Applewood

January 8

On 04/01/2024 at 13:19, dave parnham said:

i bit the bullet and brought a couple of 6S batteries that were half the price of everywhere id looked £105 for two 6s 5200mha

Anyhoo they arrived DPD in two days as they said they were in stock in UK.

Interestingly the emails for tracking said your 51Cargo package is in transit.............Thats a Manchester based Warehouse.

Interesting searching on 51Cargo and Hobbyking I found this on RCG. https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?4008905-What-happened-to-hobbyking/page7

Would be useful if they have a trade counter too.

January 4

Does anyone know where the UK warehouse is now located? I'm sure there were rumours it was now in the North West? The reason for asking, I remember they had a local collection option which people have used if they are local/passing the store.

January 10, 2023

3 minutes ago, Alan Hilton said:

Try measuring static thrust using a spring balance attached to the tail group you should get about 4 kg

Thanks, I’m planning on doing some static thrust tests. According to the spec the best I could get on 8S is 3.69kg, or 5Kg on 10S.

Wemotec midi Evo 90mm 11 blade fan partnered with HET Typhoon 650-68-1500 36mm motor. (8S -80a 2368W 3.69KG)

January 10, 2023

On the bench I've measure WOT watts/apps on two types of 8S lipos when running up the edf.

With the esc’s default medium timing 15deg. Measuring at WOT 45C Graphene 2023W 75A (26.97V/ 3.37 per cell), 25C Turnigy 2271W 80A (28.39v/3.55 v per cell)

With lower 7.5 deg timing, 8S Graphene 70A 1934W (27.62v/3.45v per cell) 8S Turnigy 75A 2138W (28.5v/3.56v per cell). Quick test with 10S 109A 3874W 35.54v/3.55v per cell).

I think that means with the best battery (surprisingly the turnigy) the voltage under load is 3.55V which could be quite low, although I’m not an expert. Would you agree? Does that mean the lipos are capable enough.

January 9, 2023

33 minutes ago, Trevor said:

I don’t know that model so can’t really help. However, if you do give up on it, I can thoroughly recommend the Freewing Avanti - copes very well with grass and flies beautifully.

It should fly similar (https://www.nexusmodels.co.uk/sebart-mini-avanti-s-1-42m-jet-white-red.html). Apparently Sebart licenced the Avanti design to Freewing to produce their foam version.

January 9, 2023

Just checked the internal resistance and the batteries are fine, very low IR. But they are not that special just Turnigy Blue 25-35C 4S 5000mahs.

January 9, 2023

6 minutes ago, john davidson 1 said:

Longer the better but it is surprising how much a ten foot strip helps to get speed up and the weight off the wheels, that is what we use, kept in the shed, two strips can be overlapped of course to give twice the length if necessary. Fun is to be had trying to land back on, could start a comp!

I'm really intrigued about this, I wouldn't have thought such a short length would make a difference. We have a roll of quite stiff plastic/rubber matting I'm wondering if that would work, I'll have to go and measure it.

January 9, 2023

41 minutes ago, Ron Gray said:

Both things the OP has already checked / done or will be doing (see his original text!).

Yes I'm going on COG recommended by the manual and others on forums. As described, one recommendation I picked up from a German youtube channel, was to increase the front strut by 2cm to lift the nose when the gear is down. I'm awaiting a new longer strut pin for the front landing gear.

January 9, 2023

1 hour ago, john davidson 1 said:

We use a roll of carpet, once the model gets air under its wings it it usually away

Are you using carpet for the entire strip, or just short piece to get the model moving. Sorry if this is a stupid question, all my three clubs have just been grass strips. Thanks

January 9, 2023

Hi can you help please. I'm not sure if I've got the right setup for this model, struggling to rotate WOT from grass strip.

I have the Sebart Mini Avanti S composite EDF which uses a 90mm fan. I have the Wemotec Midi 90mm fan with HET 650-68 1500kv running 8S. However it doesn't seem like it’s enough power taking off from grass strip WOT, you can't get it to lift it's nose and rotate. I mainly fly IC warbirds so this is something completely new to me. Have I got the wrong motor/fan combination? Or do I need to persevere and tweak/modify the setup.

My setup:
Sebart Mini Avanti V2 3.8kg with 6S lipo
JP Hobby retracts with brakes (powered by 3S 450mah lipo 55g)
Wemotec midi Evo 90mm 11 blade fan partnered with HET Typhoon 650-68-1500 36mm motor. (8S -80a 2368W 3.69KP, 10S - 5.0 kgs (10S 37V) @100A.)
Hobbywing HV (5-12S) 120amp ESC (opto)
FrSky TD R18 and 2x 1100mah life flight batteries (132g) X20 Radio
Hitec HS-5085MG servos
Turnigy 5000mah 25-35C 4S LIpos x2 in series, 8S, in good condition not puffed 980g weight combined
CG 145mm from the front of the wing - as per manual

On the bench I've measure WOT

8S lipos : 25C Turnigy 2271W 80A

10S. 109A 3874W

I did measure thrust, but didn't record results, I think they were not far off spec.

Grass strip 110m (360ft), at the time grass was bone dry, not long but could have done with a cut. At the time there was 10mph cross winds so no lift being offered to help.

Observations. Taxing at WOT it won't rotate, full up elevator wouldn't get it to lift it's nose. Take off flaps used. The last run, I reduced power towards end of the strip and it shot up off the ground 15ft without warning. The combination of grass, small front wheel, and down thrust, looks like its pushing the nose down. Maybe reducing throttle, reduced the down thrust and was the explanation for it shooting up.

A few things I’m going to try:
1) Get that grass cut nice and short, take off when wind is favourable
2) Read somewhere that WOT induces some down thrust, so I'm going to extend the front nose leg so that it will help with the rotation, found a chat on YouTube who did the same to make it rotate.

3) Better batteries - I would rather stick with 8S, than move to 10S due to expense of new batteries and additional weight

4) Worst case change the fan/motor / batteries

I've spent quite a lot on this, and I'm at the point of either investing it it further or selling it. If I need to change motor/fan/batteries, I'm probably going down the sale route.

anyone had similar experience and can offer any advice. My club mainly fly's IC so no advice is available locally.

January 16, 2022

I will look at the brown paper method. I have a Warbird Replica spitfire I remember the thread with the Brown paper covering information.

I would still like to use the Koverall on the top flite model as the cloth is sat on the shelf waiting and wanted to get a texture finish. Anybody out there with recent experience of Koverall either via dope or poly c that can offer any experience the best way with 90% sheeted model?

January 14, 2022

Quick one, are you guys using sanding sealer to seal the grain with a light sand prior to the pva & brown paper

January 14, 2022

Thanks chaps, really good info.

January 14, 2022

15 minutes ago, gillyg1 said:

I personally use the brown paper method. Applied to sheeted surfaces, use your coverall for the fabric surfaces.

Apply like wall papering, thinned pva.with water, like milk.

Apply to dull side of brown paper.

Allow 30secs to grow, apply to surface, rubbing out the creases.

Use covering iron, i have a travelling iron, to help adhering, pva reacts to heat.

Allow to dry overnight,

Light sand , 600 wet n dry , used dry.

Apply coat of dope to seal surface.

I thin the dope,and add banana oil, takes out the shrinking effect of dope.

Light sand when dry.- ready for primer etc.

I use automotive " high build" 2 pack.

Fuel proofer - (glow) automotive 2 part lacquer. : 1x coat give a matt/satin finish, subsequent coats will result in a gloss finish.

This is my preferred finishing technique.

For finishing colours- B n Q match pots, emulsion, £3 a pot, made to any colour, matt finish.

Hope this helps ?

Cheers Graham.

Ps brown paper method - as used by " Warbird Replicas" modellers,

Richard Wills - kits ?

Look up / read some of the WR threads ,

Thanks for this. I have come across the brown paper method before, but not applied it. How hard does the brown paper finish provide in comparison to cloth & dope?

With your approach are you using high build primer (say acrylic) and then B&Q colour emulsion, then the Fuel proofer over the top? Are you using wet&dry after the emulsion to remove brush or spraying the emulsion ?

January 14, 2022

Hi all, Happy New Year!!

I'm in process of building a TopFlite 1/7 Spitfire. Laser 100 FS providing noise. I've got a nice big 5yrd pack of Sig Koverall for covering. The kit fuse and wing is mostly made up of sheeted surfaces, the only open surfaces are the control surfaces with ribs.

I'm still in construction mode, so I'm planning ahead on the covering. I quite like the fabric texture finish, also saves me the weight of filling and sanding to smooth. I'm used to covering film & glass / epoxy approaches, but I've missed the tissue/cloth dope approach.

There are a number of approaches, what's the best way to adhere Koverall based on this model being mostly sheeted surface.

I think i've got two methods:

Dope approach

Sanding sealer/dope over all surfaces to seal

Non shrinking dope on edges, then drape over roughly cut to shape koverall. shrink and then fill weave with thinned non-shrinking dope

Prime & paint & fuel proof

PolyC/Varnish

Sanding sealer overall surfaces to seal balsa

PolyC on the edges like dope, then lightly shrink koverall

Brush polyC through the sheeted surfaces to fill weave

I'll need to confirm approach for open structures

Prime & paint & fuel proof

What's the best approach people have found? Happy either way, the only kit I have in cupboard towards this is tin of Guild Materials Sanding Sealer, and of course the Koverall.

May 10, 2020

Suppose I’m trying to work out for a warbird, is the thrust to weight more important, pitch speed or pitch to stall ratio. Or the combination. I might be in the realms of over thinking this now . I like to be able to fly comfortable, not massive speed , but enough power to get out of trouble. I like to have reasonable throttle range response, throttle mid to 3/4 for average flying.

May 10, 2020

Quick Qu, with lower speed flying characteristics more challenging, would more pitch give you ability to throttle up and gain speed quickly if needed? How does the 18x12e lookout the calcs if you don’t mind gents? It would give more pitch speed without sacrificing too much thrust, amps are still ok.

May 9, 2020

Hi Frank, thanks for the response. It's an OS HV 70a (85a peak) esc. I might try an apc19x10e. Like you say it would give more ummph for short periods. Should get more of a linear throttle response.

May 9, 2020

Just done some rudimentary tests in the garden (rigged up luggage scales to the tail). It’s pulling 6kg with the 18x10 wooden Aerostar, And 5.5kg on an apc ic 18x8. Interestingly the wooden sounds so much quieter. Unfortunately I’ve not got any other lager props to try.

ive got a watt meter but it’s got the wrong connector type, Not got a rpm meter.

Edited By Applewood on 09/05/2020 12:32:43

May 9, 2020

And thanks for the help Btw. I’m happy with IC and smaller electric setups, less confident with electric as it gets bigger.

May 9, 2020

Current prop is a cheapy hobbyking Aerostar wooden job, So probably not best to gauge best results. If I’m getting a pucka apc-e prop which is best to start with?

May 9, 2020

Just checked the plane weight. It’s 5.35kg without 8S lipo or 6.35kg with . I assumed you include lipo weight.

May 8, 2020

Hi there I’m finishing setting up a tony nijhuis 72” spitfire (6500g) with an AXI 5330/18 v1 259kv running 8S. I’ve put on an 18x10 pro which im sure will work but doesn’t pull massively well when testing on the ground. Does anyone have access to an online calc or uses this setup that could advice prop setup on 8S. Cheers

Edited By Applewood on 08/05/2020 23:42:31

January 9, 2020

Posted by Denis Watkins on 09/01/2020 18:28:33:

Am fortunate over the years to have a reasonable workshop with tools, taps and dies etc

I epoxy normal builds but not steel and aluminium

I used grub screws, if only that you can change your mind and also replace parts.

I set the length, chopping the piano wire leg to size

then added two more threaded holes through the oleos/ spacers to locate on flats on the piano wire

in my case, I would buy 12mm spacers to turn down to 11mm

Edited By Denis Watkins on 09/01/2020 18:29:45

ok thanks Denis, unfortunately my workshop is a little light on the tooling front. HK do provide an Oleo with 6mm pin which is again out of stock, maybe I wait for that one.

January 9, 2020

Posted by Bob Cotsford on 09/01/2020 18:19:01:

The ones I've seen have a solid plug in the end. If you have access to a lathe you could drill them 6mm for the pin and then cross drill and tap for 4mm grub screws to hold them on.

So do the HK ones have a solid 11mm plug rather than tube out to accept a 11mm pin? The HK pictures don't show either way. I assumed these where like the robart's which have a shaft in which the pin locates.

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