Spitty Update: Wing joined, Tail feathers done

Tail feathers done. Completed the horizontal stabilizer and the rudder, connected their control assemblies.

I completed the wing Y harnesses and joined the wings. I decided as before that its just easier with all the wiring.

Tail feathers and wing joinery setting and drying.

Elevator and rudder servos and their connecting rods.

Red fuel vent. I decided this time to put it aft of the wing. There isn't really a good place anywhere forward.

I also plumbed the fuel tank, clunk and vent. I am thinking about how to get the 3-way in place without crimping it with a tight turn while keeping the line to the carb short. 

Next I will set up the engine, then the electronics.

Spitfire #3 Underway

Tempting fate, trying a third Phoenix Models 10cc Spitfire. The first two were both lost on their maiden flights. I am resolved to greak the curse.

And AWAAAAAY we go!

Thought these servoless retracts were $17 a piece from Hobby King. Nope, a pair, says so right there on the listing, so I have an extra set of retracts.

The box, she be opened. No ghosts or wights came out, whew....

Fuel proofing on the front inside of the fuse drying. I kinda sm stalling...

Wing one. Let the games begin.

Painting the wheel hubs white, the flap well is primed, will be painting it red.

Tip: I learned before to put the flap control horns on first, then install the flaps. To do this the servos had to go in first so I could know where the horns would go. I amusing Tactic 47s from previous models.

Wings are done! Took about 3 days, mostly due to issues getting the landing gear to work right (see below).

Red came out great! Not sure how I am going to set up the flaps...  They are on a Y, so I am not sure how I will get the end points to match. I don't remember how I did them before. I am using an 8 channel receiver.

I wonder if I should leave the landing gear cover off to keep the underside of the wing flat and unobstructed? The gear is well into the wing with the changes. 

Once again putting the non-stock servoless retracts on took a lot af work, trial and improvements on first takes. I haven't done them quite the same on any of the three models  but this approach worked the best.  The issue is they are full 90 degree retracts, and if it binds at less than 90 retracting up, it gets stuck, won't budge, and is locked.had to remove them to let them unbind. That's how I figured out what the problem was. I had to raise the hardpoint the thickness of a popsicle stick, which I tailored two for each gear. Further I had to make a round hole in the center of the wheel well creating another 1 cm of space by allowing the head of the bolt holding the tire on to pass through and a bit under the well. Lastly I had to trim one of the gear cover support brackets so it wouldn't bind on the gear retract body. Now they work perfectly! Took some tiresome trouble shooting to figure this out, and the differnt sites causing binding.

As with the last two Spittys I had to cut the back off one of the gear cover supports so the gear could retract completely, not blocking full retract by running into the body of the retract.

My, that is a big bolt head right there... It ran into the wheel well cover before it fully retracted, causing binding. Partly relieved by raising the hardpoint, and by making a space for the bolt head in the bottom of the well,

Melted with soldering iron then Dremel sanded a hole in the center of the wheel well for the gear bolt. The underside of the wing is several mm deeper, more than enough room for the bolt. I located the spot by removing the wheel and reinstalling the volt by itself and seeing what it ran into. Made the hole there.

Taking a break. Next how to fit everything in. Using a single LiPO with a Tech-Aero UltraBEC, saving space and weight. I am going to use a Hobby Eagle 3-Axis stabilization system on it*. Not sure where that's going. The receiver is a big Spektrum AR8010T with a sat. Not sure where that's going either. 

More adventure to come!

* Um, nope. Says specifically not for glow/gas aircraft. This solves another problem, lets me assign separate flap channels if I need them.

Test Stand and RCGF-USA 10cc Survived

I had removed the RCGF-USA 10cc from the Stik that took a massively destructive header right on to the engine. Before I committed it to the new Spitfire, I wanted to make sure that it survived intact. All tree blades were snapped at the hub and she came down right on the hub, which is ground up quite a bit.

The RCGF-USA 10cc on the newly built test stand.

Runs perfect!

A simple rig. Manual throttle, the ignition  is fro  the engine and will be installed on the Spitfire. On old NiMH battery pack and the tachometer are also fixed to the rig. I put the 10 cc mount on one side so I can put a larger engine ,out on the other side if ever needed. 

The RCGF-USA 10cc on the test stand. Brief cut.

HK 500e FBL Main Bearing Plates and a Bad One-Way Bearing

The new bering plates came in and I went to install them today. I found the plate to be 5mm too narrow! It's always something...

I had some 3 mm plates of very dense wood and use them to make the gap. 

Worked fine, very solid as the wood is so dense.

Tuned up the 4 blade head.

Now this was curious. The lightest blade was the "heaviest" on the balancer. It weighed in at 56.7, and on the right that's the heavier one at 58.2! I rechecked all the weights and they are real. The blades CG are all about the same. I have no idea why this is. So I balanced them all to the "heavy" blade.

I had planned to use 450 size blades before I realized that the grips only fit the 500 size. 

I may have to fly her 6S, fortunately have plenty of them.

She is all set! But, wait! There's more! I took her out to check her tracking and she swings the big blades fine, the tracking was perfect, and she was acting balanced. But, the one-way bearing is shot and slipped with the extra weight. It's the original so I am not surprised.

I ordered a whole new main gear one-way bearing set so its all fresh, from Amainhobbies. good price, great shipping option.

Blown bearing!

I've never blown a bearing before, but I shredded the lower motor bearing today on the Trex 600e FBL. It's been making noise since the hard landing, and it was bad today when I spun it up to test the new tail blades, so I checked it out. I suspect it's because one of the two motor plate screws came off the right side at some point and were lost, so the motor was not secure.  I didn't notice this until I was removing the bearing plate. I had to chisel the outer frame of the bearing from the plate and it took some work to get the inner run off the the motor shaft; had to pop the pinion off to get the remnant off. Ordered some 6x12x4 metal shielded bearings to replace it, didn't have one in stock. Took the opportunity to oil up the Scorpion motor bearing. Replaced and re-Locktited the motor based screws. A few screws were missing on the right side of the frame... checked all of them. I ordered the new bearings from Amazon, will be here in two days.

The bottom of the main gear should not have been rubbing on the torque tube power takeoff gear, so I rechecked the location of the washers on the manual. I was surprised to learn that the 0.3mm and 0.5mm washers are put together, and that they go  under the main shaft stop over the top main shaft bearing. This lifts the entire mechanism and will make the main gear and the power takeoff gear clear. I had them together but on the top of the main gear hub, immediately under the lower main shaft bearing plate. To remind me I put them on the shaft over the clothespin.

I found that the top of the main gear metal hub was rubbing the underside of the lower main shaft bearing plate. There was some metal stripping off the top of the main gear hub. Not sure what's up with that. Was it not seated properly because the washers were in the wrong place? I hope so.

 

UPDATE: Replaced the bearing, hover tested, perfect. Quiet, smooth, balanced, ready to fly again!

History will not repeat itself...

My luck with the Phoenix Spitfire has been dismal. First one nipped a tree on its maiden after luring me with its ease and beauty of flight. Took me a couple of years to get over that. The second one I killed shortly after takeoff most likely a stall, possibly related to a radio issue (yeah, I stalled it, blinking receiver light be damned). After the second one I considered myself cursed as far as Spitfires are concerned and swore to never buy/build another. Loosing one after another on maiden flights was too much for a man to bear.

Well, today I have done a thing, and I cannot undo it. I ordered another one, the same one, from Tower Hobbies, the Phoenix Models Spitfire. How can I not? I kindled two airplanes lately, so need a replacement, and this is such a beautiful machine and model! Credit is a terrible thing for an addiction... I also picked up a new pair of the servoless retracts from Hobby King I have used twice before. I like these. I have to modify the wheel wells a bit, but this time I am going to let them stick out rather than chisel down the hardpoint. I looked at using the mechanical retracts and a retract servo, but have heard nothing but trouble from these: the servo from Hitec, my favorite servo company, is a full 180 degree non-limitable servo, so not sure that would even work and it has a poor reputation. The other is a Spektrum retract servo that is adjustable, but has barely a better reputation and is NIS until next month. Screw it, went with the electric servoless ones. The other electronics and servos will come from the dead brethren.

I have two engines for it. The one that has been a pain in my ass is the Evolution 10cc, that first "flew" in the second doomed Spitty. Not comfortable putting it in the new Spitty given the recent trials I have had with it, even though it was once again running great the day of the crash; it still has the stink of the second Spitfire crash on it. The other engine is the RCGF-USA 10cc that was on the Stik. It took quite the header last week in the destruction of the Stik, so I don't know if it will even work, if the shaft isn't somehow damaged. But I think that is the one I am going with, its a better and more reliable engine, has the power, and doesn't have that torpedo muffler coming out of it.

I think too I will build it with a 14x8 Master Airscrew Scimitar blade, rather than a 3 blade, just to get things right. On the ground statically the Spitfire looks wrong with a 2 blade, but its in the air performance I want, may go to a Master Airscrew 13x8x3 later.

So I am excited and look forward to the third attempt!

Repairing the Align Trex 600e FBL

Yesterday I had to made an emergency landing to avoid killing a hawk that was ggressively hunting my Trex 600. I did not land well, flying in fast nose is from my left, and addi g collective to stop the momentum, lifted the nose to stop the forward progression, and the tail blades hit. Shattered the blades and stripped the torque tube power takeoff set.

Delaminted the blades. These damn things are $23 ! Pair!

Teeth stripped off the power takeoff assembly.  Kinda glad they are soft as it prevented worse damage.

New assembly installed. I like torque tubes better than belts.

Tail blades are in the mail! Spun her up on the bench and the power takeoff gear was rubbing the main gear. I used a sharp blade while it was spinning to whittle it down and it clears nicely. Can't wait to get her back in the air.