PaulSwany

My Feedback: (45)

Here's my Menace... Finished it last night.






I used kevlar thread for the pull-pull. I don't think I trust it. After working the elevator for about a minute, I noticed the kevlar was fraying around the mount tube it travels thru. I'm probably going to replace it with the dubro stuff tonight. Hopefull I can get a test flight in tomorrow.

PaulSwany

My Feedback: (45)

Oh... I forgot to give the specs.

Futaba r127 RX
1650 mAh NiMh battery pack
HS 425 BB for Aileron's, Rudder and Elevator
HS 81 mg for throttle.
Covered with Nelson's Lite Film. - Pretty cool stuff, but a little hard to work with.
TT 36 Pro with 10x4 apc prop
-> It'll probably get the mousse can when it's broke in.

All up weight: 3lbs 5 oz.
Wing Surface Area: 787 Sq. "
Wing Load: 9.7 oz. / sq. ft.

m.gramling

My Feedback: (8)

Paul,
your making me want to start building mine. Let us know how it fly's. since you plane only weights 3lbs 5oz. This plane should have tons of power. it should shoot out of a hover.

The 425BB are they standard BB servos?
If they are then i can use my JR. 517BB

PaulSwany

My Feedback: (45)

Yeah Michael... I can't wait to put 'er in the air... Was going to do it today... But I don't like the look of those pull pull cables...

The 425 bb are standard torque servo's with dual ball bearings.
Hitec 425 BB Specs

PilotFrog

Paul,
Your Menace came out real nice with the transparent lite film and the weight is great considering you have mostly standard size radio gear. I believe Bugs last Menace came out around 3 lb 10 oz. I am debating using either the HS-85 or the HS-225 servos. The mircos have almost the same torque as your HS-425s and almost 1 oz. lighter each! Actually rated at more torque at 6 V. What do you think about using them? This would save almost 4 oz. there alone. I have a Super Slim Hi-Tec reciever so thats another 1/2 oz and a 6 v AAA NiMHi pack would save another ounce.....should be right at the 3 lb limit I'm shooting for as my airframe should come out around what yours weighs. Even if I go with the more powerful and probably more durable and precise HS 225 mini I should still be in the ball park.
Let us know how it flies.....ought to be a rocketship.
PilotFrog

m.gramling

My Feedback: (8)

Pilotfrog,
I wouldn't use 2255BB unless you have the 225BB w/ metal gears. I have the 225 w/ plastic gears on my top cap and I stripped the rudder servo. I am not as experienced w/ hitec servo's or the menace as some folks, I just don't think the 225 w/ plastic gears will hold up IMO.

The 225 stripped out withing 10flights on my top cap. I wasn't doing knife edges or flat spins, I was just trying to hover the thing.

PilotFrog

Yes thats what I'm worried about especially with the micro servos. They are very vunerable to ground strikes with the plastic gears and get a bit expensive with metal gears. The mini should hold up better but still poses somewhat of the same problem. I read somewhere that the Tower TS 35 servos(same as Hobbico CS-35) were a good durable servo for the price in a mini. Also Hobby People's CS-30 is supposed to be good also for $20 apiece. They only weight .85 oz. each or about half of a standard servo. Basla Products has some GWS standard non-BB mini servos for $10 each but a little less torque & questionable quality at that price. I have some of their standard size hi torque BB and they are very jerky & twitchy....you generally don't get what you don't pay for.

PaulSwany

My Feedback: (45)

Flight Report: Just flew this thing today... Not the best conditions... 10 -15 mph winds and gusty... But it flew awesome!!! no flutter and very authoritive. Only needed 2 clicks of left aileron and a click of up elevator. It wanted to climb a little inverted, so I think I need to dial in my flaperon's.... Rolls were axial and about 2 per second. Loops were about 4' in diameter!! Did an inverted flat spin on the second flight... What a hoot!! It did this wierd nose high pioette kinda thing while it gained a ton of altitude!!! What a trip... I think it will hover well... Hovered it for a few seconds... My engine is still breaking in, so I didn't want to push it tooo much.

All in all, I really like the plane. Landed like a baby... and was very responsive to control imputs. I think this bad boy has some real potential once I get it dialed in.

Kevins_RC

My Feedback: (1)

Paul - the menance looks great and sounds like the test flight flight went great. Is the Aeron next?

PaulSwany

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Not yet

There's a fun fly in Arkansas I'm going to next month that is for .25 and less.... I'm going to make a Taco .25 with a tripple tappered airfoil.... Trying to get down to 2.5 lbs and about 450 sq. inches of wing..

Then.. I'm building the Aeron.

m.gramling

My Feedback: (8)

Paul,
where and when is the fun fly in arkansas. Is it the one in piggot, AR.

PilotFrog

Looked at the Taco but I have a set of plans for Incoll's Hornet Wasp that I scaled down to 36" span and is just about perfect for a .15 to .25. I like the looks of that better. Think the wing area is around 450 sq in. Perhaps add a bit more fuse area like the Super Hornet Wasp for better knife edge. Hard to beat the Wasp design for performance & ease of building.
PilotFrog

GW-inactive

My Feedback: (4)

Killer Menace Paul, got my parts from funareo, about to get started on mine. Hope it turns out as nice as yours. Looks like it will be a ton of fun. Keep us posted on the flights

GW

rrpech

My Feedback: (22)

Where can I buy the Menance kit?

ramrod

My Feedback: (43)

Hello Paul, nice lookin Menace !! Glad you like it, they are a mighty fine plane for sure. Our son Chris (13) and I both have one that are 3 yrs old now and still cranking well - tons of FUN and a true contest winner ! We just talked to Mark today and ordered 2 more kits, he has a few more left and plans to make some more soon. If any one wants Marks ph no send me a note and I will send it to ya ! He is also kitting some other cool FF planes and in R&D on a new forward swept wing Menace type !!
Take care & have FUN !! Rod & Chris in PA.

Kevins_RC

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Paul, sorry it took so long to get the header length that you wanted. I am sending you an email with the dimension. Let me know if you don't get it.

PaulSwany

My Feedback: (45)

Michael - I thought it was in Little Rock... I'll find out later today for sure.

PilotFrog - I looked at scalling a wasp... but I didn't like the constant cord wing... too blunt and no taper... I thought it wouldn't fly too well... So... I'm building the Taco with a tapered wing!!! it has a 14.5" root cord and 10 " tip cord with a 37" wing span for right around 450 sq in. I tapered the cord by 69% on a copier at kinko's... I think it's gonna be a hoot. I'll build the fuse out of 1/4 sticks with 1/16" sheeting. Probably go with pull-pull controls and a Irvine .25.

Fastlif

My Feedback: (2)

Just so you all know that the Menace has totally changed the rules to fun fly competition. Ever since its inception it has become the standard to fly. I have used it to win as long as everyone else that has one the Nats and many fun flys here in the Northeast the past several years.
The plane will hover very good, take a beating and use a wide variety of equipment. Here we only use a webra or OS to power it (32) that is, a mousse can exhaust or a MAC Pipe works very good, and use the best servos you can afford. Run a 10-4 wood prop for quick throttle response-not zinger, 3 1/2 in. wheels, and a 3 oz Hayes Tank. The plane is a blast. Hopefully Mark will have some available soon, that is the worst thing, I could have sold hundreds in the past few years, but Mark has not had many for sale.
This year we raise the bar. Turner Perfomance has the new Minus, basically the same except for dimensions and weight (smaller and lighter). Also me and a friend have made our own, named the Habu, that will go head to head with all Menace/Minus fliers. They are all exceptional aircraft. Turners currently have kits available, so if you are looking for about the best darn plane out there, look no further. And, after you build it, come to a fun fly with it, dont say you cant do it, cause if you can fly the Menace, you can have fun competing like we do.

PaulSwany

My Feedback: (45)

Flew the Menace again last night... Man this thing rocks!! When I turned flaperon's on... I could get it to do this really tight 3' loop... it would do them forever with out loosing altitude... Flat spins are awesome... and it hovers really easy.... I like this thing soooo much better that the StickIt I had. Can't wait to explore the flight envelope of this aircraft. I might built one for a buddy.

GW-inactive

My Feedback: (4)

Paul.
How did you do the pull pull routing on the rudder and elev?
i have being looking at that possibility for a few days.
Just dont see a good way to route the pull pull for the elevator with the rudder like it is. Enlighten us!! Pull pull ailerons too?

GW

PaulSwany

My Feedback: (45)

I like the pull-pull on this ship... Wasn't that hard to do... I did standard 4x40 push rods on the aileron's.

I just glued a little inner nyrod to the fuse and routed the cables thru it. For the Rudder, I just drilled a hole at an angle thru the fuse and inserted a inner nyrod...

Shortman

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what servos are you using in the menace?

PaulSwany

My Feedback: (45)

Hitec HS 425 Dual BB

GW-inactive

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cant wait to get mine done. Think i will use the nelson film, had a friend use it as well, he also said it was a little difficult to work with, but the results of yours looks awesome. He thinks it maybe saved him upwards of 4 ozs over the total weight. What do you think? That much savings in ozs? He also said to pay special attention to the heat settings as per the films instructions .

Later
GW

PaulSwany

My Feedback: (45)

I'm sure it saved me a few oz... didn't weight before, so I'm not sure. Your buddy's right about the heat. Be very carefull or you'll melt a hole in this stuff. You also have to be very carefull about putting it on. It sticks to itself..... Bummer.