Archive for May, 2008
Man, it was a warm one today. First really hot weather of the year. Everyone was leaving the club just as I got there...which means I had the place to myself. 
I've promised some pix of the project planes, so I thought that I'd at least provide some shots on the ground. No one around to take action shots!
Oh, and the performance on "The Bruise" is much improved. Seems as if the cable I was using wasn't allowing the throttle to open all the way. Fixed that problem with a pushrod. An 11x7 Master Airscrew prop awaits the chance to replace the 11x6 Zinger which has served so well until now, even though it may have been a bit much for the Thunder Tiger GP .40 it came attached to.
This Evolution 46 has no trouble swinging this prop! Even though it's a bit underpitched from the factory recommendations, the difference between it and the .40 is amazing. Snap rolls and knife edge are a flick of the sticks away. The SPAD is running better the more I run the crud out of the engine and there's plenty of compression, but there's a lot of oil blow-by past the front crank bearing and the nut at the end of the carb hold-down bolt is stripped. Carb's nice and tight, though. I've been fiddling with the low end and I think I finally got it working right.
Re. "The Bruise:" I'd have never guessed that a fifteen-year-old castoff which the original builder/owner couldn't give away (except to me) would become one of my favorite planes.
I've promised some pix of the project planes, so I thought that I'd at least provide some shots on the ground. No one around to take action shots!
Oh, and the performance on "The Bruise" is much improved. Seems as if the cable I was using wasn't allowing the throttle to open all the way. Fixed that problem with a pushrod. An 11x7 Master Airscrew prop awaits the chance to replace the 11x6 Zinger which has served so well until now, even though it may have been a bit much for the Thunder Tiger GP .40 it came attached to.
This Evolution 46 has no trouble swinging this prop! Even though it's a bit underpitched from the factory recommendations, the difference between it and the .40 is amazing. Snap rolls and knife edge are a flick of the sticks away. The SPAD is running better the more I run the crud out of the engine and there's plenty of compression, but there's a lot of oil blow-by past the front crank bearing and the nut at the end of the carb hold-down bolt is stripped. Carb's nice and tight, though. I've been fiddling with the low end and I think I finally got it working right.
Re. "The Bruise:" I'd have never guessed that a fifteen-year-old castoff which the original builder/owner couldn't give away (except to me) would become one of my favorite planes.
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Views: 512
Built from a Global Hobby kit in 1993, removed fom service around 2000 and restored to service in 2008, this Raven profiler I've nicknamed "The Bruise" is a genuine blast to fly! Note the shameless self-promotion on the tail. -
Views: 351
"The Bruise" just in front of my club's pit area. -
Views: 374
Another shot between the pits and the runway. One of those extra "feathers" is trim tape which was used to repair a tear in the covering which had orignally been patched from behind. -
Views: 375
Fresh off a perfect flight, this homebuilt "simple plastic airplane design" or "SPAD" came to me courtesy of another RCGroups user who could no longer fly glow in his area. -
Views: 387
Yup. that's a reinforced foam wing covered with covering film, but I have no idea what plane it's from. Those narrow ailerons make for a slow roll rate. Yes, that's more shameless promotion for the site at the nose. -
Views: 384
This refugee from The Home Depot is really a heck of a lot of fun. Now all I need to do is to get a trainer cord so that I can teach my dad how to fly the thing. Fast and fun at high throttle settings, nice and docile down low.
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UPDATE: Flew it with the 46 today! Definite difference, but not as dramatic as I'd expected since I used the same 11x6 prop I'd used on the .40. An 11x7 is the recommended prop for that engine anyway. One shall be going on ASAP.
I have a strong opinion regarding my area's weather as of late, but since this is a family forum, I'll let the smiley give you a hint:
Thank you, Smiley. There'll be a little something extra in your paycheck.
Yes, it's windier than all get-out.
However, "The Bruise" is set and ready for when the wind dies down. I have run nearly six tanks of fuel over roughly ten flights (if memory serves) and I have had nothing but fun with that plane; the aerobatic potential is incredible. Snaps, loops, rolls both inside and out, Cubans, half-Cubans, hands-off inverted flight, Immelmann turns...you name it, "The Bruise" is nearly up to the task. I say "nearly" only because of the slightly too-small engine.
Not bad for a model that was built in 1993. The original owner saw it fly for the first time in more than five years just the other day.
A .46 awaits reinstallation when I get the new needle valve. The new/old Thunder Tiger GP 40 is nicely broken in and pulls with pretty good authority, but according to the previous owner, nowhere near what it'll do once the .46 gets settled in.
His engine of choice was a Magnum .45 with a tuned pipe (long since discontinued) but I don't recall his choice of props. He did say that it made that plane a ridiculously fast combination pylon racer and aerobatic model.
I really want some pix, but every time I bring my camera, there isn't anyone there to snap the action shots.
I'll persist. Really.
I have a strong opinion regarding my area's weather as of late, but since this is a family forum, I'll let the smiley give you a hint:
Thank you, Smiley. There'll be a little something extra in your paycheck.
Yes, it's windier than all get-out.
However, "The Bruise" is set and ready for when the wind dies down. I have run nearly six tanks of fuel over roughly ten flights (if memory serves) and I have had nothing but fun with that plane; the aerobatic potential is incredible. Snaps, loops, rolls both inside and out, Cubans, half-Cubans, hands-off inverted flight, Immelmann turns...you name it, "The Bruise" is nearly up to the task. I say "nearly" only because of the slightly too-small engine.
Not bad for a model that was built in 1993. The original owner saw it fly for the first time in more than five years just the other day.
A .46 awaits reinstallation when I get the new needle valve. The new/old Thunder Tiger GP 40 is nicely broken in and pulls with pretty good authority, but according to the previous owner, nowhere near what it'll do once the .46 gets settled in.
His engine of choice was a Magnum .45 with a tuned pipe (long since discontinued) but I don't recall his choice of props. He did say that it made that plane a ridiculously fast combination pylon racer and aerobatic model.
I really want some pix, but every time I bring my camera, there isn't anyone there to snap the action shots.
I'll persist. Really.
Man, I'm kicking myself.
I've spent some good money on a lot of 4mm coroplast sheeting only to find out that I needed 2mm sheeting to build a new wing for the little SPAD Derelict.
No sign shop or plastics distributor in my area carries the stuff and I'll be doggoned if I'm paying more than $20 plus shipping to buy it online.
Rats.
Looks like I may be able to salvage the thing if I can adapt the second reinforced foam wing I received with the big .40 SPAD I picked up from a fellow RC Groups user. Just about the right size, it's nice and strong and only needs ailerons to make it work. If the mess refuses to fly, that means a nearly new receiver battery, standard servo and fuel tank for a future project.
The upshot of all of this is the fact that I also received some extra PVC rain gutters and aluminum channels as part of that deal, so I may see what I can make out of all of it.
Another upshot: New blog series!
Stay tuned.
I've spent some good money on a lot of 4mm coroplast sheeting only to find out that I needed 2mm sheeting to build a new wing for the little SPAD Derelict.
No sign shop or plastics distributor in my area carries the stuff and I'll be doggoned if I'm paying more than $20 plus shipping to buy it online.
Rats.
Looks like I may be able to salvage the thing if I can adapt the second reinforced foam wing I received with the big .40 SPAD I picked up from a fellow RC Groups user. Just about the right size, it's nice and strong and only needs ailerons to make it work. If the mess refuses to fly, that means a nearly new receiver battery, standard servo and fuel tank for a future project.
The upshot of all of this is the fact that I also received some extra PVC rain gutters and aluminum channels as part of that deal, so I may see what I can make out of all of it.
Another upshot: New blog series!
Stay tuned.
