PT-17 from eFlite

[rifleman_btx]

Thanks fellas! It was fun flying them, once in the air all anxiety was gone and it was relaxing. Really like this idea of 3d printing planes now

[Pilotguy]

Yahoo!! I maidened my pT-17 today too. Zero wind here in las Vegas. Thank you to all the great advice! With no weight added but battery as far forward after pushing the ESC wires down and out of the way.
Balanced level on my CG machine. Easy flier. Once again, for me its the landings and figuring out how to stop ground looping. Another flyer commented that my landing was "hot". I suspect that I flew the approach like I fly my Pitts approaches, a bit too fast for the Stearman I guess. Love this PT-17!

[Farmerric]

Pilot guy
congratulations on your successful maiden flight. I noticed on one of your earlier posts how you were having erratic results during your balance attempts. That was because you were balancing with the airplane upside down. That is the way for low wing airplanes, but not for high wings or biplanes. The cg of the airplane has to be below the pivot point of the balencer, like a pendulum, or it is unstable as you discovered. You got the correct stable configuration with the hobby king balancer, when the cg was below the pivot. I am glad you liked the airplane, I have yet to maiden mine

[F22trainer]

Pilot guy
congratulations on your successful maiden flight. I noticed on one of your earlier posts how you were having erratic results during your balance attempts. That was because you were balancing with the airplane upside down. That is the way for low wing airplanes, but not for high wings or biplanes. The cg of the airplane has to be below the pivot point of the balencer, like a pendulum, or it is unstable as you discovered. You got the correct stable configuration with the hobby king balancer, when the cg was below the pivot. I am glad you liked the airplane, I have yet to maiden mine

The instructions recommend balancing inverted. I checked it both ways and using the forward most limit of the specified range and it took 2.5 oz in the cylinders, but I am using a 2200 battery.

[Whizzer]

Finally bit the bullet and bought my PT-17 about a month ago. Had a relatively easy time assembling it with the exception one of the cabanas in the upper wing would not seat enough to push the wire through. Finally resorted to slight sanding rounding the end after carefully measuring and finding the wing divot was not deep enough. Once assembled, waited for someone more knowledgeable than I to assist in setting it up and that happened today. It was maidened without added weight and proved to be very tail heavy. Added some weight available at the airfield but only as a temporary measure to try to determine how much might be needed. Using an 3000 amp hour battery on a platform on the sled to set battery as far forward as possible and it is still tail heavy.
No harm no foul as plane came back in one piece and now has 2 ops. of weight added to the dummy cylinders but it doesn't balance out inverted and is still tail heavy. I'll check out some birdshot weight in latex gloves to try to get around 2 1/2 ozs. of forward weight in the dummy cylinders and see how that shakes out. Meantime, the chap who assisted with the setup was quite impressed with the plane and said he felt once it is properly trimmed it will be a absolute fun flyer. His words, not mine. I'm stoked and can't wait to get it balanced and begin flying it myself. Since I am new at this - got my solo certificate in late September - I'll let guys with more experience do the setup and initial flights before taking the controls myself.

[F22trainer]

Finally bit the bullet and bought my PT-17 about a month ago. Had a relatively easy time assembling it with the exception one of the cabanas in the upper wing would not seat enough to push the wire through. Finally resorted to slight sanding rounding the end after carefully measuring and finding the wing divot was not deep enough. Once assembled, waited for someone more knowledgeable than I to assist in setting it up and that happened today. It was maidened without added weight and proved to be very tail heavy. Added some weight available at the airfield but only as a temporary measure to try to determine how much might be needed. Using an 3000 amp hour battery on a platform on the sled to set battery as far forward as possible and it is still tail heavy.
No harm no foul as plane came back in one piece and now has 2 ops. of weight added to the dummy cylinders but it doesn't balance out inverted and is still tail heavy. I'll check out some birdshot weight in latex gloves to try to get around 2 1/2 ozs. of forward weight in the dummy cylinders and see how that shakes out. Meantime, the chap who assisted with the setup was quite impressed with the plane and said he felt once it is properly trimmed it will be a absolute fun flyer. His words, not mine. I'm stoked and can't wait to get it balanced and begin flying it myself. Since I am new at this - got my solo certificate in late September - I'll let guys with more experience do the setup and initial flights before taking the controls myself.

Congrats there, Whizzer! You will enjoy this airplane. I added a wood prop - 11 x 8 and get a real nice prop noise to go with it.:Cool:

[mr.frankenjet]

got this one to use as a trainer, the cg issue is clear, you have to add weight up front and mod the battery tray (I made a foam wedge to raise up the batt) so it sits as far forward as possible. The plane is an ez flyer but a but feels a bit heavy on approach, you have to let her bleed the momentum off, gear a bit short for training. Cool plane to mess with and does well in the wind with the as3x, looks really sweet on low and slow flybys Not the best choice to train folks with, likely would have been better with a valiant.

[F22trainer]

The videos on UToob made set up and first flight near perfect. I had to add 5 turns of the clevis to give me down elevator. I figured out 2.3 oz in the dummy cylinders to balance and checked it inverted and right side up. CG checked at the forward limit and as far as the battery - I just tied it down with an inch hanging over the front of the sled and it touched the firewall. Still doing the same.
Since new, I have easily over a hundred flights. Replaced one wing servo and the rudder hinge got a new upgraded variety.I’ve worn out one set of tires all around and the cabanas needed a little Gorilla Glue at the fuselage as they got somewhat loose and sloppy.

https://youtu.be/1cwMOndmNvk

the 2 coats of Polycryllic have also helped her maintain her charming girlish figure.;)

[rifleman_btx]

What camera is that? I wanna put one on my PT17. :)

[F22trainer]

What camera is that? I wanna put one on my PT17. :)

RunCam 2 - Amazon is your friend.

[rifleman_btx]

Ah cool i just picked up a drift ghost HD. Should be here this evening :)

[ICM]

To those who have added weight in the dummy engine cylinders, what did you use and how did you secure it?

[Hardway]

To those who have added weight in the dummy engine cylinders, what did you use and how did you secure it?

I used the Great Planes lead weights, but others have used shot from shotgun shells or reloading.... I poured 5 minute epoxy over mine to lock them in. I used about 2.5 ounces of lead plus the epoxy weight. Worked great!!! ;)

[F22trainer]

To those who have added weight in the dummy engine cylinders, what did you use and how did you secure it?

I think I may have mentioned earlier in this thread, that a latex glove is handy. Cut off the fingers, fill with bird shot, tie a knot and they will stuff very easily into the dummy cylinders - use a pencil eraser or similar so as not to rupture the glove. I pre-measured the shot I needed then two fingers was all it took!;)

[ICM]

I just finished my assembly. Despite assuring that all wires were tucked away and clear and compressing the foam a bit, I could not get the trailing edge of the lower wing flush with the bottom of the fuselage, albeit its only off by less than 1/16th". OK, I'm anal. Can I assume this will have little to no effect in flight. I'd hate to pull the wings off and start again since it was a PITA to get them on.

[boomer108]

That won't have any effect in flight ICM but if it bothers you that much you can take the wing off and see what's preventing it from fully seating and sand or trim that spot until it does.

[F22trainer]

I just finished my assembly. Despite assuring that all wires were tucked away and clear and compressing the foam a bit, I could not get the trailing edge of the lower wing flush with the bottom of the fuselage, albeit its only off by less than 1/16th". OK, I'm anal. Can I assume this will have little to no effect in flight. I'd hate to pull the wings off and start again since it was a PITA to get them on.

As long as the pins lock, all good. The manual does not mention it, but the plastic pins actually unscrew to adjust in order for the metal screw lock pins to seat properly. That may help take care of the slack.
In my case I could not get the metal pins to line up with the holes despite my best attempts to get everything tucked away and snug the wing down, until I caught wind on a video that the posts would unscrew to make them a bit longer or shorter to snug the wing in the proper seat.

[ICM]

I unscrewed the metal pins, screwed down the plastic pins a bit, tightened everything up and its now flush. Thanks much.

[F22trainer]

I unscrewed the metal pins, screwed down the plastic pins a bit, tightened everything up and its now flush. Thanks much.

May you get even more flights on yours, than I have on mine - she’s on her 2nd set of tires.

[ICM]

One last question (hopefully). I removed the prop nut, prop and white spacer when binding the PT-17 to my DX9. Stupidly, I didn't take note of which way the white spacer was facing. One side has ribbing from the edge down to the shaft hole. The other only has ribbing on the edge and around the shaft hole with cavaties in between. Which side goes back on toward the motor and which toward the prop? The manual is useless