sillyness

My Feedback: (25)

Tom,

Do know about when you'll have the instrument panels in for the 260?

Thanks.

bladebender

My Feedback: (5)

could someone tell me will a zdz 80 fit in this plane all right, better yet has any body mounted one.Would like to here from someone how it flys with the 80 RICH maybe some pictures

rctom

I don't know if anyone on RCU here has done it but one guy on the other support forum did it, to read that thread go to my web site and follow the link.

To summarize what he did, he and a friend built identical planes one with ZDZ-80 single and one with ZDZ-100 twin. He said he liked the 80 better. It should be a spectacular plane at under 22 lbs which is what this other guy said his weighed.

TF

airborneSGT

My Feedback: (15)

Flying this plane at 22lbs would be an experience. I am not sure what mine is, but its awesome how long it will stay up with almost no throttle at all. With a 32oz tank it will fly 30mins or longer. Anyone in FL with a ZDZ 80 in their 260 care to let me fly theirs?

texasporty

My Feedback: (7)

Here are some pic of the yellow if it works

rctom

This is also a picture of the slightly revised scheme. As you can see the fuse stripes across the hatch now line up with the stripes on the wing.

TF

mstroh3961

My Feedback: (4)

Good looking bird!

airborneSGT

My Feedback: (15)

I like the yellow A LOT! However, it seems like the yellow should continue onto the cowl. Perhaps the top half of the cowl yellow to match the scheme. I plan on getting some graphics done up on mine, I might do that though match the cowl up with the scheme. I like the small changes, makes a big difference I think.

Bobby Folsom

Well guys, I'm getting closer!! I have the engine, cowl and cooling baffles installed. The batteries and switches are also installed. I put the rudder servos in the tail. The aileron servos are installed. All of the linkages are made and on the servos. My pilot is glued in, the tank is velco strapped in and ready for the tubing. All that's left are wheel pant, RX and optical kill switch installation.

I am using one JR 945S dual conversion receiver with two Duralite Plus 4000 mah batteries going into a BatShare (by Smart Fly) and two 6.0 v regulators. The ignition battery is a 2800 mah Duralite Plus wotj a 5.0 v regulator. The DA 100 can tolerate 6.0 v but I already had the 5.0 v regulator.

Spinner is a 4" Tru-Turn and prop is a 26 x 10 wood 3W. The 26 x 10 is the break-in prop and after 5 gals of LawnBoy @40:1, I'll switch to 100:1 Amsoil and a 28 x 10 3W.

The antenna is too long (or the fuselage is too short) fo run it inside so I will run it along the outside about even with the wing trailing edge.

I assembled the plane and checked the balance today. Tom said to start at 3 1/2" back from the leading edga at the wing tips. It balance about 3 1/8" so I'll need to move the ignition battery back farther or add a bit of weight to the tail wheel mount. First plane I've ever had that balance nose heavy!!

If my progress is good this week, I may be able to fly it next week or the week after. I can't make the Abilene IMAC contest so I have so time to work on the 260. I'll keep you posted.


Bobby

Bryant330L

My Feedback: (126)

Sounds good Bobby... how about some pictures?

airborneSGT

My Feedback: (15)

Bobby,

Where did you mount your two RX packs? I too am going to move my ignitoin battery more rearward as well. Although I made a tray for the batteries as far in the turtle deck as I could reach, I think what I will do is simply cut an access panel in the tail section of the fuse - create a mount back there and then simply replace the wood I removed and recover. A lot of people do this to balance without any weight. Are you sure you are supposed to mix lawnboy ashless at 40:1, DA said 32:1 for break in. Dont ask me how I know about that...he he. Lets see some pictures when you get it all done.

This plane is a dream to fly, a real floater.

One last thing, easy way to add some weight on this plane: use the stick on weight on the tail gear and paint it black. Use a heavy tail wheel in place of the lightweight one.

Bobby Folsom

RE: Wild Hare Extra 260 Pictures - 5/31/2005 4:32:23 PM


airborneSGT:

I have about four gallons of the 40:1 mixture thru the DA 100 now and the "black stuff" is almost nonexistent from the bottom of the left stab. This means that the engine is really starting to breakin. Don of Don's Hobbies suggested the 40:1 and a 26 x 10 3W prop for five gallons to ease the breakin process. After that he said to go to a 28 x 10 3W and 100:1 Amsoil. I don't like the Mejzlik props due to less braking effect on the downlines. I fly (or try to anyway) the Sportsman sequence in IMAC so downline breaking is important to me.

I have the two flight pack batteries mounted on the back edge of the servo tray using the two round holes as attachment points for a tie wrap. The ignition pack in between the left slot and first hole to the front of the servo tray. Yes, I planned to use stickon weights with a hole drilled in them and a small tie wrap around the tailwheel wire. That way I can "fine tune" the balance point. My test of a just right C.G. is to pull a 45 upline and roll inverted. If the plane continues unabated then the C.G. is just right. If the nose drops, I add a little more weight, if the nose goes up, then I take a little weight off. This process has worked great on my AW 540T ARF.

I will keep you posted.

Bobby

gizmo8012

My Feedback: (15)

hey Bobby, glad to see you got things going on your extra 260. I'm anxious to see it at another MS event soon.

Good luck!!!,

Luke

Bobby Folsom

Yeah man. I'm putting the "electrics" in now. It may take this weekend to get everything in, working and look nice and clean too.

You'll have to come on up and fly with us sometime.

Bobby

P.S. Fred Sweet - how did you do at Abilene with your 260?

airborneSGT

My Feedback: (15)

Man I am bummed. The FL weather has sucked! Its been raining the whole week. Hopefully we get a break this weekend so I can fly. The 260 has just been sitting gathering dust. Anyways, I got this precison driver for the CF spinner. Its something you really need if you have one.

Looking to move the CG more rearward slowly and possibly add smoke! What is everyone using for fuel dots? I have a plain old H9 fuel dot. Thinking about something fancy like the F1 fueler or something like that. Quick fuelers get stuck or sometimes dont close all the way so I dont use those. Its nice to have something like the quick fueler where you just hook it up and bam fuel or de fuel.

RTK

My Feedback: (1)

airborne-
I have had 2 of those slick fuelers and both of them have been a pain to use. They always seem to not seal right. Now I only use fuel dots because they always seal and never seem to fail.

rctom

Should've bought the HW kit, it comes with a real nice fuel dot with knurled knob.

TF

RTK

My Feedback: (1)

Tom- One of your new releases is at the top of my list. I will also be buying your hardware kit. Since talking to Pat and yourself I am quite confident you have the plane I am looking for.

Ralph

airborneSGT

My Feedback: (15)

I did buy the hardware kit from you. I just wasnt a fan of that fuel dot.so I installed the H9 one just as a backup until I figured out what I wanted. I might use the DA one, not sure. Maybe something else I will make besides drill jigs. Speaking of which if anyone needs DA drill jigs let me know. I am making a bunch of them for the DA 150/100 and DA 50. All will be CNC machined and done from actual CAD drawings not by hand. Wow the weather forcast is really bad. Rain clear into next week. Oh time to build I guess.

airborneSGT

My Feedback: (15)

Wow so today I weighed it on a digital scale which was calibrated and came out at 24LBS AUW dry weight. I knew I had built it light but didnt think I was that light. I weighed my Christen Eagle which came at an AUW of 17lbs dry.

rctom

That's 24 lbs. with a DA-100, I note.

TF

airborneSGT

My Feedback: (15)

Yup you heard it right, 24lbs with a DA 100. On a digital scale which is calibrated. You got a winner here Tom! I am making my friends jealous with how well this thing flys. I can hover it all day long also. Anytime you want some pictures just let me know!

rctom

Send me a good video, that's what I really need.

TF

airborneSGT

My Feedback: (15)

Ok everyone I am in the process of doing more work on the X260. So here goes:

AUW was 24lbs...now it will be lighter! How?

1. CF Wing tube from Troy Built Models - The stock one was weighing in at about 15.5-16oz. The CF one should come out at about 8oz. I say should because I need to cut off a few inches to fit.

So roughly that puts me at 23.5lbs If the CF wing tube comes out at 8oz. Not bad with the DA 100.

Ok so I need to add a few oz. however for the kill switch:

http://www.troybuiltmodels.com/KillSwitch.html

DOH! That puts me right about where I started I think. For safety reasons I think I can accept this however. Still at 23.5 pounds with the CF Wing Tube and without CF Gear thats not bad. The 35% Carden Edge Gear wouldnt give me the ground clearance that I needed with the 28X10 prop. So when I get more time I am going to look for a set of gear to work. That Carden Edge Graphtec gear was just about perfect, but its about an inch shorter I think.

So here is the plan of action:
1. 32oz tank gives me 30 min flights - switch to a 24oz tank (will do the math on weight savings)
2. Stock rudder servo mount is only used to hold the RX and power regulatars - Shave off easily a few ounces in weight there by grinding away what I dont need.
3. Shave off the deck of the canopy hatch that I dont need

Not much money spent there and I can easily save the weight of what I had to add for safety sake. I dont use a choke servo fyi.

Once again: 23.5lbs with CF wing tube and no mods, and no kill switch
I will keep you all posted after I complete the rest of the mods. FWIW I got my GP Eagle down to 17lbs with a lot of work. Even at 24lbs this bird flys so light. I estimate even better weight savings when I switch to a CF prop and get a set of CF gear. Can anyone tell me what the wing loading is at 24lbs and also 23.5? I know there is a calculator out there somewhere.

Bobby Folsom

Ken, I am now ready to put the cool graphics on that I got from you. What is the best method to put them on. I don't want to tear or mess them up because they REALLY look good. Should I soak them with windex and put on wet or what.

I appreciate your help. Others on this list may be interested in obtaining graphis from you as I did.

Thanks again,

Bobby
P.S. Please send me your email address. My email address is "[email protected]".