Finished Oriental

[Chris Brainard]

This Oriental started life as an ARF but always had some weird flying characteristics I could never sort out. The factory covering started coming off so I stripped the covering...and the rest of the airplane from the wing. Didn't like the feel of the 4" bellcrank so removed and replaced with three inch. Along the way, had to replace center sheeting also, so added an extra rib in center and shifted wing over so inboard is 3/4" longer than outboard. Removed capstrips from last bay of each panel and sheeted solid as well as adding diagonal crossbracing between the upper and lower spars. Resulted in a much stiffer wing. Silver brazed my own control horns, used carbon fiber pushrods with ball links, Everything else built from scratch. Homemade tank, Magnum .28 XL power, APC 10 x 4 prop, all monokote finish, 40 oz. (ARF wing heavy!), 21 days start to finish. Hope to fly this weekend.

[Tom Niebuhr]

Looks great, But why buy an Arf when you had to rebuilt it to your standards?

[Manuel Cortes]

Nice plane.
Love those Orientals!!
Regards.

[Leester]

When you fly it let us know how the Mag. 28 does.

[Chris Brainard]

When I bought the ARF I had no idea that I wouldn't like the way it flew. Put over 50 flights on it trying to trim it to my preference. The covering started to peel and I saw fuel soaking on the fuselage. That was the decision point to rebuild. By the way, depending on how you count, this is my 5th time building an Oriental, one from a Brodak kit, one a rebuild (even more work than this one since the wing was in three pieces), one from scratch with a foam wing, one ARF and then this one. I could have scratch built a new wing in the time frame it took to rebuild this one.

The Magnum .28 XL has been used on two other planes so far...an ARF Nobler and another Oriental (42 oz.). I modified the engine. It is easily one of my favorite engines and runs very consistently. Prop is a APC 10 x 4. Launch RPM is 11,300 in what sounds like a 4 cycle, although I doubt that very much and when it "breaks" the rpm goes to 12,000. It will pull an APC 10.5 x 4.5, but the airplane is to fast. I live in the suburbs out side of Denver (mile high city) and even on 90 + degree days it pulls with plenty of authority. Most of the members in our club (Rocky Mountain Aeromodelers) express amazement at just how powerfully and well it runs. Not as much power as its bigger brother (Magnum .36 XL) but for my personal tastes, a sweeter engine run.

Here are a couple more photos of my Orientals. The blue/pink one has a foam wing, monokote on the wing, rustoleum everything else. Currently needs fuse repainted after making repairs. Red one is first attempt at an all monokote job. Wing rebuilt after being broken in three separate pieces. Needs another rebuild...wing again in three pieces after cable broke and it looped its way into the ground. This was the one the Magnum .28 was on.

Chris

[Leester]

Great lookin planes. I've got a Mag. 25 + the 36's and have a 28 on order with Randy, I really like them.

[john e. holliday]

Chris I hope my recovering and rejoining wing/fuselage looks as good as yours.  I have went with orange fuse and yellow wings.  Will be putting some black graphics and trim on it.  Hope to have it in Tulsa, but, no rush as I still have the Cotton Candy flying fairly decently since discovering the fuel filter was leaking.  Also have the Primary Force in the air again.  Later, DOC Holliday

[Bill Little]

Hi Chris,

Some nice looking Orientals!

Bill <><

[Chris Brainard]

Hi Doc,
Is the Oriental you are rebuilding the same one you flew in the contest here in Denver over the Labor Day weekend (I was flying the Fancy Pants which was pretty much dwarfed by every other model there!)? If so, it has exactly the same covering/trim scheme as mine did...right down to the peeling covering and wrinkles. If I hadn't torn mine apart four days earlier I might have thought you were flying my plane! Have fun with the rebuild.
Chris

[Ironbomb]

I like your paint schemes on your Orientals, but the orange one is the best. 

May I "lift" some ideas from it? I am drawing a blank on the scheme for my Strathmoor, which will be in trim paint this weekend.

And, how much should an Oriental weigh? I would have thought 40oz was a good weight for that plane.

Nice planes tho 

Greg

[john e. holliday]

Yes Chris it is the same plane.  Mine is now orange fuse, yellow wings with black trim.  Just sprayed the clear top coat yesterday.  Anyway it is one of my 9 point finishes.  Will give the automotive clear a couple of days to set up real good before handling.  Will send picture when it is back together.  Later,  DOC Holliday

[Bob Kruger]

The Magnum .28 XL has been used on two other planes so far...an ARF Nobler and another Oriental (42 oz.). I modified the engine. It is easily one of my favorite engines and runs very consistently. Prop is a APC 10 x 4. Launch RPM is 11,300 in what sounds like a 4 cycle, although I doubt that very much and when it "breaks" t

Chris

Chris;

Just curious,  but what were the mods that you made to the Magnum 28 XL?

V/r

Bob

[Chris Brainard]

The modifications to the .28:
1. Lower sleeve - sleeve itself is dead stock. One of the nice things about this engine and also the earlier version of the .36 is that the piston skirts are long...i.e. - you can drop the sleeve without getting subport induction. A friend of mine owns a machine shop. We set it up on his CNC machining center and counterbored the top of the case. The top of the sleeve is barely above the top of the case now. You might be able to mill off the top of the case and accomplish the same thing except you'll lose threads for the headbolts. There isn't enough material to machine much off the bottom of the flange on the sleeve so not sure that would accomplish much.

2. Head work - Followed Marvin Denny's "double bubble" hemi head. Made one head into a clamp ring (like a Fox .40 or hemi head kit for a Fox .35). Made a series of inserts. Size and shape really matter! Just switching inserts allows engine to run a 10 x 5 prop in more of a traditional "break"...albeit with less power than the current setup using an APC 10 x 4 prop. Small differences in head shape really effect the run. Extra gaskets to compensate for dropped sleeve.

3. Venturi and needle valve - As far as I know these are only offered as R/C versions. I make my own venturis. N.V.A. is a stock Super Tigre.

4. Fuel - Sig Champion 25% all castor/10% nitro mixed 50 - 50 with Sig 20% lube (1/2 Castor/1/2 Synthetic)/10% nitro. Also Powermaster 22/10.

5. Plug - Have used both Thunderbolt R/C long and Thunderbolt 4 cycle with good results.

6. Tank - Pickup tube needs to be 1/8" lower than center of N.V.A. - Make my own tanks from .006" thick shim stock and copper tube. Uniflow - no muffler pressure.

I think that about sums it up. Let me know if you have any further questions.

Chris