Author Topic: She's ready to fly! (and now I need to repair her)(pics of repair) (Read 16885 times)

Matt Colan · « **Reply #100 on:** May 02, 2010, 01:24:33 PM »

Quote from: john e. holliday on May 02, 2010, 07:18:41 AM

Matt; I think someone has just posted it earlier, "Don't rush it". Take your time putting it back together and do it right. I hope you have a back up plane and if you do that is the one I would be getting practice on while working on the damaged plane. Again don't push it.

My backup plane is the Ares. We are making sure that everything is going to be straight, and it will be back in the air by Brodak.

Bill Little · « **Reply #101 on:** May 02, 2010, 01:49:25 PM »

Quote from: Matt Colan on May 01, 2010, 05:42:17 AM

(snip) Bill, that Junar that you said you had at the 96 Nats, was it red and black???

Hi Matt,

I am sure you will get it back to probably better than ever!

Yes, it was red and black. It flew GREAT before the crash, but it was a dog after the crash. ALL my fault!

Big Bear

Matt Colan · « **Reply #102 on:** May 02, 2010, 03:11:25 PM »

Quote from: Bill Little on May 02, 2010, 01:49:25 PM

Hi Matt,

I am sure you will get it back to probably better than ever!

Yes, it was red and black. It flew GREAT before the crash, but it was a dog after the crash. ALL my fault!

Big Bear

I remember seeing it on video. You remember a bronze, burgandy, white, and black ellitpical wing airplane? That was grandpa's own design Starfire.

Derek Barry · « **Reply #103 on:** May 03, 2010, 05:53:57 AM »

Hey Matt,

Sorry to hear about you're plane. That is a real bummer!

Matt Colan · « **Reply #104 on:** May 03, 2010, 08:01:36 PM »

Here are some pics of the repair. We made new elevators and shed 1 ounce of weight off the tail. It weighed 3.7 ounces, and it now weighs 2.6 ounces!!!!!!!!!

We silkspanned the elevators and tails tonight, and while I'm at school, grandpa is going to build them up with clear, and maybe mount it back on the plane!

Bryan Higgins · « **Reply #105 on:** May 03, 2010, 08:30:03 PM »

Matt

That is a mighty fine paint job there

Great work sure like those colors.

Bryan

Matt Colan · « **Reply #106 on:** May 04, 2010, 03:42:54 PM »

Quote from: Bryan Higgins on May 03, 2010, 08:30:03 PM

Matt

That is a mighty fine paint job there Great work sure like those colors.

Bryan

Thanks,

The stab and elevator is already ready for silver! grandpa told me he sprayed on the clear and got it built up really quick!

It will finally be in silver again tonight!!!

Edit: I got back in the saddle today. One flight with the Ares in some moderate winds, before the storms roll in, which are coming in right NOW.

Matt Colan · « **Reply #107 on:** May 04, 2010, 07:44:10 PM »

We resauldered the pushrod back on tonight!!!! I ran out of time and even ran through my curfew, so we didn't get a chance to glue the stab back on. It is ready for silver, and didn't get the chance to spray it.

We test fitted everything back on the fuse, and it all just plugged back in, everything broke so clean, which is great!!!!!!

Matt Colan · « **Reply #108 on:** May 07, 2010, 07:47:38 PM »

She's back in one piece again. Even the fillets are back on. Grandpa has been working a lot while I've been at school. Now time for the refinishing of the tail section. Should fly again by next week!!!!!

Matt Colan · « **Reply #109 on:** May 08, 2010, 04:48:09 AM »

Quote from: Ty Marcucci on May 07, 2010, 08:46:45 PM

Hi Matt. I have been reading your amazing saga from the start. Only one crash in five years?? What is your secret? I seem to crash every tenth flight. The only good ting about a crash is the emotional tie to the plane has ended. Now it's just another plane, pre disastered. Sounds like you have a winner on your hands. Good luck on all your contests. Love the simple but effective paint scheme.

Since 2005, this is the first major crash. I put our Bi-Slob in because I ran out of fuel (I don't count that as a crash) and when I was learning how to fly inverted, I pancaked my decrepid Smoothie and took the rudder clean off. That plane flew the next day...

I guess it's just luck, grandpa has crashed two planes since I've been flying, so I guess it's a matter of luck

Matt Colan · « **Reply #110 on:** May 08, 2010, 05:07:25 PM »

Quote from: Ty Marcucci on May 08, 2010, 04:56:52 PM

Well, if you'd like to crash more come on over and I'll show you how NOT to do the vertical eight.

I'll be on the next flight over

. The one good thing is that I was NOT FLYING ON BLACKTOP!!!! That plane would have been toast, and maybe the engine as well.

Matt Colan · « **Reply #111 on:** May 15, 2010, 09:35:53 AM »

The rear end of the plane has red on it again!!! Tonight, I'm going to spray on the little bit of black that needs to go back on the plane.

It DEFINITELY doesn't look as good as it used to (at least the tail). We are rushing the finish because grandma and grandpa are taking a vacation next week, and it's gotta be done by then. It should fly again by Tuesday or Wednesday!!!

Paul Taylor · « **Reply #112 on:** May 15, 2010, 11:47:37 AM »

In my best Larry the Cable guy voice.....

Gitter-Dunn!

Dat dar is funny I don't care wut ya'll say.

Matt Colan · « **Reply #113 on:** May 16, 2010, 06:00:06 AM »

The rest of the paint is on the plane! It is not as good as it once looked, so now comes the clear!!! The plane should fly again on Tuesday!!!

Howard Rush · « **Reply #114 on:** May 16, 2010, 06:56:46 PM »

Quote from: Brett Buck on April 25, 2010, 11:51:55 PM

4 3/4! That's a tremendous amount of pitch for that engine. It sounds to me that you were awfully close the way it is. I would guess that you have a bit too much diameter, too little venturi, too little rpm, too much pipe length, or not enough nitro. But just about no one is using that much pitch and if you do you are losing a bunch of power.

Brett

In these parts we cut those props to 11.3" diameter.

Jim Pollock · « **Reply #115 on:** May 16, 2010, 08:02:42 PM »

Matt,

Listen to what Brett says, he's not kidding that 4.75 is too much pitch. Try about 4.0 or 4.1 and that should about do it. 4.25 should probably be tops for pitch. If you need a little extra rpm you could try shortening the pipe just a tad, maybe 1/8" or so.

Jim Pollock

Matt Colan · « **Reply #116 on:** May 17, 2010, 01:28:32 PM »

Quote from: Jim Pollock on May 16, 2010, 08:02:42 PM

Matt,

Listen to what Brett says, he's not kidding that 4.75 is too much pitch. Try about 4.0 or 4.1 and that should about do it. 4.25 should probably be tops for pitch. If you need a little extra rpm you could try shortening the pipe just a tad, maybe 1/8" or so.

Jim Pollock

Hi Jim,

I repitched the 11.75-4.25 to 4.25, since it had more. The pipe length was reset to 17 inches and the plane was performing great, and the motor was running like a swiss watch, then I lose tension and the thing goes in. We got the new majic props from Randy, and simply put, they are gorgeous props!!! I'm going to try a 2 blade and a 3 blade to see which one the plane likes better. The props will be cut and pitched to the way Randy says to...

Matt Colan · « **Reply #117 on:** May 17, 2010, 02:02:30 PM »

The plane is due to fly again tomorrow!!!! I have a day off from school because certain grades have to do a test (I'm not in that grade), so it will be back in the air tomorrow. Just talked to grandpa and he was just going to put the motor in!!!

W.D. Roland · « **Reply #118 on:** May 17, 2010, 02:05:31 PM »

Matt
Sound like your getting there!

Only advice I can give is to never forget that Gravity sucks!

Good luck on next flights

David

louie klein · « **Reply #119 on:** May 17, 2010, 02:34:24 PM »

NICE JOB! She's good "CHAMP" all over her with you at the stick. Hope you enjoyed the old stuff on those tapes I sent. Good luck! -----"Dead stick" louie

Matt Colan · « **Reply #120 on:** May 17, 2010, 03:44:13 PM »

Quote from: louie klein on May 17, 2010, 02:34:24 PM

NICE JOB! She's good "CHAMP" all over her with you at the stick. Hope you enjoyed the old stuff on those tapes I sent. Good luck! -----"Dead stick" louie

Yea, the old tapes are great!!! Thanks Louie for the stuff. We haven't gone through all the tapes yet, but they are good.

Can't wait for tomorrow!!!

Matt Colan · « **Reply #121 on:** May 17, 2010, 07:53:47 PM »

She's gonna fly tomorrow, at approxamitely 10am!!! Grandpa said he took an ounce of nose weight out, so it should fly even better!!!

Dennis Adamisin · « **Reply #122 on:** May 17, 2010, 07:59:09 PM »

Quote from: Matt Colan on May 17, 2010, 07:53:47 PM

She's gonna fly tomorrow, at approxamitely 10am!!! Grandpa said he took an ounce of nose weight out, so it should fly even better!!!

Sheesz that's an extreme way to lose weight! Good luck and "sneek up" on it.

Matt Colan · « **Reply #123 on:** May 18, 2010, 05:46:28 AM »

Quote from: Dennis Adamisin on May 17, 2010, 07:59:09 PM

Sheesz that's an extreme way to lose weight! Good luck and "sneek up" on it.

To get it to balance where the cg is on the plans, he took 1 ounce of weight out of the nose. Those new elevators made a difference!

Matt Colan · « **Reply #124 on:** May 18, 2010, 09:14:19 AM »

The Oriental Plus has been flown again!!! I am starting a new thread to detail flights 11 and 12 on the airplane...