Dan767

My Feedback: (19)

I have three postal scales that I purchased on Ebay. My total cost was less than $50. Do a search for "postal scales". I use a 35 pound scale.

prgonzalez

Thanks Dan!!!

I just bought my scale for up to 35lb with 0.1oz precision (5 grams). Just $16.94 w/shipment and insurance.

Pedro

RVM

Link please? Do they have anything accurate to .1 gram?

prgonzalez

RVM,

Just do a search "postal scales" on eBay. I saw some with the precision you want 0.1 gram or lower 0.01 gram but the upper limit is also very small. Some are up to 300 grams or 500 grams. They are jewerly scales.

Pedro

wifpwcf

tip of the year.make sure ya beer is cold before starting to build ya plane.
cheers glen

bgold

Austrailians even talk funny with their fingers. Which way is wrong?

mogman

My tip.. sounds silly, but make sure that what you build will fit into what you drive. nothing worse than having 4ft. of airplane and only 3ft. of car.
As you will find out, big airplanes req. a lot of room to build, store and transport.
Cheers, Dave.

BCMIM

I am finishing a GP Extra 300, it recommends using std servos. Two on each ail. one each on elev. and two on the rudd.
Several club members have told me that std servos will not stand up and I should get medal gear hi torque servos. If I go with the medal gear servos do I still need two on each ail?
I will be running a 70 cc twin cyl. Avio gas eng.
The wild type flying this model is capable of is not my kind of flying, I just like the model and big airplanes so I will not be pushing it.

MikeEast

My Feedback: (3)

Well, you can get away with 1 servo on each aileron if you move the mounting point to the middle of the aileron. Do not try to do it by just leaving the outer servo off. That won't work very well, you just dont have enough support to have 1 servo off center and the aileron will flex. You will need to center the use a higher torque servo to do it. If its the 1.60 size you could get by with one servo like a Hitec 5945 if you move the mount to the middle.

Setting up two aileron servos is not hard but you have to know what you are doing to get a bind free operation. It will boil down to adjusting the control horn height so that they comensate for the thinning cross section of the aileron out towards the tip. This means that the inner arm will be the same distance from the hinge point of the aileron, but will appear closer to the aileron because the aileron is a lot thicker at the inner control horn.

scotty35

I'm currently "flying" an H9 Funtana 90. Looking to step into GS with an AW Extra 260 50cc. Any suggestions? Is this too big a jump? Should I go back to kites?

nitro wing

My Feedback: (1)

No sense getting a 1.60 size.
Save a few bucks and get yourself a nice 50cc.Just make sure you have space,transportation and your field is OK with it.

FlyinTiger

My Feedback: (45)

My .02 is to start hanging out with the guys at your field, or another field, that fly 50cc and larger gas planes. Don't buy anything yet. Watch and listen, you'll soon know which gasser you really want and which ones to stay away from. Also, it doesn't hurt to have a mentor give you a few tips at the field where you can see what they are talking about, rather than just get your info from reading advice here in the forums.

Seeing the gassers in person was all I needed, I was hooked! Be careful...

Hooked-On-RC

My Feedback: (16)

well the first thing to consider when moving up to larger planes is transportation. I made the mistake of buying a 33% plane and then realizing I could no longer get it into my car. The second thing to consider is that larger planes do in fact fly better than smaller ones, but they are also a lot more to handle. You have engines that no longer cut fingers but moreso remove them. You have heavier planes that if they crash will do more damage than a smaller plane. Now I may sound like I am being negative hear but these are the things guys often take for granted when they move up.

scotty35

Great advice guys! Thanks a lot, I will definitely heed your sage pointers. I have hung out a bit with a few gassers, and I really am hooked! I will hang around them more, and see what I can learn from them, in the way of planes, engines, and all that is related. Thanks again, and happy flying!!
Scotty

houdinimkii

Ok People, Maybe I can get a little help. For the past few months I have been researching input on 27% planes. I have read countless threads and articles and now have a relativley strong plan of approach to how I will build. I'm putting together a 80" Alitalia Hangar 9 cap I've had for about 5 years now. I read every available post related to this bird. I am however still undecided on wich hardware to use and wich digital servos to select. I'm trying to go with some stuff I may be able to transfer to a 33% some day. My question would be what servos would apply to a bigger bird yet not be overkill on a 27%. Also Hardware?? so many choices so little paitence! I'm not sure I'm too keen on just having a bolt stuck through my control surface. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks

Bass1

I have the same airplane and have been flying it for several years now. The recommended hardware in the manual is all top quality hanger 9 titanium links, heavy duty ball links etc. They also give you the recommended servo arm catalog # for 3-d flying ( if you're using JR servos). I just ordered all the recommended hardware in the manual with exception of the tailwheel ( I had a nice carbon fiber tailwheel in my parts drawer). No problems with dozens and dozens of flights so far. As far as servos I opted for JR 8411s as those were top of the line back then. If I were to do it over now I would probably go with the Hitec 7955TG digitals as they can be used in most any plane in the future. If you shop around you can find them at a decent price[X(]. After checking the notes in my old manual, I ended up substituting two 5 inch (HAN3556) titanium links for the recommended 4 1/2" that the manual suggested for the ailerons. Seems the 4 and 1/2" were a little too short. As far as the bolts sticking through the control surfaces, Once they're tapped and epoxied in place they are totally functional and work fine.

flatspinjim

My Feedback: (3)

Hey Guys, I'm putting together a 35% Extra, tell me what you think of my setup. I'm using a 5 channel Futaba AM radio. I have 2 3003 standard servos on the ailerons and 2 3003's on the elevator, one for each half and one on the rudder. My pushrods are 2-56 rods with a plastic clevis on the control side and a Z bend on the servo side. I'm running a 600 mah battery for the reciever and to save weight I'm using a Y connector to run my ignition off of it too. I'm thinking it should be bullet proof!

Bass1

Wow, Talk about overkill! Must be nice to be able to afford all that high end equipment.

mogman

sorry, delete.

flatspinjim

My Feedback: (3)

Well, gotta admit, I salvaged the reciever from another giant scale project that didn't go so well. Oh, and I bought the servos at a garage sale.

Lightning Fan

My Feedback: (17)

I've been flying a Chip Hyde CAP-X for three years now, and the thing that comes to miind as a big change going glow to gas is the throttle. You must have throttle management, particularly in dives. Even going straight and level, you can get to speeds that may cause flutter. I knew this when I started with this plane, and initially was extremely careful. However, we all get lax, and I was surprised one day when the ship seemed to be sluggish in a pull out in a turnaround. I landed after the timer went off, refueled, and by sheer luck noticed that one elevator half seemed funny when I cycled the controls. That half was held on by the center hinge of three - the other two were severed.
Don't get your airspeed too high.
Pull test your surfaces.
Always test your surfaces.
If something feels different in the air, something has changed - land, and find out what it is.

One other thing, different with the large gas engines versus glow. After long years of flying glow, I became accustomed to the occasional flameout, which usually had to do with a needle setting or gremlins. Gas engines simply do not quit once adjusted, in my experience, unless something is wrong. In three years of flying, I have had two flameouts on the FPE 2.4 in this airplane - once was ground mechanic error (me), mixing up fill and vent lines and effectively plugging the vent to the tank. The carb pump pulled on that tank until the vacuum was so high, it could not get fuel. The second time was trash in the carb vent screen. This second one taught me that if the engine is balky to start, and/or flamesout, you better check the fuel system. In this case, the engine would start, and just allow me to get out on the runway before quitting.

houdinimkii

Flat Spin Jim.......... I think I just pissed myself I'm laughing so hard!! The Y harness for ign. and reciever off 600mah, priceless!!! I have not laughed that hard in quite some time. Garage sale....OMG i'm dying.


As for Bass one
thanks for the input. The 4 1/2 links too small hugh?? The manual even came with a supplemental sheet of paper correcting that part #. Thats interesting. Cool Thanks.

houdinimkii

AM radio..... Z-bend........I'm freakin dying. Dude that totaly made my day.

flatspinjim

My Feedback: (3)

Glad you enjoeyed that! That's what happens when you're in Colorado and it's snowing out, you get kinda bored.

Bass1

Heck, I'm only in Virginia and it's just cold and drizzling and I'm already Totally bored. Hurry up April!! [sm=confused_smile.gif]