I flew a Hangar 9 Showtime today, and set it up for pattern flying.

For those contemplating this plane, in addition to it being a "4D", it ts a respectable entry level/intermediate pattern plane. It also snaps very well, and will get through the FAI sequences surprisingly well. Here are the settings I put in for a locked in pattern plane feel:

Low rate:
Ailerons- 11 degrees up and down, at 20 percent expo.
Elevator- 8 degrees up and down, at 20 percent expo
Rudder- 20 degrees left and right, at 50 percent expo.

The plane snaps and spins well on low rate.

High rates were 20 degrees, 45 degrees, and 45 degrees for the ailerons,
elevator and rudder, with 60 to 80 percent expo each. I actually had to
dial the high rate aileron down because when it was about 30 degrees throw,
the rolls were so fast it was literally a blur.

Again, to avoid surprises take off and land on low rate and fly at high rate
at altitude until you are proficient at the 4D flying.

After you get a flight or two and the plane is trimmed, Change the trim rate
to 1 percent on the ailerons elevator and rudder for finer trimming
resolution and proper trimming.

Perhaps tomorrow I'll dial in the mixing. It did need just a touch of down elevator with idle for a vertical down line (this one has a lot of weight added to the nose for pattern), but the knife edge was very close, with little if any mixing required. All the above flying is without the SFG fins on. I am under the impression it flies even better with them on. Food for thought on future pattern designs. Maybe some slightly smaller ones for F3A.

Don

Hi Don,

Getting ready to assemble the Showtime I've had sitting around for a while? What is the powerplant and appox. CG (for pattern)?? Also, wasn't there a plane at the worlds with a version of SFG on the fuse just aft of the canopy (or was that a carry handle?).

Thanks,
mike

Christophe and Benoit had little t-tails mounted just behind the canopy. The SFG idea could be for the wings. Not sure the impact during a stall tuirn or snap though. It may be worth trying.

The Showtime I flew had a Saito 100 in it. Flew it again today and maybe 10 degrees on the ailerons rather than 11 degrees. They are sensitive.

The CG was positioned per the plans as a starting point. It felt about right. Just needed a little bit of down elevator when inverted.

Don

Hi Don,

Great info!! I have the Showtime and I will definatelly try your set up for pattern flying, that's one of the reasons I bought it. I'm really glad to hear that the plane can fly ok a basic /intermediate pattern sequence.

I have a question though, my ailerons have a little bit of warp, I tried to make them straight with heat as much as I could. However a little but of warp is still there.When looking carefully along the aileron trailing edge line, I notice that is not perfect straight. Did you notice something similar to your model? I'm afraid there's not much I can do about this, do you think it will affect the model trimming a lot?

For 3D is 20' throw enough to oppose the gyroscopic effects during hover?

Looking forward to your reply, thanks in advance.

Nick

Don,

Can you give us an all-up weight with the Saito 100?

Lem

Mine with same engine, 9411 servos and one 8411-- 8 lbs2 ozs and I was amazed at how well it flew the pattern.
A review will be out shortly in 3DFlyer .
It is the best ARF I have seen to date - anybody's.

This is high praise, indeed, fellas.... Dick does NOT hand out that kind of statement unless it's the real deal. I'm glad I have one coming (should arrive tomorrow).

Dick - I'm using 8231's on ailerons - whatcha think?

A local flyer has one with Saito 120. It flys really good and slow for pattern. Except the landing gear.
I maybe able to hook him up to fly Sportsman at Fort Scott contest.

AeroBob,
Todd misses you!! Are you coming to contest? Maybe you can show us flying the Showtime in Master?


Ihncheol Park

Did not hover it much, since it was not my plane... I basically trimmed it for a newbe to 3D/ intermediate sport flyer who is just dipping his toes into the aerobatics stuff. Brand new Saito 100 which was still breaking in. I did do the fastest rolls I've seen short of that little delta plane they call a lawn dart. It was very entertaining to watch.

With that I did do safely left and right rolling harriers easy, using high rates, I believe changing to a right rotating torque roll is no problem. Check the 3D forum. I think there is a local expert with an awesome video of this plane doing everything, that is with the SFG's on. I did notice about 1/16 inch left aileron trim in the wing, which could be as you described, or just a (manual) change of incidence. I did not notice any side effects during pattern type flying, but in 3D high alpha it needed some rudder to straighten. I'm going by memory and can't remember which. Let me see, if you twist some negative in the left wing to take out the trim on the aileron, that would mean the left wing is carrying pos incidence and will stall first (drop) during high alpha. So it must be right rudder needed during high alpha. I can't remember.... I think he had some left rudder trim in... No maybe that was the guy I helped with a Goldberg Sukhoi. It all ran together, I must have helped at least 8 people last weekend.


Will report back when we fly it again. That is between all the Tucson prep.

Don

Thanks Don,

As I wrote, I tried to reconstruct one of the ailerons as much as I could. Have glued everything on now, I hope it flies ok, if it needs a lot of trimming I will tear the covering material underneath and fix both ailerons where warp exists. I also found some warp on the left stabiliser, balsa was probably cracked. I fixed that too.

I'm not very sure about these CA hinges, I think I'm going to put some pins to the external hinges plus some monokote to seal the hinge gaps.

Hope it flies ok, I will probably participate at a local pattern contest in October, but there's not much time as I have to break in my YS-110, set up the plane and practice.

I will definatelly use your throws and expo for pattern, what prop would you recommend for pattern and the YS-110? Is a 16x6 ok you think?

Regards,

Nick

I've had my Showtime flying for a couple of weeks. Mine is 8lbs 8oz with OS91FX. No wheel pants. Lighter axles. Sullivan tailwheel. Lighter wheels. I used a 14oz tank as didn't want to carry around all that extra fuel. I have been having engine probs but have flown enough to say that if flies well. Throws have to be cut way down for pattern. I used the recommended cg and it feels about right.

The two h. stabs are not exactly lined up. The h. stabs are a little loose on the pipe. The engine mount is very flexible. I can move my spinner up and down almost 1/4 inch due to mount flex. Not sure if this is good or bad. My ailerons were a bit wavy too, but I don't know that you could get (and keep) perfectly straight ailerons. It took a few clicks of aileron and a few of up elevator to trim. Knife edge takes very little correction.

Overall, I think it is a very well done ARF. Even used some epoxy in key areas. Went together quickly. Can't wait to solve my engine issues and really do some flying.

Can you please mention the key areas where epoxy has to be applied?

To clarify, the ARF already had (what appears to be) epoxy applied in the appropriate places. The only reinforcing I did was to use some 1/8 ply strips to reinforce where the plywood ends and the balsa stringers about midway back on the fuse.

I just completed mine. Haven't weighed it yet - has a Saito 1.50 with exhaust stub. Hitec 5945's all round. Put the rudder servo in the tail. Used the crossbar tiller on the rudder so I could hook the steering springs to that, and not bind up the springs at full deflection.

Interesting to note a couple of things -
1. Saito 1.50 is beyond insane power....no doubt aobut it.
2. With the rudder servo in the tail - the battery had to go UNDER the aft end of the tank, up against the landing gear box to balance at the manual spec, empty tank. (I guess the metal gear servos all in the back really added tail weight - the Saito is NOT a lightweight, either!)

Will test fly shortly - but so far, it looks like it will have the power to let me fly anywhere at any speed. Will weigh the parts, too.

Well I did it.... Got the Showtime to get my feet wet in pattern. I got a
great deal on the plane, new in box, from a freind.

I will be using a OS 1.20 Surpass 4 stroke.

Do you think digital servo's are needed? I was thinking about getting
Hitec 5625's or 5645's.

Do you think Hitec 5625's would be better then the 5645's ? The 5625's
are a little faster, .14sec @ 6 volts then the 5645's, .18 sec @ 6 volts, but
with a little less power.... 168 oz for the 5645' vs 131 oz for the 5625's.

Thank you for the help

Just a heads up....

For anyone assembling this plane before you complete step #8 in
the manual you should check your incidence on the stabilizer half's.

Mine right stab was out 1 degree.

Once you drill the second hole in the stab tube you are locking the
left and right side together. If the incidence on the left and right side
are not equal you might not be able to make the adjustment later.

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All the above flying is without the SFG fins on. I am under the impression it flies even better with them on. Food for thought on future pattern designs. Maybe some slightly smaller ones for F3A.

Don
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It should perform all maneuvers requiring rudder, better, with the side force thingies on. More vertical area, closer to the AC makes rudder more effective. Rather than adding dorsal and ventral strakes on the fuse ala Nat Penton, they chose this compromise. Besides, they look pretty kool.

I suspect that many older pattern planes with pencil thin fuselages would benefit from such a modification.

MattK

The fuselage holes that stabiliser halfs slide into are predrilled and laser cut from the factory. There must be some problem with your stabilisers, may be one of two is warped.

I haven't checked mine but will do. Don't expect this plane to have the accuracy in building such as planes by PL Prod and ZN Line, if you want to make it perfect straight you have to put some work on it. Personally I corrected some warp found on ailerons and one of the stabilisers.

No problem with the stabilizers, the holes in the fuse where just out
a little.

My final setup will be...

OS1.20 Surpass 4 stroke
5 Hitec 5645 digital servo's
SWB aluminum servo arms
MPI switch with regulator
2400 MiH Lithiom-Ion 2 cell pack from Troy Built

If I wanted to go the 2 stroke route rather than 4 stroke what would you all recommend?
Thanks!
JLK

O.S. 1.08 is a good match. There is video of my buddies on my webpage if you would like to see it in action. If I was going to do mine over again, personally I would put a Webra Speed 1.20 with a pump on it. I think that would be the perfect match. I still might do it because I find myself flying less and less 3D. My Saito 100 doesn't have enough juice to get the airspeed up on it like a 2 stroker does.

www.teamlawndart.com



Neo Out!!!

LOVE my ST. Awesome pattern ship!

Hmmm, what's the word on fitting an OS .91 and pipe into this airframe? Mine needs a home (R.I.P. U-CAN-DO)

I just picked up a Showtime a couple of days ago and have it mostly put together. They did a nice job with this once, very nicely thought out and easy to put together. I will be using the OS .91 with an ES pipe, so I have to probably get a Mueller header for it custom made. This one looks like a winner. Just curious though, is anyone using that mongo tailwheel assembly? That could just about go on a 35% model!