Waking up the Waco

I learned last year that the Phoenix Waco wing connection to the fuselage was poorly designed. I ran it into some weeds and it tore the wings off. Weeds. The damage was massive, so disheartening I let it just sit on the floor broken for the entire fall, winter and spring. Today I decided to take up the challenge. This plane is a sweet flier and one of my favorites. It deserves a rebirth.

She spent three seasons sitting here.

And so, the work begins. The following assess the damage.

Epoxy everywhere. The hard point (the bolt) was torn out on both sides. This was the only hard connection point, a screw pressing down on a flange from the wing.

The patient had to be secured to the table to allow access to the less damaged starboard side. I needed it fixed first to help align the cardboard tubes used to guide the aluminum wing spar. I think I want to replace the two small cardboard tubes with a full span carbon fiber tube. I think I have one that can act as a supporting guide for the aluminum tube.

I like to overbuild the repair. The hard point is now epoxied in much stronger than the original which was secured with hot glue. Runners are stinger and doubled (popsicle wood). Letting things dry.  More to follow!

 

FINALLY! Awesome flying day!

Today was that perfect golf swing kinda day! That one where you getting kinda frustrated, depressed even, and then you hit that sweet spot with a graceful fluid swing and the ball sails. It was that kinda day!

Yesterday was disappointing. The PulseXTs RCGF-USA 26cc was still misbehaving, and the once perfectly fine RCGF-USA 35cc decided it wouldn't start. Today I decided to see if the M4F sparky was the same as a CM4, it fit in the 35cc, and it ran sweet right away, so yes! I couldn't find M4Fs anywhere, so this was great! Have 3 CM4s. Since this worked, I decided to replace the M4F in the 26cc as well, and damned if that wasn't the cure! I thought I had changed it last year, but it being the unfindable M4F that wasn't possible. That was easy. She too now runs pretty smooth!

Beautiful day to fly! Solid steady cross wind, but easily handled.

PulseXT 60 with its now sweet RCGF-USA 26cc!

Sweet once again!!

Straight out 90 degree wind! At least it was consistent

The innards of the MX-Bach. So glad she is running wonderfully, and flying well. She is super sensitive to control inputs. Dropped the DRs and found the expos a bit much making her a bit sluggish (55% on the ailerons, 80% on the elevator). I dropped the DRs, and next time will change the expos (forgot to give that a try today). I had to dial in a minuscule amount of up elevator on the flaperons. These humongus control surfaces have such profound effect. The full down flaperons need me to max the DR for any control authority, so I need to decrease the throw of the flaps to give it some more authority and less drag. The winds were getting gusty up high and she spooked me a couple of times, so I landed and called it a day. Every takeoff was smooth, every landing greased.  I love the way these heavy planes land. Awesome day.

New spark plug, all is well!

Next, I think I need to fix the Waco! Ground looped it into the weeds and that torqued the wing. I think it won't be as bad I as fear.

So great to have an awesome flying day, that perfect swing kinda day!

Welll, that's just annoying is what that is...

The RCGF-USA 35cc was running just fine. Got her to the field and she would not start... After a hundred flips and occassional sputters, I did get her running, but when I went to idle she quit suddenly, no wind down, just quit. Got her to do that twice in 90 mins before I gave up. I have no idea what its problem is, and really don't feel like taking the engine apart, but a boy gotta do what a boy gotta do I guess.  I am hoping she will just start tomorrow and we agree to forget these shenanigans.

I was soooo excited to fly her, but alas... unrequited.

I did fly the PulseXT 60 with the 26cc, but she started sputtering again, mostly at WOT. It is what it is, there is nothing more I can do for it now. I accept it. This plane is such an amazing flier.

 

Pulse XT 26cc RCGF engine running better after cleaning

In hopes of solving the sputtering and 4 cycling that has plagued my RCGF-USA 26ccsince last year. Yesterday I pulled the engine, rebuilt it (left the cylinder on the crankcase, those bolts weren't going anywhere), and completely  dismantled and cleaned the carb. The parts and gaskets were all fine. On the diaphragm side there was a surprising amount of fine grit in the pump side. I wonder if thats what the main problem was? The enginenisnt running perfectly mbut its so much smoother. Right now the sputtering is softer and only at wide open throttle (WOT).

The engine before breakdown and cleaning.

After the breakdown dn cleaning. 

RCGF-USA 35cc MX-Bach Ready for 2021

Today I took down the MX-Bach and fired her up. She started right up, of course! No setting changes required.

The fill-drain tube inside the tank broke off... pulled the tank, cleaned it, and replaced the short piece of tubing and reinstalled the tank. Will need to remember to out her nose down to get it all.

I also discharged the ignition-reciever pack and recharged it. She is all ready to fly!

Perplexing RCGF 26cc Issue

 Last year this engine started this weird 4-cycling behavior, worse at full throttle (WOT). Its not consistent. I can sometimes almost tune it out o the ground, but those same setting sputter terribly in flight. I even took the silencers off, no change at all, just louder.

Yesterday at the field this was just constant and not reassuring. I tried retuning it, and this was the best I got on the ground. In the air it worsened. I should have taken notes last year, when I took the engine apart looking for any issues. Not sure if I changed the spark plug but it would have been on the list. I haven't changed the ignition. It sounds to me like an air leak that leans out the fuel mixture as altitude increases, but then richening it should lessen the sputter; it doesn't. Any ideas are welcome. 

I have benched it and will be once again looking for issues, will change the ignition and the spark, see if another carb I have will fit. Something happened to this once perfectly running engine, I have no idea what.

July 1, 2021

May 27, 2020

April 5, 2020

Took the silencers off. No performance improvement, just much louder. 

These do bring the noise down.

Back on the bench... will drop the engine and try again.

Hangar 9 Pulse XT60 and its RCGF 26cc Flight Ready

 After yesterday's debacle, I moved forward with getting the rest of my fleet flight ready, today starting with the Pulse XT60.

Took her off the wall and out to the work table. Decided not to lug the wings out just yet. Spent an hour running her and tweaking the needles. She started right up and ran pretty well, but I felt she was running rich still. 

 After repairing the stripped aileron connector, I attached the wing and ran the engine to see if the ailerons wanted to play the fool and jitter, but nope, all is well. Has only been a problem on the Stik and the Stick.

I'm pretty happy with her and look to take her out tomorrow, weather permitting.  I will do a few cosmetic fixes before then.

This is right after starting her having had her on her back repairing the lead. She had to cough up some air first. As I wound the needles to full closed to reset them I stopped counting after about 4 turns... I set them at 2 and 2, finding that's the min to start and run up, probably ended up closer to 2-1/2 for the high, but closer to 3-4 for the low to get a smooth run up. It still stutters a bit with crash to WOT, but its quick and consistent. Last year she ran smoothly on the ground, but 4 cycled in the air at WOT. Will see.

Next up, one of the 30xx's and the helis. I am still putting off fixing the Waco, and maidening the 3rd Spitty.