BH Model Pitts Special

[19000rpm]

That was a close one.

This is a complicated process to get a plane of this type in the air the first time. You'll be nervous. Makes it easy to let something slip by.

I wonder if you might want to do a pre flight check list with all aspects of fuel, engine prep, assembly, flight controls, radio settings, etc. It might help you keep organized and prevent an oops moment out at the field.

I used complete pre flight checklists a lot in the past and still do with a new plane for the first few flights. After that I use an abbreviated version.

[Doozer]

I was thinking that I'd have to do that for sure since I'll be needing to remove the wings to transport. Screw by screw check.

The gas problem was one of those things where ya see the big print, so you don't bother reading the small print. I just saw all of the ratios on it and snatched it up. If I would have really looked at it in the store, I wouldn't have bought it.

You are right about getting nervous though. I've made a few mistakes with my gasser heli where a checklist would have been great. You can pull start the G series Zenoah's ... no electronics necessary. Throttle linkage was half way open. Can you say burnt clutch?

[19000rpm]

I guess that proves we are only human, and being male, have a tendency to read only the large print. Heck, I know guys that won't even look at the large print. It produces many, WTF???, moments for them. Often puzzled by the unexpected results. Some people never learn.

I have to force myself to slow down. Not to rush things when I'm about to be swept away by the exciment of the moment or just have lost my focus. Both dangerous things to have happen when you're preparing for that big event.

With years of practice; I'm only doing impulsive, lazy, or stupid things, 10-15% of the time now...I often wonder when the next, "I knew better than to do that!!! I should have done that!! I can't believe I did that!!", moment will happen. It's just a matter of time.

[Doozer]

It's called entrapment, and somehow I think women are involved. Personally I think it's a secret society of women like the Illuminati. They dangle shiny sh!t in front of us, while they sit in the shadows waiting for us to take the bait. Then they pop out and remind us that we are lazy and stupid and can't survive without them as they demand shoes as penance.

I got it all figured out.

[Doozer]

Well, I figured out why my servo was crying all the time! Even at 1/4 stick it would chatter and buzz. I almost changed it's position until I literally shined a light on the problem. I forgot that these carbs come with a spring on the throttle. I've left mine on my heli, but since this engine has an electronic ignition and a kill switch (IBEF), I went ahead and unhooked the spring from the throttle. Guess what? No more noise! Seems I was working the crap out of that old Futaba. I'm still going to make a box for the servo, but that eases my mind a lot.

[Doozer]

I'm not finished yet, everyone here has the flu, and I'm running around like made. However, I have some pics, of where I'm at right now...


I went to the hobby shop and bought some plywood sections. I'm using a JR 3500 tail servo (Mini).


This is how it sits


I built a mount and moved the throttle servo in some to decrease the angle on the push-rod.


Now it's just about a straight shot


I decided to add screws to the plywood instead of epoxy.


This is how it sits as of right now. I'm going to box the servos in to reduce the chance of engine noise interfering with the signal and to shield them a little better from heat.

More pics later.

[Doozer]

Here are the boxes I built for the servos:









Here's a short video of the Carb Choke servo in action:

I spent way too much time on the choke servo. Most of it building the boxes. Where the choke servo sits now was just a thin piece of balsa, so I needed to build something a bit more sturdy. I've put a drop of silicone where the wire lead come out. My reasoning for encasing the servos were to reduce the chance of electronic interference, and protect them from heat and oil.

Here's a video of the Pitts with the cowl attached and complete:


So that's that! My next video will be the maiden. I'm looking for a place to fly today. I don't want to use my usual spot because the road is narrow and I'm not sure how much rudder I'll need (read: a little chicken). I'm looking for a nice flat grassy area to take off and land in.

[akphill]

Looks real good ;D
Can't wait to see her fly

[Doozer]

Just doing some circles in the circle:

Taxi practice

[19000rpm]

Looks like it's ready to go!! Good luck with the maiden.

[akphill]

Isn't that plane maybe suppost to be higher off the ground to be called flying ;D

[Doozer]

Mar 18, 2012 17:35:50 GMT -6 akphill said:

Isn't that plane maybe suppost to be higher off the ground to be called flying ;D

... wait... what?... since when?

I've been looking for a wider runway, but it looks like I'll be using the normal field. I've been practicing the taxi and run up. Wanted to fly today actually, but it rained all day. I'll try again tomorrow.

[akphill]

Nervously anticipating this maiden for some reason ;D
vids are required good or not so good can't wait LOL

[Doozer]

There's a 30% chance of rain tomorrow, here, that means rain. It will probably clear up in the afternoon, but the wind will pick up in the afternoon. However, I do have Tuesday off as well. I'm not in a huge hurry, but I am feeling like it's time to fly.

I'm a little nervous too. I'm not so much worried about he airworthiness of the plane, or my ability to get it in the air, but I'm worried about the width of the road. It has a rounded curb on either side, and there's some brush that lines the road. I might take another trip tomorrow morning and look for a better spot. There's also the issue of transportation. I've decided I'm going to strap it to the top of the car using my surf racks and some soft foam. I don't have to go very far and I won't be required to do more than 40 mph.

I'm looking at a flatbed utility trailer from Lowes. I need something small that I can turn on its side to fit through the gate, and store on the side of my house.

[19000rpm]

40 mph on top of your car the plane will actually be on its maiden. That will require careful anchoring down to prevent damage. If you can fashion a spoiler in front of the plane; it will help.