Phoenix Waco F5C 26cc Build

I started the Phoenix Waco F5C build the other day. I purchased the ARF from Tower Hobbies. I had bought a used RCGF 26cc from a SNHFERCC member for a great price, which made this project possible. It came with the ignition, a carbon fiber 18x7 prop and some other extras. I hadn't planned on that big of an engine, was thinking 20cc, maybe, but what's a boy to do when a 26cc engine comes around for an impossibly awesome price? I took the Hitec HS-5645MG and HS-5485MG servos from the MX-Bach I don't fly, using the 45s for the ailerons and the 85s for rudder, elevator and throttle. I had a Sullivan gas tank stopper kit.  I have ordered Turinigy NiMh 6V 2200 mAh reciever and ignition packs, fuel dot and vent, and RCEXEL remote ignition cut out and QuikFire fuel filter.

I have had 2 full build days without interruption and made incredible progress. Only a couple of gripes about the kit. The parts were taped into the box, but they seemed randomly tossed in. Despite that they were all pristine. The parts are of exceptional build quality, flawless. The main gear upper shrouds are made of a brittle plastic (whats that shroud part called, where the strut joins the fuse?) and the paint peels off of them easily. I have never worked with this part before so could have used some instruction manual guidance. Also they don't fit snug, so I had to use a lot of tape to secure them. Not perfect but they worked out.  The wheel pants have no way to be secured other than pressure from the wheel bolt and nut, so I decided to drill a hole instead of cut up to the axle point. Had to squeeze the wheel and gear axle in, a tight butt puckering feat. Also came out nice.

I am stopping for a couple of days as now all I need now are the ordered parts.

I used my own wire stock and tap to be able to use ball links for the control rods.

Nice installation. I used Du-Bro pin-hinged nylon aileron hinges on all the surfaces instead of the stock CA hinges.

The throttle arm needed to be moved to the opposite side. This was made problematic by the limits of the throttle arm. I had to MacGyver an aluminum control horn to angle back a bit allowing full range of motion of the throttle. I'll put a manual choke rod on later, sorta forgot about it with all the work getting the throttle control rod right.

The RCGF 26cc engine in place. I had to move the motor back on the mounts about 1 cm. I had to make modifications to the firewall for the engine mount, but they were easily made as access to the back of the firewall is direct, a little Dremel sanding to make room for large washers . I had fuel proofed the wood on both sides and inside the fuse with 15 min Epoxy diluted with alcohol. The engine fits, whew...

I centered it much better, this was the first dry fit to see just how much would stick out and to center it.

The cylinder stayed in the cowl! I cleaned up the area around the spark. I don't know how the cowl will fare with the cyljnder head right on it. Its tough fiberglass.

And most critically it doesn't stick out too far!

I picked up some 6-32 stainless screws, T-nuts and neoprene washers to hold the cowl, drilled and installed them, then marked the cowl and drilled it.

It fits perfectly! I chose not to use the false motor front wanting a lot of air. The cowl is well vented as the air flows though a huge vent underneath the fuse behind the cowl edge, and around the cowl edge. Plenty of air! This is the 18x7 Falcon carbon fiber prop Joe tossed in with the engine I will start with.

Side view, looks good for compromising the size. I squeezed a 26cc into this 15cc cowl and the few mm's extra out front ain't no thing.

The wheel pants look sweet. Here's hoping they survive! If you look closely you can see the tape holding the strut shround in place. I will clean that up later with new tape.

I decided not to use the stickers that came with the kit. They are brittle and broke easy, and I kinda liked the plain red. All that is left in the build is installing the engine electronics, the fuel dot, vent and QuikFire fuel filter, ignition and reciever packs, installing the wings and firing the whole thing up!

This maiden will definitely require man diapers as I will either piss or poop myself...

Align Trex 600 FBL Pro Flight Ready!

This morning I solved the rudder authority issue (I had failed to turn the GYRO on and set it... it was on INHIBIT).  Without the blades, I put in the 12S and gave her a slow start up run to let the gears learn to love each other, took her to full and nothing flew off, took her to about 80% and let her run, all of the odd screeches and noises settled down, nothing smoked. I checked the balance weight on the two tail blades, installed them and spun her up for vibration and authority check, and there be a LOT of power there. Balanced the Align blades (usually spot on, needed a touch of tape) and installed them.

She is now ready for her maiden!

Trex 600e Pro, Trex 600EFL Pro, Trex 500e FBL (HK)

Clean workbench, time to start the 26cc Waco!

New Day, New ESC, New Problem

From our Its-Always-Something Department.

I removed the Hobbywing FunFly 100A HV ESC from the MX-Bach, and installed it on the Trex 600 EFL. Programmed it, installed, and ran perfectly. I noticed the the tail/rudder range of motion was far short of the end points. So I put the SpektrumAR7200BX into program mode, looked to program fine, but the endpoints still weren't being met. The servo works fine. Its set properly in the BeastX: 333hz and 1520ms centering pulse. I reinstalled the new firmware using StudioX. I've tired rebinding, and have reprogramed the BeastX several times. I changed the control horn to the disc that came in from Amainhobbies yesterday, set at the center most hole for the ball (its a mm or 2 closer to center). Nothing. Monday I'll contact ech support.

UPDATE (10/2/16): Well, I figured it out... Last night as I fell to sleep I realized I hadn't turned the GYRO on in the DX8. This morning I checked, and I had not, it was set INHIBIT. I turned it to ON and set it at 35%. Voila! I now have full rudder authority.

Heli Maintenance Day

Spent the early afternoon changing the feathering shaft and dampers on the Trex 600e Pro and retuning the CCPM, on the Trex 500 (HK) replacing the main blades and the badly bent main shaft. Realizing as I write that I should have checked the feathering shaft too, oh well. I also sought to reproduce the uncommanded right roll, but it didnt come up. I decided to recheck the BeastX programming and made a few adjustments including finding that the Point J geometry test failed, so as I did on the Trex 600 FBL, I moved the ball links in and voila, it gave me the blue light of happiness!

Both the existing 600e and 500FBL are flight ready again. Later this afternoon I will pull the Hobbywing FunFly 100A HV ESC from the MX-Bach and get the Trex 600FBL flight ready.

Trex 600e Pro. Nailed the 0 pitch both sides.

Trex 500e (Hobby King Frame) is ready! Hope I have solved the uncommanded roll issue.

Dead Castle Phoenix Edge HV 80 ESC

As you know I've been building the Trex 600 EFL I put parts together for almost 2.5 years ago. I am almost done, and today installed the Spektrum AR7200BX FBL/Receiver system, the BEC, and set up the programming (more on that later).

I then pulled the new-in-box Castle Phoenix Edge HV 80 ESC from its box, and installed the connectors on both ends. I then attached the Castle Programming Card, and used a single 6S battery, and... nothing. I tried a 12S and nothing. I downloaded the latest version of the Castle Link software and connected it to the ESC via computer, and nada. I used the Castle Program Card and connected the USB to the computer, nada. I used the Castle Link Connector to the ESC and computer, and still nada. I had already bound the receiver, so I plugged in the ESC as if for flight, and when I connected the battery as 12S, nada, no tones, no response to throttle. This ESC is non-functioning right out of the box. I have beenusing the same ESC on my other 600 for years, and its worked fine (it came with it).

I wasn't going to go with Castle, after hearing and seeing some spectacular fires, but I had heard on the blogs and Helifreak that they had pretty much become a thing of the past (though a SNHRCC member just flamed one and a plane a couple of months ago). This is disappointing.

I've submitted a repair request to Castle, so we'll see what happens (called, but they had closed). I don't have the receipt (a couple of moves, one loses things). It may be a $170 brick...

The only other issue is that in programming the BeastX at Point J where you set 6 degrees of aileron input and it determines the adequacy of the geometry, I got a fault (red or purple light). This is fully stock in set up, and the geometry is fine, so I have no idea how to address this. Working on it.
- UPDATE (9/29/16): Had some time last night and went back, moved the control balls on the pitch and aileron servos from the outer point to the inner point and got the blue light of happiness. Curious how that little change made a difference.

Sitting pretty, waiting for the Castle ESC issue to resolve.

Trex 600 EFL Pro Build Update

An update on the Trex 600 EFL. The pinion for the motor came in from AMainhobbies a couple of days ago, so I installed it and the motor back then. Servos have been in a few days before that. Today I finished up the elevator transfer mechanism, the entire tube driven tail assembly, the main rotor and the main gear installation including the control rods for the swash.  All that is left are the electronics including setting up the Spektrum-BeastX FBL system, and the tail stays.

Servos in.

Almost done!

Earlier I took the Trex 600e and the Trex 500(HK) and the Frankenheli 450 out. 

The 600 still has a tracking problem I could not fix. I think its the feathering shaft or bad dampers, so I will replace them and see how she tracks then. I flew a couple of figure 8s and decided to drop the expo to 25.

The 500 has a BeastX on it. When I had the 4 blade head on her she pretzeled herself just starting her up. This time her head spun up fine but when it got up to full speed the disk went uncommanded hard right roll. I was ready for it expecting something wacky, but still broke a blade.  Need to figure that out.

The 450 has a persistent inconsistent ESC problem. Got the continuous-beeps-of-death. Will replace the ESC and try again.

FOR THE SCORE!

Perfect maiden weather.

I took the VQ Models P-51 Mustang that I finished rebuilding months ago out for a first flight. OMG, what a flier! Power! Grace! Control! Balance! Speed! Acrobatic! Stable! Flying 6S she was an absolute pleasure from takeoff, to the lack of any trim needed, into advanced spins, rolls, inverted flight! Everything works! Landing gear go up, go down, do up and down again!

Brought her down in a Bahgdad Spiral and lined her up for a landing. She comes in with a lot of speed, we'll bleed some off in level flight a foot off the ground.

BAM! Right into the fucking soccer goal. Are you f%*#ing kidding me?

She needs a new wing, replace two prop blades, replace the landing gear, that's it. Fuse is without a blemish.  Two warbird maidens, two amazing first flights, two bad crashes.

I've emailed VQ Models to see if they can help me find a replacemrnt wing. This model has been discontinued...