Hi Guys!

I am starting my Tango and just wondering if some of you guys who have flown and build the Mecca Models Tango have any hints or recommendations regarding servos, throws, CoG and building.

Thanks for your help,

David

Hi David. Here is the list Don from Plane Plus had sent me regarding the servos:

2 aileron 70 oz or more
> 2 rudder any metal gear
> 1 sterring " "
> 1 elv 130 oz 8411 jr or 9350futaba ect
> 2 flap optional metal geared
> 1 speed brake optional metal metal geared
> 1 retract optional standard
> 1 brakes optional standard

Regards

Alex

Hi Alex!

Thank you for your help. I am sorry that I forgot to answer. I was busy working and building that Tango. Thank you very much, your answer helped me to choose the right servos.

I am using a Hitec 5945 on elevator, two Hitec 225 on rudder. JR 4041 on ailerons, steering and speedbrake, JR 4621 on flaps and a hitec 80 on retracts.

For the first flights I installed the standard fixed gear with a retractable nose-gear. That makes conversion very easy. It is almost finished, just a few minor problems. I have made my own fiberglass fuel-cells and I have to secure them inside the fuselage. I carry 3l Kero with a P-60 for power. I hope that it is enough for our small strip. It weighs around 16 lbs dry, that will be just under 22lbs take-off weight. But I can still save weight if I change the heavy batteries to LiPos. That is very easy, as I don't need any weight to ballance, even with LiPos....

Has anyone of you guys flown his Tango and can tell me how to set the throws? I just got the C/G from the german distributor, no maual no throws no nothing . Well, as I told you: it is almost ready for flying (will be in the next two days), so I need the setting. PLEASE, don't let me sit here with a finished jet and no flying

Thank you for your help and merry x-mas (or do you say happy holidays?) and a happy new year,

David

David,

I have a copy (MSWord file)of the Tango manual. Please PM me your e-mail and I'll send it to you.

Chris

Here's a copy of the last page in the manual:
Section 5: Completion
1. Now we should have all our parts complete, so lets put it together. Take the fuse with gear down and install wing tube making sure it is centered. Then slide on the booms.
Make sure to hook up the elevator and rudder connections and slide the flap and aileron connections through the booms. Next take the elevator assembly and hook up the servo to the extension in boom and screw elevator assembly to the boom with 4 6/32 socket head screws and washers. Now secure the booms to the fuse with 4 8/32 socket head screws and washers. Slide on the wings and hook up the aileron and flap extensions. Make sure the wings are on tight and locate the dowel in the bottom of wing over the wing tube; drill and tap for 4/40 screw and install 1 in each wing panel. Place canopy in place and secure with rod.
Now we are getting ready to TANGO!!!!!!!!
2. Suggested throws:
Aileron Low: ¾ inch up and down
High: 1 in up and down
Elevator Low: ¾ inch up and down
High: 1in up and down
Rudder Low: Avery small amount for steering at take off ¼ in left and right
High: All you can get for aerobatics.
Speed brake: 40 degrees
Flaps: 15 and 30 degrees
When deploying flaps and speed brake both will tend to pitch the nose down so if you can it is a good idea to add up elevator mixing with flaps up to 20 percent to compensate. This is something that you will have to experiment with as each will be slightly different due to balance and weight ect.
Balance 5 3/8 behind the leading edge at wing root.

Hi Chris!

You have PM. Thanks for the information.

BR,

David

Hi guys!

For those of you, who have a bit of blue foam, some fiberglass and resin and an old DuBro tank-fitting: Just make your own fuel-cells. In my opinion, the Mecca-tanks are to expensive for the quality they have. I decided to mold my own tanks over two foam-halves, just covered with tape.

The duBro-fitting is held by a very short aluminium-tube (from one of the crashed jets?), which is glued into the tank just before assambling. The fill-fitting is a 4mm brass-tube glued to the lowest part of the tank. It took me three nights lazy work. I think 2hour to cut, sand and prepare the molds, and 1 hour glassing for each tank. Another hour for the final work, like cutting the edges, glueing together, setting up, etc. That makes 5 hours at all. Compared to the time we spend to build our jets a very short period. Have look at the pics:

David

Hi, I've got a little over 6 hours flight time on my Tango and find it to be a fun plane to fly. It has a PST600 (12lbs thrust) for power and the dry weight is about 17 pounds with a takeoff weight of about 23 pounds. With about 15 degrees of flaps it lifts off in about 150 feet, or there abouts. With full flaps, without airbrake (I didn't install) it slows down and lands pretty easily.

I have noticed the elevator takes very little movement to have a pronounced and positive affect.

The tail booms (with robart 630 gear installed) have a tendency to contact the ground at the aft end on some landings. I put some scuff tape at that area to prevent unneccessary damage. Additionally, my booms started cracking, lengthwise, on the bottom. It appeared it was just the seam separating. It was an easy fix, but be sure and check that area.

My field is pretty rough and I kept breaking the trunion pin of the nose gear, so I just(last night) installed fixed gear. I really like not having all the retract gear accessories, such as valve, airlines, etc, especially since the Tango has limited space on the inside.

I'm sure you will have great performance with the P60. My plane is a pound heavier heavier than yours and I have less thrust.


Good Luck on your first flight.

Hi Skykop!

Thank you for your kind words. I am really looking forward to maiden that little thing. I have installed fixed main-gear and retractable nose-gear, as I didn't have the right nose-gear. When I find the right legs for my retracts, I am gonna change from fixed to retractable. The only thing is to add a few tube, two fittings and a bigger air-bottle

I hope I can sow you a few pictures of the interior tomorrow. I don't think that the space inside is limited. Well I don't use a header, but there is plenty of room inside...

BR,

David

Additionally, I have one that is red, yellow, and white. I thought it would be easy to see in the air, but its orientation, when it is coming towards you, can be pretty hard to discern. I think the way the colors are organized on the leading edge surfaces contribute to this condition. So, take a look at your plane from the front, and at slight offset angles, and see if you can also discern what I am talking about. The nose is red, the bottom is red, and the leading wing edge is primarily white and yellow. At times, the red nose blends in with the red bottom which prevents a person from detecting subtle changes in orientation as it is coming towards you. Now, you would think this wouldn't be a problem, because all you have to see is the wing tips and their bank angle, but don't forget the outboard leading edges are white and yellow. These two colors, for me anyway, are hard to see by themselves unless they are bordered by a darker color.

Don't misunderstand me, I really enjoy the Tango and how it flys and I think you will be pleased. This has only been my experience (with the orientation) and I may be the only one.

Good luck.

Yeah, you are right about having enough room, I probably could have organized mine a little better

I've got video of mine flying, but I have to do some editing before I can send it.

Regards,

Hi!

I can understand your words about orientation. I always have these problems on jets, as you fly very far away. I have changed my flying-style and I try not to fly circles with a just slight angle very far away. My Strikaster is in camou and you can't see it that good on bad weather. 20% of my flying is believe . No really, I always have guys next to me who say: "Ups, I can't tell you which direction you fly". Well, I couldn't eithe if it wasn't me who flys.

By the years we have tried different colour-schemes on sport-jets. Checkerboard on the bottom, Chrome with colours, bright colours. The best things are tiptanks in bright colours. They help you very much. Or "drop-tanks" under the wing. That makes live very easy.

BR,
David

HI guys!

Here a few pictures of my actual installation. It is not 100% finished, a few cable-ties, a few different things, but it should be o.K. for the maiden. I don't use a switch for the battery, just a hi-power-connector.

The fill-lines for air and kero are stowed in a glass-tube at the left side. After filling just push the back and they will stowe in the rear fuselage....

The Gas-filler-line is hiden on the right side. I don't use a gas-container with the small engines, as a few of them need a lot of gas (my dad's PSt J-600 needs heaps of gas!!! One start of the PST needs the same amount of gas as three or four starts on my P-120).

I have just the turbine-battery and a small air-canister for the nose-gear in the nose, so there is plenty of room left. I hope the C/g turns out right. Maybe I have to reposition the turbine-battery or change it to Lipo.

YOu can'T see the speed-brake servo. It is just heat-shrunk and glued into place. If something is wrong with the servo: Just cut the heat-shrink, sand it away and glue a new servo.

It came out with 16 lbs weight. I think that is very heavy for such a small plane. It could be much less with use of the right techniques/materials. Or have you seen any carbon-fibre on your Tangos? No sandwich, just the small strip between the fuel-cells... I think it would be possible to save at leasr 2-3 lbs just on the airframe!

BR,
David

Just some words of caution with this airframe....

Check carefully that the wing incidence is equal and at zero deg to the fuse. Also check the stab is at zero to the wings. Avoid high angles of attack (40-45 deg) at slow to moderate speeds, due to the short booms we have found the stab gets blanked out by the fuse at high AOA. Other than that....Great flyer!
Enjoy...

Hi Todd!

Well, I have your video on my computer

The right boom on mine was totally wrong. The holes to attach it to the fuse were everything than straight. We have changed that, and have checked the wing-incidence more than 4 times. At least the two wings and the fuselage have the same incidence. I am not 100% sure about the elevator, but I will find out during maiden. If I don't need too much elevator trim with the given C/G, it should be honky-dory

By the way: Your installation is the best I have seen in a Tango. I am still scared of the pictures from the factory/Planesplus. I have to tidy my installation.....

BR,

David

Here is a pic of my Tango and the interior. Plane and engine have about 6 hours flight time. Fun Fun and more Fun!