rc4fun

My Feedback: (42)

Jeff,

Good to hear from you! How's your Sun Dancer coming along? Dannafinance is correct, there is about 2 to 3 degrees built in. My standoffs are all the same length so I didn't add any additional offset.

Tom

dannafinance

My Feedback: (32)

Here are a couple of pictures of mine. It has a Brison 3.2 in it. I am waiting on good weather.

leblanc

Did you guys ever get a problem with the top wing? I think it is very poorly secured to the fuse and bottom wing.

LeBlanc

rc4fun

My Feedback: (42)

Le Blanc,

It is a very secure connection. Mine has had many, many flights on it now and there have been no problems what so ever with the strength of the center cabane or the interwing connections. Have you purchased a Sun Dancer yet?

leblanc

Yes i have but it just seems weak. But if you say that it's ok, then i bet it is

Thanks
LeBlanc

bubbagates

My Feedback: (32)

I may have missed it in this thread but what are the torque requirements. I know it needs 8 of them and was thinkin either HItech 5625, 5645 or 645MG (non-digital)

I really like the look of this plane can't wait to get started on it

blue ice

My Feedback: (6)

bubba,
manual says to use servos with atleast 70inch/ounce of torque, perferably metal geared servovs. Sig used 645mg's on the one in the manual. I have hs5625(4) for ailerons, hs5645(2) for elevator, and a hs5945(1) for rudder. Will prob us a S3004 for throttle.

leblanc

rc4fun how long are your standoffs with the DA 50

Pics of different angles would be greatly appreciated

Thanks

LeBlanc

rc4fun

My Feedback: (42)

LeBlanc,

They are the standard (2.67") standoff from DA. The only picture I have right now is the one on page 4 of this thread. You can also see them on the DA website at www.DesertAircraft.com .

leblanc

rc4fun,

how is your balancing with the DA. Do you have to have everytihg at the back front middle to balance it? And with the fuel tank do you have any issues with it at the start and the end of flight, because it is quite a large tank on this plane.

Thanks

LeBlanc

rc4fun

My Feedback: (42)

LeBlanc,

Balances fine with the DA. I have the ignition module and ignition battery up front in the compartment behind the firewall. Fuel tank and smoke pump are in the compartment just forward of the bottom wing. I have the smoke tank and smoke pump battery on the CG. The receiver and rudder servo are in their proper place in the radio compartment. I glued a piece of 1/8th inch light ply to the inside of the aft end of the radio compartment (see picture on page 2 of this thread) and zip tied the receiver battery to the side. No issues with the fuel tank.

rc4fun

bipeaddict

Has anyone installed the DA50 and a Slimline pitts muffler with this bird? I have ordered the plane. Just by eyeballing my DA w/muffler and looking at the picture posted here, it looks like I might have rework the firewall.

rc4fun

My Feedback: (42)

I tried, but didn't want to remove a chunk of the firewall to get it in. It looked to me like I would have to remove about 1" x 1/2" section from the bottom of the firewall. It was still too long and would require removing some cowl also, but not nearly as much cowl as I had to do using the DA muffler.

rc4fun

PacificNWSkyPilot

My Feedback: (19)

LeBlanc,
Just in case you have a Sun Dancer ARF that was manufactured earlier last year, you might want to check to make sure that your wing securing hardware is the upgraded hardware issued after the original recall. If you think it's weak, you may just be right. earlier in this thread last year there was a lot of talk about that bad hardware and wings coming off before they beefed the hardware up. To my knowledge, not much else in the plane kit has changed other than that. It certainly can't hurt to check it out with SIG, they can tell you what to check to be sure. Hope this is of some help.

Also, I'm about to buy a Sun Dancer myself, and I have a Brison 3.2 in the box waiting for a new home. This thread is pretty inspirational!

Jim Surra

bipeaddict

Well gang I have one.

I have pulled out my trusty ruler for the DA50 installation. This is what I found. If you get 3 1/2" standoffs for the DA 50 the slimline muffler will fit with 1/8" clearance on the firewall. The plans call for the propeller to be 7 1/8" from the firewall. With the 3 1/2" standoffs the engine will be 7 1/4" from the firewall giving the 1/8" clearance. The cowl is very wide and tapered. It goes from 6" to a little over 8" toward the front of the plane. Plenty of room for the Slimline muffler width.

PacificNWSkyPilot

My Feedback: (19)

I'm putting together my shopping list for my SunDancer ARF, and even the Sun Dancer itself is still on the list. A guy told me last night that I should try a Peacekeeper mufler, he says they tuck around behind the cylinder and that they're really quiet. I have right here in my hot little hands a new and blue Brison 3.2, just like the one shown above here. Has anybody heard anything about the Peacekeepers? I do know they're made by J & A in Missouri. I'll be checking the forums for them, but I thought I'd ask you guys as well. Now I know what torque requirements to look for on my servos too.

Jim Surra

bipeaddict

I have installed my DA50 with aerografix standoff's. The standoff's are custom made 3 7/16 inches. I have attached a couple of photos. No cutting of the firewall required. Slight cutting of the cowl for the cylinder head and spark plug boot. The muffler is a slimline pitts.

PacificNWSkyPilot

My Feedback: (19)

I just placed my order for my own Sun Dancer ARF Bipe. I don't know who's more excited about it, me or my local hobby shop guy who's ordering it in for me. I think he wants me to leave it at his shop for a week or two so he can show it off and sell more of them. If I'm in active building mode when it gets there, that's not going to happen! I'm just happy to know I've finally got it ordered, and that the wheels have been set in motion. I did do some research and asked around, the reports I've gotten from guys I asked tell me that those Peacemaker mufflers are not too quiet, so I'm back to looking at the Brisson Pitts-style slimlines for my Brison 3.2. Any other suggestions are also welcome.
Bipe Addict, that is a sharp-looking engine mount setup. Kinda new and techie for an old warhorse like me who's used to building engine mount boxes that are tried and true. However, I'd love to hear how the whole setup works for you after you've been wringing it out for a few months. As they say, the proof is in the pudding. With a setup like that, if I went to a show or a fly-in I wouldn't be able to decide whether to keep my cowl on or off the plane!

Jim Surra

bipeaddict

How the cowl will look with my DA50 install with aerographix standoffs..

SitNFly

My Feedback: (54)

Very nice. Does the paint match the covering as well as it appears in the photos? Have you got any clearance between the muffler and firewall? Looks like it will be a fun plane.

bipeaddict

The paint is a very very close match but not an exact match. Since this will be a barnstorming giant scale learning/ fun plane I am tolerating the difference.

There is clearance between the firewall and the muffler of a hair over 1/8 of an inch. The engine is canted about 5 degrees so the muffler doesn't touch the firewall reinforcement. The clearance there is also 1/8 of an inch. The engine is offset from the centerline of the airplane because right thrust is built into the firewall. I also fiberglass the front and rear of the firewall with .5 oz fiberglass. This helped stiffen the plywood used in the firewall. I don't know what kind of wood is used in the plywood of arfs but I don't like it. The wood is soft and the layers of the plywood will separate very easily. A better glue needs to be used. Compare the plywood in ARF's to Midwest's birch plywood and there is no comparison.

Anyone know what the plywood in the SIG Sundancer is made from?

PacificNWSkyPilot

My Feedback: (19)

Okay, I got my new Sun Dancer ARF Bipe! I took it to the club meeting, and we all took it out of the box and inspected everything. The paint match was perfect, and the taping job on it was second to none. A few scratch marks from the sanding could be seen if you looked close, but I'm very happy with it. The construction is outstanding, the parts are excellent, there are even the foamie wheels I love so much. A Bipe this size, this well constructed, and all for under 400 bucks (If you don't count tax), I am delighted to be able to feel I actually got everything I paid for, I think more than I expected, actually.

With Bipe Addict's firewall note above, I do plan to do a close inspection on the firewall to see what he had a problem with there. I certainly have no problem with doing a firewall-ectomy and replacing it if there's even the hint of something that could cause future failure. We modelers don't get all these little saws and tools to not use them when they're needed! Now that the subject has come up, I remember replacing the firewall on my SIG Spacewalker II a few years back, and I did use the good Midwest plywood to do it with. NICE plywood! I was about to add a Brison 2.4 to the Spacewalker II, and didn't feel the original firewall was going to be substantial enough to take the stresses. I'll keep you advised on what I find and how I progress. So far, I have no complaints at all, although it must be stated that I have not passed the fondling stage yet! I'm still filling my shopping list for needed items.
Jim Surra

chuck l

My Feedback: (17)

Thanks to blue ice's earlier post, I ordered a Sun Dancer tonight from Kelly at http://www.rcshobbieslaportein.com/. The factory has special pricing on them right now and he is selling them for $282.99 plus freight. Couldn't resist!

PacificNWSkyPilot

My Feedback: (19)

Chuck,
I just ordered mine a couple of weeks ago, and the pricing then was the same as the pricing now, and it's showing the dealer network pricing at $399.00 now. I got a little more off than $399.00. I know from having been a SIG dealer that plane would HAVE to cost the dealer AT LEAST $259.00 or more, plus shipping. I cannot imagine why any dealer would be selling them at $282.99. I can't imagine SIG not saying something about it. They work very hard to make sure that the dealers maintain dealer network pricing or fairly close. This is the first time I've heard of the price being below $360.00 ANYWHERE.
If I sound unhappy about it, it's because I am. I'm more than a little certain that this dealer is coloring WAY outside the lines here.

Jim

PacificNWSkyPilot

My Feedback: (19)

I just checked that website, and the Sun Dancer ARF is not even listed with the SIG products. Although I did just have another thought. The price quoted above would be about in line with the SIG Sun Dancer .50 ARF that's coming out. The smaller version. I'll keep checking.

Jim