testfly

Allen,

Did you remove the steel shot?
I took out 1 lb 7oz and fly with
rx batteries and a 4cell light battery
in the nose. I fly a 6 cell 5000 in each
nacelle. Balance is good.

handyman_alw_

My Feedback: (14)

nope mine is still in the stock set up. i do not have the kind of tools needed to take out the shot and was to lazy to try. it flew great with the os55 ax's and the power 60's will be a little better so we will see. I also stayed with the 3 blade glow props that i was using so that will be the interesting part.

Allen

handyman_alw_

My Feedback: (14)

Well guys the test flight is over and man what a difference. if there ever was a plane meant to be electric this is the one. the only change we had to make where the props. the 10x7 3 blades had no thrust what so ever i could walk faster than the plane would run so we made that change and went with some old wood master airscrew 14x7-13 master airscrew which i had left over extra from my bud nosen 310 with os 1.08 engines. this made this plane come to life and after take off and retracting the gear we where able to cut back to less than half power and at half power it was flying as fast as it was with the glow engines at full power. we did five eight minute flights in three days and after recharge we never put in more than 2300 mah on 5000mah packs. this plane is so much fun to fly now knowing you do not have to worry about single engine landings that it makes it just a joy to fly. here's just a couple of pics from the weekend.

ALLEN

testfly

Great News Allen.
Thanks for the update.

Not to scare you but I feel the need to caution you about your comment on a engine out.
And please don't take this the wrong way.

First I must admit that I do fly a lot and have more than 20 airplanes ready to fly when I pull to the field.
With that said, In the last year I have had 3 electric airplanes that have had motor out landings.

The first was with the ASM C-130.
I lost motor #3 20 feet in the air after take off. Result: Landed OK on three engines.
Cause: One of the bullet connectors came unplugged between the motor and ESC. (I suspect due to grass field and runway vibration after about 10 flights)
What did I learn? I don't use bullets. I solder those connections now.

The second was with a Hanger 9 B-25. After 2.5 minutes in the air I lost the left motor and the airplane spun to the left about 6 seconds after knowing I had a problem.
Cause: The left engine shorted after 182 flights. While I was flying a guy was running a gas motor in the start up area behind me so I was not able to hear my aircraft.
There were also 2 other pilots that had lost airplanes blaming radio problems. (They were using the same radio brand I was) When the left motor shorted I did not know that it happen and my first thought was that "OH NO" I must have the same problem the other two pilots have. So, I gave up on the airplane because I was not able to turn to the right. After about 6 seconds I showed my spotter that I had no control of the aircraft by moving the sticks in all directions. The mistake was when I moved both the rudder and aileron stick to the left. (turning into the dead engine)
What did I learn? Never stop flying your airplane and ALWAYS trust your radio. I lost a good airplane because I gave up on the radio.
A week later I had a new B25 and used everything from the first one but the ESC's and motors. (I now fly the right motor and ESC in a Super Skybolt and it is still flying.)


The third was a Airliner. After 3 minutes in the air on about the 18th flight I lost both motors. (Yes I said both) After landing the EDF motors were "VERY HOT"
Yet they were fine after all of the other flights. (I pay close attention to the motors, batteries and ESC's on a new airplane to make sure I am not heating up any of the three.
After the motor out flight the ESC's were checked and both are fine. But, both motors had shorted. I was also using the BEC in one of the ESCs and it got me back on the ground with never a problem.


I write this all not to scare anyone. But, to point out that flying electric is not always trouble free.
In fact IMHO there is more that can go wrong then if you were flying glow or gas.

Think about the things that connect between your receiver and the prop.
Motor, Connectors, ESC and the battery, if any one of them fail. The motor can slow or stop.

So when I fly a new setup, I am in the air for 2 to 3 minutes and then land to check temps of the motor, esc and battery.
After the first flight or two, I have a good idea if the setup I am using needs to be adjusted.

I have heard it said before that "The way to fly any twin is to fly electric" And I know after flying twins in both glow and electric. I myself have had more motor out landings with electric then with glow.

Michael7810

I've had 2 single engine landings with my OS-55AX powered C310. The first was the maiden flight. I have not flown other twins on a single engine but the top flight c310 is not hard to fly on 1 engine. Both time I had both speed and altitude so there was time to get it under control. I followed the directions and turned with the rudder and used the ailerons to keep the wings level.

handyman_alw_

My Feedback: (14)

I understand where you are coming from for my first big electric was not good either for the speed control burnt up on the first flight and if it had not been for the rec being on another battery source i would of lost plane and all. I always watch motor and battery temp after every flight and i wire tie all conections to insure that they stay connected. i was just saying that this plane makes a great electric and makes going to the field simpler not having to lug fuel to spill and clean the mess up after flying. flying electric is just like flying anything else there are ups and downs and you need to have a certain routine that you stick to but at least for me electric is the way to go for this one.

Allen

testfly

I agree it is a nice flying airplane for sure.

I also agree that electric is the way to go.

I have changed everything I fly to electric.

The best part about my 310 is that the wing never comes off. I designed a stand that holds it while being transported as well and holding it so I can load the batteries from the bottom side.
I can have the 310 in the air in 6 minutes after I open the trailer doors.

I can load the 310 and be ready to leave in less than 4 minutes.
Below are a few images of the stand.

JoeMamma

Hi Guys,

Hope it's not too late to join the Cessna 310 party ! I should have bought mine before they were (almost) discontinued a year or so ago.

Just spent the past few nights reading this entire thread. Lots of great help !

Just talked to Tower. Seems they have MANY in stock.

They also have wings, nacelles, etc. in stock. I was surprised by these facts seeing it was almost discontinued a while back. A resurgence ??

Weak wings ?[:'(] After reading this thread, I'll be removing the lower wing covering towards the insides of the nacelles and doing the necessary wing reinforcements. From what I've read, this seems to be the only real problem with this particular 310. Also, one of the tech guys at Tower told me he has never heard of a wing problem on the Cessna. That response automatically tells me the wing design has not been changed since its original release.[:'(]

I've had very good luck with the EFlite electric retracts (got four sets now), so I'll be using them along with Robart struts.

Engines ? I've been flying a Dual Ace for about 3 years with a pair of very dependable O.S. 52 4-strokes. Nothing sounds better than the sound of those 4-strokes running in unison !

Seeing that this Cessna is almost twice the weight of the Dual Ace, the 52's would probably be marginal to say the least. Looks like my power will be a set of O.S. 72 4-stroker's (appears the O.S. 70's are no longer available). This engine is a lot longer than a .46 or .55 O.S., so I may need to sink the firewalls rearward to make the 72's fit. Hooking up the throttle cables may also be another challenge. I know, I know.....the valve covers and cylinder heads will be hanging out, but I'll give in to that problem to gain a nice sound ! Hey, at least the valve covers are already painted blue !

Flying Twins ? I've got five of them........twice the expense, twice the setup and twice the problems ![X(][X(] The biggest problem with flying a twin is to immediately recognize you have lost an engine and then to react. If you can, try to fly your twin alone. It seems like every time I take up a twin I'm flying with an additional two, three or four fellahs all at once. This makes it much more difficult to recognize an engine has been lost. Most of your effort seems to be looking out for the other guy to prevent a mid-air.

Get on your flight-sim and learn to use the rudder. If you loose an engine, the rudder is a lot more effective than just ailerons. When I was first learning to fly twins, I programmed in an aileron/rudder mix. This really helped me. Just my two cents.

Joe M.

gunny11

My Feedback: (6)

JoeMamma,

Never too late. I opened up the wing too and reinforced the main and drag spar out to the nacelles. I also removed 1 1/2 of the 2 lbs of steel shot in the nose and stuffed all my radio gear in there.

Good luck and welcome.

Gunny

Michael7810

Post some pics of the installed 4-strokes. I've been running a pair of 55AXs and have had many single engine landings. I must say I'm getting good at it and as you said the hardest part is figuring it out before it's too late. Anyway, I may "upgrade" to 4-strokes later on. I'm glad tower has many of them...I'm thinking of buying another ARF just to have a spare.

JoeMamma

After reading this entire thread, I noticed a lot of different ways of digging out the buckshot in the nose.

I won't have my 310 until next week so I'm not yet familiar with how to get the buckshot removed. One of the fellahs poked a large hole in the bottom of the nose and dug it out. He didn't mention what he used to cover up the hole. Is the nose made from plastic or glass ? Has anybody made up a removable hatch in this same area ? A hatch would sure make it easier to gain access to anything you bury up in the nose.

Like you, I'd also prefer to mount anything I can up in the nose instead of dead weight.

Can't wait 'til it gets here !

By the way, the additional shipping cost is now $80. It must be in a monster size box. Maybe I should have a high-low and a crane on hand for when the big brown truck arrives.[X(][X(]

Joe M.

JoeMamma

I'm still a way off from mounting the O.S. 72's, but yep, I'll take a lot of pics.

The .72 4-strokers are fairly long when compared to a .46 or .55, so it appears one of my biggest challenges may be reconstructing the firewalls and nacelles.

Joe M.

gunny11

My Feedback: (6)

My access is trough the nose gear well and through the front former at the l.e. of the wing saddle.

JoeMamma

Hi Gunny,

In your third picture from the left you show a hatch. Is this where/how you got to the buckshot and dug it out ? I really like the hatch idea.

I remember reading at least two of the fellahs cracked the nose up attempting to dig it out from the rear.

Joe M.

gunny11

My Feedback: (6)

2nd picture through the wheel well and from the rear.

dobro

My Feedback: (3)

Hey there testfly. Really like your shop. Nice pics. Haven't been on here for awhile but was readying the post on electric gear. I've just installed a set of servo operated gear in my 310. I used an old set-up from a Hangar 9 P-51. Retracts with JR 791's. Cut these down to size. Had an extra set so, I used the same and custom made my steerable nose gear. The items I used were already in the shop so I figured they would work just fine without alot of extra cost. If anyone's interested I'll show some pics as soon as I complete this set up. I'm about 98% complete.

JoeMamma

I tried to mount a set of the large 15 pound EFlite electric retracts, but they are physically too small for the Cessna. Plus, the nose gear on the EFlite's has the electrical drive motor and drive mechinism mounted to the opposite side of what is really needed.

Now I'm back to looking at the Robarts (they won't be in stock at Tower until late December or early January). I really wanted electrics and was thinking I may have the pneumatic Robarts converted to electric operation by a fairly new company called Down & Locked. They apparently do not actually manufacture retracts, but will convert any pneumatic or mechanical retract to electrical operation.

Has anybody tried a Down & Locked conversion ? I also couldn't find any pricing at their website.

Joe M.

telejojo

I have OS55's in mine and they are plenty.............I filled my wings with foam and have not had a problem.

kleist

Shot af movie in '70 8mm style of the lights in mine... Have fun :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1jlVo4HXRo

kochj

I noticed that someone was stating that they didn't have the proper tools to remove the lead shot from the nose of the plane....

All you need is some masking tape, a exacto balsa saw blade, a screw driver.
Once you mark out the square you want to make with masking tape, use the edge of the tape as a guide....
Keep going over the same lines and it will cut a perfect square out... If you use a thin balsa saw blade, you will only loose a micrometer amount of material...

Dig out the shot, and make a square ledge that you can bite into with some screws and will keep it level....and you will not have to paint anything up...

This is was I did when I split cowls for large aerobatic planes.....worked like a charm.....

good luck..

JoeMamma

Wow...........3230+ posts at a thread over 4 years old !

I spent a lot of time reading this thread, but now it appears it has about died.

Top Flite re-released this model a few months ago, so I decided to get one. As I mentioned when I joined this thread, it looks like I'm late for the party. I hope not !

Now that some of you fellahs have had yours for 2-4 years, how is she working out for you ? Your comments please.

I picked up a set of Robarts gear and had them converted over to electrical operation by a company called Down & Locked.

After reading this thread I noticed many of you guys were having problems with cracking wings. I think I solved the problem by removing the sheeting from both wings and then running 1/4" carbon fibre tubing at the trailing edges of both wings. Also, a continuous 36" piece of 1/4" carbon fibre tubing was used to join both of the wood engine nacelles together. I had to purchase a 1/4" x 18" drill bit to do this.

The fit and quality on mine was very bad.[] Been spending more time redesigning, repairing and fixing problems instead of assembling.[:'(]

Joe M.

nioa

How did that work out for you Joe?

JoeMamma

I haven't finished up my Cessna, so I really can't tell you about their durability. Mechanically they look good.........no plastic parts. Because Down & Locked used the custom-fit Robarts I sent them for the conversion, they fit into my Cessna perfectly.

The only bad thing I can see about them is they are a little pricey.

Joe M.

Michael7810

I've had mine for a year and a half and so far it's holding up OK. The plastic fake exhausts fell on about the 3rd flight. I recommend reinforce the sheet balsa to prevent the screws from backing out. Other than that and a couple finicky OS 55AXs it's a blast to fly. I get the best landings coming in a little fast without flaps. With flaps I tend to let it slow too much and it tip stalls. I love the sound when the engines are syncronized.

JoeMamma

Hi Michael,

Thanks for the response ! Glad to hear she’s holding up OK. Again, I feel like I’m late for the party with my Cessna.

Yeah....I spotted the problem with those fake exhausts. I really don’t like to see anything screwed into thin balsa. It was just more work for me to beef up the problem. Also, all of the blind nuts used to attach the wings to the fuse and also to attach the plastic nacelles to the wings were installed and glued crooked. Not a little bit crooked, but a lot ! Absolutely no quality here for a 500 buck kit, and more unnecessary work for me.

I like all of the parts on any of my planes to be serviceable. If you remember your assembly; they tell you to glue in the two rails that support the servo tray. If this is done, you won’t be able to get to the interior/instrument panel without breaking those glue joints. After doing some head scratching, my servo tray support rails are now attached using 2-56 screws and blind nuts.

There were many other annoyances with the kit. Yesterday I was working on the interior/instrument panel/seats. I wish they didn’t paint anything in this area. I wound up sanding down most of the paint just to get the glue to stick. It would have been much easier for them to just leave those white plastic parts raw. Today I’ll be designing some sort of a mechanical attachment for the interior assembly instead of just gluing it in place.

The firewalls on both of the wood engine nacelles were very poorly cut and very poorly glued. I wound up breaking them loose and making new ones. On one of the firewalls I simply gave it a good tug and it broke loose.....arghhhhhh ! Again, absolutely no quality here for a 500 buck kit, and more unnecessary work for me.

I’m using a pair of OS .72 4-strokers. At this point of the assembly, I don’t have a clue if I will need to remove the buckshot from the nose, or place my batteries in the nose.

I used a pair of steering yokes on my Hangar 9 Cessna 182 a few years back http://www.hobby-lobby.com/1_4_scale...ueryId=1132771 They are also going into my 310. They even have the Cessna logos in the center of the yokes !

Sorry for my quality ranting, but yesterday I installed the wing just to see how she looked sitting on her wheels. All of my rants then disappeared. What a beautiful Cessna !

Yeah.....me too........I also love the sound of a pair of twins running in sync !

Joe M.