Originally Posted by Fugitive_Bill

I'm still using the stock blind nuts, however I replaced the bolts/screws with hex/allen head ones.
I was tightening them up the other day and one felt like it going aroung-around-around and not getting any tighter and I'm thinking here we go I've stripped the blind nut.

However it finally got, as you say 'snug enough', so thankfully I wont have to muck around trying to replace the nut/s.
Because as we all know the reason for blind nuts is that they are normally in a position that is difficult to get to.
Still I'm little concerned when I go flying today I'll find that it really has stripped the nut. - We'll see!!

Should be easy enough to check before you go flying. ???
I still remem how pi55'd I got after doing all the initial mods on mine, waiting (im-)patiently 'til the club meet Sunday, loading the car, driving all the way out there....and when I went to mount the wing the day-umm cheap-arse Chinee POS went x-thread on me & jammed.....and after all that trial & tribulation I din't even get to fly! What worse could have happened?

I'll tell ya what! Trying to break it free later, not only did the blind nut pull out, it broke the freakin' wood & ripped the base plate apart. Took me like a month to get everything fixed (made replacement plywood base plate, & replaced 3mm crap with 4-40 hardware). One add'l tip re pulling blind nuts loose: insert vaseline coated screws, & drizzle 15-min epoxy all around the disc-surface of the nuts & surrounding wood.

Originally Posted by eosglider

All,
Regarding the Nylon bolts, do you think these will work?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000OCWC3C/ref=biss_dp_t_asn

Those look good, the phillips drive seems more stout than slotted type. Even better would be hex socket head type nylon bolts, however those are like pink elephants in the 35mm M3 size. Would have ordered the ones you found but already ordered these last week: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/270792441009

Originally Posted by Fugitive_Bill

I'm still using the stock blind nuts, however I replaced the bolts/screws with hex/allen head ones.
I was tightening them up the other day and one felt like it going aroung-around-around and not getting any tighter and I'm thinking here we go I've stripped the blind nut.

However it finally got, as you say 'snug enough', so thankfully I wont have to muck around trying to replace the nut/s.
Because as we all know the reason for blind nuts is that they are normally in a position that is difficult to get to.
Still I'm little concerned when I go flying today I'll find that it really has stripped the nut. - We'll see!![/url]

With you here too, thought it was just mine as that concerned feeling is there when joining the wing and fuse together. There's some healthy pressure at first while lining up the bolts through the wing and driving them into the fuse blind nuts. Those are long screws so it takes a while to thread them in, at some point they free up and just keep going around and around and around without any back pressure, then as my concern for a loosen blind nut takes hold the driver starts to load up and there's this relief that all is fine. This little drama for each bolt and then she's ready to fly

A bad crash of my model I had a few days ago. Now I'm almost done with repairing and ready to start painting

Which colour combination do you prefer / suggest ??

Phoenix 2000 penteli crash.wmv (2 min 13 sec)

Originally Posted by planekrazy

...There's some healthy pressure at first while lining up the bolts through the wing and driving them into the fuse blind nuts. Those are long screws so it takes a while to thread them in, at some point they free up and just keep going around and around and around without any back pressure, then as my concern for a loosen blind nut takes hold the driver starts to load up and there's this relief that all is fine. This little drama for each bolt and then she's ready to fly

Can't believe how well you've covered the li'l emotional gamut I've been thru just about every time I've mounted my wing. SO glad to hear it wasn't just me going thru the 'little drama' as you put it. *LOL*

What's the bummer is, when it gets down to the end and you KNOW something's gone wrong.....'cuz at that point, it's too late & nothing you can do. If there's one thing I could have different about the Phoenix, it'd be some different method of tying that wing & fuse together!

Originally Posted by StarHopper44

If there's one thing I could have different about the Phoenix, it'd be some different method of tying that wing & fuse together!

How about going old school with with rubber bands and whatever those pegs are called on the fuse. Wing would just need reinforcement on the LE and TE for rubber bands not to cut into the foam, and the original bolt holes can be used for alignment purposes with some dowel guides.

Originally Posted by eosglider

How about going old school with with rubber bands and whatever those pegs are called on the fuse. Wing would just need reinforcement on the LE and TE for rubber bands not to cut into the foam, and the original bolt holes can be used for alignment purposes with some dowel guides.

Have thought of. My main hesitation comes from lack of knowledge of how critical 'sleekness' is to performance of these (in general) & this (in specific) gliders might be. Something else I've considered...and still in the mindwerx for that matter, is just cutting off the damaged portions of the butts in effect shortening the span maybe 4" or so, & joining them perhaps permanently. In effect, make 'em a 1-pc wing. I haven't even started repairs, in indecision about that one factor. If I can ever come up with a new set of wings, I'll go that way with the original set without a second's thought.

Hi everyone. Maiden slope flying for my phoenix!

Phoenix 2000 slope flying (3 min 59 sec)

Gorillas,
Can you elaborate on what you are doing with all the flap work on your video? Why so much flap movent? I am not a sloper so sorry if it's just my ignorance.

Love the way you guys all have cameras on for your maidens
Who would have thought it a few years ago.

Originally Posted by S.Bartfast

Love the way you guys all have cameras on for your maidens
Who would have thought it a few years ago.

O, there's a method to the madness. It's called "getting at least a picture of it before it's smashed into a gazillion pieces." Some refer to this as 'the Before' of the 'Before & After' shots.

Seriously, I was commenting not long ago when someone started preaching about what I "should do" to get better videos than my li'l $9 KeyCam produced on my first try -- first part of his "advice" involved buying a $300 camera & you can pretty well guess the rest, all the way up to buying quality video editing software, adding soothing music soundtrack....yada dadah blahda!!! -- that 6 months prior I would have never even DREAMED I would shortly be filming myself from a plane I was flying 400 feet above by remote control .... and considering that we were watching a video showing just that, I was plenty happy - and amazed - with what I had done!

And if someone had told me a year prior I'd be doing it, I'd have likely said "Yeah, ri-i-i-ight" & walked away from 'em real quick.

Originally Posted by gorillas

Hi everyone. Maiden slope flying for my phoenix!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pjc4...94AUAAAAAAAAAA

Uhhhhh...G-menky, you gettin' a little senile there guy?
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showp...postcount=1503
Or just post the wrong video this 2nd time around?


I thought I recognized that finger-work (at the beginning)....but the flaps gave it away for sure! *LOL*

Oh yeah....about the 'finger work'. Anybody else find that fuse to be kinda slick-ish around that one point you hurl from? I've been thinking of adding a small patch of sandpaper/emery cloth or something at that spot for better grip. It's not so much that you've gotta toss it all that hard - she practically flies 'erself out of your hand -- but with the weight distribution at that hold-point, more than once I've nearly had the wind blow it out of my grip as I was walking out to the pilot's station, turning around & positioning myself to launch, etc. Those big wings catch a lot of wind, they do! Again, biggest thing that's kept me from doing it (adding some 'grippy') is concern for how it might affect gliding. That, & not decided yet what'd be best to use.

Anyway, y'all fly the same plane so you must have experienced it too. Given some kinda remedy any thought??

Originally Posted by StarHopper44

I've been thinking of adding a small patch of sandpaper/emery cloth or something at that spot for better grip.

Now that you mention it, yes, this thing is slippery! I'm going to try just plain 3M heavy duty packing tape. Light enough, already own it, and I find it grippy enough to use on the launch wingtip of my Alula EVO SAL glider. Feels slightly rubbery against your fingers and should stick to that fuse OK if the decals do.

My First aerial footage with the Phoenix using a Mini DV!

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?s...5412626&type=1

Marsascala from the Air (10 min 11 sec)

Originally Posted by StarHopper44

Uhhhhh...G-menky, you gettin' a little senile there guy?
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showp...postcount=1503
Or just post the wrong video this 2nd time around?


I thought I recognized that finger-work (at the beginning)....but the flaps gave it away for sure! *LOL*

I dont quite understand what you are saying. I just double posted the video because it refered to two different target groups:
1. #16 keychain users
2. Phoenix owners

Originally Posted by eosglider

Gorillas,
Can you elaborate on what you are doing with all the flap work on your video? Why so much flap movent? I am not a sloper so sorry if it's just my ignorance.

The flaps I use them in order to gain height and at the same time slow down the glider and keep it near the slope. But I am not the proper person to give you advice!