Has anyone experience of the Giant Cod CAP 232 Profile ARTF

[Bob Moore]

I have searched,  but can't find any reviews on these little Depron foam  cheapo leccy models from Giant Cod.  The reviews on Giant Cod's web site are very good. 

 

Cap 232  and Edge 540

 

 

I'm thinking it might be next project for a small leccy park flyer.

 

Any observations welcome please.

Edited By Bob Moore on 02/09/2010 17:05:47

Edited By Bob Moore on 02/09/2010 17:09:25

Edited By Bob Moore on 02/09/2010 17:09:51

[Bob Moore]

Apologies for bumping this up again, but someone on here must have put one of these little models together  Or are they a dirty word amongst modellers?  As I said in my OP, the reviews on Giant Cod are exceptionally good.

[Tony Smith 7]

Nobody?   I must admit being tempted.   I'm sure it would be hugely silly at my skill level, but maybe a lot of fun as well.

[Bob Moore]

My skill level is pretty low too. Low passes, loops and rolls at most, but I think it (they) would (according to the reviews) be  cheap and forgivable models to experiment with?

 

Go on Tony, buy one and then we'll have a review on here

(Find it hard to believe that nobody on here has tried one, or will admit to buying one!)

Edited By Bob Moore on 17/09/2010 11:58:12

[Stephen Jones]

Hi Bob ,

 

Boy you sound desperate , 

 

I also have looked at these models with a view on my son and i doing the indoor scene , and they are in my shopping basket but as yet not purchase them yet due to lack of funds, at the moment.

As i am getting ready for the indoor season to start I have purchased some free flight timers and motors for some flying fleas . I made one last year which flew very well ,

But this wont keep my son happy as he had his eye on the shockies that where flying there so at £15 worth a try but then all the radio gear needed as well i may have to make do with one and keep him happy .

[Bob Moore]

No mate, not desperate, just curious!  I already have a suitable motor (or two) and suitable LiPo's, so figure for a small outlay I can buy something that I can experiment with without fear of doing major damage. (I don't feel brave enough to push the limits with my Wot 4.) 

 

I'm within a whisker of getting one really, and have been looking at, and pricing the bits I need.  What is opinion on the cheapo E Power Giant Cod servos? I was a bit concerned to read of 50% failure rate with these E Power cheap servos.

 

My local model shop suggests that I might have probs with my 35 Mhz tx and leccy models, though my leccy Orion glider hasn't had any probs. He suggested I needed to think about 2.4. Now that would push up the price of a cheap kit!

[Stephen Jones]

Yes , i agree on the radio side but big fish also do cheep 2.4 add ons which seem ok for my ff7 .

[Bob Moore]

In my case it would need a new tx , that seems rather a lot of expense and more kit to charge.  Don't really want to go down the 2.4 route.

[Mowerman]

Sounds l;ike your LMS is desperate to sell you a 2.4 radio set.

I fly electric on 35mhz. no problem on small models, only found problems when going to 200W and 4 servos.

[Tony Smith 7]

Electric models have been around long before 2.4GHz.

[Peter Beeney]

   Bob,
           I’ve not flown the Giant Cod model but I have played around with a HobbyKo version, which I’d say is very similar.
   This belongs to a beginner, and when he first brought it along I was a touch sceptical, but I was soon proved wrong. He’d tried on his own for a couple of times but had then instantly broken it a couple of times, so he thought he’d let someone else break it. He said that repairing it was extremely simple, just glue it back together. But despite his best early efforts he never managed to break it again.
   As he was using it as a trainer I’ve not flown it exhaustively, simply just keeping him out of trouble, but even with relatively mild control throws it’s still very agile, you can recover six inches from the ground and get away with it. Our site is quite windy, so he’s had to cope with that as well. He brings four charged batteries, that gives him well over a hour’s flying. I think it’s brilliant, and of course the cost is minimal, too. You could fly it just about anywhere.
   We’ve not had any electrical problems, this is on 35, I don’t know which rx he’s using, I think he did mention ‘special’ at one point, probably a DSP (Digital Signal Processing) type. Corona do a variety, very reasonable cost, I’ve given one, the crystal version, 6 channel, a really good bench and flying test and it’s immaculate! If you go down this route, you need a Futaba Dual Conversion Crystal; this stands out proud of the PCB and I think it’s a bit vulnerable so I put two short pieces of wire in the crystal holder, laid the crystal flat and soldered the legs to the wires. Held in with a piece of insulating tape round. I also renewed the flimsy aerial for a decent piece of wire. Now it’s fairly ding proof and ideal for electric models.

   All in all, I reckon these things are great, and with a little help, even for beginners. Certainly they are not expensive! A really good starting point; later on increase the throws to max and you might even be able to get the prop to start eating the tailplane! Now that would be something to follow….                   PB

                           

[Bob Moore]

Thanks for that. Great to get some positive feedback on these things. As I said, the reviews on Giant Cod are super good.

 

I'm at the point of ordering an Edge, but am trying figure whether my FC2805 1600kv motors and 2 cell 1000 mA Lipos ( 5C Loong max Tipple 1000 2S1P 20-30C Lipo Battery)     will give me a good enough performance. One reviewer say he uses just 2 cells. No doubt it will depend on the right prop combination?  The above combination with a 9 x 5 folding prop certainly pulls my leccy Orion glider skywards well and that weighs closer to 500 grams.  Propped to the recommended 6 amps as it recommends in the test review. The wing area is 2/3 that of the Orion but the Edge weight, model and battery (possibly the 3s) is just 310 gms.  I don't know a lot (if anything) about leccy stuff but I think it should work?

[Peter Beeney]

   Bob,
         I’m afraid I don’t have any technical details of this model, sorry about that.
The owner has got it all sorted and I haven’t really taken that much notice. However, I have a feeling that he uses two cell packs, they are certainly very small. The performance is perhaps not absolutely blistering, but it’s adequate to zoom it straight off the ground, for instance; and the duration seems to be most excellent. The prop is a non-folder, at a complete guess I’d have a stab at a 7 by 5.
   This little peach is supplied as a beginner's model upwards I believe, I very much think the Giant Cod models would be much the same. So it’s probably not difficult to start low-key and work up. In fact, if you get to max urge, max control surface movement and max stick waggling, you could soon be testing the integrity of the joints between the wings and the fuz and the tail and all the other little bits and pieces. It’s only made from Depron, it doesn’t really give the impression of great strength. Having said that, when we first started, it did get into some pretty wild gyrations, but it survived all that without mishap; and, as I said, fortunately we never hit the ground.
   I’d certainly have a go with your suggested set up, it will fly on just a puff of power if necessary, and I’m sure you’ll really enjoy one of these as an extra model!                 PB

[Bob Moore]

Oh well I bit the bullet and ordered the Edge, plus servos, a couple of props, etc I settled on Uhu Por adhesive for sticking the Depron.  All I need now is a 35Mhz receiver (Hitec single conversion preferably.)  Anyone got one for sale please?

 

Anyhow, watch this space...

[Stephen Jones]

Hi Bob,

 

I bought both the Cap and the Edge last Friday . Have you received yours yet  

[Bob Moore]

My Edge came today, though I haven't made a start yet as I've been working on building timers and circuits for a time lapse project for my 808 mini dv camera. 

 

I've got all I need to complete the Edge apart from a receiver.  Just had a bid cancelled on one one on e bay (a first) because the item has been withdrawn

 

I might buy a Hitec HFS-05MS Micro 35MHz Receiver, quite lightweight and good range. £15

 

 

The motor, and prop, a battery choice will be a bit of an experiment!  And I went for a 10 amp esc as my 2 cells and 1600kv motor only draw 6 amps. I bought a couple of different props to try.

I'll be interested to hear how you get on with yours.

[Bob Moore]

Instructions are a poor photo copy. You can see a colour pdf of the same here which is much more clear . 

 

Lots of building advice in the reviews on Giant Cod here

 

It looks very flimsy when you first get it out of the box, but even dry assembled you can see how it will stiffen up.  Haven't done any glueing yet , for a change I'm not hurrying this (and making a cock up like I usually do!)  They tell you to glue a flat stiffener on the wing leading edge but I think it would be better with another carbon rod which I happen to have kicking about. Less wind resistance?

 

Also you have to bevel the elevator edge and the wing, I think this is best done with a sanding block, rather than blade?

[Bob Moore]

Having started a kind of build blog here  .