CALLING ALL FLASH EXPERTS!
 

Flash Experts, I have a issue/question....

For a friend I am installing a TAM's pipe in his Flash. I was given the jet and the pipe....so me has questions!

How is this installed, exactly? Do I retain the original Flash outer pipe and slide the Tam Pipe inside? It seems like this is the ticket, however the pipe is not "snug" at the back end and can actually move up/down/right/left about a 1/16th of an inch.

Not sure how to proceed without fabricating new bulkheads and removing the original outer flash pipe.

Can anyone shed some light?[8D]

RE: CALLING ALL FLASH EXPERTS!
 

Dave: No problem...just slide it in and run in a couple of dry wall screws.

:D

Mike

RE: CALLING ALL FLASH EXPERTS!
 

Dave,

Dry wall screws sounds good. I am sure you use them every day at work.;)

George

RE: CALLING ALL FLASH EXPERTS!
 

not sure what that particular Tams pipe looks like, but there should be some spacer tabs at the back....the pipe will expand with the heat from the running turbine, so that would probably take care of any looseness.....

RE: CALLING ALL FLASH EXPERTS!
 

You do not need the outer pipe and the 1/16 movement is not a problem. I have a Tam pipe in my Ultra Flash and it works fine. The only challenge is balancing the plane. Since the Tam pipe is lighter, you may need to move your batteries back. I have my smoke pump and 4 batteries under the cockpit area for balance.

RE: CALLING ALL FLASH EXPERTS!
 

I suspect that the pipe will have much more than 1/16th movement if I remove the original outer pipe. Frankly I can not see the benefit of installing this pipe anyway, if it requires major reconstruction it is simply not worth it.

I await additional input from other Tam Pipe users.

I would install the drywall screws as suggested but the owner would frown upon them most vigorously!

RE: CALLING ALL FLASH EXPERTS!
 

Dubd, you DO NOT have any of the original pipe installed on your Flash?

RE: CALLING ALL FLASH EXPERTS!
 

I DO NOT have any of the original pipe in my Flash.

I just double checked and I did have about 1/8 movement between the pipe and fuse, but I installed spacers to stop the movement. Even without the spacers, there was less movement than what I eventually would get with the stock pipe in my classic Flash.

The benefit of the Tam pipe is that it is lighter. My plane weighs less than 21lbs with a 160SX, 48 oz smoke tanks, and three 2s 2200 batteries (rx & ECU) and one 2s 1300 mah (smoke). The Tam pipe isn't necessary, but I didn't have to use big batteries to balance the plane. With my classic Flash I needed to install the smoke pump in the nose and use 2s 3300 mah batteries to balance the plane.

The Tam pipe doesn't require any more effort to install than the stock pipe. In fact, it's easier since it is a single piece.

RE: CALLING ALL FLASH EXPERTS!
 

I have a Tams pipe in my flash and just glued in 4 small hardwood blocks in the tail to shim the pipe in proper position. I did taper them a bit to provide better contact with the pipe but that is all that i did. The Flash has over 100 flights on it and the pipe is still right where it belongs.

RE: CALLING ALL FLASH EXPERTS!
 

I did as Sailing1 did, on the rear former used wood blocks to help support and center the tailpipe. It's a very easy and clean setup, was impressed with the pipe.

RE: CALLING ALL FLASH EXPERTS!
 

Tam's pipe is an improvement on the stock pipe in weight, construction, efficiency, quality, etc. CARF states that the stock pipe is a compromise in the manual.

RE: CALLING ALL FLASH EXPERTS!
 

I will look at it again, frankly as I have said before I dont see the point but that man wants what he wants....

RE: CALLING ALL FLASH EXPERTS!
 

I personally found it a simpler install than the factory unit. Just bolt the carbon bellmouth to the Tam's pipe ( mine had predrilled holes in the pipe with 2 retaining straps ), mount the bellmouth to the former as per manual with the supplied "L" brackets and then use some wood blocks attached to the rear former that center the pipe in the tail cone. The outer part of the pipe is almost flush with the tail cone. I was really impressed with the fit actually.

RE: CALLING ALL FLASH EXPERTS!
 

My dry weight was almost a pound less with Tam's pipe. That was worth it to me.

RE: CALLING ALL FLASH EXPERTS!
 

I weighed both pipe assemblies and Tam's was EXACTLY 4oz lighter than the stock set-up. Where did you find the additional 12oz you saved?

I have the new pipe installed using the hard wood space method as described above.

It is a very nice pipe, no question. If my flash ever needs a new pipe this is the one I am going with!

Tomorrow, I re-balance the jet.

RE: CALLING ALL FLASH EXPERTS!
 

I think he meant all up weight, 4oz in the tail probably needs 12oz up front to balance.

Kevin

RE: CALLING ALL FLASH EXPERTS!
 

Well where are the PICTURES

RE: CALLING ALL FLASH EXPERTS!
 

The problem is, Dave used 8oz. of hardwood to install the pipe, so my net was 4oz gained! :D

Thanks for the great work as usual Dave.

Tam, that pipe is rock solid and the difference in quality is easily apparent. The weight savings on this pipe is really secondary to the difference in quality.

Chad

RE: CALLING ALL FLASH EXPERTS!
 

Yep, 4oz off the tail means less weight in the nose like I mentioned earlier.

RE: CALLING ALL FLASH EXPERTS!
 

Can someone please tell me what the Tam pipe weighs? (contemplating a pipe upgrade) Thanx

RE: CALLING ALL FLASH EXPERTS!
 

10.5 oz

RE: CALLING ALL FLASH EXPERTS!
 

Botitta, just make the pipe bigger to take up the slop and drop the 180 in there....I'll be in LAS tmrw to bust a few laps on it. :D

RE: CALLING ALL FLASH EXPERTS!
 

Had a few problems with the flash yesterday. I had programmed in crow with full flaps, when activated it pulled toward the canopy a lot and took a lot of down elevator to keep level. I have 45mm of flap and 5mm of aileron deflection ( crow ). As the planed slowed the tail naturally started to settle and exagerated to issue. Am I not using enough crow? I know on another Flash without crow I started out with the recommended 65mm flap but reduced it to eleviate the touchiness of the elevators.

The cg felt really good and flew fantastic other than this.

Has anyone ever tried reflexing the ailerons "down" instead of up ?

RE: CALLING ALL FLASH EXPERTS!
 

I have some down elevator programed in with my Crow.
I don't know how much off hand. What I did was after every Landing I kept adding a bit of down elevator in the program until I was happy with how the plane was handling when I was landing. C.G will also change that as well. Mine is balanced at the 370mm mark

RE: CALLING ALL FLASH EXPERTS!
 

10mm CROW is normal for us (flap/aileron joint) 1mm of down elevator, balance 365mm. Flap is atround 40-45mm. The model sits nose high on the approach, that was the idea of the CROW to add aerodynamic drag (like Concord :D) I only switch to the full flap/CROW position around 200m/yards out on the run in.

Dave