ww2birds

My Feedback: (14)

Thanks, Dave. Yes, I've read all your posts with great interest, and if the truth be told, the speed brake idea was really more about looking cool than slowing down .. I was inspired by the mod that people do to the Eurofighter, and the full scale F15.

Dave

Molar mender

Finally got my Reaction done. I bought the kit at the Princeton, BC, Canada jet meet in September and it took me two weeks to get it framed up and ready to cover. Then off to the Woodland jet meet in Sacramento with a visit to see grand kids while in town. Then we went up to Utah to visit grand kids and take in a college football game. Finally got home the first of November. It took a week to get all the Monokote in place and then I took another break to get ready for Thanksgiving. Started the turbine and radio install this last week and got it all done tonight. It only took 9 ½ ounces of lead in the nose and the final weight was 19 lbs 12 oz. So total time for the build was one month, spread out over the last 3 months.

The color scheme is patterned after my old AV8R I built 5 years ago. It’s all blue on the top and all white on the bottom with the white meteors for accent. I also extended the rudder by 1 1/2 inches and used a pull/pull system to run it. I installed the UAT up front, air tanks and fuel pump in the back. I put my shut off valve and other service items in a cluster up front also, where I can get to them. I installed the PST J600R and am using a JR 8103 PCM radio. This should be an interesting experience as I have always been a Futaba user in the past so this is my first JR radio. Aurora retracts, Robart struts and Trim wheels and brakes.

Now I just have to wait for some decent weather to get the maiden flight done. We are supposed to be getting snow in the next day or so. That’s why the photos were taken in my shop as it is just too cold outside.

RH

Wayne22

My Feedback: (2)

Looks vaguely familiar..........

All kidding aside, it looks fantastic, Roy!! Will the smoke boat fit ???

Molar mender

That's funny you would remember that as I thought about the smoke boat this last week, also. This was a project from items I had laying around the shop. The J600R is from my old AV8R; the radio was the one I won at Michigan Jets several years ago; I just added a couple more rolls of Monokote to supplement the ones I had left over from the AV8R. Besides the kit, I bought the retracts, struts, brakes and wheels from Bart. So it was a minimal investment to get another jet. I will probably do the same as I did with the AV8R and fly it the first year and then build the smoke boat later. The JR radio I had only has 8 channels so I will have to upgrade the radio eventually.

Now that the Reaction is done, back to the B-1B. I want to get that done, also, so I will have 3 jets in the stable. Should be a fun year coming.

RH

Wayne22

My Feedback: (2)

Well, it's your fault I started smoking ..................when you showed us how simple that smoke boat was and that it need not be overly complicated. I don't know that I would have even looked into smoke systems if you had not lead the way............

ww2birds

My Feedback: (14)

Ok, I'll bite .. what's a smoke boat??

Dave

BruceTharpe

My Feedback: (1)

Looks great my friend; very striking color scheme! I'm looking forward to seeing you and your new R54 next summer.

Did you mount the elev and rud servos as designed, or move them back into the tailboom? Can't quite see them in the pics.

Molar mender

Wayne

Thanks. Actually I had too much time on my hands. When that happens, I start to think, which led to the creation of the smoke boat.

ww2birds

My first turbine was the AV8R. After the first year of flying it, I saw a few guys had installed smoke systems in their jets. I wanted to do the same but there was not a whole lot of room to install the system inside the jet so I put the complete system outside the jet. I installed a bomb drop mechanism and used an eye bolt and wood support to make a three point hookup. I fabricated the boat to hold the tank, pump, speed control and battery. A simple festo and servo lead was all it took to hook it up. To make it more aerodynamic, I contoured the front of the box which made it look like a small kids boat. Sorry, boat box photo not the best but you can see what I was trying to accomplish. System worked great.

Bruce

Thanks but I can’t claim originality for the color scheme. I saw a full sized Citabria with the scheme and just copied it.

Yes, I placed the servo’s in the standard position. I just widened the slots to accept the pull/pull wires. Hopefully the heat or cold will not affect the wire length and make any trim changes to the system. I figured if the 1/4 scale guys can use it, why not in the Reaction.

Now that I am back to sniffing balsa, I just may get the B-1B done this year. I look forward to a great year.

RH

Eddie P

My Feedback: (4)

I love the scheme. Do you have any Citabria time RH? They are a blast. A perfect fun little airplane that reminds me of a 1960's era British sportster but in airplane form. Well it doesn't quite look like a British sportster but it flies like one if a British sportster could fly, albeit the Citabria is a whole lot more mechanically reliable - a good thing for an airplane of course. Citabria clothes good on a R54 too!

Molar mender

Thanks. No time in a Citabria but plenty of other time (spent 31 years in the military, the last 17 in the AF, been retired the last 12). I have settled into RC but my two oldest sons have cut back on RC and are now into flying.

RH

Eddie P

My Feedback: (4)

Very cool. Obviously lots of crossover between FS and RC among many guys and gals (not so many gals in RC though). Anyhow great work

flyinfool1

My Feedback: (2)

Ok it is time now to do something.
The snows have come and I am not ready to call it quits for the winter.
We have about a foot down now with more expected every other day for the next week.

Has anyone ever flown a turbine off of snow?
Does anyone have a shirtsleeve formula for determining the area of ski per pound of aircraft?

I have a Reaction 54 that is all wood so it should not get brittle in the cold like a composite might.

IS this just going to be more trouble than it is worth?

Waaaaaa! I still want to play. So does my R54.

Kevin Greene

My Feedback: (85)

Molar Mender or anyone----Is the engine mount that you used the one that comes with the kit??---

Kevin

afterburner

My Feedback: (18)

I don't have a formula for ski area but with the downward angle of the turbine, you will have a nice track to plant the nose ski in on landing.

Marty

Molar mender

Kevin

Yes it comes with the kit. Bruce has made several mounts for different engines so it is best to let him know what turbine you plan to use and he will include the proper mount.

Roy (Molar Mender)

Kevin Greene

My Feedback: (85)

Thanks Roy---This mount looks like it would go well with a project that I have going....I'll have to give Bruce a call when I'm ready for the mount.

Kevin

Molar mender

Since I had the JR 8103 radio in my shop, I thought I would put it in the Reaction. This last week I was setting up all the controls but it just didn't feel right. I have used Futaba my entire life (with one deviation to an Airtronics that came with the jet I bought) so I am comfortable with the programming. I went through the JR book and slowly got the configuration I wanted but was forced into using the preassigned switches and knobs on the 8103. As I have gotten older, I am not used to changes, and trying to remember that the flaps are on a dial and gear and flaps are now on the left instead of the right, is not comfortable.

So I swapped out the JR S-PCM receiver and dropped in the Futaba synthesized R309-DPS. I copied my Big Boomer flight configuration to a new model and renamed it for the Reaction-54. Within minutes, with the exception of the gear servo being reversed, I had the R-54 programmed. Now I feel totally comfortable with just flying the Reaction instead of worrying about the change in switch function.

Nothing against JR at this point as I know that you can probably assign switches with the newer 9-12 channel radios. I just didn't feel comfortable having to fly an unfamiliar setup. Besides, it was an eight channel radio and I have always had a smoke system on my turbines. (Another reason to go back to 9 channels)

Now that brings me to the question. A couple of the Hitec servos I installed were specific for the JR radio and they seemed to work fine when I switched out the rx. Any problems running those servos using the Futaba rx?

Roy

Redline7000

My Feedback: (2)

You should try the Multiplex Royal Evo line of transmitters. You can assign any function to any button, switch, gizmo. And the programming, POC after learning Multiplex's "language". Fantastic radio.

bobparks2

My Feedback: (1)

I hate to say it but all the radios I use are set up to have a switch layout very similar to the 25 year old Futaba gold box TX... it works, and I am used to it. Even my "put anything anywhere" Multiplex Profi has the same general switch layout.

Should be no problem at all. There are NO differences in the Hitec servo electronics between the JR and Futaba versions, just the connector. And the Futaba and JR pin layouts are the same. The only issue is that the two brands use different shape connector housings, so its possible to plug a JR connector into a Futaba RX and get the connector in backwards. I have never seen a servo where doing this would damage the servo, but the servo will not work until you turn the connector around. Actually, if you look closely at modern Futaba connectors, they are set up so you can easily trim off the tab on the housing and then they fit JR type Rx.

Bob

Molar mender

Redline7000

I wanted to put the Reaction together with things I already had. Since I already have the engine and all the rest of the parts to put it together, I would have a second jet to take to the jet meets. I bought the kit and retracts for less than $800. I did not want to buy a whole new radio system and the JR radio was one I had won at Michigan Jets several years ago. Since I was not comfortable with the JR setup, I put the Futaba rx which I also had laying around the shop, into the Reaction. All in all, I only had to buy a couple of servos and since my old AV8R was the same color scheme a couple more rolls of Monokote to complete the project. So a new radio was never considered.

Bob

Thanks, I thought that would be the case. I always make sure the polarity is correct and then I don't have a problem. I did carve up some of the extension connectors I had around the shop to get them to work. This really turned out to be a neat project because I was able to use a lot of things that I had in the shop. (Keeps the wife happy also) Besides the servos and Monokote I mentioned above, I DID buy new batteries. That's one item I would never scrounge.

Roy

flyinfool1

My Feedback: (2)

Well instead of making skis I ordered a set.
They arrived yesterday.
I will try to get them installed tonight.
I do understand that these skis will not hold the jet up on light fluffy snow. The snow will have to be a little on the firm side and I will have to drive around foot prints.

It is just in time to. It is supposed to start snowing again Friday and continue for the next 3 days.
I hope to get out to try them this weekend. There is a big flying party at our field on New Years Day regardless of weather.
If they work I will post pics, contact info and with some luck a vid or 2.

This is gonna be fun (I hope).

BruceTharpe

My Feedback: (1)

What immediately comes to mind is

1. Minimal fire danger, and

2. You really are a "flyin' fool" (in the best sense of the term)


Happy New Year to everybody!

flyinfool1

My Feedback: (2)

Wooooo Hooooo
It lives.
I flew my R54 off of about a foot of snow today.
Temp was 22F, wind was 15 MPH with a perfect 90 crosswind.
The R54 just did not care.

These skis are just barely able to hold up this jets 22lbs with full fuel.
It did not "float" well at slow speed but as long as you kept up the taxi speed it was fine.

I did have to readjust the ski angles to raise the tips up a little so that it would climb up on the snow better.
Due to the tip of the nose ski being up a little it took quite a bit of down trim for level flight.

This was a blast and now I can play all winter.

BruceTharpe

My Feedback: (1)

Incredible! That's gotta be a first; if not for turbine jets, at least for the R54. I'm curious about the effect of the jet blast on the snow. Did it just melt into a puddle or get blasted like a snowblower?

flyinfool1

My Feedback: (2)

It is certainally not a first for jets, but a first for the R54,,,,Maybe.

If I stayed in one spot idling for a while the jet blast did do some melting.

Looking at the tracks of the takeoff run, You can see where the nose ski lifted first for rotation and then where the mains lifted.
There was a radiused groove blasted in the snow about 1 inch deep and about 6 inches wide, this groove was not melted but more blasted looking with some of the chunks that were blasted out looked to be melted and instantly refroze. The groove continued for about another 10 feet after liftoff.
The takeoff run from a standing stop was about 40 feet based on the tracks in the snow.
My P70 takes a full 7 seconds to spool up. The airplane was airborne before the engine was at full power.
I have 15 deg of take off flap. The takeoff flap setting helped taxi a lot.