Shui hooked me up. The Turbinator ARF arrived DHL Thursday. Now I have to work on it! Quite the size box, but I like the one piece fuselage.

Plenty of install space for systems, as well as turbine of choice! Note previous pics of pre-hinged flaps. Too cool!

Wow, look at the flaps on that !

did fuel tank come with it

Hello, is it good for the P80SE ?

I liked the pics you have posted, then I went to his site for more info on this jet and there is Nothing, wing size, Fuse length? turbine requirments?


Mark

How's the build manual look? Is this a "pre- production" version? 9 months since start of production I wonder when regular shipments will be made?

Anyway.... How about a shot of the manual? Did it come with the fiberglass tank mentioned in earlier posts?

Dave Rigotti

The manual is being worked.

It's about 72" WS, and the Fus is 80". I'll get control throws and CG from Dave soon, but since it is really no different in dimensions from the Ziroli plans I'll have those throws to compare. The fuel tank is a $70 add-on that fits quite well. The ARF includes 5-ply engine mounting rail extensions that appear to handle a range of engines.

The engine compartment is 6.5" wide. Between the fixed engine rails is 5.5", and with the engine mounts installed there is 4.5" clearance. P70, P80, K80, Mercury, Rabbit. You could fit a P120, but way overkill.
I've seen Shui fly it and I believe it was with the Rabbit and K80. He will have to confirm. Check YouTube for demo flights, at KY Jets 2010, and FLJets 2011.

I saw Shui fly it with a K80 at California Jets and it rocked!

How resonable is the price???? Looks good.

Depends on what you consider reasonable. The website says $1000.00 [].

The price is not so unreasonable in light of comparable arf 's on the market but when you add in shipping for the big box it comes in itcan get
pricey. Some arf 's that I think we could compare would be the TBM DV8R at $800.00 the Boomerang sprint at $800.00 the PST Reaction at
$1600 shipped and also the Boomerang Elan at $1300.00.You still have to add shipping on all the models I listed except the Reaction but
I think they all can be shipped most any where in the USA for less than a hundred bucks.

I had a chance to fly Shui's turbinator at CA Jets this year, power was Kingtech K80, and it flew great, good power and very responsive to all controls yet not twitchy at all. would have no reservations of buying one as a everyday fun jet.

Kevin

Wern't they talking one time of offering a 44 size of this bird??

I have the plans and a laser cut short kit. I plan on building mine (Along with the other 6+ projects I have [X(]). $800 for the Sprint or DV8R is a stretch. I have the Sprint. It is a nice ARF and great design, but worth $800? I got tired of building and wanted to get flying. The Reaction and the Elan are composite ARF's so the comparison is not quite the same. As far as shipping goes, I have shipped 3 BVM kits, which come in pretty large boxes, and it has cost me less than $40 to do so (Fedex Ground). I'm not bagging on the ARF, if you have more money than time it is a great option. My problem is I have more time than money .

The nice thing about a plans built plane is it can be reduced or blown up. I read about someone making an 83% sized one. The Laser cutters can easily scale the cut files down to a suitable size.

$190.00 shipping

PP your in the same boat as i when have more time than money. I'v built all my life and that makes one look hard and long at the price of jet ARF's. I would love to build the 44 size and will find out more or where to buy the short kits and the plans later. I e-mailed Zirroli and ask about the 44 size Turb twice and never got a return. I think LDS does a short kit but not sure on that. There's one on our show team that built the full size Turb and did a fine job at it. It flys great. Later.

Pictures of the nose compartment. Hatch is held in place by pre installed magnets.

Chris, didn't mean to hyjack your thread. Ha. That is a nice jet you have there and looking forward to seeing it fly. Ya gotta love those mags on the hatches.

I will say that they have made some nice improvements on the original. Thanks for the pics.

No worries mates.

In the world of ARF jets, we have many, many larger fiberglass, complicated, performance, and scale jets dominating the market. Maybe that's what sells. But watch at the next jet meet what a lot of guys fly when they first arrive, want to chill out, or fly close to sundown, etc. Some of us call them beater jets, trainers, everyday flyers, or whatever. They appeal to our desire for a simpler, reliable flying jet we can almost relax with. At least for me.

The Turbinator also fits a relatively new "aerobatic jet" type of flying that more designers should consider. Properly powered, this kind of jet is just as happy flying a "Shui" routine as it is speeding around the circuit when the skies are full of airplanes at a meet. Then if need be it handles slow flight so well, you can limber up the thumbs with multiple touch and goes. A properly trained pilot should easily be able to earn a turbine waiver yet have a sport plane that performs for all time. Nick Ziroli's genius is all over this design. You don't see more out there because few people will build. But that will change with this ARF. By the way, Shulman has sold out of the yellow ones already.

Plywood and balsa jets are light, relatively inexpensive, easy to repair, and strong. There could be an argument that they are no more labor for maunufacturers than designing plugs, molds, and pulling glass.
These jets will sell. Some guys won't admit the appeal because they aren't heavy metal jets. I'll bet they said that about Boomers too.

We need more jets just like this.

Cheers,
Chris

Looking to purchase my first jet in the near future and wanting an arf..... this thread has my attention.

Subscribed!



Steve

Set the K80 on the rails. It's not aligned or anything. Not worried about space for the turbine.

Chris,

Okay we see a K80, a fiberglass fuel cell, which servos do you plan to use? How about the landing gear?

Keep the photos coming!

Sure wish Shui had more details posted on their web site.


Thanks,
Steve

Steve,
As soon as I get the jet back to my shop across state, I'll be able to show more stuff and start building.

Mid-sized jets are large enough for top-line expensive servos, but small enough for mid-range servos depending on your flying style. Ziroli intended Turbinators be equipped with a minimum 60,70-90 oz/in torque with 100 on flaps. I don't feel you could go wrong with any servo around 100 oz/in.

I'm a Futaba user so I'll use a mix of digital, and analog Futaba, and maybe some Hitec since I already have them. All are standard size servos. Some are 90 oz, some 128 oz, and 164 oz. I'll put the stronger ones on flaps, best quality ones above 100 oz on elevators, and fill in the rest as I go. I usually use digitals on elevators and ailerons, and analog on flaps but there are no rules. I don't think I can go wrong if all are around 100 oz torque.

Landing gear is easy too. 600 series Robart main and either 600 or 500 series nose will work. The 631 mains are 85 degree and 1/2" bore, and the nose is 90 degree. I have standard Robart struts to use or I could buy trailing link spring type struts. Most sport planes benefit from the trailing link struts, so I'd buy them if I didn't already have Robart. See the trailing links in action on the grass field at FL Jets on David's Yellow turbinator ARF, nice!

Looks like 3 inch main wheels will be good. I don't wan't to go smaller. Small wheels make jets look goofy.