Originally Posted by andrejk

SUCCESS! Maidened my Assassin today. It's actually my second Assassin maiden in three days but I'll get back to that later.

So SUCCESS! Thanks to Lee and everyone who had input into this design. It's a winner and I'm already working on another one (embedded lights for night flight!).

Now, about last Friday. That was my first Assassin maiden. I unwisely used a knock-off Spektrum AR6100e receiver. Although it tested fine on the ground and had a good first flight, on the second flight it lost signal when my son took it a little farther than I did. It flew beautifully and descended slowly into a soybean patch a few hundred feet away. Two 2-hour search sessions were unfruitful, so I ordered another Assassin body on Saturday, it arrived on Monday (!!), I built it Monday night and flew it today (Tuesday)--with a real Spektrum A6100e.

Edit: added pictures after finishing the decal/foil job

Great looking plane. Thanks for the feedback.

We have had a couple of planes go into a local swamp by our flying field where the bushes are tall enough to make lost planes hard to find. Here is our trick. Before you start to run towards the plane visually mark the line it went down from where you are standing. Often what you think will be an easy find is not and you have to keep looking long enough you loose the line.

We will put something on the ground to mark the place the spotter was standing and then sight a tree or mountain in the distance beyond where the plane was last seen then we walk the line looking for the plane. We also do this if we see something fall off the plane too like a battery or motor in combat.

Originally Posted by Lee

I don't use the 3M90 on every plane but I will use it at times. The 3M90m will totally dry while the 3M77 stays sticky and heavier. I let the 3M90 dry overnight. When you spray the 3M90 it looks like you have cottage cheese on the wing. But don't panic.... when you iron it the roughness goes away and it smooths out well.

Don't over drill any of the holes for the linkages in the horns and servo arms, make sure they are tight so there is no slop. I have seen several planes lately where the EZ connector can move in the hole in the horn and the wire is loose in the servo arm because the holes are too big. Repeat after me "Tight Linkages!!!!" It does make a difference.

Where laminate goes there will be 3M90, at least for me.

The Dubro EZ connector hole can be drilled 1/16" and especially if you use the metal collar on its spindle. The technical words escape me. Like Lee said the Dubro needs to go on the control horn on the elevon.
here are two reasons:

1, The Dubro sticking up from the servo arm breaks the servo arm much easier because of the leverage on that arm.
2, If you try to catch your plane the Dubro on the servo will have wire sticking out of it that will jab you in your hand.


The Z-connection should try to be squeezed into the servo horn. If you drill it 1/16" it might be a little loose because 1/16" is .065" and the zbent wire as supplied by Lee is .047". If that hole needs to be relieved drill it with smaller than 1/16 or relieve a little with an exacto knife

Originally Posted by Lee

Don't over drill any of the holes for the linkages in the horns and servo arms, make sure they are tight so there is no slop.

Unless you have very small metric bits, I think it is best to avoid the drill all together.

I take the push-rod, hold it over the stove's burner for about 10 seconds, and then push it through the plastic QUICKLY and push it through past the hot part before it can burn a hole any larger than EXACTLY what you need.

Can't get any tighter than that...

Originally Posted by Telemachus

Unless you have very small metric bits, I think it is best to avoid the drill all together.

I take the push-rod, hold it over the stove's burner for about 10 seconds, and then push it through the plastic QUICKLY and push it through past the hot part before it can burn a hole any larger than EXACTLY what you need.

Can't get any tighter than that...

Excellent idea!!

Originally Posted by Telemachus

Unless you have very small metric bits, I think it is best to avoid the drill all together.

I take the push-rod, hold it over the stove's burner for about 10 seconds, and then push it through the plastic QUICKLY and push it through past the hot part before it can burn a hole any larger than EXACTLY what you need.

Can't get any tighter than that...

I will give that a try for sure!
Thanks,

nut

Here is my Assassin,

The flight is great,

Motor-AX 2308N rewind to 2200kv
Zagi prop 5x4.5
1250mAh battery

Looks great! Is it painted, or is that monokote?

My soars with a 1700kv motor, I can't imagine a 2200!

Colored packing tape only. Is very light.
Weight ready to fly is 380g (13.4oz aprox.)

I'm thinking of upgrading to a heli motor (3800kv rewind for 3300kv) and APC 4.1x4.1 prop. I used in a mini pylon slipso.
A 1800mAh battery should be ok.

Teste motor Pylon (0 min 38 sec)

Maidened my third Assassin today. This one is my night flyer with embedded LED strips in the foam. I'll post video next time... my son/flying partner couldn't make it. I think people driving on the road near the field might call in some UFO sightings.

It was overcast all day with shifting winds and storms coming through. Perfect flying weather for the Assassin! I hit the field before dusk and trimmed everything out and then got a couple of night flights in before the wind and clouds got REALLY scary. (For my safetly, not the plane's!) I put the TR 28-26 1650Kv motor in this one and it really zips on full throttle. But I have to adjust my flight timer down to 6-7 minutes from the 8-10 minutes on the FC 28-12 I use on the other Assassin. (That's all with a 1300mah 3S.)

The lights draw about 500ma so that isn't a huge factor on battery life.

My Grim Reaper is on order. I'm addicted. All the fun of RC flying without the stress of breaking my stuff!

[Edit: added photos.. this thing looks BAD-ARSE when it's flying right at you!]

Plane looks great.

We had a group of about 7 flyers out night flying tonight too. We flew in the middle of one of the local towns and had 40-60 cars of people come to see what we were doing. Night flying is a good way to fly if you want to get seen. We had people from as far as 4 miles away that saw us.

By the way. We were flying combat and formation most of the time.

Originally Posted by Telemachus

Looks great! Is it painted, or is that monokote?

My soars with a 1700kv motor, I can't imagine a 2200!

First flight. It was really windy days. And she behaved very well both at low and at high speed.

asa (2 min 53 sec)

This is my Assassin made from EPS. I mounted my GoPro Hero HD camera on it this weekend and tested it at a friends cabin.

Make sure to see the hand catch at the end.. (and watch it in HD!)

Assassin Combat Wing Go HD with amazing hand catch! (1 min 1 sec)

Originally Posted by andrejk

Maidened my third Assassin today. This one is my night flyer with embedded LED strips in the foam. I'll post video next time... my son/flying partner couldn't make it. I think people driving on the road near the field might call in some UFO sightings.

It was overcast all day with shifting winds and storms coming through. Perfect flying weather for the Assassin! I hit the field before dusk and trimmed everything out and then got a couple of night flights in before the wind and clouds got REALLY scary. (For my safetly, not the plane's!) I put the TR 28-26 1650Kv motor in this one and it really zips on full throttle. But I have to adjust my flight timer down to 6-7 minutes from the 8-10 minutes on the FC 28-12 I use on the other Assassin. (That's all with a 1300mah 3S.)

The lights draw about 500ma so that isn't a huge factor on battery life.

My Grim Reaper is on order. I'm addicted. All the fun of RC flying without the stress of breaking my stuff!

[Edit: added photos.. this thing looks BAD-ARSE when it's flying right at you!]

way cool!
what light sets did you use?

nut

Originally Posted by Lee

Plane looks great.

We had a group of about 7 flyers out night flying tonight too. We flew in the middle of one of the local towns and had 40-60 cars of people come to see what we were doing. Night flying is a good way to fly if you want to get seen. We had people from as far as 4 miles away that saw us.

By the way. We were flying combat and formation most of the time.

My wife caught some video of the fun. It's kinda long (I acually cut down a lot).

Night Flying 8/21/2010 (9 min 1 sec)

Originally Posted by chicken hawk

My wife caught some video of the fun. It's kinda long (I acually cut down a lot).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXE4-aKuDNY

You guys don't take any Prisoners ..... that's for sure .....

great display ......