Phil,
Make it 812 sq. in. and I'll be member #2 (right behind you!). I want to fly an Eclipse. (Drooooool) What a sweet flying plane with a YS 60 ......

John

My present "mule" is a 2x2 m w/ZDZRE which I built to prove the concept - first one - 10.75 lbs -this one a shade over 11 lbs - I got sloppy -anyway -here it is hanging in the air -

Prophecypilot,

Cool, I figured someone out there would recognize the plane. It's good to know that its had a good history. I can tell where its been repaired around the wing/fuse meeting point, and there is a small amount of chipped glass around the nose, so I'd assume it snapped on landing and rolled along a wingtip and the nose. The paint is also cracked in the canopy area, so I'm going to wetsand/repaint that area. I'm sure its alot heavier than when you and your brother had it, hence the reason I was looking at the 160, or even gas. It also has some very thin wingpanels with a really angled leading edge, so it's gonna fly pretty fast. I might use it as a testbed for a few ideas, and maybe some thicker wing panels with a fatter leading edge for more of an AA plane. Either way, I plan on flying the snot out of it once I figure out whats going in it.


Dick Hanson,

Your mule looks excellent. I can imagine it must be a dream in flight, not to mention the pennies per flight in fuel. Please post a couple of pics of your firewall/engine setup, I'd love to see that. Is your zdz rear exhaust? What kind of muffler are you running?


Thanks,
Steve

Hey Dick,
A while back you promised to post some pictures of your gas pattern plane. We're still waiting. I'm in the mode of considering what to build this winter and would certainly entertain something usual. AT least unusual here in the midwest. A gas pattern plane.

am currently running an os1.40 in a Jupiter. Turns a 4 blade 15.5x12 around 8K on 15%.

I did post one - when I get the final example all purtied up -I will post more - BUT at this point Iam only trying to prove one thing- is the 2.4 reasonably practical in a 11 lb model.
The aswer is a resounding yes.
If a person is looking for a turn key setup -at the present time -the answer is --NO.
If you have decent building skills - and are willing to follow guidelines - you can do it.
If you build and "hope" . it won't happen.
The result is not a fragile model -but it will not tolerate heavy servos - big redundant batteries - retracts - a fancy cockpit etc.
It is very simple and all parts count.
The result is a model which ahas instant acceleration from any position if needed and in normal flite -is quiet -the engine is just loafing along.

Dick,
I must have missed the photo's. I have been following with interest. I certainly don't mind building. Are there plans out there, or are you using one of your pattern kits and stuffing the gas engine in.
Jeff

photo is on this page -about four messages back

OK, now I feel like an idiot! Nice looking plane, kind of a cross between a Dalotel and a pattern plane

Steve

The Sequel was designed around the 4 stroke engine for power.
The headaches of shoehorning a big 2 stroke in there and the trim changes it would couse just aren't worth it. I sold a Sequel
to a fellow pattern flyer 2 years ago with a 120AC . That engine was just right for it. He later put a 120FZ in and it flies great on
15% fuel.
I have a couple of the 1.60s . Believe me, they would be brutal in that airplane. They are also much heavier . As far as enjoying the plane to learn the true joys of pattern and how pattern should be flown , you would be much better off staying with the 4 stroke .
Prophecypilot might just know where a good one could be found .
He knows about things like that.
Also , if the Dean you refered to is Dean Wilson , talk to him about power. I believe he would agree with me and Prophecypilot.
At any rate , enjoy the plane. It will teach you a lot.

Robert Gainey

Sorry

I goofed and refered to your Dr. Jeckyll as a Sequel . Engine recommendation is the same however.

Robert

Thanks Robert,

That was the Dean in question, he's a member of our club flies sport planes there from time to time. He looked it over while it was apart, and said that it would be a great starter plane, but would be a bit heavy (due to the repairs, and it being an older design) compared to todays planes (say a Focus, or one of his gorgeous Smargdz). He did say that the ys120 (any model) would be a great fit in that airframe. I havent gotten access to a really good scale yet, to weigh everything to see where it sits. I'm sure if I really wanted to get adventurous, I could sand it down and repaint it, which would save a bunch of weight (it looks like its been repainted at least once, prob 2 or three times), but its not worth that much effort.

The article from Oct 2001 Model Aviation reallly intrigued me. Oscar Suarez, who I have not been able to contact at his email addy listed in the article, put a gas motor in his prophecy. He removed his ys 140 and installed an RCS 1.4 gas engine, with only minor modifications (14 oz tank modified for gas), and the additional battery for the ignition module. He made his own header (although the RCS rear exhaust comes with a 22mm header now), and used a hatori pipe. He was going to make his own pipe to see if he could get an increase in power. If i went that route, I too would make my own muffler/pipe system. During break in, it turned an APC 16/8 and should turn a 16/12 or 17/10 at 8500-8900. Cheap-YES. Competitive-YES. He won Advanced at the Luzon Nationals. He can also fly for $4.00 a day (burning 2 gallons of 87 octane gas and oil).

As anyone at our field can attest, I tend to go a little outside the box on just about every project I do. Since the Dr. needs some work (including remounting the firewall), I have a reallly low cost testbed for experimentation, without losing an expensive airframe/wings in the process. Right now, I have less than $120.00 into it. I cant even buy the hardware thats on it and the retracts/retract servo for that. Throw in the new wings/tube/wing adjusters, new tail, a good monokote job, and a fairly good paint job, and you can see why I snapped it up. I'm not in a rush to have to get it up in the air, so I'm gonna weigh my options heavily before breakin out the epoxy.


Thanks for the input guys. Please keep it coming.

Steve

PS, if anyone knows how I can contact Oscar Suarez, let me know.

Steve

Let me then be the first to say good luck with your experiments.
Hope you get the results you are looking for. Keep us posted.

Robert

PS Tell Dean I said hey

Dick

The "mule" looks good from the photo you posted. I do not necessarily see a need to pretty it up. Can you post any more photos of it from different angles? What about putting a page on your website showing the details of the set up.

Greg

I will get the website done --just want some more trial setups proved out first.

Steve,

I think you should stick with glow, and if the used YS 1.20's are all everyone says they are, I think you should go with that. The only reason why I would shy away from gas is because your plane is a little smaller than a Prophecy and from what you have said, it is a little heavier. Adding a gas engine would only add more unnecessary weight from the weight of the engine itself and the ignition battery.

If you are going to make mods, I would definately look into fixed gear, especially Bolly fixed gear. FG is less complex and it looks better in my opinion.

Are you talking about having two sets of wings (pattern & 3D) like Piedmont was going to do with the Focus? I would like to see your plane sometime. Good luck on it, and if you need any help with it, let me know.

Ryan,

At this point, I am still lookin into options. Since the firewall isnt glued in, it is possible to move it back just a bit. I read alot on the mvvs 1.60 gas engine, and it seems like a definate option. It's front carbed (pumped), and available in side or rear exhaust. I talked to Lee about a Webra 1.45 as well. Actually, Tom and I were in Raleigh/Cary yesterday for work and called to see if we could check out his facility. His response was a polite, we have an office, and a storage warehouse full of boxes, so theres nothin really good to look at LOLOL.

I need to throw everything on a scale, and see what it weighs, I may be better off on weight than I think I am. I'm just soo used to holdin sub 6lb models, that it may just be my perception of weight.

I might look at cutting different wings, with a thicker airfoil/ larger surfaces for AA, similar to the Focus, but thats a down the road project. The plane is by no means perfect, but then again, I'd be scared to death to put an absolute perfect pattern plane in the air for the first time lOL.

Where are you going to be this weekend? Saturday is not good for me, but I may get out to the field sunday morning.

Steve,

I can probably come out Sunday morning. What time do you think you would be out there? I haven't been out to County Line in forever, so I would like to go.

They start glow at 9 am, electrics as soon as the sun comes up. I am usually there by 10 or so, maybe earlier since I am totally jonesing to fly. I havent in a month now, and I made a bunch of changes to my magic, so it should be entertaining.

Well see what I can work out with the wife LOL