RE: Giant Model Products Introduces a 50cc GeeBee R3 ARF
One can only hope.
Posted on: 1/30/2012 5:27 PM by Author "Capt Midnight" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10935965

RE: Giant Model Products Introduces a 50cc GeeBee R3 ARF
Gerry, The carbon fiber parts arrived today and look very good. Thanks. I've noticed a few posts referring to reinforced cowls. My cowl is OK, and I've reinforced it further with baffles to aid cooling, so I really don't think I need a new cowl. I'm still trying to figure out however, what happening with the struts that were promised last year. I'm one of the customers that paid full price when the 50 cc version was first introduced, and then the price was later discounted to reflect the lesser quality of the ARF's that came in on the first shipment. Perhaps you can fill me in as to the status with Robart... Bob
Posted on: 1/30/2012 4:24 PM by Author "Capt Midnight" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10935846

RE: Giant Model Products Introduces a 50cc GeeBee R3 ARF
[quote]ORIGINAL: bigphil Thanks for the response Gerry, so then what do I need to do to get the upgraded parts???? 30 cc! [/quote] Me too. 50cc.
Posted on: 1/27/2012 9:56 AM by Author "Capt Midnight" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10930694

RE: Giant Model Products Introduces a 50cc GeeBee R3 ARF
[quote]ORIGINAL: mikes68charger [quote]ORIGINAL: gjhinshaw GOOD CALL!!!! Yes, It I from TBM! I want to change the way the RC company's do things!! I am tired of all the high prices and BS!! OK.. on the CG from leading edge to center of CG is 133mm this can be + or - 6mm [/quote] This is for the 30cc correct? Tommorro is the day I can open up the box and start putting her togeather! How are the struts comeing along? Thanks for the coolest bird in the city! LOL [/quote] Methinks this is for the 50cc version.
Posted on: 5/23/2011 11:21 AM by Author "Capt Midnight" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10536282

RE: Giant Model Products Introduces a 50cc GeeBee R3 ARF
[size=4]Graphics for the R3 Gee Bee[/size] [size=2]Hi to everyone... My graphics package from Bad Brad arrived this afternoon. Simply put, they're even better than the artwork that Brad had sent to me previously (see below), especially the "Gee Bee R3 Special" logo done in Red with a Black outline. Brad really took his time and did it right, which is why I didn't pick them up at the swap meet we attended last weekend. The quality is fantastic! For those just getting started with this thread, these graphics are sized and scaled for the 50cc version that Gerry is importing. Brad told me the retail price to the 50cc version from Bad Brad Graphics will be $64.00 (as per the .jpg shown below). If the end-user needs changes or deletions to the artwork, the pricing will be adjusted accordingly. For those just getting into figuring out what they want to do with their 100cc versions, Brad doesn't have a size or price yet. Send him an OEM graphics set, or call him with dimensions, and he'll work up a price for you. Brad can be reached at: Brad Schulz 1558 Sylmar Road Cedarburg, WI 53012 262-377-3944 www.badbradgraphics.com Later...B.[/size]
Posted on: 4/28/2011 4:14 PM by Author "Capt Midnight" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10490269

RE: Giant Model Products Introduces a 50cc GeeBee R3 ARF
[quote]ORIGINAL: gjhinshaw Capt. Midnight, ARE YOU CRAZY???????? Yes, I will be working with everyone that has bought one!!! This isn't TBM!! (SORRY for that last commit TBM!) [/quote] Yup! Certifiably so. Crazy like a Fox...
Posted on: 4/22/2011 9:56 AM by Author "Capt Midnight" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10478451

RE: Giant Model Products Introduces a 50cc GeeBee R3 ARF
[quote]ORIGINAL: gjhinshaw Hello All from China, So far things are going great! They understand what I am wanting from them! I have been very busy with them in the factory. GUYS...... If you EVER get a chance to come see just what goes into ONE model, You would look at it differently!! I have takin many notes and pictures and videos. 1. What a kit?? They are producing the GB as a kit now! As well as the Sbach, Edge, Yak...etc... 2. For now one the whell pants will be a ONE Piece. 3. The Cowl will have fiberglass around the cowl ring, and the FRONT WILL NOT BE CUT OUT! Some have complained about the curve not being correct. For those of you that want to know, This is ALL cut out and sanded by HAND! 4. They are now sending ALL kits with Carbon fiber tubes 5. The fiberglass tubes are being doubled. 6. The Cowl is going to have more fiberglass. 7. The canopy is going to be a 2 piece. 8. They are making Oleo struts for all GB's 9. BETTER PACKING WILL BE DONE!!! I hope this helps most of you! I have traveled 10,000 miles to help bring great products!! [/quote] Gerry, Since we seem to be part of the factory's product development team (although we didn't know it at the time we bought into the plane) how about some upgrade or replacement program for the parts that need to be changed or replaced? B.
Posted on: 4/21/2011 8:12 PM by Author "Capt Midnight" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10477599

RE: Giant Model Products Introduces a 50cc GeeBee R3 ARF
[quote]ORIGINAL: n8622t Captain Midnight, that looks like the Hobby Lobby electric they used to sell! Good looking plane!![:D] Hey Gerry, we miss you![:o] Jimmy [/quote] Yup! It is. This is plane #2. B.
Posted on: 4/21/2011 7:05 PM by Author "Capt Midnight" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10477437

RE: Giant Model Products Introduces a 50cc GeeBee R3 ARF
Graphics Update I sent my copy of the graphics that came with my R3 to Bad Brad Graphics last week, and have been working with him on the phone this week to fine-tune converting the graphics package into something that was more complete, and more to the point, user-friendly and easily installable as they will have a built-in carrier strip, which the original graphics did not have. The end result is displayed in the photo below. The original package was very lacking in that some of the graphics were incomplete, or missing entirely (at least in my set). To explain the graphic photo below further, the "NR1312Y" and the "TEXACO" graphics shown in "Lime Green" with a black border, are actually 2-color graphics (White vinyl with a black border). The reason for the is two-fold; to allow the "NR1312Y" logo to be used and placed anywhere on either the top or bottom of the wing (the original graphics did not have anything for the wing), and to keep the "TEXACO" from "bleeding out" as happens when White logo is used over a Red background without a border. The "NR1312Y" art is sized at about 16" wide and the "TEXACO" is about 18" wide and both were scaled off the original supplied graphics. The four round "Texaco Star" logos have a Kelly Green "T" on the star, and are sized at 5-1/2" in diameter and will allow their us on the cowl, as well as on the top and bottom of the wing next to the "66" numbers (if the user wants to). The "66" numbers were copied and styled from my 59" Electric Gee Bee R3 that I did 3 years ago, as they are more contemporary and typical of a futuristic Granville Brothers R3 built in 2011, rather than the square-edged, military styled numbers used in the original graphics. 4 sets of numbers are in the package; 2 large for use on the wings, and 2 smaller for use on the fuse sides. The small "NR1312Y" numbers are for use on the rudder, and scale out at about 5-3/4" side. Lastly we come to the Gee Bee R3 Special logo... This was styled after the full sized Gee Bee Sportster on display at the Udvar-Hazy hanger at the Smithsonian; you can't get more "scale" than that. This is 2-color art (Red with a Black border) that is scaled to fit the 50cc version. If you want all black, Bad Brad can to do that also, or you can give your 7 year old daughter a magic marker and let her whack away at the tail after you think you're done; you'll probably end up with something that looks better that the original graphics anyway... I'll be meeting Brad this weekend at a local swap meet that he's displaying at, and picking up my graphics. Any changes or notable differences, I'll note in a future post. If you need to get a hold of Brad, his info is... Brad Schulz 1558 Sylmar Road Cedarburg, WI 53012 262-377-3944 www.badbradgraphics.com Later... B.
Posted on: 4/21/2011 2:50 PM by Author "Capt Midnight" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10477045

RE: Giant Model Products Introduces a 50cc GeeBee R3 ARF
Travel safe, Gerry. B.
Posted on: 4/18/2011 8:17 PM by Author "Capt Midnight" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10471182

RE: Giant Model Products Introduces a 50cc GeeBee R3 ARF
[quote]ORIGINAL: gjhinshaw I am trying to contact him but his wife is in the hospital. We may say NO THANKS to the ones that come with it and just get them from Brad. INTERESTED??????? I am also waiting to talk to him on more graphics!!! Check out our Matt Hall 100cc!!! [/quote] Gerry, I called Brad also today, but he's not picking up on his end. He'll probably be back on Monday, so try him then. I sent him all the graphics that came with my plane on Friday so he should have these by Monday as well. Brad said he would work on the cutting layout and send me the artwork via email for discussion & approval. I will also talk to him about the "Texaco" logo artwork that I sent him previously and can send him a release so you and your other customers can use the Texaco art work if you want to. If I can I will also post the artwork that Brad sends me on this forum as well. B.
Posted on: 4/16/2011 10:43 AM by Author "Capt Midnight" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10466270

RE: Giant Model Products Introduces a 50cc GeeBee R3 ARF
Thanks Gerry. Looks like a very broad range though, if I'm reading the .jpeg right.... 5.00" to 6.25" from the leading edge. It looks like the 6.25" dimension is place right in the middle of the wing tube. Is this how you interpret the drawing? B.
Posted on: 4/15/2011 2:43 PM by Author "Capt Midnight" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10464845

RE: Giant Model Products Introduces a 50cc GeeBee R3 ARF
Gerry, My Gee Bee arrived last Saturday via Fed-Ex with no apparent external damage, however when I opened up the shipping container my observation was very similar to Pacoflyer's (Paul's). The fuse, wings, elevator halves and other misc. parts seemed to have come though OK, but the cowl was a different story. Even though the cowl was placed right-side-up in the box (sitting on the rear edge), the cowl had taken a side hit in transit as the mounting ring was in 3 pieces in the bag, and the cowl had 2 major creases in it that split the paint. Additionally, there were 3 large dents inwards, which I was able to push out without damaging the cowl further. I stuffed the cowl with newspaper and foam rubber in order to let the cowl regain it's shape naturally, and will look at it again this weekend to see if I need to work it over with a heat gun to get it back in shape. If this works, I'm hoping the cowl can be salvaged. Aero-works and Pilot-RC both have had similar problems with their shipments over the years. Their corrective-action fixes now include using a solid piece of light-ply cut in the exact shape of the cowl itself, and then screwed/bolted to the mounting ring to prevent crush damage. Their shipping containers also have a layer of 1/8" thick Masonite between the outer shipping carton and the retail carton, in order to provide more protection from concealed shipping damage. Regarding the vinyl graphics included with the ARF; these are made with very thin-gauge material that will tear or stretch very easily, if the end-user isn't careful. The graphics are also lacking a carrier layer, so the letters would have to be positioned by hand using masking tape as a guide. This will make for a long and difficult installation when it comes time to apply the graphics. My set was also missing one of the white "TEXACO" text logos for the side of the aircraft. Since it will be at least 30 days before I get some of my other aircraft off the workbench in order to start work on the Gee Bee, I have shipped the entire package of graphics up to Bad Brad Graphics in Cedarburg, WI. Brad does most off my graphics, and keeps all the artwork that I have sent him over the years on file. He is also going to send me a couple sets of the round "Texaco" logo that I have used on my other Gee Bee's. This logo will be sized at 6-1/2" diameter in order to fit the cowl. Lastly, I reviewed the CD that came with the plane. The documentation does not contain any information relating to balance point, or recommended control surface throws for initial flight set-up. You may want to ad that to your "to-do" list of items to discuss, as it sounds like you have a trip coming up shortly. Good Luck with that... Bob
Posted on: 4/15/2011 1:11 PM by Author "Capt Midnight" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10464711

RE: GEE BEE R3 RACER??WOW!!!
Just hit the "Reply" button on the last post, or go to the "Post" button at the bottom of the page. After the post dialog window opens, click on the paper clip icon that says "Click here to upload images and files!" and load images off your hard drive. B.
Posted on: 1/24/2011 2:23 PM by Author "Capt Midnight" in the forum "Scale Racing"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10285369

RE: GEE BEE R3 RACER??WOW!!!
gonna come extra early this year Capt. Midnight
Posted on: 1/12/2011 4:55 PM by Author "Capt Midnight" in the forum "Scale Racing"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10258975

RE: GEE BEE R3 RACER??WOW!!!
time. This will help in case I have another "senior moment". Ciao, Capt. Midnight
Posted on: 1/11/2011 7:39 PM by Author "Capt Midnight" in the forum "Scale Racing"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10256779

RE: RC Exl Ignition Users
[quote]ORIGINAL: Tired Old Man I can only relate what I experienced. Doubt there may be but magnetic fields do weaken with distance, and the sensitivity of RC Exl hall sensors is unknown to me. I know what did not work, and I know what it required to make it work. As for equipment used, it was all basic audio and visual. The visible, and audible, strength of the delivered spark increased with closer proximity to the magnet. The why is unknown to me. What I saw and experienced did not lie. I don't give a rat's behind for any complicated engineering theory intended to dispute physical evidence that's bound to be presented soon. Ed, The air gap between the bracket and magnet was ~3/32'' with the unmodified provided parts. I tried three different brackets an all were roughly the same for air gap spacing. Pe, The hub magnet was on the hub of one of the original BME 115 engines. [/quote] Come on guys... T.O.M. had it right the first time. Listen to him...! With Hall sensors, the ignition is triggered by the [b]COLLAPSE [/b]of the magnetic field (from the magnet underneath the pick-up), not the initiation of the field. If the magnet is not close enough to the sensor to initiate the field, then by definition, there will not be any field to [b]COLLAPSE[/b]. Now do you get it guys? BTW: The first successful commercial implementation of a Hall-effect sensor was created and patented by the guys at Microswitch (A division of Honeywell) in Freeport, IL. I knew most of the engineers and scientists that worked on this project, so you can take this info and put in the bank. B
Posted on: 8/17/2010 11:10 PM by Author "Capt Midnight" in the forum "Gas Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9941436

RE: oil mix ratios
[quote]ORIGINAL: Ed [b] [size=1][color=#990000] '' Yes, 50-1 is fine but DA engines seem to need a 40-1 mix. ''[/color] [/size] [/b] Interesting ................. Why would this be ? ? ? [/quote] Well, I guess its time for me to add my own 2 cents worth to this discussion (err.. thread?) I had an interesting discussion with Jeff Olmstead at DA back in June. I had sent him a DA50 to inspect for crash damage, and called him for status. He said the motor was OK, but that I was using way too much oil (in the repair form sent in with the motor, I mentioned I was using Amsoil Sabre Professional 100:1 oil, but mixed at 40:1 as directed in the instruction sheets) and the engine was getting heavily carboned up and would have to be cleaned. He also indicated the piston ring was starting to seize up, and would take care of that also. Jeff asked why I was using such a heavy fuel/oil mixture (40:1); I told him that was due to the oil mixture ratios mentioned in the instruction sheets. Jeff said that using Amsoil Professional at 40:1 was the equivalent to using Lawnboy at 20:1; i.e., the motor would get heavily carboned-up very fast, and that I should move to using a higher (80:1 to 100:1) ratio if I continued using Amsoil Professional. I was a little hesitant at first in making the change, but what the hell... this was coming straight from the horse's mouth at DA, and these guys have to stand by their engines with their 3-year warranty. So I made the change in small increments up from 40:1 starting with 60:1, then going to 80:1 (where I'm at right now) with 3 different DA50-R engines, and noting any changes along the way. Of the 3 DA50's I'm working with, 2 are low hour engines (2 to 3 hrs in 2010) bought this year, and the 3rd is a well used (40+ hours logged in 2009) motor that I had sent to Jeff. No tear-downs are planned as of yet, all though I might later in the year if I start to see something unusual occurring. One observation thus far; in moving to each higher mixture ratio, I've had to re-tune each engine (lean out the low and high speed screws), as I suspect with less oil / more gas being used on each power stroke, there will be more small incremental changes in this area also. BTW, this year I made a total committed fuel change in all my gas engines in switching to completely [b]ethanol-free[/b][u][/u] gasoline (93 octane, from which I have extracted [b]ALL[/b] the ethanol).[u][/u] This results in a more powerful, cleaner burning engine with none of the corrosive problems associated with using ethanol-gasoline commonly found at the gas pumps, and the Tygon fuel tubing lasts longer and doesn't get stiff as it did in the past. It is also cheaper to make/use than 100LL Av Gas (which sells for $5.50 / gal at most FBO's) As was mentioned else-where in this thread, switching to 100:1 is not for everyone, but neither is making your own fuel. Doing both at the same time requires some degree of common sense and caution. DA engines are not cheap, but neither are my airplanes. Thanks, B
Posted on: 8/17/2010 4:30 PM by Author "Capt Midnight" in the forum "Gas Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9940423

RE: Hobby Lobby Gee Bee R3 build thread
Hello all... Hopefully I'll be doing some posts over the next few months, but my efforts have been delayed by the arrival of some unusually warm fly weather, so I've been off flying my big giant scale gassers. I had the pleasure of meeting and talking with Jason Cole at Toledo this year, and specifically discussed the problems with the current version of the Gee Bee R3. We both agreed to stay in touch via e-mail and share our transmitter setups with each other. I'll be posting my setup soon, and will post Jason's setup when it arrives.
Posted on: 4/26/2009 4:22 PM by Author "Capt Midnight" in the forum "Electric Aerobatic & Sport Planes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8716875

RE: GEE BEE R3 RACER??WOW!!!
[size=2]Wow! Sorry to hear of the loss of your aircraft, LAdams02... Especially after putting in all the work that you did. I had high hopes that your first flight (and many others after) would go well, but that was not to be. I hate to loose a plane also, especially this one, but after hearing about so many crashes, especially on the maiden flight, I'm starting to wonder if there is something fundamentally wrong with how the plane is designed. My 2nd Gee Bee R3 is done now, and hanging from the ceiling in the garage, waiting for better weather to come. Before I fly it, I'm going to go over it with a fine tooth comb to see if I missed anything. Are you going to rebuild, or was it a total loss? [/size]
Posted on: 3/2/2009 11:08 PM by Author "Capt Midnight" in the forum "Scale Racing"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8537826

RE: GEE BEE R3 RACER??WOW!!!
www.hobby-lobby.com
Posted on: 2/10/2009 10:17 PM by Author "Capt Midnight" in the forum "Scale Racing"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8463374

RE: GEE BEE R3 RACER??WOW!!!
True, all to true.
Posted on: 2/10/2009 9:46 AM by Author "Capt Midnight" in the forum "Scale Racing"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8460752

RE: GEE BEE R3 RACER??WOW!!!
Hi LAdams02, Haven't heard what others may have done. I mounted my motor (AXI 4130/16) by first lining up the cross hairs on the engine mount box with that of the electric motor mount, then after that was done, mounting the AXI motor to the electric motor mount box (dead center). The moter appears to be mounted about 2 degrees right thrust in this manner, but the C/L of the motor is still a little left of center in the cowl. I'm waiting for some new equipment to come in to measure the thrust C/L more accurately, then may make some adjustments later. Will plan to make the first flight with 2 to 3 degrees right thrust, then adjust from there. What motor are you using? Regards,
Posted on: 2/9/2009 11:43 PM by Author "Capt Midnight" in the forum "Scale Racing"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8459712

RE: GEE BEE R3 RACER??WOW!!!
Hi LAdams02, [quote]Oh and one thing wrong with the plans that cause me to poke several unnneded holes in my wing: *** The upper and lower hard points for the wire mounts on the wing are at 5 and 16 cm, not 5 and 17. [/quote] Yeah, I learned about the 17cm goof the hard way too. Got a chance to go upstairs to the office to get my $.98 hole punch to repair the damage in my $405 airplane. Neat how those Chinese tape measures work (or is is the French?). Oh, well.
Posted on: 2/8/2009 11:50 PM by Author "Capt Midnight" in the forum "Scale Racing"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8455344

RE: GEE BEE R3 RACER??WOW!!!
Good idea Combat 20! Let the tail come up (like the Jason Cole video) before you get on the throttle hard. Since you are used to using lots of expo with a Futaba system as I am, you can ride the rudder a little until it getsairborne.
Posted on: 2/8/2009 11:41 PM by Author "Capt Midnight" in the forum "Scale Racing"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8455309

RE: GEE BEE R3 RACER??WOW!!!
[quote]My current project is to figure out why a Hanger 9 Funtanna X likes to snap violently to the right during what I would call normal maneuvers. I have a list to check: incidence of each wing panel, wing warp, aileron warp, heavy wing, aileron differential, etc. I have already confirmed that CG, control throw, and exponential are okay.[/quote] Combat 20, Send me a PM with a discription of what you are dealing with. Maybe I can help. I also drive a tweaked FuntanaX 100.
Posted on: 2/8/2009 7:00 PM by Author "Capt Midnight" in the forum "Scale Racing"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8453992

RE: GEE BEE R3 RACER??WOW!!!
Hi Combat 20, I really like and admire your detailing and finishing efforts to the R3, especially the headrest that you added. I wish that I had seen what you did earlier, as I would have liked to copy your efforts and have added them to my plane before I finished it up. Maybe I can go back and squeeze it in, in front and behind the "Helmet Head" pilot figure that I used (from Hanger 9), and post the results in the construction thread that I started (with full credit for the idea to you of course). Like you, I too am extremely surprised that there are so few R3 related posts (or users) in this forum, or any where else on RCU for that matter. No, other than Jason Cole who flew the prototype at last year's SEFF event, I know of no other pilots that have successfully flown this plane, and gotten it back in one piece. You would think that with over 100 kits being sold, there would be more threads or interest .I will be putting a call or email into Jay Graves at Hobby Lobby asking him to contact Jason and give him the link to the construction thread in Electric Aerobatic & Sport Planes (http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_8446399/tm.htm). I would like to see if he could share some of his experiences and flight control surface settings that he used to fly the prototype R3 with. Maybe we all can have a safer "1st flight" as a result... My first flight last year (with model #1), started off the same, but ended far more disastrously. You are completely correct in your thinking that the high AOA & P-factor were strong reasons why your plane veered hard left on take-off. Mine did exactly the same. I should have gotten on the rudder sooner (and harder), but didn't. Fortunately (or unfortunately) I salvaged the take-off, only to crash later for completely different reasons. What happened with your first flight? My own personal feeling is that even +/- 50mm (from the 2nd manual) will not be enough. I will probably set the rudder initially at +/- 30 to 35 [i]degrees [/i]with 60% to 65% expo, on a 3 position (low-medium-high) triple rate switch and fly the 1st flight on my new model using that configuration. The rudder is 180mm (approx. 7.125") long at it's longest point. Using +/-50mm (+/- 1.96") only equates to 16.17 degrees (barely 75% of what would be considered minimally sufficient for a IMAC setting. Going to +/- 90mm (+/- 3.54") works out to +/- 30 degrees of deflection. Granted, this is a long rudder with lots of leverage, but this is only effective at higher flying speeds. Using a high 60% to 65% expo gives you a "softer" feel around neutral to avoid over-controlling, but the ability to really get on the rudder when you to by going to full deflection. Flying with high percentages of expo may not be for everyone (it's an acquired taste!) but it works; I normally drive giant-scale gas 3D aerobatic machines, so using a high percentage of expo for me is quite normal. Regarding the flying wires; Avaiojet has many good suggestions, but I agree with you that solid hard flying wires might not work well here. My own personal observation is the same as yours; the upper flying wires are not functional. They only enhance the "30's Classic Scale Racer" look imparted by the lower flying wires, which are [b][u]absolutely necessary[/u][/b] to support the landing gear struts. I decided not to use the provided metric clevises and flying wire stud as they ARE too flimsy. Instead, I elected to use flying wire rigging parts from Du-Bro. They come in black with the wire connector stud (in 2-56 and 4-40 sizes) and also have precut shrink tubing rather than silicone fuel tubing. Much neater. Use the provided aluminum connector brackets, but plan on spending some time with a pair of needle-nose pliers (with the bracket not mounted to the wing) adjusting the angle of the bracket to match the angle of the flying wire. If done correctly, the aluminum bracket should ride in the center of the clevis pin when assembled. When assembled, have the clevis pin point AWAY from the wing surface so as not to damage the covering. I used 2-56 x 1/2" socket head servo mounting screws everywhere (those damn pesky Phillips screws always strip out anyway), especially in mounting the aluminum brackets to the wing. Use a 1/16" drill and always harden the hole with C/A. I haven't decided if I'm going to disassemble the wings from the fuse to take the plane to the field. Right now it fits in the Explorer with the wings on, but I'm limited to only one plane at a time. For the ease of disassembly, I've attached the upper flying wires to the fuse using a triangular-shaped bracket from Proctor Enterprises. They also make turnbuckles and other brackets. Instead of using a 2-56 servo mounting screw, I used a 2-56 x 1" socket head machine screw mating up with a 2-56 tee nut glue in to the backside of the reinforcing plate on the inside of the upper fuse. This will aid in easy disassembly if I need to take off the wings. For the bottom side, I mounted the two pairs of flying wires from the wheels using 4 individual steel brackets (from Du-Bro's landing gear set) going into the reinforcement mount blocks on either side of the fuse center line. They're mounted using socket head servo mounting screws in C/A hardened holes, but I may convert these to threaded fasteners at a later date. In either case, I will not be disassembling the flying wires from the wing tips, as these will travel with the wing if and when disassembled. Hope this help. Photos attached.
Posted on: 2/8/2009 6:35 PM by Author "Capt Midnight" in the forum "Scale Racing"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8453885

RE: GEE BEE R3 RACER??WOW!!!
Hello to all. I do apologize. I had inadvertently posted a wrong link to the construction thread in another forum, but this wrong link did nothing but cycle the user back to the 1st page of this thread. Very confusing!! The correct link is actually http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_8446399/tm.htm, and I will be posting some more information in that forum ( [u]Electric Aerobatic & Sport Planes[/u] ) later today. Thanks again,
Posted on: 2/8/2009 1:17 PM by Author "Capt Midnight" in the forum "Scale Racing"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8452706

RE: GEE BEE R3 RACER??WOW!!!
Charles, You raised a number of valid points in your reply, and I will try to answer them as best I can, but maybe not necessarily in the order that they came up. First of all, I've decided to start a construction thread in another forum ([link]http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_3589652/tm.htm[/link]) as this thread is over 4 years old, and this is a "Fantasy Scale" concept, not a true "Scale" racer. If the Kimball's decide to go ahead with their full scale build plans, then this forum becomes more valid. Regarding kit versions, I believe there may have been two lots (of 50) produced in 2008; the initial lot in June, and another lot in September. I believe your kit may have come out of the 2nd lot. I spoke with Mike Hines in mid-December regarding the status of the next shipment, and was told it was being delayed until mid-January to allow the manufacturer time to make some changes to the kit. Mike said that among other details, the manufacturer was changing from chinacoat to Oracoat (Oracover) to make for a stronger and more durable finish, and was changing the canopy retention method (also for increased strength and durability). Lot #3 was shipped in mid-January, and contained the new revisions, one of which I now have. Unfortunately, in parsing from English to French to Chinese and back again, something was lost in the translation. Yup, the Chinese modified the canopy alright, but they modified the wrong end! The original canopy blew off from the [U][b]FRONT to the REAR[/b][/u] as a result of the balsa F1 former splitting in half just above the mounting tab. The canopy on the new aircraft still had the single balsa F1 former (about 1/8" thick) up front, but the Chinese added a spring-loaded latch to the REAR of the canopy (which was never in question in the first place). After inspecting the new canopy, I decided to reinforce the F1 former by adding 2 lite-ply doublers to each side of the F1 former, and sandwiching a layer of glass cloth in between as well. I also added two hollow .250 dia. C/F tubes to the front of the canopy that mate up with mounting holes of the F1 former on the fuse. Photos below will show some of the details. Of the other changes that I noted, there were precious few that I could detect, but the most notable was the firewall block-off plate which had been 1/16 plywood, and was changed to 1/16 balsa in the new version. I built the new version with the balsa block-off plate as provided, but added 6 - 1/2" dia. cooling vent holes under the engine mounting box. I will add ventral cooling holes in the fuse at a later date. Regarding the differences in the two versions of the instruction manual, the original manual had the following specs for the flight control surface settings: Elevator: 10 mm up/down Rudder: 30 mm left/right Ailerons: 5 mm up/down The revised manual posted on 7/30/2008, had the following notation: Elevator: +/- 30mm with 25% Exponential Rudder: +/- 50mm with 50% Exponential Ailerons: +/- 15-20mm with 40% Exponential Which one was right? Which one was wrong? You be the judge. What I flew the first bird with is now irrelevant. What I'll fly the second bird with will be covered on the construction thread on the other forum. Lastly, all decisions begin and end with the Pilot. Take offs are very optional, landing isn't. If I knew then, what I know now, I would not have flown the plane, but would have instead fixed all the problems that I didn't know existed in the first place. Suffice to say, the documentation that went out to Lobby Lobby was very detailed and far beyond the scope of this post, or this forum. I have however, learned from the experience and will apply what I've learned to the new Gee Bee when it flies in May. Thanks,
Posted on: 2/6/2009 8:47 PM by Author "Capt Midnight" in the forum "Scale Racing"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8446889

Hobby Lobby Gee Bee R3 build thread
Hello All... I did some research looking for posts on some of the other RCU forums, looking for information on the new Hobby Lobby / Donuts Models Gee Bee R3 Fantasy Racer. In particular, I was looking for some posts on construction tips and flying setup suggestions, but didn't find too much except for a 4 year old thread in the Scale Racer forum [link]http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_3589652/tm.htm[/link] (which I have already posted to). Since this is not a "Scale" anything, but rather a very nice "Fantasy Scale" design concept by the Italian aircraft designer Mirco Pecorari, I decided that it would be more appropriate to start a construction thread in this forum, as this is really a "Sport" aircraft and certainly not scale. I would be interested in any comments, ideas or suggestions that will help make this a good flying airplane. This is my [u]second[/u] Gee Bee R3 from Hobby Lobby, as the first did not last too long. It is now completely finished, and safely tucked away in my hanger awaiting it's maiden flight later this spring. Target date for the first flight(s) would be mid to late May 2009. Over the next few weeks or months, I will be posting construction notes and photos for the build that I have taken along the way, and will be looking for comments and suggestions. Thanks,
Posted on: 2/6/2009 6:27 PM by Author "Capt Midnight" in the forum "Electric Aerobatic & Sport Planes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8446399