RC-Captain

sorry about this happening , but you may have just saved a few hundred people from ever making the same mistake.

johnc1go

My Feedback: (9)

Sir Crab......you're airplane is nice looking, but I'm curious to know if you weighed it. What does it weigh?

Sir Crab

It weighs in at 1 pound 14 oz empty.

I bought a Berg microstamp 4 channel for my Scratch-Bipe to replace the one i fried and im thinking of replacing the one in the shrike with one eventually.

I can replace the internals with smaller servos (sub micro's for throttle and nose-gear) and use mini's for elevator and aileron later on (should drop weight by 3-4 oz with the new reciever) , but i used the servo's i had on hand.



Sorry about the edits but the correct weight was never put in, co-worker didnt zero the scale [:@]
Full tank weight is 2 pounds 3 oz

WMB

My Feedback: (1)

I thought I had mine done until I checked the balance. It was way too nose heavy. Now I am fitting the elevator servo in the rear compartment and the battery will be right in front of the rear former. I was hoping it would come in a little ligher than it did. It came out right about 32oz. Doh! I still need to add the plastic landing strip. Looks like final weight will be a little over 32 oz.

I bought a Hanger 9 mini tach to see what the engine is turning. Had it in a test stand, overcast and late in the day. I couldn't get a reading. Do I need to have sunlight hitting the prop?

Thanks, MikeB

FlyerBry

My Feedback: (8)

I am putting my battery in the far back on mine. The elevator servo is going in on its side as far back as possible and my Shrike is still going to be a little nose heavy. Does anyone know how tolerant the Shrike is of a little nose heaviness? Right now it is looking like it will balance out between a quarter and a half inch in front of the balance point.

WMB

My Feedback: (1)

What have you all done to protect the bottom of the fins during landing? I lost my plans and instructions, doh! I've got the little wire that came in the kit. If I bend the wire and imbed it in the fin, I'm afraid it may weaken the fin.
Thanks all, MikeB

RC-Captain

I used the wheels , GL

jlingrel

Pics on how you added wheels. I put a single wheel under the middle, but it has not helped a lot. Got a 40 size kit I want to put retracts on.

John

RC-Captain

I made a mistake, I was thinking of my Mach racer......... The shrike had a skid plate from the front to the end ont he servo compartment.

FlyerBry

My Feedback: (8)

I'm putting the finishing touches on my Shrike 10 and the instructions aren't very helpful in describing where the landing wires are supposed to be attached in the tail. The main skid is simple enough but finding a spot with enough material to support the tail wires isn't so easy.

WMB

My Feedback: (1)

Thanks for the help all. I just bit the bullet, quit obsessing over it and installed the supplied wire. Drilled two holes in each fin, bent the wire to fit and epoxied in. It feels pretty solid.

I've now got the balance real close. Will install the switch and use the receiver for final positioning. Have a full weekend coming up. Should be ready for next weekend. Woo-Hoo!

Any tips for the first flight? Will use APC 8x4 till I feel comfortable, Magnum .15. I have the choice of grass/dirt or pavement to land on.

Will post pics when they are available.

Thanks, MikeB

RC-Captain

I am not a fan of magnum engines, so my advice would be to use another engine. I used a AP .15 and a 8x4 prop ,with excellent results for the first flight. Then I put my MAG .28 on it and that was all she wrote , I never rebuilt another one , I just moved on to flying the MAch Racer for now. GL

johnc1go

My Feedback: (9)

A guy in my club has on OS .32 on his .10 sized shrike and it hauls butt. I'd guess it to be somewhere close to 120 or so. It's very heavy and lands fast, but it made my shrike look like it was sitting still when he passed me.

jlingrel

While living in Cairo, Egypt, several of the Egyptians there had Sig Wonders with OS 32s on them and several were considering building Shrikes with OS 32s. I left before I had a chance to see them try them, but the 32 powered Wonders were a "WONDER"

John

WMB

My Feedback: (1)

Maiden tonight! WooHoo
Did the final balance a few days earlier. When I realized all that it's time to fly, Man I just started trembling.
Sun was getting low and the wind was coming from the sun. Over primed the engine, didn't want to start. Took the spinner off and put on a spinner nut. Got it fired up, 14500 rpm with APC 8x4. Was getting interference from another channel, waited for him to come down. Range checked good. Wind dies to almost nothing. Launch it 90 degree from the sun, engine sags and dies, plane belly flops on the grass. No damage done.

Fire it up, richen another click and off she goes. Flying nose high till my speed comes up. A couple clicks right and down trim and it's looking good. Just flew the pattern for 6 minutes on low rates. Rolls were fast, super stable. Flying with the memory of my last small plane snapping into the ground. Afraid to give it too much elevator. Did one loop and a few shallow dives. Not too fast, but it does get small quickly.

Having fun, line it up with the cut grass and bring it in. Didn't flair much, should have let more speed bleed off. Grass catches it and slows it quickly to a halt. No damage done. Sun getting low, will wait for another day.

Man, I love those maiden flights.

Thanks all, MikeB

RC-Captain

I am willing to bet if I flew a new shrike every week , the trembles would never go away .

Good job on your maiden . As far as landing , dial in some high rates and then the elevator should help smooth out the touch down.

PS your're making me want to build another one .

WMB

My Feedback: (1)

When I brought it in for a landing, I think I became mesmorized and quit flying it. Or maybe afraid to get it pitching up and down chasing the elevator. I just need to settle down a bit next time. I'll get more time this weekend.
Later, MikeB

johnc1go

My Feedback: (9)

I'd like to join the club with my Shrike .10 This is my second shrike, the first one I bought on Ebay as RTF. I built this shrike myself and I like the way it came out. I think I'll be building another one next winter that I will kitbash alot more than I did this one.

Specifications and Info

Weight: 32 Oz
Engine: OS .15CVA
Prop: APC 7x5
CG: 1/8 inch ahead of plans
Covering: UltraCote

My favorite manuever with this airplane is a 1/2 reverse cuban eight leveling off about 4 feet above the ground. I figured since this is a high G manuever, I should go with hardwood spars. I didn't like the ailerons coming out flush with the wingtips so made wingtips from blocks to improve the looks and to help keep the tips of the ailerons out of wingtip vortices. I also didn't like the canopy that Lanier provides so I made my own out of a block of wood covered with black monokote. I also don't like rubber bands on airplanes, so I rigged up a bolt down system for the hatch. I test flew the airplane yesterday and after just a couple clicks of up elevator trim, she was flying like she was on rails.

RC-Captain

Welcome aboard and very nice shrike. I can see the aileron modification you made . How did she balance with the lovely OS .15 on the nose ? You guys are really making me want to build another one , maybe buy the .40 ARF or something. Did you have to use dual rates ? which I believe are necessary for easier landings.

johnc1go

My Feedback: (9)

RC-Fiend....thanks for the compliment, I appreciate it. To answer you questions. The CG is about 1/8 forward of the prescribed location on the plans. It's a little nose heavy on landing, but I land on hi rates, in fact, I use only high rates. I choose instead of low rates to use lots of negative expo on elevator to avoid chasing the airplane in pitch. It seems to work well as it helps smoothe out my flying.....it's almost like cheating, but the spectators don't know it, If any of you reading this post are using OS .15's on your planes, I'd be happy to share a few tips to get more RPM out of them. I also race .15 size pylon racers, it's actually a modified Sig Supersport trainer plane, but with lots of negative incidence in the wing and no landing gear, the make good racers. The planes have to weigh at least 2.5 pounds and the only engines allowed are the OS .15's FP and LA series. So while most of the guys that fly OS .15's are getting 15500 RPM out of them, I'm getting over 17500 out of mine. I have also found that in a bushed OS .15, that a MAS 7x5 prop works best, that is, if you can still find them. Wow.......I should think about writing a novel, seems like I just ramble on and on.....

WMB

My Feedback: (1)

I put 2 flights on, then another 5 today. Getting it dialed in and figured out. Added a little more elevator throw. Land on high rates. fly on low. It will high speed stall and snap if given full rudder at full speed with high rates. Easy to recover from snap. High rate ailerons give me maybe 2 rolls per second, quick enough for now.
I land in the grass and that works easy enough now.

Killed the engine when low on fuel with high g loop. Way up high, it held onto speed well and also had a long glide path.
I think I need to get the cg back a little more. Mounted the battery pack all the way back. I can move the throttle and/or the elevator servo back a bit.

Easy to hand launch. Still need to try the APC 7x5 and 7x6 props, forgot them today. grr

I do miss not having a rudder.

Later, MikeB

CaseyVigil

Hello all! Glad to meet everyone! I am currently finishing my 3rd Shrike. I absolutely love this little airplane. Myself and several other members of our local club have shrikes. If you haven't tried it yet, get about 4 or 5 of those little guys up in the air at the same time. It is a blast!!!

My first shrike was a 10 with an Enya .19 on it. Very nice flying plane. With this engine, I just moved the battery back behind the rear 2 servos and it balanced out perfectly. Lost the poor girl though. We we having an inverted limbo contest and I got a case of !QUOT!dumb thumbs!QUOT! when I pulled out. (Good news was I won the contest!!)

2nd Shrike was another 10 with a GMS .25 on the front. My problem with this plane was it wanted to torque roll badly to the left. Lost her on a launch.

3rd Shrike is a 40 size on my work bench right now. I have just finished the fuse and have an OS 46 for power. I am also installing some retracts for the !QUOT!bling!QUOT! factor.

If anyone reading this is worried about landing this plane on the belly, please let me remove any and all doubt. I flew the crap out of my first Shrike, never put the plastic strip on the bottom and all was well. No issues. I don't even know why they supply the little copper wire for the fins. If you land it correctly, fins are a none issue.

I will try to post some pictures up shortly, until then, adeos!

johnc1go

My Feedback: (9)

WMB said the following. "It will high speed stall and snap if given full rudder at full speed with high rates. Easy to recover from snap."

I seem to be having a similiar problem. My shrike will pitch up and roll ninety degrees left or right. It only does this when I'm pulling high g's while pulling out of a steep full power dive. The CG is right on the money and the tails are aligned straight with one another. My first shrike never did this. Do you have any ideas as to what is causing your plane to snap and stall at full speed?

I was wondering if the custom wingtips I put on my plane is what's causing the violent pitch up. Any input from any of you would be greatly appreciated.

WMB

My Feedback: (1)

Oops! I said rudder, there is no rudder. I meant full elevator. Wing stalls then it snaps. I was trying it again last night, full throttle with full up on high rates. sometimes it would loop and sometimes it would snap. My last little plane was lost due to a high speed stall and snap. Don't want to do the same thing twice.
To recover, I let go of the stick and it is flying on the wing again. I started doing the bank and yank thing last night. Not a problem on low rates. OK on high rates too, just a bit away from full stick travel.
I need to get my cg back a bit more still.
Later, MikeB

Grodus

Hey Shrike fans! What a great idea to have a club dedicated to the best "bang for the buck" plane around.
I was into speed planes : Patriots, Q-500's, QM, until about 5 years ago when my RC flying slowed a bit. I got into 3D electrics last year and I enjoy it but I've got the craving for speed again.
My first experience with a Shrike was about 10 yrs ago when one of my flying buddies told me he wanted a fast airplane but didnt want the complexity of retracts. He had an O.S. 32 that was just recently broken in. So I talked him into a Shrike 10 for his O.S 32 and I donated a header and pipe. I built the airplane for him as he was not a builder. He wanted me to do the first test flight and I "test flew" the tank dry. I was having so much fun that I forgot about the fuel. I didnt realise at this point that he had decided it was too much. He asked me to fly it again and he didnt have to twist my arm. He finally flew the airplane at about 1/3 throttle with me on the trainer cord. As far as I know, that was the last time he flew it. The next time I talked to him, he had sold the airplane and engine for $100 and he didnt offer it to me.[>:]
Recently, I got to wondering what I could put my park 370 in and have a speedy type airplane. I looked at a 1/2A Shrike and decided that would be the ticket. A park 370 is not a speed motor but a Shrike will scoot with just about any thing. It's tiny. I didnt realise how tiny until I saw that old Shrike 10 last week for the first time in 10 yrs. Yup, its still going and it looked huge compared to my 1/2a Shrike.
As I said, I'm using a E-flight park 370 in mine with a 3cell 1050mah Li-Po. I did the first flight with a APC 7-5E and i couldnt belive it. With just a little outrunner motor, it would launch vertically out of my hand and was faster than I ever imagined. I run it now with a 6.6-6 and it is considerably faster. I have cut a 7-9 down to a 5.75-9 and plan to try it tommow. I have a Little Screamers park jet motor on the way that I plan to try in it. That should be out of control.
It currently weighs 12.3oz and I'm probably looking at less than 11oz with the LS motor and an 800mah pack. I cant wait.

Grodus