Freff

Hal

Vaclav won't start on your model until he receives payment. You will probably not hear from him again until he gets the payment and he will then send confirmation of the money transfer and an order number. I'm still waiting, my order was confirmed on 3rd Oct, No. 63.

siclick33

Day two with mine today. This is my first jet and I'm still learning.

I had a little trouble starting the engine (it's the first time i've started it on my own). This resulted in a small fire just below the engine. There is a bit of 'lifting' of the paint but nothing serious.

I soon got the starting procedure sorted and can now start perfectly every time.

I flew three flights on her today and everything was great. I'm using full flap for landing and it now has no tendency to balloon. I'm getting a bit more confident and she loves huge loops and big reversals. I have the Sierra scheme and the bright yellow tips make orientation pretty easy.

My latest flights have been from my clubs grass strip. It is the first jet ever to be flown there and has no problem getting airborne. Landing runs are ridiculously short.

This was an impulse buy as a RTF one, with engine and radio installed, came available at short notice at a bargain price. This means that I now have two other unfinished jets (Kangaroo and Reaper) that I am struggling to find the motivation to finish!! This little L39 is so practical that I don't really have the need for anything else at the moment. I having too much fun with this one!!


Edited for spleling

go.flying

Hi Guys

I have a complete set of JR digitals (per Dave Wilshere's reccomendations) that I'd bought prior to ordering my L39 Unfortunately, I'm going to have to postpone the project for the forseeable future due to a significant change in circumstance. Would anyone here on the forum be interested in buying these from me at a considerable saving? They're all brand new, in sealed unopened JR boxes/packaging, as follows:
4 x DS 3301 Digital Flap and Aileron servos
2 x DS 161 Digital Elevator servos (thin enough to mount in each elevator half
2 x DS 361 Digital Rudder and Nosewheel steering
1 x 361 Analogue retract

Complete cost was just over £300 would let them go for a sensible offer
Send me a PM if you're interested

Jim Cattanach

Go Flying. You have mail regarding your servos.

Regards
Jim

Freff

siclick33

It's nice to hear a newbie to jets getting on so well, it gives encouragement to others. You may want to programme in some down elevator when flaps are deployed to eliminate the ballooning. There seems to be a knack to starting these turbines, if you read back through this thread there are some good tips on starting procedures.

David Gladwin

A small fuel spill in the cockpit area (and I do mean small) has caused much of the polystyrene foam laminate to completely dissolve leaving some areas of the cockpit walls and floor very flimsy. I have removed all of the remaining foam, which has a layer of very thin glass cloth bonded to it and I am in the process of applying layers of 2 ounce cloth to the floor and walls to restore its strength and stiffness. On my next L39, which is on order, I will thoroughly coat this area with a layer of epoxy resin to ensure that any fuel spill cannot get to the foam. I will suggest to Vaclav that, on turbine versions, there is little point in trying to save weight in this area by using foam, the models need nose ballast anyway so that weight might as well be used to increase structural strength and stiffness.

Incidentally CA kicker will also destroy the foam, (and attack the silver paint) so care is neccessary if using CA for any puropse.

Regards, David Gladwin

Yann

David,

How did it happen ?
Do you think we should make the entire cockpit fuel proof ?
Maybe one light coat of paint inside would do the trick ?

Yann

David Gladwin

Yes, I do . As I said, give the whole cockpit area a good layer of epoxy (such as ZAP laminating resin) so that no fuel or CA kicker can attack the foam. The two ounce cloth and epoxy has now set and all looks good. Tomorrow I will reinstall all the equipment in the cockpit area.
BRG,
David G.

Yann

David,

Don't you think paint would be much lighter ?

Yann

Yann

Some really cool link:
http://wm.gannett.speedera.net/wm.ga...ets_111904.wmv

747drvr

My Feedback: (5)

When I got my L39 second hand , the foam was melted as well. My next one will be treated like David recommends.

Marc

H.Dale

My Feedback: (3)

David

I just put an order in for one. Have you talked with Vaclav regarding the change you suggested? Since it needs more weight in the nose this would not hurt at all.

I was going to mention it in an email unless you have discussed it with him.

Thanks.

Hal

Budgy545

Yann

That is one cool link

L39 finished and ready to fly.

Ran engine in model first time this afternoon, only a couple if hick ups. Didn't realise the black cable from the engine is an earth think for the chassis so glow wouldn't light. All sorted and engine ran like a dream

Moved the cable from the wings forward as they were a bit near to the turbine intake leaving th other hole open resulted in a resonance like blowing over the top of the a bottle, I close the hole which should sort that one out.

Then................... Good Weather..................

On the 4th photo you can see where the cables are a bit close, these I have moved now

Budgy545

I have tried to keep everything tidy and organised and these case from Pelicase are ideal.

The box contains the 2V Glow and Wand Battery with the display mounted on the front panel.

ON OFF swith is for glow plug. LED on when you switch on, it goes off if there is currently flowing ie: if the glow is lit. If there is no glow it stays on. My brother has designed a current sensing circuit for this.


The nose wheel fits neatly in the nose with the Springair 301 nose leg so didn't have to put a new former on. Ground incidence looks ok so hopefully the plane should rotate ok.

Ian

GrayUK

Budgy545

Nice pics, model looks great.
I have moved the hole on mine as well, if you cut a hole further forward and slightly larger than the one you have, you can use the piece you cut out to fill the old hole
As i have said before, if the CG has been set right and the control settings are good....use take off flap and it will take off in a short distance with just a slight application of up.

Best of luck, we all await video/photo's of your success.

Budgy545

Paul

Thanks for the comments

I have permagritted out the hole at the front for the leads to come out so the piece is now dust

I 'll fill the hole with 2 pieces of ply. Was going to leave it but there was definite resonance across the open hole

Model CG was 80mm back from the join of the wing to the fuse where the 2 pegs are at the front of the wing, is that about right?

GrayUK

I run mine at 85/90 mm back, it flys good on that.
Best of luck,keep in touch.

sengle

I got this email from Vaclav last week about my order 052/2004:

"This week sended"

So, it should make it by Xmas all the way over to here in New Zealand. I love Xmas!

Cheers from NZ

Freff

Sengle

What date did you order yours. Mine is 63/2004 and is due this week or that is what i thought. If you are only now receiving yours, God know when mine will arrive. I have sent Vaclav 3 e-mails regarding a more definite delivery time, ( i'm away for two weeks and need to make arrangements ) but have not heard from him.

Yann

David,

I just gave a coat of epoxy to my cockpit, like you did.
I will gear it up tomorrow when it will be dry.

Yann

GrayUK

Happy days

Gary Arthur

My Feedback: (29)

I guess if things are Vaclav says, 12 units per month. My order of number 66 wont be ready until january.

David Gladwin

The glass cloth and resin has fully cured overnight and the fuselage is back to being firm and strong and the weight increase is hardly noticeable. I think the problem is that if the resin has not fully insulated the foam in the sandwich the tiniest amount of fuel or CA kicker can seep through it and can't escape and just stays in there disolving the foan until its all gone. If my new model arrives still with the foam sandwich then I will give it a thorough layer of finishing resin to ensure that no seepage can occurr, or perhaps even better, remove all of the foam and give the cockpit area a layer of 2 ounce cloth and resin.
Regards,
David Gladwin

Budgy545

David

Have just finished my first model so will keep my eye out for any leaks and seepage under the foam. I have checked all the pipe connections and joints and they look fine so will probably wait and see if I get a similar problem then remove all the kit to epoxy the fuselage.

Second L39 on order order number 67. When this one arrives I'll epoxy the fuselage as you suggest

By the way excellent article in RCJI, that should keep Vaclav busy, just hope his quality of build doesn't suffer with the increased volume of orders.

I understood Vaclav was going into production with the F16 this winter, do you know if this is the case or is he concentrating on the L39 orders. Has anyone got a prototype of this model they are trying out for Vaclav?

Paul

I think I will remove the unnecessary foil tape from the rear of the fuselage as this will move the CG back a litttle, but not alot, as it seem really light stuff

I am suprised the CG is so far forward, maybe because I went down the Dave Wiltshire route of Graupner Tank and UAT with the heavy battery in the nose. If removing the tape doesn't work sufficiently I'll move the battery back.

Ian

Yann

Ian,

I'll visit Vaclav for christmas. I think He has already 13 f16 on order, and production has not started yet.
He would not tell me more on the phone. He would just say I'll see by myself...
If you guys have specific questions to ask him, let me know. My girlfriend is from Czech republic , so she speaks his language.
Communication will be easier that way. I'm very interested as well in the F16. I'll take pictures if he allows me.

Yann