Tram
Mar 02, 2005, 02:00 AM
!Introduction
| spec2
| @913088
|> <b>Specs</b> |<
|> <b>Wingspan:</b> |< 67.75 in"
|> <b>Wing Area:</b> |< 762 sq. in.
|> <b>Weight:</b> |< 7-8 lb.
|> <b>Length:</b> |< 50"
|> <b>Wing Loading:</b> |< 24 oz/sq. ft.
|> <b>Servos:</b> |< 6 Futaba S148
|> <b>Transmitter:</b> |< Futaba 9CAP
|> <b>Receiver:</b> |< Futaba R127DF 7-Channel
|> <b>Engine:</b> |< Saito .82 Golden Knight
|> <b>Manufacturer:</b> |< <a href=http://www.horizonhobby.com>SeaGull Models</a>
|> <b>Available From:</b> |< <a href=http://www.horizonhobby.com>Horizon Hobby</a>
Like many R/C buffs, who also fly the “real deal,” I am drawn to models that I have gotten some stick time in. In the glory days of aviation, the majority of pilots got their ticket in a tail-dragger aircraft, as the “trikes” just were not as prominent, so much so that the tail dragger configuration is known as "conventional." As a full scale pilot, I learned in a tricycle geared aircraft but have always wanted to get my tail wheel endorsement, maybe because these days, tail wheel aircraft are often seen as wild monsters just waiting to eat a new pilot's lunch, and in some cases they can be just that. Well, one day I decided to get the elusive tail wheel endorsement and I started those lessons in a Decathlon. So, when the opportunity arose to build one, I jumped at it!
!In The Workshop
The plane arrived at my door in the typical ARF fashion, big brown “outer shell” with the artwork box "inner shell." I was pleasantly surprised when initial inspection revealed everything was "a'ok." All of the parts came individually wrapped in thick plastic to protect the quality covering job. The hardware package was well-labeled and contained nice quality parts. It is always nice to be able to keep the hardware from an ARF, rather than having to replace it! As is the point with ARF’s, 90% of the work is done for you.
@913089:All the parts, nice and snug.
@913090:The all inclusive hardware bag, hard to miss!
@913091:To center the hinges, all hinges were pulled and a t-pin was placed in the center of the hinge, hinge was placed back into the control surface.
@913092:I was careful to space the control surface to allow free movement.
All except for one of the surfaces were prehinged perfectly with no overly bored holes nor any others that needed to be opened or cleaned up.
@913093:”Anti-Ooze” tape in place.
Out of the box the wing came in two halves, which needed to be joined. The joiner fit great and I was ready for some epoxy. I use 1 hour epoxy on wings, as I don’t think the bond of 6 minute epoxy is strong enough, and if I’m going to wait on 30 minute epoxy to setup, I might as well go the full monty and use 1 hour epoxy. To prep the surfaces to be joined, I cleaned them with an alcohol wipe. In order to keep the epoxy “ooze” from running wild, I like to take some “easy release” painters tape and mask off the areas that are likely to get “oozed” upon.
After the wing dried, all that was left was to mount the aileron servos on the removable hatches in the wing.
!!Engine Install
Ah, the business end. The fuel tank was of nice quality with the stopper being completely ready to go, all that was needed was some bending of the vent tube line. In preparation to mount the engine, I made a few small changes. The firewall is setup to accept a .46 with a typical .46 muffler, which is a great setup, as it allows the muffler to slide into it’s own section of the fuse and there is minimal cutting of the cowl needed. However, I used the Saito .82 in my Decathlon, so I sealed up these holes, in order to keep the wood from becoming fuel soaked. To do this, I used some left over wood from another kit and simply epoxied them along with the firewall, in an attempt at fuel proofing. I fuel proof all my firewalls this way. Again, I used the blue painters tape to help mask the area off.
@913094:The fuselage was designed to accept a stock .46 and muffler. A quick shot of the simple mod made to fit my Saito .82.
@913095:How many kits come THIS ready?
!!Trimming the Covering off the Tail
The vertical and horizontal stabs must be test fitted onto the fuse and then marked, then covering removed from these parts so that the epoxy can adhere to the wood properly. There are many ways to remove this covering, many people like to use a brand new #11 blade and lightly cut away the covering. This works, if you are very careful; however, I have lost a plane where I scored the covering too hard and got into the wood, thus weakening the horizontal stab, so I learned from that mistake and do it differently now. The process I use is also a lot easier for me. After test fitting the parts and marking them, I remove the part from the fuse and make a new line – 1/16” below the previous mark, this will allow some covering to overlap and no one will know you’ve removed any covering. After making the new line, I take a metal ruler and lay it down on this line, grab my 150watt soldering gun and run the tip on the covering down the ruler, this provides me with a very clean “cut” and it also adheres the covering back to the airplane, due to the heat, and I can’t cut too deep into the wood surface.
@913096:The aforementioned technique caught live and on camera!
@913097:Nicely cut and ready for the glue.
@913098:Again, with the “Anti-Ooze” Tape, all ready for glue.
@913099:This will be the result, a nice clean install!
!!Radio Installation
All of the servos I used were standard size, and fit in their precut locations perfectly. I wrapped the receiver in some protective foam and placed it underneath the servo tray. I prefer to keep as much a scale appearance as possible and we all know dangling antennas just don’t look right. So, I also ran the antenna through the fuselage and out the bottom of the plane. I mounted it into the plastic of the tail wheel bracket.
In anticipation of changing the CG to a more tail-heavy setting after the initial few flights, I added an adjustable battery tray. One thing I would consider a “miss” in this kit is that there was no provision for a place to mount the battery. I took some light ply from another build and laid it on the fuse side’s right where it needed to be. Problem solved!!
@913100:Here's the antenna, I attached to the tail wheel mount.
@913101:"Custom" adjustable battery tray.
!!Minor Mods to Increase the Wheel Pant Longevity
Final assembly included the installation of the wheel pants and wing struts. By following the pictures in the instruction manual it was almost impossible to make any errors. After reading some about this airplane from others, I decided on preventative modifications to the wheel pants. The supplied wheel pants are nice painted fiberglass – and that is the way I wanted to keep them. Rumors of them cracking after just a few flights were heard, so what I did was to simply inlay some fiberglass cloth on the inside of the pant and on the outside, where the pant will meet the landing gear, I added a piece of thin light ply for the gear leg to butt up against. Only time will tell if this works on this model, but it has worked on previous models.
@913102:Fiberglass cloth laid inside wheel pant with epoxy.
@913103:The light ply installed on the outside of the pant.
@913104:Wheel pant trimmed and installed on the gear.
This airplane being a high-wing aerobat has some lift struts that help with the loads on the wings. These struts are braced from the fuse by metal plates and in the wings by blind nuts that receive 2 mounting posts in each wing. The blind nuts are not mentioned in the instructions but are pre-marked with a small hole above each nut. The mounts are placed in the holes and the struts are ready to go.
@913105:Wing strut mount, the brass insert went in the blind nut in the wing.
!!Starting Throws and CG
With all of this complete, I took a freshly charged battery and began the process of setting the airplane up, as I would like to have it fly. I set the plane as per the instructions for low rates and dialed in everything I was able to get for the high rates. Balance was easily achieved at the stock location of 8-9cm from the leading edge of the wing and we are ready to go flying!
!Flying
!!Basics
Anyone wanting to fly a Decathlon is generally looking for exactly what it is - a "spiffied up" Cub...something that is a little more exciting to fly, and that is exactly what the SeaGull Decathlon is all about. It is a very sweet flying airplane. It is very predictable and flies just like a Decathlon should. She is very, stable, yet about to crank out a few aerobatic moves with a return to "controlled" flight with manners. The Saito .82 I used on this airplane pulls it around the pattern extremely well! I could not think of a better combo for this bird!
!!Taking Off and Landing
Take off and landing for the most part are extremely uneventful. Take off with the Saito .82 at about 1/2 throttle occurs in about 10 feet and requires a little bit of right rudder to keep the Decathlon tracking straight down the runway. Due to the glide ratio of this bird, the Decathlon will slow down very well and can be brought in very smoothly for a nice 2 or 3 point landing. The Decathlon handles those "unplanned" engine out's very well also. In the event of a dead-stick, one would want to be headed toward the runway as soon as possible; however, this plane does not fall out of the sky.
!!Aerobatics/Special Flight Performance
Now we're getting into the meat of the Decathlon. As, previously mentioned, I've spent some time in the R/C version's big brother, so I've seen some of what the Decathlon is capable of from behind the stick, now I get to see if it can do it behind the sticks of the 9CAP.
The Saito .82 only has about 4 tanks through it and is still breaking in, so I did not get too wild with the airplane; however what I did put it through, it did not disappoint. With the .82 it is capable of nice big loops, spins, very nice snap rolls and what I love - tumbles - the Decathlon tumbles very well! I put it through the typical sport aerobatics routine and had a blast doing it! It is no unlimited 3D machine, but nor was it meant to be.
!!Is This For a Beginner?
For the beginning pilot? No, I would not recommend this airplane for that. However, someone who is wanting to learn to fly sport aerobatics, I would have no issues with recommending this bird to them at all! It is very mild mannered and would make a great aerobatic trainer! It will slow down wonderfully, crank up the rates and let the sticks fly - and it will put a smile on anyone's face!
!!Flight Video/Photo Gallery
Check Back soon for video, just as soon as monsoon season is over! :)
!Conclusion
Do you like the looks of the Decathlon? Do you want to fly aerobatics like the full-scale Decathlons? Do you want a bird that builds quick and easy, and looks and flies great? Then this may just be the bird for you. I was very pleased with both the build and and manners this bird exhibited in the air!
| spec2
| @913088
|> <b>Specs</b> |<
|> <b>Wingspan:</b> |< 67.75 in"
|> <b>Wing Area:</b> |< 762 sq. in.
|> <b>Weight:</b> |< 7-8 lb.
|> <b>Length:</b> |< 50"
|> <b>Wing Loading:</b> |< 24 oz/sq. ft.
|> <b>Servos:</b> |< 6 Futaba S148
|> <b>Transmitter:</b> |< Futaba 9CAP
|> <b>Receiver:</b> |< Futaba R127DF 7-Channel
|> <b>Engine:</b> |< Saito .82 Golden Knight
|> <b>Manufacturer:</b> |< <a href=http://www.horizonhobby.com>SeaGull Models</a>
|> <b>Available From:</b> |< <a href=http://www.horizonhobby.com>Horizon Hobby</a>
Like many R/C buffs, who also fly the “real deal,” I am drawn to models that I have gotten some stick time in. In the glory days of aviation, the majority of pilots got their ticket in a tail-dragger aircraft, as the “trikes” just were not as prominent, so much so that the tail dragger configuration is known as "conventional." As a full scale pilot, I learned in a tricycle geared aircraft but have always wanted to get my tail wheel endorsement, maybe because these days, tail wheel aircraft are often seen as wild monsters just waiting to eat a new pilot's lunch, and in some cases they can be just that. Well, one day I decided to get the elusive tail wheel endorsement and I started those lessons in a Decathlon. So, when the opportunity arose to build one, I jumped at it!
!In The Workshop
The plane arrived at my door in the typical ARF fashion, big brown “outer shell” with the artwork box "inner shell." I was pleasantly surprised when initial inspection revealed everything was "a'ok." All of the parts came individually wrapped in thick plastic to protect the quality covering job. The hardware package was well-labeled and contained nice quality parts. It is always nice to be able to keep the hardware from an ARF, rather than having to replace it! As is the point with ARF’s, 90% of the work is done for you.
@913089:All the parts, nice and snug.
@913090:The all inclusive hardware bag, hard to miss!
@913091:To center the hinges, all hinges were pulled and a t-pin was placed in the center of the hinge, hinge was placed back into the control surface.
@913092:I was careful to space the control surface to allow free movement.
All except for one of the surfaces were prehinged perfectly with no overly bored holes nor any others that needed to be opened or cleaned up.
@913093:”Anti-Ooze” tape in place.
Out of the box the wing came in two halves, which needed to be joined. The joiner fit great and I was ready for some epoxy. I use 1 hour epoxy on wings, as I don’t think the bond of 6 minute epoxy is strong enough, and if I’m going to wait on 30 minute epoxy to setup, I might as well go the full monty and use 1 hour epoxy. To prep the surfaces to be joined, I cleaned them with an alcohol wipe. In order to keep the epoxy “ooze” from running wild, I like to take some “easy release” painters tape and mask off the areas that are likely to get “oozed” upon.
After the wing dried, all that was left was to mount the aileron servos on the removable hatches in the wing.
!!Engine Install
Ah, the business end. The fuel tank was of nice quality with the stopper being completely ready to go, all that was needed was some bending of the vent tube line. In preparation to mount the engine, I made a few small changes. The firewall is setup to accept a .46 with a typical .46 muffler, which is a great setup, as it allows the muffler to slide into it’s own section of the fuse and there is minimal cutting of the cowl needed. However, I used the Saito .82 in my Decathlon, so I sealed up these holes, in order to keep the wood from becoming fuel soaked. To do this, I used some left over wood from another kit and simply epoxied them along with the firewall, in an attempt at fuel proofing. I fuel proof all my firewalls this way. Again, I used the blue painters tape to help mask the area off.
@913094:The fuselage was designed to accept a stock .46 and muffler. A quick shot of the simple mod made to fit my Saito .82.
@913095:How many kits come THIS ready?
!!Trimming the Covering off the Tail
The vertical and horizontal stabs must be test fitted onto the fuse and then marked, then covering removed from these parts so that the epoxy can adhere to the wood properly. There are many ways to remove this covering, many people like to use a brand new #11 blade and lightly cut away the covering. This works, if you are very careful; however, I have lost a plane where I scored the covering too hard and got into the wood, thus weakening the horizontal stab, so I learned from that mistake and do it differently now. The process I use is also a lot easier for me. After test fitting the parts and marking them, I remove the part from the fuse and make a new line – 1/16” below the previous mark, this will allow some covering to overlap and no one will know you’ve removed any covering. After making the new line, I take a metal ruler and lay it down on this line, grab my 150watt soldering gun and run the tip on the covering down the ruler, this provides me with a very clean “cut” and it also adheres the covering back to the airplane, due to the heat, and I can’t cut too deep into the wood surface.
@913096:The aforementioned technique caught live and on camera!
@913097:Nicely cut and ready for the glue.
@913098:Again, with the “Anti-Ooze” Tape, all ready for glue.
@913099:This will be the result, a nice clean install!
!!Radio Installation
All of the servos I used were standard size, and fit in their precut locations perfectly. I wrapped the receiver in some protective foam and placed it underneath the servo tray. I prefer to keep as much a scale appearance as possible and we all know dangling antennas just don’t look right. So, I also ran the antenna through the fuselage and out the bottom of the plane. I mounted it into the plastic of the tail wheel bracket.
In anticipation of changing the CG to a more tail-heavy setting after the initial few flights, I added an adjustable battery tray. One thing I would consider a “miss” in this kit is that there was no provision for a place to mount the battery. I took some light ply from another build and laid it on the fuse side’s right where it needed to be. Problem solved!!
@913100:Here's the antenna, I attached to the tail wheel mount.
@913101:"Custom" adjustable battery tray.
!!Minor Mods to Increase the Wheel Pant Longevity
Final assembly included the installation of the wheel pants and wing struts. By following the pictures in the instruction manual it was almost impossible to make any errors. After reading some about this airplane from others, I decided on preventative modifications to the wheel pants. The supplied wheel pants are nice painted fiberglass – and that is the way I wanted to keep them. Rumors of them cracking after just a few flights were heard, so what I did was to simply inlay some fiberglass cloth on the inside of the pant and on the outside, where the pant will meet the landing gear, I added a piece of thin light ply for the gear leg to butt up against. Only time will tell if this works on this model, but it has worked on previous models.
@913102:Fiberglass cloth laid inside wheel pant with epoxy.
@913103:The light ply installed on the outside of the pant.
@913104:Wheel pant trimmed and installed on the gear.
This airplane being a high-wing aerobat has some lift struts that help with the loads on the wings. These struts are braced from the fuse by metal plates and in the wings by blind nuts that receive 2 mounting posts in each wing. The blind nuts are not mentioned in the instructions but are pre-marked with a small hole above each nut. The mounts are placed in the holes and the struts are ready to go.
@913105:Wing strut mount, the brass insert went in the blind nut in the wing.
!!Starting Throws and CG
With all of this complete, I took a freshly charged battery and began the process of setting the airplane up, as I would like to have it fly. I set the plane as per the instructions for low rates and dialed in everything I was able to get for the high rates. Balance was easily achieved at the stock location of 8-9cm from the leading edge of the wing and we are ready to go flying!
!Flying
!!Basics
Anyone wanting to fly a Decathlon is generally looking for exactly what it is - a "spiffied up" Cub...something that is a little more exciting to fly, and that is exactly what the SeaGull Decathlon is all about. It is a very sweet flying airplane. It is very predictable and flies just like a Decathlon should. She is very, stable, yet about to crank out a few aerobatic moves with a return to "controlled" flight with manners. The Saito .82 I used on this airplane pulls it around the pattern extremely well! I could not think of a better combo for this bird!
!!Taking Off and Landing
Take off and landing for the most part are extremely uneventful. Take off with the Saito .82 at about 1/2 throttle occurs in about 10 feet and requires a little bit of right rudder to keep the Decathlon tracking straight down the runway. Due to the glide ratio of this bird, the Decathlon will slow down very well and can be brought in very smoothly for a nice 2 or 3 point landing. The Decathlon handles those "unplanned" engine out's very well also. In the event of a dead-stick, one would want to be headed toward the runway as soon as possible; however, this plane does not fall out of the sky.
!!Aerobatics/Special Flight Performance
Now we're getting into the meat of the Decathlon. As, previously mentioned, I've spent some time in the R/C version's big brother, so I've seen some of what the Decathlon is capable of from behind the stick, now I get to see if it can do it behind the sticks of the 9CAP.
The Saito .82 only has about 4 tanks through it and is still breaking in, so I did not get too wild with the airplane; however what I did put it through, it did not disappoint. With the .82 it is capable of nice big loops, spins, very nice snap rolls and what I love - tumbles - the Decathlon tumbles very well! I put it through the typical sport aerobatics routine and had a blast doing it! It is no unlimited 3D machine, but nor was it meant to be.
!!Is This For a Beginner?
For the beginning pilot? No, I would not recommend this airplane for that. However, someone who is wanting to learn to fly sport aerobatics, I would have no issues with recommending this bird to them at all! It is very mild mannered and would make a great aerobatic trainer! It will slow down wonderfully, crank up the rates and let the sticks fly - and it will put a smile on anyone's face!
!!Flight Video/Photo Gallery
Check Back soon for video, just as soon as monsoon season is over! :)
!Conclusion
Do you like the looks of the Decathlon? Do you want to fly aerobatics like the full-scale Decathlons? Do you want a bird that builds quick and easy, and looks and flies great? Then this may just be the bird for you. I was very pleased with both the build and and manners this bird exhibited in the air!