I'm having a heck of a time finding info on this plane. Is it fairly new? There seems to be more info on the 90. Anyway, I'm looking for my first pattern plane and from what little I've read, this looks like a great flier at a great price ($149 shipped). I'm planning on using a 46 FX because that's what I have available at the moment. Many say it will fly fine with this engine. How about some input? Any advice on building?

Thanks,
G

Anyone have any info/personal experiences with regard to this plane?

I've been flying one, only mine has been converted to electric. It's an easy model to fly and it's precise on the sticks. It builds easily and quickly, your 46FX won't have any problems hauling it around.

Cheers!

http://home.earthlink.net/~schwarzar/index.html


Groovy 50 3A info at this link.

I have about eight flights on this plane, it is one of the better ARFs that I have seen.

What does your electric setup consist of? What is the final weight with battery ready to fly?

Joe

I was looking at this plane with an electric setup. The big hatch looks like it will make a good electric. I was thinking of AXI 4120/14 on 4 or 5 cell LIPO and 14 x 10 or 13 x 8 APCe. THe cells are the flight power 20c's 3700. No parallel pack as the pack is capable of a constant 74A. I recon that the power will similar to a YS 63.

Cheers

Kris

Hi all

Just regeristing my interest in this aircraft, has anyone flown one on a normal engine i.e. manufacturers suggested engine and I don't mean superchraged. something like an OS50?

Mike

kris

Have a look on "World models groovy 50 F3A" thread in the electric forum they are useing the AXI's to great effect.

Mike

World Models Groovy 50 is relatively new entrant. It was announced about 12 months ago, more or less a more contemporary good looking cosmetic update replacing the Zen 50, but to date it hasn't achieved significant inroads in terms of market penetration in what is an hotly contested segment.

As good as most and better than many, price vs quality and performance wise it's very competitive. I suspect the reason you're not seeing many on flying fields is that athough against strengthening quality competition WM have dropped their prices significantly over the past twelve months from the premiums they used to charge, at that pricepoint it is still dearer than many of its class competitors which observably affect sales in that class.....at least in this country.

I can earnestly say that I have never flown a WM design that doesn't fly well. At the size and weight of the Groovy 50, your .46AX WILL have gobs of power to drive it around the sky. On 10% nitro, the combination will perform all the Sportsman pattern maneuvers (full schedule) with ease on a standard supplied muffler. A solid combo for entry pattern. In four words, buy it!...start practising!

Nothing much to say about assembly. It's a World Models ARF says about all. They do a great job OOTB. Just follow the instructions and use their hardware. At entry level, putting your time, money and enthusiasm into practice will effect a superior pattern result. Buy it and get on with it. Keep it simple by using your reliable, inexpensive and sufficiently powerful AX spending the saving on burning fuel instead of unnecessarily lashing out an expensive vogue four stroke status engine. (YS or Ultimate). If you decide you like pattern with promotion points coming rapidly and easily to you, that'll be the time to reconsider which combo for the next step and time to trade-up with much to outlay then if you want to remain competitive in Advanced and Expert. For now, your choice of the Groovy F3A and .46AX combo is solid enough for task.

Sirgun

Your a bit out of date replying to the first post it was posted in August 2005, agree with most of what you said except the engine selection, this plane needs at least a 50 or a 70 four stroke, the preference is for the four stroke due to the extra tourque available IMO.

I'v got a tuned West 70 in one and its very good, groves well (sig) and flys with no vices at all after trimming out which takes a fair few flights to get the cofg finalised and the aileron and elevator trim sorted it flys the schedule well, even makes me look good.

Mike

I'm also out of date but they are talking about the 3A, not the 3D. The 3A is electric. He'll be real disappointed if he ordered the wrong one.

Sorry, that's just nor correct.

The 3A is intended to be a pattern plane, while the 3D can be used for pattern and with its larger control surfaces will do 3D as well.

Both are glow planes for the 50 size engine range.

BobbyG

Aware of that. Not that I am always in abeyance of it, but it's called staying on topic. In the absence of an answer to date, the thread having been revived, my intent was to assist others who might pose the question.

Sure. That's what life is about. You're a four stroke afficionado. You like heavy models with high wing loadings because they "grove" (sic) I'm not. I don't.

It does however explain why you prefer to fit to your models the the biggest or slightly oversize capacity engine for class and a four stroke with gobs of torque.

The original inquirer asked about the .46FX specifically. I answered him specifically. 46FX is about the performance equivalent of a typical sports FS-70, but both a lighter (a big plus in Pattern) and cheaper. Adequate for the job with gobs of power for 2006 Sportsman manoeuvres. Torque? Academic for the purpose of this exercise. Understand you prefer it.

In any case, if more power including torque and a quieter run at lower RPM was wanted, for about the same total outlay as the OOTB equivalent brand FS he could add a pipe. A Just Engines purple Hatori copy would be just the thing, a lot more fun to play with and much more useful in terms of the learning curve as he'll be adding one to his next engine model combo if he were to progress to Advanced.

Undeniably there are a pletoria of alternative powerplants he could use. It comes down to what he has availabile and wants to use ie: .46FX as stated), can afford to use (we're all not rich bu99ers), and preference.

The most crucial criteria for his stated intended "first pattern plane" purpose and intended "46FX" engine is will have sufficient vertical performance for purpose given the Groovy F3A design and weight. The answer to that is yes. We've been down this road before. Lighter is better.

Lou55 BG is correct. There are two versions of this model. The 3A variant is the pattern designation. The 3D is the 3D variant.

sirgun

Yes you are right I am a 4S man, but I do have lots of 2S also, in the Uk we are very noise aware and 4S do have a nicer sound that does not annoy the majority of people, the amount of 2 and 4Strokes I see on this forum that do not use even the most rudementary silencers are just not acceptable in these days of environmentally aware people IMO.

I have now just fitted a Weston UK 61 4S into my groovy 3A its adequate but just has not got the guts to bring it over the top of a large loop, perhaps it will when its fully run in, will keep the thread posted as it runs in. Incidently it needed 165grams of lead in the front to ballance correctly, I would not have had that trouble with a 70 4S me thinks.

Mike

I don't think so, but acknowledge the perspective that beauty lies in the eyes of the individual beholder.

They certainly don't sound "more realistic", which is the other over indulged in fantasy so often abused in attempted rationalisation.

That's true enough, in the context of speaking of R/C participants as spectators, although the lay complainant is just looking to complain and will complain about both. Much of the favour re four stroke noise is contemporary fashionable popularity. Just ask any electric zealot and he'll tell you what he thinks of the dirty, noisy, smelly things. It's all relative to one's personal pet hobby horse and the deception of ego.

Despite usually higher propellor tip speed, using a good propellor design with an effective silencer, two strokes can be quiet as well. In fact, with the right timing, prop and silencer, they can be very quiet. eg: Pattern units. It's just the darn maufacturers timing their oversquare Schnuerled supersport designs so that they can keep themselves top of the claimed peak power bunch for marketing....and the proliferation of the cheap and noisy generic SANYE muffler supplied with Tower, by Just Engines and accompanying many new Asian entrants such VMAX, Force, Shark) which ain't quiet doesn't assist at all in either advocating or promoting it.

I can see both sides of the coin, and do see that like so many things in today's society, the 'perception' of an or the "noise" issue, often where one doesn't and will never exist is often misused and abused, manipulated by those with a personal agenda to their own clique dominated particular interest and end. But in general, I do concur that we should all be looking at trying to reduce the overall noise output of our operation and that manufacturers themselves should also be facilitating this which is in their own long term interest. However right now, their major market isn't critical. Rather than being proactive, it will take it to become so before I think we'll see any seriously applied initiative. Perhaps that 'initiative' is just watching the market to see where it's popularly headed, to potentially end up dropping production of 2 strokes as the transport sector has <sad> and just supply nothing but 4 stroke and electric?

Headline "2 stroke goes way of old sparky". Ehehehe..you wish.

Haven't heard of Weston. Presumably a parochially marketed product rebrand? eg: SANYE aka Magnum or ASP .61? ... both of which have well deserved reputations regarding their lack of ooomph for capacity. My mate has a 4 stroke Magnum .61 in a SIG Something Extra. A S A D sight in the air is understatement ! ! !

Now I don't have a Groovy 3A myself, but amongst several similiar in class, I do have one equally as large but even heavier. If the Groovy assembles anywhere within +200g of its spec weight, a .46FX on 10% nitro with OOTB supplied 873 silencer will rip it through the 2006 Sportsman pattern sequence with ease.

Ouch! That'd really hurt. But WM do spec without alternative mention of 2 stroke capacity that it is intended for a 4 stroke, and the 11 page manual doesn't illustrate the suggestion of using a 2 stroke, so it looks as if the designers have configured it to balance with that in mind presuming most will put a sport FS-70 in it. That may have something to do with its relative non-appearance in class at so many flying fields, at least over here. That there are so many other good offerings now available in that class which do might have something to do with that..or not. But insofar as one might stereotype or generalise, the typical Groovy 3A or 3D class buyer would be one buying his first sports pattern type model, more oten than not wanting to use his available ubiquitious .46 class one size fits all 2 stroke in it rather than outlay on an expensive new four stroke until AFTER he sees if that style of model and flying is hs proverbial cup of tea, eg: our inquirer.

Interesting to note however, that it does appear set up balance wise for the larger capacity 4 stroke as a .46 2 stroke with muffler would weigh about the same as a .52 and that .61. One the bright side, the supplied tank (and therefore its bay) will easily accomodate the thirst of a .46 - or .53 2 stroke for the duration required to fly the Sportsman or Advanced patterns. If it flies anywhere near as well as its predecessor the Zen 50, it'll be a superb Sportsman contender.

Does the Groovy 50 3A have a pipe tunnel for that option? The manual doesn't illustrate, although from what I can see, it looks like not.

Sirgun

On the noise issue, the UK is a small area compared to the US and therefore we are nearly always in the vicinity of someone so noise is an issue that cannot be ignored, our flying fields are normally a hired farmers field full of sheep excrement that hardens well if not wiped off immediatly, I think it would make a good resin substitute for glassing.

The 3A does not have a pipe tunnel but the bottom of the fus is a fibreglass half round all the way to the tail so it would not be a difficult job to install one. The whole of the blue area in the photo.

Weston Uk are the manufacturer of the Hype, Tigershark, Magnum and Grove and the soon to be realeased Obssesion a 90 size patten ship. They tune Webra's in the two stroke range and Magnums in the four stroke range, there 50TI produces 3bhp at 22.000rpm the Magnum does over 200mph, I have the Tigershark with this engine and it does 150mph no problem, the trouble is on a pipe this is noisy, in fact I have been asked not to bring it to our site on a Sunday. I fly it during the week for a bit of an adreniline rush, and the sheep do not seem to mind the noise, and there are no walkers around. (red socks brigade)

Our paths have crossed on a number of sites but I do not know what you fly?

Mike

Well understand that, Has been noise sensitive for a long time. Hence my reference to the major (inferred U.S.) market. Everything emanating from the east is really orientated to their wants and exploit their desires. That's just (globalised) business.

.
Brought a wry smile to my face. Which part of the UK do you live or fly in. I understand in the populated SE corner things might be tough, but is it really that bad in upper East Anglia and the Midlands etc? We don't have it that bad here yet, although for the most part we still have to contend with cow and horse manure and the occasional wallaby bounding back and forth. But, absurdly given our land mass, that day is not far off due to our copycat preference for a sprawling crowded urban environs clustered in relatively small coastal bands. <sigh> At present, we have an arbitary 96db requirement here, but it's tolerantly policed at my two local clubs. It won't be long before it's 92db though, and enforced.

Manufacturer or importer? Apart from labels I don't, some are familiar named imports. eg: Shark motors, Tigershark model (two manufacturers of a cheap version of this in ARF I know of). A lot like Perkins distribution et al who rebrand under thier own U.K. orientated marketing labels.

What pray, curiosity notwithstanding, makes you inquire? Of relevance, I do fly the Seagull PC-9 about which we've spoken and numerous in class of the type mentioned in this thread.

sirgun

Weston UK are the inporter from there own factory in China, I belive Alan has a shop in the US as well, he also had a stand at the Nurenburg Fair last month, so you may see some reports on that in the mags.

Of course I'm in the densly populated SE corner, which is Kent, perhaps you have heard of Canterbury, Maidstone and Ashford these would form a triangle and I live approx in the middle of that triangle, I have my own 4acre field opposite my house but unfortunatly odd shaped and surrounded by very high trees, only suitable for small electric.

Just curiosity no hidden agenda.

Mike

Hi guys,


This is weston's website, just to give a bit more background of what their line up is

www.westonuk.co.uk

crasharama

As with most websites I'm afraid the Weston Uk site is out of date, things move so rapidly these days that I suppose its difficult to keep up, you would think that as its a buisness they would update as soon as possible, the Tigershark and Groove are shown on the site as new, they are over a year old now and have been joined by a mini tigershark and mini hype and lots of Depron models LiPo batteries, tuned West Four Strokes, I could go on but will not. The reason I know all this is that Weston UK are my LHS, and I fly with some of them.

Mike

I wondered where the purple 4 stroke came from in your pictures that you put in before....

So Weston have a shop front there do they, I am coming over to England next year, & will be around the Sussex area, is that very far away?

Am looking at the Magnum R combo, which would be faily rare over here.

Thanks,
Tony.

Yes. I know where Kent is. Borders (East) Sussex, and your field is directly SSE of London right under what would've been the flight path of the Luftwaffe in 1940. You'd be somewhere SSW of Whitstable?

Although you do, people in general simply don't realise how much airspace it takes to fly our models, even for a reasonably quickish .40 sized model like the Seagull PC-9. Four acres isn't as much as it sounds to the ear for our activity. Fine for operation of electric park flyers as you say. I'm fortunate in having two RC clubs within a convenient 20km radius, with noise whilst acknowledged, not an over-exaggerated agenda issue withn the committees of either at present. Tenure at both locations are under threat from various avenues, the most salient being ever encroaching residential or infrastructural development. Crasharama flies from a huge field about 80km north of me with the available airspace of your (& my) dreams, but even so their field was under threat last year..since reprieved for another five. Phew! But the "it's an inevitiblity" writing is on the wall for all.

Re your curiosity question, check your PM later today.

Yeah the 5 years has given us a bit of breathing space, but the end of 5 years comes up really fast.

We are looking for a permanent field around here of similar size to get started with, so when the time comes we can transfer straight across.

Tony.

crasherama

Sussex is approx 100miles from Westons UK shop nearly all motorway, so quick travel if you do it mid day, during the rush period the ring road around London called the M25 is choka block, alternativly you could arrange for next day delivery to where you are staying, order from Aus and have it waiting for you when you arrive, what a way to start a visit. Westons put purpally bits on all their tuned engines, the two strokes are something else wild but throttle well the difference between the 50VI and 50TI is unbelievable the TI with the mini pipe is a perfect 3D foil response in the mid range is exactly what you want once set up I have never touched the main or idle neddle again, the VI is just that its a missile gets through a tank of fuel in abbout 4mins at WOT but that is all my heart can stand, but has never miss behaved and consistently pulls over 20,000rpm.

sirgun

You have me pegged for postion, my club site is only 6miles from home on the flats at Conya creak near Faversham the tallest obstruction in the immediate vercinity are the boat masts going past, great area to fly in, low down we do have to contend with the sheep feeding troughs which are metal and inmovable dont ask how I know.

Mike

Hi Bald Eagle,

Thanks for the info. Hopefully April next year I shall be there for work on a course. Was looking good for July of this year but has been put back unfortunaltely.

I was thinking of going to Westons for a look, then get them to ship it back for me so it's here when I get back. Seems easier than trying to lug it back through Aussie Customs!!!!

Sorry for getting off the original topic of the Groovy guys,

Tony