Hanapi

My Feedback: (3)

Thanks Guys...
The thing I hate the most is that it was mechanical failure of some sort.
I can fly but stood there like an idiot when it all came apart.
I will surely build another one.
As soon as I get a check I'm waiting on.
JR

flyinfool1

My Feedback: (2)

Hanapi
Sorry to hear your loss, especially on the maiden.

But I have to ask, did you remove all of the Monokote where the vertical stab glues down. I got my Reaction second hand and the builder glued the vertical stab to the Monokote on the top of the horizontal stab and it too blew off in the air. For me it was fortunate that I did kill the engine before impact and and it just spun in with minimal damage and is now back up and flying.

The other thing that concerns me from your description is that the wing came off in the air, you should be able to tell from just the wing what failed in the wing attachment.
Did the bolts break? Were the bolts plastic or steel?
Did the threads strip on either the bolt or the wood block in the fuse?
Did the dowels break/come out of the front of the wing?
Did the wing mounting plate pull out of the boat tail?

With what I do to mine in the air all of the time, I can not see how the wing came off in the air.

Hanapi

My Feedback: (3)

Jeff,
I found the fuse yesterday and from what I saw I concluded that I must have knocked the tail loose myself during turning it over on the table at home.
The wing is the last thing that broke off. The fin and stabelizer came off, it snap rolled and then the wing came off.
Of course I took the monokote off before glueing it.
I was just not careful enough every time I turned it up side down on the table at home.
A mistake I will not make again..
I must say that Bruce designed one awesome bird. The tank was intact with no damage. Even though we had to dig the nose out of the ground. Very well thought out design. Note the tank on the left...That is the main tank still intact.
I am bulding another one as soon as I get a check I'm waiting on.
This all came about because of my own stupidity...I am more at ease since making this conclusion..now at least I know why..

KC36330

before today my only Reaction stick time was on a few underpowered ARF's and i wasn't too impressed so i've never gave building/buying one a second thought............then last week one of my customers had some things come up and had to sell out of his jets, i was offered such a great deal on a fuel and fly kit built Reaction 54/P-70 that i couldn't turn it down. Today was my first opportunity to take her out for a test drive, we had a cold front move in late last night/early this morning and winds are 20-25mph and gusting to 40+ the only difficulty was putting the surfboard size wing on with all the wind without an extra hand (nobody else showed up, guess they are scared of a little breeze), did a power on radio check and off to the air she went. She flew great and i was impressed at the speed she produced and even more impressed at the landing.............it actually rolled BACKWARD after touchdown. I'm sure you've heard this many times Bruce, but excellent job on this jet!!!!

VF84sluggo

My Feedback: (55)

Dang, KC, I'm impressed....really!! The wind is wicked today and you flew a Reaction?! I was gonna go fly at Holley this afternoon, but chickened out. Decided to watch the FL-GA game instead. Already have a crippled L-39, didn't need to add my Boomer to the repair list.

You da man!

KC36330

Randy, you've gotta get stick time when you can, can't let a 'little' wind stop you.

VF84sluggo

My Feedback: (55)

Well, I guess so...but gusts to 30+ mph stretches the definition of 'little'

Asif

My Feedback: (30)

I finally managed to test fly my reaction 54 powered by Jetcat P60SE. Flap setting is different from what was recommended by Bruce. I have 40 Degee flap with 7/16" up aileron as crow setting. Model lands very stable. I mananged to get 2 flights. Here is a small video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2gP9hILYDQ


Thanks
Asif

Hanapi

My Feedback: (3)

Asif,
Nice design and nice video.
Why don't you go to full crow...from the vid I bet it will slow down even more.
Regards,
JR

KC36330

i've got no crow in mine, it was built with a Y on the ailerons and it flies so good i'm not going to pull it apart and change it.......she slows down to a crawl without it, Asif, pull the power back and glide her in from much further out (pull to idle power on downwind leg), you don't need power anywhere in the landing pattern, it's like landing a high wing glow trainer.

i was having so much fun playing around with mine Sunday, flamed it out at about 800' altitude, doing loops and rolls deadstick and still had a 6 min glide before a perfect predictable landing.

Hanapi

My Feedback: (3)

Had no crow in mine either...lol
Question...
I need some really good hose connectors that don't leak...
I keep getting air escaping from my retract tank and think it might be the plastic white connectors.
Where can I buy some other ones??
Thanks,
JR

KC36330

if those plastic white ones are Robart, that's not your problem unless they've been damaged.

Hanapi

My Feedback: (3)

Hmmmmm....everything else is recut and tied off. Still have a leak somewhere..

KC36330

put a little soapy water on the connections and see. good chance it's your retract cylinders.

Hanapi

My Feedback: (3)

Great idea....will do that.

flyinfool1

My Feedback: (2)

A buddy of mine brings in his wife, she can hear the leaks to help find them.

When removing the lines from a barbed fitting, (plastic or metal) do NOT use a knife to split the tubing, you will leave a scratch on the fitting that will leak forever and is hard to find later.

VF84sluggo

My Feedback: (55)

What is the best way to remove an air line from a barbed fitting without damaging the fitting?

KC36330

heat it.

shepp

I use a "sprue cutter" kind of like Toe Nail clippers and cut longways of the tubing, kind of pinching the tubing right over the fitting. Never a scratch and takes about 1/2 second

Shepp

Hanapi

My Feedback: (3)

Wow..never thought of that...Ok help an Island boy out...what the hell is a spruce cutter..don't have any spruce here..lmao

Redline7000

My Feedback: (2)

Sprue Cutter = http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXL463&P=ML

Hanapi

My Feedback: (3)

Thank you sir.....

martinoa

FYI...I have a NIB Reaction 54 kit for sale...I was planning on trying to do an EDF conversion but it was not an option after reviewing the plans. My local field is not very turbine friendly due to the high fire danger...

I really love all the BTE kits...Quality is amazing for the price!

Asking $400.00 plus shipping...An add will be placed in classifieds this week. Just wanted to give you Reaction fans a heads up before the add was placed.

Please PM me if you have additional questions

Tony

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martinoa

BTW...My Reaction I am sell is a BTE kit...Sorry that I have not posted photos...I have been getting errors when posting images. The model has been listed over in the RCgroups classified jet section...go there for additional details/images.

KC36330

after playing with a cheap $10 Chinese camera last weekend on my Tornado, we strapped it to the nose of the reaction today, at around the 7 min mark (just as i'm taking off from a touch and go) she flamed out on me.....the video was a lot less jumpy then when strapped to the tail of the Tornado. here's the results:

http://youtu.be/qvRPRUE1FWA