RE: smallest Gas engines
Agree. The Stick has a huge wing surface and handles the weight very well. A 50 or 60 size aerobatic plane will likely fly like a brick with the gasser. I replaced my 15cc gasser with a 15cc four stroke in the Seagull Extra and it's a whole different plane. Another problem in these small airframes is that you don't have much room for the ignition box, hard to keep enough distance to the radio equipment. Interference still happens, even with a 2.4 Ghz radio. Ask me how I know. Then you will more then likely have to beef up the engine mount, gassers vibrate a lot. Also check the airframe often for cracks.
Posted on: 9/16/2012 10:19 AM by Author "OliverJacob" in the forum "Gas Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11229975

RE: smallest Gas engines
The smallest gasser I have is a JBA 15cc. After replacing the stock carb with a DLE it has lots of power, but it's heavy. I had this in a 60 size Extra, but it was no fun to fly with all the weight. Now I have it in a Value Hobby Stick 60 and it's a great combination. But I would not get another gasser under 20cc. There are not many planes which handle the weight well.
Posted on: 9/15/2012 2:31 PM by Author "OliverJacob" in the forum "Gas Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11229523

RE: Servo flutter
And using separate channels is also a good idea, not always necessary though. On a computer radio it's very easy to do, takes a minute and the trim works exactly the same. Most of my planes do a nice straight roll, but some don't - this is where you want separate channels and program some differential. I use a Futaba 8FG and once you get familiar with the menus, it's very easy to program.
Posted on: 9/12/2012 4:40 PM by Author "OliverJacob" in the forum "Questions and Answers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11226601

RE: Servo flutter
Could be a bad servo, reciever... just swap channel 1 and 4 and see what's fluttering now. If it's still the ailerons, plug in one servo at a time, without the y cable. Then you got it pretty much nailed down to a bad cable
Posted on: 9/12/2012 4:33 PM by Author "OliverJacob" in the forum "Questions and Answers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11226591

RE: Turbine Heli Qualification
I have a Radikal G20 which is uses a 50 size frame, but has a 20cc gas engine - would that qualify?
Posted on: 9/6/2012 6:47 PM by Author "OliverJacob" in the forum "RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11220165

RE: Radio Equip. Needs Question
Think about the next few years when you buy a radio. Or get a cheap one and buy another later, then you always have a spare. For a 2.4 Ghz system, it should be the same brand and type, so you can use the same receivers. Regarding to the mentioned switch - most tx/rx combos come with a switch. You will probably need a servo extension for the aileron servo. Leave it plugged in the rx, so you don't have to plug it into the rx every time you put the wings on. Also - the servos come with a wire, in your trainer they should be long enough to reach the rx, exc. the aileron. The most important thing you will need is an instructor. He can look over the plane, help you build it and teach you to fly. I am sure you have a club nearby - becoming a member will save you a lot of time and money
Posted on: 9/6/2012 5:16 AM by Author "OliverJacob" in the forum "Beginners"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11219303

RE: Gas Engine interference
I have had the same problem, JBA 15 cc with Rcexl ignition and Rexl optical kill switch. After disconnecting the kill switch the interference went away.
Posted on: 9/5/2012 3:50 PM by Author "OliverJacob" in the forum "Gas Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11218724

RE: ISU-152 found in Ukraine, running
When Russia started falling apart, they could not pay their military anymore so machine guns, tank, fighter jets and other vehicles disappeared and was made 'available' to private owners. Now this one seemed to have been on display on a military facility and if you offer enough money, you can buy anything. There are still quite a few out there. Shipping to the US will likely be a deal breaker.
Posted on: 9/4/2012 5:57 PM by Author "OliverJacob" in the forum "RC Tanks"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11217657

RE: Horton 229
They were aware of the effects of the charcoal and sawdust mixture. You are right, not really the paint was the secret. And they never got anywhere with it because the war ended before it was ready. But it was very close. By the time they build this, the Horten brothers had all the support they could get, but supplies were low and time was short. The 229 could outperform any other plane at that time. They were not fully aware of what they had, since they could not fully develop it. But they knew about it's flight capabilities after the first tests. The RLM did support the Hortens, but time and material was what they needed. I believe they knew the plane's shape would leave a very low signature on the radar screen. But that is only my opinion, I can not prove it. As a pilot, I am curious how the plane flew, flying wings are problematic, without a rudder they must have been rather instable and hard to control.
Posted on: 9/3/2012 6:20 PM by Author "OliverJacob" in the forum "RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11216271

RE: Horton 229
The paint the used helped to absorb the radar waves in addition to the plane's shape. Later a much bigger version was planned (the america bomber) and the Messerschmitt designers got involved, they wanted a rudder which the Horten brothers where upset about, mainly because it would reflect more radar waves.
Posted on: 9/3/2012 3:38 PM by Author "OliverJacob" in the forum "RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11216103

RE: Horton 229

Posted on: 9/3/2012 11:43 AM by Author "OliverJacob" in the forum "RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11215847

RE: Horton 229
Very good info, elven wiz. Considering the time and the problems the Horten Bros had to deal with, this plane was amazing. Decades ahead of it's time and developed within a few months. It took Northrop more time to build a non flying copy - with all the materials on hand. Money was not their problem back then. They had a primitive shop and made the plane mainly out of wood. They did not have a team of scientists and engineers help with the design. The Junkers engines were not available, holding up the project for a long time. They previously built gliders, the tailless design had less drag and weight in mind. With the 229, stealth was a big factor. When it appeared on the enemy's radar, it was too late for them to react. It would still leave a signature when it was getting closer. Of course back in the 40's they didn't have the know how to build a perfect stealth plane. Like many other designs, this plane came too late, Germany surrendered when this was still under development. There is no doubt that this would have been a very powerful weapon, along with other new developments.
Posted on: 9/3/2012 11:41 AM by Author "OliverJacob" in the forum "RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11215843

RE: Throttle Spring vs Servo Current
Very good information. The throttle spring help you if you loose your linkage, in some rc cars it is used as mechanical fail save and it will move the servo to idle/ brake position if the radio looses the signal or the rx looses power. Interesting to know how little the difference really is. Do we have to thank Obama for that now?
Posted on: 9/2/2012 8:39 AM by Author "OliverJacob" in the forum "Gas Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11214436

RE: discussion: gas power trainer
Problem with the smaller gasser is the weight. I have a 15cc JBA, tuned in so it runs great and has plenty of power. But it is relatively heavy, put this in a 60 size plane and it will need some lead in the tail. Some warbirds are tail heavy and may handle this better, but everything else is not that great. So if it's under 20cc, it will be a glow engine for me. Otherwise I am happy with my gassers
Posted on: 8/25/2012 11:45 AM by Author "OliverJacob" in the forum "Beginners"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11205645

RE: discussion: gas power trainer

Posted on: 8/25/2012 5:04 AM by Author "OliverJacob" in the forum "Beginners"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11205307

RE: discussion: gas power trainer
Good idea. It makes a very good trainer, the size makes it easy to handle and it can handle some wind. There are some inexpensive gas engines in the 20 to 30 cc range, also great to start. Handling a gasoline engine is different, but even a newbie will master this task easy. Most of us here are advanced pilots and probably not in the market for a trainer, but I look at it as a work horse. So with a 30cc it should be able to tow a glider, banner, drop candy at a flying event or some parachutes, hold a camera. Maybe not all at the same time [;)] The size makes it easy to see, especially some older folks would appreciate a big trainer. I have seen the Mentor flying and it looks like a very good flying plane. Maybe you can throw in a nice cowling, I'd be interested
Posted on: 8/25/2012 5:02 AM by Author "OliverJacob" in the forum "Beginners"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11205306

RE: Whats up with kits?
It's sad. Just got a Top Flite Elder, costs to completion: kit $ 120 wheels $ 10 covering $ 35 tank, acc $ 10 gun $ 10 pilot $ 10 Not including glue, sand paper, screws and other little items. So this 40 size kit costs $ 195, no fancy extras, just to build the plane the way it's pictured on the box. Not having the king posts and wires. I like building a kit once in a while, but does it really have to be so expensive? Costs of Balsa wood should effect ARFs from China also, but they are still a lot cheaper. Something does not seem right here
Posted on: 8/24/2012 5:44 PM by Author "OliverJacob" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11204938

RE: What size of RC planes do you like?
Well, there a place for every size. The smallest is a 1/2 a ME 109 and the biggest is a 1/3 scale Pitts. So I pick the plane a feel like flying that day. If I feel like flying scale, I take a big plane and for some sport flying a 40 or 60 size Extra or the Uproar. Also I have 3 to 4 planes with me on a flying day - they fit nicely in a Trailblazer. Biplanes sure take some time to put together, but my 1/4 scale Cap 232 take just a minute, just plug the servos in and attach the one piece wing with 2 screws.
Posted on: 8/22/2012 5:45 PM by Author "OliverJacob" in the forum "The Clubhouse"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11202671

RE: it has to smoke
Thanks, do you remember how to set up the radio mix? I would like to turn the pump on via switch and control the flow with the throttle.
Posted on: 8/21/2012 4:46 AM by Author "OliverJacob" in the forum "Giant Scale Aircraft - General"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11200644

RE: it has to smoke
At the header. It's a pitts style muffler and I am sure there was a fitting for smoke in there once. The questions I have are more about the oil and the radio settings.
Posted on: 8/21/2012 4:38 AM by Author "OliverJacob" in the forum "Giant Scale Aircraft - General"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11200033

it has to smoke
I just bought a 1/3 scale GP Pitts with a Brillelli 46 and this plane has to be flown with smoke :-) So I had a Sullivan pump laying around and I guess I will mix my own smoke fluid, I will try Kerosene / Diesel first. This is my first experience with smoke, so I'd like to get some opinions. The plumbing looks fairly easy, the pump comes with all lines and check valve, that should not be an issue. There is a scerw in the muffler and I am sure that is where the fitting goes in. Now I am not sure if the pump will put out enough oil with my 4.8 Volt battery, does anybody have the same setup? Also do you mix the pump with the throttle or just turn it on with a switch? I have a Futaba 8FG. Also - any suggestions on the smoke oil mix (LHS is about 50 miles and never has what I need anyways). thanks
Posted on: 8/19/2012 7:08 PM by Author "OliverJacob" in the forum "Giant Scale Aircraft - General"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11199191

RE: What is possible in this hobby ...
I know. For that purpose electric is the way to go. The post wasn't related to a specific model. I wanted something bigger and glow power, for event at our field, we have too much wind to fly anything that small. So I might end up getting the flyingthingz witch, just looking if someone has plans, they should come together fairly simple.
Posted on: 8/17/2012 7:41 PM by Author "OliverJacob" in the forum "Beginners"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11197416

RE: What is possible in this hobby ...
It's all right there: http://flyingthingz.com/ Does anybody have more plans for a glow powered witch? That things has to make some noise [;)]
Posted on: 8/17/2012 6:27 PM by Author "OliverJacob" in the forum "Beginners"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11197359

RE: Need help, I'm stumped!
If you just connect the white wire, the signal has no ground. The black one had to be connected, too. Looks like you isolated that problem with an external rx already. The manufacturer should be responsible for this, but it seems like the electric motors need a varistor or capacitor to eliminate spikes.
Posted on: 8/12/2012 5:10 PM by Author "OliverJacob" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11190826

RE: Is there a radio that does not lose signal?
Futaba and Spectrum are the most common brands. You can start a long debate, either one seems to be reliable. Spectrum's brown outs were mostly caused by weak batteries or too much load causing a voltage drop, Spectrum reacted with shortening the reboot time for the rx and recommended a 6 Volts rx battery. Some die hard users swear by 72 Mhz, I had bad experiences with that and no problems at all with my Futaba 8FG. I would not go back to 72 Mhz. For FPVs, range can be an issue and the old radios seem to reach further, under normal use you will not get your plane out of range with 2.4 Ghz. If you fly electrics, Spectrum's telemetry functions come in handy, Futaba has those only on their high end systems. What I'd do is set a budget, then compare what the manufacturers offer for the money. Also the price of the receivers should be considered. I use mostly Futaba 617s, they are around $70 if you look around in the internet. For the cheaper planes I use Frsky, Orange and Corona, they are $25 - 30 and I have had no problems with those.
Posted on: 8/11/2012 11:25 PM by Author "OliverJacob" in the forum "RC Radios, Transmitters, Receivers, Servos, gyros"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11190046

RE: I am depressed!
Yeah, rub it in. What's next - you tell us that you can fly all year long? You don't know how joyful it is to get tons of snow and 30 below. You can tell it's summer when a bunch of mosquitoes attack you as soon you leave the house. Who would not want to live here? Well, I have a TMaxx for the girls. And I have a Vette, they might like that
Posted on: 8/11/2012 10:02 PM by Author "OliverJacob" in the forum "The Clubhouse"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11189992

RE: I am depressed!
I am talking about rechargeable NimH cells, my charger will tell me how much capacity they have. Sorry about the confusion. And yes, they go back to the store when they are no good. Does not happen too often, but they go back, how else should the manufacturer find out that his product is defective?
Posted on: 8/11/2012 9:33 PM by Author "OliverJacob" in the forum "The Clubhouse"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11189968

RE: I am depressed!
Would be great if they would employ some modellers. Not so around here. They find some cheap labor, someone who does not have a real job or a kid and they can't afford the hobby. Most online stores here do have their own warehouse, employees, insurance and all the costs. Property taxes or rent might be lower since they don't have to be in a popular location. Some are in a dense area and still be cheaper then anybody else. Like Value Hobby - located close to Chicago sells a 60 size Stick plane for $88. The LHS has the same plane with the Great Planes label for $199. I am ok with paying some extra $ to get my part right away. I payed $8 for a 6" servo extension, because I needed one. I can get the same from China for 30 cents - no difference in the quality at all. The Problem is the selection you get there. No fuel line? 4-40 push rods, but only 2-56 links and no 2-56 rods? give me a break, that list goes on and on. So no, I am not happy with this LHS. I do not need anybodys help there, I know which parts I need. I went to Milwaukee the other day and it was even worse - just looking for some covering at Hobbytown USA. They had a whopping selection of 5 rolls, nothing popular of course. 2X Orange,2X Green and Yellow - no , you can't have every part someone is looking for, but this is just a joke. Now with my 18+ airplans from 1/2 a to giant scale, I have all the standard parts in my hobby room. I bet I have a better selection then my LHS. Too bad for their business, but I just get my things online, pay for the shipping and wait a week or two. I hope most of your have more luck with your LHS. Another problem is the recent hike in prices on arfs and kits. I just got an elder kit, this one sells now for $119 retail at Tower or Hobby shops. It's a box of sticks, no tank, wheels, pilot, gun or other little details you see on the box. So adding up all the little things, covering, paint, glue you are getting close to $200. You can buy an 40 size arf for half that price, which is mostly assembled and someone else did a perfect covering job. But thats a different story. Our Hobby shop owners don't do a good job of finding better suppliers, nor do they ever show up on any flying events. They could sell tons of parts and planes there and could get a better relationship to the local fliers. On these events you'll meet a ton of spectators, you could easily talk some of them into buying a model right there.
Posted on: 8/11/2012 4:34 PM by Author "OliverJacob" in the forum "The Clubhouse"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11189676

8FG / 7C trainer setup
I primarly use my 8FG on all my planes and helis and have a 7C as a backup radio, but never used it. Now I was wondering which cable I would need to use the 7C as a buddy box and what settings do I need to change? I want to be able to use channel 1 to 4 on the buddy box.
Posted on: 8/11/2012 4:06 PM by Author "OliverJacob" in the forum "Futaba Radios Direct support forum"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11189697

RE: I am depressed!
Maybe you can enlighten everone and explain your statement 'no duaracell', Mr Harris? Other brands work fine as well, such as Rayovac. I test the capacity and take them back to the store if they are no good. Of course they are no good for high power applications, a small plane with standard analog servos will do fine with this battery.
Posted on: 8/11/2012 2:45 PM by Author "OliverJacob" in the forum "The Clubhouse"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11189630