MD_Stryker

My Feedback: (2)

wing13z, look 6 posts back. The url is there.

f6hlct

My Feedback: (4)

I had been flying my Falcon with cheap Chinese spring type gear, but they were not holding up to the loads, so I have purchased the Pro-Links from Dreamworks. The gear looks great, but it is built to the normal long gear length that the prop version of this plane needs. My current gear has been shortened as mentioned earlier in this thread and work just fine, but as mentioned, they are not strong enough. The Pro-Link legs look like they are solid aluminum, so I suspect I can machine them shorter. What have others been doing in this case?

derrickxp8103

My Feedback: (80)

Machine them shorter on the end that goes into the retract mechanism.

That is what I did.

Derrick

alasdair

Rod,
Your Falcon looks really good, with the RN scheme and engine cover.
Good video too.
What engine and fuel tank?
And what retracts?

Aussie1

Dave, I too use the Dreamworks gear, and I paid an extra $30 or thereabouts, and they cut them down by about 15mm from standard, and with a slightly longer nose leg, gave me a nice positive stance on the ground, which gives a nice smooth take-off. I also use the Trim brakes and wheels which are very good value for money. I found this pic of a electric brake, but can't find any further imfo about it. Has anybody seen one?

BaldEagel

I think that is the old Kavan electric brake, did not work too well and where not around long.

Mike

mk1spitfire

anyone tried an p80se on a 120?

New wren 100, apprx pound lighter than p80se with 22lbs,pound less than p80se, should scoot her along. Any definate must mods needed.?

joeflyer

My Feedback: (48)

Rather than cutting the struts down why don't you see if Todd will take them back. Exchange them for ones with the length you need. These are what I have on mine:
http://dreamworksrc.com/catalog/prod...&products_id=4
http://dreamworksrc.com/catalog/prod...products_id=20

He lists the length and trunion diameters of all his struts, so measure what you need and order accordingly. You might want a slightly different length than I have depending on what retracts you are using and whether or not you have modified the retract mounts. Also be aware that most of these have about a 1/2 inch offset, so you may need to relocate your wheel wells.

I just put the 99th flight on my Falcon today and the struts are holding up just fine.

Joe

BaldEagel

Yes its been done with a P80 and yes their are definate mods needed.

Mike

mk1spitfire

what about an se, more power than just an 80?

BaldEagel

Mine was a plain P80 bought just before the SE came out so still 20 odd Lb's but slow acceleration, so I sold it, if you go back on this thread to about page 90 you will see the mods that most have done to take the loads of turbine flying, the problem you may find is getting hold of a Flacon now as most are out of stock.

Mike

mk1spitfire

yer mike, I scanned the mass of pages, I think I recap you tried the p80 and said it was a dog? My mate flies his without mods on a supersport, thats about a pound less in weight. So does that extra pound of the p80 really change its flight characteristics?

He's got a a 2nd airframe offered to me. So options are new supersport( wren have dropped the price to 1599quid) or a new wren 100 or p80se.
The wren 100 looks attractive with extra 4lbs of thrust than supersport, a pound less in thrust and a appx pound less in weight compared to a p80se.

BaldEagel

Don't wish to put you off, but the Wren's are very noisy compared to the JetCat range of turbines, P80SE is possibly the quietest turbine out there, it can be converted to Kero start which I would recommend to all new turbine flyers, lots of people will tell you that gas start is OK no need to chenge etc etc, but cross ply tyres where fine for a long time untill everyone found out the truth, go Kero start from the begining, less hassle and less to carry to the flying field, JetCat are rumoured to be comming out shortly with a P100 in a small casing, may be worth waiting for.

Some good advise I got from a very experienced and well know pilot was if you just want to fly buy a JetCat, if you want to fiddle with the turbine every other flight buy ????????.

Mike

mk1spitfire

Hey, Mike with the greatest of respect, I love noise. Thats the attraction of turbines for me, It kind of sets it apart from the rightious enviromentalists who promote quiet electric flight. If I had a p80se I would saw that cone off at the back that quietens it down.!!! lol

Is kero start the future?

BaldEagel

With the same respect Its good that not everyone thinks that way, even the rightious environmentalists have the right to an opinion, noise is pollution no matter how you look at it and we should endevour to keep it as low as possible if we can, when you loose your flying field due to noise you will understand, but by then its too late so think about it now before you are forced too, sorry to lecture, but I have already lost two fields to fly on by incosiderate pilots not taking notice of noise pollution.

The P80SE does not have the cone on the back, it was the P80 that did and it goes to prove that turbines can be less polluting without extream measures.

mk1spitfire

I understand Mike, I guess it can be problamatic to some clubs introducing turbines where there is likely to be noise police armed with DB meters and government councils who have the manopoly on the use of force to shut you down.
Sounds like you have had the run around to find a suitable location for you to fly. Its important to keep what you got safe for everyone to use.
I dont think wren turbines breaks any BMFA sound restrictions but guess all turbines could break the uk enviromental protection act, if used in a nuissance manner, if authorities or individuals apply to a magistrates court for a noise abatement notice.

BaldEagel

Its not like that for me at all, noise police or not, I think it is my duty to do all I can to reduce the amount that I pollute the environment with everything I do, in that way when and if anyone comes around complaining about noise I am well informed of the restrictions that I have self imposed and can talk objectivly about them, I am the one with the DB meter and ensure that the break out noise from our flying site is below the local by laws which stops all concerns about a service of notice, I strongly belive that until we wake up and more of us become responsible for our own actions we will continue to loose flying fields and just keep moaning and blaming the namby pamby environmentalists and not our own stupidity.

I have only just persuaded my local club to allow turbines on the field and I will do everything I can to keep the option open, even to the extent that I do not fly my Weston Tigershark on a Sunday, because its noisier than the turbine.

Mike

Boomerang1

Yep, that's the Kavan electric brake. I have one fitted to my jet. They are still available from Bruce Tharpe, I bought the Reaction 54 wheel & brake package for my scratch built jet.

http://www.btemodels.com/r54.html

BaldEagle is right, they are not a very powerfull brake and are a bit bulky & heavy. However they do slow a model smoothly and are handy for stopping a model running away when taxiing. It's designed to run off a 9v transistor battery via a micro switch on full down elevator. I just run mine from the ECU battery. I have been using mine for about 4 years now, zero problems, zero maintenance although I seem to remember the nosewheel tyre being bigger when I put it on. - John.

Aussie1

Thanks Boomerang, I checked the Kavan site and they are selling the unit for about 41euro. Certainly would fulfill the requirement for brakes on the Falcon. I must admit that I have hardly ever used them on my jet, and I use the excellent quality Trim units.

http://www.kavanrc.com/cgi-bin/dpsma...rch_02Index_01

BaldEagel

Did not know they where still available, thanks for letting us know.

Aussi1

Don't use your brakes very often, there you go rubbing our noses into the fact that in the UK we don't have long runways If I don't use the brakes on take off to hold the thing stationary when spooling up, I would not make it into the air before the end of the patch, by holding on full brake and spooling up I can keep the Sprint stationary until I get to almost full power, then the take off is only about 30ft, mind you with vectored thrust I can get the Rookie off in about 5ft, now that is fun.

Mike

Aussie1

Mike, these things land so slow, that even on our 200 by 10m strip, brakes are rarely needed. Plus it has nice smooth grass on either side!

BaldEagel

Aussi1

Just seen the pic's, "I am getting up early tomorrow so that I can hate you a bit longer" LOL to have facilities like that I would have to move to France, no way in the UK.

Not as slow as the Sprint with full Crow, admittedly when I revearsed the flaps on the Falcon (turn them upside down and put the left one on the right side etc) to enable 90deg movement it was better, but still not as slow as the Sprint.

Mike

Mike06659

Any of you Falcon owners with Rams or FTE turbines have an extra Data box laying around? I have picked-up a nice FTE-500 but it needs a data box so I can see the numbers. Let me know your price.
You guys are always helpful thank you.
Mike

MIKE1000

Hi Guys,
I have been flying my 120 here in the UK for 2 years now and can pass on some useful information. It weighs 13 lb and has been fitted with an 18lb thrust Super Sport. It needed 7deg. down-thrust to stop it being pitch sensitive to throttle. I had a takeoff problem at first, when the model lifted off the runway it went straight into a virtical climb. This was caused by the fact that the nose when standing on the runway was 1/2 inch low. The model, when resting, should have zero incidence relative to the ground. It now flies extremely well and lands with 45deg flap and crow breaking. The fuel tank is a 1 and a half ltr. pop bottle. retracts are spring air, and nose leg is bulk-head mounted with rigid steering arm. Underside of tail plane is covered with 1/32nd ply and inside this is mounted 1 servo to control elevator. The weak point which needs strengthening is the under carriage mounting in the wings.

My view on the engine down -thrust is that as the speed increases when you open the throttle, the wings create more lift and the down-thrust is needed to compensate by trying to push the nose down and stop the climb.

Great fun model, best value in the UK!!! Mike T

mk1spitfire

13lbs? My mate has same engine but 2litre on it weight is 17.5lbs with light retracts, im told.

Don't you mean up thrust as engine at back?