raptorchris

I am looking to get my 1st float plane. I saw the Cessna 177 at the Toledo show, and was impressed. I live on the ocean, on Long Island Sound, and thought it would be great to fly from my back yard. I liked the fact that this plane was all plastic, to prevent rotting, and other water related problems. Anyone have anything to say, good or bad, about this plane, or any other other recommendations? Also, is there anything I should be concerned about flying it from salt water?

SKYPILOT

My Feedback: (9)

Falcon Trading will be at the RCX model show here in Orange County Calif. this wknd. , so anyone intrested in seeing their two floatplanes upclose should attend the show

BTW. The 177 Cessna is INSTOCK now (finally) my two were on backorder, and will be here Mon.

raptorchris

My LHS has one in stock. I'm going to pick it up today. I saw it at the Toledo show, and have been obssed with it ever since. I can't wait. From what I have read, it's a great plane.

SKYPILOT

My Feedback: (9)

Cessnas Got Here

So cool, met and talked with Ed (the boss at Falcon Trading) this past Sat. at the RCX show, and man, he's a pretty cool dude.

Then Today my and my fathers Cessnas arived. We quickly shredded the boxes and checked them all over. They are very cool, and VERY DIFFERENT from any other kit i've ever seen........

The only Bummer is, I can't start on it until I get back from vacation (middle of May) [&o][]

raptorchris

I just picked mine up as well! My LHS had one in stock for $250, so I grabbed it. The engine (OS61FX) and electronics are on the way, and should be here by the end of the week. The kit looks like a simple build. Like Skypilot said, it's different. More like the plastic static models I built s a kid. I do think it is well suited to use as a float plane, being all plastic. It should make sealing it up watertight easier. We shall see once it's done. Now I just need the time to build it.

SKYPILOT

My Feedback: (9)

COOL,

We're using the same engine in ours and already have them, and we're both setup on electrics. My Dad already started on his , but we did hit a small bump [X(], it looks like both our kits are missing the photo pages that accompany the text.

Not to worry, one phonecall thismorning had Ruth sending us a pair of them priority mail
SO, so far this company is top notch as far as i'm concerned, and the plane looks really cool, so I can't wait to get started on mine after vacation (CIRCUMGYRATION Scale Heli week in Fremont Ca. in two weeks)

flying_frog

I bought the Falcon Ready last year and LOVE it. I put in an OS 46 FX with a 11x6 prop. Doesn't roll too well but loops awesome. Highly recommend their product. Best part about Falcon is if you have a problem building it, they will actually talk to you on the phone and walk you thorough it. Not sure how many builders they have on staff, but they are great to work with.

[sm=thumbup.gif]

About to get things ready for a Memorial Day trip to our cabin. Last year I had 10 boats anchored in front of the cabin just watching...that was until I needed to land...they were in the way...had to buzz them a few times to get them to move...they learned.

raptorchris

I just started working on mine. I decided to paint it. I liked the look of the decals over white, but thought a bright color would look better, and add to visibility (plus match my heli's). I am painting the whole thing orange, then adding the stock decals over the paint. Painted 1/2 of it today. Hope to have the rest painted over the weekend. I will post pics when it is done.

Idahoplane

What type of paint did you use that won't be effected by your fuel? I just brought my Cessna 177 and plan to start putting it together in September when I return home. The decals are nice but I'd like to do something different with the body and wings. Any feed back on paint that won't be effected by the fuel would be appreciated.

Ihahoplane

red head

Any type of Model plane paint or auto paint should be fine. I've used both on my Falcon products and haven't had any problems. I do suggest scuffing the area's you are going to paint just to give better grip to the paint. Scuffing also gets rid of any mold release that might be on the plastic. By the way I own all the Modelfly planes from Falcon, some are painted some aren't. As far as the Cessna goes, it is one Great flying plane on or off floats, I use mine both ways. I have an OS 91 4c in mine, more then enough power. ENJOY !!! RED

Idahoplane

Thanks for the reply. I just begin sanding the the plastic parts this week. I would like to do something a little different with the scheme of the plane. I will be fitting the plane with a .75 engine. Did you have to modify the engine compartment to your .91 engine? I will break in the plane in the altitude of Colorado before flying off the lake in Idaho. I wanted enough power for Colorado and you can always reduce power. Thanks for the information.

I_Fly_Coolers

My Feedback: (7)

I used engine enamel from the auto parts store to get the right color, it is not fuelproof. I then cleared it with Minwax polyurethane clear in the spray can to fuelproof it.

red head

The 91 fits in quite snug but no problem. You do have to finesse it a bit but no big deal. You should really enjoy this plane, I know I do. I especially like doing touch and go's with it, in the water or on the grass. If you haven't done the floats yet, BESURE you SCORE the mounting post and use lots of epoxy in the hole then wipe off the excess with alcohol. Makes for a more secure mount. ENJOY !!!! RED

Idahoplane

Again, thank you for the reply. If you would not mind, I'd appreciate any help while I put my plane together. I am attempting to figure out how to seal the interior to be water proof the electronic area. I have some ideas from when we use to own a pop up camp that required repairs to the cracking plastic roof. The local hobby shop recommended placing the battery and receiver in plastic sealed boxes and place rubber grommets where the wires come out.

The local hobby store recommended using a Hi-tech receiver with my Futuba transmitter. The crystal is relatively cheap for the receiver.

I am currently putting the wing and tail section together so I can plan my paint scheme. I enjoyed seeing your plane and it gave me ideas. Thanks, I will keep you informed of the progress

jrf

My Feedback: (551)

Since you're in Colorado, I assume you don't fly from salt water. Fresh water will not hurt your electronics if you dry the receiver out after a dunking. Forget the waterproof boxes/compartments. All you would be doing is adding extra weight to an already heavy airplane. Mount the receiver, battery and switch above the bottom of the fuselage to keep them out of any water that may be sloshing around down there. Don't even put them in plastic bags. (The bags will trap moisture and cause more damage than they prevent.) In normal flying the radio will stay dry. If you crash, open the receiver case, blow out the water and let it air dry. Blow out the battery and switch and wring the water out of the receiver and battery padding. Servos are pretty much waterproof these days so if they don't do anything funny, they will be fine.

Oh, and don't worry about the water causing the battery to short out. The voltages we use are too low, nothing happens when you dunk the battery. (One of the best ways to break in a brushed electric motor is to run it under water!)

Jim

PS; Put 1/8" wing saddle tape around all four sides of the wing saddle and you normally won't even get any water in the fuselage.

Idahoplane

The information you gave me helps a lot. I will be flying off of fresh water lake both in Colorado and and Idaho. Maybe I am over analyzing when it comes to water getting to interior of the plane.

On my other planes, I use weather proofing tape where the wing meets the fuselage to keep the exhaust oil from getting into the fuselage. I intend to do the same thing with this plane.

I am taking my time with this plane and I am looking forward to getting it up in the air and on the water. Patience on my part.

Thanks again and I will let you know where am or if problems develop.

Nick

SKYPILOT

My Feedback: (9)

If i may add,

In addition to the wing saddle tape, i also take aquarium silicone and squeeze it into all the openings, "ie", the gaps where the rear landing gear struts exit the fuse, and the big hole in the firewall where the steering rod passes in the land setup, i also run a beed all the way around the firewall. The big hole in the firewall is where 90% of the water gets in, in a dunking.

Between my Dad and i, we have dunked our Cessnas and my Ready dozens of times, and with the silicone in all the gaps and the saddle tape in place, they stay completely dry inside.

We leave the tail open where the elevator pushrod exits, because if a small amount were to get inside, it would "auto bilge" out the back in flight anyways

Idahoplane

Thanks for the inforrmation. Preparations have been made for this feature. What are the percentages of a dunking with floatplanes in general? This information will help keep a lid on the shock when the plane does go over.

jrf

My Feedback: (551)

That depends on the pilot and the weather. If you are an experienced pilot and don't try to fly in wind/wave conditions that are unreasonable, you should never get it wet inside.

Jim

red head

I'm not going to read all these post again so if this is a repeat SORRY.. It might be a good idea to secure a cable to the engine and run it back into the plane and around a former inside just in case you dunk it really hard and tear the engine off ( they don't float ). Doesn't happen often but when it does [sm=drowning.gif] ENJOY !!!! RED

Idahoplane

I have most of the plane together but I am experiencing an issue with the engine going. I am putting in an ABC .75 and with the engine in, the muffler does not marriage to the engine. I believe I will need to trim away some of the upper part of the cowl or try and find a muffler that will work with the engine and plane. Any suggestions? I might be able to rearrange the motor mount by rotating it a couple degrees and customizing the holes in the mount to fit.

I_Fly_Coolers

My Feedback: (7)

My muffler looked like it would never fit but once I cut a signifigant portion of the muffler cutout away, it fits nice. Of course my muffler can swivel too....once installed the cut out area is invisible. Let me try to get a picture of it.

I_Fly_Coolers

My Feedback: (7)

Crappy picture, hope it helps though....

Idahoplane

Thank you for the picture and information. I have already began cutting away at the area to fit the muffler. Did you have to reposition the motor mount? I have discovered if I don't change the motor mount position the muffler will be snug against the plane. Thank goodness I am taking my time and enjoying the experience.

I_Fly_Coolers

My Feedback: (7)

The motor mount is installed in the stock position. My muffler just barely clears the landing gear strut as shown. Where is it that the muffler will be against the fuselage? I suppose I lucked out with the Supertigre muffler having the swivel attachment on it, maybe this is what helped on my setup . I will get a better picture tomorrow in the daylight.