ESM LA-7 From VQ Warbirds
04-17-2010, 09:26 PM
#151
My Feedback: (195)
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Duluth,
GA
Posts: 788
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: ESM LA-7 From VQ Warbirds
Just got done mounting my MOKI 1.80, it fits with no cowl cutting. I mounted it side ways and I have enough room to attach my on board glow with no cutting. However, that said I will have to cut a hole to access the needle valve and to allow sufficient exit of hot air.
Happy Flying!
Loopman
Happy Flying!
Loopman
04-22-2010, 11:09 AM
#155
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: San Jose,
CA
Posts: 2,060
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: ESM LA-7 From VQ Warbirds
I would like to but I don't know if I have that weekend free. What weekend is it?
I know a bunch of guys from our club are going. Great place to fly BIG planes!
Couple more photos for you
Jeff
I know a bunch of guys from our club are going. Great place to fly BIG planes!
Couple more photos for you
Jeff
04-22-2010, 04:29 PM
#156
My Feedback: (37)
RE: ESM LA-7 From VQ Warbirds
I flew my LA-7 for the first time today and it flies great! I have an RCGF 62 on it and it shook the plane more than what I am used to seeing and I think the long stem motor mounts creates more vibration on the aircraft. I want the plane to last so will swap it out with my G45 and that should fly it plenty fast. I am extremely happy with the retracts, they worked well and usually ARF's have terrible retracts but these ones are well suited even with a big motor.
Love the pics, do you use flaps on landing? It works well and no sign of any pitch changes on the aircraft even at 70 degree.
Here is the flyer for Castle Event this year
http://frcm.org/docs/Castle%20-%20IM...ic%20Flyer.pdf
Vic
Love the pics, do you use flaps on landing? It works well and no sign of any pitch changes on the aircraft even at 70 degree.
Here is the flyer for Castle Event this year
http://frcm.org/docs/Castle%20-%20IM...ic%20Flyer.pdf
Vic
04-22-2010, 04:49 PM
#157
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: San Jose,
CA
Posts: 2,060
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: ESM LA-7 From VQ Warbirds
fw190,
Glad to head yours flew well too! I didn't use flaps the first couple flights as I had too much up thrust in my engine and it didn't need them. I did use it on my last flights and it did a fantastic slow three point landing with about a 2 foot roll afterwards. The flaps really help it slow down nicely. Even without flaps it's well behaved on landings.
I don't have any shaking with my motor...it's electric
How did yours balance with that engine?
Jeff
Glad to head yours flew well too! I didn't use flaps the first couple flights as I had too much up thrust in my engine and it didn't need them. I did use it on my last flights and it did a fantastic slow three point landing with about a 2 foot roll afterwards. The flaps really help it slow down nicely. Even without flaps it's well behaved on landings.
I don't have any shaking with my motor...it's electric
How did yours balance with that engine?
Jeff
04-22-2010, 06:12 PM
#160
My Feedback: (1)
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Sedona, AZ
Posts: 495
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: ESM LA-7 From VQ Warbirds
ORIGINAL: jmohn
You can try to reach Ty at: tysplanes.com
Here's some photos of my LA-7 to keep you motivated.
You can try to reach Ty at: tysplanes.com
Here's some photos of my LA-7 to keep you motivated.
looks great and that is definitely South County (highway 101 in the background)...I plan to maiden my LA 7 this weekend at EBRC. What power system did you end up using and what prop? Looks like the incidence is not a problem....how far back from the leading edge did you balance measuring 6 inches out from either side of the fuselage?
04-22-2010, 06:18 PM
#161
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: San Jose,
CA
Posts: 2,060
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: ESM LA-7 From VQ Warbirds
Mine is flying on an Eflite Power 160 with 2 x 6S 5000 mah packs. I have a 20-10 prop on it and it's a screamer.
The CG was a little forward of the recommended location. It doesn't seem to be too sensitive, so just start a few mm ahead of the recommended forward CG and see how you like it there. I had to add about 12 oz. of lead to the back to get the CG right even after moving everything aft. My batteries are in front of the firewall and would have been better behind it. It does fly nicely and is a great looking plane.
The field is SCMAC in Morgan Hill.
Jeff
The CG was a little forward of the recommended location. It doesn't seem to be too sensitive, so just start a few mm ahead of the recommended forward CG and see how you like it there. I had to add about 12 oz. of lead to the back to get the CG right even after moving everything aft. My batteries are in front of the firewall and would have been better behind it. It does fly nicely and is a great looking plane.
The field is SCMAC in Morgan Hill.
Jeff
04-22-2010, 08:10 PM
#163
My Feedback: (195)
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Duluth,
GA
Posts: 788
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: ESM LA-7 From VQ Warbirds
Hey Guys,
I'm at the point where I'm installing my stock ESM gear and the gear legs are too long! I had to modify the oleo section of the leg to reduce the length so I could center the gear. It's fine now but should not have had to modify the gear to start with. The rest of the build is pretty staright forward. The Moki 1.80 fits perfectly on the nose and I hope I will not have to add any nose weight! As for the CG, I would rather be nose heavy than tail heavy and ESM's CG is too far aft for my liking. Eventhough I am not using a retractable tailwheel, I did modify a Sullivan tailwheel to look more scale. This plane's fuse was cracked up pretty good by UPS but after some careful application of fibreglass and resin on the interior, it looks acceptable. If anybody is interested, I have Ty's cockpit kit and I will not be using it so it's going up for sale.
Happy Flying!
Loopman
I'm at the point where I'm installing my stock ESM gear and the gear legs are too long! I had to modify the oleo section of the leg to reduce the length so I could center the gear. It's fine now but should not have had to modify the gear to start with. The rest of the build is pretty staright forward. The Moki 1.80 fits perfectly on the nose and I hope I will not have to add any nose weight! As for the CG, I would rather be nose heavy than tail heavy and ESM's CG is too far aft for my liking. Eventhough I am not using a retractable tailwheel, I did modify a Sullivan tailwheel to look more scale. This plane's fuse was cracked up pretty good by UPS but after some careful application of fibreglass and resin on the interior, it looks acceptable. If anybody is interested, I have Ty's cockpit kit and I will not be using it so it's going up for sale.
Happy Flying!
Loopman
04-22-2010, 08:42 PM
#164
My Feedback: (37)
RE: ESM LA-7 From VQ Warbirds
Loopman, did you mount the main retract unit into the slot opening of one of the ribs that supported the front retract rails? If you did dot it will be too long for sure.
Anyways on CG, I placed mine just on the trailing edge of the main spar, which is roughly around 1/4" forward of what is called for on the manual.
Anyways on CG, I placed mine just on the trailing edge of the main spar, which is roughly around 1/4" forward of what is called for on the manual.
04-23-2010, 09:17 AM
#165
My Feedback: (195)
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Duluth,
GA
Posts: 788
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: ESM LA-7 From VQ Warbirds
Hi FW190,
Yep, I did move the gear mount into that slot and the wheels still would hit the center rib. I also had to add 1/8 inch ply pieces to raise the gear so the wheels would not slap the top of the wing when they retracted. Maybe I got the EDSEL version (ha ha). Anyway, all is fixed and works great. I still have to mount the door covers on the struts but that's about all I lack.
Thanks for the advice on the CG. I just lost an ESM P-51B due to setting it up per the stock CG. It was basically uncontrollable on landing and I would've gotten it down okay eventually but on my last go around the engine conked out and it tip stalled from about 50 feet. Fibreglass fuses do not take kindly to direct nose-ins with terra firma! The wings split clean in two, the plane was totalled but all the components (engine and electronics) survived. So in my book nose heavy will survive to fly another day, tail heavy will not.
Happy Flying!
Loopman
Yep, I did move the gear mount into that slot and the wheels still would hit the center rib. I also had to add 1/8 inch ply pieces to raise the gear so the wheels would not slap the top of the wing when they retracted. Maybe I got the EDSEL version (ha ha). Anyway, all is fixed and works great. I still have to mount the door covers on the struts but that's about all I lack.
Thanks for the advice on the CG. I just lost an ESM P-51B due to setting it up per the stock CG. It was basically uncontrollable on landing and I would've gotten it down okay eventually but on my last go around the engine conked out and it tip stalled from about 50 feet. Fibreglass fuses do not take kindly to direct nose-ins with terra firma! The wings split clean in two, the plane was totalled but all the components (engine and electronics) survived. So in my book nose heavy will survive to fly another day, tail heavy will not.
Happy Flying!
Loopman
04-23-2010, 10:48 AM
#166
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: San Jose,
CA
Posts: 2,060
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: ESM LA-7 From VQ Warbirds
Sometimes those ESCs do smoke
It just looked too clean to me so I did some weathering on the plane.
I almost always start with my CG a little ahead of what's recommended. At worst it will fly nose down and you can feed in elevator. At least it won't be tail heavy and crash hard. This plane had a huge horizontal stab and can easily pull out of any nose down situation.
The Dubro tail wheel is a great idea. I used the same setup on my Hurricane.
It just looked too clean to me so I did some weathering on the plane.
I almost always start with my CG a little ahead of what's recommended. At worst it will fly nose down and you can feed in elevator. At least it won't be tail heavy and crash hard. This plane had a huge horizontal stab and can easily pull out of any nose down situation.
The Dubro tail wheel is a great idea. I used the same setup on my Hurricane.
04-23-2010, 11:08 AM
#167
My Feedback: (37)
RE: ESM LA-7 From VQ Warbirds
It's a shame they don't make the fuselage out of epoxy instead of polyester as its stronger and less brittle, but for the already built price you cant beat it. Usually takes me several months to build a warbird from a kit and this took 1 week. Speaking of ARFs, I put an order for that 89" ESM Spitty from VQ Warbirds, it looks nice and scale, plus I need to find a home for that RCGF 62!
I have smoked a few ESCs myself! Luckily no lipos yet.
I have smoked a few ESCs myself! Luckily no lipos yet.
04-23-2010, 11:45 AM
#168
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: San Jose,
CA
Posts: 2,060
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: ESM LA-7 From VQ Warbirds
I have reserved one of the P40s from Thomas at VQ also. I have a DA 50 that needs a home and a set of Robart gear that will drop right in. I do like the Spitfire, but already have a nice one and like the P40 better. We have too many Spitfires at our field
Jeff
Jeff
04-24-2010, 03:25 PM
#169
My Feedback: (1)
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Sedona, AZ
Posts: 495
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: ESM LA-7 From VQ Warbirds
ORIGINAL: Sessholvlaru
You may want to check out the MPI spinners. I have one on my KMP Sea Fury and it really looks the part. They are fuller at the bottom and mid-point and much better looking then the P-51 style which is too narrow (trust me, I spent the money just to be disappointed). They are rather inexpensive too and mine balanced fine. Mine is a 5 inch.
http://www.maxxprod.com/mpi/mpi-11.html
You may want to check out the MPI spinners. I have one on my KMP Sea Fury and it really looks the part. They are fuller at the bottom and mid-point and much better looking then the P-51 style which is too narrow (trust me, I spent the money just to be disappointed). They are rather inexpensive too and mine balanced fine. Mine is a 5 inch.
http://www.maxxprod.com/mpi/mpi-11.html
04-25-2010, 08:43 PM
#170
My Feedback: (1)
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Sedona, AZ
Posts: 495
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: ESM LA-7 From VQ Warbirds
ORIGINAL: LA7flier
Just got back from the flying field and the attempted maiden of my LA 7. I am experiencing a power system problem as when I throttle up and just rotate (plane is 3 feet in the air) the motor cuts out....hmmm....[:@] E-flight 160 turning an APC 20x10 and running off of a 10s A123 battery pack with a Phoenix 85HV ESC...have a video which I will post later today...not much to see other than the plane breaking ground and landing again...almost looks like I am doing it on purpose. Couple things to note thus far: the wing is marvelous and allows the plane to float even when losing power at the worst spot! second, the MPI spinner I purchased is no good...badly out of balance. I think the backplate was machined unevenly. In any event, I will be ordering one of the new spinners that just became available.
ORIGINAL: Sessholvlaru
You may want to check out the MPI spinners. I have one on my KMP Sea Fury and it really looks the part. They are fuller at the bottom and mid-point and much better looking then the P-51 style which is too narrow (trust me, I spent the money just to be disappointed). They are rather inexpensive too and mine balanced fine. Mine is a 5 inch.
http://www.maxxprod.com/mpi/mpi-11.html
You may want to check out the MPI spinners. I have one on my KMP Sea Fury and it really looks the part. They are fuller at the bottom and mid-point and much better looking then the P-51 style which is too narrow (trust me, I spent the money just to be disappointed). They are rather inexpensive too and mine balanced fine. Mine is a 5 inch.
http://www.maxxprod.com/mpi/mpi-11.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESf7c...eature=channel
After balance charging and running the motor a couple of times with a watt meter, I am seeing the cells "settle in" with readings I would expect. The first thing I did was reprogram the ESC with a 2.4v LVC. This allows the ESC to recognize all 10 cells upon initial power up. I was able to throttle up without any hesitation. I also saw a max output of about 1300 watts on 45 amps...about right for a 10S 2300 mAh pack. I was able to run it for 6 minutes by alternately going from WOT to "cruise" to low and back. Surprisingly, it did not require a whole lot of mAh's to top the pack off.
04-26-2010, 01:27 PM
#171
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: San Jose,
CA
Posts: 2,060
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: ESM LA-7 From VQ Warbirds
You might be over amps on the ESC? I use the Castle 110 HV for mine. I don't know how many amps I draw, but it's probably close to the cut off at full throttle. You might also check the programing and make sure it's not set at 80% cut off as many ship that way.
Jeff
Jeff