RE: Excelleron 90
 

Thanks! I hope to get a few tanks through'er tomorrow and a maiden this weekend, weather permitting. I think I should be fine, in terms of performance. There is a guy here with the EF YAK, at 9lbs, with better than unlimited vertical on 20/20. I plan to prop it for slow, thrusty flight. I got a 15X8 now, and will likely go to a 16X6 after that and am running 30% heli...

RE: Excelleron 90
 

bodyworks,

I tried the 16x6 prop and didn't like it. It let the engine rev much too high and the
prop noise was horrible , kinda like a helicopter blade sound. The 1.10 will pull a
stronger prop than you think , especially on 30% fuel.

tommy s

RE: Excelleron 90
 

Well, I am not using this for pattern-type flying, more like "artistic" aerobatics, mild 3D, and imac type stuff. The 16X6 is the prop of choice for this engine on a Funtana 90, so I figured I'd try it on this one. However, I have tons of experience with the 15X8 on the older YS 120f, spinning at around 9800RPM, and loved the way it performed, so I may stick with it on this engine if the R's are about the same. Any higher and I may also try the 15X10 or 16X8...

RE: Excelleron 90
 

I don't want to use soft engine mount, instead I think I will mount the engine directly to the mount. Did somebody made this way of installation ? My engine is a YS 110.

RE: Excelleron 90
 

obolel,

I don't think you will like it with the engine hard mounted. The YS 1.10 shakes
a bunch and will be very hard on the electronics and airframe. The mount that
comes with the airplane is very good.

tommy s

RE: Excelleron 90
 

Yeah...I just ran the first tank in my 110 WITH the softmounts, and it still shakes the dickens out of EVERYTHING! And, yes, the prop is balanced.

While I'm on the topic of running in my engine, I noticed that it doesn't seem to get any richer beyond 2 1/2 turns on the needle. I am running it at 3 turns out and varying between high idle and 3/4 throttle. I'm pretty rusty at YS break-in, but will this suffice? I also ran it out of fuel on accident at idle...hope that didn't hurt anything...

RE: Excelleron 90
 

bodyworks,

The 2 1/2 to 3 turns should be OK for break in , you just need it to stay running
rich while you fly it for a few tanks.
I run my tank empty at the end of every flying day then use a little Performance
Specialties after run oil. Running it dry won't hurt anything.

tommy s

RE: Excelleron 90
 

I figured, and I always run it dry at the end of the day as well. I just don't like doing it during the break-in...

RE: Excelleron 90
 

For those of you using the TT 120 RP on the Excelleron--what props are you having good results with; any rpm numbers?

Thanks,

RE: Excelleron 90
 

MAIDEN FLIGHT TODAY!!! First off, once I actually got it into the air I knew i would be having some fun! My first attempt was skittish. I was a little nervous, but the real problem was the plane didn't want to come off the ground, so I aborted take-off. While a bit of it was certainly nerves, as this was my first flight in 3 years, the slight down trim I had and my tail wheel being so high didn't help. I adjusted both of those, and the new engine, as it was QUITE tempermental and tried again...SUCCESS!!! I needed 2 clicks of u trim and 1 clicks of right aileron. I probably could have used a click of left rudder, but the engine had me a little concerned, so I did a few rolling vert lines with hammerheads and downline snaps, along with some 4 point rolls and decided to bring her in. The engine coughed right about the time I knew I was coming in hot and it died. I still made a smooth landing, but the gear came off anyway, so that ended my day. Ifigured I'd not beef up the mount area for the gear, but now I wish I would have. No biggie-its a quick fix and she'll be back in the air!

A question for you guys running the 110 on 30%...where abouts you have the HSN set??? I am at about 1 1/2 turns and it's still quite rich...

RE: Excelleron 90
 

Pattern Student: I'm running an APC 16x6. It was turning 10,800 the last time I tached it. Since then, I"ve shortened the header 1/2" and the midrange cleared up considerably. Still a great combination. I may eventually try a 16x8, just to see what it will do.

RE: Excelleron 90
 

bodyworks,
The high speed needle on mine is about 1 7/8 turns out. It's very hard to tune
this engine by ear so I would suggest using a tach. Mine is still slightly rich and that's
where I want it , plenty of power and I don't want any lean runs.

tommy s

RE: Excelleron 90
 

Thanks tommy. Mine's just over 1 1/2, slobberong rich, with 30% heli at 6200asl. I know its still rich because it acted exactly the same at 3 turns out. Hmmm, time to break out the tach...

RE: Excelleron 90
 

Congrats, bodyworks!!!! Ain't it a beauty to fly??? "We" all knew you'd like it. The landing gear thing (weakness) is a REAL deal...I have installed my extra Matt Kebabjian CF landing gear now, and will try to fly today. Clearance is no longer a problem, and changing to the CF took an ounce off the airframe (like it matters :eek:)

It's a surprisingly-good airplane!!
Enjoy yours!!

RE: Excelleron 90
 

For the price, yes it is. I must say that it is not as good as my Funtana 90, but still better than I expect an arf to be.

On a side note, my cg is at 7 1/8 to 7 1/4 inches back and still flies nose heavy. I did not try any real inverted flight yet, but I have some noticeable uptrim in it. Anyone else noticing this?? Where are you setting your CG at?

RE: Excelleron 90
 

Aerobob

My excelleron has been 1/4 stock on each side on the landing gear plate from the factory are youu saying we need to add more?

RE: Excelleron 90
 

Bobby, I've got some pics on my site on the Excelleron page that shows the ply stress risers I put in place. The plate is fine; it just isn't installed with any structure to transfer the load VERTICALLY to the sides of the fuse. That's where the strength comes from; re-distributing the vertical shear force.

Believe me, the issue really is lack of vertical shear strength.

RE: Excelleron 90
 

What I opted to do was, for one, put some darn glue on it when I put it back together!! The ply plate came off as if it were merely placed on and not glued. I used 30 minute on the mating surface between the tri-stock and the ply plate, and a small bead where it mates up to the balsa sheating at the front. The rest of it was glued using thick CA prior to mating the surfaces and thin after. My final, strength adding feature, was to add external "gussets" around the corners with fiberglass tape and CA. I didn't go crazy and it only goes around the corners starting at the front of the gear to about 1 1/2" forward. All of this area is covered up once you put the cowl on, and it adds VERY minimal weight and is MUCH more effective that putting fiberglass tape on the inside corners as gussets, where you don't get the most of the tensil and shear benefits of the fiberglass. Of course, if I had CF or Kevlar around I would have opted to use that, but this should do...

RE: Excelleron 90
 

Bob,
I went to your excelleron page and couldn't find the pics. Cou;ld you lead me to where I can see them. i'm building the Excelleron using a piped, pumped OS .91. I'm following Old Dogs version of installing the pipe. I hope to be able to use a multi blade prop. Thanks to all for their discussions on everything.

Vince

RE: Excelleron 90
 

Vince,
When you click on the Excelleron pic., the page opens up with the text. At the top of the text there is an option to click on "Pictures" or "Weights" just below the photo of the plane.

Sorry Bob, if I jumped on your question:-)

Ken

RE: Excelleron 90
 

Ken


Thanks for the info. You're right it worked just fine. The weight part was very interesting. I will use it as a comparison to mine. Bob did some extra work on his Excelleron. I'm impressed with his landing gear supports. I would have just slopped spoxy and fiberglass and hoped for the best. I'm following olddog's use of the pipe. I'm using an OS 91 and Olddog really helped out.

To ALL, Thank you so much for all the advice and show and tell. It makes the building so much easier.

Vince

RE: Excelleron 90
 

Thanks, Vince! Since that landing gear thing was so far back in the thread....well....something else that I did which helped, I believe. BEFORE I epoxied in those trusses in the pics, I ran a LOT of thin ca around the edges of the plate, the fuse sides where it's ply and balsa laminated, and the former that has the dowel holes in it. Of course, one can NEVER know if that sort of thing helps, but it did firm up the wood that the trusses connect.

If you do those, you have to watch the width at the bottom, as the tank may bump into them, so you need to watch that, and trim as needed so the tank doesn't rub.

I haven't done any pics of the change, but I have installed the extra set of taller Matt Kebabjian CF gear on the plane. Reduced a couple ounces, and guaranteed clearance for a 17" prop, if I choose. Also got the 15.75 x 10 - 3 blader from Dave Lockhart (he retwists those from their original 13 pitch). I LOVE the sound of the multiblade, and on the ST2300, this should be just fine.

RE: Excelleron 90
 

Bob,

Thanks for the update on the landing gear plate. I'm ready to reinforce the plate and this will be included. I'll be seeing Dave and his Dad at the WRAM show Tomorrow. My grandson has been after me to learn to fly since Christmas. so far we've had two flying days but I'm making up for that by bringing him to the show. There I'll introduce him to the pattern people at the NSRCA.
I like the idea of multiblades. I'll ask Dave about his suggestion for multiblade proping the OS on the pipe. He's offered to break in my engines if I can get to his house. Unfortunately that takes a passel of doings and I might not be able to get there in time before the maiden flight. Although the way the weather is going we may not fly until April or May.

I plan on installing the fuel tank on the CG. Since I'm using a pump, it really hasn't mattered where the tank goes and that installation is the easiest to check.

I may have a problem with the squareness of the wing to fuse. I forgot to check for that until after I glued the stab in place. I didn't know how to change that so I just went on building and never checked. Now I'm able blame my poor flying on the plane. Nice to have an excuse.

RE: Excelleron 90
 

I believe those 2 inch wheels also contribute to this landing gear problem. I will change them with 2.5 inch Dubro Ultra Lites and also I will change the wheel pants ( I think they are very ugly ). These wheels are really very small for this plane, I don't think bigger wheels will add much drag.

RE: Excelleron 90
 

Thank you Obelol

I'll keep the wheel size in mind if the reinforcing suggestions don't work. For the present I'm going with what came with the Kit. I hope I'm right.