RE: Comp ARF Flash update
 

I broke the original pins after a few flights (hard surface) and drill and reamed the trunions and struts for the 8mm pins. The small pins work fine on hard surface if you grease it in but grass or a rough landing and they are done. The large pins also help stop the stuts from rotating. A P120 is more than enough and will give you unlimited verticle but the Titan bolts right in so why not? S'mokin Joe ,you know it!

RE: Comp ARF Flash update
 

What's a source for the new 8mm pins?

Thanks, Jim

RE: Comp ARF Flash update
 

Jim aka Hammbone
The pins, drill and reamer are available from McMaster-Carr

(10) 8mm pins part# 91595a573
(1) drill bit part# 2932A21
(1) reamer part# 8851A23
remove the trunions and drill in drill press or milling machine.

Total was $27.00 and will do 3 airplanes.

RE: Comp ARF Flash update
 

Thanks much!

Jim

RE: Comp ARF Flash update
 

Guys,

Just getting my Flash ready for the maiden and on the weight side of things I'm at just over 10kgs! CARF say it should be around 8.5-10kgs. I'm a little alarmed by this as I only have a P80 fitted. I do have the ducting and wing tank fitted also. There is a little fuel left over in the fuse tank from a ground run, but not much. What's a little more worrying is that on the first C of G measure it looks like I may have to add 250g (10oz) to the nose!

Would be interested in hearing what anyone else came out at with the weight and if the above shoud really concern me.

Rgds,

Chris

RE: Comp ARF Flash update
 

Mine came in at 23lbs (10.9 kg) with a Merlin, wing tank and Tam smoke system. You will have about 5 more lbs of fuel and will be somewhere around 12 kg flying weight. A P80 will do it if you are close to sea level and the runway is long enough. After a lap or two it will build speed and be fine.

RE: Comp ARF Flash update
 

That's about 22 lbs which is what mine came out. I have a P-120SE in mine, and the weight is not a problem. With a P-80, you'll probably notice a little less in the verticals, but it should fly fine. You can take your overflow tank off right after you start up and start buring the wing tank and that will help as you have plenty of fuel - I do the same with my P-120 powere Euro with 160 oz onboard.

I would try and avoid adding the nose weight if possible with the P-80. You can save a few oz in the back of the plane with a Tam's pipe vs. the CARF one. You have enough of an investment in the plane to make it worth while.

A note of caution, DO NOT fly it with an aft CG! It is very easy to over control it in the landing approach and cause large PIO's, even with a correct CG. With an aft CG, it can get really hairy.

It took me a bit to get the trim with flap extension right and get the control throws and expo to where it was comfortable, but now that I have it dialed in, its an AWSOME plane!

Bob

RE: Comp ARF Flash update
 

Mine is 18 lb and uses a Wren SS, + the Wren tail pipe ( very light ) no wing tank, and I'm using LIPOS for power ( no heavy NiCds... ) it is a joy to fly and will do any manuver my thumbs can think of even at lower power settings! My only problem was the 6 mm LG pins breaking but I solved that by switching to JetA 1 trailing links ( I fly off grass fields) !

RE: Comp ARF Flash update
 

P.S you can fit the batteries way up in the front to avoid adding weight and still fit the air tank up there ( I did)

RE: Comp ARF Flash update
 

Thanks for the info guys, it isn't too far off the mark weight wise then. I have 2x 2100 lipos and a big NiMH in the battery boxes. I may have to look into moving these into the nose to avoid adding any more ballast.

I still have the original pins in the mains (Behotecs). I'm not all that keen to shell out another £300+ to convert to the Jet-1A trailing links! I am flying off tarmac, better make sure my landings are smooth!

Thanks again,


Chris

RE: Comp ARF Flash update
 

Your LG should be fine off tarmac,my primary field is a bit rough and on my first flight a pin broke on TAKEOFF!
if you do decide to use the trailing link units use 6.3mm pins ( 0.250") available from MSC direct... there is a trhread about this earlier in this forum

RE: Comp ARF Flash update
 

Chris,

Get the parts outlined above from McMaster Carr and convert them to 8mm pins. I did it with mine and I'm very happy with the result. The 6mm pins are not as strong as required for the gear...

Bob

RE: Comp ARF Flash update
 

lost my flash today[:o] Not sure what happened, lost control for a second on the downwind pass. Came around on final to land and lost all control, it spiraled to the ground.. Batteries were showing over 5 volts... My receiver was xps. Not sure what happened...

RE: Comp ARF Flash update
 

Man, Jon, that's a bummer! [&o]

RE: Comp ARF Flash update
 

It suxs for sure... The expiration date on this one was a little sooner than I'd hoped ;)

RE: Comp ARF Flash update
 

Very sorry to hear Jon. I had a crash with XPS also. Hope you can get through this and get back in the air. Been there. Hope your other gear came out ok and motor etc.

joe

RE: Comp ARF Flash update
 

I'm still using Futaba 9C PCM and have had 0 problems, My antenna runs external to the fuse along the bottom and it tied to the small skid at the back of the bottom of the fuse.sorry about your loss!

RE: Comp ARF Flash update
 

Here's a short vid and info showing the crash..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2HxRNgkjpQ

RE: Comp ARF Flash update
 

If I ever swith to 2.4 I WILL have a powerbox that ensures 4.8 to the rx and a separate source for the servos, for now I'm sticking to 72 mhz!

RE: Comp ARF Flash update
 

Sorry to hear about your loss Jon. Its hard to work out from the vid what has gone wrong. I lost a Flash, earlier this year, when I was shot down. Since then I have bought another Flash and am using Spektrum 2.4ghz. I love it , put this behind you and get another one.
John

RE: Comp ARF Flash update
 

Hopefully I can one of these days.. I kind of had all my eggs in 1 basket on this one [:-] Everything in the jet is a loss. The only thing on the turbine that looks like it might be alright is the ecu....

RE: Comp ARF Flash update
 

Thats real bad. It looks as if your landing gear was down, Were you deploying flaps at the time? Just wondering if only one came down.
John

RE: Comp ARF Flash update
 

I hadn't put the flaps down at that point... I had wondered if something had caused a flap to come down... Wish the vid was better but good help is hard to find ;)

RE: Comp ARF Flash update
 

Jon,

Did you feel like you had any control during the event? It looked like something aerodynamic happened. Was your CG right on, or a little foward? Mine is a bit foward of the suggested point and I've decided that its going to stay there. Its a good flying plane, but you can make it snap out, even at 70-80, with full aft stick at the recommended throws. It just gives me the feeling that with the CG aft, it could be a real handful...

Bob

RE: Comp ARF Flash update
 

On the final turn (when it spiralled) I didn't feel like I had any control at all, no response to anything that I did. It was a little nose heavy.. I did have recommended throws