bigplumbs

Control Surface slop

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After checking her over after her maiden flight I decided that I had got a little too much slop in the control surfaces at the trailing edge (about 1.5 mm up and down). This was largely due to the fact that the holes in the supplied horns that attach to the controol surfaces are too big for the rod in the clevis. Rather than replacing the horns on the control surfaces I found that if I turned the whole control rod around so that the clevis was on the servo horn the holes were much better and cut out all the slop. I had to replace the servo horns as I had drilled then but heck I have hundreds of these. I think it is important to minimise any slop on such a fast plane.

Below are some pics of what I mean............. Cant wait to get her in the air again

Dennis

bigplumbs

You can indeed use a little length of tube or run it down the wing or buym a propper whip ariel. If however you are on 2.4 gig spektrum like I am you ariel is only about 1 inch long..... Mind you you have 4 of them... still not a problem

Crazy4Flight

My Feedback: (540)

Steve,

I used a base loaded Deans mini whip drilled hole for itin front of the canopy, and mounted it to the former inside.

bpb

scoobystig

hi , how do you connect the receiver wire to the mini whip, i have never used anything like that before, do you have to cut it down or anything,

pic would be useful too

thanks

Wayne22

My Feedback: (2)

I'm using a Revolution whip on mine...exact location hasn't been determined yet. scoobystig, both the Deans and Revolution whip antenna come with instructions on where to cut the stock antenna....you solder the supplied pin on the end of the shortened antenna wire and plug in the whip...It only takes a few minutes.......

scoobystig

great stuff, thanks guys

bit new to all these funky devices, this is only my third plane, after a .40 size trainer and then a classic shape wot4, and the antenna for them obvioulsy just ran down the fuselarge to the tail

cant wait to get it in the air, need the good old british weather to improve first though

steve

thebluemax

My Feedback: (151)

Wayne22,
I have seen the Deans whip but who makes the revolution whip and where can you get them?
Thanks...

rhklenke

My Feedback: (24)

Pictures of how I did the nose gear retract mounting. I should have taken them before I glued it in, but I basically made a complete structure with two half-formers and a connecting plate for the nose retract to mount on. I also made a mount for the nose steering servo and mounted that on and got it all straightened out and working before I glued it into the fuse. Then I glued it in with Hysol and cut the opening...

Bob

rhklenke

My Feedback: (24)

Pictures of the completed Bobcat. First inverted with the gear up and down, and second outside ready to go. Now all I need is a new 4-cell pack for it and some decent weather to test fly it. It balanced at 10.5" easily with the battery in the nose. In fact, if I need to go to 11" as some have suggested, I'll have to move the pack back to right under the canopy...

Bob

JL636

My Feedback: (79)

I'm getting to the stage where I want to mount the servo in the rear stab. I would like to know how some of you routed the servo wires. Any help would be appreciated. Joe[]

Wayne22

My Feedback: (2)

looks great Bob....Something I think I will have to do once it gets flying.....Okay, since your air valve and switch are under the canopy, how did you make it removeable??? I was thinking of doing the traditional jet hatch latch deal, but would need to build a base for the canopy...If you have already figured this out, lets hear about it !! ..


blue max...I changed and went for the 2 piece deans antenna...much easier to mount in this jet. The revolution antenna is made by Revolution....distributed by Horizon Hobby They should be available at any decent sized hobby store....

thebluemax

My Feedback: (151)

Hi Bob,
Thanks again for the photos on the nose gear retract install. Sorry to be a bother but could you please post another picture of your first one you posted but looking directly down inside the wheel well so I can see your gear mounted on the plate? The rock that I am does not fully understand how you did this and maybe an inside shot would help. I am assuming you ended up building a little platform that the gear plate goes onto to raise the gear mount up off the floor to set the correct clearance? I didn't see it in the other shots and I maybe blind as well as being a rock.
Thanks,
Bil



Wayne22
Thanks for the info on the antenna. I will checkout the horizon web site.

rhklenke

My Feedback: (24)

Bill,

I should have taken the picture before I glued it in, sorry...

What I did was to make two ply half formers that fit into the bottom half of the fuse. One butts right up against the existing former that the stock nose gear bolts to, and the other one sits in the fuse about 3 1/2" back from that. Then I made a ply "shelf" that fits between these two. I epoxied the two half formers to the shelf outside the plane, Bolted the belly-mount nose gear to it, cut a slot in the aft former so that the gear can retract into it, and made a mount for the steering servo to mount on the back of it. The whole unit was assembled and tested, with the nose gear mounted on it, the steering servo mounted on it and connected to the nose wheel steering tiller, outside the airplane. Then, once it was all setup, T glued it into the fuselage with Hysol glue. I cut a small hole in the bottom so I could insert the nose strut into it while the glue set to make sure it was aligned correctly.

If you look at the pictures from the top, you can see the four blind nuts that bolt the nose gear to the bottom of the "shelf." In the picture from the back (also from the top), you can see the slot in the rear former for the gear to retract into. You can see the inverted steering servo in several of the pictures and I also mounted the throttle servo on the top of the "shelf."

I'll get some more pictures of it tomorrow...

Bob

rhklenke

My Feedback: (24)

Wayne,

I glued a piece of ply inside the fuse at the front and back of the canopy opening. Then I made a piece with a slot that slipped onto the plate in the front and another piece that bolted onto the piece in the back. I put some plastic between the pieces that stuck out around the edges, mixed up some epoxy and chopped fiberglass, put it around the upper pieces, and stuck the canopy on it. Once it cured, I unbolted the back piece and the canopy could be removed by sliding it aft so that the piece in the front with the slot came loose. I also added a cross piece in the middle of the canopy to keep it from bending outward and allowing the front slot piece to come out in flight.

Bob

thebluemax

My Feedback: (151)

No need to apologize as you have done plenty. When it is convenient for you as beggars cannot be choosy....

I think understand more from your last reply and I can see the blind nuts next to the throttle servo where the retract mounts from below.

The servo that is upside down is for the steering tiller and it looks like you also used a mini servo for the retract valve?

How high are the front and back half formers? They must be about 3/4" to 1" to clear the top of the servo mounted upside down. You also took the original servo tray out because that is the area where the gear comes into the fuse because it retracts rearward.

Never heard of Hysol glue. Is that something you can get at Home Depot?

Wayne22

My Feedback: (2)

Bob....when you get a chance, could you post a pic of your canopy.... a picture is worth a thousand words.....especially to a tired brain.... Thanks!!!

ExcaliburIII

On the bottom of the boom I cut out a square section so I could drill holes through the internal ribs up to the opening for the stab. I used a long 1/2" bit and then I dropped in a pull string. I then replaced the square I cut out and patched the covering. On the stab i removed the bottom covering so I could see and mounted the servo rails and drilled slots for the wires and plug to go thru to the vertical stab. I also had to remove a notch where the wires come out of the horizontal stab so the wires don't get pinched when assembling the stabs together. I can post a picture tonight if you need more detail.

Rich

Stick Jammer

Anyone had trouble with the paint on the canopy flaking off? I have the red, white and blue scheme and the white paint on the canopy went flying before the rest of my plane from simply trimming with canopy scissors. I've tried to contact Nitroplanes via e-mail but no response yet.

PointMagu

My Feedback: (11)

Chipped the red framing on the yellow version BIG time.

I've cut the "bubble" and front pane away from the framing. I was going to replace with clear acetate or butyrate but have since decided to carve a plug from balsa. I'll fabricate a 6 oz glass cloth replacement and paint it in charcoal. Hopefully, I'll be able to preserve the weave pattern on the final rendition. This "high-tech" look should fit right in with the color scheme I'm considering.

An additional advantage will be the rigidity this provides. I've cut ply cross sections at the rear and front windscreen locations and will use these as additional supports when it comes time to affix to the fuselage.

The red paint literally jumped off the canopy when I was cutting the transparent areas away. I've already placed glass cloth around the inside perimeter to strengthen the framing.

I realize that replacing with opaque glass cloth will detract somewhat from a "scale-like" appearance but I just couldn't live with the rose tinted canopy!

PM

gary don

gbruce

Hi All

I am supposed to receive my Bobcat in early February...I too don't like the shape or tint of the canopy and will be Vacuum forming my own,with a nicer shape and no tint clear.

I could offer these for sale if any of you are interested.

Bruce

Wayne22

My Feedback: (2)

don't forget it is only a $129 ARF.........

TrainDriver95

My Feedback: (20)

Rossi 53 Ducted Fan Pipe on The Nitro Planes BobCat
I found this pipe at http://www.morrishobbies.com/ I got it for $125.00 with all the mounting Equipment needed.
This will fit OS 46 up too a OS 55 AX. Looks good on the plane and really makes it Haul?
I have the OS 55AX with a 11x7 apc Pusher Prop.
Clocked at about 125mphThat was with out this PIPE I will see what it will do woth this PIPE I was told about 3000rpm more.
Have as much fun as i did.[:@]

Texan

My Feedback: (10)

James,

Looks like Morris is in your back yard. I didn't see the pipe listed on their website.

mattgrant

GBRUCE,

Just make your own.