AA5BY

My Phaeton 90 got coaming tubing from lowes plumbing section... it comes gloss black and adhered very well with canopy adhesive. I drilled a 5/16 hole in a piece of balsa and inserted a #11 blade and pulled the tubing through the hole to slice kerf.

Another trick for installing the wind screen on the thin plywood foredeck is when cutting out the windscreen, add four tabs on bottom edge (two forward and one each side). The tabs make it very easy to cut slots for the tabs and slide the windscreen into them. I then heated small T pins and locked the tabs from within and applied some glue. It made the wind screen installation a piece of cake.

I wished I'd gone with quad ailerons... the roll rate is ok but when doing an Immelmann turn, the roll is very very slow and occasionally will even balk at rolling out.

The Phaeton 90 is one of the best ground handling planes I've ever owned and it has beautiful climb outs and landing glide slopes. If the engine is yet to be chosen, I'd consider a small gas motor like the Zenoah G-20 or Brilleli 26. This airplane has a lot of drag and a bigger motor than those isn't going to do much more for it than add weight.

Flying... if there is a head wind, it will need power on landing, again because of the high drag. If no wind, the idle will need to be low to get it down. Don't try an Immelman at low altitude until confident it will roll upright. Stall is straight forward.

I'm running a rather small converted weed eater on mine and it flies like a scale biplane. A G-20 or Brilleli 26 would provide better aerobatics with fuller loops.

I also had to brace the landing gear from spreading... this was done with 1/16 stainless cable and cable locks. To install this, I used stiff center spring enclosed by heat shrink tubing. The wire provides a spreader at 3 inches of height above ground. I've DuBro air tires and an Ohio specialties tail wheel bracket. A quality tail wheel bracket will go a long way towards exceptional ground handling. A bracket that allows the wheel to tilt even slightly will degrade the exceptional ground handling this bird is capable of.

whatwind

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tomorow ill run to the hobby shopfor needfull things than start the final sanding color will be white monocote witht transparent red yellow with black pin striping i found the transparent colors realy stand when lain over white. I'm proply going to put on differnt landing gear with wheel paints. another thing I want to try is to put luvers in the cowl. will try to post pictures when i get this #@$#@#$#@##@#***&^%&&&^$ computer working right planes arnt the only things that charsh!!!!!!

MJM

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Whatwind - that's a great idea about overlaying transparent monokote over white. I wish I had done that on mine. I may just checker the bottom wing that way!

I used Four Star 120 landing gear on mine. They don't look as good as AA5Y's Blue/White Phaeton (nor are they as light), but they were easy to bolt on. I ordered them from Sig.

Looking forward to seeing your finished plane.

Mike

MJM

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Here's a photo of Phaeton with Sig 120 landing gear, when mounted directly onto the mounting block out of the kit. The drawback is the aluminum is wide and it at angle to the air when it's flying. I don't know the degree of incidence. I think this is causing the down trim, I had to provide to achieve level flight. I know the engine is mounted with the exact amount of incidence as shown in the plans, along with the tail section. Bottom wing is at zero incident and top wing is +1 incidence.

whatwind

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I don't think its yur landing gear If you check the begining post some one else had the same problem. still trying to figure out how to post pictures. should be working on air plane.

AA5BY

I agree.. down trim was needed for standard gear as well.

Rodney

MJM, all my bipes, including two Phaeton 90's, all flew best after I set the upper wing at a minus 1.5 degrees relative to the lower wing. If you can experiment on that a bit, I'll bet you find it flys much nicer with that positive incidence out of the top wing. They also all liked about 3 degrees right thrust and 3 to 5 degrees down thrust. The same set up also worked best on seven Airomasters and three Lazy Aces I've built and flown.

whatwind

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boy was I way off being ready to cover so many littel details you guys are setting the bar way up there from the pictures ive seen Im going to realy buckel down so i won't be ashamed to show it in public. I got some brass tubeing and used this to hold the n struts together. I also did this to he landing gear to make it stronger by crossing a small wire from one side to the other.[img][/img]

MJM

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Thanks guys, for the suggestions on the trim. I'll try some negative incidence on the wing this week and see what happens, then I'll move on to changing the degree of engine thrust. Can't wait to go flying tomorrow!

whatwind

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with weather and thanksgiving (a new prioraty is inslation in the shop) the top wing is almost covered. I put a picture of what i did with the landing gear

whatwind

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OK I hope to fly her on 12/06/07 the top wing is finnished. The bottom only needs trim and ails ( I trying something different insted of 1.5 in ails I'm putting in 2 inch hope this will increase thi roll rate) the wheels were delivered today. The barn is ow sealed to keep out the cold. and looking around the barn i noticed i have quite a collection of paritly finished kits Ive gotten from estaite sales. I've decided when I'm gone they will have unopened kits crashed planes or flyers. things to finnish some one else started 1 awing baltamore 2 a royal b25 3 a starduster[80 inch top wing ] 4 72 inch p47.
they want to make football pay per view hahahaha I have other things to do. will post next thursday it flied ro dieded.

Edwin

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That is totally unexceptable. You must build all four at the same time.
Edwin

MJM

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Whatwind,
What company puts out a "Starduster"?

I had radio problems, last weekend, and wasn't able to compare the differance in wing incidence. I'll keep everyone posted once I'm able to fly again and compare the difference between positive and negative incidence on a Phaeton with only bottom ailerons.

whatwind

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the starduster was just a set of plans by someone .I got fhe plane at a swap meet three years ago the fuse was built and sheeted and the wings were built .a steal at 50 dollars you would think but wait till you buy the engine and covering for this monster. now that Ive built the 90 Im about ready to hit it.but the war bird is the first fly in next year so Ill hit them first.

Edwin

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Well? You still gonna maiden tomarrow?
Edwin

whatwind

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not looking good sentyou a message I'll send you another to night made four trips to the hobbie shops for nit pickersthe last two days engine on installing raido have painted n's and landing gear . fule tank it . still have to cover tail feathers and fuse cg bird ste throws set engine have to play doctor tag tomorow moring check your in box on the verse I'll leave you a note around ten pm . but if tomorow is like to day I 'll leave the 90 sitting and burn a gallon of fuel in the sportster.

whatwind

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no fly tomorrow . I need to slow down and do her right. it's been several years sence I built a kit . the last was a bristol m1 Im sorry guys but I got way ahead of myself when i stated i was about ready to cover and i forgot how long it takes to do the little details. I want to dress up the all the wire wings and landing gear. post pictures soon.

whatwind

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Just an up date things to do yet. I'm trying to wrap the cabane and n wires like MJM did his .the easiest way I found to do this was to cut a piece of wood sand a grove into it wrap it with covering glue the wire into the grove then cover the exposed wire. for cockpit molding I took a spark plug wire cut out the wire painted it black works great but I still want something to trim the windsheld with. raido is in throws are set . trim, polit,aileron top to bottom link and engine run and set are all thats left. I have to say this was the easiest engine cowl i have ever fitted. post more pics soon thank you for your support

Edwin

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I've seen aluminum tape used to trim windshields.
Edwin

whatwind

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Sorry guys it will be a wile yet. I went with monocote because I had some bright colors left over from another build amd thought I had enough white to do it. My first instnict was dark bule solartex red and white paint with crystal clear coat. but went with plastic to save weight. I bought a new iron, a thermoter, a mit, and a sealing tool. I used a tack cloth to get all the dust I streched the monocote to the point where i thought the balsa might crack. I streched and tacked in a 100 places than ironed at the stated temp, heat guned rubed with mit till there was not a hent of a wrinkel anywhere. Two days later t looked like a 90 year old in a bikini ( I worked the lake for 14 years and know what they "shutter" look like) I want this bird to be perfict so am going with my first instinct and have order the solartex the hobbie stores here don't carry it. In the question and answer section there is a good descussion on aileron conections on biplanes.

















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bgfireman

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I have one of these. My dog was kind enough to break the horz. stab. at the fuse.I decided today to get it out and bet back to work on it. When she broke it it was not finished yet. When I was working on it about two years ago I had a Saito 100 to go in it. It is gone now and I think I want to go with a G20EI. Ive just read this whole post and am excited about getting back to it. Hey What wind got any pictures?

bgfireman

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Here is a picture or two.

MJM

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BG Fireman,

It's looking really nice in the bare bones. Looks like a little bit of sanding and your ready for some covering! I flew my plane last Sunday. It's a lot of fun to fly! Landings are really easy with it as well.

MJM

whatwind

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Got the plane just about done and ready to fly looked at it hated it started recover wings are covered tailfeathers done bottom and starbord fuse done. ailerons cut into top wings "there is a good post in queston and answer on bipe ails" paint bought, computer haywire shrinking pics to 7mb when I go to load they have changed to 2000mb. I work with a young man who got out of the army last year but still wants to play army and broke his foot playing paint ball now I have to cover his shift to. had to give up day off I requsted two months ago when he comes back to work the ribbing factor will be at X20. The first day I had my pup he put a paw through a wing" 9 years ago" a satio 56 taught him to respect planes have pics will post when comp fixed.

Gizmo-RCU

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I am about ready to start mine and have been mulling over the aileron situation. My first instinct is to cut down the wing ribs on the top wing to match the lower wing and then add the ailerons. Both wings would be the same and match in apperance? Cutting into the top wing would seem to present problems with aileron thickness, etc. Anyone have experiance or suggestions before the cutting starts?

Thanks, Bruce