mmattockx

Hi All,

First post from a serial lurker...

A bit of background - I am getting back in the hobby after a long break (about 8 years, man things have changed!) and was a competent pilot before leaving. Built a fair number of planes, mostly from scratch (I am a better builder than pilot) and could handle most planes in the air without leaving a smoking hole. I am looking for a quasi-trainer to get me back airborne but don't want a true trainer, as I found them to be dull and boring even when I was first learning to solo. I have been looking at a profile fun fly plane as my "trainer", set up with milder throws and a somewhat forward CofG to provide a very slow flying aircraft that will be easy to handle and let me get my feet wet again, while not fighting control inputs at all (my big complaint with trainers - they try to fly themselves). I have a couple of questions relating to the Morris Hobbies Top Cap that I have not been able to find the answer to in reading a lot of back posts and searching the archives:

1) I have a TT 36 Pro sitting in the box and would like to use it for this plane. It is a light, powerful engine, but is it enough for a Top Cap? Eventually, I will want to be able to start fooling around with at least sport aerobatics (say, sportsman pattern without all the precision, big loops, spins, etc.) and some 3D stuff as I get my skills back. Will the TT be enough for a lightly built Top Cap or will I be swapping in my Super Tigre 45 at some point?

2) What is a reasonable weight to expect for a carefully kit built Top Cap (I have seen a wide range of listed weights)? Preferably using standard radio gear, as I have a bunch of stuff sitting in boxes. I always seemed to build light in the past and have no reason to believe that won't continue now. With the TT36 and standard servos, receiver and a 5 cell NiMH pack is it reasonable to expect a 4lb plane or will it be more like 4lb 8oz? I figure the TT36 will be fine for a 4lb plane, but not enough for the 4.5lb version. Correct?

TIA,
Mark

Spacey

Hi Mark,

Even though I have never owned a Top Cap myself I have done some research on it in the past. The Top Cap is definitely a very capable plane and does 3D rather well. I know it's very capable of inverted harriers and such as was demonstrated in a video a while back. It will definitely do what you want it to when looking at your first paragraph. Setting it up with milder throws and more conservative CG should make it a baby to fly. Not the most stable profile out there but definitely still a fun fly. Another plane in their range you could check out is the sledge as I know it's a more capable and modern design. Now I may be wrong be there has been some reports that the Morris stuff does build a little heavier and that did happen with my Knife. If you are carefull you can get around it as I know folks were able to build the Sledge around 4lbs with some carefull glue management and sanding.

The .36 should be enough for most sport type flying indeed but I would suggest looking at something like the ST .45 rather if you are considering doing some 3D with it later. Even better would be a ST .51 rather or the OS .50SX for that matter. If you can build the plane to 4lbs the .45 will do it but I think to avoid dissapointment you should rather go out with the mindset that the model is going to end up at 4.5lbs+ and plan for that. Remember most of us here rig the profiles to be 3D capable so most of us rather kit them with the bigger motors. For sport flying your .36 should be enough even for a 4.5lbs Top Cap.

Wish I could be of more help but yes hopefully someone that owns a TC will chime in soon with more concrete help. I know I can build an OMP Yak-54 to 4lbs with a OS .50 SX and std gear but I'm not sure about the TC.

mmattockx

Hey Spacey,

Thanks for the comments and advice. I appreciate the input from someone who has been there. About your comment that the TC is not the most stable profile around, that is not really an issue for me. Most of that can be eliminated with setup and I am not worried much about it requiring attention. The big thing is that it fly slowly to allow me to get used to flying again. And that is one thing all the fun fly profiles do well.

Would you consider the Yak or Edge 540 more capable than the TC? I am not hung up on the TC, I just like the looks and it has been around a while so there is a track record. The OMP kits are even cheaper by a bit. If they are significantly better as well, maybe I should look there instead. My initial concerns will be a smooth, slow sport trainer and then a competent aerobatics plane after I get my legs back. If you can build the Yak to 4lb with a 50, than I should be able to get 4-5oz lighter with the TT36 and that would be perfect for my uses.

I watched the summer fun video just posted by aerofundan (I think it was), with a Katana V2 in it and that was very close to the type of flying I used to like. No hovering (that didn't exist when I flew previously), but lots of close in fooling around and crazy stuff. If the OMP kits are better at that type of flying than the TC, I will go with them.

Hmm, maybe I just talked myself into an OMP kit instead...


Mark

Icebird

Hmm, another canuck, and a Calgarian yet! Welcome back!

I had a TopCap that I built from a kit and it was great! Mine came in at just under 4.5 pounds with an OS 46FX on it, so if you are really careful, I do think you could make 4 pounds. It's a great plane, and hard to beat. The ARF version is certainly heavier than the kit can be built, but some people don't build light, and end up heavier than the ARF. Send me a PM with your phone number, and we can talk and I can probably answer a lot of your questions.

Jim

Spacey

Uhmm...no I can't say if the TC is less capable than the OMP kits. I have never flown a TC so I'm out of that one. I did read a couple of things on the TC that wasn't awesome but as we all know one profile will be better at certain things and worse at others where the next profile is better at the others and sucks at the certain things. I think the TC falls a bit into the OMP 46" Katana P catagory when it comes to personality as it is a little looser in the air and a wee bit more nimble but that is just what I could gather from the posts. As you can see though the TC is not one of the common profiles anymore though and there might be a reason for that but I do not know. That all said I also still like the look of the model and wouldn't mind having one myself.

Now on the other hand I can say for sure that you can't go wrong with the OMP Edge/Yak as they both fit your requirements well. But yes I am biased towards them as I know for sure with my budget (Or rather lack thereof) I will always look at a OMP first if I consider buying a new profile for the simple fact that I know for sure their all capable of the book and the kit quality is awesome. The little Yak is my all time favourite because it is stable and will do it all with plenty of tail authority to spare. The only .40 sized profile I've seen that can do a pinwheel chasing its own tail.

Good luck with your choice though! You can't go very wrong with either of the profiles you have in mind. You are on the right track!

Ed_Moorman

My Feedback: (1)

The TopCap ARF is a pretty good flying plane. It does build tail heavy, especially with a .46 or Saito .72. This is with the servos in the wing. I finally put a Saito .91 in mine, rather than add weight. If you build the kit, you might be able to shift everything to keep it in balance with a .46. With a .36, no way unless you make major mods, the engine is just too light for the long tail of the plane.

If you are building a kit, I would suggest the Morris Pen Knife for the .36. Most of the 3D planes are designed to be 3D balanced-marginally tail heavy-with a .46. They fly well this way, but a lighter engine would put the CG too far back. Another suggestion would be Paul Swanson's Fat Free Taco. I have one that flies great with an OS .25FX or Magnum .28. A buddy had one with a TT .36.

If you are just getting back into flying, I wouldn't worry about capability. There is always a better plane coming out so if you try to keep up, you could be flying a new one every couple of months.

mmattockx

Thanks for the tip, Ed. I think I have talked myself out of the TC as my choice. I have been reading through the old posts and it seems the OMP stuff will come in 8+oz lighter and be more durable, so it looks better all the time. Plus, nobody seems to have a bad thing to say about them.

What would be a reasonable build weight with the TT36 and micro servos? 2.5lb sounds OK for the 450sqin area, but 3lb sounds too heavy for my goals. Especially the slow, easy flying part to start with. I like the sound of the Yak at 4lb on 752sqin better than the Taco at 3lb on 450sqin. Swany's site just mentions "micro servos" for the Taco. Are we talking Hitec HS-55 micros or something with more torque than that? I have a bunch of the 55's in my stuff, so they would be perfect if that is the case.

A very valid point. I am not worried about the last 2%, but if there are significant differences in capability then I might choose differently. The weight/balance issue with the light motor is much more important than the last bit of 3D capacity.

Mark

dhooks

My Feedback: (24)

I had a TC for a while an it was a great flying plane, if you built it an put the servos in the tail it would be a good flying plane with a .36 Not 3D monster but i dont think thats what you want either.

With reduced throws it would be a good plane to limber up the thumbs with.


Does a killer inverted harrier to btw!