More Info on World's Cheapest ARF

Can someone give me more details on this? I haven't built mine yet but I'd like to go with a bolt down wing. Never heard of "outside the fuse" bolts though...

Thanks, Steve

Shave off a bit of material from the provided jo> the hold down bolts are mounted "outside the fuse" (easier to plac > correctly).

Dubro makes this "Nylon Wing Mounting Kit" Catalogue number 256. Instead of mounting them inside the fuse, under the rear of the wing, mount them outside of the fuse. I do this before I remove the rods tha are used for the rubber bands. I clamp the wing on the fuse with a fe rubber bands (the ones that came with it :D ), then I run a 1/4 -2 bolt that I sharpened at the end from the bottom of the bracket up t the wing. This gives me an exact location where to drill the holes. In locating the position of the bolts brackets, I make sure that th head of the screws are flush with the top of the wing surface whe mounted. Put a small thin piece of lite ply underneath the bolt head (glue it on).

Also you must make a doubler for the former that will hold the front o the wing down. Glue it inside the fuel tank compartment.

HT

-- indoruwe

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Thanks for providing the discount code. That pushed me over the edge. I just ordered one of their $38 trainers. I think I have found a home for my OS FL-70, at last.

Ed Cregger

I got my cheap trainer yesterday....missing the fuel tank clunk and aleron rods, but I had extra parts in the garage.

The box is extremely small that the plane comes in....and compared to my Nexstar, this plane is small...but just what I wanted for a tower hobbies .46 I had laying around.

I added some CA glue to the inside joints and landing gear wood, and replaced the nose wheel screws at the firewall.

The only mistake I made was trying to drill dowel holes...only to find out that 1/8" over from my hole was a hole already made...oops....little epoxy will fix it.

The instructions were not worth the paper they were xeroxed on...showed more info on installing the power switch than the real assembly of the parts in the box.

My wing had a straight wood joiner...put it in and I can't see any dihedral in the wing....good news.

I also added some inside wheel collars to the landing gear to keep the wheels where I wanted, and I didn't use the cheap plastic black clevis'......they didn't want to stay shut.

I did like the large fuel tank (really cheap tank), the full plywood sides on the fuse are nice, covering was really good.

What are the two screws included that are about 1.5" long for ?

Never figured that out either, and my clunk was also missing. With s many extra parts laying around, I seldom notice what is missing

-- indoruwe

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Jason w

Your experience was exactly like my own down to the mysterious lon screws. But fortunately I found the dowel holes.

I installed an ancient K&B .45 Sportster and flew it this past sunday The K&B was spewing fuel from the front bushing so it was impossible t get a good engine run. It was also very gusty which, couple with th surging engine, made for a very tense first flight. My impressions ar pretty straightforward; its a rugged trainer that plows through the ai with very tame control response.

However, I won't be using this as a trainer for my son. I'm old schoo and I think that training students on an aileron equipped airplane i the wrong approach. I was attracted to this ARF because of the pric and wishful thinking. I learned on a 3 channel plane and it was s much easier. Over the years (not recently) I learned that the firs flights are more about perspective then skill. Its important to buil confidence and really develop the plane, pilot, surrounding perspective. I want a plane that when I push the stick left th airplane goes left; not rolls left.

Bottonline:This is probably a good trainer with respect to th prevailing conventional wisdom; But, for me Its a good second plane I'm in the market for a 3 channel SIG Rascal or maybe I'll just buil another Esquire.

At some point I'll replace the K&B with a Supertigre .40 ($50 at tower and this will be a fun aileron trainer

-- flyboyanderso

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All depends on how an instructor teaches. I have seen "instructors" -

- holding the Master Trannie with one hand while just looking at th plane.

- just letting the student fly where ever.

- not watching for weaknesses and then working on getting better.

- not explaining why certain maneuvres have to be done a certain way.

- never teaching coordinated turns.

- never teaching scale like flying.

- not giving "ground school" instructions, like safety, set-up, etc.

nuff sed

-- indoruwe

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the rudder on this plane looks too small, but I don't really use rudder in flight....I learned first on a firebird commander (2 ch), then a hobbizone piper cub (3 ch), then a nexstar. I now have several SPAD planes that I have built, an Aircore trainer (great trainer plane), and just finished a sukhoi....touchy in flight.

I didn't really plan on any real purpose for this cheap plane...but I figured that it was worth a try.

Anyone new to assembly might as well seek help on this one. Compared to the hobbico and Phoenix ARF's that I have put together, this one lacked good instructions....and some of the parts (clevis and wing dowels) were not good enough quality to fly.

Along with a few missing parts, this plane needed someone with experience......but it was way more than I was expecting...and although I haven't flown the plane yet, I think it is well worth the $39 plus shipping.....I only feel bad for the person who got paid beans to glue and coat this thing.

As for engines, I have really been impressed with SK engines. They are selling for around $50.00 and after a good breakin, they have been excellent. I have one on my aircore trainer and another on a low-wing SPAD that I built.

Looks like they are not a little more expensive

There are good instructors and there are bad instructors. I don't see teaching someone to fly in a scale like manner as being advantageous. In fact, I think it is a waste of time and that it does not apply to model airplanes at all.

Coordinated turns with most model planes is also a waste of time.

The only reason that folks started out on three channel models many years ago was the expense of a four channel radio system. Yes, rudder should be learned, I agree, but not at the expense of ailerons. With that said, I still have a couple of REM models that I fly every few years. Old habits die hard.

However, I do agree with the remainder of your points.

Ed Cregger

A decade or so ago, I was at the flying field and watching a friend fly his Top Flite Elder. It was powered by a K&B .45 Sportster. The airplane ended up a little distance away, so I went out and carried it back for him. As I was walking, I kep hearing a chunk-chunk-chunk sound. I thought it was the wheels, so I moved the wheels a bit. Nope. It wasn't the wheels. Then I thought maybe the noise was coming from the clunk in the fuel tank. I shook the model a bit. Nope, not coming from the fuel tank.

By the time I got back to the pits, I realized that the sound I was hearing was being created by the movement of the crankshaft within the crankcase while I was walking!

Ray Hubshmitt had flown that early version K&B .45 Sporster so much that the crankcase had egged out around the crankshaft - and it still ran just fine. Unreal.

IIRC, he did use fuel with a lot of castor oil in it, otherwise I don't think the engine would have had any fuel draw at all. It was quite a testimony to the basic design.

I understand that the later versions do have a bushing in the crankcase. It might be worth the twenty or so dollars to upgrade to the new crankcase.

Ed Cregger

I only feel bad for the person who got paid

That's what I do for fun! mk

jason w

Thanks for the input on the SK engines. I've been eyeing them fo awhile, but I just couldn't find any reviews or feedback on them. I se the SK .50 is now up to $60.00. Wish I took the plunge when they wer $50. You soonze, you lose. I don't want to invest anymore dough i glow, I'm trying to move to 'lectric and break the nitro habit

-- flyboyanderso

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The scuttlebut that I see on the net is that the SK engines are really the new and improved Tiger Shark engines without the logo.

The few reports I have seen from folks that actually bench ran the .50 was that it is a single flip starter and that the power is very good and the idle/transition is excellent.

I have both the .50 and the .80, but haven't managed to get them bench ran or mounted on a model as yet.

For what it is worth, which is very little, both engines "feel" very good when turning them over.

Yes, you should have bought them when they were cheaper!

Ed Cregger

I opened one of th tow I ordered from Raidentech today. It is a good deal for $40. I always pull on pre-hinged surfaces and the left aileron inner most hinge was broken. I noticed that the tourque rod was not glued in the ailreon. Lookling at teh other side this is the same way. You'd never know unless the aileron came off but I reccomend cutting the stock hinges and putting in your own and glueing the tourque rods. There is plenty of slop if you don't at least inject some glue in those rods. mk

Thanks for the tips. FedEx says mine should be here in another four days. If it looks good, I'll order one or two more for the stash shelf. :-)

Good flying, desmobob

Good News!

I called Kangke and they honored the $49.95 price for the SK .50 engin advertised in the December issue of FlyRC. So for just under $10 dollars I got an ARF and a new engine. Kankge claims they are made i the same Factory as the SuperTigres and the quality is every bit a good. I love my Supertigre .45 so I'm optimistic. I just can't se buying and O.S LA plain bearing engine for more money. But then agai I'm the kind of guy who buys $40 ARFs. I should have the engine b Friday, hopefully I'll see how the combo performs over the weekend.

Thanks Jason and Ed for the feedbac

-- flyboyanderso

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The .50 engine is a little heavy....especially on this little $38 plane...you will probably want the battery behind the landing gear....mine balanced OK with the battery behind the tank, but with a .46.

Also....that .50 engine will be a pain to break-in...mine squeaked when the piston was at the top....use a hair dryer to heat the head first...and don't use the remote needle if you get one...tuning problems will occur.

Run a few tanks through the .50 and it will be a great engine...I have

Got the SK .50 today and I'm very impressed with the quality of thi

motor. Perhaps there should be a thread started "World's Cheapest AB engine". I'll break it in tomorrow and fly it (weather permitting) o Sunday.

I'll let you know how it goes

-- flyboyanderso

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I wonder if they just changed the name of their earlier Tiger Shark engines?