RE: 6014HS Question
How do I configure the mixes to override that throttle/rudder stick should not control channels 3/4 but 7/8 as you suggested?
Posted on: 10/28/2009 8:36 PM by Author "jowens1972" in the forum "Futaba Radios Direct support forum"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9210677

RE: Silent Beauty DA-50 Pitts muffler versus Slimline 2123
Thanks for the question. I drilled through the canister of the muffler rather than the end cap. It appears the end cap is double the thickness of the can. (I'm guessing there is a circle of material that is pressure fitted into the interior of the can and the exterior is just larger than the exterior of the canister. Putting a bolt through both sides of muffler seemed very secure and then I used the mounting bracket from the Slimline (some bending needed).
Posted on: 9/22/2008 5:40 PM by Author "jowens1972" in the forum "Gas Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=7980218

Silent Beauty DA-50 Pitts muffler versus Slimline 2123
In an effort to reduce the noise of my DA-50 I thought I would try a Silent beauty Pitts muffler for my DA-50. I have been using a Slimline 2123 pitts. For the rest of the review I will refer to them as Silent and Slimline. Even before engine start I realized that I was not going to achieve a reduction in engine noise. The silent does a better job of holding engine noise in the can but more sound comes out of the stacks. To accomplish this comparison I took the cowl off my Edge 540 and bolted on the Silent. I flew once and noted throttle setting and altitude (wind was calm). I then bolted on the Slimline and did the same flight. Engine noise in flight was similar except for a very faint, but interesting high pitch ringing. My flying buddy said it sounded like a high pitch bell. When the muffler cooled off we flicked the muffler and the inboard stack rang like a wine glass, most likely the source of the sound, some type of resonation. Unfortunately I do not have access to a Db meter so I cannot provide any comparison number. I’m relying on my ears and two flying buddies; all agreeing the Slimline has a slight advantage in noise suppression. The Slimline sounds more controlled and solid sound. The Silent sounds more cherry-bomb muffler style, “more horsepower� as my flying buddy said. The final test was to see if the Silent would fit in my cowl and was disappointed it did not come close. The larger side area meant the muffler was much closer to the cowl and the final problem was that the front of the muffler hit the cowl. The Slimline simply fits much better into my cowl, it would have required a lot of cutting to get the cowl far enough away from the muffler in regard to heat concerns. A Yak cowl would probably not be an issue. Advantages: -8.11 oz versus 10.15 oz for a Slimline 2123 (no smoke)* -Beautiful, polished finish -Lower drop than the Slimline, about ¼� -Further away from the engine head, about ¼� -Price, approximately $50 less expensive. *Slimline used for 2 years so some of the weigh could be oil build-up Disadvantage: -Bigger footprint than the Slimline, I was unable to put my cowl on versus the Slimline. -No mounting point to absorb vibration. A mounting brace is essential to keep the muffler from failing at the welds or at the engine mount. The sides are too thin to hold threads so I used a bolt through the muffler. -Slightly louder than the Slimline. -Engine tuning was much more rich with the Silent beauty on than the Slimline. -High ringing sounds during flight. Conclusion: I did not accomplish what I wanted by purchasing this muffler, which was to reduce engine noise versus a Slimline 2123. The muffler not coming with a mounting bracket to support the can is a disappointment. The walls of the muffler are too thin to hold tapped threads (10-32 tap attempted). And I am also unable to use the muffler with the airplane I have because it does not fit in the cowl. Changing out your stock muffler for this would probably result in lower engine noise. Lower diameter, higher pitch prop should also be considered. http://troybuiltmodels.com/newsite/planeacc/engines/images/mufflers/REpitts50.jpg Jim Owens Rochester, MN Troy Built Models Sponsored Pilot
Posted on: 9/21/2008 9:39 PM by Author "jowens1972" in the forum "Gas Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=7977324

Power HD HD-1440A 4.4g servos
I’m having great success with the HD-4110A servos. I have purchased 58 of these servos to be used in 30� depron foamies. If you purchased your servos more than 9 months ago I would encourage you to try them again. The pot has been upgraded and centering is no longer an issue. Prior to this upgrade the servos were hit and miss. It is important to test the servos prior to installation since trim response varies from servo to servo (one negative of the servo). When I purchase a batch of servos I connect all of them to a receiver and exercise them for a while. They typically have a very slight jitter when first used. Once this is done I connect a servo to the aileron channel and then center the trim tab on my Futaba 9CAPS transmitter. I then put the control horn on the servo so that is as close to center as possible so I have a reference point. I then start pushing the trim button and watch the servo response. The average with all the servos I have purchased is 2 clicks before a servo responds. I do this to both extremes of the trim movement. In the last batch of four I purchased I had one servo that was 1 to 1, one servo 2 to 1 and two servos 3 to 1. I then mark the servos with these numbers. I then watch how much the servo moved in response to the trim. The response is usually proportional to the trim input numbers. In this batch of four the response was proportional to trim input (pushing the trim three times caused no movement until the third push and the servo arm would then move the three clicks). I am NOT saying the servo jumps, I am comparing it to the best servo in the bunch with a 1:1. My approach with these servos is to use the 1:1 servos on Aileron 2:1 on Elevator and 3:1 on rudder. I have the rudder throws very high and I sometimes have to remove the servo and replace it with another so I order one extra servo. The four ordered were excellent quality for a servo this size and weight. With these same servos I repeated the test using a Futaba Skysport6 transmitter. This transmitter has analog trims so it is a little more difficult to test since the CAPS beeps on each trim input. The test results were confirmed. Receivers used for testing: Corona RS4II and RS6II, Futaba FP-R127DF, Futaba R149DP (PCM 5.4 volts), all others 5 volts. I fly these foamies (175g RTF) very hard (blenders, knife edge loop, flat spins, walls, rolling circles) and have had no servo failures of any kind. Some may ask why I am so focused on the trim response? My control surface movements are VERY high so centering and trimming to center makes flying much easier. I have found that the servo test results are consistent even after 50+ flights. The servo lead is light but sturdy 32 gauge wire and is 15.3 cm from the exit of the servo to the end of the universal connector. I’ve included pictures of the airplane to show how important the servo centering is with the large control surfaces. Jim Owens Rochester, MN Troy Built Models sponsored pilot
Posted on: 9/8/2008 10:57 PM by Author "jowens1972" in the forum "User Product Reviews"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=7934986

RE: Kevlar pull-pull system installation
Ed, here is a link to the SWB cable attachments: http://troybuiltmodels.com/GHardwarePull.htm I would be leary of drilling out the connector and damaging the threads, it is pretty tough plastic material. Thanks for the update Bill about using knots rather than sleeved crips.
Posted on: 8/27/2008 5:50 PM by Author "jowens1972" in the forum "3D Flying!"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=7892538

Kevlar pull-pull system installation
I used the Troy Built Models Kevlar pull-pull cable as an initial rudder setup on my 28% Edge. I also purchased an offset 3� SWB servo arm and SWB wire tensioners. I was very disappointed with the wire tensioners because the white looping side that accepts the kelvar (or other pull-pull material) had a limited amount of adjustability. It is threaded just enough for what I felt a safe number of threads for strength and then there was no further room for tensioning. The include picture shows the threads bottomed out. The SWB system comes with a titanium turnbuckle but I ended up having to tighten just the ball link side. This was a major disappointment since I didn’t like taking off and on the ball links. Note that in the picture I installed one ball link on the top of the control horn and the other on the bottom so that the crossing Kevlar would not rub. Installation of the cable was very simple but I was disappointed that the kelvar from TBM did not come with any terminating crimps. I used the crimps supplied with the airplanes metal pull-pull system. I did not even try the metal pull-pull system for fear of radio interference so close to the 72mhz radio antenna, which is why I selected the kelvar. After reading a number of Internet posts I used the crossover installation method (right servo control horn to left rudder control horn. I was never able to keep the system at the correct tension so I changed my airplane to a servo in the tail push pull system. In review I should have tried a straight installation of the pull-pull. My other reason for going to a push-pull was I needed more weight in the tail of the airplane. I did use the kelvar to connect my tailwheel to the rudder using a spring on each side of the root of the rudder and then the kelvar connected to tail wheel control arm. This has worked perfectly for over one hundred landings and being dragged through the grass during taxiing. Jim Owens Rochester, MN Troy Built Models Sponsored pilot
Posted on: 8/26/2008 11:53 PM by Author "jowens1972" in the forum "3D Flying!"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=7890228

DA-50 carb settings and ways to insure reliability
After consistently having the engine stop when doing an inverted flat spin I purchased a carb plate from Troy Built Models. www.troybuiltmodels.com/newsite/planeacc/carbplate/TBMcarbplate.html This definitely helped the problem and the kit was complete and easy to install. The reason I installed it is to protect the hole in the diaphragm plate from sensing incorrect ambient pressure. This could happen when flying knife-edge or in my case the inverted flat spin. The carbon fiber carb plate is made of is thin enough to cut with a strong scissors but still very rigid to do the job. I have had absolutely no issues with the plate staying in place. Caution must be used when tightening the bolts because it is easy to over tighten and destroy the gaskets of the carburetor. One note on the engine performance that I was happy to receive from Desert Aircraft support was that an engine burp any more than a very slight one is an indication of an electrical wiring issue. I was constantly tweaking the carb settings trying to fix a problem that was not mixture related at all. I had secured the connector from the ignition box to the ignition switch using a zip tie to the airplane but the wiring was vibrating enough to cause the negative wire to break from the crimped connector. This was hard to detect because the wire crimping is inside the connector. I changed the supplied connector out with a deans T connector and have not had a problem since. I now rarely adjust the carb and only if I’m unable to get transition from high idle to full without it hesitating (low end too lean). Another lesson learned with the engine is to be extremely generous with cowl exit venting. I have two Precision Aerobatics Edge 540’s and the air inlets in the cowl bring a lot of air into the cowl. Honestly, I was being to cute with the underside of my cowling trying keep the opening as small as possible, just big enough to get the cowl over the engine during installation. This also made cowl installation a pain. I now have the entire underside of the cowl open. Jim Owens Rochester, MN Troy Built Models sponsored pilot
Posted on: 8/26/2008 11:41 PM by Author "jowens1972" in the forum "Gas Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=7890187

RE: PRECISION AEROBATICS EDGE540T
I received a replacement red cowl from Atlanta hobby and I'm extremely impressed with finish. I also purchased a purple cowl for a scratch built fuselage and I would say it was well above average finish, there is some paint build-up on the trailing edge of cowl on the top. As for things to watch for on the build, as stated before the second version has addressed all the concerns I had with putting the first version together. The one very important thing is to make sure that the underside of the cowl has A LOT of breathing area to let the air rammed in by the inlets to escape. With the second generation cowl I removed all the bottom out of the cowl between the two bend points going from the side to the bottom EXCEPT I did leave about 3/4" of the bottom of the cowl that covers the fuselage to maintain the strength of the cowl and keep it from flapping. The front of the hole starts at the back of the black trim stripe and is rounded to meet the sides of the opening. I'm able to install the cowl with a Slimline 2123 muffler fully installed on the DA-50. I'm suspicious my lack of cowl venting in the past was the cause of my 3 deadsticks (at very bad times). The other thing to watch when installing the engine box is how the cowl will fit. The holes in the cowl are pre-drilled so the bind nuts either have to moved in the fuselage (pull back the covering from the front of the fuselage) or some good calculations need to be done to get the proper spinner to cowl separtion. The version 2 manual probably gives you some pointers on how to make this happen. The fuel line size and pipe were mentioned, make sure to also increase the size of the vent pipe and tubing. De-pressurizing the tank with a good vent/overflow is VERY important. Bend the vent pipe so that it is not touching the tank at all so that it will have good airflow. Pete Models is making a new carbon fiber ultimate 3" spinner for me and I'm expecting Pierre will add this to his product line. A 3" backplate will fit the cowl perfectly.
Posted on: 5/15/2007 1:58 PM by Author "jowens1972" in the forum "Giant Scale Aircraft - 3D & Aerobatic"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=5858196

RE: PRECISION AEROBATICS EDGE540T
Hi, Thanks for the pictures of the hatch. They removed a lot of material. The first version has no lightening holes. As for the wheel pants question. I did not install them at any time. I started the process of following the guide and then decided that I would save the weight and also I put wood blocks in front of the wheels at engine start for safety that I couldn't do if the pants were on. I have two sets if someone in the states is interested in purchasing them at a very reasonable price. Thanks, Jim O
Posted on: 9/27/2006 9:26 PM by Author "jowens1972" in the forum "Giant Scale Aircraft - 3D & Aerobatic"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4801146

RE: PRECISION AEROBATICS EDGE540T
Hi Serafim, From the picture it appears there is no floor in the forward cockpit location on the new design. Is this correct or did you remove the floor? I've been thinking about removing the forward floor on my airplane. I did not receive an email from you, did you still want the document? Thanks, Jim O
Posted on: 9/20/2006 8:52 AM by Author "jowens1972" in the forum "Giant Scale Aircraft - 3D & Aerobatic"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4770763

RE: PRECISION AEROBATICS EDGE540T
Hi Serafim, I used the 2.5" stand-offs and they worked great. My engine box is pulled out so the start of the second set of lightning holds are just showning. This gives you about a 9/16" overlap of the cowl over the fuselage. Please email me if you would like the completion guide that I created. It is a 14 page word document. akus_bg at yahoo.com Please replace the _at_ with @ I would recommend re-enforcing the cowling where the mounting holes go using 1/64" plywood strip. I did not use hardly any of the supplied hardware since I have an old version and I wanted to use titanium links for weight and strength. I have a question for you: How does the covering on the cowling look? Does it look like it going to stand the test of time? Is it pressure sensitive or iron-on? I'm assuming it was cut to fit the contours rather than stretched. Thanks, Jim O
Posted on: 9/18/2006 2:55 PM by Author "jowens1972" in the forum "Giant Scale Aircraft - 3D & Aerobatic"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4763271

RE: PRECISION AEROBATICS EDGE540T
-DA50r -Slimline pitts muffler -Hitec 5955 (surfaces) 5625 (throttle), 5245 (choke) -Futaba 9caps -TBM lithium-ion 2800 (3) -MPI miracle switches -NX 22x10 prop -CF tubes -CF spinner -CF landing gear (graph tech-rc) -SWB control arms -titanium turnbuckle links I agree that the gear box is design is a little weak. On rebuilding mine I doubled the rear former and that has helped tremendiously. After about 80 flights I lost my fuselage in an off-field landing because I incorrectly thought I had re-fueled the airplane and I did not. I'm in the process of putting together my second airplane. I purchased an incomplete kit (box) from Troy built (missing the cowl). I have removed all the covering from the fuselage since the white seemed yellowed where it was touching the formers. I removed the trim and turtle deck to cover the vertical fin installation with one piece. After removing the covering it is amazing how many lighting holes are in the fuselage. Excellent use of keys to hold the formers in place!!! The cowl has been redesigned on the black is replaced with carbon fiber. I have purchased the old cowl design from PA and plan on replacing the black with carbon fiber (HAN0910) on the whole airplane. My CG was at 135cm, well behind the instruction manual. Prior to this the airplane was a real pill to land because it acted nose heavy requiring very high approach and landing speeds. One other thing of note is the rudder is very effective and I had incorrectly used aileron to adjust for a turning problem. After doing some high speed to idle tested I found that the thrust angle was the issue and that only a click or two of rudder with neutral ailerons would make the airplane fly sweet!! Prior to discovering this the aileron deflection was easily visible on the ground.
Posted on: 8/14/2006 12:27 PM by Author "jowens1972" in the forum "Giant Scale Aircraft - 3D & Aerobatic"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4621426

RE: PRECISION AEROBATICS EDGE540T
I absolutely love my PA Edge 540T. The construction is top notch, the price, weight and performance are unmatched. My airplane is just over 14 lbs. I will post a construction document if people are interested.
Posted on: 8/8/2006 11:35 PM by Author "jowens1972" in the forum "Giant Scale Aircraft - 3D & Aerobatic"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4600252

RE: Compatibility issue with Hitec 56KB servos and FMA M5 receiver
This issue has been addressed with the FMA Direct M5v2 receiver. The problem is that the Hitec 56 use a digital amplifier. The v2 does a better job with this. I have the v2 and the servos no longer growl.
Posted on: 12/4/2005 10:39 PM by Author "jowens1972" in the forum "RC Radios, Transmitters, Receivers, Servos, gyros"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=3618739

RE: Compatibility issue with Hitec 56HB servos and FMA M5 receiver
This issue has been addressed with the FMA Direct M5v2 receiver. The problem is that the Hitec 56 use a digital amplifier. The v2 does a better job with this. I have the v2 and the servos no longer growl.
Posted on: 12/4/2005 10:37 PM by Author "jowens1972" in the forum "Hitec/MultiPlex Radios- Ask Hitec Customer Service"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=3618734

Compatibility issue with Hitec 56HB servos and FMA M5 receiver
Please share this with your support staff in case other customers call in with this question. FMA recently discovered a compatibility issue with the Hitec 55 and 56 servos. The problem is with the timing clock of the receivers’ processor. FMA Direct is working on a solution to this issue but are unsure when they will have a fix. HS-56 HS-56HB HS-55 FMA Direct M5 I do not know if this is an issue with other models of the FMA receiver. I am using a positive shift Futaba compatible receiver. My transmitter is a Futaba Skysport 6. I do not know if this also happens with the negative shift JR compatible receiver. I have had excellent luck with the M5 in another airplane using old Maxx MX30 servos. The problem is that the servos will act like they are unable to center, constantly jittering. The control arm movement is noticeable but not excessive. The servos are quiet when the transmitter is turned off. FMA has recreated the problem.
Posted on: 6/20/2005 9:36 PM by Author "jowens1972" in the forum "Hitec/MultiPlex Radios- Ask Hitec Customer Service"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=3092896

Compatibility issue with Hitec 56KB servos and FMA M5 receiver
FMA recently discovered a compatibility issue with the Hitec 55 and 56 servos. The problem is with the timing clock of the receivers processor. FMA Direct is working on a solution to this issue but are unsure of the time frame for fix. HS-56 HS-56KB HS-55 FMA Direct M5 I do not know if this is an issue with other models of the FMA receiver. I am using a positive shift Futaba compatible receiver. My transmitter is a Futaba Skysport 6. I do not know if this also happens with the negative shift JR compatible receiver. I have had excellent luck with the M5 in another airplane using old Maxx MX30 servos.
Posted on: 6/20/2005 9:27 PM by Author "jowens1972" in the forum "RC Radios, Transmitters, Receivers, Servos, gyros"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=3092866