the servo.

RE: RC Guys Super Decathlon coming
 

Thanks guys, I might just put on a smaller arm to see if I can get away with uncrossing the wires. Those 1/4 scale servos have some big arms on them.

RE: RC Guys Super Decathlon coming
 

One of my planes required the wires to be crossed. Use a length of heat shrink tubing on one of the wires where they cross to prevent metal to metal contact and it protects the wires from wearing on each other.

RE: RC Guys Super Decathlon coming
 

Crossing is not such a sin, I did that way in my SD. Has a lot to do with geometry of the setup. Here's a link to some good information on setting up a pull-pull system. http://www.swbmfg.com/rudex.html

I started my rudder servo in the tail end of the plane (underneath the fuse) thinking I had a heavy engine (ZDZ40), but moved it back to the cabin area. I used nylon coated wire, but to facilate installation I used those 36" antenna wire tubes to help guide the wires from the rear to the forward area. I just left them in place to reduce rubbing against each other and other parts of the plane. Plus, If I take off the servo arm on the servo, the wires won't get lost back in the fuse, requiring some long sticks to fanagle it loose.

Michael

RE: RC Guys Super Decathlon coming
 

Hi
Try taking two pieces of outer ny-rod tubing about 3-5" inches long ,take some string and tie the tubes into an " X " ...
put your pull -pull cables thru ( crossed Respecfuly ) ( can not spell _d)
The tubes will fall into place where the cables will cross....[sm=thumbup.gif] ....

Check out the books From Mr. Don's [link=http://www.donshobbyshop.com]Don's Hobby Shop , Salina, KS[/link] ..
His Book on "Gas Engines- Giant Planes Contains a Easy setup for "pull-pull "...... :D
Hope helps....

Here some pics.
Later ,
Mark K.

RE: RC Guys Super Decathlon coming
 

Hey guys. I/m picking up my Decathlon this week-end and need a little help finding the build sections of the forum. Can anyone help me out. Thanks guys

RE: RC Guys Super Decathlon coming
 

Does anybody know If the issue concerning the cowl up front has been resolved other that moving the engine to suit. was it just a misprint of the thrust line??

RE: RC Guys Super Decathlon coming
 

You can down load the assembly instructions from RCGuy's website, they have been updated and have all the correct info and directions in them. If you do a search of the foum you will also find some updated pics that show the correct thrust line it is not in the middle of the hole like you would think.I have a new kit purchased this fall and it is going together with no hitches following the ins. posted on RCG website

RE: RC Guys Super Decathlon coming
 

Nice. Thanks Andy good to hear that things are working better with the model now. Im going to get mine tommorrow. I've been talking to Dan at RC Guys and he said to come on over and pick one up. It will give me a good chance to open the box up and make sure there are no shipping damages .

RE: RC Guys Super Decathlon coming
 

Hi All,

I talked my Wife into letting me order one of these at the end of the month :D. I have been reading the thread and looking around at engines and I am thinking about getting the RCGF 45cc from Balsa Products. They offer two styles, rear induction and side induction. The rear induction looks like it will be too long to fit good. Has anyone run this engine and has an opinion on it?

Thanks
-Jeff