Official Nexa 1400mm DH.82 Tiger Moth Biplane - British Camo (Balsa ARF) Discussion Thread

[Bronco73]

Hi guys! Really inspiring to read your posts! Received my Moth yesterday and just started the build. I will have a different approach using a 4-stroke Saito FA-56 Golden Night nitro engine.
Do we have any other Nitro/Gas Nexa Moths around?




The Saito fits perfect in the cowl but I will need to get a smaller custom muffler.



Regards

Andreas
SWEDEN

[DadsRcHangar]

Very cool, I am still building mine 🤓

[Pogo]

Hi guys! Really inspiring to read your posts! Received my Moth yesterday and just started the build. I will have a different approach using a 4-stroke Saito FA-56 Golden Night nitro engine.
Do we have any other Nitro/Gas Nexa Moths around?




The Saito fits perfect in the cowl but I will need to get a smaller custom muffler.



Regards

Andreas
SWEDEN

That little jewel of an engine is sure going to sound sweet in your Moth. Welcome to Hobby Squawk!
Tom

[Bronco73]

Very cool, I am still building mine 🤓

Nice! Are you going for gas/nitro?

[Bronco73]

That little jewel of an engine is sure going to sound sweet in your Moth. Welcome to Hobby Squawk!
Tom

Thanks Tom. The sound and smell is really great :)
But I quiickly realize that the heavy tail will cause COG problems. The engine weights 450g but it’s not enough.
I have a couple of options:

1. Replace the steel pushrods to carbon or plastic
2. Move elevator and rudder servo closer to the nose.
3. Add weight to the nose
4. Recover the hole plane. Feels like the covering is heavier than regular RC plane covering, like Monocote etc??
5. Use a bigger engine. I also have a Saito 125 (20cc)

Any thoughts?

/Andreas

[Pogo]

Andreas, if carbon control rods AND moving the servos forward would get you where you need to be I would go that route. I quickly looked at the specs for the Saito 125 and that seems a lot more engine than this model needs (?) I agree the covering seems heavy- perhaps just removing it from the tail surfaces and then removing all the needless wood (and replacing with ribs and lighter covering) would be the weight savings you need and also be much more scale. I considered doing this to mine and still might this winter. (I would just leave the outline of the vert. stab and horiz. stabs and add ribs, leaving the control surfaces alone.)
What are you using as a CG measurement? The manual is too far forward at 112mm and mine (and others) are flying well around 120, so there's that as well.
Tom

[DadsRcHangar]

Nice! Are you going for gas/nitro?

I Pogo, I use Optifuel Nitro. You can always have a see what crazy stuff I get upnto building this sexy Tiger Moth.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeaOXQvXxXNduVmFEstjppkxpSbPAhCvh

[Bronco73]

Andreas, if carbon control rods AND moving the servos forward would get you where you need to be I would go that route. I quickly looked at the specs for the Saito 125 and that seems a lot more engine than this model needs (?) I agree the covering seems heavy- perhaps just removing it from the tail surfaces and then removing all the needless wood (and replacing with ribs and lighter covering) would be the weight savings you need and also be much more scale. I considered doing this to mine and still might this winter. (I would just leave the outline of the vert. stab and horiz. stabs and add ribs, leaving the control surfaces alone.)
What are you using as a CG measurement? The manual is too far forward at 112mm and mine (and others) are flying well around 120, so there's that as well.
Tom

Hi Tom. Thanks for great inputs! A CG at 120mm makes big difference. I still went for the nr 1 and 2 mod and it came out really nice.

First I 3D-printed an extra support for the push rod tubes (the black plastic plate)



Then added new mount for the servos. And because I use std size servos, it will bring 120 grams of weight a lot closer to the nose.



Then I replaced the steel rods with 1.5mm carbon rods. 3 carbon rods weights 7,5 grams compared to the steel ones which weights 54 grams and that's a lot of weight saved so far back in the fuselage. Maybe I will end up in a nose heavy plane now =)

/Andreas

[Bronco73]

Always loved Du-Bro parts. Expensive but...it' a Du-Bro. So I just had to replace the included tank (which probably works perfect) with a nitro Du-Bro tank.
And the 10 oz tank fits perfect under the "canopy". Just need to add a bracket that prevents the tank from moving backwards.

[Pogo]

Andreas, glad the servo repositioning and CF rods did the trick! A nose heavy tiger Moth?? Now that's a concept lol! The new tank looks good too.
Tom

[MrVoyagerx]

20200928_182949.jpg So many choices;
FA65, FA72, FA82, FL-70
(L to R)


I have the Hobby King model.

IMO the FA56 is not enough or will barely be for such a heavy plane. To me the plane requires at least a torquey Saito FA65 all the way to a FA91.

On my setup I am between a FS OS-70 or a Saito FA72, both about the same weight.

[MrVoyagerx]

Specs say 130mm from firewall to prop washer of engine, I would go 128mm. Mine did not made it and placed thick washers behind the motor mounts. As you can see the engine is right at the edge of the motor mount which I do not like.


Created a template cowl to help make the holes in one shot and prevent the guess work on the main and only cowl I have.


Wrap the main cowl using plastic wrap, then use blue tape over it and pull the fiberglass out. Do not put the plastic wrap too tight or will be difficult to separate them.
Maybe putting some wax or a light coat of oil over the main cowl will help on easy removal.


Maybe for next time I will use clear tape on each side of the template, carb and muffler, so easier to see, mark and mark w a sharpie.




Lay the template back on the main cowl and trace the holes, hands on to make the soon to be permanent holes.

On the mrantime, from a Home Depot stir stick, made a plate for the firewall hole, epoxied both sides w 15 min mix. The hole was made to help line and hold in place w a few drops of CA glue.



Blocked this other humongous hole, ideal for electric, but not for glow setup.

[Ron1950]

electric tiger moth...fun build i really had fun putting it together and it flys great all the parts fit well too

[MrVoyagerx]

No joke (and not bragging), lost count how many cars drove by and hit the horn whenever flying the HK Tiger Moth.
Nothing against electrics and I did see Ron's YT video, but glow is the only way to fly this biplane.

I went double on all control specs, minus the rudder. The plane is close to 8 pounds and was under the impression it was going to suffer from tip stalls at low speeds, and was I so wrong.

Two tension wing wires broke, swapped them for 60 pound braided fishing line. Swapped the adjustable rods w fishing hooks ( cutting out the hook part). A fish hook has a round smooth eye compared to the ARF hooks that cause chafing.

To get a good idle used a bar plug, and for cooling, made holes to the cowl.





The rear wheel hook inside the rudder cracked the balsa making for erratic tracking as the rudder had a slight play. I recommend to get rid of the center plastic guide and reinforce around the wire w plastic tabs.


...

The tires that came w the ARF, center holes were off, ended using a set I had on the wheel bin.
* * *

Does have a weird covering, tends to sag on cold temps (at home) and once out gets tight, and much more if exposed to the sun.

* * *
Added a magnet to prevent accidental fly outs of the cover.

[Ron1950]

Guys if u go electric and want to use very little weight in the nose cut a hole in the fuse firewall for the battery to slid all the way to the motor firewall. All i had to do to get the correct cg was add 3 oz on back of motor firewall and it flys great. Btw. James made a vid of his moth and shows the hole and battery placement

[MrVoyagerx]

Replacement cowl out of stock since the Tiger Moth was released more than a yr now... no date for item to be back on the shelves!

[Werner van der Zel (Brewster)]

New in my collection the nexa Tigre moth
very nice kit but some details are not as it should be
for instance the wing struts are to near the fuselage
as an restorer of antique airplanes and working/restaurating for exapample the Tigre moth.
but otherwise a very good flying plane!

[DadsRcHangar]

Well as you know I only build when I make my videos, so hence its taken so long to build, but finally she is ready for her maiden next year. Yes I have some weeks to add, but hey she ready.

Happy new year to you all

Chris
(Oh yes, the Pilot is a Camera)

[DadsRcHangar]

How to make room in the Hangar? Hang the Tiger Moth on the stair well wall of course. #understandingwife

[MrVoyagerx]

The weak link to this biplane is the elevator and rudder material, too thin and weak. Add that the rudder islinked by a wire to the tail wheel, all surface vibration, dragging along starts eorking its way through ripping the balsa wood.

I had mine with a Saito FA82, just by sitting on the bench, the vibration would be enough to rip through the rear wheel into the wire and rudder balsa hinges.
I mean, not even flying, the wood is thin and brittle, just on the bench. Had to put a towel or a foam block under the tail wheel to prevent the area from stressing on its own fuselage weight.

The white engine motor mount is made of soft plastic, I made a aluminum bracket to help minimize twisting and vibration. Is an ok model plane, looks nice overall, but compared to other ARFs I have done is on the weak side of balsa wood, and this is no lightweight biplane, almost 8 pounds flying weight using high torque mini aileron servos and micro for throttle.

*HK nor Motion never put cowls in stock SINCE the release of the plane, always flew mine with a crackef cowl. Contacted Motion customer support, always replied with a tentative back in stock date, excuses for pandemic and so on, since day one, years ago never carried parts for this over-priced airplane.

Here is mine, failed rudder due to weak balsa wood rudder control surface, snapped in air, took elevator with it to a endless snap roll into the ground.


If I would do another plane, detach the tail wheel ftom the rudder, no wire, isolate the rudder control to its vertical stabilizer. Have the rear fixed wheel, taxi with rudder. I would add plastic hinges and possibly transparent or color grey tape to reinforce, and maybe as well, make a ruddder control out of more solid a tad thicker balsa wood. Seriously, for this type of airplane, it is thin balsa wood. I even cracked mine while transporting just resting on the vehicle, that is how weak brittle it is.





HK and Motion did make it worst as I always flew it with a cracked cowl from a flame out dead stick. More than likely I will not buy another one, besides price went 30% more in the last few months. Besides all the other issues of tank to carb height were I had to modify the firewall, the cheap out of alignment wheels, weak landing gear wires.