RE: New Giant GP Super Sportster!!!!!
Hi all, For what it's worth I was using a SmartFly high current switch with 12 gauge input wiring out to two 22 gauge servo power taps. This was the nicest single switch I felt safe using. I charged the 3000 mAh life pack 3 flights prior - a flight only draws 250 mAh and the pack is still fine now after the crash. The reason I know it's not the battery was because I checked after the crash - pack took about 650 mAh in a charge after the crash. I always ensure that I have sufficient power to my setups, testing either with my telemetry by holding the surfaces at STALL current and making sure I do not drop below 5.0 volts. This setup never got below 6.2 volts at stall current - the life battery in question is capable of 20c discharge sustained. Switch was also tested post crash. If current was the fail safe reason, rebooting the TX would not have done anything, but it reconnected long enough to change course back toward the field. The only think that would have verified this was to have completely cut the engine all together, which I did not think to do. Next time I'll fail safe to ign off... Lots of good info has come from this and I am hoping that others learn from this as well. I have not flown sixe the crash, but I will thoroughly test my DX8 prior to flying again. Best, Chris
Posted on: 8/8/2012 3:15 PM by Author "harttvboy04" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11186045

RE: New Giant GP Super Sportster!!!!!
I was using a 3000 mAh LiFe pack from Hyperion :(
Posted on: 8/8/2012 9:13 AM by Author "harttvboy04" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11185586

RE: New Giant GP Super Sportster!!!!!
At the time a dsm2 2.4 ghz rx was in the plane. It will get a newer jr 9 channel either 921 or 922. My belief is that either the plug cap got water in it, the rpm sensor on my dle ignition got wet or both/all connections had water that created enough of a bubble to kill the signal :(
Posted on: 8/7/2012 12:56 PM by Author "harttvboy04" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11184555

RE: New Giant GP Super Sportster!!!!!
Hi all, I lost my sportster! I flew right after it rained and I am pretty sure some part of the ignition got wet and caused noise. It was only after a flight and after taking it out for a proper landing approach that I lost control the first time. I was high enough that a tx power cycle brought it back, but only for a second and it went in at failsafe. Good news is that only te aiframe and some accessories was lost( flying wire, etc). All my equipment, including my engine will only require minimal parts (I'll replace the carb just to make sure of not having issues. It landed on very soft marsh. The medium pinned hinges I used actually tore the trailing edge off the wing and held very well!!! I found another on rcu use that I am picking up this weekend. She will fly again!!! Best, Chris
Posted on: 8/7/2012 7:20 AM by Author "harttvboy04" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11184130

RE: New Giant GP Super Sportster!!!!!
Hey - I have a 1/4 cub with the 1501's. Work great after 200+ flights - enjoy! Best, Chris
Posted on: 7/18/2012 1:00 PM by Author "harttvboy04" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11160171

RE: Hangar 9 1/4 Scale Piper Cub ARF???
Hi all, Just an update- my cub encountered a gasoline spill today! Ended up very lucky. Just switched to 50/1 oil mix. The vent line in my cub popped out and allowed a ton of excess fuel into the plane. I was lucky thet I mounted my radio on 1/2" foam rubber that absorbed the fuel under my receiver. All I did was pull the cockpit out and pump out all the puddles. I then let everything dry in the 90* weather today. After everything dried I checked all the effected glue joints and and found no apparent issues! I was actually able to train another fellow on the basics of the 'art of the tail dragger'. Worked well. I switched from the dle 30 and went with a zenoah g-23 and a jtec in cowl muffler for the dle 30. I found the muffler to have nice volume for the 23, not too loud and not a power hog! Very nice, and best of all it will fit in my cowl nicely. Awesome! I recently converted over to the Sullivan tail flyi wire kit. Looks nicer and is way stronger. Thanks guys! Best, Chris
Posted on: 7/8/2012 9:15 PM by Author "harttvboy04" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11148239

RE: Taylorcraft crash
Hi Guys, I Understand your frustration Comanche. That stinks, and I am sorry for your loss. Horizon should do something for you, but the fault is not entirely Horizon's. Like with any well manufactured ARF, there are things that need to be changed, and things that are outright not sufficient to fly. Great example. Great Plains makes BEEFY ARF's as compared to Horizon's Hangar 9. Hangar 9's quality is superb, but they tend to lack in the beef department and usually require a bit more care when handling. My personal example is the Giant Super Sportster (which was my choice or replacement when I crashed my H9 Taylorcraft for doing hammer heads too close to the ground, too tail heavy). They rate this airframe as a 32cc airframe. The tail comes COMPLETELY unsupported. The tail wheel is lacking at best. The area just forward of where the stock tailwheel is installed is very lacking in beef, required 3/8" aircraft ply and about a half ounce of epoxy to beef up. The linkages that come with the airframe are BARELY sufficient for glow power. There are videos available on YouTube that show, in flight BTW, that the linkages oscillate with the vibes of a DLE 30. But best of all, with a gas engine the manual says to use CA hinges. AMAZING. Totally not good....here is the actual run down. The ARF cost was 350. Linkages made of Carbon Fiber and Titanium ends = $36. Sullivan Tail Flying Wire kit = 33 from LHS, Dubro Inflatable Wheels, 4.5" = $22, Heavy Duty Tail Wheel = 30, Great PLanes bulk pack medium pinned hinges (ailerons) 8.50. Robart Bulk pack of 3/16" hinges and drill jig= $22 from LHS. Gasoline stopper = 3. So, the math comes out to...just about 550 for the ARF built with necessary upgrades. NOT including the engine or radio system. The responsibility is on you to make it withstand the type of flight you will be using. This was in the manual for the GSS, as well. After all, I am sorry for your loss. I know the pain. Get a Giant Super Sportster if Horizon wont help you out. You'll love it. I do :). Best, Chris
Posted on: 7/6/2012 5:44 AM by Author "harttvboy04" in the forum "Gas Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11145053

RE: Dx8 still has problems
[quote]ORIGINAL: sidgates I have read all 5 pages of this forum and I don't think anyone has mentioned that testing voltage with an analog or digital meter is NOT going to catch a very fast "brownout" that can occur in the power supply system whether you are using 4.8 volts supply or 6.00volt supply. Somebody did mention that some receivers will catch the problem and display it on an LED. Very short brownouts can reboot the receiver even though your volt meter does not see the problem. Another gadget is sold called the "Tattletale" which captures the lowest voltage reading every 10ms until it is reset. I use one in all new installations for awhile and plug it in any questionable battery. I built hobby radios for 15 years (1968-1983) and one time received a call and was told by the customer that his elevator servo had reversed itself in the air (before reversing switches). I told him it wasn't possible but send me the radio. He sent the radio and he was right. The magnet in the servo motor had loosened and rotated 180 degrees under vibration. I never told anyone after that a malfunction was IMPOSSBLE. [/quote] [quote]ORIGINAL: sidgates I have read all 5 pages of this forum and I don't think anyone has mentioned that testing voltage with an analog or digital meter is NOT going to catch a very fast "brownout" that can occur in the power supply system whether you are using 4.8 volts supply or 6.00volt supply. Somebody did mention that some receivers will catch the problem and display it on an LED. Very short brownouts can reboot the receiver even though your volt meter does not see the problem. Another gadget is sold called the "Tattletale" which captures the lowest voltage reading every 10ms until it is reset. I use one in all new installations for awhile and plug it in any questionable battery. I built hobby radios for 15 years (1968-1983) and one time received a call and was told by the customer that his elevator servo had reversed itself in the air (before reversing switches). I told him it wasn't possible but send me the radio. He sent the radio and he was right. The magnet in the servo motor had loosened and rotated 180 degrees under vibration. I never told anyone after that a malfunction was IMPOSSBLE. [/quote] Thanks for this post - I am glad to see that someone has added both logic and experience into their post. What I am seeing is that a lot of people are chiming in, but I am not seeing that most people are inputting experiences based on their knowledge of the product. I do not discount the fact that it is possible. I also want to point out that just this evening, a friend of mine using a JR 922 rx dsmx had one remote receiver just drop all its packets continually. This was found with the use of a data log and range check. This was BRAND NEWand un-used. We tested The satellite in question on multiple ports on the rx and had the same result. It does happen, but the event of loss of an aircraft is on the responsibility of the pilot. Thanks all - there is a lot of good info here
Posted on: 7/2/2012 6:22 PM by Author "harttvboy04" in the forum "RC Radios, Transmitters, Receivers, Servos, gyros"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11140595

RE: New Giant GP Super Sportster!!!!!
Hi all, Enjoy! My buddy from work who is also into RC was kind enough to take this video for me - Did not hand start due to having the low end too lean. Thanks again everyone! Chris [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vv8GFeqJk0[/youtube]
Posted on: 7/2/2012 7:12 AM by Author "harttvboy04" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11139712

RE: New Giant GP Super Sportster!!!!!
Joe, Right you are!!! I had great success today, mostly due to the great info here in this thread. The only things I did not do were the landing gear mod and Robart hinges in the ailerons. I flew 4 fantastic flights today - One looming issue I see is the tank is contacting the bulkhead on the rear, and I can see it grinding a notch in the tank- will just adding foam stop this? Do lt me know. Thanks! Best, Chris P.s. video to come...
Posted on: 7/1/2012 5:48 PM by Author "harttvboy04" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11139104

RE: New Giant GP Super Sportster!!!!!
Hi all, Thanks for the tips. I have finally gotten to the point where the maiden is in sight. She will fly tomorrow! Overview of the setup- Spektrum A6030's on elevators and ailerons, Power HD DS090mg on rudder, Power HD 1501mg on throttle, Great Planes Tail Wheel Sullivan Flying Wire Dubro 4.5" Inflatable wheels Great Planes pin hinges on ailerons Robart 3/16" on elevator, 5 per half Robart 3/16" on rudder, 6 installed Rcxel opto kill switch SmartFly high current switch, comes with deans plugs, switched to EC3's Turnigy 4500mah 2cell LiFe battery for everything. Should fly great! Thanks to everyone for all the help! Best, Chris
Posted on: 6/30/2012 1:08 PM by Author "harttvboy04" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11137836

RE: New Giant GP Super Sportster!!!!!
Hi all, Just wanted to update- I made a huge push this weekend since the wife took a weekend trip with her girlfriends- Glued up the tail, re-inforced the floor of the tail and installed my nice great planes tail wheel assembly, I basically coated the floor of the tail with epoxy and 3/8" aircraft ply and drilled through and used threaded wood inserts for 6-32 screws. Wors like a champ! Glued up the carbon fiber rods with titanium ends to the appropriate length. Used JB weld to attach the ends. I saw, though, that since the rods are hollow, attaching the ends increases the pressure. I needed to put the rod in a glass and weight opposite side with shot glasses. Works well! I am using the Dubro Heavy Duty control system. The on question is this- is the wood hard enough at the hinge points to simply drill through and attach the horns? It seemed to be pretty hard when I drilled through it, but I do not feel that is a proper gauge of wood hardness. Fyi, I needed to find longer 10-32 screws for the dle 30 1" standoff extension. Nutty company in derby ct has them, in Allen head, 3" is sufficient for the job, but very hard to find, even online! I decided to not use the power he 8309tg servos. I went and bought 4 spektrum a6030's. A bit overkill at 270 oz. torque @ 6.0 volts. I know I'll not have an issue. Thanks guys! Best, Chris
Posted on: 6/25/2012 8:58 AM by Author "harttvboy04" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11131040

RE: Dx8 still has problems
[quote]ORIGINAL: jefflangton The prob is SPECTRUM!!!!! THERES 3 AT MY FIELD AND THEY'RE ALL CRAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [/quote] Quotations don't add credibility. Simply stating that something is crap and not backing it up is simple cowardess, and should be ignored. Justify your claim, please, so that we may understand your stance. Best, Chris
Posted on: 6/15/2012 6:30 AM by Author "harttvboy04" in the forum "RC Radios, Transmitters, Receivers, Servos, gyros"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11119022

RE: Dx8 still has problems
Hi all, I too have a DX8. I have used it for a while with minimal issue. AndyKunze here has also been kind to me to set up just about anything I could want to do with it. I did have an issue that required me to send in my TX NOT as part of a recall, but because I noticed that while I was hovering my Slick, my Rudder would not do exactly what I wanted it to do. Ground testing with another TX helped my to identify that the issue was most likely my gimbal. I sent the TX in and in 2 weeks I received it with a note stating that they replaced both gimbals and a capacitor. I did not even have to re-bind my models (which I did anyway just to play it safe). I certainly can attest to the post above about poor quality switches and wiring. I run 2 switches in all my giant scale stuff, and will NEVER touch a NIMH battery again for a rx. LiFe batteries are just too inexpensive and offer too high a reassurance that my voltage will be there when I need it - that is ONLY IF I DO MY JOB in making sure that equipment is properly setup. I can only deduce that, perhaps, our Spektrum equipment might be a touch more sensitive to radio setup, but if one follows the guidelines and properly range tests either with telemetry or a data logger, you should experience no issues. BTW, a proper range test is as follows. Ask a second person to hold your plane and take 30-35 paces away. Switch the TX into range test mode. For ANY type of plane (gas, glow, electric) apply 1/4 throttle on the ground Have the person holding your plane walk in slow circles, 1 or two should be just fine. Check your data log/telemetry for frame losses, fades etc. Spektrum states that if a sattelite/remote receiver has more than 100 fades it should be re-positioned prior to flight and re-tested to ensure less than 100 fades. I play it far more safe and reduce that 100 figure to 50. This is difficult to attain, but if possible you have a virtually bulletproof system. Model match is just the icing on the cake. FWIW, I have seen and experienced failures from both systems. Because I work in I.T. I understand the concept of getting what I pay for. I purchase appropriate/overkill equipment for my applications and never experience an issue I can't solve myself. BTW, A buddy of mine has a 71" electric slick. He is using a JR 921x RX bound to his 9503 TX. When we range tested his plane via data log, we found that the antenae within the main RX were fading more than we liked. Shifting the angle to those antenae by about 40* fixed the issue, which was only found in range test mode, and walking the plane in circles. With a 3D aircraft, the circles are imperative. don't expenct the quality of ANY brand's signal to be the same when the aircraft is approaching vs. when it is going. Thanks for reading my experiences objectively, and not taking this as a Spektrum promotion. If I thought there were a better product for my purposes, I would not hesitate to switch brands. Life is too short wasting time with crap equipment. Best, Chris
Posted on: 6/15/2012 6:16 AM by Author "harttvboy04" in the forum "RC Radios, Transmitters, Receivers, Servos, gyros"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11118996

RE: Hangar 9 1/4 Scale Piper Cub ARF???
Hi All, Just wanted to come back and report. I have well over 200 flights on this cub now. I have had 3 engines of different types - saito 180 with slimline Pitts inverted, dle 30 and a zenoah g-23 magneto. By far, the best suited is the Zenoah g-23. This engine is great for a power plant. It sips fuel, and is just a great engine overall. I reversed the fuel tank and removed the engine backplate, mounting on the three lugs that would attach the engine to the backplate. I use the Dubro 1/3 scale wheels, nice fuel dot, Ohio Model Products tail wheel, Sullivan Tail flying wires, and power HD 1501mg servos, a Futaba s3010 on rudder and Hitec hs-485 on throttle. Everything good so far, but the Zenoah is only 2 LONG flights old on this airframe, but overall has about 3-4 gallons through it. Today, the re-maiden with the zenoah went uneventfully. Landed with a full tank. Filled the few drops up and decided to go for endurance. 30 minutes later I landed to find that I lost an engine mounting bolt, the hinge pins in the lower door, a wing strut pin and my nerve! I'll have to check the balance on the prop. Btw, there is only half a tank left when I landed. Amazing. I love this plane. I always enjoy the relaxation of flying it. If you are on the fence about a power plant, do not worry about the 'downsides' of a magneto. Just get one, and enjoy the simplicity. I sure did this evening. This plane is timeless. Will never look back about the servos either - all 45 minutes of runtime only consumed 500 mAh of my 6.6v LiFe 4500 mAh battery. Awesome. Thanks guys! Best, Chris
Posted on: 6/11/2012 8:52 PM by Author "harttvboy04" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11115156

RE: New Giant GP Super Sportster!!!!!
Mutt, There is an ignition tester that is available that will simulate the sensor receiving a signal. They are very inexpensive and will tell you very quickly what the problem is - do not rule out a gap with a dle plug - many people have experienced many more weird occurrences with the dle plugs. I still run mine simply because I found a way to make it work. Will the same happen with no switch attached? That little $15 tester is a lifesaver in some cases. I used it for my issue and experimented with a gap that prevented the ignition cutout and it worked! Have a nice day! Best, Chris
Posted on: 6/11/2012 6:04 AM by Author "harttvboy04" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11114208

RE: New Giant GP Super Sportster!!!!!
Hey Mutt, Glad to hear you at getting that good ol' emergency experience! I too have a DLE 30 that exhibited similar symptoms. The difference was, for mine at least, that the ignition would cut out intermittently, but only at a given range. The solution - gap the DLE plug to the width of a no.11 exacto. This ended the misfiring, but also made the plug slightly more sensitive to fouling. What I think is happening is the cutoff that would happen as a result of a bad gap seems to stall the processor on the ignition. Th dle ignition is not as robust as we'd like but it does work. Try that and let us know! Best, Chris
Posted on: 6/11/2012 5:08 AM by Author "harttvboy04" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11114164

RE: New Giant GP Super Sportster!!!!!
[quote]ORIGINAL: Kostas1 In my oppinion the surface of the hinges (you installed) that is glued on the control surfaces is [b][size=3][color=#CC0000]minimal [/color][/size][/b]and vibration may tear appart either the balsa or the hinge itself. [b][color=#CC9900]IMO [/color][/b]these hinges are intended for use on 40 through 60 size airframes. [color=#009900][b]What does the package read on the back ?[/b][/color] [/quote] There are only installation instructions :(. I figured using a better number per slot would help with the rigidity, along with the gorilla glue. 8 per aileron should be good, no? There is not any binding and it seems that the hinges are nice and beefy. I plan on using Robarts for the tail, as everyone is suggesting. Thanks everyone! I'll keep all posted on my progress! Best, Chris
Posted on: 6/6/2012 8:44 AM by Author "harttvboy04" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11108672

RE: New Giant GP Super Sportster!!!!!
Hi All! I just figured that I would update everyone as to my first days' progress while home sick (can't work without a voice). I used Great Planes pinned hinges for the ailerons - a lot of them :) There are a total of 16 in the wing alone, glued with Gorilla Glue. The next step will be setting up the servo linkages for the wing, then moving on to the servos in the fuse and then mounting the tail. Question - Can or should Gorilla Glue be used on the tail as well? What are advantages/disadvantages? Let me know - thanks! Best, Chris
Posted on: 6/5/2012 6:59 PM by Author "harttvboy04" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11108046

RE: New Giant GP Super Sportster!!!!!
[quote]ORIGINAL: Joystick TX Chris, sounds like your plane will be almost bulletproof. Hope you enjoy flying it as much as I do mine. My ball links have been showing signs of wear. The rudder is the worse, got about 2 degrees of slop in it right now. The ailerons are not too bad, less than 1 degree of slop, but will replace the links on all control surfaces just to be safe. [/quote] About how many flights did it take for them to come free? This is what I plan in using for the elevators and ailerons - http://shop.dubro.com/products/productdetail/Heavy+Duty+Control+Horn+System/part_number=866/101.0.1.1.5161.5164.0.0.0?pp=12& What do you think? I also wanted to ask about spinners for the dle 30 - does the stock spinner that comes with the super sportster work, if drilled out or should I spring the 20 for the spinner pre cut/drilled for the dle? Thanks! Chris
Posted on: 6/3/2012 3:37 PM by Author "harttvboy04" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11104913

RE: New Giant GP Super Sportster!!!!!
So, A couple days ago I received my order from Troy built including those titanium gear servos. The power hd 1501's came in great shap as expected, the 8309tg's however I was less impressed with. I placed a call to Bill at Troy built and was very pleased, and explained that one servo looked like the spline was pulled through the rope plastic case with pliers. I sent him photos at his request to show him this, and I actually noticed that both servo's splines were canted forward on not a true 90* from the top of the servo. I initially wanted them replaced. When I hear back from him, I may just want to return them. Today, I went to my local HS and picked up two Spektrum A6030's. 280 oz torque @ 6.0 volts, and also titanium gear. Hobby shop sold them to me for 70 a piece. Expensive, but I will never have an issue. I have four currently in a 71" AJ slick. I beat them up routinely (snap rolls, full throttle knife edge snap rolls, etc) and they literally laugh and ask of more. I am sure they have the holding power the elevators on the GSS need. They also only weigh 1.8 ounces, which when doubled comes to almost half an ounce less than the other servos. My plan for the build, Power Hd ds090mg on the rudder (133 ounces torque @ 6.0 volts, .10 sec transit time) Spektrum a6030 on elevator (280 ounces 6.0 volts, .15 transit time) Power hd 1501 mg analog on ailerons (240 ounces torque, .15 transit), may use rma'd PHD 8309TG instead Futaba s3010 plastic gear analog on throttle ( 89 ounces torque @ 6.0 volts, .14 TT) unless I use the 8309tg on ailerons, I'll use the 1501 instead. Jr 921 dsm2 rx. Just ordered a jtec Pitts through my lhs. Yay! Ill feel better with the nice ball links and dubro heavy duty linkage kits I'm going to use along with some nice torquey holding power with aluminum tail braces. Should be like a tank! Chris
Posted on: 6/2/2012 8:33 PM by Author "harttvboy04" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11104326

RE: New Giant GP Super Sportster!!!!!
Hi Kostas, My take on this is as follows - Nylon and Karbonite gears are great when applied properly. Metal Gears can be overkill when not used in the proper manner (most of the good metal gear servos are almost 2 times the weight, and when multiplied by the number of servos typically found in an airframe can make a BIG difference). The reason many people swear by metal gears in this application are because of the literal shock waves produced by a gasoline engine. Many of the bigger Saitos will also rattle their way out of an airframe if not tuned properly - I had a great running Saito 180 that needed to be at that perfect lean setting (where the curve meets excellent transition and low idle) to not break the flying wires on my Hangar 9 1/4 scale cub. I then read online that my low end was too rich, hence the extra vibration (caused by a level or pre-detonation with the fuel I was running). In that same thread, I read that the Saito 150 was a much smoother engine than the 180 - go figure :). In any case, those shock waves oscillate through your airframe, the wood acting like a wire to electricity for the vibrations, straight to anything that will absorb it. These points of 'absorption include - Servos Hinges nuts and bolts open glue joints in wood just about anything that will move even a micrometer under an oscillation Servos and Hinges are at the top of the list because we designed them to move. The servos all have cogs in them, with little teeth that move by the means of a motor moving these gears. These gears are different and unique to each servo - some gears are bigger than others, and some teeth wider or smaller than others. The point for servos - every time an oscillation 'interacts' with a servo, every tooth that is in contact with another tooth or cog wheel is put under IMMENSE pressure. Add the fact that the control surfaces are vibrating (also in some cases at a different time/frequency) and that the servo's gears are 'interacting' with that movement as well, and you have a whole lot of movement that a servo's gear train needs to deal with. On top of this, nylon/karbonite gears are usually much tighter than metal gears, simply because of the process used to manufacture them. The tighter gears can be appreciated in the correct application, such as electric models, or models with very smooth running engines. They are usually found in smaller applications, or applications with no significant load on an airplane of larger size. Nylon/karbonite gears will eventually snap at a given pressure. the Jr/Spektrum DS821's are famous for this, not because it is a bad servo, but because of the fact that it has good torque, people assume that the servo will take the shock forces of a nuclear weapon (myself included in that group of people at one point) when put into a hard 3d snap roll of sorts. Metal gears were developed because the gear train, when made of various types of metal (aluminum, steel, titanium, copper, etc) can deal with these vibrations and remain acceptable to use. The down side, is that over time (as many JR servo owners can attest) the servo gears can become worn by these vibration, usually requiring a new set of gears. Just remember, gears are less expensive than whole servos! The heads of these servos RARELY will sheer off. You would need to have a serious stress fracture on the head of the servo for this to happen. One of the other points mentioned above were the hinges. Since you have one of the smoothest large Saitos (the Saito 150, if my memory serves me right) around, you most likely do not have a huge amount to worry about - but you should pay attention. Some days are cooler in temperature than others, and can result in a lean/rich condition. Your Saito WILL vibrate some in these conditions. Just perform a preflight and pay attention. If this is done, you have nothing to worry about. You may even feel good about yourself knowing that you caught something and decided NOT to fly as a result - I always do! Anyway, those hinges, being that they were designed to move, will also HAVE to give in to the same vibrations that your servos will have to give in to. Hinge technology has come leaps and bounds in the recent years. CA hinges now can be easily swapped for any of your preference of hinges. Just about anything around will be at least twice as strong as the CA hinge, but also at a weight cost. On a plane such as the GSS, not really a big deal, but smaller planes, pay attention to weight :). The oscillations on a CA hinge can cause the hinge to snap or crack, based on the level of vibration, and whether or not the gap between surfaces has been sealed. This is pretty easy to fix. My rule, if the CA hinge has snapped, upgrade :). The other thing about my big Saito 180 was that I kept losing cowl screws. Again, this was a sign of a rich/lean low end. I have since gone to the RTL Fastener's bonded washers (which are nice little washers that are bonded to rubber to absorb some more of that vibration) and this has greatly helped. Keep an eye on things like - cowl screws, wheel pants (and their screws/fasteners) tail wheel mounting screws CONTROL HORN SCREWS SERVO MOUNTING SCREWS etc. Using CA to harden the holes in wood/fiberglass helps, but does not fully prevent a wild vibration from backing out a screw. For what it is worth, I have owned small Saito's, larger Saito's, and now a DLE 30, a Super Tartan Twin 44cc gasser, and many other 2 stroke glow motors. I have had my fair share of motor tuning. IMHO, the Saito 180, vibration wise, is not that far off from a well tuned DLE 30, and way far from a DLE 20. Your 150, while a smoother engine, should be regarded with the same level of care. Now, those that went 2 stroke nitro, for that matter, can use all the stock equipment. I have a Webra 120 that was so smooth you could put a screw on the plane with the engine running and not have to worry about the screw moving. Even though it runs on (lots of) glow fuel, I don't have the heart to get rid of a fine German designed and machined engine. This engine sent a 14 pound plane Vertical at just 28 ounces AUW. Gets me to thinking... I hope that helps you to understand. It took me a few years to understand all these concepts through trial and error. Just be careful - your Saito is not impervious to the Vibration Monster! Best, Chris
Posted on: 5/31/2012 1:42 PM by Author "harttvboy04" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11101537

RE: New Giant GP Super Sportster!!!!!
Hi all! I am the proud new owner of a GSS brand new in box, bought it from tower. I have read through the thread, and gotten a lot of good info, such as toss the LG, I am using a dle 30, use ball link and flying wires, better hinges,Robart control horns, etc. I bought this because I had a hangar 9 taylorcraft with an 85.5 inch wingspan that I owned for 2 weeks before crashing it :(. I was doing hammerheads in a tail heavy condition, and got bit doing them too low. So I bought something which is hopefully more tolerant and forgiving for me to just kind of toss around the sky, but be relaxing. The landing gear from my old taylorcraft may work well. But instead of flying wires, I wonder if the nice stiff pieces of aluminum that hangar 9 used to brace their tail would work? I also have a very nice tail wheel that I will be using on the sportster. I chose power hd 8309tg servos for the tail and will be using the power hd 1501 servos in the ailerons. Any helpful input that you guys have would be great! Let me know - no pride here. I want to build a bird that I'll keep for as long as humanly possible. I am 26, and would love to teach my kids to fly on it :) (btw, I don't have kids yet) Thanks! Chris
Posted on: 5/27/2012 7:09 PM by Author "harttvboy04" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11096748

RE: Help us save our flying field - sign this petition
Signed from Norwalk CT - FYI We also fly over what can be considered costal swamp land. We have worked with Sherwood Island State Park. We have worked extensively with both Park Management and our State Governing Body to ensure that we do not violate Wildlife and that we co-exist with other attendee's of the park (including the Bird Watching crowd). Chris Burkhalter Safety Officer, AMA contact Sherwood Island Squire Fliers The same could happen to us as well. I hope that our club would receive the same support :) Best of luck to you!
Posted on: 5/18/2012 9:24 AM by Author "harttvboy04" in the forum "RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11085799

RE: Super Tartan Twin 77
Hi Jim, I really appreciate the help. Do you have a photo of the completed block on the tartan? Did you machine this yourself? I have the DLE 55 reed cage and reeds, just noone to make a block and no equipment to do that myself. Where can I get that done? I was able to use the 30 reeds because I modified the blue plastic reed block with an exacto and sealed it up with a good gasket. Please let me know. Thanks Jim! Chris
Posted on: 5/15/2012 5:47 PM by Author "harttvboy04" in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11082252

RE: Super Tartan Twin 77
Hi there, I did get the DLE 30 reed block and Carb on the Tartan just yesterday. The response seems to be there, but I am noticing that the RPM just did not seem that much higher, just without a TACH it is hard to tell. The engine did start easier, and seems to run well with the setup however. I did also experiment in small increments with the timing, and saw no high rpm effect, just low end smoothness and ease of starting. What type of high end RPM should I expect with the new reed block and carb? Last with the WT-159 I was not even breaking 6700 with an 18x10 prop. Could the engine just not be broken in? Let me know. Thanks! I would be glad to get my hands on a wt257 - I want to make sure the engine is not defunct prior to spending any more money on it first :) Best, Chris
Posted on: 5/15/2012 6:18 AM by Author "harttvboy04" in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11081320

RE: Super Tartan Twin 77
Thanks so much! I have not tried a new rebuild - the one on the carb seems pretty good. I did spray some debris out of the screen in the carb. Maybe a jet is clogged??? If I am going to spend any money, I'd rather replace the carb with something that has a choke - reaching under and plugging the carb is a pain :(. Thanks again! Chris
Posted on: 4/25/2012 4:52 PM by Author "harttvboy04" in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11056734

RE: Super Tartan Twin 77
5 minutes
Posted on: 4/25/2012 4:44 PM by Author "harttvboy04" in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11056727

RE: Super Tartan Twin 77
Gas. I ordered the 55 reed block. Will that work?
Posted on: 4/25/2012 4:31 PM by Author "harttvboy04" in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11056714

RE: Super Tartan Twin 77
The timing was set by C&H professionally. All I did was plug the RCEXL right into the same port. Also, might try a DA 50 Carb on it - I called Walbro and they felt that I needed a larger carb due to the fact the the LS needle controlled everything, and the HS needle seemed completely ineffective. It also could be my reed valve, possibly. I am thinking, however, that the DA carb might do well with the stock reed valve. Might also be an easier bolt on fit/upgrade. A buddy of mine has a DA that he will loan me the carb off of, and I'll update all :). Please, if you can think of any other reason why, that would be good. Thanks! Best, Chris
Posted on: 4/25/2012 4:16 PM by Author "harttvboy04" in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11056701