02-09-2012, 07:20 PM
Manufacturer's web-site: http://www.dynam-rc.cn/Products_view_102.html
For once I decided to assemble a kit in the stock configuration - it took a lot to control my instinct to meddle with it, but the noise from RCGroups indicated that it was fine out of the box.
Assembly was not taxing, the only issues were ...
1. All the screws used to hold the wings on and the tailplane together were only 20mm long, this makes it simple for the manufacturing but I'll probably use some larger nylon bolts at a later stage.
2. The screws are sometimes placed in deep recesses and it's anyone's guess whether you're going to find the socket when you drop the screwdriver into the hole and start turning. It's also easy to try and overtighten the screws which will strip the plastic sockets very quickly.
3. It comes with those EZ style of connector for the horns on the control surfaces - I've never liked them that much - they're clunky, always seem to have too much slop, rely on a set-screw on which you can often burr the head, and you've really got to put loctite or CA on the retaining nut to be sure it's going to stay there. My collection of spare parts is a mess and I can't find things at the moment, otherwise I'd have replaced them with threaded clevis'.
4. I had to put some lead (dead weight) up behind the cowl to get the CoG correct.
The assembly manual said I cold expect a takeoff weight of 1250g and the static test showed 280 W so there weren't any reasons to upgrade the power train, but the 30A ESC doesn't have a huge amount of spare capacity.
It flew quite well and it wasn't difficult to make it look reasonably scale in the air. It would cruise about at about 65% throttle and the stock retracts performed perfectly even though I wasn't gentle with them. I perhaps had a little too much nose weight, so removed some of that for the second and third flights. It would loop from level flight at full power, but needed a bit of down-elevator to stop it sinking in a roll - not too bad and probably scale-like.
It's the first plane in which I've ever used expo - I thought it was about time to get acquainted with it. I think I might have started off with a little too much of it though because I was under-controlling the flair on landing. It's going to take a little time to get used to, and some of my landings were disappointing - not the plane's fault though, I got to get used to shoving the sticks around a bit more.
I plan on doing a kit-bash and converting it to a Wirraway, ready for Oz Day next year.
For once I decided to assemble a kit in the stock configuration - it took a lot to control my instinct to meddle with it, but the noise from RCGroups indicated that it was fine out of the box.
Assembly was not taxing, the only issues were ...
1. All the screws used to hold the wings on and the tailplane together were only 20mm long, this makes it simple for the manufacturing but I'll probably use some larger nylon bolts at a later stage.
2. The screws are sometimes placed in deep recesses and it's anyone's guess whether you're going to find the socket when you drop the screwdriver into the hole and start turning. It's also easy to try and overtighten the screws which will strip the plastic sockets very quickly.
3. It comes with those EZ style of connector for the horns on the control surfaces - I've never liked them that much - they're clunky, always seem to have too much slop, rely on a set-screw on which you can often burr the head, and you've really got to put loctite or CA on the retaining nut to be sure it's going to stay there. My collection of spare parts is a mess and I can't find things at the moment, otherwise I'd have replaced them with threaded clevis'.
4. I had to put some lead (dead weight) up behind the cowl to get the CoG correct.
The assembly manual said I cold expect a takeoff weight of 1250g and the static test showed 280 W so there weren't any reasons to upgrade the power train, but the 30A ESC doesn't have a huge amount of spare capacity.
It flew quite well and it wasn't difficult to make it look reasonably scale in the air. It would cruise about at about 65% throttle and the stock retracts performed perfectly even though I wasn't gentle with them. I perhaps had a little too much nose weight, so removed some of that for the second and third flights. It would loop from level flight at full power, but needed a bit of down-elevator to stop it sinking in a roll - not too bad and probably scale-like.
It's the first plane in which I've ever used expo - I thought it was about time to get acquainted with it. I think I might have started off with a little too much of it though because I was under-controlling the flair on landing. It's going to take a little time to get used to, and some of my landings were disappointing - not the plane's fault though, I got to get used to shoving the sticks around a bit more.
I plan on doing a kit-bash and converting it to a Wirraway, ready for Oz Day next year.
Steve Murray