Official FlightLine RC 1600mm P-38 Lightning Thread

[Oxotnik]

Excellent, Kerry! She's a great plane to fly. Just remember as you're getting used to her, to keep the speed up. She's pretty heavy for her size (ie, heavy wing loading) and will bite you if you let her get too slow. Otherwise, she's an absolute joy to fly and is a great windy-day flyer.

[rifleman_btx]

Very nice:Cool:

[kerrydel]

Not that anybody cares ;), but I maidened mine last weekend at our club's warbird fly in. Always nervous in front of a crowd, but all went well once she was trimmed. It required a fair amount of down elevator to get her flying lever, but not much else. :Cool:

I need to add in some down elevator with the flaps. First plane with flaps, so it's a new experience.

Kerry

[rifleman_btx]

Lol:Cool:

[RRHandy]

Yes boss:);)

[rifleman_btx]

Indeed:Cool:

[Hardway]

:Cool:

[TiredIronGRB]

Don't leave, just be thoughtful and let's carry on....

Same here, I guess I did come off a little strong in my PM and I apologize for that, if you're going to rib someone like that please use a wink smiley or something so other will know your just fooling.

[Hardway]

Sorry. We all have fun here... However, I think the Mom thing was a line not to cross. Don't leave, just be thoughtful and let's carry on.... :Cool: Glad we could help with your model questions.....

[TiredIronGRB]

Wow. That's ridiculous.

EDIT - I'm out of here. I was literally just given a ban warning for posting an obvious joke, that had no profanity, to a friend, and that had a freaking smiley at the bottom of it. I've never seen such overbearing mods in my life. Rifleman, Hardway, Saltydawg, and I'm sure a bunch of others: thanks so much for the help, I would never have even bought this model if it wasn't for your posts.

Friends don't post about each others mothers...no smiley in your original post.

[SoLongSidekick]

Wow. That's ridiculous.

EDIT - I'm out of here. I was literally just given a ban warning for posting an obvious joke, that had no profanity, to a friend, and that had a freaking smiley at the bottom of it. I've never seen such overbearing mods in my life. Rifleman, Hardway, Saltydawg, and I'm sure a bunch of others: thanks so much for the help, I would never have even bought this model if it wasn't for your posts.

[TiredIronGRB]

Why am I suddenly thinking of 'She's so fat that...' jokes???

I deleted that post, totally uncalled for...strike one.

[Oxotnik]

Why am I suddenly thinking of 'She's so fat that...' jokes???

[rifleman_btx]

Yes, that should be very stout

[Oxotnik]

These skewers are just basically pressing up against the motor mount, right? Or are they attached or through it?

I totally agree about the three-piece props. Let's get on finding a replacement! When I researched this topic before I found that some people had worked out how to use a semi-scale MAS tri-blade prop, so I'll go find those posts and report back on it. If we can find a way to reliably and easily swap the props out for a MAS version it would be huge. Stand by...

After I'd glued the forward end of the boom back together, I drill holes through the foam and bulkhead, then pushed the bamboo skewer (coated with Foam Tac) through the holes. I think that I probably pushed the skewers about 4 or 5 inches past the bulkhead into the foam. After the photo with the skewers was taken, I cut off the skewers flush with the surface. It was on this same boom that I recently suffered the backplate failure. I inspected the boom very carefully, after removing the broken spinner/prop, and the boom repair is still very solid.

[edit] As a part of gluing the boom back together, I lather up the bulkhead in Foam Tac, as well.

[TiredIronGRB]

Here's what I did...30 minute epoxy...

[SoLongSidekick]

OK so here it is. It's actually quite a bit simpler than I thought, and we're going to work on simplifying it. Here's pmisuinas from RCG's method for using a MAS 13x8x3 prop (I did see another user using 11x7x3 MAS props, but he was using 6S).

1) Take stock prop backplate and saw off original prop mounting tabs, and sand to smooth (images 1 and 2).
2) Temporarily (or permanently, see note below) glue the prop to the backplate, ensuring the back of the blades are lined up with the spinner.
3) Cut a pattern in the stock spinner to match the new prop (images 3 and 4, image 5 shows before and after).

The last image is just a shot of a Bf109 with a MAS prop.

Regarding potential prop slippage, he stated you could either keep the prop glued to the backplate or (as he did) just glue a bit of sandpaper to the spinner facing the prop. Testing showed that the stock prop drew 91 amps and the MAS prop drew 80 amps. I wasn't able to find any mention regarding performance differences, but I sent him a message and will report back.

As far as improving this method, I'm going to 3D scan my finished backplate and spinner and then modify the file as needed. Then I'll upload it to Shapeways and see how much it would cost to get a set printed in aluminum.

EDIT - The real hope is that someone releases a ~3748-600kV PoPo motor. That would solve all our problems.

[SoLongSidekick]

The white with the center painted dark is all plastic. All one piece the part of it that is painted is the only thing exposed thus is painted the surrounding area that is white is encapsulated in the foam thus cant be painted, however when being inserted in place inside the foam it needs plenty of glue so not to have it flop out like mine did.

Ahh ok thanks, that's what I was missing.

I drove 5 bamboo skewers through the bulkhead and it has been solid, and still is (I’ve checked everything thoroughly, since I’ve recently had a backplate failure).

Earlier, I’d reported that I’d had the plastic back plate fail twice and the motor sheer off, but I’ve actually only had the plastic backplate fail once on my P-38. The other time it had occurred was on my Freewing Mossie. Still, I don’t like the individual props and the plastic back plates. Otherwise, I love, love, love my P-38. I’ve almost finished the minor repairs from the hard set-down when the backplate broke and shed a prop blade. I plan to have her flying again this weekend. I found a few photos of my engine mount failure and repair and have attached them below:

These skewers are just basically pressing up against the motor mount, right? Or are they attached or through it?

I totally agree about the three-piece props. Let's get on finding a replacement! When I researched this topic before I found that some people had worked out how to use a semi-scale MAS tri-blade prop, so I'll go find those posts and report back on it. If we can find a way to reliably and easily swap the props out for a MAS version it would be huge. Stand by...

[Oxotnik]

Rifleman, I don't think they'd need carbon rods. They just need to be kept from moving and wallowing out the slot they're in. I'd just use an inexpensive bamboo skewer in each corner slathered with epoxy or something. Or, like I did just use a long narrow tipped syringe to inject epoxy around the perimeter of the firewall board. As long as the board doesn't slam back and forth in it's slot with throttle movement it shouldn't work itself loose.

I drove 5 bamboo skewers through the bulkhead and it has been solid, and still is (I’ve checked everything thoroughly, since I’ve recently had a backplate failure).

Earlier, I’d reported that I’d had the plastic back plate fail twice and the motor sheer off, but I’ve actually only had the plastic backplate fail once on my P-38. The other time it had occurred was on my Freewing Mossie. Still, I don’t like the individual props and the plastic back plates. Otherwise, I love, love, love my P-38. I’ve almost finished the minor repairs from the hard set-down when the backplate broke and shed a prop blade. I plan to have her flying again this weekend. I found a few photos of my engine mount failure and repair and have attached them below:


I

[Old Fart]

Looks like Allied Green is back in stock. I'll solder up a parallel harness in my "free time". Need 3000/4S for the Tiger Moth, this bird can share