Reaction 54 Jet Kit
#3901
![](/forum/images/badges/premium_vendor.png)
My Feedback: (1)
![Default](images/icons/icon1.gif)
Or maybe my bad knowledge of english speaking makes I don't understand what you mean
regards
Last edited by SALMONBUG; 04-19-2018 at 04:00 PM.
#3912
![](/forum/images/badges/premium_member.png)
My Feedback: (7)
![Default](images/icons/icon1.gif)
![](https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rcuniverse.com-vbulletin/2000x1504/20180420_165456_602763a33729ec0110924eec70646cb30f159d3e.jpg)
![](https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rcuniverse.com-vbulletin/2000x1504/20180420_211656_2991fbc01489c39afaf8e911a49e7fda031304c7.jpg)
![](https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rcuniverse.com-vbulletin/2000x1504/20180420_211709_1dfdd9c1542d2ce0ab25bbf6db79a94474d95055.jpg)
![](https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rcuniverse.com-vbulletin/2000x1504/20180420_211740_2cf3a36b81a91cc209418998922ada6bf44ab2a1.jpg)
![](https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rcuniverse.com-vbulletin/2000x1504/20180420_211811_18b1580d8c144231f5a372e01e4a635e7a4c5aa4.jpg)
Done with the HS and the elevator, for the horn base I couldn't find the location on the plans, I used one of the pictures as guide.
I don't think I've have ever made so much balsa dust building a model before, it is all over the place including my nose and ears ( love it
![Smile](images/smilies/smile.gif)
Last edited by CARS II; 04-20-2018 at 08:31 PM.
#3915
![](/forum/images/badges/premium_member.png)
My Feedback: (66)
![Default](images/icons/icon1.gif)
![](https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rcuniverse.com-vbulletin/2000x1504/100_8328_0a9f9a6d9ea7e1727f1dcdcf0feb5387898c359b.jpg)
The 2S, 6.6V LiOn packs sit on top of the Turbine's LiPo pack.
![](https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rcuniverse.com-vbulletin/2000x1504/100_8326_fd144fb35f18ee1383aed72c4ced39a31d819631.jpg)
![](https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rcuniverse.com-vbulletin/2000x1504/100_8325_464630df13bc786ea4e0f8f6b405278f9f9afd96.jpg)
Fuel system and retracts servo and valve.
I am almost done installing the various systems, routing tubes and wires. All that's left is routing the turbine signal wire and fuel tube through the boat tail to the turbine, glue the tail group and connect the elevator and rudder, than - ground test and maiden flight.
#3920
![](/forum/images/badges/premium_vendor.png)
My Feedback: (1)
![Default](images/icons/icon1.gif)
Well, mine flown early this morning.
I went to a small grass rc field near to my house at 7 am this morning ( to be sure to be alone) with the plane fully ready. I had in mind to only start it and simply make some taxi and check everithing was working good. The plane was balanced, the flight controls set and the batteries full.
The maiden was planned for sunday
I filled the tank,and started it for some taxi and brake test i. Aftr 5 minuts playing on the ground I decided to make some high speed tax ion the runway.
I applied something like 90 procent trust and letted it accelerated a bit r.
I dunno if jet smell has a kind of special effect on brain, but at a given moment I said in myself. " he wants to go, let it go, it's nothing else than a plane after all". I released the down elevator and applied full trust. And it went........
This as been a short flight, I had no precise idea of the fuel remaining and had no chrono started. I decided to immediatly climb high and experiment the gliding and flaps beaviour of it.
After two long glides, I climbed again and putted myself in the situation I feel the more confortable. I shutdowned the turbine and deadsticked it. Honestly this was a good landing with flaps partialy extended and nose high..
The gear remained down the entire flight.
my final dry weight 15.5 lbs (with UAT full).
In the nose I have two nimh 6 cells 3000mah( one for radio and one for electrical gear and brakes) and one lipo 2 cells 2500 mah for the turbine. Total batteries weight 1.5 lbs . No lead necessary to balance between the two cg limits ( with UAT full and gear up)
Because I am not used to rc turbine starts yet,meaning I could miss several starts , I decided to place a connector in the plane to allow to connect a second lipo in parallel to the ecu lipo. The external lipo is from good brand and has a lower internal resistance than the onboard lipo, meaning it will be more sollicitated during start than the onboard one. This allow me to have my onoboard lipo good charged for the flight
Trim flights will be for sunday weather permit
This building turned out like I wanted it. Stock, light , moderate engine and no unnecessary weight
I went to a small grass rc field near to my house at 7 am this morning ( to be sure to be alone) with the plane fully ready. I had in mind to only start it and simply make some taxi and check everithing was working good. The plane was balanced, the flight controls set and the batteries full.
The maiden was planned for sunday
I filled the tank,and started it for some taxi and brake test i. Aftr 5 minuts playing on the ground I decided to make some high speed tax ion the runway.
I applied something like 90 procent trust and letted it accelerated a bit r.
I dunno if jet smell has a kind of special effect on brain, but at a given moment I said in myself. " he wants to go, let it go, it's nothing else than a plane after all". I released the down elevator and applied full trust. And it went........
This as been a short flight, I had no precise idea of the fuel remaining and had no chrono started. I decided to immediatly climb high and experiment the gliding and flaps beaviour of it.
After two long glides, I climbed again and putted myself in the situation I feel the more confortable. I shutdowned the turbine and deadsticked it. Honestly this was a good landing with flaps partialy extended and nose high..
The gear remained down the entire flight.
my final dry weight 15.5 lbs (with UAT full).
In the nose I have two nimh 6 cells 3000mah( one for radio and one for electrical gear and brakes) and one lipo 2 cells 2500 mah for the turbine. Total batteries weight 1.5 lbs . No lead necessary to balance between the two cg limits ( with UAT full and gear up)
Because I am not used to rc turbine starts yet,meaning I could miss several starts , I decided to place a connector in the plane to allow to connect a second lipo in parallel to the ecu lipo. The external lipo is from good brand and has a lower internal resistance than the onboard lipo, meaning it will be more sollicitated during start than the onboard one. This allow me to have my onoboard lipo good charged for the flight
Trim flights will be for sunday weather permit
This building turned out like I wanted it. Stock, light , moderate engine and no unnecessary weight
Last edited by SALMONBUG; 04-25-2018 at 06:06 AM.
#3922
![](/forum/images/badges/premium_vendor.png)
My Feedback: (1)
![Default](images/icons/icon1.gif)
Thks
What I already noticed ( weather was perfectly calm at 7 30 am) in addition to the fact it's a great flier, is that it had a very slight trend to yaw when playing with turbine. I just checked my turbine alignment and noticed it's slightly not perfectly aligned. A washer cured the problem
what I will also do is to increase a bit the down elevator/ flaps mixing a bit ( compared to suggested booklet values), but this is for my personal taste of settings only
What I already noticed ( weather was perfectly calm at 7 30 am) in addition to the fact it's a great flier, is that it had a very slight trend to yaw when playing with turbine. I just checked my turbine alignment and noticed it's slightly not perfectly aligned. A washer cured the problem
what I will also do is to increase a bit the down elevator/ flaps mixing a bit ( compared to suggested booklet values), but this is for my personal taste of settings only
Last edited by SALMONBUG; 04-25-2018 at 06:56 AM.
#3924
![](/forum/images/badges/premium_vendor.png)
My Feedback: (1)
![Default](images/icons/icon1.gif)
Thanks
Bruce mailed me to say this is maybe the lightest R54 he has seen, here is a part of the email I wrote to explain how I did
About the R54 final weight. I have been aware from the beginning of the project about the CG concern. I tried to determine what that plane need and what It doesn’t need. I also assumed you are good designer. This mean I selected a light turbine, because I consider that airplane really doesn’t need to be overpowered and that a light engine would be fine to balance the plane. I also tried to build light ( especially in the back of the fuse).
when the airframe was completed I temporarily placed the turbine and also all the equipment having a fixed position in the plane ( servos, , pushrods, gears, wheels and so on) and I balanced the plane. The numbers I obtained by doing that allowed me using some basic momentum calculation to determine a good positioning for all the remaining equipment and at the end, to select the good batteries on the first attempt.
I materialized the effect of each added equipment using a exell spreadsheet and have been able to follow the evolution of the CG during all the final building process. believe me or not, but I weighted the glue for the stab and fin. I also made a estimation of the weight of the covering.
At the very end I was sure to turn out without lead in the nose.
I think that the best idea I had was to select the electrical gear ( either I usually use pneumatic gears). The "necessary" battery weight needed to operate the gear being located in the very front of the plane , made the CG definitely turn out right...
Bruce mailed me to say this is maybe the lightest R54 he has seen, here is a part of the email I wrote to explain how I did
About the R54 final weight. I have been aware from the beginning of the project about the CG concern. I tried to determine what that plane need and what It doesn’t need. I also assumed you are good designer. This mean I selected a light turbine, because I consider that airplane really doesn’t need to be overpowered and that a light engine would be fine to balance the plane. I also tried to build light ( especially in the back of the fuse).
when the airframe was completed I temporarily placed the turbine and also all the equipment having a fixed position in the plane ( servos, , pushrods, gears, wheels and so on) and I balanced the plane. The numbers I obtained by doing that allowed me using some basic momentum calculation to determine a good positioning for all the remaining equipment and at the end, to select the good batteries on the first attempt.
I materialized the effect of each added equipment using a exell spreadsheet and have been able to follow the evolution of the CG during all the final building process. believe me or not, but I weighted the glue for the stab and fin. I also made a estimation of the weight of the covering.
At the very end I was sure to turn out without lead in the nose.
I think that the best idea I had was to select the electrical gear ( either I usually use pneumatic gears). The "necessary" battery weight needed to operate the gear being located in the very front of the plane , made the CG definitely turn out right...
Last edited by SALMONBUG; 04-25-2018 at 09:33 AM.