slim56

My Feedback: (4)

Going to build a Talon in the next month or so & would like any suggestions or mods that you experts have tried & found to be successful. I consider myself an above average builder, but most of my flying experience is with powered planes. Thank for the help.

evlwevl-RCU

Talon building pics

KJMDES

Very Nice Talon indeed.
I am not doing well uploading a rather brief SuperTalon conversion booklet here. So you can request the PDF through my email at [email protected]

One day, I will do a proper job on it.

Best regards,
Kevin

evan-RCU

Well... I have built at least twenty Talons... Some of the mods I like are to build it longer and with a bigger wing span. To do this I build the fuse as plans but move the stab as far aft as possible and don't cut off the back. For the wings I think I had to use the spars and LE/ TE from the kit and just spaced the ribs out evenly to the end, I think I got another inch and a half or two inches of span. I have never built the tail feathers inthe boring shape they show unless I am building it for someone else and they want it built per plans. I usually put in slight anhedral so it rolls perfectly and I usually build in some sweep to the wing and hor stab. I usually build all mine as a conventional tail though I've built more than a few as V tail. Both fly very well. In fact I try to always have one ready, I build them light with a lot of throws and they are my light lift sloper. With a lot of throws it is very acrobatic. I love doing flat spins whilegoing up in lift!

latest ones...

KJMDES

Thats what I'm talkin about. Your definately tuned into the Talon. The kit, once you've tossed the spars, is about all you need to do a super. Pretty much as you dscribed. Its a good starter for your own design directions, if what I've seen over the last twenty years is any indication.

I did my best to get someone to produce the SuperTalon, but kits are risky business today.

So lets see; One Talon kit, lots of 3/4 oz. glass, good spars, and imagination.

Good flying
Kevin

evan-RCU

The Talon is a great ship, fantastic price for the kit too. The fuse is a little tricky to build but not too bad. I don't fiberglass any of it unless I break it landing and then only on the inside. The seperate canopy is interesting but since I remove the wing to transport it I have no real reason to do that other than to make the canopy fuse a better match.

KJMDES

One of the essential mods for the Talon is to bond 1/64th ply doublers to the bottom and side strakes. Roll a coat of epoxy onto a sheet of ply the width of all three strakes when nested, and put some weight on the lot. Make sure you have a left and right, and that the doubler is on the inside when assembled. When cured, a #11 blade following the permiter of each strake will separate them nicely. These parts nest very economically, you don't need much ply. The doubler should run from nose to about 8cm aft of the trailing edge. No further than the second to last bulkhead. This really makes a difference in the durability, and the very slight weight increase is a plus. Built to spec. the Talon is actually a bit under weight for the foil. I like to sister a ballast tube in front of the main spar.

The ship really wakes up when the wing is built with spruce spars and the fuse is stiff. You can load it up to about twenty onces and play on very windy days. There is a little history in the the conversion booklet. If you like, send me an email and I'll attach the PDF.

Cheers
Kevin

WORNBOOTS

My Feedback: (33)

I wonder how it turned out for slim56 and his build?? Nov 2003 was when he posted this.

Nice Talons guy's the mentioned mods sound worthwhile as well.
I did a build' on one here on RCU somewhere, and stayed as per plans except I lightened it a bit.

richoliver

Has anyone tried splitting the control of the stab in the V-tail configuration to allow yaw control? I would be curious to know how that tuned out.

Did this mod add much benefit to the control of the aircraft? Or did it add too much build complication and/or too much weight to justify?

KJMDES

In the case of the Talon, split V is problematic. Weight and mechanics far outstrip any advantage. And that advantage on her configuration is questionable. The LR-3 had an internal system for this. It was complicated. See my gallery for this ship. As it was a 2 meter 6 channel design, this proved useful in setting it up for non-slope flying. But I found it near, and I say near, useless for the slope.

I would recommend just doing the mods in my conversion booklet, and leave it at that. Unless you have a brainstorm. Always open to better ideas. If you want the booklet, request it at [email protected]

eric wilson

I was wondering if anyone had done a electric conversion to a Talon, and if so, how did it turn out?

KJMDES

I guess you could say the Talon has undergone as many mutations as any other craft of its age. If you search around RCU or RC Groups, you will find many EP conversions. Hotliners even. The Talon is a good base to convert. The SuperTalon EP pictured here is a mutation. The other two pics are of a Talon 40 inch with sheeted foam wings. It mutated shortly after these pics into an EP. Two flights, and it mutated again. This time into toothpicks. It was very fast in 1985 terms. I can't even imagine, let alone remember how I stuffed a motor and Nicads into it. Hopefully, Bruce or one of the gang have pictures after the conversion. Don't know.

I have been stuffing the HiMax 2025-4200 into the Talon with success. 1200 liPo's fit OK. But I find a pair fit better in the wing for the super.

Good luck. Send me an email at [email protected] and I will send you the conversion booklet for the Super. Not EP info yet, but the mods outlined for the fuse are required for any EP conversion.

Cheers,
Kevin

eric wilson

Thank's for the info. The Talon is the first glider I have ever built or flown. I built it at work last week, and it had it's first flight two days ago, we towed it behind a U-Can-Do with a .91 O.S. since we live in the midwest and don't have a suitable slope site. It performed better than I thought it would, but I think it needs I'ts own power source.

vasek

My Feedback: (4)

Kevin, that's a mighty looking Talon! (on steroids)

sendig you email to get the booklet,THANK YOU.

Vasek

richoliver

Super Talon ready for first flight!

Took it off the charger this morning, put it all together and took it with me to the office, intending to cut out early and give it a go...
I just now realized the switch has been on all morning. [sm=red_smile.gif]

I guess it'll have to wait till tomorrow.

I did most of the mods Kevin recomends in his booklet. I also got caried away and fully sheeted the wing and glassed it with .5 oz fiberglass then painted. Considering this is my frist time working with FG, I'm pleased.

KJMDES

And So.......?

First Flight...........?

How'd it go?

Nitro2Burn

Hey Guys, I have just finished my second Talon, I bought the first off ebay some time ago and found it a great little plane for hand launch (javelin style), piggy back to hieght or slope soaring on lighter wind days. The first met its maker when I had a bungled piggy back (my own fault). The new one I have built a bit heavier and coated the fuse in epoxy resin (no cloth), to both seal and add some strength. I have also put carbon on the bottom of the fuse and around the wing centre. The wing is covered in solartex so I could paint the whole aircraft, I originally covered it in sig coverall but found it less than impressive to use, so ended up peeling it all off and redoing it with the solartex.
The extra wieght from the carbon/resin/covering, and paint isn't a concern to me since the first one flew on such a light breeze I wasn't keen to take it out when it was blowing more. This shouldn't be an issue now. I also had to add 50grams to the nose and used AA nicad pack in the front.
I did put a piece of 0.8mm (1/32) ply into the bottom of the fuse where the wing bolt goes through so I could recess the wing bolt completely. I was going to seperate the cockpit as my first one was like that, but the way it works out I have no screws showing and the wingbolt is well hidden so I left it that way. Instead of using a switch as such I am using a stereo jack which I have soldered in the switches place, hence the "remove before launch flag" which is a quest rocketry product, as if I don't remove it the plane isn't turned on. I picked up this idea with my combat aircraft where the switch being hit is a big possibility, and so by pulling the jack out of the socket it switches the plane on and can't be switched off until the jack is put back in. It also charges through the same socket with the use of a jack with a battery lead on it.

elmog

Nice Talon! BTW, what kind of charging jack are you using and where did you buy it? Charging jacks are very handy on slope planes but the small jacks seem hard to locate. Jim

Nitro2Burn

Hey thanks, flies great also. I live in Australia and they jacks are available from dick smith electronics stores. they are 1.3mm dc power jacks. the measurement works on the inner diameter, the outer is 3.5mm and the shaft is 9.5mm long. The best part is the smaller size allows for fitting in smaller places. I'm sure there is electronics stores over there that will sell them over the counter also, just a matter of finding them. One thing to be aware of is they are not rated very high for current flow. I think the rate at only 100mA however I charge my planes at 1000mA (1A), so they can carry a decent current without a worry.
Hope this has been helpful

KJMDES

Very cool. Good mod with the resin soak. When I was looking for ultra light, I would thin Z-poxy slow cure with a little acetone or alchohol (can't remember which) and just do a 3/4 oz layer of glass inside the fuse. Quick and easy.

Would love to fly Australia. The ship looks great with the graphics.

Cheers
Kevin

Nitro2Burn

Aus got some good flying sites, but grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. I have seen some nice european valleys would love to have a crack at one day.
I found an interesting site once about epoxies and the sorts, it pointed out about the mix ratios and what not and that to get things like z-poxy(also a fav of my own in the 5 min variety) to a one to one mix they actually add a thickner to the hardner. I figure why thin something that has been thickened so I use west systems epoxy (4to1 ratio) for doing all my resin work, its great to use and you can buy it as a quick or slow cure also.
I painted it with tamiya TS spray paints which are intended for the small plastic models, mainly because it's a very thin paint which covers well, the only bit I'm miffed about is I used a grey primer on the fuse and a white primer on the wings and tail. This means 2 slightly different yellows []. Graphics I just kinda made up as I went along and the talon sign is copied from a logo I found in google, I must give them credit for it for , the way they have written talon is somewhat in the shape of a talon.

For those wondering, the "remove before launch" tag is off a quest brand rocket launch pad , bit of a tosser thing but it gives it that little bit extra that makes me smile

bighuhu

I am building my third Talon right now. I will replace the balsa spars with spruce and box the spar on both sides instead of down the center. the webs will be 1/16 balsa or 1/64 ply. The rear spar will have a 3/32 X 1/4 spruce strip laminated to the front. On my last Talon I added a rudder to the vert fin. I used the same type of cable as with the elevator. I used 1/16 balsa sheet; it added very little weight. If you use micro servos they will fit. The rudder is very effective and I plan to do it again. I will add 1/64 ply doublers on the inside of the fus for added durability. I will add a 1 1/2" wheel on the CG for street landings; our site has a landing strip.

KJMDES

Thats cool bighuhu. The only thing I would suggest is to forget the boxed Spar. I've found that Spruce spars and a single shear-web integrate the structure better. Getting more elaborate is more work than its worth. The production Super will have a scheme closer to yours, as the added 10 inch span takes some advantage of it. Basically, I've never had any stiffness issues with the spruce spars and single web, and have never folded a wing. Just trying to save you some extra work.

Nitro, West is the best. Thats why I couldn't remember the thinner, haven't used Z for awhile. Been building boats, furniture and even a Falco with west for a few decades. Although a little Z has gotten into the mix for the model stuff here and there.

Cheers,
Kevin

tmtbiker

hey folks-

Just a heads up that I'm about to start a super talon with a v tail. i've been talking over on rcg, and you can check things out at [link=http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=976603]http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=976603[/link]. I'm subscribing here too for any more good ideas that may come.

tmtbiker

KJMDES

Cool,
Looking forward to following the build

Cheers,
Kevin