panicosc

Got mine yesterday. Cant say more than just Great arf.
So, I have couple points and questions to make regarding the retracts. It seems that Hitec servos dont make an exact fit, Is the JR servos the only make that fits exactly?
The other thing is that the springs on the retracts feel very stiff. Do they actually help at all on landings? Apart from these two points it seems a very nice plane.
The instructions manual shows the battery attached just behind the engine on the fire wall. So if Im guessing right the plane is tail heavy, is this correct?
One last thing..........I found few spots with hardly any glue so I will have to through all the model and re glue all the missed spots.
Thats all for now.

Speedracer2112

I spent about twenty minutes posting exactly how I did it. My computer decided to do an update and restarted my computer before I could post. I lost the post. GRrrrr!![:@]

Ill take pictures soon. I just cant retype it again.

SR

Speedracer2112

I flew again today. I had a GREAT flight!! FG-20 performed perfect!

I changed a few things at one time so I don't know which helped the most.

I added the cooling mod.
I changed to the "newly" recommended 93 octane gas and the Evolution oil since the engine was well broke in now.
I changed the prop to a 16x8 from a 15x6. I did this because the FG-20 ran great up to about 8500 rpms then would start sputtering and try to quit. I thought the ignition couldn't keep up and max output was deemed 9000 rpms. So I dropped the rpms to match the motors performance. Boy did it work! On the ground I could only reach about 7800rpms with the new prop. In the air it would reach higher rpms. I rarely heard a sputter. The power and speed was great.

BUT......there was a problem.

So here we go.

Seconds From Disaster!

It was a cool Florida morning. The smell of distant rain blew through the air with a typical 25 mph cross wind. Speedracer2112 entered the air strip with his hopped up P51 Blue Nose sporting a now rabid Saito FG-20, ignorant that he was "Seconds From Disaster!"

T- 14 minutes. The Blue Nose pulled onto the strip. A nasty cross wind blew into the face of Speedracer2112. He didn't care. They were ready. The Blue Nose tracked like an arrow down the runway leaving nothing but a wake of dust and exhaust fumes as she climbed into the air. She sounded different this time. Smooth but loaded from her increased pitch in prop. Speedracer2112 knew as soon as she dove from altitude for a low level strafing of the field that this was not the same plane as she blazed passed with a roar typical to the actual P51D. The peanut gallery took notice also as heads turned high. She passed into a double victory roll not knowing her fate to come. All thought of timers dismissed and deemed unnecessary do to nearly 40 minutes of fuel on board. Over and over the P51 menaced the field with multiple strafes at low level. It was then, 14 minutes into the flight it happened. This was the first clue into the fate of the P51D and her arrogant driver as the wonderful sound of the FG-20 began to falter. Then silence. With the 25 mph cross wind and a grossly overloaded 12.2 pound plane, Speedracer2112 needed to think quick. His first thought were of the paved runway he has just strafed. But it was not to be. A near stall as the P51D turned in with the wind quickly shattered these dreams. She had to continue forward, into the unknown of the cow pasture and a out of sight landing between three palm trees. SR2112 dropped the gear and braced for impact. She plunged as the wind betrayed them both once again and shifted into another direction. The peanut gallery was sure of her certain death onto a tree as she teased from stall to stall. She disappeared, beyond the line of sight, silently. Then from nowhere the horrible sound of destructing balsa filed the air lapsed by the distance from the field. A feeling of dread and loneliness filled SR2112 as he entered his Ford Expedition to go retrieve his lost friend. It was a cold drive to the "site." Thoughts rushed into the brain of SR2112. How, how could this happen? As he crested over the hill. He saw her. Just sitting there. Like nothing had happened. How could this be? What of the horrific sounds of the destruction of the plane? SR2112 jumped from the truck to examine his friend.

Ok enough of the dramatics... Geeze!!

Broke prop.
Both retract systems ripped from the bottom of the wings. All of the fiber glassed areas intact. Only the plywood runners ripped out.
Minor cosmetic dings.

I placed her in the truck and drove back to the field jumped out and said "Shes fine." Nobody believed me!

Culprit located. The top of my spark plug came off/broke off.

Overall it was a great flight!! Just because I finally got the FG-20 worked out and running like a wild cat. I can't wait to get her fixed back up. Vibration is a big problem. After almost every flight something is loose or broken.

SR

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

Vibration may be what got you this time with the spark plug?

Speedracer2112

Has to be. Everything is balanced to the max on a high point. It does not visibly vibrate/jump around. It looks perfect. It has to be resonating somehow.

SR

CH Ignitions

My Feedback: (11)

Panicosc, I am using Hitec servos, on page 9 I have posted the modification pictures:
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9203191

And here again, They work better in my opinon than JR. I tryied both.

RodanAZ

Speedracer... sorry to hear about your deadstick, glad the damage wasn't worse. Out of curiosity, though, why'd you put the gear down? It's almost always better to leave the gear up if you're going to go in off the runway...

panicosc

Many thanks i7x58.

I have used the same Hitec retract servo on my PT-26 Fairchild and its very reliable, never had any problems.
What about the retracts suspension....very stiff. Any way to modify them and make them a bit "softer"? Did anyone tried a mod ?

Very sorry for Speedracer.............at least can be fixed!!!!
For this specific reason (dead stick danger) I will install an onboard glow driver on the Saito 125. Any suggestion about a good one?

Pit-Viper 1

My Feedback: (12)

Yep gear up on a landing like that would save you a ton of work. In this case it would be gear up, radiator up,,,[sm=tongue_smile.gif] That's the one thing I hated about D/S landing my first H9 P-51 was the scoop would catch and sometimes sheer off the wing bolts, would always try to get it to the runway to put it down as it won't tear them up as bad just a little road rash. We had fairly smooth paved runways so it wasn't too bad.

Shane

ALWAYSPDG

My Feedback: (1)

Hey Panicosc.

I have been using the McDaniel Pulsed Glow Driver on my TF P-51 and love it. Try this link below:

http://www.sonictronics.com/xcart/home.php?cat=310

I think he has four different models to choose from. I set mine up, so that it is only on from just below mid throttle stick to idle. I am running an O.S. 91 FS.

Hope that helps,

Mike

bradyb

I’m sorry for your loss Speed, it sounds like the plane can be fixed quickly.

Come flying with us where just about the whole world is a runway.




Ahh, it’s flying paradise for both the little planes and the real ones.

jet22b

Now that's what I call a sweet flying field!!!


SR: Sorry to hear about your crash!!!
Rebuild her and get back into the air. It did sound like you was having fun with her. I do love your flight time!!!

Sonny
aka
jet22b

kurrikan

Hi ,i have purchased this wonderful plane.I'm searching for a scale cockpit for it.somebody knows wich scale is it?[8D][8D]

bradyb

It's Ibex Utah (West of Delta)


Utah Back Country Pilots do a fly in or two each year.

The only problem is that it is about three hours from Salt Lake.

Pit-Viper 1

My Feedback: (12)

bradyb, how far are you from Wendover?

bradyb

Less then two hours, and yes the Bonneville Salt Flats are great to fly at.

The salt is kind of a mess though for your vehicles and it's only dry for a few summer months. It's too close to Wendover.

I love Ibex because it is about an hour from any type of civilization. Anything you want to do, you can. I've had friends get tickets for driving at excessive speed on the Salt, at Ibex there's usually no one there.

Maiden #2 for Blue P-51 will definetly be there at Ibex.

panicosc

Many thanks Mike.

It seems good. I will see if I can find it locally.

Still, can anyone tell me any ideas about the springs on the retrucs? I think they are very stiff.

Pit-Viper 1

My Feedback: (12)

Not sure if it applies to these but I used to trim my springs in my offroad rc shocks to take the stiffness out of them. Then just stretch them out a little to take up any slack in the shock. You may be able to find a replacement spring for them as well.

Shane

Speedracer2112

The wind shifted twice. I wanted to land on the runway then just off field in low grass. Both failed.

I still count my blessings with the gear ripped off. I wanted to rebuild it anyway. : )

SR

Speedracer2112

Crashin is part of flyin!

I bought the FG-20 for the long flight times. I can fly 40 minutes on a tank of gas!!!

Slight problem. I cant fly longer that about 15 minutes before the plane has screws backing out or structure damage. Until I get that sorted out Im stuck at 12-15 minutes.

SR

Speedracer2112

Who wanted a retractable tail wheel?

SR

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gZY8...eature=related

jet22b

SR;

Where did you find that retractable tail wheel?? Plus the doors?? That is sweet!!! I have seen pictures that people have post of low flyby with the gear up and that tail wheel still down. It take the look away from the plane. The way it look, its not that much weight added!!

Sonny
aka
jet22b

Speedracer2112

That's not mine.but it looks like a Robart retract. I just found it next to my air radiator YouTube video.

SR

jet22b

SR;

Here is the link to the retractable tail wheel. The price is around $25.00!!
https://www.quicktechhobby.com/Airpl...ies/robart.htm
Scroll half way down the page!!

Sonny
aka
jet22b

charlie1960

so tell me, has everyone crashed?
seems as though the tread has died.