Hangar 9 Ultra Stick 10cc Second Addition

My second Ultra Stick 10cc arrived and the build began in earnest couple of days ago. Since its pretty much the same as the first one, I'm not posting step-by-step again.

And so it begins.

Started with the wing.

Tail feathers followed.

The Evolution 10cc installed. Changed the throttle control linkage a bit, using a rod and made a pretty straight path. Mine runs inside the mount, the plans have it running laterally.

I used the landing  gear from Version 1, and here she is up un her feet.

Waiting for the 2S 5000 mAh battery pack to arrive, then I can finish and light the fire!

My iX12 Transmitter is still sitting on a shelf at Horizon Hobby Service Center, not yet assigned to a tech, going on 3 weeks now with no radio...

Horizon Spektrum Service is Super Busy....

 

Sent almost 3 weeks ago, its been there nearly 2 weeks, and still hasn't been assigned to a tech for evaluation and repair.  Its never taken this long before. They are super busy, I know they are doing the best they can, its just killing me, not flying...

Replacement H9 Ultrastick is here! Let the resurrection begin!

My replacement Hangar 9 Ultrastick 10cc arrived on schedule!

In an interesting aside, my LHS called me yesterday to tell me it arrived at the shop. I told them that was odd, I had not ordered it from them, and I wasn't expecting it until today and it was coming to my house, not the LHS. They insisted it was there, with my name on it, and that I had called a couple of days ago and ordered it. So I went there and showed them my Tower Hobbies receipt and FedEx notification just to be sure. They got all pissy, asking "Well, how did we get your name and number?" I replied I had no idea. I called two weeks ago for a stock check, since it was on backorder and wondering it they had one laying around. They did not, and I did not give any personal info other than my "Hi, I'm Ken, calling for a stock check."  A week later on 8/1 Tower sent me the "In Stock!" email I had requested, and the next day I ordered it from Tower, on this past Monday 8/2. I don't know how that LHS stuff all happened, but it wasn't me. 

So they called me again a few hours later to let me know my model was at the shop...

Nitroplanes Pitts Model 12 All Up!

Its all done. Dry weight is 10 lbs, CG a touch nose heavy, going to leave that alone and see how it trims out. All that is left is the maiden flight.

My cowl securing shenanigans continue. The cowl securing screws were designed to be tightened from inside the cowl, one at about 10 o'clock and one at 2. I don't have a hex driver long enough for that, so thought I would turn the screws around and put on a nut from inside the fuse, even bought thumb nuts, but I just could not get to the screws, the space was so tight. Plan C. There is about that much space between the cowl frame and the canopy. I made this platform...

... and fixed a screw onto a cross bar I placed inside the cowl, which interfaces with the platform. I secured the cowl leaving the two Plan B screws in place to help support and stabilize the cowl, and on this center one use a bonded washer and one of the thumb nuts. That nut passes through a space in the front of the canopy. Works perfectly.

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All up and ready to go!

The aluminum 3-blade 2.5inch spinner came in. Mounted the Master Airscrew 15x7x3 prop, with my custom painted tips. Balanced the prop yesterday.

The pilot is just the cockpit!

I am going to hold off the maiden until my iX12 comes back from the shop.

First lighting of the fires RCGF-USA Stinger 20cc

Today I made a few adjustments to the tank plumbing, as I accidentally reversed the fuel fill and the vent lines. Realized that when I started to fill the tank and fuel,started running out the vent as quick as it went in. Took the plane out for her first start and run.

On opening the basement doors, ran into this little guy working on his nest. He stood there and wondered if he should run, or if I would leave. He took off. If I didn't come and go this would be a great nest spot.

Started right up! Took a few minutes to find her feet and as each minute passed she ran better and more smoothly.  Tweaked the needles a bit, but a smidge only. Within a couple minutes of running it quit when the spark wire came off, melted and cut right thru the plastic wire tie. Came up with and actual wire system to hold it (below).

Got even more smooth than this.

I ran a stranded wire around the spark wire, and used a copper tube crimp to close the loop. As I noted earlier the cowl will also support it. I then threw another plastic wire tie around it again, using some shrink tube to protect it from heat and friction.

The finger nuts came in, so I can now secure the cowl. I am placing a rubber bonded washer to reduce the likelihood it will not work loose from the vibration.

I balanced the 15x7x3 Master Airscrew. I expect the 3 blad aluminum spinner in a week, but for now I do have a black DuBro spinner I can use to check CG shortly.

She is a wish away from maiden.

Nitroplanes Pitss Model 12 Build Basically Done!

 

Installed the fuel dot.

The sparky isn't  securely, but is firmly sticking to the plug, and I am afraid to force it, so am using this zip tie to keep it from loosening off. This and the cowl will hold it in place. Its not tight, just holding it. 

Finally on all her wheels!

Installed the lower wing without any drama.

Break in prop on!

Top wing on for fit testing!

Fuel vent installed. Tougher cote around it.

Fuel tank did arrive today and installed, plumbed and ready to go!

I made these wires for the cabanes and they look great. I am willing to install the til wires but its not as obvious to me where they go. Back to the web for ideas.

Next step will be firing up the engine! Hope my transmitter comes back soon.

Nitroplanes Pitts Model 12 20cc Nearly Done!

I haven't posted for a few days, but I have been busy. An unexpected delay in the arrival of the fuel tank had to be worked around, it should arrive tomorrow. Here are some updates. Things went really well.

Combo shot of the aileron and its control horn, the servo hardpoint. The wing side had to be expanded to allow the servo to fit, hence the carve outs. There were a few weaknesses in the design that required this sort of fix. The standard servo barely fit on the cover/hardpoint.

 

The top wing.

The elevator halves are joined by a balsa "rod" between the halves. I wanted some more stiffness across the halves since the servo is attached to the port side (see below) and drives both elevator sides. I put a steel rod I bent into shape across the cross over, and this worked as designed. 

This is the starboard side. Not shown is that I went on to double the control horn putting another one over the existing horn. When I drilled a larger hole for the larger control rod, the margins around the hole were much less than desired. This strengthened the control horn and the connection.

This is the port side with the servo. The elevator and rudder are the 25 kg torque version of the 20kg ones on the ailerons. I really like the quality of these servos. The control rod provided were way too long, so I used this Traxxas one I had laying around as it was perfect. It uses an M3 bolt, hence needing to drill out the control horn. Sturdy undies to be sure. Also here is the rudder pull-pull connection.

Installed the RCGF-USA 20cc Engine. I love this engine!  Its like it was made for this airplane, fits perfect with no modification. 

The throttle servo set up I had to rig. Works well. My notations on the rail mark the WOT, middle and stop throttle positions I used to set mid throttle on the servo. I had to make the opening smaller for the servo so it would secure correctly.

One of those design issues. The cowl bolt heads are inside the cowl, I don’t have a hex screw driver long enough. Also, the way the cowl is set on it has to come up from underneath a bit and gets pushed up into place, so this really is the only way. I need to figure something out.

Perfect center. You can see the cowl mount bolts inside the upper right and left sides. Putting s 2.5 inch aluminum 3 blade spinner over the Master Airscrew 15x7x3 prop, after breaking it in with a MA Scimitar 2 blade.

The rudder pull-pull system.

The underside of the lower wing, the center of which is where I laid down the fiberglass  under the AMA sticker. Came out nicely. Painted the control rods flat black, the stock white was just wrong.

The big M4F sparky doesn't hold onto the RCExcel ignition spark plug wire (neither does the CM6 I tried). I  set up the cowl cut-outs to allow part of the cowl to hold it in place.

The  cowl cut-outs for the muffler pipes and the tip of the spark plug wire. 

Painted the aft part flat black.

Internal electronics layout, the battery not in place. Spektrum AR637T receiver, Tech Aero UBEC that filters noise from the ignition nd is the ignition on-off switch, the flag-pun powerswitch, the rudder servo. Underneath is the voltage regulator taking the 7.4V battery packmdown to 6.6V.

The underside, above the wing. Wiring and the voltage regulator.

The Ignition LED and the flag-pin fail-on reciever power switch.  Works perfectly! Wonder how long before I snap the pin off...

The backside of the flag-pin switch. I added some support to the fuselage balsa to support use of the switch. Battery pack. Imhad to search for some time before I found this flag-and-pin fail-on switch at RadicalRC, one designed to not to need a power regulator system, but to act as  primary switch. 

Very clean electronics bay. Missing the fuel tank still. It will be mounted to the port side forward of the receiver. One antenna horizontal, one vertical.

Tech Aero UBEC lateral to the 2S 7.4V 5200 mAh LiPO battery pack.

The RCGF-USA Stinger Engines sticker, one on each side. 

Thanks Joe at RCGF-USA! I add the weblink.

Tomorrow the fuel tank will arrive. I need to solve the cowl bolt problem.