RE: EFlite P-40 Warhawk 300 Build Thread
Last weekend we got a chance to fly indoors at the Gordon Field House at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Test pilot Devin McGrath was using up every inch of the 400m track flying the P-40 at top speed. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBT4q2KmeAs[/youtube]
Posted on: 11/18/2009 10:39 PM by Author "Matt Kirsch" in the forum "Park Flyers & Backyard Flyers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9264158

RE: EFlite P-40 Warhawk 300 Build Thread
3S? Wow, it must be absolutely ballistic! With the stock 2S, it's plenty fast for me, and too fast for indoors. Let's see if the youtube link for the maiden flight works. This is another PapaJeff production, filmed in Spazz-O-Vision: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hsa4Vk5r_w[/youtube]
Posted on: 11/18/2009 10:08 PM by Author "Matt Kirsch" in the forum "Park Flyers & Backyard Flyers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9264079

RE: Great Planes Sequence F3A gas conversion
Just sticking an engine on, you're not going to gain much weight but you will change where that weight is placed. The Sequence is designed to have the bulk of the propulsion weight (battery) between the firewall and the CG. A glow engine will place that weight ahead of the firewall. That's gonna make the plane nose heavy. It'll probably need tail weight roughly 1/4 the weight of the engine. For longer flights, simply upgrade the battery to the next size up: GPMP0542 3350mAh 4S LiPoly.
Posted on: 11/18/2009 8:16 PM by Author "Matt Kirsch" in the forum "Questions and Answers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9263987

RE: EFlite P-40 Warhawk 300 Build Thread
I had to go back through all the steps just to make sure I didn't miss anything... I didn't, so I must be done! The display stand is a cool touch, and makes it easy to pose the plane for the review shots. It's also held up well to transporting the P-40 back and forth to the field, and displaying the P-40 on my dining room table.
Posted on: 11/17/2009 10:26 PM by Author "Matt Kirsch" in the forum "Park Flyers & Backyard Flyers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9261678

RE: EFlite P-40 Warhawk 300 Build Thread
Could it really be this easy? I think all that's left is to join the wing to the fuselage. If you noticed earlier, there's an o-ring hanging from the wing. There's a hook on the rear cockpit bulkhead. Remember that tool I thought was from a miniature Easter egg coloring kit? It's not for fishing pigeon eggs out of a cup of colored water... Once the wing is positioned on the fuselage, you reach down through the floor of the cockpit with the small end of the tool, snag the o-ring, then stretch it up and over the hook on the cockpit bulkhead. From what I'm told, this is an old rubber-powered free-flight trick, but it's a new one on me, and a very clever way to secure the wing with no visible support. The final touch is to slide the 2-cell 480mAh ThunderPower LiPoly pack into the slot in the front of the cockpit, and pop the canopy back into position.
Posted on: 11/17/2009 10:16 PM by Author "Matt Kirsch" in the forum "Park Flyers & Backyard Flyers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9261657

RE: EFlite P-40 Warhawk 300 Build Thread
Since there is no structural work left to perform on the P-40 it's time to finish the radio installation. Simply connect every plug to its appropriate socket, and tuck everything neatly into place. Now is also a good time to bind the AR6110e receiver to the Spektrum transmitter, a DX6i in this case. Once the receiver is tucked into place you won't be able to see the amber light to know if the receiver has properly bound. I used a spare receiver pack I keep in the shop for radio testing as a power source for the binding operation.
Posted on: 11/17/2009 9:59 PM by Author "Matt Kirsch" in the forum "Park Flyers & Backyard Flyers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9261605

RE: EFlite P-40 Warhawk 300 Build Thread
Did I say build thread? There isn't a whole lot of build to it... Installing the servos involves using a sharp Xacto knife to make a slot for the servo wires in each bay, pushing each servo into place, and securing them with drops of foam safe CA through the screw holes. Loading the wing servo into its bay is straightforward enough, but the elevator servo does take a slight bit of patience due to its location in the fuselage. Quite frankly, the fit of the S60 servos in their sockets is tight enough that I really don't think they're going anywhere with the tiny amount of stress being placed on them by the flying surfaces of the P-40. The thin CA is just extra insurance. The instructions are very specific about the lengths of the servo arms, and the arms included with the S-60 servos match the specs perfectly. After centering the servos with my handy servo testing gadget, I popped them on and connected the pushrods.
Posted on: 11/17/2009 9:50 PM by Author "Matt Kirsch" in the forum "Park Flyers & Backyard Flyers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9261575

RE: EFlite P-40 Warhawk 300 Build Thread
EFlite P-40 Warhawk 300 Specifications: Wingspan: 25.6 in (650mm) Overall Length: 21.7 in (550mm) Wing Area: 108 sq in (7.02 sq dm) Flying Weight: Without battery: 5.5–6.0 oz (156–170 g) with battery: 6.5–7.0 oz (184–198 g) Motor Size: 300 Brushless (Included) Radio: 4+ channels Parts count in the kit is extremely low, including a prehinged wing, and a preassembled fuselage complete with motor, propeller, and spinner. Also included is a display stand, spare prop and spinner, along with a small wire tool that looks like something out of an Easter egg coloring kit. The display stand is rather creative, using a simulated bomb to disguise the attachment point to the wing, and a socket joint that allows the P-40 to be positioned at a rakish angle.
Posted on: 11/17/2009 9:31 PM by Author "Matt Kirsch" in the forum "Park Flyers & Backyard Flyers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9261534

RE: EFlite P-40 Warhawk 300 Build Thread
It doesn't take a whole lot of additional equipment to finish off the P-40 Warhawk. Two Eflite S60 servos, an Eflite 10 Amp ESC, a ThunderPower 2S 480mAh battery, and a Spektrum AR6110e are recommended to go along with your Spektrum transmitter and LiPoly charger of choice. The OEM Eflite Park 300 motor is preinstalled in the fuselage of the P-40, and already has the bullet connectors to fit the Eflite ESC. Using the equipment recommended on the box, it is truly a plug and play affair.
Posted on: 11/17/2009 9:20 PM by Author "Matt Kirsch" in the forum "Park Flyers & Backyard Flyers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9261510

EFlite P-40 Warhawk 300 Build Thread
Disclaimer: The following build thread is for an RCUniverse magazine review. My first successful foray into model aviation was a Cox P-40 Warhawk control line model, believe it or not. That cantankerous little Babe Bee .049 engine kept my brother and I occupied for hours just trying to get it started. Flying it was an adventure in stamina; the lines were short so the pilot would have to spin like a top just to keep up, so dizziness and disorientation set in quickly. No throttle meant you either had to gut it out for two full minutes, or smack the plane into the ground at full throttle. I mastered that little beastie, beating it almost to pieces in the process. Ever since, the P-40 has always been my favorite warbird. EFlite's new 300-size P-40 Warhawk is an even further scaled-down version of the .60-size Hangar 9 P-40 Warhawk ARF from a few years back. It sports the exact same markings of the famous Flying Tigers and Chinese Air Force as its larger brother.
Posted on: 11/17/2009 9:06 PM by Author "Matt Kirsch" in the forum "Park Flyers & Backyard Flyers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9261453

RE: Help needed
IMHO, it's more an art than a science. There's some trial and error involved, unless you go out and research to find out what other people are using, and simply copy what they have.
Posted on: 11/4/2009 4:09 PM by Author "Matt Kirsch" in the forum "Electric RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9228126

RE: Battery gets very hot.
Mr67Stang, The motor is kicking out because your new "better" battery is actually WORSE. It can't handle the Amps from the motor, so its voltage is dropping down to the cutoff point on your ESC. Since you can't fit a BIGGER battery, all you can do is reduce the Amps by: 1. Using a smaller prop. 2. Using a motor with a lower Kv rating. Since you're already at the smallest propeller they make, all you can do is replace the motor with a lower Kv rating. The problem with that is, you won't have as much power. Sorry, it's something you'll have to live with... There's no free lunch. Oh, and get a Whattmeter. You can get one as cheap as $30 these days. It's an essential tool, just like a tachometer and expanded scale voltmeter are essential tools for a glow flier.
Posted on: 11/4/2009 4:05 PM by Author "Matt Kirsch" in the forum "Brushed/Brushless motors, speed controls, gear drives"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9228112

RE: 12s A123 integrated balancing chargers
Schulze and Robbe are hard brands to come by in the States... Unfortunately, the only charger I know of that even comes close is the FMA Cellpro 10S, but it only does 10S. For 12S I end up using two 6S chargers, which is okay because then I can use two different, less powerful, less expensive power supplies. A single 12S on one of my supplies would overload it unless I dropped the charge rate to about C/2 or C/3.
Posted on: 11/4/2009 3:54 PM by Author "Matt Kirsch" in the forum "Electric General Discussion"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9228085

RE: Crashing is NOT an option, M A article!
[quote]ORIGINAL: combatpigg There must be a secret bar code on the radio system components that warns these guys who never crash as to which servos, batteries or switches are doomed to early failure? [/quote] Nope. The ones who "never" crash still get bit by random equipment failures. Never in common vernacular being a sarcastic way of saying "seldom." The only person who truly never crashes, never flies. They just don't use random equipment failures as an excuse for poor piloting skills and/or poor maintenance habits.
Posted on: 10/30/2009 3:56 PM by Author "Matt Kirsch" in the forum "AMA Discussions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9215569

RE: Great Planes Z-526 ZLIN Akrobat Build Thread
Thanks to Papa Jeff for taking these shots.
Posted on: 10/28/2009 7:28 AM by Author "Matt Kirsch" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9208655

RE: Great Planes Z-526 ZLIN Akrobat Build Thread
Here's what you've all been waiting for. This is the completed Zlin, on the ground and in the air.
Posted on: 10/28/2009 7:26 AM by Author "Matt Kirsch" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9208654

RE: Great Planes Z-526 ZLIN Akrobat Build Thread
All righty, let's try this again! [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7KlhFEeeYk[/youtube]
Posted on: 10/26/2009 8:07 PM by Author "Matt Kirsch" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9204277

RE: Great Planes Z-526 ZLIN Akrobat Build Thread
UPDATE: Youtube removed my video because it was "too long." I'll edit some of the fluff out and try it again later.
Posted on: 10/26/2009 9:45 AM by Author "Matt Kirsch" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9202179

RE: Great Planes Z-526 ZLIN Akrobat Build Thread
The video is only about 9 minutes long! [:@] Flickin' youtube. I'll trim it down to 7-8 minutes this afternoon and repost it.
Posted on: 10/26/2009 9:42 AM by Author "Matt Kirsch" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9202828

RE: Great Planes Z-526 ZLIN Akrobat Build Thread
The video is crunching away right now. I should have a rough edit in about an hour for you guys. Today was definitely not ideal for flying. At noon, the winds were pushing up around 20 miles per hour, with gusts up to 26MPH. But it was sunny, and this time of year, you never know when you're going to get another chance to do a test flight. It's quite possible there won't be another decent weekend day, so I went for it. It's been a while since I've had a new glow engine on anything but a combat plane, and from past experiences, I was expecting at least a short breakin period. I was also expecting to do some carburetor tweaking due to the inverted installation. This OS .55AX is impressive. Priming the engine is a little tougher with the inverted carburetor, but once it got a whiff of the Byron 15%, we were off to the races. The engine ran so well there was no point in wasting fuel on the ground. Time to fly. With all the wind, the poor Zlin had all it could to to taxi crosswind, let alone turn downwind, but there were no tendencies to nose over. If it was going to nose over, that would've been the time. Persistence paid off and after quite a bit of stick waggling, I managed to get it in position for takeoff. Long story short, it flies as good as it looks. The first flight was a short one, a trim-and-tune. After a couple of low passes for the camera, and the obligatory first roll, I brought it down for its maiden landing. Hopefully you'll hear the wind pick up and REALLY start to howl just as the Zlin swung onto final approach in the first video. It wasn't my best landing, but even our "tamed 3D pilot" Devin McGrath was bouncing some landings today. You'll see that I spent a little more time wringing it out on the second flight. I almost passed it off to Devin but I was having too much fun. He'll have to wait his turn :) Right out of the box, the Zlin has the least control coupling of any .40-size plane I've flown. It'll only take a tiny bit of aileron mixed in with the rudder for a perfect rudder-only knife edge pass. Stock, it wants to roll away from the rudder input just slightly; you'll see that in the low knife-edge pass where I end up having to abort because the Zlin was rolling inverted on me.
Posted on: 10/25/2009 8:29 PM by Author "Matt Kirsch" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9201608

RE: Great Planes Z-526 ZLIN Akrobat Build Thread
I'm meeting Papa Jeff and Greg Covey tomorrow afternoon for a review plane maiden flight party. Hopefully I'll have some video footage of it for you in less than 24 hours.
Posted on: 10/24/2009 8:49 PM by Author "Matt Kirsch" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9199334

RE: Great Planes Z-526 ZLIN Akrobat Build Thread
I have officially run out of parts! Well, okay, there are a few small parts left over, but they're for the electric installation... Tonight was all about tuning the fit of the cowl and installing the radio. I bet I had the cowl completely installed six times, only to find something else that needed adjustment. After the cowl fit is finalized, it's time to install the switch, receiver, and battery. Yet another of the many nice touches that are part of this Zlin' design are the lite ply switch plate backers. There's a version for the Hobbico heavy duty switch, a version for a standard switch and separate charge jack, and a version for the Great Planes switch/charge jack mount, which I happened to have. How you set the charge jack up is your personal preference, but I normally set them up so push is ON. That way it is impossible to accidentally turn the radio OFF by bumping the switch. I'd rather have a dead battery from an accidental switch bump, than bump the switch off on a running plane at the taxiway. Since pictures aren't working tonight, you'll have to take my word for it. Not only that, but now that it's all together, I don't want to give too much away until I get the Zlin outside under natural light. It's a little big for my studio bench.
Posted on: 10/23/2009 9:29 PM by Author "Matt Kirsch" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9194992

RE: Great Planes Z-526 ZLIN Akrobat Build Thread
Picture posting is fixed.
Posted on: 10/23/2009 7:49 PM by Author "Matt Kirsch" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9196996

RE: Great Planes Z-526 ZLIN Akrobat Build Thread
Once the cowl is located on the airframe, it's time to make the rest of the holes. In this case, the total number of holes required appears to be three: 1. A hole for the muffler. 2. A hole for the glow igniter. 3. A hole for the main needle valve. That muffler hole is the most complicated one to deal with, so I started there. The same basic paper technique is used to locate all the holes in some way shape or form. In the case of the muffler hole I used the paper and pieces of cutoff pushrod to mark the two muffler bolt holes. After transferring those marks to the cowl, and drilling the holes, I literally bolted the muffler to the cowl and traced the flange with a marker to get an idea of how large the hole needed to be. Over several fittings, the muffler hole slowly took shape, by removing small amounts of material each time, and checking the progress. Now with the muffler fitting perfectly through the cowl, I added the fuel lines. My original intention was to feed the muffler pressure line out through the same hole as the muffler itself. However, the pressure tap turns out to be too close to the cowl, and there's no way to attach the line without kinking it over. A fourth hole is necessary to get the correct angle on the muffler pressure line. It quickly became evident that I needed two more small holes on the opposite side of the cowl to access the muffler bolts. These were easy enough to locate using another piece of cutoff pushrod chucked up in the drill.
Posted on: 10/23/2009 7:47 PM by Author "Matt Kirsch" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9192361

RE: Great Planes Z-526 ZLIN Akrobat Build Thread
Next on the agenda is fitting the cowl. This is more of an art than a science, and one that I'm still trying to perfect. If you're not a fan of fitting cowls to engines, a 2-stroke engine will be a better choice over a 4-stroke. There's plenty of clearance for the head underneath the Zlin's tall narrow cowl, with only a slight bit of interference at the carburetor. A couple of passes with a Dremel sanding drum opens up the front to clear the carb and provide smooth airflow to the intake. Once the carburetor has been clearanced, the cowl will slide back into its final resting place. Let me warn you right here: There is a lot of installing and removing the cowl to get it to fit properly. Take your time and only remove a little bit of material at a time. Your patience will be rewarded. The instructions describe a technique for fitting the cowl that uses a strip of paper taped to the fuselage to locate the muffler hole. I've used this technique for years. In fact I picked up the technique while building another Great Planes product almost a decade ago. With four hardwood blocks already on the firewall to mount the cowl, I wanted to make sure I hit them, so I used the paper strip technique first to mount the cowl. First, I located and drilled 1/16" holes in the exact center of each block. Next, I cut four 6"x3/4" strips of printer paper. I taped one end of each strip to the fuselage such that the free end of the strip covered my predrilled holes. Using my Higley hand drill, I poked a hole in each strip to match the predrilled holes in the blocks. When you slip the cowl in place between the airframe and the free ends of the strips, and lay the strips down flat on the cowl, you now have the exact location of the screw holes to mount the cowl! It's a simple matter of drilling the holes.
Posted on: 10/23/2009 6:51 PM by Author "Matt Kirsch" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9192262

RE: Great Planes Z-526 ZLIN Akrobat Build Thread
Today's progress was all about finishing up the engine compartment. The Zlin is designed for two-stroke, four-stroke, or electric power, even down to the throttle pushrod routing. Four-stroke carburetors are "backwards" compared to two-stroke carburetors. That is, the throttle arms are on opposite sides of their respective engines. There are two servo mounting locations, and two holes in the firewall for the throttle pushrod tube to cover either internal combustion possibility. Since I'm using the .55AX two-stroke engine, the servo and pushrod tube ended up on the left side of the airframe. The hole in the firewall positions the pushrod such that it makes a nice smooth curve from carburetor, through the firewall, under the fuel tank, and back up to the throttle servo with no bending required.
Posted on: 10/23/2009 6:38 PM by Author "Matt Kirsch" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9192185

RE: Great Planes Z-526 ZLIN Akrobat Build Thread
FentonFlyer, So far I've had good results with the push-ON setup. A properly modified clothes pin can be clipped on the rod to prevent accidental turn-ons during handling and storage. It's all about personal preference, as there's a down side to either way of installing these things. Push-ON means you can potentially drain the battery during storage and handling. Push-OFF means you can potentially set an out-of-control airplane loose. What I like most about the Great Planes jack is that, while the hole is big, it's one hole. If you use the standard switch and a separate Ernst charge jack, for example, you need to locate and make six holes between two different fixtures. Inevitably you don't get them lined up perfectly, and you're reminded of that little slip-up every time you check the battery or go to take a flight.
Posted on: 10/23/2009 12:48 PM by Author "Matt Kirsch" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9196122

RE: Great Planes Z-526 ZLIN Akrobat Build Thread
Trying again using the old uploader.
Posted on: 10/23/2009 12:42 AM by Author "Matt Kirsch" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9194521

RE: Great Planes Z-526 ZLIN Akrobat Build Thread
Trying again.
Posted on: 10/22/2009 8:17 PM by Author "Matt Kirsch" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9194513

RE: Great Planes Z-526 ZLIN Akrobat Build Thread
Hmm, it looks like picture posting is broken...
Posted on: 10/21/2009 10:30 PM by Author "Matt Kirsch" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9192269