RC Groups - Sport Planes

Article Hangar 9 Toledo Special ARF Review

pda4you — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:43:54 GMT

!Introduction

| spec2
| @ts63.jpg
|> Wingspan: |< 69.5"
|> Wing Area: |< 702.8 sq in
|> Wing type: |< Built up balsa - Symmetrical
|> AUW weight: |< Advertised � 6.25lbs Actual - 6.1lbs
|> Length: |< 51�
|> Wing loading: |< ~20 oz/sq. ft.
|> Cube loading: |< 8.62
|> Transmitter: |< Spektrum DX7
|> Servos: |< JR Sport 821 Digital Servo
|> Receiver: |< AR7000 7 channel
|> Battery: |< TP 3850 4s LiPoly
|> Motor: |< Power 46 Brushless Motor
|> ESC: |< E-flite 60 AMP Switch mode ESC
|> US distributor: |< Horizon Hobby
|> Hangar 9 Toledo Special ARF: |< Toledo Special ARF
|> ARF Price: |< $224.99

The Toledo Special 40 has a vintage look and proves to be an excellent sport flying design that will be at home in any hangar. It has a large footprint and a commanding presence in the air. It always draws a great deal of attention at the field.

@ts01.jpg:The colorful box contains a beautiful model covered in cream and blue.

This is a high quality, exceptional ARF that is a real eye-turner.

@ts02.jpg: Low parts count and high quality engineering had the Toledo Special together quickly.

!Kit Contents

The review package shipped from Horizon, and it arrived in perfect condition. It was exceptionally well packaged, double-boxed and the contents in the box were isolated and protected from shifting during shipment.

@ts07.jpg: Excellent pictorial manual with complete step by step instructions Toledo Special Manual

*Kit includes:
*Stunning built-up fuselage, wings and tail surfaces
*UltraCote covered and ready to go
*Clear windows and windshield
*Factory slotted and glued hinges on all control surfaces
*Hardware (Push rods, torque rods, keepers and horns)
*Factory installed graphics
*Clear well-written picture assembly guide

*Kit requires:
*.40-.52 2-stroke .56-.82 4-stroke OR
*Power 46 brushless motor
*Electric - 60amp Switch Mode BEC ESC
*Electric - 4s LiPoly battery 3000-4000mAh
*3-4 servos (ailerons, elevator, rudder and optional throttle)
*Receiver
*4 channel minimum transmitter
*2 - 9-12" servo extensions for aileron servos

*Included for this review:

|
| @ts04.jpg:Thunder Power 4s 3850mAh LiPo battery
|> Capacity: |< 3850mAh

|> Voltage: |< 14.4V

|> Number of cells: |< 4

|> Weight: |< 14.4oz

|> C Rating: |< 30C

|> Max. Continuous Current: |< 115A
|> MSRP: |< $169.99

!Assembly
The Hangar 9 Toledo Special is a sport model, and it is a true ARF. It is safe to say that all of the difficult work was completed at the factory. The Toledo Special is highly prefabricated, covered, hinged and nearly ready to fly. The fuselage, wing and surfaces are factory covered with genuine UltraCote iron-on covering in a stunning cream and light blue scheme.

Most will find the Toledo Special can be assembled in just a couple of hours. Especially impressive was the covering scheme and colors: My wife even commented on how pretty this plane was! This never happens!

*Done by the factory:
*Surfaces hinged
*All surfaces and wing covered
*Firewall installed with various mounting options for Electric or Glow powered options
*Beautiful fiberglass cowl and wheel paints are factory painted and match the covering perfectly
*All control surface horns were factory installed!

*The builder needs to:
*Install the servos
*Install the motor and ESC
*Bolt on the tail feathers
*Install the landing gear and wheel pants

!!Landing Gear
Work begins on the undercarriage. The factory painted wheel pants are a work of art. The paint matches perfectly, and they are large and attractive.

@ts09.jpg: All of the hardware is in small plastic bags, each labeled for purpose. No mixing up tiny bolts and nuts on this airplane!
@ts10.jpg: A Dremel tool had some flat spots on the axles in a jiffy.
@ts11.jpg: The wheel and pants installed. Everything fit perfectly.
@ts12.jpg: The wheel pants had blind nuts installed making the installation a snap.
@ts13.jpg: Make sure you use a drop of thread locking compound on the bolts.
@ts14.jpg: The assembly was then attached to the fuselage. It had blind nuts ready for the gear bolts. Use thread locker here too.

!Fuselage
The fuselage on the Toledo Special has a tall cabin for the high wing and a vintage era flavor. The fuselage is well rounded and uses stringers in the rear for a pleasing shape.

!!Tail Assembly
The fuselage had a plate at the rear for mounting the bolt-on tail surfaces. I told you this airplane went together quickly!

@ts15.jpg: Here you see the vertical stabilizer and rudder with the long bolts.
@ts16.jpg: These bolts captures the horizontal stabilizer, and the entire tail keys and attaches with two lock nuts.
@ts17.jpg: The fit was perfect, and everything aligned properly.
@ts18.jpg: The long bolts go in the rear of the fuselage, and they attach the entire tail surface with two lock nuts.
@ts19.jpg: I appreciated the brilliance of having all of the hardware separated and labeled. No using the wrong bolts or nuts on this plane!
@ts20.jpg: The small lock nuts secure the tail.
@ts21.jpg: The tail is attached but remains removable, and with the two piece wing, it remains highly transportable.

All of the control horns for each surface are factory installed - a huge time saver!

@ts22.jpg: Even the covering is removed from the pushrod exits. This airplane simply offered no room for improvement.
@ts24.jpg: Standard hardware for the Toledo special. All was of excellent quality.
@ts25.jpg: The push-rods were factory cut for length and fit well.
@ts26.jpg: Adjustments were made easy with the clevis that can be turned in or out to set neutral position in the control surfaces.
@ts27.jpg: The steerable tail wheel was also factory installed and set up in the rudder.

Installation of the servos in the large fuselage was simple and quick. Even the servo screw holes are factory drilled and aligned to the JR digital full size servos perfectly.

@ts28.jpg: The JR DS821 high torque servos were a perfect drop-in fit. 90 degree bends are factory made, and nylon keepers secure the push-rod control ends to the servo output arms.

!!Power System
On to the nose of the beast. Electric setup was a snap.

@ts29.jpg: Here you see the mounting plate for the E-flite 60 amp ESC.
@ts30.jpg: The plate then mounts internally in the nose using factory installed blind nuts and bolts.
@ts31.jpg: The battery hatch is removed here for clarity.
@ts32.jpg: The ESC and battery floor assembly drops in and attaches with the bolts.
@ts33.jpg: The assembly bolts on one end and keys into a fuselage former on the other to fully secure the tray.

The motor simply bolts on the the fuselage using the long bolts and long aluminum stand-offs.

@ts34.jpg: The supplied bolts attach the motor to the firewall. The factory has mounted blind nuts for the electric two-stroke or four-stroke glow engine installations. Use thread locking compound on these bolts so they do not back out.

!!Windows and windscreen
The windows and windscreen on the Toledo Special really give this sport plane a scale look!

@ts36.jpg: The windscreen attaches with some canopy glue. It fit perfectly.
@ts37.jpg: The windows are all factory cut, and they fit perfectly in the cabin openings.
@ts38.jpg: The windows were held with some low-tack tape while the glue dried.

!!Wing
The wing halves for the Toledo Special were not glued together, aiding field transport and portability. They have included a large steel wing joiner tube and another rear alignment tube, so no gluing was necessary.

Mounting the aileron servos was completely standard, however, I deviated from the recommended method: I used blocks and screws and glued my servos to the trays. I have been using this method for many years, and I like the large glue surface area it allows.

@ts39.jpg: My servo mounting method deviates from the manual�s. I wrapped the servos with multi-stranded tape, then tape scuffed with sand paper until the threads on the tape just start to fray, aiding adhesion. I made sure the tape wrapped all the way around the servos for extra security.
@ts40.jpg: The servos were then glued right to the hatches. This method is very secure and has worked well for me on past airplanes. The glue surface area is large, but use a good quality 30 minute epoxy here. If later desired or needed, the servos can be removed by cutting the tape!

You will need two 9-12" servo extensions for each of the wing halves. A factory installed pull string is provided for the servo wires, a nice touch.

!!Cowl
The cowl follows the Hangar 9 ARF tradition of easy assembly. The cowl has holes drilled, the fuselage has corresponding blind nuts and the cowl bolts right on. The cowl to spinner gap and fit was perfect, again showing the quality very evident in Hangar 9 ARFs.

!!Power system
The recommended Power 46 brushless motor and 60AMP ESC were used in the Toledo Special.

@ts35.jpg: The Power 46 brushless motor provided ample power.

!!!Amp draws
The included brushless motor is perfect for use with 4s packs. With the Thunder Power 3850 mAh 4s pack it produced the following results:

|
| Motor statistics on 4s
| APC-e propeller | Amps | Watts | Voltage
| 13x6.5 | 40 | 596 | 14.9v
| 13x8 | 43.4 | 641 | 14.85v

These power levels gave the Toledo Special ~105 watts per lb enough for very spirited performance in a sport model. I find the 13x6.5 APC-e prop gives just the performance I am looking for yet it is not overworking any of the components. It�s perfect for a hassle-free, reliable sport plane setup. I liked the slower flight speeds it achieved, giving it a vintage looking slower fly-by.

The E-flite ESCs have provided consistent, impressive performance. The switch mode BEC will power 6-7 servos on 6s voltages. Not having to add supplemental BECs is always welcome!

I also use the E-flite ESC's programmer and software which makes ESC configuration a snap. This is a RS-232 computer link that enables you to install software and update settings like cutoff voltage, brake, timing, throttle range, acceleration range and frequency. I recommend setting the controller for 4s cutoff voltage with no brake.

!!Battery
A single 4s 3850 MAh Thunder Power battery was used to provide power. This pack weighs in at 14.4oz/403g. Performance of this Thunder Power pack was stellar, and as you can see it provided great voltage under a ~39amp load. I have also used Thunder Power 3300 4s packs in the Toledo as well, and it worked very well and still provided plenty of flight time and power output.

@ts04.jpg: The 403g 3850 MAh 4s pack provided plenty of power and electron storage. I could easily fly 15 minutes using the half power general flying style matched to the Toledo!

!!Finish
The Hangar 9 Toledo Special was covered in UltraCote two color scheme, and it was very attractive. Combined with the rounded lines and curves the Toledo Special is distinctive and very sharp. It has an old style vintage aviation look and feel. It also has some Toledo Special markings that add to the air appeal.

!Flying
Some pre-flight shots of the Hangar 9 Toledo Special.

@ts50.jpg:
@ts51.jpg:
@ts52.jpg:
@ts53.jpg:
@ts54.jpg:

With the 4s 3850MAh pack placed in the rear section of the tray the Toledo Special balanced at recommended starting CG of 70mm. It is nice when a model balances correctly with the recommended equipment. I found the lighter 4s packs also worked well even with the aft CG these lighter packs created.

!!Rates and transmitter setup
The trusted Spektrum DX7 transmitter was used for this plane. Rates were set as recommended in the manual with ailerons at 16/25mm, elevator at 22/35mm and rudder at 25/38mm in each direction. Exponential rates were set at my preferred 35% for the primary flight controls.

The recommended throws at low rates were fine for sport flights. Control surface throws are a very personal preference, so please adjust your accordingly.

The flight timer was set to count down from 10 minutes giving an audible warning to land long before the battery was depleted. The 3850 mAh pack was able to supply the Toledo Special with full throttle runs with no ill effects. Full throttle was rarely needed, however.

!!Basics
The Toledo Special is a large, attractive airplane but I was expecting very docile trainer like characteristics. I was correct but soon found that lurking inside this gentle plane was an aerobatic monster!

In-flight pics come from Ronnie. Thanks for these fantastic in-flight shots!

@ts60.jpg:
@ts61.jpg:

The Toledo really retains energy quite well. It�s so clean and slick that it will take a bit of space to slow down! I rarely use more than half throttle in normal flight except when doing aerobatics. It just looks at home on slow, low fly-bys!

@ts62.jpg:
@ts63.jpg:

!!Takeoff and Landing
The wide spread of the main gear on the Toledo gives it very solid ground handling. With the light wing loading and large wing it was airborne in a hurry. A slight nudge of elevator has this in the air with authority. It needs very little room for takeoff even on grass fields.

Landings were straightforward but be warned: The Toledo really carries energy well! It will slow down but you need some space to land this bird.

@ts64.jpg:
@ts65.jpg:

!!Special Flight Characteristics
The Toledo Special is an wonderfully performing sport airplane. Do not be deceived by the "high" wing; this airplane has the character of a point it and go acrobat!

The Toledo is just simply a honest flier. It goes where it is pointed, and it travels with a great deal of style. The plane penetrates and handles wind very well.

The plane stalls very predictably for a model with a low 20s in/oz wing loading. It drops a nose but not a wing, and recovery is very quick.

Loops require full power with the 13x6.5 propeller but that is just fine with me. Rolls are slow on low rates and just look magnificent. While they are not perfectly axial, they look just right for this high winged beauty. Inverted flight requires some "down" input but not too much. It flies well inverted.

@ts66.jpg:
@ts67.jpg:

Stall turns are also a thing of beauty but still not the most fun maneuver. My favorite is pulling the nose vertically, and with the great energy-retaining ability of the Toledo, it goes up nicely! When you still have some airspeed, hit full up, right elevator and rudder, then cut power. You will be rewarded with a wicked snap that starts in the up-line and then continues with furious continuation in the down line! I can't believe it stays in one piece, but this bird snaps like a beast! Recovery is very quick even with all those violent contortions.

!!Recommended power system
Power on 4s voltages was excellent. It in no way needs any more power. Performance more than covers any aerobatic maneuvers just short of 3D you want to do.

!!Is this plane for a beginner?
The Hangar 9 Toledo Special is not an all out trainer but certainly is not difficult to fly. It would make an excellent 2nd plane after that trainer or a decent trainer on the buddy box.

!Flight Video
+ts.wmv: The Hangar 9 Toledo Special and stock 4s electric power system.

!Conclusion
When first opening the box it was quickly apparent how remarkable this large ARF looked. The covering, fiberglass work were all perfect. The Toledo Special is a very impressive airplane not only in size but design and really shows off the vintage 30's/40's look of that era of aircraft.

It has a very impressive color scheme and markings. The cream and light blue blend well and are extremely attractive. Paint on the fiberglass wheel pants and cowl was amazing and matched the covering perfectly. The covering was also tight and expertly applied.

The Toledo Special is a well engineered ARF with extremely quick assembly. Assembly was completely straightforward. There was not one single problem encountered during assembly - something all too rare these days. The prefabricated parts fit was perfect , and nothing was misaligned.

The Toledo Special recommended electric power system provided more than enough motivation for the plane. It provided stunning power on 4s but those seeking more can certainly add a larger propeller.

Takeoffs and landings are just as simple as they can be, and the long fuselage requires very little rudder correction. Slow fly-bys really look great.

Acrobatics are a really treat with the Toledo Special. It is able to provide a great grin factor, and trust me, I am extremely pleased with the responsiveness of this ship. It is simply a blast to fly, and it�s large and easy to see. The Toledo Special will give any sport pilot a plane that not only looks great but flies even better.

*Hits:
*Vintage looks are stunning
*Fit and finish were impeccable
*Hardware is top notch
*Instruction manual is detailed and in plain English full of helpful pictures
*Extremely short assembly time
*Great performance and aerobatics prowess

*Misses:
*A few wrinkles developed

Check it out the hobby shop or buy direct at Horizon.

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Attached Files

ts.wmv (55.86 MB)

Discussion New GP Super sportster EP

Iflyrc_vic — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 13:16:22 GMT

Anyone got the NEW Super Sportster? There was an ealier offering of this planes that came with an installed brushed motor. It was red with yellow trim. This NEW offering seems to be the same plane with a new paint job and setup for a brushless motor. I am looking at it for a windy flyer. How does it handle the wind? The GP add says it is a good flyer for those "not so perfect" flying air days.
Thanks,
Vic

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Whoops! delete

yoshgixxer — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:09:17 GMT

wrong place for this!

Discussion Qtee-Thread gone?

eliworm — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:28:32 GMT

Anyone know why the Qtee thread was moved here?

http://www.rcgroups.com/bit-bucket-252/

Jim

Discussion Sa xs480 (axis)

chuckand — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:13:42 GMT

Finished my Stevens Aeromodel XS480 and had weather to fly over the weekend (No video yet).

I am very happy with performance, handling, etc. Nice build, typical SA quality (Excellent!). It feels like a much bigger airframe; great inverted performance, etc. Love the symmetric airfoil!

Recommended motor/electronics. I went with FP 2150 3s; no problems with balance. Might have to extend the batt tray forward if going 1800.

I've got some contrasting hilights to put on the top of the wing, but other than that, it's ready for floats as soon as they hit my front door-step.... (hint... hint...).

Chuck (in Aaaala Baaama)

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Discussion Kyosho Flash

jim e — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:33:15 GMT

This airframe has given me a lot of enjoyment and a lot of repair opportunities as well, starting with the dive into the cornfield (the infamous "tronics" lipolys), flying into two trees, and a bunch of hard landings. The fuse and cowl have been replaced w/used ones, the rest is original- reglued and beefed up the fin and literally "pinned" the rudder hinge to fuse. Alignment is fairly good; best its been in a while. Damaged the nippy so now the motor is a heads up 480 size- approx 21A on 3s w/9x5.5 folder. AUW is 920g or so w/3s 2150 lippoly. esc is Orion 45A- have to set the throttle travel every flight?? Been busy with new job -hope to fly more once the learning curve gets less steep. cheers jim

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Discussion Search Diablotin plan

cmelak1010 — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:23:00 GMT

Hi .. I want to build diablotin.wingspam is between 1200 mm and 1600mm... do you have it??? please.. send me the plan to cmelak1010seznam.cz

thank you very much :-)

Discussion E-flite xt 25e

gewiens — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 06:32:28 GMT

Ok, so i bought a eflite xt 25e for my first plane. Have been flying 450 copters for 3 years. Never did any hard core 3d but can fly it real good. Now ive looked on the net for this but cant find any real answer. Being that i started with copters-(2 copterx's and a blade 400) am i looking for trouble? Ive been on sim flyin plane for a long time now and thats what gave me the bug. I did take it out and taxi and had it take off on me cuz wind was gusting to about 10mph. Spun it around and landed it no problem.

Build Log Recovering of Hangar 9 RV-8 with new scheme

moxjett — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:07:28 GMT

I'm creating this thread as a Recover Log. I want to recover my H9 RV-8 in the chrome and red scheme displayed below. I'll start the thread with before pictures of the RV-8 in bare bones form as I tear off the factory covering and pictures of my progress as I recover the RV-8 and repaint the cowl, wheel pants and canopy.

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Discussion anyone remember "Black Max"?

blucor basher — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:53:27 GMT

Does anyone remember a design, I think available as plans from RCModeler Magazine in the early 80's, for a WWI-type parasol called a "Black Max"? Local flying buddy I and were trying to remember it...we'd like some plans if anyone by some chance has some. Just a nostalgia thing.

Thanks!

Discussion Wot 4

Frank Hurd — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:27:12 GMT

I bought an English mag, RCM&E, since Barnes and Noble here in Gulfport decided to carry them. Typical, wonderful English model magazine! Full size plans for a neat 3 channel electric amphibian. What really grabbed me was the announcements for the ARF Wot 4 by Chris Foss. A great looking airplane that can be a trainer or a really wild aerobatic ship. Plus, it sells for about $130 in England. I sure wish someone would carry it here in the US or even sell plans for it.
Frank

Discussion Which motor?

stingry — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:14:36 GMT

HI,

I just bought the CHIP 70E with the motor mount and currently own 2 X 4500 4S, 2 X 2000 4S and 1 X 4250 5S - all Hyperion LVX 25-40C

I am after the best motor for the lowest price. The hyperion looks good but a lot of guys I know are using Turnigys and really like them.

Any suggestions for a cheap motor / ESC that will provide good performance on 5S or 4S?

What is the most compatible with the Hyperion in terms of weight and performance?

Thanks in advance.

Pete
PHOENIX CLASSIC EP
HYPERION 25E SPITFIRE
HYPERION 70 CHIPMUNK

Discussion New GP Shoestring

birdbrain — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 18:12:51 GMT

Just saw this today and I'm afraid I need one. Thinking about getting my first Scorpion motor and ESC to go with it. Any recommendations?

Help! Midwest Electric Hots

cooper998 — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:59:04 GMT

Well I dusted off this kit that's been sitting on the shelf for the past ten years and figured I'd build it to kill some time.
Apparently when I purchased it on flea-bay I did not notice the instruction manual was missing :eek: . I do have the plans and could probably work off of them but was wondering if anyone has the manual they could scan for me or mail it (i'll cover the shipping) I would greatly appreciate it.

cooper998

Discussion Seeking ~50" Profile Plane Plans

mt_100 — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:34:34 GMT

I am looking for plans for planes like the discontinued Great Planes Gee Bee Profile kit and the still available Tower Fun 51 kit that are roughly 50" in wingspan and have a profile fuselage. They can be glow designs.

I know the Tower Fun 51 is still available but money is tight and I have a pile of wood to scratch build from.

I should also mention I don't 3D fly, prefer sport flying. So if it is a 3D design it would needs to do higher speed sport flying as well.

Let me know what ideas you have.