Geof54 Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 Hello everyone, Earlier this month I started my first thread about buying a kit to build during the winter. The choice was between another high wing trainer or a low wing one. In the end I bought both from Pegasus models - Tutor 4 and Musketeer. Not cheap and somehow my wife agreed. Well now I have yet another trainer. Yesterday I was given a Boomerang 40 ARTF - plane , engine ,radio etc. My cousin was given it by a neighbour who bought it for his son. The latter showed no interest so it was given to my cousin , whose grandchildren are too young. It has been in the garage for quite a while. Anyway it is now mine. It looks in good condition - never flown and the engine looks as if it has never been started. My questions are : 1.It comes with a 35 meg radio system X-TEC A4. Anyone know anything about them ? There is a booklet etc. There is also a leaflet in the box about Hitec servos. Is the radio actually made by Hitec ? 2.The plane is almost completely made and looks good. The wing is joined with a hardwood joiner, not the tube system used in my Arising Star and also in the MK2 Boomerang(?). My question is, can I trust the wing ? In the past I met a man carrying back a collection of bits of plane(Arising Star) after the wings folded on the first check flight by the club instructor. I was told it had a wooden joiner and there was very little sign of sufficient glue. It had been bought secondhand .. In the box I was given, is a tube of 2 part epoxy but there seems a lot left to me . Ideas ,thoughts greatly appreciated. Geof still waiting for good weather so I can learn to fly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuban8 Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 Hi Geof. From your comments, I assume you're going to a club to learn how to fly? I'd be inclined to take the lot along with you and have somebody experienced have a look over it - there's so many pitfalls for the inexperienced to fall into with new gear - let alone second hand - and much bother and expense can be avoided from a once-over from an expert eye. A quick Google search confirms the radio as a Hitec item. Nothing wrong with still using 35 MHz, but how it'll fit into a club's buddy box training scheme will almost certainly be an issue. Good luck though. C8 Edited By Cuban8 on 30/01/2016 12:55:57 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Fry Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 The Boomerang was a well respected trainer. The wood joiner was fine, but if not glued in properly, like any other high stress joint, is going to give problems. But even so it needs proper glueing, not necessarily slavering with glue, I don't suppose it needs more than a gram or so do do a proper job. But you either trust it or not if it has been done. You could try reinforcing the centre section with glass fibre, but are as likely to make new problems as cure problems. One test is, the model weighs 2 and a bit kilos. Suspend the tips on some foam, and put say 15 kilos of weight on the centre section, all done gently, with spread loads... If it does not break, the wing has been tested to 5 g turns, good enough on a trainer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 There are issues with 35mhz. One is if you take it to a club or anywhere near a club then you must find out about frequency control BEFORE you switch on. otherwise you could cause somebody else to crash. There are some clubs that don't allow 35 Mhz now. The next problem is whether the old nicads or NiMH are still serviceable. They may be or they may have deteriorated whilst unused. If the nicads need replacing then it's worth considering how much the Tx nicad costs to compared to a modern 2.4ghz Tx & Rx.which may suit the club instructors system for a buddy box setup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Former Member Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 [This posting has been removed] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevem3akm Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 There are no issues with 35mhz, it is a perfectly useable model frequency in this country,in fact the only one specifically for model aircraft. The issues arise through misuse,poor maintenance and sometimes poor frequency control. There is no justification for clubs not to allow the use of 35mhz. Regards Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geof54 Posted January 30, 2016 Author Share Posted January 30, 2016 Hello I have joined a local club and actually went up this afternoon with the plane. Where I live must be quite sheltered as no one was at the flying field, 15 minutes away - windy and still standing water. Anyway I'll contact some members later. I still have doubts about the wing. The stress test for the wing sounds interesting. Thanks for the information about the radio. I have a second Spektrum set I can use but if the servos are Hitec they can stay in.. Geof Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denis Watkins Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 Hi Geof, All boys on this thread, have advised you well on both counts, the 35mhz and the wooden wing joiner. The aluminium tube insert, is a recent addition to the Boomerang stable, the wooden joiner was the preferred method for years and years. In experienced hands, I would bet that all your kit could easily be made airworthy, so crack on with it. All my new motors this last decade were run-in, in the air, on a trusty, stable platform, wooden wing joined Boomerang ARTF, then refitted, when run-in, to the mother ship. The Boomerang is a well trusted airframe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Fry Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 PS You are a lucky man to be given a decent trainer, but remember it is a trainer, don't fall in love with it, it is a means to an end. And the world will dry out and stop blowing one day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Former Member Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 [This posting has been removed] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 Well the issues with 35mhz are that newcomers need to know that you cannot just switch on like most people do with 2.4ghz! And I have noticed experienced members have become very lax and just switch on 35 without putting out any marker. So great care is needed. Also by now most 35 mhz sets are a few years old and so are their nicads. Alternative crystals seem unobtainable new. It's quite easy to join a club without realising some don't allow 35. So there are issues. However don't misunderstand me - I feel we must hang on to 35mhz because it might still prove to be the most worthwhile frequency for model aircraft in the future. The weather will be perfect for flying tomorrow........ somewhere! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Former Member Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 [This posting has been removed] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Muir Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 My old Boomerang had a strip of self adhesive trim over the wing joint to make it look neat. I would take that off and have look to see if there's evidence of glue in the joint and make sure there aren't any gaps between the two panels. If there's a bit of 'ooze' there you should be fine. The wooden joiner worked very well on mine, the wing is still in the garage, and I worked it hard. I don't think it matters how much glue is on the joiner as it fitted into a box structure and was a fairly tight fit. So long as the wing panels can't slide apart the joiner will do its job fine, in exactly the same way a removable tube joiner would. The radio should be ok, but as others have said replace all of the batteries, transmitter and receiver, get a suitable charger and make sure you understand how to charge them. If you do decide on a new radio then all you'll need to change is the receiver in the plane, as the servos will still be ok. I liked my Boomerang, it flew very well. Good luck with yours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geof54 Posted January 30, 2016 Author Share Posted January 30, 2016 Hello Thanks for all the advice so far. I am a beginner with planes but have had nearly 40 years of experience with radios. I raced 1/8th IC circuit cars for many years. Then my son took over when he was faster than me , which turned out to be when he was 7 years old. With him I have been mechanic , taxi driver and finance source - it still hasn't stopped. With this background I fully understand the issues with 'switching on without the peg'. I have 2 Spektrum sets so I can use my own equipment to use the buddy system. I will change the rx etc to Spektrum . All I need now is the weather. The sun always comes up. Geof Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy48 Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 Re the radio. While you could use the radio, there are few with Hitec down at the club, so little chance of a buddy box system there. There is an issue down at the club with interference which is worse on 35mhz and there are certain parts of the field where you will get glitches. You already have a Spektrum kit and buddy box system so it would simply be a case of replacing the receiver. Whatever you do, you'd need to carefully check all the throws etc to ensure it was set up properly. Some do fly with as many transmitters as planes, but this brings its own problems. Each different tx will probably need its own charger. You need to be sure about the battery quality in each tx first, and given that the Hitec is probably at least 10 years old, its a fair bet it will need replacing. Then you have to learn how to program each tx, and they are all different. Then there is always the case of forgetting the right tx ...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geof54 Posted January 30, 2016 Author Share Posted January 30, 2016 Just removed the engine - SC 40. It has never been started ?. Took back plate off - put in some after run oil as it seemed to have very little lubrication left from manufacturer- engine been standing in plane for some time I presume. Initially very difficult to turn over (no plug in) but soon freed up. Everything luckily looks ok. Battery in plane is 4 volt but will change it to 6 volt. Will bring it round sometime Martin - called this afternoon on way home from field. Geof Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 Percy, I would expect you could shoot someone down with your set if you were switched on first on their channel and they switched on later unaware that you were using that channel. I take it that you are very happy to use your ( unnamed) 35mhz set but what we are talking about here is probably a different type so your comments don't apply! What I am trying to do is correctly advise newcomers of the risk of problems with 35mhz which are unknown to many often quite proficient pilots who have been flying for only a few years. Many of my fellow club members ( maybe half the membership) have only ever experienced 2.4ghz and they seem to have no knowledge of frequency control. So it's important to advise people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geof54 Posted February 2, 2016 Author Share Posted February 2, 2016 Hello, I took the wing down to my club flying field and got the opinion of the other members who had braved the weather on Sunday. Mixed views as expected so I went today too see another member , who has been helping me in the past. With his experience, and careful examination it was either buy a new wing or ..... try to take the wings apart.... both of us decided it was too big a risk to fly as it was. His careful examination with a modelling knife suggested the gluing was not up to the job and possibly the epoxy had not hardened fully because of incorrect mixing. Like a scene from Holby City, Martin the 'surgeon', started the operation. With his skilfull knife work , some gentle pulling and rocking by both of us we proceeded ........ and about half an hour later we had two wings and a wood joiner. Final report was insufficient epoxy , poorly mixed - the box which the joiner went into showed no glue. The glue on the joiner looked as if it was dry before being slid into the wing. Anyway with a careful clean up it looks like the wings can be rejoined. Martin also made a new joiner . Lucky me no structural damage , due to an inexperienced initial builder but mainly to a brilliant job by the surgeon. Many thanks Martin Geof Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Hargreaves - Moderator Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 Looks like you did the right thing Geoffrey.....if the wings came apart so easily then clearly they were not properly joined in the first place.... 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.