RE: Step by Step Pro-Pex Runway
That was a great write up but the link is broken or something now. Great facility too...it would be great to fly from a strip that big. :) I finally got my little airfield done, although it looks like some weed control and mowing needs to be done. It's almost a bit small for my skills yet, but hopefully by next year I'll be wondering why I made it so large. :)
Posted on: 7/7/2007 12:16 PM by Author "Grain" in the forum "The Clubhouse"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=6081160

RE: Step by Step Pro-Pex Runway
Ah, the 315ST I have looks very similar to the 102F above. I picked up another hundred foot length this week, so hopefully by tomorrow evening it'll be filled out to a nice 30'x100'. This should be the perfect size for the electrics I'm flying, as apparently only 15' of width wasn't quite enough to reliably land on. [:o] [:)]
Posted on: 6/23/2007 7:34 PM by Author "Grain" in the forum "The Clubhouse"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=6025230

RE: Step by Step Pro-Pex Runway
Great thread! I've been trying to figure out a way to have an all weather strip out behind the yard, and thanks to you fellows I now have one. :) I'm not exactly sure if the material I received is what you all are using though. I was supplied with 315ST woven material, and while it works well it has some "bubbles" in it, and try as I might I can't stretch them out, and it hasn't tightened up in the sun like I've read about. I've only laid down a single 100' long piece until I'm sure this is what I want. Any info, hints, tips or suggestions appreciated. :)
Posted on: 6/17/2007 10:55 AM by Author "Grain" in the forum "The Clubhouse"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5998180

RE: VS Tank R
Received a DX set today, and I'm not too sure about these. I was afraid I'd miss proportional controls, but after driving these around for a bit I'm finding I miss control of any sort. The turning while driving is much too slow, with the radius being somewhere around 5 feet...even a 6'x12' snooker table is too small for a complete circle to be driven. This in itself might not be so bad, but the only other way to change direction is with the "super spin", and it is so [censored] fast that it's basically impossible to use it and end up pointed in the desired direction. Add in turrets that continue to rotate for an eighth of a turn after the button is released and it amounts to a less than stellar experience for me. Maybe I'm looking for too much, or I was spoiled by the relatively precise (and proportional) Combat Digi-Q steering. In either case these might find their way onto eBay in the near future if I can't come to terms with the way they maneuver.
Posted on: 4/19/2006 8:01 PM by Author "Grain" in the forum "RC Tanks"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4185862

RE: Review of HL "Super Version" 1/16 Tiger
[quote]ORIGINAL: speedythecat The only differences I can see between the normal and Super versions is the metal tranny gears and bushings, and the 2000mah pack over the old 1700. Is that correct?[/quote] Yep, that's about it, and although I'm sure they are excellent upgrades I'm not sure they make this into a "Super Version". Once they get the smokers to consistently keep working for more than a few minutes and the guns to actually shoot 25m then these would definitely live up to the advertising and could hold the Super title. :)
Posted on: 4/16/2006 3:04 PM by Author "Grain" in the forum "RC Tanks"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4172192

RE: Review of HL "Super Version" 1/16 Tiger
Finally got around to taking the Tiger apart again and getting a few pics. In the overhead view the little wedge I had to put behind the hatch hinge is visible, and in the pic of the LH gearbox the misaligned gears and the incorrectly installed center bushing can be seen. Hope this helps for anyone thinking of getting one of these. :)
Posted on: 4/15/2006 5:09 PM by Author "Grain" in the forum "RC Tanks"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4168912

RE: Review of HL "Super Version" 1/16 Tiger
Ah, excellent instructions on removing the drive wheel...that'll be tomorrow's project. :) As for the questions... 1. The only metal that I've seen are the gearboxes/transmissions. Everything else is plastic. 2. I'll grab some pics tomorrow, both exterior and interior once I open it up again. 3. The road wheels are plastic all the way through. The outer edges are simply painted black. 4. The "passenger" is the upper half of a tank commander that can be placed in the same hatch as the BB's are poured into. 5. No functioning brake lights, only headlights. Actually, no lights of any sort on the rear...painted or otherwise. More to come also as I get some more time on the sticks... :)
Posted on: 4/11/2006 9:04 PM by Author "Grain" in the forum "RC Tanks"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4154000

Review of HL "Super Version" 1/16 Tiger
After receiving a couple of 1/24 VsTank IR battle tanks, I started thinking about getting one that would shoot. I almost ordered an airsoft VsTank a couple of times, but the push button controller always kept me from clicking on [i]Confirm[/i] during the order process. After looking (very) briefly at getting a Tamiya I started researching the HL's, and thought that even with some of the problems they might still be worth trying for the price point they're at. After reading speedythecat's excellent review of the Pershing, and seeing the new Super Version available at Mato Toys, I finally had the incentive to get off my wallet and ordered a Tiger in desert camo. I also picked up a container of Crossman 4000 BB's from Canadian Tire, going under the assumption that this should last me for quite a while. After waiting impatiently for a week everything arrived this morning, and I wasted no time in getting all of the parts and pieces out of the box and onto the bench. I immediately slapped the battery onto my Triton charger and got it going, and then started inspecting and reading. Overall I was quite impressed with the Tiger and the individual item details like shovels and cables are very well done. The camo paint is smudged in a few spots and there is some oil and/or dust on different areas, but for the casual user like me the factory paint job is more than good enough. Of slightly more serious concern was the commander's hatch that wouldn't close completely, which seemed to be positioned just barely incorrectly. I was able to flex the hinge just a bit and wedge a tiny shim in behind it, which was all that was needed to get it working properly. After this I read the manual and figured out which switch, button and lever did what. I added 2ml of oil to the smoker, poured some BB's down the hatch, installed batteries in the transmitter, set the volume control to the center and...waited. And waited. And waited. After waiting about 5 minuted longer than I thought I'd be able to, and seeing that the battery had taken 1000mah, I pulled it off the charger and stuffed it into the belly of the Tiger. Switching on the Tx and then the tank gave me flashing headlights, and I pushed the little key button and was greeted with the really cool engine starting sequence. It sounds like a cross between my old Chevy 350 with glasspack "mufflers" and my Cat 3208 diesel V8, but specifics aside it just sounds good. :) After moving all the sticks a bit to confirm that all was moving correctly, I pushed the left stick forward and fired my first BB...about 45 degrees to the left of where the barrel was pointed. Another shot went the same way, and the third went pretty much straight but hit the floor very close to the tank. Hmmmm, this doesn't seem right. I turned everything off and looked at the barrel and saw that the hole in the muzzle brake appeared to be slightly off center. I carefully hand turned a one size oversize drill bit in the brake, started everything up to try again and voila! Every shot went where the barrel was pointed, and flew about 25 feet before disappearing into the dirt (the advertised 25 meters might be just a bit optimistic). With the gun test out of the way, I started driving around and suddenly remembered to look for the smoke. Not seeing any I reached under the tank to turn it on, and when things became quieter I realized it had already been running. I could hear the air pump/bellows, and noted a slight burnt odor but I never saw (and still haven't seen) any smoke. Bummer. But I was still able to drive and shoot, and was merrily driving around the shop and over phone books when the right track slowed considerably until it was barely turning. Double bummer. Realizing I needed to learn how to take this apart sometime, I figured out how to disconnect the tracks and get to all the screws, removed the upper hull and started snooping around in the gearboxes. It looks like one of the side frames wasn't punched correctly, and a bushing for one of the metal gears couldn't seat far enough in and was causing the gears to bind severely. With a little prying and flexing I was able to get things more or less realigned temporarily, and upon reassembly all was working as it should be once again. So after my first day I'm pretty happy with this purchase, as aside from some fairly minor items it works basically as advertised (except for the smoke). For a non-tinkerer type that had these problems they might have been quite disappointed though, so beauty once again is in the eye of the beholder. A couple of questions for you vets: a. How tight should the tracks be? It feels like they are plenty snug and could use another link, but I see no way to adjust them. b. How are the drive wheels removed? I'll need to remove them to pull and fix the RH gearbox, but don't see what holds them on the axle.
Posted on: 4/11/2006 12:59 AM by Author "Grain" in the forum "RC Tanks"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4150676

RE: Tiger I Field Trial
[quote]ORIGINAL: LandofSnow I wish I could. I'm pretty sure I'm the only one in town who owns one, probably the only one within a hundred miles who owns one. [/quote] For now. ;) If I can ever figure out a way to rationalize and justify it there'll be two in the province. :) You might be a bit conservative though...you're probably the only one within 500 miles (excluding Calgary & Edmonton) that has a Tamiya, and there are probably only a small handful of VS/HL tanks within that radius too. Needless to say if a club were formed the meetings could be held in a phone booth. ;) :D
Posted on: 4/9/2006 10:07 AM by Author "Grain" in the forum "RC Tanks"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4143158

RE: Vs tanks
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_4075194/tm.htm :)
Posted on: 4/9/2006 9:44 AM by Author "Grain" in the forum "RC Tanks"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4143086

RE: Matotoys "processing"
[quote]ORIGINAL: tomzag thank you, new ward for me!! thanks,tom [/quote] You're welcome. :) If I'm ever stumped either Wikipedia or the Merriam Webster online dictionary has always been able to come to my rescue. I'd say if you can't find it on one of those sites, you probably don't need to know about it. ;)
Posted on: 4/8/2006 10:05 AM by Author "Grain" in the forum "RC Tanks"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4139440

RE: Matotoys "processing"
[quote]ORIGINAL: tomzag what does "tard" mean? i look up in dictionary, no found. [/quote] Found the answer for you in [link=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tard]Wikipedia[/link], today's new comprehensive information source.
Posted on: 4/8/2006 1:18 AM by Author "Grain" in the forum "RC Tanks"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4138784

RE: Plastic Tracks for VS Leopard
I had the same problem with mine, but found it is possible to adjust the track tension. Be careful and patient doing this, and you should have good results. Remove the tracks, upper hull & turret and make a vertical mark in the rubber mount holds the drive assembly in the lower hull (this both a guide, and is to let you you go back to the factory position easily). If you remove the drive assembly and rotate the rubber mount you'll see that it operates like a cam, and rotating it to different positions will move the assembly forward or back slightly. Move them both the same direction (using the mark you made as a guide) and with a bit of trial and error you should be able to set the tension perfectly. As far as what the "correct" tension is, I'm not exactly sure. If I hold mine horizontally in the air there is about 1/8" between the track and the center roadwheels, and they seem to run just fine there. Hope this helps.
Posted on: 4/7/2006 9:55 AM by Author "Grain" in the forum "RC Tanks"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4135614

RE: VS Tank R
I see these are now available for sale, or at least they Have Launched according to the website. Has anyone who (pre)ordered received shipping notification yet? Or are they still filling the warehouse and have just cut off preorders now that it's April?
Posted on: 4/6/2006 9:25 AM by Author "Grain" in the forum "RC Tanks"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4131170

RE: HELP!! Rechargeable AA's for VS/Marui
I'm using a set from Radio Shack and a set of Duracell (from Walmart) in mine that are working well so far. I have another (older) set from Radio Shack that won't work though, as they are too thick to get all eight in, and also have too short of a positive terminal. I found a package of (6) Sanyo 2500mah AA with (2) 900mah AAA yesterday at Costco that I'm charging up right now. Hopefully they'll fit nicely because for the price ($15) they can't be beat, as Sanyo is The name in rechargeable batteries of this type.
Posted on: 4/6/2006 9:18 AM by Author "Grain" in the forum "RC Tanks"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4131147

RE: New HengLong Tiger?
After many days and nights spent trying to decide if I "needed" an airsoft 1/24 VsTank to go along with the IR Abrams and Leopard I have, I instead took the plunge and ordered one of these new HL Tigers in Desert Camo today. There is no way I'll ever drop the loot necessary to get a Tamiya, and if I'm lucky enough to get a good one out of the box I'm sure this will satisfy the part of me that [i]just has to have an R/C tank that shoots things[/i]. :) Either way I'll try and write a decent review of how it works (or doesn't). Hopefully quality will be improved over some of the horror stories I've been reading about here, as the return shipping costs to exchange it for a new one will add up in a big hurry.
Posted on: 4/3/2006 2:04 PM by Author "Grain" in the forum "RC Tanks"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4119217

RE: VS Tank R
After selling my Combat Digi-Q tanks and replacing them with the 1/24 VS Tanks, I miss being able to battle anywhere anytime and have preordered a set myself. The rotating turret will be a nice addition, but it might be offset by the lack of proportional controls that the Digi-Q's had. Not a big deal either way though, as the portability and fun factor of these little guys will make them worth it I'm sure. :)
Posted on: 3/27/2006 7:34 PM by Author "Grain" in the forum "RC Tanks"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4090707

RE: disabling sound
Yep, I found the sound to be somewhat...annoying, so I cut the blue wire that runs to the speaker. Someday I might wire in a small switch that's externally accessible in case I want to hear the sounds (noises) occasionally.
Posted on: 3/27/2006 7:29 PM by Author "Grain" in the forum "RC Tanks"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4090683

RE: is it possible to make a rc plane like this???
Van,The way that I have found to be the best way to mix 2 similar control surfaces is:figure the moment arm(distance of the surface's distance from the CG to the hinge line or pivot point and weight it by% relative to wing area and moment arm---sorta like you figure MAC.Start small with the canard as it is not really that important in pitch control unless there's a larger diff. in moment arm than the elevons.If you look at the top view of the plane,its really a flying wing with a fus and canard.The elevon control will be very effictive even w/fixed canard to zero incidence.By adding canard to the mix,you should only have a need for it at slow speed-IE-landing.At high speed it would be very "squirlly"I must admit that I have not figured the moments on the x29 yet,but just have that gut feeling that the canard control should only be used at slow speed if you use elevons.[&:]
Posted on: 3/11/2006 2:09 PM by Author "c-grain" in the forum "Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4020355

RE: Pitts M12 26% plans available soon
Dear Pitts lovers,I have a question about converting an S-1-11 "Super Stinker" to the M12 version.I haven't read all the posts yet,so please excuse me if it's already been brought up.I have a set of plans for a 45% S-1-11 and was wondering if the only difference was the cowl.I also have a very powerfull engine for such a bird:"Power Bee",135 cc,13# complete and 13.5-25 HP! depending upon wow many carbs and gas or alcohol. Rich K. "Zooming around @ 8000' ASL in the Colorado Rockies"
Posted on: 3/11/2006 10:16 AM by Author "c-grain" in the forum "Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4019637

RE: is it possible to make a rc plane like this???
Van,If you find the canards to be insufficient,then re-program the model for elevon control and back-off the canard thro.This should give you all the control you'll ever need.If you either slave the canard servo to the elevator ch.or use a "Y",then just remember to reverse the canard servo.Hope this helps.
Posted on: 3/11/2006 9:00 AM by Author "c-grain" in the forum "Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4019457

RE: Corporate Jet Plans
Surely someone will chime-in on this one!Such a beautifull jet deserves to be modeled!I too would be interested in building one for twin EDF fans and retracts.Here's hoping we will get some replies on this one. BTW,hows the weather in Australia?Just wondering if it's as crazy as it's been here in the US? Rich
Posted on: 3/11/2006 8:49 AM by Author "c-grain" in the forum "Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4019443

RE: homemade CG machine
There's an easier way that I'e used for over 30 yrs.Simply transfere the CG of the wing to the dead center of the fus. then glue a piece of 1/8' ply about 1-2" sq. centered directly under your mark on the fus. and drill a small hole(usually a 1/16th depending upon the weight of model-1/16th good for models up to about 3#)thru mark on the fus down thru the ply backer inside the fus and screw a small screw eye or hook into the hole and you can now ballance perfectly in both pitch & roll axis.When done simply remove the hook and all you have is a small hole that you can fill or cover if you wish.Personally I almost always leave the hole for future ref.You can use a string thru the hook or whatever to slowly lift the model up to ballance.below is a pic of my "38 Special" with the screw eye in the access hatch. Cheers,R L Karp Revver brother #113
Posted on: 3/9/2006 10:05 AM by Author "c-grain" in the forum "Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4011323

RE: 1/4 Sopwith Pup
Prop nut,Here's the only other pic. of the trailer I have.Not sure what your question is concerning construction? Rich PROPWASH above all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted on: 2/2/2006 5:01 PM by Author "c-grain" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=3859940

RE: 1/4 Sopwith Pup
I forgot to attach a pic. of the trailer with the 2 Pups(one in foreground I built and the lighter colored one behind I bought at the fly-in at Castle AFB in Cali)BTW, I used SS flying wires and gear wires made custom from 1/8" dia. I got from a friend off his 40' salmon trawller.The stainless wire was rated for over 300 lbs. and was waaaay over-kill,but was much more visable and very close to scale in dia.,a small point most modelers overlook.Also,not visible in the pictures is another detail thats also missing form these Pups is the Air-driven fuel pump!It's easy to make and get's a lot of questions and comments at the field.I built mine from an 049 glow engine with a small scale wooden prop and ran the fuel lines down the foreward strut.I'll try to include a pic. of the real Pup's documentation picture if anyone is interested.The documentation pics. are of "N5180" that is said to be the only Sopwith Pup in existence today that saw combat and is Not a replica but THE REAL THING!Doc. pics. from Jim Pipino in Fla.
Posted on: 2/2/2006 10:15 AM by Author "c-grain" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=3858445

RE: 1/4 Sopwith Pup
Ken,Excellent thread,and I'm so happy to see that there's others out there into WWI fighters!!!I wish I knew about the split fuselage idea back in '95 when I built the BUSA 1/3 scale Pup!Instead,I designed a special trailer for the beast.It was big enough to haul the big Pup completely assembled+3-4 .60 sized planes w/wings removed.Anyway,I'm presently working on getting started on a 1/4 Nieuport 28-c1 from BUSA plans and another 1/3 Pup from plans both to be Electric powered.Here's a pic. of my 1/3 Pup built in '95 for a shot at Scale Masters Quallifier.It was powered by a Quadra 50 and although a little under-powered,was a very good scale-like flier! Good luck with your Pup-I'm sure your gonna love this beauty!, R L Karp,zooming around @ 8000' in the Colorado Rockies PS>Please excuse the poor pic. as it was shot from a cheap 35mm camera
Posted on: 2/2/2006 9:28 AM by Author "c-grain" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=3858294

RE: Depron T-38
"Looks like a BOAT"??????What kind of a boat?I always thought it is one of the best looking JETS ever built!BTW, try an AXI 2212/20 on 3s and APC 8x6.
Posted on: 12/28/2005 9:22 AM by Author "c-grain" in the forum "Electric RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=3699899

RE: Goldberg Sukhoi IMAA legal????
80" SU26 MXRG-wing w/1 exrta rib @ tips 4" from stock tip ribs and yes the RG means retracts! It's the 3rd kit I've built, they have all flown excellent,but the latest one-the RG version flies even better and looks Like a war bird in the air except for the color sceme.BTW,the first pic is where I fly @ 8000' ASL!
Posted on: 12/28/2005 9:12 AM by Author "c-grain" in the forum "Giant Scale Aircraft - 3D & Aerobatic"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=3699850

RE: hand drawn plans to lazer cut parts???
Daven,thanks for the help,however I have someone who has already to take on the conversion to .dwg&.dfx files.All he asks is to be able to use the plans to build one for himself.I'll have to send him something more for his efforts and for being so nice to not ask for money!If It doesn't work out for some reason,I'll sure keep your ref. in mind.Thanks Daven,R.L.Karp
Posted on: 12/4/2005 10:42 AM by Author "c-grain" in the forum "Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=3616473

RE: Chart for relative wing loadings
Got it,thanks guys[:D]
Posted on: 12/3/2005 10:14 AM by Author "c-grain" in the forum "Aerodynamics"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=3613384