U Can Do 3D
05-06-2003, 03:19 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Calabash, NC
Posts: 111
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
U Can Do 3D
I just completed assembly of my Great Planes U Can Do 3D. All in all, I am very pleased with the quality of this plane with a couple of exceptions. One of them being the hardwood plate inside with two 8-32 blind nuts which are used to mount the landing gear. I had read somewhere that on a few of these planes, the landing gear failed or was torn out on some landings.
So I decided that I would have a look for myself. I cut out a small hatch in the cockpit floor right above where this hardwood plate is located. Really glad I did. What I found was a very small lite ply plate that had a very inferior type of glue (definitely not epoxy) holding it in place. I even popped the glue out with a hobby knife
. I thought, not good. I felt fairly certain that mine would have failed the first time I didn't grease a landing.
What I did first was remove the two blind nuts. Then I cut a piece of 1/4 inch ply to put on top of the original and then reinforced this by adding triangle stock between the two formers where the landing gear plate is located to give it addional strength. I used 30 minute epoxy for this. When the epoxy had fully cured, I re-drilled the holes for the blind nuts and re-installed them also using some 5 minute epoxy. Then, when I mounted the landing gear, I also used an additional #8 x1" sheet metal screw to supplement the 8-32 bolts going into the blind nuts. I just don't feel, given the size and weight of this plane, the landing gear, as it comes, would hold up for very long.
Another issue I had with this kit are the included 2-56 pushrods that are used for ailerons, rudder, and elevators. I felt they were marginal at best, even considering the relatively slow flight that this plane is designed for due to the very large control surfaces. I upgraded to 4-40's for all of them. The last thing I would advise to anyone who purchases this plane is to be sure to iron down all the covering. I found that it was not stuck well in many places.
But the rest of plane is first rate and a great value for the money. The instructions are first rate also. A total novice could assemble this plane, it is that easy.
Regarding the hatch I cut out to look at the landing gear plate. If you do this carefully enough, you can fit it right back in and not even see it.
So I decided that I would have a look for myself. I cut out a small hatch in the cockpit floor right above where this hardwood plate is located. Really glad I did. What I found was a very small lite ply plate that had a very inferior type of glue (definitely not epoxy) holding it in place. I even popped the glue out with a hobby knife
. I thought, not good. I felt fairly certain that mine would have failed the first time I didn't grease a landing. What I did first was remove the two blind nuts. Then I cut a piece of 1/4 inch ply to put on top of the original and then reinforced this by adding triangle stock between the two formers where the landing gear plate is located to give it addional strength. I used 30 minute epoxy for this. When the epoxy had fully cured, I re-drilled the holes for the blind nuts and re-installed them also using some 5 minute epoxy. Then, when I mounted the landing gear, I also used an additional #8 x1" sheet metal screw to supplement the 8-32 bolts going into the blind nuts. I just don't feel, given the size and weight of this plane, the landing gear, as it comes, would hold up for very long.
Another issue I had with this kit are the included 2-56 pushrods that are used for ailerons, rudder, and elevators. I felt they were marginal at best, even considering the relatively slow flight that this plane is designed for due to the very large control surfaces. I upgraded to 4-40's for all of them. The last thing I would advise to anyone who purchases this plane is to be sure to iron down all the covering. I found that it was not stuck well in many places.
But the rest of plane is first rate and a great value for the money. The instructions are first rate also. A total novice could assemble this plane, it is that easy.
Regarding the hatch I cut out to look at the landing gear plate. If you do this carefully enough, you can fit it right back in and not even see it.
05-23-2003, 04:03 AM
#2
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Calabash, NC
Posts: 111
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
U Can Do 3D
Hi again everyone,
I flew my U Can Do this past weekend, so I thought I would post a follow up to my first thread on this plane. I powered mine with an OS Surpass II .91 four stroke. I balanced it exactly according to the instructions. I am turning an APC 14X6 prop and using 15% Cool Power fuel. My engine is brand new so I deliberately ran it on the rich side. This is a great flying plane overall. It definitely is not a speed demon, so if that is what you are looking for don't choose this plane. I set mine up with high and low rates using the recommended throws that are suggested in the instruction manual. After the first flight, I switched to high rates and noticed that the elevator was quite sensitive, so I added about 30% exponential and it was much less sensitive to stick input but would still do a pretty tight loop. High rates on ailerons were perfect for me with no exponential. When I let the sticks go to neutral position, the plane stopped exactly where it was and did not over rotate. Taking off requires a little right rudder to compensate for engine torque and it rotates off the ground in about 30 feet or so. Landing this plane is about as easy as I have ever done. While up at a safe altitude, I cut throttle and it just gently nosed over without dropping a wing. This plane can do manuevers at incredibly slow speeds. I flew knife edge at about 1/2 throttle and it did not lose altitude. It did have a tendency to track inwards when going left to right with the rudder on high rate, but it is easily controlled. Inverted flight requires a very small amount of down elevator to maintain level flight. This is the first plane that I have been able to fly a knife edge loop with. And it makes it easy. All in all, it is a very nice flyer and a great value for the money. I would venture to say that on low rates someone could even transition from a trainer to this plane once they got used to a tail dragger.
I flew my U Can Do this past weekend, so I thought I would post a follow up to my first thread on this plane. I powered mine with an OS Surpass II .91 four stroke. I balanced it exactly according to the instructions. I am turning an APC 14X6 prop and using 15% Cool Power fuel. My engine is brand new so I deliberately ran it on the rich side. This is a great flying plane overall. It definitely is not a speed demon, so if that is what you are looking for don't choose this plane. I set mine up with high and low rates using the recommended throws that are suggested in the instruction manual. After the first flight, I switched to high rates and noticed that the elevator was quite sensitive, so I added about 30% exponential and it was much less sensitive to stick input but would still do a pretty tight loop. High rates on ailerons were perfect for me with no exponential. When I let the sticks go to neutral position, the plane stopped exactly where it was and did not over rotate. Taking off requires a little right rudder to compensate for engine torque and it rotates off the ground in about 30 feet or so. Landing this plane is about as easy as I have ever done. While up at a safe altitude, I cut throttle and it just gently nosed over without dropping a wing. This plane can do manuevers at incredibly slow speeds. I flew knife edge at about 1/2 throttle and it did not lose altitude. It did have a tendency to track inwards when going left to right with the rudder on high rate, but it is easily controlled. Inverted flight requires a very small amount of down elevator to maintain level flight. This is the first plane that I have been able to fly a knife edge loop with. And it makes it easy. All in all, it is a very nice flyer and a great value for the money. I would venture to say that on low rates someone could even transition from a trainer to this plane once they got used to a tail dragger.
