Author Topic: My First Ringmaster (Read 4731 times)

Larry Renger · « **on:** February 20, 2016, 09:33:30 PM »

Yes, folks, I NEVER built one of these before! Flown a few, owned at least one built by someone else, but this is the first one from scratch!

L&J Ceramic Fox 35, all up weight 28 ounces. Epoxy finish on the hard parts, Microlite film over Lightweight Polyspan on the wings.

4 ounce clunk tank set up for fixed uniflo.

Bill Adair · « **Reply #1 on:** February 20, 2016, 10:09:42 PM »

Larry,

Looks great, and no doubt it will fly well at that weight.

I really should build another some day.

Bill

Glenn (Gravitywell) Reach · « **Reply #2 on:** February 20, 2016, 11:33:10 PM »

A virgin no more!

Motorman · « **Reply #3 on:** February 21, 2016, 07:45:52 AM »

Welcome to the Brotherhood of the Ring.

MM

Dane Martin · « **Reply #4 on:** February 21, 2016, 07:57:30 AM »

Another outstanding aircraft build Larry!

Jim Kraft · « **Reply #5 on:** February 21, 2016, 01:23:00 PM »

Very nice Larry. I find they fly very well at that weight, and with that Fox you will have plenty of power.

john e. holliday · « **Reply #6 on:** February 21, 2016, 02:10:23 PM »

About time Larry and welcome to the Ring group. As stated it will fly great at that weight. I one that is in the 30 ounce range so I fly it a little faster. By the way did I say it looks great.

Mike Griffin · « **Reply #7 on:** February 21, 2016, 07:31:07 PM »

I built 27 of those things last year. ARGH! I am burned out on Ringmasters.

Mike

Larry Renger · « **Reply #8 on:** February 21, 2016, 07:54:31 PM »

First flight was hairy! Noseheavy (I knew that beforehand), way fast with a 10x6 prop, the elevator to pushrod ball joint screw and nut decided to bail out (it knew who the pilot was).

Believe it or not the only damage was to the prop and spinner! Landing gear slightly flexed lower.

On examination later, I found hat I had the uniflo vent going to the inside of the tank! No idea how I screwed that up!

Tank fixed, landing gear rebent to correct height, 11x5 Zinger prop installed, ball joint properly lock-nutted in place.

Dan McEntee · « **Reply #9 on:** February 21, 2016, 09:21:17 PM »

Hi Larry;
Get yourself some 10-5 B,Y&O props or similar if you can find them. The light model along with the flatter prop will let you spin the engine up some for windy conditions. I very rarely ever run a 10-6 on a Fox .35 in any airplane. You might even use a 10-4 at your weight. Looks real "Ringey" though, just like one ought to! Say what you want about the Fox .35 but it's the engine that most of us started with and got stunt on the road to where it is! I think EVERYONE should have a Ringmaster with a Fox.35!
Type at you later,
Dan McEntee

Mike Griffin · « **Reply #10 on:** February 22, 2016, 07:27:21 AM »

Looks great Larry.

Mike

Larry Renger · « **Reply #11 on:** February 28, 2016, 07:17:44 AM »

The next flying session went better, but the model still is flying high compared to the handle. I nearly splattered it on an outside, so I quit maneuvers. I had run out of different clip lengths so I quit for the day. Using that nice Jim Lee clip bender, I made up some longer clips. I alo shortened the pushrod by one turn on the ball joint connector.

I also put the model on the bench and rechecked all the alignments. All is parallel or right angles as required. More flying today.

I did fly with a Master Airscrew 10x5, and the model still is really going pretty fast. I will order some BY&Os from Brodak. I may just have to go to longer lines. Currently I am flying on 58x.015s. The handle is the latest RSM hard-point exponential one, so the plane is dead smooth flying level, but plenty of kick for maneuvers.

andy borgogna · « **Reply #12 on:** February 28, 2016, 09:57:39 AM »

I went flying with Larry when he flew the Ringmaster, there were a couple of heart stopping moments. But as the Bard once said "All's well the ends well.". We will both be bringing Ringmasters to VSC next month. By the way, I couldn't believe that Larry had never built a Ringmaster but that is what he told me. When we were kids everybody had a Ringmaster! I couldn't begin to count how many I built, mainly because of how many I crashed, oh well that's another story.
Andy

john e. holliday · « **Reply #13 on:** February 28, 2016, 01:53:25 PM »

In my experience, Ringmasters do like a little more speed than a normal stunter. I fly on .015 X 60 cable lines center of plane to center of handle. Out of 4 S-1 Ringmasters, one likes the hard point and the others like the E-Z Just style handle that Big Iron used to make.

Larry Renger · « **Reply #14 on:** February 28, 2016, 07:45:35 PM »

I took it out today, and with the tweak to the elevator, it was pretty good. But still flying a trifle high. It did run away a bit at the end of the flight, and is a b#%$h to start the first time, so I want to see about adding an extra head gasket (Starters won't turn it over!). I added some more bias to the lines with a longer clip, but since I now see a bit of roll to the right warp, quit for the day.

Hopefully, I will have all this sorted out before going to VSC next month.

It is close enough that I would fly the competition anyway, but it would be nice to be more comfortable with the trim!

john e. holliday · « **Reply #15 on:** February 29, 2016, 11:37:15 AM »

Sounds like the Fox needs more break in time.

Larry Renger · « **Reply #16 on:** February 29, 2016, 07:20:40 PM »

While prepping for some more testing tomorrow, I realized that I was running 15% nitro! I am dropping down to some SIG 5x25 tomorrow. That should help tame the speed and run cooler to avoid late run run-away. The engine is not new, I had it on my Jameson Special, and it ran just fine there. Much more plane to pull around!

Larry Renger · « **Reply #17 on:** March 01, 2016, 10:03:15 PM »

I put on my alignment checkers, and the wing is basically true from tip, through the center, to tip. However there are curves here and there in the trailing edge due to weak structure aft of the carbon reinforced spar. I added an under-wing tab to the outboard tip, and that seems to do the trick.

The latest set of longer line clips coupled with an elevator link adjustment has the model flying where it should with respect to the handle. Insides and outsides seem matched pretty well. Tank height seems correct.

Switching to 10% nitro seems to have tamed the run-away, but it still has so much compression that my starter won't turn it over. A set of gaskets arrived in the mail today, so one more head shim is in the plan. I would love to be able to pump the revs and prop pitch up and fly on 65' lines. However VSC is too close to do more than fine tuning of the current configuration.

For no particular reason, the engine quit in mid tank on one flight. I ground ran the engine through a full tank after that with no problem, then did a full OT pattern (squeeked through with only 25 laps to spare on 3.5 oz. of fuel). I filter the fuel as it goes into the tank, use a filter clunk and the fuel bottle has a filter too, so it must be Gremlins!

More news as it happens!

Larry Renger · « **Reply #18 on:** May 09, 2016, 04:59:09 PM »

An "AH-HA!" moment. I finally got around to adding an extra head gasket to my Fox. Surprise! It didn't have any head gasket!

I expect great improvements in all aspects of running the engine.

The current prop is a Master Airscrew 10-5 with added undercamber. It seems to work well, but with the hinky engine runs, who can be sure. To be right, it ALL has to be right. As they say, you aren't through trimming and adjusting until the last crumb goes in the trash barrel.

12 flights so far, and the inverted landing damage is nearly fixed. A bit of paint on the rudder and replace the canopy trim tape.

john e. holliday · « **Reply #19 on:** May 09, 2016, 08:19:59 PM »

You'll get a hand on the old Fox yet.

Larry Renger · « **Reply #20 on:** May 13, 2016, 04:40:01 PM »

See: http://stunthanger.com/smf/open-forum/new-hard-point-exponential-handle-design/

I flew the plane with this handle for the first time today. Major improvement in control feel and aircraft response.

I still have a couple of issues to deal with on the tank, but all else seems to be getting there.

Larry Renger · « **Reply #21 on:** May 16, 2016, 02:15:03 PM »

Happiness! Ecstasy! Victory!

Three successful flights this morning with well controlled engine run and pretty much same RPM upright and inverted. I think the spraybar hole position was a huge part of the problem. Now, I have to figure out how to get about 5 more laps so I can complete the OT pattern. I am running a 10x5 prop on 10% Nitro. Maybe pick up just a bit more speed but drop down to 5% Nitro with a 10x6 while slowing the engine down might do the trick. Also, the 62' lines are probably 2' too long.

More news as it happens (not breaks, I hope!)

Bill Adair · « **Reply #22 on:** May 16, 2016, 04:16:41 PM »

Congratulations Larry!

Yet another problem solved, with the generous help of Stunthanger contributors.

Thanks Robert for your thoughtful guidance, and wise management efforts.

Bill

Larry Renger · « **Reply #23 on:** May 16, 2016, 05:31:00 PM »

Quote from: Bill Adair on May 16, 2016, 04:16:41 PM

Congratulations Larry!

Yet another problem solved, with the generous help of Stunthanger contributors.

Thanks Robert for your thoughtful guidance, and wise management efforts.

Bill

Who the heck is Robert? I don't see anyone on this thread with that name.

Mark Scarborough · « **Reply #24 on:** May 16, 2016, 05:48:21 PM »

Quote from: Larry Renger on May 16, 2016, 05:31:00 PM

Who the heck is Robert? I don't see anyone on this thread with that name.

I think that is Robert, ,Sparky Storick who owns the forum that he is referring to,,

Larry Renger · « **Reply #25 on:** May 16, 2016, 05:59:10 PM »

Right, sorry for my ignorance!

john e. holliday · « **Reply #26 on:** May 17, 2016, 01:27:55 PM »

Yes we all have mental lapses once in a while.

Is your spray bar on the Fox the two hole one or single? Remember the two hole is not centered on the spray bar. The single hole on need the hole slightly towards the rear of the intake.

Larry Renger · « **Reply #27 on:** May 17, 2016, 08:23:10 PM »

Super Tigre style single hole oriented 15 deg below right angle to the flow. Testing has shown that is the optimum, and it certainly is working! The engine run is now what it should be. The plane is trimmed out well. I need slightly less line spacing and 2' shorter lines, and I think it is close to right. After that it is the usual tweaking to get those final improvements that mean so much.

Thanks everyone for your help and input! 🍾