Material QualityAt first glance the material in the kit looks to be of good quality. Some of the parts are laser cut for accuracy. there is a good deal of light ply in the kit which is not my favorite material to work with. So far I have replaced one of the fuselage sides because it was warped. The die cutting has been a little above average but still some of the parts had to be cut out. Some of the parts are laser cut and are of good quality. I have had to replace one of the webs for the wing it was crowned beyond use.
The ManualThe manual looks to be well thought out and comprehensive. So far I haven't found any errors in the manual some of it needs a second read before it sinks in but so far so good.
The PlansThe plans are four sheets rolled very tightly to save space in the box. Rolled tightly is an understatement attempting to unroll them to peruse them was a pain in the neck. The fuselage plans are on two sheets which the builder is instructed to tape together. I would gladly pay a little more for the kit to get the fuse all on one sheet.
The Horizontal Stabilizer and ElevatorThe horizontal stabilizer and elevator build as a unit. I lightened up quite few of the pieces by cutting lightening holes in the webs. The webs are one piece and are slotted to accept the ribs. I also changed the way the servos mount. I built them into the stabilizer halves with a hatch. This was not done for aesthetic reasons but because of the type of horn I'll be using.
The Vertical Stabilizer and RudderThis was pretty straight forward. I didn't make many changes except for the rudder horn. I cut my own horn from a piece of carbon fiber plate and I will be using a pull pull cable system to operate the rudder instead of mounting the rudder servo in the tail as recommended.
The FuselageThe fuse is coming along well. The major parts such as the engine box sides looked like swiss cheese when I got done with them but it's all in the name of saving weight.
Mounting the engine and exhaust I recieved my canister muffler and header from RC Showcase. The firewall required a hole cut in it for the rear mounted carburetor. To put the canister muffler in the correct position the engine needed to be mounted at about the 8 o'clock position. The engine is also mounted off center because of the right thrust. To acomplish all of this I first made a template out of cardboard and then transfered this to the firewall.
The actual cowl measurements were a little different from what the plan showed so in order to get everything in the correct position I built a jig to locate the cowl. Using 10-32 allen head bolts, blind nuts, and flat washers I mounted the engine and used the flat washers to adjust the distance from the firewall to the front of the cowl and engine thrust. These flat washers will be replaced with stand-offs.
The engine and exhaust system setup has been completed. I made extensive changes to the fuse in order to enclose the canister muffler.
The gear has been mounted although the gear that came with the kit will be replaced with carbon fiber gear to save weight.
I have added the exterior formers which give the fuselsage its shape so far the fuse weighs 2lbs. 10oz.. It's really starting to look like an airplane. I need to build the wings before I can proceed with the fuse.
Building the wingsI've decided to replace the aluminum wing tube with a carbon fiber wing tube so as soon as that arrives I'll begin building the wings. I received my wing tube from Troy Built Models the quality is better than I hoped for not to mention the WOW factor. I will be cutting some lightening holes in some of the wing parts to begin with.
There weren't alot of places to save weight, the wing structure is quite light the way it is. I'm not impressed with the quality of some of the die crunched parts, some were so bad they had to be replaced. Fortunately all the ribs are laser cut and of excellent quality. With the advent of laser cutting, die crunching should be a thing of the past, I guess it comes down to profit, I guess the manufacturer makes more, although I don't see how, I would rather pay a little more for the kit and get quality parts throughout than have to replace pieces.
The wings are an enlarged version of the horizontal stabilizer/elevator. The ailerons are an integral part of the wing and removed after construction is finished. So far they have gone together easily and are very light weight.
I changed the mounting system for the aileron servos for two reasons. First the type of control horn I'm using requires that the servo horn be in line with the control horn. Second I wanted the servo 90 degrees to the surface. So I built a hatch and mounted the servo to the hatch and mounted the hatch to the wing.
I now have one wing panel completed and have begun building the second. Again the die crunched parts aren't very good so far I've replaced two of them but I should have the second panel done soon.
Both wing panels are now finished so it's time to get back to the fuse. I have my carbon fiber main gear and a carbon fiber tail wheel and will be installing these next. After that I will set up the wings and tail group and finish the fuse.
Mounting The Wings
I wanted to install hard points in the wing tube for the wing bolts but the location made this a little tricky. The wing bolt are located 3 7/8" from the end of the tube so in order to get them in the correct location I used a piece of threaded rod to hold them at the depth I wanted while the glue dried. Pictures of this are in the photo gallery in the wing section.
Installing the wing panels was pretty easy. Slide the tube in place, slide on a wing panel, drill and tap, and your done.
Sheeting The Fuse
Sheeting the sides of the fuse wasn't an easy task. The sheeting bends in two directions making it difficult to get a tight fit against the bulkheads but with allot of clamps and some patience I managed to get it done. Next you are instruted to cut holes for the wing tube and anti rotation pins in the sheeting.
The next step is to install the wings and use them as a template for cutting out the sheeting. This wasn't difficult but it was very time consuming. Install the wing cut and mark a little. Remove the wing cut and sand a little. Install the wing cut and mark a little etc...
The Turtle Deck
I've begun to add the bulkheads for the turtle deck. I drilled a bunch of lightening holes in them and I will be adding the stringers next.
I have added all the stringers and have formed the turtle deck sheeting. The turtle deck sheeting is made up of multiple 3/32 sheets that have been edge glued. Once the glue was dry I wet the outside of the sheeting with water and amonia I let this set for an hour or so and then sprayed it again and let it soak for another ten minutes or so. I then placed the sheeting on top of the turtle deck and began to work it around the formers clamping as I went. I let it dry overnight and then trimed it to fit the turtle deck and glued it on.
The Front Hatch
The front engine box hatch has been installed. This was very straight forward. Although the instructions tell you to use wood screws to hold the hatch in place. I decided to use 4-40 machine screws and blind nuts.
The Cockpit
I changed the removable cockpit extensively. The instructions tell you to build the front deck as part of the fuse so that the cockpit area extends from the front instrument panel back to the beginning of the turtle deck. I decided to extend the removable section all the way to the firewall. This will give me better access to the interior of the fuse. I built the front deck as part of the removable cockpit and used two 1/4" dowels to hold the front of it in place.
All Framed Up
Well it's all framed up. Now it's on to finish sanding, covering, hardware installation, and finish.
Engine Standoffs
I made my own engine standoffs from a length of 3/4" aluminum bar stock. I cut the bar stock to length with my band saw and then drilled them out to accept the engine bolts.
Mounting the Cowl
I've decided to use a cowl ring to mount the cowl rather than have the screws go through the fiberglass and have the fiberglass crack from vibration. I had to put a ¼" balsa spacer on the firewall so the cowl would be closer to the spinner. I took a piece of ¼" light ply and cut out a 5" diameter circle to represent my spinner and used threaded rod to attach it to the front of the cowl it bolts right up to the engine and holds the cowl in place for gluing.
Rudder Pull Pull Setup and other hardware
I'm using a JR 8611 servo driving a carbon fiber bellcrank that I built. I used carbon fiber plate and bearings that were intended for a router bit purchased from Home Depot. I'm using two JR 4131 servos one for throttle and one for the choke.
Covering
I've begun the covering process. I'm using my favorite covering material TopFlite Monokote. It's the first time in my modeling career that I purchased a 25 foot roll of white Monokote this is the base color with red and blue trim. Pictures will be posted as the process continues.
Cockpit
The cockpit area is finished. I built custom instrument panels from 1/32" ply,1/32" balsa, an instrument kit from J-Tec, and images that I scanned and printed on photo paper on my printer. The pilot comes from Lite-Pilots and is really very nice. The paint on the cockpit area is called fleck stone manufactured by Plasti-kote it was purchased at Walmart. I'm very pleased with the way it turned out.
Canopy
I wish I could say that the canopy was a piece of cake to install but that's far from the truth. The canopy is made from heavy plastic and didn't fit very well so I decided to force it to fit with button head screws. The good thing is it allows removal just in case the pilot takes a powder.
Hinging the Surfaces
I used large Robart hinge points and Gorilla glue to secure them. The process is mostly painless but you have to work clean or you get glue eveywhere. I have a video from RC Universe which explains the process very well and if followed you can count on a strong clean installation.
Graphics
I wanted to have some graphics on the plane but I hate the usual decals and vinyl stick on stuff you can get. So I decided to investigate some custom vinyl lettering. I really thought that the expence would be prohibitive but after some surfing on the WWW I found a supplier who is a hobbiest and did a terrific job for a very reasonable price. These graphics are custom cut self stick vinyl transfer not peel and stick. If you are looking for any lettering like this I urge you to visit Bill Fulmer´s Custon Cut Vinyl Graphics and Lettering
Final Engine Install
I've completed the engine/exhaust install. Since the tunnel for the canister is rather tight I decided to fire proof it. I found a product distributed by Central Hobbies and manufactured by Bob Violet Models. It's a ceramic coating that the pattern and jet guys use so I thought I'd give it a try. It's water based and dries quickly you just brush on a couple of coats and your ready to go.
Balancing
I thought I was going to have a real problem balancing this airplane because of it's size and weight but thanks to some info I found on the internet it will be easy. I made two plywood jigs that are sandwitched between the fuse and wing panels with the CG already built in and suspended the airplane from the ceiling. I'm not quite finished with the assembly but the CG is very close so I won't need to add any extra weight to balance.
Batteries
Finally decided to take the plunge and go to lithium batteries. I purchased three Li-Ion 2 cell packs and three regulators. This also ment puchasing a new charger and a new ESV. I bought the Triton charger from Great planes and a Hanger9 ESV that provides a 1 amp load for testing.
First Trip to the Field
7/3/06 Out to the field for engine and range testing for the most part all went well. I made up a restraint system out of some stuff I had hanging around and it worked very well. Range check was solid with and without the engine running and once I learn the quirks of the ZDZ and make a couple of other changes there will be no more excuses and I'll have to fly it.
More Engine Tests
8/6/06 Second trip to the field. I'm starting to get a handle on starting this engine. Everything looks good at this point I'm going to check everything out and make sure all is OK. Stay tuned for a flight report...
Maiden Flight
8/9/06 The time for the first flight finally arrived there were no more excuses so on the evening of August 9th 2006 I headed for the field with airplane in tow. The weather was absolutely perfect not too warm with a light breeze I couldn't ask for better conditions. After the obligatory range check I fueled up. The engine started easily and ran well. So far I have made no changes to the factory settings. I did a little taxi tests lined up into the wind and increased the throttle. After about 30' and at about half throttle I was airborne a couple of trim passes and all was well. I did some mild aerobatics and found that it is a very honest airplane. Slow flight is very good so landing should be a piece of cake well almost. On my first approach the idle seemed to be up a bit and I ran out of runway very fast and decided to go around for a second try. As I powered up the engine began to skip but continued to run so I made a second unsuccessful attempt. On climb out the engine began skipping again but continued to run. For the third attempt I decreased the throttle trim a little and came in as low as I could it wasn't pretty but I managed to land it with no damage. I checked the temp of the engine and found it to be at 291' and since the range is 190 to 230 it was overheating. So I am going to install some baffling in the cowl to direct the air flow and tweak the engine a bit I can't wait to fly it again. Finally I want to send out a big thank you to one of my good friends John Clark for his support and for shooting the video of the first flight.
Changes
- Lightning holes
I've drilled or cut out a bunch of lightning holes so far and will continue to do this throughout the building process.
- Elevator Servo Orientation
I've changed the orientation of the elevator servos so that they are hidden inside the horizontal stabilizer. I also moved them further away from the elevator. This was all due to the type of control horm I'm using
- Firewall
I'm mounting the firewall further back than reccomended and without any built in right thrust. I will be using stand offs to achive the required 2 degrees of right thrust
- Aileron Servo Orientation
I've changed the orientation of the aileron servos so that they are hidden inside the wing. This was due to the type of control horm I'm using
- Exhaust System
I re-configured the front of the fuse to accept an in fuse canister style muffler.
- Wing Tube
I'm using an after market carbon fiber wing tube.
- Landing Gear
I'm using an after market carbon fiber landing gear.
- Cockpit
I extended the removable canopy / cockpit forward to the firewall.
- Cowl Mounting
I'm mounting the cowl with a hidden cowl ring instead of all the screws on the outside.
