RE: Great Planes Escapade .40 ARF
Hey guys. Been awhile since i posted here in the Escapade thread. I havent seen my poor plane in over three months now. My family and I moved to Germany so my plane went to storage then shipped over the pond to our new home for the next few years. I am in the process of converting her to electric. I am going to miss the 55AX but the nitro is expensive here and the Germans dont appreciate a 55AX on a tuned pipe as much as I do. [:o] Should have some new pics this wek once my last box comes in and I get her out of the shipping box. Cant wait to fly my plane again!!!
Posted on: 7/28/2012 3:03 PM by Author "TruBlu02" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11172486

RE: choosing second plane
While I agree that sticks are great planes and do deserve the amazing reputation, I too have never been able to get over their looks. I have a 40 Size Escapade as my last remaining Nitro plane. I run mine on a 55AX with a Jett tuned pipe. It is insanly fast for a cheap sport model and will go vertical till it is ot of sight. I had it clocked at 110 mph with a radar gun so it will move rather quickly! It is hands down the most fun airplane I have ever owned. It is stable and easy to fly but has a wide range of aerobatic abilities. It is even a great windy flyer due to the higher wing loading. The 60 Size version wasn't available yet when I bought mine or I would have gotten that one instead! If I had the room I would buy it as well. Trust me this is a fun plane that you will not outgrow anytime soon.
Posted on: 3/8/2012 3:00 PM by Author "TruBlu02" in the forum "Beginners"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10991940

RE: Open Circuit error on Triton EQ charger
Well I finally got an email back from Hobbico tech support and they think it is athe Life circuit board inside the charger that is the problem. I honestly can't think of anything else it could be. My balance board work perfect on all my other batteries except the Life packs which are wired identical to my other lithium 2S packs and use the exact same plug. Sucky thing is that my charger is out of warranty so it would be cheaper to buy a Life specific charger than to get mine repaired. I think it may be time for an upgraded charger.
Posted on: 10/22/2011 5:09 PM by Author "TruBlu02" in the forum "Batteries & Chargers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10777957

RE: Open Circuit error on Triton EQ charger
Okay guys I did some digging and I checked the specs on the battery again and here is the Specs from Tower: SPECS: Capacity: 1900mAh Number of Cells in Series: 2 Rated Voltage: 6.6V Continuous Discharge Rate: 3C (5.7A) Maximum Recommended Charge Current: 1C (1.9A) [b]Charge Lead: 24 AWG, 1.2" (30mm) long wire w/ElectriFly Balance Connector[/b] Discharge Connector: 22AWG, 5.1" (130mm) long wire w/Universal connector Dimensions: 3.3 x 1.7 x 0.55" (83 x 44 x 14mm) Weight: 3.7oz (106g) including wires The battery uses the Electrifly balance port plug and I am using an electrifly charger. I cannot find any other adapters that I can use with my charger. I have both the Electrifly adapter board and the Thunder power plug board. Both of which ame with my charger. I also checked the balnce plug on my 2S lipo pack and compared how it is wired to my Life pack. Both the pos and neg wires are on the same side of the plug, with the third wire right in the middle. Is there another type of balance board available?
Posted on: 10/18/2011 5:30 PM by Author "TruBlu02" in the forum "Batteries & Chargers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10772090

RE: Open Circuit error on Triton EQ charger
Well I got a new battery from Tower and I am still getting the same error. It is obviously something with the charger. This is really weird as I have no issues with any of my other lithium batteries including other 2S lipo packs that use the same balance port. I just emailed Electrifly tech support so we will see where this goes.
Posted on: 10/18/2011 7:45 AM by Author "TruBlu02" in the forum "Batteries & Chargers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10771125

RE: Open Circuit error on Triton EQ charger
I gree it is in the balance port somehwere but all of my other Lithium batteries charge just fine. It has the standard eletrifly balance plug on it as well. I have another 2s lipo pack that charges on the same port with no problems. I called Tower and talked to them abut it and they just decided to send me another battery so we will see what happens when it gets here.
Posted on: 10/14/2011 7:08 AM by Author "TruBlu02" in the forum "Batteries & Chargers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10764831

Open Circuit error on Triton EQ charger
Hey everyone I am having a problem with my Triton EQ charger. Wel to be honest I am not sure if it is the charger or the battery I recently purchased a hobbico LiFe Source RX pack from Tower and wehn I plugged it into my charger I keep getting an open circuit error when it's plugged into the balance port. I am pretty sure it is the battery as my charger has no problem charging any of my other Lipos. My question is how to trouble shoot the issue. When I load test the battery it works fine and if I leave the pack just plugged into the charger it will flash "slow balancing." When I start the charge it will check the battery and confirm that it is plugged into the balance port and begin to charge. After a few seconds it will kick off saying "open circuit error." If I leave it unplugged from the balance port and start the charge it works fine but is not being balanced. I am pretty confused as this is the first issue I have had with this charger and it is the first time I have used it for charging a Life battery (yes I changed the charger settings). Any help would be appreciated! Thanks
Posted on: 10/13/2011 8:10 PM by Author "TruBlu02" in the forum "Batteries & Chargers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10764305

RE: Great Planes Reactor GP/EP 3D ARF .46-.70
Mustangman Sorry to hear about your gear but it doesen't look too bad. I have only done minor reenforcing to mine and it had held up very well. Although I do not push my luck with it on landing but this plane is probably the easiest plane to land I have ever owned. I am glad the 13x4 workd out for you. It is a good match for this plane. Just make sure to do a good job cleaning the fuse every flight. The oil is really hard on the covering especially the small trim pieces. Best of luck getting her in the air again!
Posted on: 10/11/2011 8:04 PM by Author "TruBlu02" in the forum "3D Flying!"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10760823

RE: How Many Times Have You Crashed?
I picked 6-10 cause I only counted the times I have destroyed a model. I didn't count repairable damage as I do not consider that a crash, more of a mishap or incident. [:D]
Posted on: 10/1/2011 10:47 AM by Author "TruBlu02" in the forum "3D Flying!"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10743665

RE: RX battery for Escapade 60?
[quote]ORIGINAL: 7kings I have a 1600 mAh NiMH Reedy 5-cell hump pack in one of my RC trucks - maybe I'll pull that out and use it instead. So what's the best way to monitor this during the flight day? Checking the voltage? [/quote] I found the best way to check the batteries is to just have a voltmeter with you that can test the battery under a load. I have the hobbico version and I check mine every flight. You can also get a voltwatch. It plugs into a spare channel on your reciever and you can mount it where it is visible outside the plane. It gives you a quick reference as to the state of your pack. I have one on my 40 Size Escapade and it is mounted inside the canopy next to the Pilot bust. I would also reccomend using 6V pack as well. www.hangtimes.com sells a great pack and they are top quality.
Posted on: 9/30/2011 1:06 PM by Author "TruBlu02" in the forum "Beginners"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10742380

RE: Great Planes Reactor GP/EP 3D ARF .46-.70
[quote]ORIGINAL: Mustangman40 Thanks buddy.. I picked up a 14x4w and had to order a 13x4w, I will see what the 72 likes better.. I had a 13x6 and flew it with that (5 flights) and it was much better.. Since I like the plane so much I ordered all my exhaust parts and a new muffler and will do the cowl when they come in.. I also picked something up at the LHS that will give the plane another cool factor card, I don't think I seen anyone else do it in this thread.. I will post pics next week when it's done.. Jimbo [/quote] Sounds cool man, looking forward to the pics!
Posted on: 9/29/2011 8:40 PM by Author "TruBlu02" in the forum "3D Flying!"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10741418

RE: My experience with Great Planes
Yeah they have always been pretty great to work with. I recently called them about my Escapade. The elevators were not attached correctly and did not line up on the preinstalled elevator/horzontal stab assembly and one of the wing panles was warped. They sent out a whole new wingset and tail set. It looks like an Escapade warehouse in may garage now!
Posted on: 9/13/2011 9:06 AM by Author "TruBlu02" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10714513

RE: Great Planes Reactor GP/EP 3D ARF .46-.70
Jimbo, I would definitely try out an APC 13x4W or 14x4W and see what works best for you. Im not familair with the power of the Saito 72 but I know my Saito .82 would spin a 14x4W at around 11k on the ground and the performance was awesome!
Posted on: 9/12/2011 1:54 PM by Author "TruBlu02" in the forum "3D Flying!"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10713236

RE: Great Planes Escapade .40 ARF
[quote]ORIGINAL: billmay TruBlu02, Sorry to hear about your close call. Nice job on the recovery and landing!!  Sounds like you need to stop abusing your aircraft!!!!   <img src=''http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/js/fckeditor/editor/images/smiley/msn/biggrin.gif'' alt='''' /><img src=''http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/js/fckeditor
Posted on: 9/12/2011 1:12 PM by Author "TruBlu02" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10713153

RE: Great Planes Escapade .40 ARF
[quote]ORIGINAL: billmay Totally agree. I've owned two electric Escapades and  both were nose heavy and difficult to land at the recommended starting point CG. Moved the CG back to the 70-72mm range and it is MUCH easier to land (and flies better also). Bill [/quote] Yeah it really does fly better with it set in this range. I am still not sure why CG is set the way it is by GP but who know. I just re-balanced mine at 72mm and lands at about the same speed as a nitro trainer. Closecall with mine today though. Was doing some high speed runs to tune out the motor with the new Jett pipe and heard a loud POP at mid field. Well the pop came from half of my horizontal sta tearing of from flutter! Luckily it wasnt the control horn side and I flew it back around the pattern and made a bumpy but safe landing. I guess I need to do some more work to the tail to prevent flutering. Upon closer inspection the other half was just barely hanging on when I landed so I got really lucky. Check the pics. One thing I did notice is how cheap the hinges are on this plane. There was barely any glue holding them in and they pulled right out. I am going to rehinge the entire airplane with Radio South Hinges this week and buy some heavier linkage hardware to stiffen everything up.
Posted on: 9/11/2011 2:05 PM by Author "TruBlu02" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10711663

RE: Great Planes Escapade .40 ARF
[quote]ORIGINAL: irdabrit Maidened my second Escapade today. She flew fine but I think I need to shift the CG forward a little and maybe go down a prop - she landed very very fast with the 55AX and to be honest, was a little too much for me to handle at this point. I will get one of the experienced guys to fly her tomorrow morning and see what they say, but I suspect it will be my Alpha 40 for the rest of the season. [/quote] Try setting your CG at 70mm. This is still within the range specified by GP but will help you slwo down the landings some. Also try a 11x6 on your 55AX. Mine slows down nice with this set up. The Escapade is a little tricky to land until you get used to it because it wants to come in fast so you have to force it to slow down by using the elevator to keep the nose up and hold it up till she lands on her own.
Posted on: 9/11/2011 10:52 AM by Author "TruBlu02" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10711467

RE: Making a Good Landing
This is one topic that seems to bring out more techniques than any other maneuver. It seems almost everyone has their own method of handling the final approach. Some of them seem crazy to me but if they work then by all means go for it! The one consistant thing i have noticed though from proficient flyers is consistant and accurate landings. Almost always right in fromt of the pilot. Even with skilled flyers there almost always is small variations between techniques. This carries over to full scale as well. In all my full scale flying time I have flown with quite a few different instructors with many different techniques for flying a good approach but they all ended with the same result: a safe landing. I have learned a great deal on these forums and in my full scale career about the art of landing. I have picked out the pieces that I like to form my own way of doing things.
Posted on: 9/2/2011 11:04 AM by Author "TruBlu02" in the forum "Beginners"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10698490

RE: what engine
I honestl have never had good luck with the Tower Hobbies motors. They were just to inconsistant for me. I have seen a few that were missles and real powerhoues but I have alos seen an equal amount that were total turds. I would use the ST if I were you. Or better yet get a 95AX for it!
Posted on: 9/1/2011 5:34 PM by Author "TruBlu02" in the forum "Beginners"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10697514

RE: Making a Good Landing
I can see how laning at a distance can be a problem. It definitely much harder to judge you rate of descent and airspeed from a distace and I have learned this the hard way with some bad deadsticks ealy on in my RC flying career. The one thing that helped me more than anything has been intentional deadstick landings. This is not to be done with a plane you care to much about. A old trainer works well. I used my Tower Hobbies trainer. I started out by pulling to idle at some point in the down wind and just practicing hitting a pre determined spot. I still hd the engine if I needed it but tried not to use it. When I could land right in front of me consistantly I started killing the engine in the downwind and putting in the same spot. Pretty much the same but no insurane if I misjudged the glide slope. After I got comfortable with that I started killing it much higher in the sky so I had to make some S turns, spirals, or slips to judge my energy to still hit the spot. Once I got a handle on that I had my buddy fly the plane and a random he would kill the engine and hand me the radio. From there you have to think quickly and make good decision to use the engergy you have avaible to put the plane safely down on the runway. I now do a slightly less dangerous (for the model) version of this with all my planes. When I first get a plane I spend a great deal of time doing touch and goes and deadsticks just to get a good handle on the glide slope and slow speed hadling for each plane. Keeping the plane closer to you as the pilot is critical in the take off and landing phase of flight. I really dont think people spend enough time practicing landiings. It is easy to see everytime I go to the local field to fly. So really it just comes down to PRACTICE!!!!!!
Posted on: 9/1/2011 5:29 PM by Author "TruBlu02" in the forum "Beginners"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10697503

RE: Great Planes Escapade .40 ARF
I tore out the gear plate on my first one and after alot of sanding and epoxy it was good as new! I never had a problem after word but the one thing about the gear thatI noticed it how rigid they are. There really is not alot of give and they are hard mounted with those steel screws. It definitely lends it self to being torn out. When I built my new one I used alot of thin CA to help keep it strong but we will see if it stands the test of time.
Posted on: 9/1/2011 4:52 PM by Author "TruBlu02" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10697450

RE: Where to buy 6V NiMH Rx Pack
Thanks for the tips guys! I am curous though how long can you expect a pack to last. It seems like I only get a couple seasons out of my NiMh packs before they start to get weak and I toss them out.
Posted on: 8/30/2011 3:16 PM by Author "TruBlu02" in the forum "Batteries & Chargers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10693888

Where to buy 6V NiMH Rx Pack
Hey guys I am looking for a good source of NiMh 6V rx packs. I have been searching around online and there seems to be tons of them but I am looking for a quality pack that will last awhile. I've been using cheap packs and would like something better. I would like about 2000mah or so. Thanks!
Posted on: 8/30/2011 2:35 PM by Author "TruBlu02" in the forum "Batteries & Chargers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10693830

RE: Jett- stream Muffler extension
Thanks for the reply Bob. How much are the Jett extensions? I think my LHS may have but I will buy the Jett if they are reasonably priced. Thanks!
Posted on: 8/29/2011 11:53 AM by Author "TruBlu02" in the forum "Jett Engineering Support"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10692069

RE: 2nd. Airplane
Great Planes Escapade is another great second plane. It can be done as either a glow or electric model and includes instruction and hardware for both set ups. All the reccomended gear is shown in great detail in tha manual. You can also get an optional cowling for it that makes the electric install look really good.
Posted on: 8/28/2011 12:13 PM by Author "TruBlu02" in the forum "Beginners"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10690691

Jett- stream Muffler extension
Hey guys I am looking for a muffler spacer for my new Jett muffler. I am installing it on an OS 55AX on a Great Planes Escapade. It is just barely touching the the top hatch so I dont need or want a very big spacer. In fact i would like to keep it as close to the fuse as possible mainly for the looks. I have found a couple of the OS extensions but I wanted to see what is reccomended for this setup. I thought Jett sold the muffler extensions bt I cant seem to find them. Thanks!!!
Posted on: 8/28/2011 11:07 AM by Author "TruBlu02" in the forum "Jett Engineering Support"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10690597

RE: Great Planes Escapade .40 ARF
[quote]ORIGINAL: hsukaria [quote]ORIGINAL: TruBlu02 Allright version number 2 is ready to go! I just finished getting her built this afternoon and hope to do the maiden this weekend sometime. I am only waiting on the Jett tuned muffler to arrive. Should be a screamer! [8D] [/quote] TruBlu, so you opted for the single aileron servo (judging from your picture). [/quote] Yeah I just think it looks
Posted on: 8/27/2011 7:44 AM by Author "TruBlu02" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10689230

RE: Great Planes Escapade .40 ARF
[quote]ORIGINAL: irdabrit I will if I ever get it finished! So many projects right now (and stuff around the house) there's not enough hours in the day. [/quote] I hear ya man! I work on my planes mostly at night when the kiddos go to bed. I like to stay up late anyways so i can get alot more done when it is quiet. What else do you have left for your build?
Posted on: 8/26/2011 4:02 PM by Author "TruBlu02" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10688575

RE: Great Planes Escapade .40 ARF
[quote]ORIGINAL: irdabrit Grats mate. I actually picked up a used 55AX for mine so the 46 can go in the trainer. Hard to pass up a basically brand-new engine for $65! GL with the maiden. Hope you're not on any painkillers when you fly :) I know from experience that when I had my surgery and tried playing golf when I was on vicodin turned into an interesting experience. [/quote] Nope no pain killers for me! I was off them the next day but I am still popping motrin all day cause my jaw still hurts. [&:] I think you will love the 55AX on this plane. Try a 11x6 prop with the 55. I am using the Evolution version and I love it plus it looks cool!
Posted on: 8/26/2011 1:38 PM by Author "TruBlu02" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10688414

RE: Great Planes Escapade .40 ARF
Allright version number 2 is ready to go! I just finished getting her built this afternoon and hope to do the maiden this weekend sometime. I am only waiting on the Jett tuned muffler to arrive. Should be a screamer! [8D]
Posted on: 8/26/2011 12:03 PM by Author "TruBlu02" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10688284

RE: OS engines users Club
[quote]ORIGINAL: N1EDM Any thoughts??? Bob [/quote] I cant answer all your questions but I do know the prop size I used on this engine. I had one for years and I liked the performance I got from a 13x8. My favorite was a 13x8 Evolution prop.
Posted on: 8/25/2011 10:59 AM by Author "TruBlu02" in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10686823