Another really, really big box arrives. Kim's submission

RknRusty wrote:That's a great looking model. Lots of character. I hope you have fun reworking and flying it, and share it with us. And thanks to Kim for being such a cool dude.
Rusty

Yup, Cool dude benefactor that's Kim. He spreads the love around.

I got the rest of it cleaned up. Even put a coat of automotive wax on it.

The front wheel is pretty much ate up. I replaced it with one the same size, then a larger one. Looks like I'm going to have to replace the strut to increase the AOA or it will never get off the ground as it's way nose low. Also presently the nose wheel is not steerable, but I have a few longer steerable struts that will fit just fine.







I'm reconsidering those connections. I will have to replace them all with adjustable clevises. I'm just not good at guessing fixed neutrals.

Enjoying getting it flight ready. 15 straight days of rain here. Enough already.

That's an aerobatic wing. Not as blunt as a CL stunter, but should fly upside down as well as upright at about the same trim and throttle settings... yeah, like I'm an RC trimming expert Lol. I am interested though. Maybe I can learn something from you.
Rusty

P.S. I'd really like to take that MX for a spin. I'm a big believer in the quality of Mazda equipment. I hope you drive it at the edge, at least sometimes. I miss my P5, but I still get to see it sometimes, and the owner bought it for what it's made for.

Nice looks like its gonna be a rather fast flyer with that fully symmetrical wing and cudo's to Kim for being a cool guy!
Also about the Focus radio I noticed that the charger in the pack is an older JR charger, I'm not sure about the Transmitter's charge jack polarity itself but I do know that the transmitter charge plug polarity coming off the JR charger is reverse from the norm Center pin neg outer side positive while normally its outer side neg center pin positive on other systems (They did this to make their chargers incompatible with other brands) I would check it to be sure. (Bandit)

TDbandit wrote:Nice looks like its gonna be a rather fast flyer with that fully symmetrical wing and cudo's to Kim for being a cool guy!
Also about the Focus radio I noticed that the charger in the pack is an older JR charger, I'm not sure about the Transmitter's charge jack polarity itself but I do know that the transmitter charge plug polarity coming off the JR charger is reverse from the norm  Center pin neg outer side positive while normally its outer side neg center pin positive on other systems (They did this to make their chargers incompatible with other brands) I would check it to be sure. (Bandit)

I think you're right
Futaba and hitec transmitter charge jacks are wired opposite of JR so be careful. I fried a transmitter by plugging in the wrong charger.
i do have a hitec charger I can give you for postage.

Thanks for the warning guys, I did not know that.

I actually have two of these, both bought very cheap.  As mentioned one is FCC legal, the other not.  I bought it for the servos.  Luckily, I used the Hi Tech charger to cycle the new batteries without a problem.  Guess I will have to X out the JR.



One of these Enya's will power the new plane.  I found a tank that will fit along with a steerable nose gear.  The PO really attached the existing gear, going to bust some balsa to get it out.  



Rusty, I share your Mazda affection. One of the nicest driving cars I ever owned was a 1988 Mazda 929 bought new. Their "top of the line" at the time. I had a couple of RX-7's too, both first generations.

Bob

Well I got both radios up and operating, but channel 1 on the five channel is not working.  Not a problem as it's not legal anyway.

The 7 channel works fine but the new transmitter battery pack is to thick to allow the cover to go on.  It came with the JR charger and a JR battery pack which has a three wire system.  I have no idea why they would want to split the voltage or even if it is split as I have not checked it.  I charge the batteries with the charger that came with the system.  But taking Bandits advice I only use the Hi tech charger to charge the transmitter.  Edit add - On a whim I just checked the polarity's between the two chargers and they are reversed.  But really, that makes no sense as the charger that came with each system is intended to charge the transmitter too.    More edit.........Unless, as these are both used radios maybe a PO swapped out the original hi tech charger and battery pack for a JR.  No matter both are working fine and charging properly when using the correct charger.  Whew.... Did anybody get though all that.   C/L is just sooo simple.







I'm going to pull all the control rods after all and use the servo tray that came with the radio to position the controls.  Lot's of fun stuff left to do.

While the model is quite interesting it has it's quirks.  The horizontal stab is held on with rubber bands (I may permanently attach it), the cowling is a friction fit with no mechanical attachment, then there's that nose down thing.  But the strangest of all are the fixed non adjustable controls.  Never saw that before.  I guess you could use the trims but that defeats their purpose.  It must have seen air time as is though, lot's of castor in the seams.

Bob

rsv1cox wrote:

While the model is quite interesting it has it's quirks.  The horizontal stab is held on with rubber bands (I may permanently attach it), the cowling is a friction fit with no mechanical attachment, then there's that nose down thing.  But the strangest of all are the fixed non adjustable controls.  Never saw that before.  I guess you could use the trims but that defeats their purpose.  It must have seen air time as is though, lot's of castor in the seams.

Bob

Looking through my old magazines, and a lot of the kits/designs from the 1950's and 60's had their stabilizers retained with rubber bands...guess to help with crash survival and portability. They also liked to install hatches right behind the firewall...probably to give access to the tank, but I never cared for them as there's no real way to totally seal them. I try to do a really good fuel tank installation and seal the whole forward area.

It'll be great to see that old pup in the air again!

First flights will be in the more capable hands of my son, he has a lot more (recent) R/C time than I do.  Although he will have to do some foamie plane practice first before I allow him to fly this plane.  After we get it trimed out I will try some lazy circles.  My eyes, reaction times at 78 are not what they were even 20 years ago.

No ID on this plane in your old magazines?

rsv1cox wrote:First flights will be in the more capable hands of my son, he has a lot more (recent) R/C time than I do.  Although he will have to do some foamie plane practice first before I allow him to fly this plane.  After we get it trimed out I will try some lazy circles.  My eyes, reaction times at 78 are not what they were even 20 years ago.

No ID on this plane in your old magazines?

Not yet...there was a series of 1960's sport planes that look like yours, offered in two or three sizes, but I've been totally brain-locked at remembering their name. I've got a batch of my favorite magazines pulled out to be organized yet again, and am gonna be on watch for them...getting to be an O.C.D. thing....

The JR battery packs are two wire they were I guess too lazy to mod the leads. The outer most lead (the light brown one) is not even hooked up in the pack. If you already know this forgive me but make sure you do a full range check on the system before installation and after with the antenna collapsed pointing away espeshly since this is an old radio and since those servo's are the old style Hitec gold label versions, I would make sure the grommets and eyelets are installed before mounting. The fixed control system shouldn't be too much of a problem as long as its correct. The radio appears to have ATV pots (Adjustable Travel) you can use them to limit or increase the control throw if needed but if they are not centered ...then that's where you run into the "fixed" problem. With the wing if it is fixed which i'm sure it is from your description, it might be easier to mod the wing for a two servo setup and use a Y harness than modding the existing system. Again If you already know forgive me.
As far as the model's ID it might be a kit bash.(Bandit)

Yes, all of that.  I don't want to risk this effort to a less than reliable radio.  

My son wants me to pull the newer PCM, XYZ, PDQ radio from his Dago Red and use that instead, but I'm just too much old school to do it.  Heck this Hitec radio is eons ahead of the old self built Blue Max and Krafts that I used to use 40 years ago with never a problem.  

That was my guess too that the third wire was not used, curious why they did that.  I appreciate your help Bandit.  It keeps me thinking.

Bob

Bob

You are probably too much a law abiding citizen but... The FCC re-allocation of frequencies for air radios a bunch of years back was just that...and to be legal some transmitters need modifications so they could NOT cause interference with the new owners of the re-allocated frequencies

If you are flying on or near your relatively rural remote property there is ZERO danger you could possibly cause any interference with another licensed service.... Air radios rarely had the power to range far enough to interfere and the pulses are heard on HAM radio as similar to Morse code but unintelligible and would be ignored

That said, if the unmodified transmitter receiver pair is of good range and working I would not at all be concerned with the FCC and just use the danged pair as intended

KD5NCO Fred

Yes, not many government “revenuers” here in WV anymore now that most of the stills have fallen silent so I could probably use that five channel (now down to four) without causing a problem. I have thought about a R/C boat to use on the pond out back. I used to enjoy that.