J P Panic kit

[Maurice Dyer]

First time I've built from the kit. Had one ages ago but didn't build it. Had anybody out there built from the kit ? I'm not sure where the elevator push for needs to exit from, at the back end. Does it come out the open back end, or do most people exit it at the side and then connects the elevator. 

My rudder servo is going inside, not sitting at the top skin. Still will be closed loop though. 

[Don Fry]

I’ve built one of these, nice kit, nice instructions, nice flyer. When you do the dress snaps holding in the wing tip posts on, do a very good job to glue them on. And I found it best to lever them off with a flat blade rather than pulling them off. Mind that was rare, it lived fully rigged for a quick fly.

Mine balanced, ASP 75 2 stroke up front, 2 off 20g HV digital set in the tail, as plan. I think I moved CG back a bit with time. 

 

Sadly broken, must build another.

 

I surface mounted the servos, and used carbon rods, ball covers for elevator, closed loop rudder, top mounted. Ugly, easy, quick.

Edited March 12, 2022 by Don Fry

[kc]

I have not seen one of these for a long time but I think it may be like it's monoplane sister ( the Moronic ) and have a one piece elevator which means the pushrod goes straight through the centre of the fuselage and onto the one piece elevator.   No elevator joiner and no bends and the pushrod gives a straight push for up.  Excellent!.

 

The Moronic is my favourite model - never loses trim because the elev pushrod never changes length with the temperature - unlike my models with 'snakes' which always seem to change trim from one day to the next.

Edited March 12, 2022 by kc

[Maurice Dyer]

Thanks Chaps. straight through the middle it is. Whats the best inner/outer pushrod ?. Ive used ordinary plastic SLEC type before but temp. change 

cause trim change. ??

 

 

[kc]

Use a dowel pushrod for the elevator.   6mm or 1/4 hardwood dowel from B&Q etc  with a threaded rod and clevis each end.   Some people use arrow shafts or carbon tube for pushrods but the traditional dowel is cheaper and easily obtainable.

All my models with SLEC 'snakes' seem to change trim every session, while the Moronic with a dowel pushrod never does. 

[J D 8]

   Both traditional square hard balsa with wire ends work well or more modern method of carbon tube

    [ kc got there first but plus one on above ]

[kc]

Balsa pushrods for small and light models perhaps but the Panic is often fitted with large engines and I think hardwood dowels would be better ( OK balsa is a hardwood and birch a softwood but I think you know what I mean - I call the birch etc dowels hardwood because they alway used to be made from Ramin which is a hardwood!)

[Andy Stephenson]

Plus 1 on the wooden push rod, the expansion rate will be the same as the material of the fuselage therefore no trim change with temperature.

To fully answer the OP's question the elevator pushrod exits the hole at the tail of the fuselage. If on the kit version, the fin extends the through the fuselage to reach the bottom, you must make sure the elevator horn is mounted off-centre to allow the pushrod to clear the fin.

 

[kc]

You are right Andy - it's the same on the Moronic the pushrod just goes one side of the fin inside the fuselage.

[Caveman]

Hi Maurice, I built a Panic last year. powered by an old SC61.

 

 

I too used a hardwood pushrod for the elevator.

 

I made a hatch for the rx battery (1450mAh Life battery + 5A UBEC) from the lightening piece on the top of the fuselage. Just unplug the battery to 'switch-off', saves having to take the wing off.

 

 

 

I used the supplied snap fasteners to hold the wing end plates in place but found them quite difficult to use, especially getting them apart without damaging the wing and endplate. Also there are difficult to adhere. Using epoxy they stick well to the balsa, but tended to come off, taking the surface of the balsa with them. I have now screwed threaded insets into the wing ends with 4mm nylon screws to hold the wing end plates in place - much easier.

 

It's a very agile flier, and certainly far more capable than I'll ever be!

 

GDB

 

 

 

 

[Andrew Calcutt]

Threaded inserts are a very good idea,I will try them myself.I put an os 75 in mine and it is lively!

[Caveman]

Andrew, I would have used T nuts at build tie, but once it's finished and covered it's too late ?

[Andy Stephenson]

I use the poppers because on a hard landing they come off without damaging anything. When fitting the male ones on the wing I first glue a short piece of 4mm dowel with a pointed end to push into the wing tip with a generous amount of epoxy. For the female ones in the strut I recess the hole and glue the popper in with a flexible glue such as clear Gorilla glue so that the spring mechanism isn't set solid. It's difficult to get good results using the poppers without careful preparation but it saves those annoying repairs in the long term.