Bob Cotsford Posted October 30, 2013 Share Posted October 30, 2013 A clubmate is 'retiring' and is parting with his fleet, so I've claimed his Flair kit AstroHog. That will take my aerobatic fleet back to 1957, though my 1946 designed Eros still holds the honour of oldest design. I haven't seen it fly for a while so I'm hoping it is structurally sound. OS46 of some sort, 35MHz rx, Futaba servos. £50 Anything to watch for on the Flair version? Edited By Bob Cotsford on 30/10/2013 15:59:06 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Braddock, VC Posted October 30, 2013 Share Posted October 30, 2013 Yep, that somebody doesn't beat you to it. They are superb. The foam wing version is a little heavier though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Cotsford Posted October 31, 2013 Author Share Posted October 31, 2013 it was safely collected last night! OS 46 AX, 3001/148s, film covered built up wing. All very nice, inside it looks factory built. Colin made an excellent job of building it from what I can see. There are a couple of patches in the film but I'll probably leave it as is to retain it's 'patina' though I may add some extra trim on the fus. and the balsa pushrods are giving me cause for thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Former Member Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 [This posting has been removed] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil 9 Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 nothing wrong with balsa push rods. If made to a good standard they are still a lot better than a long metal push rod. If they are good ones the balsa push rods can be lighter and siffer than a long m2 metal pushrod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Cotsford Posted October 31, 2013 Author Share Posted October 31, 2013 they're more like 1/2" sq, and with the low tail it's pulling for up so should be safe enough. It's just that having avoided balsa pushrods since discovering snakes more than thirty years ago I've developed a phobia about them It's got film hinged barn-door ailerons, same as my KwikFli clone which give a lovely screech on a fast roll, and it's taildragger so it does look right. I can't see it getting a test flight this weekend going on XCWeather's predictions, so I need to stock up on patience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Braddock, VC Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 Balsa push rods are fine, they are nearly matched by carbon fibre pushrods but you can buy a dozen balsa ones for the cost of 1 cf one so, given adequate space, there's no contest. They also tend not to expand in hot weather, unlike sneks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Braddock, VC Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 Meant to say, be patient it'll be worth it. My flair one flew on a magnum 61 4 stroke so the OS in your one should provide oodles of grunt, might be worth overpropping it with say a grey graupner or bolly 12.5x6 or a 13x6 apc to see how it performs. I had an old astro hog look alike with an OS 46 fx with a 13x6 master and it performed well, the silence was deafening. On a flypast the servos were audible when I pulled in up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Former Member Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 [This posting has been removed] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Cotsford Posted October 31, 2013 Author Share Posted October 31, 2013 I've not had any problems with Gold'n'rod snakes over the last 10 years or so, but the Slec ones really are diabolical. The pushrods can stay - for now! The engine is fitted with an 11*6 APC, I use an 11*7 for 46-53s on smaller faster airframes and they get through our 80dBa club test but for this one I think I'll go with the bigger diameter, 13*6 sounds good if I can't find a 13*5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly boy3 Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 Hi Bob , I built Boddo's from his plan. Flew like a dream. On another forum its was said to be the best flying model ever. You have a good one there, and if the £50 included the motor you have had a bargain. Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Green Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 Mine has a standard sized servo (S148) actually mounted on the tailplane Bob so no pushrod as such. Edited By Phil Green on 31/10/2013 21:00:15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Cotsford Posted October 31, 2013 Author Share Posted October 31, 2013 I saw a join in the film in front of the tailplane and having seen how yours detaches I can see the split line under the film on mine. I guess Colin decided to glue it on permanently. That's a neat location to keep the servo hidden Phil. And yes, £50 rtf, except that I didn't take the Futaba 35MHz receiver as I'm all FrSky 2.4. I'm finding a couple of little maintenance jobs, threadlocking screws, a drop of cyno to harden up around the elevator joiner, bit of tube to secure clevises - that sort of thing, but nothing remotely worrying. One question - or maybe two - suggested movements and CofG position anyone? Currently I've got about 10/20mm elevator, 20/35mm rudder and 15/20mm on the barn door ailerons with a lot of diff (all as low/high rates). This was just copying the model setup on my Taranis from a Wot4 and renaming it. I haven't checked where it balances as I know Colin flew it ok not so long ago and I've only substituted the Rx. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Braddock, VC Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 Straight from the manual of the kit I just bought from als hobbies, rudder 38mm e/w at widest part of rudder; ele 16 mm e/w ditto foam wing ails 8mm up, 5mm down, built up wing 16mm up 9 mm down. C of G 100mm from l/e of wing.v slightly nose down. Now one of Dud's tips two large marbles placed in the necks of two beer bottles, both marbles and beer bottles need to be identical, balance model on those beats the great planes c of g thingy any day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin McIntosh Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 My tuppenny worth on this. Snakes are hideous things especially the ones available today and should only be used on throttle. They generally have slop in them unless run in a straight line. I reverted to hard balsa many years ago but now use carbon tubes. You just need a little ingenuity to fix threaded rod to each end. No point in buying modern high resolution servos if there is play in the linkage. This is the more likely cause of trim change since a plastic or metal inner core cannot possibly vary in length measurably over the short lengths involved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Cotsford Posted November 1, 2013 Author Share Posted November 1, 2013 Sorry Martin, I think you are wrong on snakes on one point, I've had some (NOT Gold'n'rods) where temperature changes caused all sorts of trim changes because the inner and outer where different plastics with very different coefficients of expansion. The Sullivan ones available today are very good in this respect I do agree that it's hard to beat carbon tubes for pushrods but I've not had problems using 30" and longer snakes as long as they are good quality and as you say, keeping them as straight as possible. Brace them to the structure every foot or so and at both ends. The old method of driving two ailerons from a central servo using snakes bent through 90 degrees was a complete joke. Thanks for the specs Braddock, it's not a million miles off then. I have found one disturbing feature - the aileron servos are held in by some nasty brackets secured by screws into soft 1/4 balsa plates. A good waggle a la pre-flight check and the brackets flex letting the servo move rather disturingly. Oops! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martyn K Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 I like the idea of the detachable tailplane. I need to do a bit of surgery on mine this winter to repair a cracked spar. I may build a new tailplane and adopt the rear servo idea. I like that a lot Regarding snakes. I am using Golden Rods on my Magic. I wish that concerns about these had been flagged before I sheeted up the bottom of the fus.. Martyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Cotsford Posted November 1, 2013 Author Share Posted November 1, 2013 Martyn, my 10lb SuperSkybolt with OS1.20Surpass uses individual snakes for each elevator half, so does the King Altair, Tornado, Super Chipmunk etc. etc. and I've got several models with one G'nR driving elevators, non exhibit noticable trim change from summer to winter - it will be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Former Member Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 [This posting has been removed] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly boy3 Posted November 1, 2013 Share Posted November 1, 2013 Hi Phil, like the idea of internal position of elevator servo, bit cannot see from photo how it is attached to elevator horn ? Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.