Flight Log: 3-30-13.

Extra Ultimate Day.

Big Bad Boy GaSaturday was my Dad's idea to get people to bring out their big planes today.  Fair turn out with a few other big birds.  The sun was out as well as the cross winds.  Two flights logged in.  Landing was iffy on the first flight and I must have made five attempts before I set her down.  Dad flew his Ultimate which was great to see.

Aeroworks Extra and Ultimate 50 cc.

Note: sold to friend 4-15.

Flight Log: 3-9-13.

All Three of Us.

Beautiful early summer-like flying day with my Dad and brother.  Flew the Extra 300 three times. Practiced four points starting from inverted.  Getting a little more crisp, but needs more work.  Also flew the Nano several times with brother and tried to impress him with my inverted flight.  Ha!  The new taxi/pit area for the large gasser planes works very nicely.  Thanks for mowing the area Dad!

Note:  Above picture has my Extra, Brother's Yak, and Dad's P-47 patrolling the skies in the background. 

Flight Log: 3-2-13. (Post 100!)

First day out with the Extra 300 this season and it started and flew like I remembered... awesome.  The night before flying, I fixed the tail gear spring with a make shift rubber band substitute.  Not as pretty but does the job.  Also, I went over all the moving parts/surfaces and inspected for fatigue and/or damage.  Checked out okay, so I got to enjoy three flights today.  The above picture was taking with the iPhone today so I wasn't able to compose it well.  More of a shoot from the hip random shot.  Note: this is where my Dad and I like to start and park our planes at the field. 

Three flights with the Nano as well.  Inverted flight and a few inverted circles.   Spring is almost here! 

Flight Log: 8-25-12.

Two flights with the AW Extra.  After the first flight, I noticed that one of the springs on the tail gear snapped.  With the help of brother J., he made a make shift tail gear spring out of a rubber band!  It worked great for the second flight.

Three flights with the little electric Mig and both brothers J. and A.  Even though they are not fast, they are quite impressive when flying in loose formation.  My repair jobs with clear tape held up well.  Did not use any epoxy this time.  Lighter!

Little brother, came out with my Dad, J. and me today.  He is learning to fly on a Hanger 9 40 size nitro trainer called the Alpha 40.  After only a handful of training flights he has already solo'd once.  He has numerous take offs, rolls, loops and two landings logged in.  Pretty awesome dude!  Even though we had a bunch of technical difficulties with our planes, I enjoyed having all the guys out together.  

Flight Log: 8-19-12.

Three flights on the AW Extra.  Decent flights.  For some reason the engine tends to cut off after touching down on the landings.  Two out of three landings ended this way today.  Weird.  Practiced avalanche today.  Getting better. 

Flight Log: 7-28-12.

First flight of the AW Extra was very short due to the engine wanting to cut out at full throttle.  Landed promptly and tried to adjust the high end needle.  Opened it more, but the engine ran worse.  Thus, returned it back to the stock 1.5 turns from close.  Ran perfectly.  Whew.  Put in one more flight successful flight before the farmers put the sprinkler system on the runway.

Got three flights with the Mig.  The repair job after my nose in crash at the school yard held up well.  It is not going to win any beauty contests but it still flies straight and semi fast.  Did an unintended touch and go on one of the low fly bys too!  Second attempt turned into a landing and a broken right wing tip.  Fixed with scotch tape and flew again!

AW Extra: Ironed out wrinkles and loose covering.  Applied quick wax to top surfaces of plane.  Looks good!

Flight Log: 7-15-12.

Two flights with the AW Extra 300.  Engine was not running right.  At full throttle it would die out.  First flight I managed to bring it back down without a dead stick.  Per advice from Dad, I adjusted the high end needle valve 1/8th counter clock wise turn.  It worked.  Apparently it was leaning out at full throttle.  Super windy on my last flight so I nearly missed the runway.  Whew. 

Flight Log: 7-8-12.

After nearly 7 months of storage, the Aeroworks Extra has flown again.  Two successful flights completed.  Before today's flights, I spent last night preparing the Extra for flight.  New HydraMax 2000 mah NiMh for ignition replaced the old one.  Fresh tygon fuel line from tank to carburetor.  Tightened muffler and fuel plug.  Detail sprayed the entire plane.

This plane is nearly two years old now!  Bazinga!

Nose Job.

After the old spinner falling off the Aeroworks Extra during flight miss hap, I purchased a Tru-Turn 3.5 inch Ultimate spinner and new prop bolt shaft assembly for the DLE. Took some thinking and time to remove the old shaft but got it done using a homemade plywood tool and a long socket wrench. Red lock tight was used to secure the new shaft in place. For my birthday, my parents got me a new carbon fiber Mejzlik 22 x 8 prop, but it was not drilled for the DLE. That was a daunting task but was easy as pie with the drill guide and drill press. The end result is an aggressive propeller and spinner combo!

Extra 300 Flight Log.

12-3-11:
Three flights.  One deadstick during inverted flight, but landed safely.  Replaced tygon refill tubing. 

8-21-11:
Two flights. No problemo. Time to buy more gas soon.

7-24-11:
Three flights. Tail wheel fell off on second flight, but Dad was able to find the wheel on the edge of the runway. Joe, had spare parts to do a fix it at the field. Was able to squeeze in one more flight of the day. Fun.

One year old!

7-9-11:
Three flights. Engine started fine. Sprinkler system on field close to runway which plays mind games on the final approach from the left side of the runway. Flew great though.

~6-??-11:
Not keeping track of flight log as well. But flew about three times. DLE started easily now that it wasn't flooded!

5-25-11:
Attempted to fly with no results. Could not get the engine to start. Did not fly at all. Took it home and found that the engine was flooded. Will bring socket and wrench to field from now on. Will change out T-valve in near future.

5-22-11:
Two flights. Engine started nicely on both flights. Still kinda gurgles at times during full throttle. Maybe air bubbles? Landings decent despite higher wind conditions.

4-30-11/5-1-11:
Six flight total during the weekend. New NGK Honda spark plug from Dad made all the difference in starting the DLE 55. Starts perfectly now. No sore arm anymore! Only one dead stick which I was able to bring back to the runway for an ugly but no damage landing. Landing gear and wheel pant fixed by Dad as well. Looks great. Added some toe in to help it track better. Great weekend to fly.

4-17-11:
Three flights. Engine still difficult to start. Adjusted low end needle and still difficult to start. Arm sore. Engine nearly quits as well in certain inverted and knife edge maneuvers. Last landing was eventful. Touch down was okay, but then it tipped over on its nose at the end of the slow down. Bent left landing gear, smashed left wheel pant, dinged rudder from tail gear, and need to inspect propeller still. Bummed.

4-9-11:
Four flights. Engine was near impossible to start. Might open up low end adjustment needle to make starting easier. It would fire up, but not remain running. Sore arm next morning!

Tru-Turn and Mezjlik prop works great. Seems quieter.

1-30-11:
First flight of the new year! Had to re-remember how to assemble and the start procedure for the DLE-55! Flies perfectly. Tygon tubing a little stiffer in some areas and will need to be replaced soon. First flight dusted off skills with some inverted hammerheads and four points.

Second flight, cut short when spinner was noticed to be missing. Landed a little rougher and searched field for spinner. Must have vanished because my brother and I could not find a trace of it. Spinner bolt head broke off leaving the remaining shaft stuck! Ordered Tru-Turn spinner from Chief Aircraft.

Not bad for the first two flights of the year!

11-3-10:
Four flights! Record number of flights in one day! Dad and I had the field to our selves so we just kept on taking turns flying. Right when one landed the other started up and took to the air. Didn't really practice any specific maneuver. Working on flying inverted more and straightening out the four point rolls. So fun! Flight number 35! Note: perfect weather so late in the year! 73 degrees with minimum wind. Sunny.

10-17-10:
Three flights again! New starting procedure working well. Starting so much quicker than before. One rolling circle. Still need to land with more air speed to make gentler touch downs.

10-16-10:
Three fights. Good landings. New starting procedure: choke at full throttle. Let it pop. Choke off. Start at quarter throttle. Starts much quicker now.

10-6-10:
Three flights! 25th flight! Two complete rolling semi harrier circles completed! Whew. Fun stuff. First landing the best of the three. Flew with Dad today. He had three flights on his 50 cc Extra too. Nice flights.

9-25-10:
Two flights. Increased rates on elevator and aileron, but kept expo the same at about 38%. Will slowly increase rates so that there are only two rates: regular and 3d. Right now there are three rates: low, high, and 3d. Second landing from right to left. Smooth.

Bought two more gallons of petrol from Shell. Mixed and ready to rock and roll!

9-12-10:
Three flights. Last landing was greased. Programmed timer to activate at 23% throttle.

9-6-10:
Three flights. First spin. Attempted flat spin. Need to program out pitching in knife edge. Pitches to landing gear and slight role out.

9-2-10:
Two flights. Throttle expo 85%.

8-29-10:
Two good flights. Second landing better than the first. 12 total flights now! Chahoo!

8-28-10:
One flight. Slight coupling to the tail gear in right and left knife edge. Decent landing.

8-25-10:

• Ninth flight completed. Increased throttle expos to 75%.
• Engined died on touch down of first landing. Remember to approach and touch down with more air speed.
• Second flight sweet. Greased landing.
• Dad maidened his 50 cc Extra. Congrats! Nice flight and great landing.

8-21-10:
Two flights. Both good landings with mild crosswinds. Increased expos on aileron, elevator and rudder. Much smoother now. Also increased expos to 60% on throttle. Stretched out the functional range of the throttle stick better. Used to hit full throttle at half stick. Fun. Fun. Fun.

8-8-10:
Flight 1: Awesomeness. Little rough on the landing still. Comes in slower than I remembered. Outside hammerheads. Inverted four points.

Flight 2: Same as the above, but landing from the right for the first time. Good approach, but still need to work on touch down. More throttle. Almost ran out of fuel on second flight. Probably about 6 minutes worth.

7-25-10:
Flight 1: Trim is near perfect. Two clicks right, two clicks down. Balance seems right on. Still a little touchy. Landing: not so perfect. Touched down at three quarters of the runway on left wheel first and ran off into the dirt. Left wheel pant slightly cracked. Left landing gear strut bent. Rebent back into shape at field.

Flight 2: Great flight. Tested aerobatic capabilities. Unlimited vertical. Rolls nicely. Couldn't determine if any coupling exists. Knife edge seems good too. Increased expo and decreased dual rates on ailerons and elevator. Much more tame handling now. Landing: Two point touch down. Impressed with slow speed capabilities. Note: Final leg approach with lower altitude. Manage throttle to avoid stall. Remember to flare. Have fun.

Extra Pictures.

Thanks for the pics!

Extra Extra.

Fully completed Aeroworks Extra 50 cc.

Project: Extra.

Extra 300 build documentation.

After selling my 1.60 size Great Planes Extra to my brother, I decided to get another Extra. Why get the same type of plane? Because it is the hottest looking aerobatic plane ever made. Decided to move up to a 50 cc plane due to their increased visibility, impressive power to weight ratio, and the luxury of running on regular unleaded fuel.

This is my first gas R/C plane, so here we go!

Aeroworks Extra 300 50cc QB
DLE-55
Slimline Pitts muffler
7955TG servos
5625MG servo for throttle
42% Opto-Gas kill switch
Cermark Super Switches
SWB Servo arms (1.5 inch for ailerons and elevator and 3 inch for rudder)
FASST 14 channel receiver

The "QB" stands for quick build. Supposedly, it can be fully assembled in 8-10 hours. Which is very fast for an R/C plane. I'm a slow builder, so I expect to triple or quadruple that time!

Still waiting for more parts to come in.

Haven't started assembly yet but have mocked it up and it is a very nice looking plane. Great build quality and the paint job is sweet. Can't wait to fly it!

Here is my make shift work bench. Used the original box that the plane came in! It is kinda hard to sit on the floor for the entire build though.


4-13-10:
Received servo safety clips and fuel dot from Bad Brad Graphics. Fast service.

4-14-10:
Ironed and heat gunned the entire plane. No problemo. Got a little carried away trying to remove and bubble on the wing and caused a little over shrinkage of the silver strip. No biggy though.


Installed the main landing gear but turned out I used the wrong washers. Been reading off some small instructions that I printed in econo mode so I couldn't quit tell if I was using the right stuff. Decided to fix later.

4-15-10:
Fixed landing gear washers with correct washers. Installed gear cuff, wheel and wheel pants. Rear tail gear assembly installed. Sweet!

Rudder hinged. Decided to use 30 minute epoxy versus gorilla glue.

4-16-10:
Sealed hinges on both stabilizers, rudder and a portion of the wing. Could not get as much done as I wanted to. Oh well.

4-17-10:
Finish sealing all hinge joints. Noticed that rudder turns right better than left. Will have to clean up the hinges a little to get equal deflections.

4-18 and 19-10:
Used the heat gun on the rudder hinges to get equal deflections. Not hard to do. Screwed in both aileron servos. Trial fit SWB servo arms and they are tight! Looked up tricks on forums and found that it is supposed to be that way. Recommended several tricks, lubricating the teeth, scratching off the anodized portion on the teeth, and of course using a flat head screwdriver to pry open the clasp. We'll see how that works.

4-21-10:
Installed control horns on wings and stabs. Used medium CA to lock wood screws in.

Stabilizer servos have now been installed.
4-25-10:
Control horns on rudder and rudder servo installed. Next step, mounting the motor.

5-3-10:
Ball links connected to control horns on rudder. Push rods assembled for elevators. Received two Xoar propellers (22x8) and a 3.5 inch aluminum spinner today from valleyviewrc.com. One wood and one black with silver tip propeller. Amazing quality.

5-23-10:
Drilled holes for stand offs. Bought more bolts to mount the engine. Mocked up engine with pitts muffler. It looks good! Need to get larger diameter washers and maybe hex head bolts. 0.8 pitch.

5-31-10:
Tightened stand offs to firewall. Used blue lock tight.

6-1-10:
Installed throttle servo 5625 to plywood mount.

6-2-10:
Prepared rudder servo arm for installation.

6-4-10:
Installed ignition control and ignition battery. Drilled hole in firewall for throttle push rod.


7-15-10:
Haven't been keeping up to date on my progress, but plane is complete. Started the engine up for the first time at the field today. With the help of my Dad and little brother, we got the DLE-55 running well. Idles low and transitions to full throttle smoothly. Using Shell regular unleaded fuel mixed with Penzzoil air cooled two stroke engine oil. Eight ounces oil per two gallons of fuel. Have yet to maiden due to workers on the field. Taxies beautifully.

Things of note on building completion:

• Moved ignition box and ignition battery as far forward as possible in order to balance plane at the recommended 4 inches from leading edge wing tip.
  
• No additional weight added to balance.
  
• Lateral balance seems to be adequate.
• Reshrank covering on the entire plane. Black covering suseptable to wrinkling in sun light.
  
• Need to figure out a way to cover plane in hot weather. Huge surface area.
  
• SWB control arms will fit when screwed on. No problem. But, difficult to remove.

7-17-10:
Maiden complete! One 5 minute flight. Nothing fancy. Take off roll was very short. Powerful climb. Nice and slow landing. Might be a little tail heavy still. Expos were a little touchy and low rates. Decreased to -20 to soften up the center a bit. Did not touch other rates. After landing, roughly 20 cranks needed to empty tank. Awesome plane. Now to turn this build blog log to a flight blog log!


7-25-10:
Covering on wings has swirls/scratches from troybuiltmodel wing bag. Bummer. Now put wings in bubble wrap first, then insert into wing bag. Used scratch x and removed some swirls. Going to try turtle wax in the future.

7-30-10:
Tried the turtle wax and it makes a slight difference. A little more polished looking. Swirls/scuffs/scratches are not as obvious. Good enough!