Electric Seawind by Great Planes/Electrifly - Page 3

tic · Aug 20, 2007, 04:47 PM

I tried a TP 1320 11.1 volt pack and wasn't happy.. It would not ROG and needed extra weight in the nose.... My tanic 1500 3S pack is a world of difference, no extra weight needed and it had much more power

Thomas B · Aug 20, 2007, 11:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tic

I tried a TP 1320 11.1 volt pack and wasn't happy.. It would not ROG and needed extra weight in the nose.... My tanic 1500 3S pack is a world of difference, no extra weight needed and it had much more power

How are the comparable ages of the packs? Any chance the 1320 is a little older with more cycles on it?

A 1320 in good shape really ought to do fairly well, as the load is only about 10-11C.

However, I did notice a touch more oomph in the same model (not a Seawind) going from a 3S 1320 TP prolite to a 3S Dualsky 1700, and both packs were on their third cycle and were bought at the same time.

burkefj · Aug 21, 2007, 02:21 AM

I just finished mine tonight, using a berg 4l mounted forward as is the 25 amp heli-max speed control and rimfire motor. Would not balance with the 1320 as I was hoping, a 2200 align 20c all the way forward was the ticket, as was the 2100 TP, I was getting about 7050 rpm with the stock prop and 11.5 amps peak, about 135 watts. AUW is around 20 ounces-20.5.

Hoping to maiden tomorrow. Kit went together nicely, no real modifications, did some hinge tape over the wing joints above and below to seal out water.

Crud, I just realized I never glued in the servo tray, it was a nice snug press fit...........good thing I decided to type this up.........man, don't work on planes when tired.

Frank

Thomas B · Aug 21, 2007, 11:50 AM

There must be some differences in molded fuse weight, or something....perhaps in the weight of paint applied.

My Berg 4L is under the wing and my lighter 3S 1700 is not all the way forward in the battery compartment and I am making the stock CG.......which I still think it a little conservative on the part of GP. I am going to pull the CG back about 1/8-3/16 this weekend on the next flights.

burkefj · Aug 21, 2007, 02:48 PM

What a Sweatheart! I put in two flights with an Align 2100 20C 3S and a TP 2100 3S 12C pack. CG was spot on, plane was very stable, could probably move it back to get better snaps.

I was worried that the 8x6 prop wouldn't be sufficient, I checked it at 7050 rpm, thrusthp said about .6 pounds of thrust, however the plane flew great.

Takeoff was pretty uneventful. I did notice you do have to hold full up elevator and keep the throttle up to get good steering response when taxiing. If you don't hold the tail down with throttle/elevator it doesn't respond well. I was also worried that the throws were a little on the low side, but I found that the low rates were quite good and I only used high rate for faster rolls. The ailerons were quite effective on takeoff, as soon as a little speed is built up you can use them easily to keep the wings level.

This plane has a very nice scale takeoff run, it isn't short, won't shoot off the water, but it accellerates quickly, I found holding full up elevator, it tracked very straight, if it did catch a wingtip, it just yawed, and didn't do anything drastic. So, hold full up elevator, full throttle, keep wings level and let it break off the water. Flying at half throttle was nice and easy and kept altitude, if you don't bank too hard. Split Esses at 60% throttle were nice and big, rolls took a bit of down elevator when inverted. If flies inverted very well, nice outside loops. I did notice that even with the large amount of throw on full rates the rudder isn't very effective in the air, you can't really fly it rudder/elevator only, and it didn't want to do stall turns well.

landing was a piece of cake, chop throttle on downwind, gentle turn to base and final, keep the nose level and let it slow, I greased a few landings, and a few stalled a few inches above the water and it just plopped and skipped a couple of times, but never dug the nose in. All in all a real pleasure to assemble, and fly, a nice generic aerobatic seaplane!

Frank

Tom Korn · Aug 21, 2007, 06:03 PM

I guess I better try one, sounds great.

tic · Aug 21, 2007, 10:24 PM

I just went swimming after mine!....

SON OF PALEFACE · Aug 21, 2007, 10:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tic

I just went swimming after mine!....

why , you dont swim for an electric seaplane

jamesdr · Aug 22, 2007, 01:27 AM

I picked up one from my LHS today. Overall a pretty good kit although a bit pricey (by about $15) for foam. I was impressed with the amount of finishing done and not a lot of shipping rash. I got the recommended Rimfire 28-30-950. Everything fit just fine except that the pushrod for the elevator is too short! I got two rudder pushrods.

No big worries, just a hassle. Otherwise it would be a one night build.

Jim

tic · Aug 22, 2007, 09:06 AM

Actually, I only had to swim for the canopy, the plane was upside down (take off accident) and I was able to boat it in, prop and motor submerged.

tdearth · Aug 23, 2007, 12:00 PM

Just finished putting mine together. Started this morning and it is done.
This is the fastest ARF I ever assembled.

Hope to maiden this weekend.

Tim

tdearth · Aug 23, 2007, 03:01 PM

One question.
Is the water rudder supposed to be twisted?
Mine has a twist that would turn the plane to the left if the rudder
was neutral.

Tim

jamesdr · Aug 23, 2007, 03:05 PM

I noticed mine was twisted also. And except for having to make another trip to the hobby shop yesterday evening to get the elevator pushrod, this ARF would have gone together in about 3 easy hours.

Jim

tdearth · Aug 23, 2007, 03:53 PM

I ran into one other problem.
I noticed that my wing did not seem to lock down tightly and I found that the
hold down screw was not long inough to extend into it's hardpoint enough.

I went ahead and popped off the little foam wing support because I was going to glue on a taller hardwood block for the screw to meet.
What I found was that there was a 3mm steel blind nut in there, but the hold down screw is a wood screw. I am going to have to find a 3mm machine screw long enough to reach the blind nut. Or just replace the entire wing mount set up with something else.

Did everyone else have a wood screw for the hold down screw?

Tim

burkefj · Aug 23, 2007, 05:45 PM

That's interesting, yes I had a wood screw, or at least a very coarse machine screw, mine also didn't feel real snug, till I held the wing down tight and carefully tightened it down till it was bottomed out fully, I didn't dig around and see a blind nut since I saw it was a wood screw

I think my attachment is pretty snug, and I don't see that I'll ever need to pull the wing off any time soon, In fact I taped over all the wing joints to keep water out.

Frank

Quote:

Originally Posted by tdearth

I ran into one other problem.
I noticed that my wing did not seem to lock down tightly and I found that the
hold down screw was not long inough to extend into it's hardpoint enough.

I went ahead and popped off the little foam wing support because I was going to glue on a taller hardwood block for the screw to meet.
What I found was that there was a 3mm steel blind nut in there, but the hold down screw is a wood screw. I am going to have to find a 3mm machine screw long enough to reach the blind nut. Or just replace the entire wing mount set up with something else.

Did everyone else have a wood screw for the hold down screw?

Tim

Aug 21, 2007, 02:48 PM	#35
burkefj Registered User Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 2,201	Maiden this morning.... What a Sweatheart! I put in two flights with an Align 2100 20C 3S and a TP 2100 3S 12C pack. CG was spot on, plane was very stable, could probably move it back to get better snaps. I was worried that the 8x6 prop wouldn't be sufficient, I checked it at 7050 rpm, thrusthp said about .6 pounds of thrust, however the plane flew great. Takeoff was pretty uneventful. I did notice you do have to hold full up elevator and keep the throttle up to get good steering response when taxiing. If you don't hold the tail down with throttle/elevator it doesn't respond well. I was also worried that the throws were a little on the low side, but I found that the low rates were quite good and I only used high rate for faster rolls. The ailerons were quite effective on takeoff, as soon as a little speed is built up you can use them easily to keep the wings level. This plane has a very nice scale takeoff run, it isn't short, won't shoot off the water, but it accellerates quickly, I found holding full up elevator, it tracked very straight, if it did catch a wingtip, it just yawed, and didn't do anything drastic. So, hold full up elevator, full throttle, keep wings level and let it break off the water. Flying at half throttle was nice and easy and kept altitude, if you don't bank too hard. Split Esses at 60% throttle were nice and big, rolls took a bit of down elevator when inverted. If flies inverted very well, nice outside loops. I did notice that even with the large amount of throw on full rates the rudder isn't very effective in the air, you can't really fly it rudder/elevator only, and it didn't want to do stall turns well. landing was a piece of cake, chop throttle on downwind, gentle turn to base and final, keep the nose level and let it slow, I greased a few landings, and a few stalled a few inches above the water and it just plopped and skipped a couple of times, but never dug the nose in. All in all a real pleasure to assemble, and fly, a nice generic aerobatic seaplane! Frank

Aug 21, 2007, 06:03 PM	#36
Tom Korn We'll all float on OK Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Casselberry, Florida Posts: 1,367	I guess I better try one, sounds great. Last edited by Tom Korn; Aug 21, 2007 at 08:53 PM.

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Aug 20, 2007, 04:47 PM	#31
tic thunderscreech Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: New Cumberland, PA. US Posts: 10,779	I tried a TP 1320 11.1 volt pack and wasn't happy.. It would not ROG and needed extra weight in the nose.... My tanic 1500 3S pack is a world of difference, no extra weight needed and it had much more power

Aug 21, 2007, 02:21 AM	#33
burkefj Registered User Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 2,201	I just finished mine tonight, using a berg 4l mounted forward as is the 25 amp heli-max speed control and rimfire motor. Would not balance with the 1320 as I was hoping, a 2200 align 20c all the way forward was the ticket, as was the 2100 TP, I was getting about 7050 rpm with the stock prop and 11.5 amps peak, about 135 watts. AUW is around 20 ounces-20.5. Hoping to maiden tomorrow. Kit went together nicely, no real modifications, did some hinge tape over the wing joints above and below to seal out water. Crud, I just realized I never glued in the servo tray, it was a nice snug press fit...........good thing I decided to type this up.........man, don't work on planes when tired. Frank

Aug 21, 2007, 11:50 AM	#34
Thomas B Electric Coolhunter Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Fort Worth, TX, USA Posts: 8,770	There must be some differences in molded fuse weight, or something....perhaps in the weight of paint applied. My Berg 4L is under the wing and my lighter 3S 1700 is not all the way forward in the battery compartment and I am making the stock CG.......which I still think it a little conservative on the part of GP. I am going to pull the CG back about 1/8-3/16 this weekend on the next flights.

Aug 21, 2007, 10:24 PM	#37
tic thunderscreech Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: New Cumberland, PA. US Posts: 10,779	I just went swimming after mine!....

Aug 22, 2007, 01:27 AM	#39
jamesdr Unrepentant Carnivore Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Brandon, Fl Posts: 1,810	I picked up one from my LHS today. Overall a pretty good kit although a bit pricey (by about $15) for foam. I was impressed with the amount of finishing done and not a lot of shipping rash. I got the recommended Rimfire 28-30-950. Everything fit just fine except that the pushrod for the elevator is too short! I got two rudder pushrods. No big worries, just a hassle. Otherwise it would be a one night build. Jim

Aug 22, 2007, 09:06 AM	#40
tic thunderscreech Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: New Cumberland, PA. US Posts: 10,779	Actually, I only had to swim for the canopy, the plane was upside down (take off accident) and I was able to boat it in, prop and motor submerged.

Aug 23, 2007, 12:00 PM	#41
tdearth Registered User Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: South of Indianapolis In Posts: 1,953	Just finished putting mine together. Started this morning and it is done. This is the fastest ARF I ever assembled. Hope to maiden this weekend. Tim

Aug 23, 2007, 03:01 PM	#42
tdearth Registered User Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: South of Indianapolis In Posts: 1,953	One question. Is the water rudder supposed to be twisted? Mine has a twist that would turn the plane to the left if the rudder was neutral. Tim

Aug 23, 2007, 03:05 PM	#43
jamesdr Unrepentant Carnivore Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Brandon, Fl Posts: 1,810	I noticed mine was twisted also. And except for having to make another trip to the hobby shop yesterday evening to get the elevator pushrod, this ARF would have gone together in about 3 easy hours. Jim

Aug 23, 2007, 03:53 PM	#44
tdearth Registered User Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: South of Indianapolis In Posts: 1,953	I ran into one other problem. I noticed that my wing did not seem to lock down tightly and I found that the hold down screw was not long inough to extend into it's hardpoint enough. I went ahead and popped off the little foam wing support because I was going to glue on a taller hardwood block for the screw to meet. What I found was that there was a 3mm steel blind nut in there, but the hold down screw is a wood screw. I am going to have to find a 3mm machine screw long enough to reach the blind nut. Or just replace the entire wing mount set up with something else. Did everyone else have a wood screw for the hold down screw? Tim