Horizon Hobby's Hangar 9 Brand Harmon Rocket RV-6 .46 ARF w/ EVO 46 Review - Page 3

Mchone, Jake · Nov 20, 2008, 04:00 PM

We're in the same boat, Ken!

Im running a Magnum .91 swinging the 16x6 APC. It does fly very scale. I've flown in two different RVs, an RV-6 and a 7, they both feel the same on the stick and so does the 1/4scale, on rec. low rates that is.. Mine will do at most 80mph, but I wich it was faster. The .91 will prop hang it for about 10-15sec before it starts making its way back down, so it has plenty of power, but I would like a 1.10 4S on it so I can swing the bigger prop to get up into the 100mph range!

But back on track!
I just had to do it...the winds were 12 gusting to 16 with a wind chill of 30*F, but I had to do it anyway!

The Saito fired right up on the first turn, but it took a while to warm up. After the warm up I taxied around a bit and got the feel of the tail. Its ground handling is very good and responsive, atleast in the grass. Take off was quick and strait out and the climb rate with a 12x8 Evo prop is wild! Nearly unlimited vertical! Lest just say I found it would hover well! I only needed a couple clicks down elevator and right aileron for hands off level flight at all throttle settings!

The roll rates are very nice, quick on rec. high rates and very scale looking on rec. low rates! The elevator feels real nice too! Full throttle full stick high and low rate loops are a ball! No roll tendancy, just tracks all the way around! KE is great as well, nearly no coupleing is needed!

Inverted is VERY smooth and rock solid, but on high rates with 35% expo I needed about half stick to hold inverted flight, but thats fine.

I couldn't be happyer! Ok, well, I could if the stock gear wasnt so crappy!!

My 2nd landing wa smooth, but a little hot and the gear flattened out untill thr prop did a great impression of POPEYE

What ARF's raplacment gear is a good substitute for this one's?

Mchone, Jake · Nov 22, 2008, 09:41 AM

I looked for some replacment wheelpants and main gear at 3 LHSs with no luck, but I did fnd a really nice (CHEAP!!) MPI Spinpro chrome spinner! Looks great on the nose! I also picked up a 12x10APC prop to try to get a little more speed tomarrow!

I'll try to get some video as well, but definatly more pix.

Mchone, Jake · Nov 30, 2008, 01:56 PM

I tried the 12x10APC, and the radar said 112mph from strait and level, but after trying a dive, I over sped the saito and nearly had to dead stick, but backed off and pulled out before the saito stalled. But im going back to the 12x8 untill I can find a 10x10 or 11x9 because the 12x10 is too much for the motor and too much for the airframe. On the 3rd strait and level 110+ pass I pulled vertical (not very hard, just made a 1/4 loop) and had wing tip flutter, so 110 is about as fast as I'd feel comfortable flying, and only then in low rate passes and slow rolls.

KenCz · Nov 30, 2008, 05:08 PM

Jake - Sounds great. I have not pushed mine that hard as I had engine problems most of the season but I finally got some help at the Club Saito thread and now the engine hums!
For replacement gear I went with the Seagull Spacewalker II gear. Very similar size, about 25% thicker aluminum and all I had to do was redrill 2 of the holes in the gear.
Far stronger but no indestrcutible. I saw another link on this plane and they talked about replacing the gear with a Hangar 9 CF Funtana gear but I'm not sure which one.
Also, check Troybuiltmodels.com. They have a whole selection of CF gear and perhaps one size will fit. I just looked at the gear as a replacement for the gear on my 73" 1/4 scale Yak (cheap gear again - would it really break the bank to go a little thicker??). The TBM CF gear is good but not cheap.
Think I paid about $12 for the Seagull Spacewalker gear. You can also add a wire/spring absorber system to the gear to make it more robust. (cross wire between wheels with center spring attached to lower fuse at centerline)
Good luck!
Ken

Mchone, Jake · Dec 01, 2008, 08:20 AM

I've had someproblems with my saito as well. Top end is great, but anything below 1/3 throttle it stumbles and nearly dies. With the glowstick on, it doesnt! Sounds like the glow plug right? Well I changed them last night with a brand new Saito plug and just got kicks I tested them both and if anything, the old one glows as bright if not brighter! So what could be wrong with it? Too rich?-flooding the plug? Too lean-not getting enough fuel? I've tried richening and leaning, no change other than when rich it will not die, but stumbles just as bad and sometimes will not transition to high throttle. When lean, it just dies strait away when trying to transition. I flew it with the glow stick on and it ran fine? But why would both plugs be the same, but run so bad w/o help? I've had the engine all summer and never had a problem after I let the local OCD engine master break it in.

The truss between the gar is a good idea, but too draggy when the stock gear is ok as long as you dont land hard, just land at a high idol and you'll greas it everytime! But there is always some hard landings, so I think I will order the space walker gear and try it out, thanks!

Sandmann · Mar 22, 2009, 09:08 AM

Heya... I just came across this thread. I'm actually on my second Rocket now and have been flying it for about a year, on and off. Mine uses a super tigre .61 with a 12x7 prop. It's a great plane that I enjoy flying, but it does have a couple of short-comings.

As you've noted the landing gear's made of cheese instead of aluminium. I've tried a couple of different sets from other planes but they were either too short which had the prop clipping on landing, or to swept back causing nose-overs on taxi. I eventually found a happy medium by cutting the two different sets up and pop-riveting them together It's not pretty, but now I know it works it'll be a template for a set I'll cut out myself.

You'll find the firewall & engine mount box is very strong, but it's barely attached to the fuselage. A little triangle section balsa & epoxy to reinforce all the joints around that area's a sound investment, as without it a hard landing can knock the whole front end off the plane easily. While you're at it, reinforce the timber that the wing bolts to with the same triangle section balsa - it pulls out very easily.

Another thing is the horizontal stab is very weak and is known for snapping as you pull out of a steep dive. I've soldered some electrical "ring connectors" to the ends of some push-rod wire and made braces from either end of the horizontal to the top of the vertical stab, which makes it quite robust without adding much weight.

The final thing is not so much a short-coming as a feature (or possibly a design flaw, depending how look at it). You've probably noticed this plane likes to land "hot", is reluctant to slow down, and tends to tip stall if you DO manage to get it slow, due to the short stubby wings. The Rocket 3 is a modified RV4, so I had a look at the Great Plane's RV4 kit which comes with flaps and "kit bashed" some flaps into the Rocket's wings. There's heaps of unused trailing edge available, however it's built up rather than solid balsa. I simply used a hobby knife to cut through the rearmost spar (continuing from the aileron toward the fuse) till about 2" from the fuse, then used a balsa saw to cut the flap out. This left me separate hollow "flaps" the right size, but not strong enough. I happened to have some wedge-shaped balsa scraps left over from a previous kit 's trailing edge so I trimmed them to the appropriate sized "plugs" about 1" long and glued them into the hollow spaces at either end of the new flaps to give strength and a firm location for hinges (I used four Robart point hinges because I had them handy but you could use CA hinges or whatever you like). I then cut a hole in the underside and glued solid balsa in where I was putting the control horns. To mount the servos I used some plastic servo mounts that go under the wings (stripped from a previous crash) so I reinforced two of the wing ribs and put some small hardwood spars in to mount them on.

With the flaps and a little up elevator mixed into the radio the plane will practically land itself. Just start your approach a little higher than usual at about 1/3 throttle, drop the flaps to about 30 degrees, and use your throttle to control descent rate. The flaps will slow the plane very quickly and allow it a high descent rate without a speed increase. Give it a slight throttle "blip" and a little more elevator just before touchdown to flair and it lands as smooth as silk.

Matt

Mchone, Jake · Mar 22, 2009, 10:55 AM

Mine comes in pretty easly on landings with no tipstall tendacies, but yes, it its hard to get it to slow down and flaps would be a nice feature, but would make the elevator even more sensitive at slow speeds, which leads some pilots to tip stalls when on approche shooting for a 3 pointer, or trying to flare, neitehr of which you shoudl do with this one. Just cut thethrottle on the down wind, and let the plne make its own glide path, only adding throttle for small pitch changes to get it to the runway. A touch of throttle in replace of a flare will result in a nice scale touchdown on the mains and the tial comes down quickly and stays there with the reduction of power and low-rate elevator input.

You have to remember, its a semi-scale Racer. It may not be the fastes because of the thick wing, but its still a racer with no washout and a loss of both Span and Chord from the RV-4's oigional wing, which is fast enough for most! And with that big 2-stroke your wing loading can be more, so slowing it down an keeping it from tip stalling is that much harder on yours.

But it is a very well behaved short plane. If you cant handle this type's traits, but still want teh performance from a .40 model, go with the Pulse XT. Flies VERY similar, but has a lot more wing area so landings are trainer-like.

Well, Im off to the field to wring mine out today!

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Nov 20, 2008, 04:00 PM	#31
Mchone, Jake ProBro #2797 Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Behind my Tx! Posts: 4,876	We're in the same boat, Ken! Im running a Magnum .91 swinging the 16x6 APC. It does fly very scale. I've flown in two different RVs, an RV-6 and a 7, they both feel the same on the stick and so does the 1/4scale, on rec. low rates that is.. Mine will do at most 80mph, but I wich it was faster. The .91 will prop hang it for about 10-15sec before it starts making its way back down, so it has plenty of power, but I would like a 1.10 4S on it so I can swing the bigger prop to get up into the 100mph range! But back on track! I just had to do it...the winds were 12 gusting to 16 with a wind chill of 30*F, but I had to do it anyway! The Saito fired right up on the first turn, but it took a while to warm up. After the warm up I taxied around a bit and got the feel of the tail. Its ground handling is very good and responsive, atleast in the grass. Take off was quick and strait out and the climb rate with a 12x8 Evo prop is wild! Nearly unlimited vertical! Lest just say I found it would hover well! I only needed a couple clicks down elevator and right aileron for hands off level flight at all throttle settings! The roll rates are very nice, quick on rec. high rates and very scale looking on rec. low rates! The elevator feels real nice too! Full throttle full stick high and low rate loops are a ball! No roll tendancy, just tracks all the way around! KE is great as well, nearly no coupleing is needed! Inverted is VERY smooth and rock solid, but on high rates with 35% expo I needed about half stick to hold inverted flight, but thats fine. I couldn't be happyer! Ok, well, I could if the stock gear wasnt so crappy!! My 2nd landing wa smooth, but a little hot and the gear flattened out untill thr prop did a great impression of POPEYE What ARF's raplacment gear is a good substitute for this one's?

Nov 22, 2008, 09:41 AM	#32
Mchone, Jake ProBro #2797 Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Behind my Tx! Posts: 4,876	I looked for some replacment wheelpants and main gear at 3 LHSs with no luck, but I did fnd a really nice (CHEAP!!) MPI Spinpro chrome spinner! Looks great on the nose! I also picked up a 12x10APC prop to try to get a little more speed tomarrow! I'll try to get some video as well, but definatly more pix.

Nov 30, 2008, 01:56 PM	#33
Mchone, Jake ProBro #2797 Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Behind my Tx! Posts: 4,876	I tried the 12x10APC, and the radar said 112mph from strait and level, but after trying a dive, I over sped the saito and nearly had to dead stick, but backed off and pulled out before the saito stalled. But im going back to the 12x8 untill I can find a 10x10 or 11x9 because the 12x10 is too much for the motor and too much for the airframe. On the 3rd strait and level 110+ pass I pulled vertical (not very hard, just made a 1/4 loop) and had wing tip flutter, so 110 is about as fast as I'd feel comfortable flying, and only then in low rate passes and slow rolls.

Nov 30, 2008, 05:08 PM	#34
KenCz Registered User Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 23	Jake - Sounds great. I have not pushed mine that hard as I had engine problems most of the season but I finally got some help at the Club Saito thread and now the engine hums! For replacement gear I went with the Seagull Spacewalker II gear. Very similar size, about 25% thicker aluminum and all I had to do was redrill 2 of the holes in the gear. Far stronger but no indestrcutible. I saw another link on this plane and they talked about replacing the gear with a Hangar 9 CF Funtana gear but I'm not sure which one. Also, check Troybuiltmodels.com. They have a whole selection of CF gear and perhaps one size will fit. I just looked at the gear as a replacement for the gear on my 73" 1/4 scale Yak (cheap gear again - would it really break the bank to go a little thicker??). The TBM CF gear is good but not cheap. Think I paid about $12 for the Seagull Spacewalker gear. You can also add a wire/spring absorber system to the gear to make it more robust. (cross wire between wheels with center spring attached to lower fuse at centerline) Good luck! Ken

Dec 01, 2008, 08:20 AM	#35
Mchone, Jake ProBro #2797 Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Behind my Tx! Posts: 4,876	I've had someproblems with my saito as well. Top end is great, but anything below 1/3 throttle it stumbles and nearly dies. With the glowstick on, it doesnt! Sounds like the glow plug right? Well I changed them last night with a brand new Saito plug and just got kicks I tested them both and if anything, the old one glows as bright if not brighter! So what could be wrong with it? Too rich?-flooding the plug? Too lean-not getting enough fuel? I've tried richening and leaning, no change other than when rich it will not die, but stumbles just as bad and sometimes will not transition to high throttle. When lean, it just dies strait away when trying to transition. I flew it with the glow stick on and it ran fine? But why would both plugs be the same, but run so bad w/o help? I've had the engine all summer and never had a problem after I let the local OCD engine master break it in. The truss between the gar is a good idea, but too draggy when the stock gear is ok as long as you dont land hard, just land at a high idol and you'll greas it everytime! But there is always some hard landings, so I think I will order the space walker gear and try it out, thanks!

Mar 22, 2009, 09:08 AM	#36
Sandmann Registered User Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 2	Heya... I just came across this thread. I'm actually on my second Rocket now and have been flying it for about a year, on and off. Mine uses a super tigre .61 with a 12x7 prop. It's a great plane that I enjoy flying, but it does have a couple of short-comings. As you've noted the landing gear's made of cheese instead of aluminium. I've tried a couple of different sets from other planes but they were either too short which had the prop clipping on landing, or to swept back causing nose-overs on taxi. I eventually found a happy medium by cutting the two different sets up and pop-riveting them together It's not pretty, but now I know it works it'll be a template for a set I'll cut out myself. You'll find the firewall & engine mount box is very strong, but it's barely attached to the fuselage. A little triangle section balsa & epoxy to reinforce all the joints around that area's a sound investment, as without it a hard landing can knock the whole front end off the plane easily. While you're at it, reinforce the timber that the wing bolts to with the same triangle section balsa - it pulls out very easily. Another thing is the horizontal stab is very weak and is known for snapping as you pull out of a steep dive. I've soldered some electrical "ring connectors" to the ends of some push-rod wire and made braces from either end of the horizontal to the top of the vertical stab, which makes it quite robust without adding much weight. The final thing is not so much a short-coming as a feature (or possibly a design flaw, depending how look at it). You've probably noticed this plane likes to land "hot", is reluctant to slow down, and tends to tip stall if you DO manage to get it slow, due to the short stubby wings. The Rocket 3 is a modified RV4, so I had a look at the Great Plane's RV4 kit which comes with flaps and "kit bashed" some flaps into the Rocket's wings. There's heaps of unused trailing edge available, however it's built up rather than solid balsa. I simply used a hobby knife to cut through the rearmost spar (continuing from the aileron toward the fuse) till about 2" from the fuse, then used a balsa saw to cut the flap out. This left me separate hollow "flaps" the right size, but not strong enough. I happened to have some wedge-shaped balsa scraps left over from a previous kit 's trailing edge so I trimmed them to the appropriate sized "plugs" about 1" long and glued them into the hollow spaces at either end of the new flaps to give strength and a firm location for hinges (I used four Robart point hinges because I had them handy but you could use CA hinges or whatever you like). I then cut a hole in the underside and glued solid balsa in where I was putting the control horns. To mount the servos I used some plastic servo mounts that go under the wings (stripped from a previous crash) so I reinforced two of the wing ribs and put some small hardwood spars in to mount them on. With the flaps and a little up elevator mixed into the radio the plane will practically land itself. Just start your approach a little higher than usual at about 1/3 throttle, drop the flaps to about 30 degrees, and use your throttle to control descent rate. The flaps will slow the plane very quickly and allow it a high descent rate without a speed increase. Give it a slight throttle "blip" and a little more elevator just before touchdown to flair and it lands as smooth as silk. Matt

Mar 22, 2009, 10:55 AM	#37
Mchone, Jake ProBro #2797 Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Behind my Tx! Posts: 4,876	Mine comes in pretty easly on landings with no tipstall tendacies, but yes, it its hard to get it to slow down and flaps would be a nice feature, but would make the elevator even more sensitive at slow speeds, which leads some pilots to tip stalls when on approche shooting for a 3 pointer, or trying to flare, neitehr of which you shoudl do with this one. Just cut thethrottle on the down wind, and let the plne make its own glide path, only adding throttle for small pitch changes to get it to the runway. A touch of throttle in replace of a flare will result in a nice scale touchdown on the mains and the tial comes down quickly and stays there with the reduction of power and low-rate elevator input. You have to remember, its a semi-scale Racer. It may not be the fastes because of the thick wing, but its still a racer with no washout and a loss of both Span and Chord from the RV-4's oigional wing, which is fast enough for most! And with that big 2-stroke your wing loading can be more, so slowing it down an keeping it from tip stalling is that much harder on yours. But it is a very well behaved short plane. If you cant handle this type's traits, but still want teh performance from a .40 model, go with the Pulse XT. Flies VERY similar, but has a lot more wing area so landings are trainer-like. Well, Im off to the field to wring mine out today!