cdodom

http://www.f3aunlimited.com/webstore...ubu934odsvs352

Chris Moon's Website F3Aunlimited is the supplier for PBG products.

H

Just what I needed thanks
Adrian

wagen017

So, my Valiant is now finally complete.

With using all stock parts supplied in the kit the total weight excluding battery is 3706 grams.

My target was to have the plane below 5 kg using Rhino 4900s (1268gr). With the battery-set the weight is 4.974kg so that is OK! Very happy about this.

For propulsion I selected the Plettenberg Advance 30-10 with YGE90 controller. I thought the Advance would give me a weight advantage over the EVO30-10 (which it did not). The controller is lighter then my Jeti Spin Opto99.

Volkert

H

Interesting, you have a good result mine is 3810gm (Hacker, Jetti, PBG wing tube, ZN gear, 480mah rx) + 4900 Rhinos @1240gm tight or what!.
Adrian

wagen017

Adrian, did you also leave out all the "YS" reinforcements and additional wood etc to damp vibrations? I did.

Also with the Pletty Advance30-10 you do not need a firewall.

Volkert

H

Hi Volkert, I fitted the 'U' shaped former and a firewall for the Hacker but reduced it to a skeleton everything else leftout (as advised by the designer). I was aware of the need to keep introduced weight to a minimum even so still right on the limit, I have also used ZN spats 15gm saving over those supplied. Not sure we should have to do this with associated extra cost to comply bearing in mind this plane was not marketed as GP only.
Adrian
ps also increased wing incidence to +0.8deg (as advised by designer)

wagen017

I also left out the U-shaped former and as mentioned no firewall or anything. For now I choose not to install a retainer at the back of the motor since I am flying with a RASA folding prop. My reasoning being that this will take out the stress on the motor.

Rudder is pull-pull, all other linkages are carbon based. For elevator fixation I used Teflon bolts, threaded directly into carbon stab tube. Rudder JR8411SA, ailerons JR9411SA, stabs BLS servos. The YGE90 seems to be a very nice controller and is 40gr lighter then the Spin Opto 99. RASA prop is very light (about75gr).

I knew taking the Valiant was a gamble for weight. However I think for many planes that are not exclusively made for EP you need extreme measures to make weight. Last resort is using 4000mAh/15C batteries.

I am happy by using good components I was able to make weight with Rhino 4900s. Normally this is very difficult!

Not that the Rhinos are that important, I just wanted to be able to fly with high capacity batteries.

Volkert

wagen017

interesting remark about the increased incidence. Also read the same from SC0204. Can you elaborate on the reasoning behind this? Anything to do with going electric?

Volkert

wagen017

Here a picture of my solution for mounting the controller + batteries.

Volkert

PS: it might look the motor is not centered but this is optical illusion!

H

Hi Volkert,
Similar set up DS3401 x 2 on El, BLS on all other surfaces, pull pull on rudder.
Saving 40gm on a ESC would be very useful.
The incidence was a question I posed the designer being a convert to his 'triangulation' trimming method and used previously on an integral which illiminated the need for positive elevator trim.
Bringing the CoG slightly forward together with an increase in incidence has helped with mixing. Stock was approx +0.3 degrees.
Still in the early stages of trimming weather has not been very helpful.
I would be interested to hear your comments on your trimming experience with this model.
Adrian

wagen017

I am still awaiting my program card for the controller to set it correctly for the motor. When I get my first flights in I will report on my experiences!

Volkert

kochj

Just so I am clear... You slide the wire(s) forward, releasing the catch bolt head, hence releasing the cowl???

Arrows indicate movement of wire...

wagen017

That would make a lot of sense.

Unfortunately I don't have experience with this latch method. Anybody else out there that used this? It is the 2nd time Justin asks for some help.

Volkert

flyncajun

yes!

Test fit the cowling to make sure the wood stand offs are not to big,and/or, make sure they contact the cowling with no bind, the more vertical they stand, the better the release action
The little block spacers (mini jigs,)are there ,so when you put the cowling in place the Bolt (pins) don`t flop around they stand still.
when satisfied,
Use some thickened epoxy to glue the cowling to the wood stand offs.
Then just pull the wire forward, it releases the catch on the bolt heads(make sure you grind the tops round for better action) and the cowling is released.

Bryan

Torben Parsberg

yes thats the way to do this..
nice plane , love to fly it

kochj

Thank you Bryan...and Volkert...

Justin.

wagen017

unfortunately today after 11 flights I totalled my Valiant. Was just dialing it in for good flight when it crashed. One of the ailerons lost its bolts for holding the MKcoupler. My fault, I did not secure it (After checking I did secure all others, but not this one). Can't say too much about the flight characteristics, other then things were looking good sofar.

I hope I can get a new fuse and one wing from C-ARF otherwise it would be end of story!

Volkert

rene69

I can feel your pain. I lost my Valiant after 75 flights. Nothing was usable. Just got another kit and I'm starting to build.
Just bad luck.
Rene

Stuart Chale

I almost lost my plane on the first day of flying this year, Saturday.
Nice day, one of my flying buddies had cleaned up and I was going to fly one more flight, my 8th. Last flight as I told him, he replied you shouldn't use those words. Just tempts fate or something along those lines

Of course half way though my flight in an inverted 450 downline with an outside snap I heard a pop during the snap. The plane felt sensitve and it took me a moment to gain control. I thought I saw something fall so I figured something broke off the plane. I kept the throttle at idle worried it might be a prop blade. When it was obvious that the plane was going to land short I blipped the throttle but nothing, motor was dead. Plane landed in the field "fairly softly". When we reached the plane I saw that the canopy had a few cracks and the back of it was lifted off the fuse.
Right away I was pretty sure I knew what happened. Lifted the plane and yup it was much lighter than expected. The battery pack went its seperate way from the fuse. Luckily it decided to use the canopy for an exit and not the side of the fuse.

After returning it to the pits and removing the canopy we saw that not only the battery was missing but the whole battery tray. The plane felt twitchy as it was suddenly pretty tail heavy. I am lucky I didn't stall and snap it on landing.

I made a new tray and made it a little longer to contact 3 fuse cross braces instead of the original 2. Originally it did not extend to the rear landing gear support. I also added 1/4" balsa to both sides of the fuse cross braces to increase gluing area.
Patched the inside of the canopy with glass cloth and flew it 3 flights today. No unexpected projectiles this time. So I either have to match the paint colors and repaint the canopy or order a new one. (or both)

Jason Arnold

Hi SC,

I'd be using some aluminium or nylon screws to hold your tray in just for that extra security. Relying on just glue alone could be fraught with danger at high G's.. Don't know what the G force would be in a snap but just say it's 5 your battery will seem like a 6Kg+ battery. [X(]

Good to see you get off lightly.

Cheers,
Jason.

Angus Balfour

Hi,

I'm thinking of upgrading my wing tube to the 30mm PBG one. Are people using the 600mm tube or cutting down the 900mm one? The reason I ask is that the 600mm one is 80mm shorter than the C-ARF tube and is not long enough to extend out as far as the support rib in the wing.

Angus

Stuart Chale

I have a replacement wing tube, but I do not remember if it was PBG. I am thinking maybe Graphtech. They sent it to me cut to 680 mm, It is almost an ounce lighter but the Comp arf tube is not very round and on the average slightly larger than 30 mm, At least mine was so I had to wrap some clear tape around the tube to make it fit losing about half of the weight savings.

Stuart

Angus Balfour

I just noticed that the 900mm, 30mm OD tube has got a thicker wall so is much heavier. Currently looking into getting a couple made for me at 680mm. I don't fancy flying it with a tube that doesn't extend out as far as the locating rib.

A

cartercg

Hi, after seeing the Perridot wing stability (which Wolfgang Matt in part attributes to the large wing tip SFGs) in turbulent conditions (the wings tend to stay put and don't wiggle around much) I decided to install some SFGs on my Valiant. They're made from 5mm balsa which has been shaped and glassed. The top ones are permanently fixed but the bottom ones are held in place via a grub screw so that they can be removed and repaired/replaced in the event that I clip one on landing. Total additional weight for all of them installed is around 22g. There are two small carbon rods that go through the wings. Each SFG has two carbon tubes that the rods go into. They are really stiff. I installed them parallel to the centreline of the plane so they have no toe in or out. Because of the aileron counter surfaces on the Valiant the SFGs could not extend to the end of the Aileron as is normally the case. The SFG side area is roughly the same as those on the Perridot.
They definitely improve the stability of the wings. They wiggle around less in turbulence. Snaps exit more on line. There were no trim or mix changes after installing them. I’m very pleased with the result. The Valiant has 951 flights now and going great.

Torben Parsberg

Hi
i allso flew the Valiant ,, very nice Plane , i have made sfg allso ,, wery improve in flight..
i can see at pic you fly with the org silver cannopy , i can not see the silver i grey weather, then i paint it blue, its helps a lot..