Need some help regarding the Brodak Oriental

[Andrew Borgogna]

This question is for anybody who has assembled a Brodak Oriental ARF.  I got this plane from a friend and it was missing the assembly instructions.  I didn't think to much of it until I started installing the push rods.  Does anybody know which hole in the bellcrank and the two control horns should be used for the proper serface deflection.  Right now I am leading toward using the middle hole on the bellcrank to the top hole on the flap control horn and then middle to middle from the flaps to the elevator giving a one to one flap/elevator ration.  Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Andy 

[Bootlegger]

  Call Brodak's and I'm sure that they will send an assembly manuel.  They are real good at helping there customers. I speak from 'sperence...

                This is my 'sperence...

[Balsa Butcher]

The set up as you described would work well.  If you are using a Brodak 3" bellcrank consider using the hole closest to the pivot (inner most hole).  That will get you slower control response - for most people a good thing.  Bellcrank to top hole on flap horn, than middle to middle remain unchanged. 

[Andrew Borgogna]

Thanks guys.
Andy

[Jim Oliver]

Andy,

I will check my instructions later today and advise what they say.  I think the bellcrank is 4" in mine with control set as insructed but they are too sensitive for me------surgery is planned to solve the problem.

Cheers,
Jim

[Andrew Borgogna]

Great Jim, I am using the stock Brodak bellcrank.  It looks to be 3 inches, to me that is the important setting.  I have learned my lesson about making the controls to sensitive in a plane with no way to change it.  I don't want to repeat that mistake.
Andy

[Mark Scarborough]

Andrew,
Both my Brodak Orientals fly with slightly more elevator than flap. say 40 degrees elevator, to 30 degrees flap. Some of that is decided by how heavy it ends up being in the end. One note, On my first one, I installed 1 oz ofd lead under the rudder fairing in the tail. with a 40 FP it ended up balancing very well. My new oriental has the nose shortened by an inch,, it balanced with NO additional lead.OBTW it has wing mounted gear too,,

[Jim Oliver]

Andy,
Sorry for the delay------I have been unusually busy today.   Early tomorrow---I promise!!

Jim

I have my grandson's Oriental ARC here----I will check the bellcrank size, too.

[Andrew Borgogna]

No problem Jim, it's been sitting on my bench for months one more day won't make a difference.  Mark I intend to install an Ev .30 I will weight it and my FP .40 and see what the weight differential is.  I will settle for lead I just don't have the patients to shorten the nose by an inch.  But thanks for the heads up on the balance.  As long as we are on the subject of CG could one of you please tell me where Brodak says the CG should be.  Actually what would be more helpful where have you guys determined the CG should be through your trim efforts.  Good thing you brought up the subject of CG Mark otherwise I would have been asking more questions.

[Mark Scarborough]

I have mine set at .75 inches from the front of the spar. It flies well at this point, great tracking, and plenty of corner. Seems to me that I set my flap pushrod in the inner hole on the bellcrank. I also changed the leadouts and reversed the bellcrank in the wing from the original setup. feel free if you have any other questions, though my engine choice will be of little relevance based on what you are using. I went the other way lol but I love power so what can I say,,

[John Tate]

My CG is the same as Mark’s and had to use the inside hole on the elevator horn to get a good corner. I had to add ½ oz of lead to the tail to balance out the FP 40. Reversing the bellcrank sounds like a great idea. Wish I had done that. The Oriental is a great flying airplane.

[Jim Oliver]

Andy,

The Oriental ARC has a 4 inch bellcrank with output holes located approximately 7/16, 5/8, and 7/8 inch from the pivot.

The instructions say to put the flap pushrod in the middle hole on the bellcrank and to connect the flap pushrod to the top hole on the flap horn.  The elevator pushrod should connect to the second hole (from the top) in the flap horn. 

Step 16 in the instructions say "Connect the Kwik-link on the pushrod to the control horn on the elevator."  The specific hole is not mentioned in the text and the photo is unclear. I don't remember which hole mine is connected to, but I have approximately 30* movement on both flaps and elevator and the controls are still very sensitive.  I think mine is connected to the middle hole on the elevator horn.

The CG should be 1 7/8 inch from the leding edge, per the instructions.

I used the kit bellcrank and horns; I replaced the leadouts and bushed the bellcrank. I replaced the elevator pushrod with a Dubro 4/40 threaded-on-one-end piece and used a piece of carbon fiber tube to join the two pushrod ends.  I used a ball link at the elevator horn, a Dubro which threads onto a 4/40 rod with a 2/56 screw through the ball. That requires a lot of thinning of the fuse sides in the small arc that the link needs to move through. 

Cheers,
Jim

[Andrew Borgogna]

You guys are really great, thanks for the help.  I think I am good to go I need to get it read for a contest next month.  Take care guys.
Andy