Looks great Twisted!
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My YouTube RC videos:
https://www.youtube.com/@toddbreda -
The Electric retract motor arrived late yesterday evening. I tested it out of the bag with the retract controller and it worked. The replacement worm screw slider will not work in the original retract housing - so I swapped out with the original slider. It acted like it did not want to thread on. I had to use a pair of needle nose pliers to hold the main screw bolt from turning as I carefully ran the slider turn by turn up and down the screw for about 10times all the way up and down the threads before it finally loosened up for smooth travel all the way up and down. I deployed it into the retract housing and it worked. I deployed the entire unit back into the wing and it worked.
I don't understand how the motor knows when to stop but it does automagically know how far to go. I was not sure what direction the motor should turn and what direction I should try it at.....so I put everything back together with trunion 50% in it's travel path on the bench before final assembly. It stopped right where it was supposed to....and from there on workded flawlessly in both directions with full travel.
This bird is finally ready for a maiden today
TwistedGrinComment
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Got to the field and the brand new retract motor would not work....the original landing gear motor works pefectly on the other wing. Go figure.
Four flights with the wheels down....I found the speed lacking but adequate. Landing was really easy smooth except the toe-out of the landing gear made for several nose overs during taxi. I could not get it to turn for taxi without nose over. Burst's of throttle with full %100 throw on the elevator was not enough for taxi.
I moved my LiPo's back a little bit which shortened the take offs.....but could not notice anything different in flight.
If I were to build another kit I would go 12s Electric Power.
Perhaps it may gain a little more speed with gear up....so for now no major changes until I get the retract issue sorted out.....it seems the left wing retract is cursed for now
TwistedGrinComment
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Hello
you wrote "The replacement worm screw slider will not work in the original retract housing - so I swapped out with the original slider. It acted like it did not want to thread on. I had to use a pair of needle nose pliers to hold the main screw bolt from turning as I carefully ran the slider turn by turn up and down the screw for about 10times all the way up and down the threads before it finally loosened up for smooth travel"
Seems to me that they had different screw-thread, so you tried to make the new one fit, better you used a correct tape wire for that. (I send you a personal post) , did you read that one!
As far as I can see its seems to me that retract is binding to much resulting in a bigger amp draw and retract controller will stop because its current limited as explained in personal post.
Regards HansComment
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Thanks Hans,
Yes the orignal slider needed to be ran up and down the NEW electric retract motor screw bolt.....after a couple of passes it spun freely by hand and again with no issues running with power it on the bench. After getting that cleaned up I put it in the retract and ran it about 10times flawlessly. I then tightened up the retract for deployment and ran it flawlessly. I then bolted the retract into the wing and ran it about 10times flawlessly, I then put the wings on the aircraft and ran it about 10times flawlessly. I then took it to the field ....where it failed.
Now - It will not work at all on the bench out of the retract.
It is possible it is binding ...but you would think it would at least vibrate when out of the retract for dry testing with the controller and transmitter.....the controller acts like it does not see it / or the retract motor is fried. It spins freely when hooked up to the controller - non functional
Thanks for the reminder of the HV retract controller - I just placed and order for one
I also placed an order for (4) more of the electric retract motor/s
Thank you Hans for your post and follow ups sir!!
TwistedGrinComment
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Flying with wheels down is not premium performance or looks in the air all the time....but non-the-less stick time on this airframe. I can not get the spinner balanced as it it deforming on the backplate rim where the two openings are for the optional four blade props. Those two optional openings are creating a flat spot and is creating a wobble of the spinner...very slight ...but enough to vibrate in flight that makes is sound like a weed eater nitro motor in flight. I removed the spinner and flew it a full eight minutes of very satisfying quiet and smooth as silk performance last night....even with the landing gear fully extended very satisfying.
I am now also looking for a proper spinner assemble for this bird.
October the 31st was a wonderful day in Texas at www.flygsw.org - field - There were of course other models make of the Spitfire and we maidened a giant scratch built Fokker DVII. The 10s powered BH Spitfire was no match for the angry gasser spitfires....however thier scale fidelity was no where as close as this model.
TwistedGrin
Flying work in progress !!Comment
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This might be a functional spinner replacement.....hoping for the best...not expecting scale - but perhaps tolerable asthetic:
Another option is: might be a tad too small
Twisted GrinComment
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Still working on balancing the spinner on this bird.....the Dubro prop balancer captive metal cones and spring used to hold an assembly to the metal rod is too weak to keep the spinner true during rotations to get a good balance.....I did not hear any difference in tonights test flight..so I will keep trying to balance it.
I did prove 8-9minutes are well within reason of flight time on my set up....it's a little slow but flies very straight and true. After getting the landing gear toe-in reset and adjusted..and loosening up the wheel axles to freely spin....it is a touch-n-go monster.....full flaps very gracefull touch...long run out on the mains and take off with full flaps.
I am looking forward to getting the left wing retract to work and getting a balanced spinner.....it's a very pleasing flyer and will be that much more when I get the gremlins arrested!
TwistedGrinComment
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Digging the updates TwistedGrin! Sounds overall like a great flyer! Appreciate your reports!My YouTube RC videos:
https://www.youtube.com/@toddbredaComment
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The spinner from Ailexpress has been deployed to the BH Spitfire and for my two cents....feels and looks much better....yes and it is balanced!
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3291...5bbb4c4dQx4EqM
I am attaching two photos that may provide some reference between the plastic white spinner and the aluminum spinner....the aluminum spinner shape is different but has a rounded profile that still works. I was anticipating a very sharp P-40 angular shaped spinner....however this is not the case. Overall - the replacement spinner changes this models appearance in good measure
*Note: The cut outs for the prop blades are very large .....much larger than the blade profile of the standard wood prop ...this might not work for the purest R/C enthusiast...however it will or should provide some measure of cooling into the motor
Please note the third photo is reveresed therefore the decals are reveresed
TwistedGrin
Still waiting on the replacement retract motors to arrive.Comment
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Four flights tonight with the new spinner.....it is balanced but still has the noise of a little Nitro or Evenrude boat motor.....we think it could be the canopy or the cowling that is vibrating. So the vibration mystery is still in play.....on another note...
The (4) new retract motors arrived !!!
Will see how many I go through to get one that works.....while the right side wing retract is working like it is bulletproof - smooth as silk.
I'll report with some hopefully good news tomorrow perhaps?!
TwistedGrin
The motors are in the motors are in!!Comment
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Maybe....just maybe...the first electric rettact motor out of the bag of four will work. It works fully assembled and deployed in the wing with the strut skirts mounted!!
It must work at the field and with a flight on it to call it 100%.....as the previous motor quit working at the field.
Inclement weather may not allow me to call it good until I can get back to the field on a flyable day.....someday next week perhaps...but at least for now...It's looking very positive !!
TwistedGrin
The motor is deployed the motor is deployed and working....working !!Comment
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I spent about 5hrs balancing the spinner back plate and the spinner and the prop ...had to add balast to the spinner after finally getting the backplate balanced separately.....once the two parts were mated, indexed for complete balance and the prop was balanced again. I ran up the total package on a fresh battery and found that pleasant wind sound only. I could swear the response of the throttle is now totally different......was it worth all the time and effort..... Only if the vibration is gone during flight.....
The Dubro balancer I have is not the best set up to balance a spinner and back plate of this size.....very difficult to readjust after each free spin turn to get a perfect rotation and mark a spot to drill....the photo attached shows only about one hour of attempted balancing and drilling......there are many more drill points as time went on....uuugh
Drill a small indent, assemble onto the Dubro balancer - readjust from slippage...gently carefully rotate for a spin ...readjust...mark it and drill again. Once the back plate was finished...then start balancing with the spinner in place....adding washers to the inside with tape and rotating the spinner around to help keep the wieght down.....it's a pain staking process from the breakfast room table for the dubro balancer into the garage to the drill press then back to the breakfast room. Stubborness and some OCD I guess pulled this one off. Much better than the plastic stock spinner assembly though.
Now that I have both retracts functioning and a balanced prop and spinner assembly .....looking forward to flying normally with gear retracted and see how this bird can perform. It's already a total touch-n-go monster winner flying with the gear down at (8) minutes 10s 8000mAh Lipo.....should perform nicely with the full package now
TwistedGrinAttached FilesComment
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The weather looks promising for some test flights tomorrow (11-26-21) for some test flights of the re-re-rebalanced prop, spinner, back plate system and hopefully.....fully working retracts!
Will report when the day is done
TwistedGrinComment
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Winner winner this aircraft is a winner....the spinner back plate prop and spinner balancing proved good. Much quieter and better throttle response a tad bit longer flight times. Both retracts worked for four full flights. It does fly better with retracts pulled up. Got to fly for a full 8minutes with Bob Mueller and his spitfire then another good flight with Tim Lovett and the P-47 Tarheel. I was full in the throttle for most of the flight with Bob as he was backed off his Spitfire throttle to give me some handicap while making the usual circuit patterns low and high setting up for runway passes. This Blackhorse model is very predictible in flight and lands smooth as can be done....it does slow down with flaps so it has a nice gentlemans pace at all configurations. Very pleased now that the noise vibrations are gone with the balanced nose and the electric retract motor is full on repaied. All good!!
TwistedGrinAttached FilesComment
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Video of the BH Spitfire and a 20cc Gasser Spitfire up top 11-26-21 for some practice flight time together:
TwistedGrinComment
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Here some nice inflight pictures of mine V1 BH Spitfire last Sunday 28 of august 2022.
HansAttached FilesComment
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Excellent Hans and great photo shots sir!!
As reported on my 10s power set up.....the power and speed was a little sedate or perhaps a bit slow. I bumped up to an 18x12 pitch prop (APC) and the speed and performace is greatly improved. eCalc had the former prop 18x10 XOAR pulling 148w/lb at a top speed of 73mph. eCalc shows the new APC 18x12 pulling 162wlb and top speed at 81mph. Additionally I found my aluminum prop spinner was digging into the XOAR prop and may have been distorting it at high loads.....the new APC prop allows more thread on the prop nut and seems to be much quieter in flight.....it does create a different pleasing howl at full throttle.
The flight perfomance with the different shape of the APC and higher pitch prop now allows my BH Spitfire to fly with authority and power I imagined a Spitfire to be.
I did replace both retract motors as one died and the other was really slow.....so I have gone through three of these retract motors and ordered four more.....it takes me about 10minutes to swap out the retract motors now - LOL
This model looks and flies really nice.....excellent
TwistedGrinAttached FilesComment
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Four more flights logged this evening... locked in rock solid and silky smooth. The power set up with the 18/12APC prop is now confirmed with no doubt....nice speed and power wihout overheating any components. Landings are very easy and consistent.....which leads to no fuss confidence.
TwistedGrinComment
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