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With the Chipmunk on temporary/permanent hold pending a possible conversion to electric and fuselage re-design to make it more scale, I have moved onto one of several other projects, a SebArt Wind S 50E ARF.
Since I got back into flying a few years back and passing my A cert, I’ve harboured an ambition to pass the B cert and to learn to fly schedule aerobatics. The pinnacle of aerobatics at the moment is F3A with the top guys flying breath taking manoeuvres using full composite models costing thousands. I’ve no ambitions of that nature and fortunately there is a cheaper alternative in the form of SebArts range of models. So this is the one I’ve gone for and I’ll post updates as I build it over the next few weeks.
The model is electric powered using a Hacker A50-16S motor, Jeti Master Basic 70A ESC and Hacker 6S batteries. The model is quite big at 158cm span and 166cm length but is build very light and the weight ready to go minus battery is 2.4kg. It will be guided using my trusty Spektrum iX12 with a AR9030T telemetry receiver which I’m hoping will provide live battery information.
Consulting the instruction manual which is pictures only (b&w but a colour version is available to download) the first step is to install the ailerons and their servos. The picture shows the components laid out ready to go. Supplied hardware seems pretty good. The manual lists JR servos which are pretty much unobtainable in the UK as JR has gone bust so a quick email to the very helpful Bill at Dumfries models and he sent me a list of recommended replacements. The servos for the ailerons are Ripmax QZ401’s which are a digital coreless, HV, low profile affairs. I’ve never used Ripmax servos before and they seems nice quality so we’ll see how they go.
Several hours later and the RH wing is complete. Everything went together very easily. Only issue was that I had to enlarge the hole for the servo but a bit of careful knife and Dremel work sorted that out. I said in the last post that I’d never used the Ripmax servos before and one usual thing was that the rubber mounting grommets were massively over size and I had to trim them down to size. Not a problem but never seen that before.
The next step in the instruction manual is to fir the rudder and tailwheel assembly but I’m half way through building a custom transportation/work stand for the fuselage to make it easier to handle due its rounded shape so skip ahead to the tail plane.
The tail plane halves have the servos mounted inside and require smaller units to fit. The recommended JR ones are not available so I’ve used Ripmax McGregor MG2810HV’s which supposedly will fit SebArt tail planes, we shall see. Picture shows components laid out ready to go.
So after a bit of a wresting match I managed to get the 2810’s to fit. I had to enlarge the hole length ways by a couple of mil but width wise, which was the main concern, they slotted straight in. Only issue was that the supplied arms were not long enough to give clearance outside to allow connection of the pushrod for full range of movement. Luckily the spare ones that came with the aileron servos were long enough and fitted the output splines.
As mentioned earlier, I decided to make up a cradle for transportation and maintenance. Made from wood I had lying around in the garage, varnished and some sticky foam added, total cost about a fiver. For reference the stand is 70cm long.
I always use Hi-Tec as a rule but struggled to find ones that would fit the model…low profile for the ailerons and smaller size ones for the elevators. The ones I’ve got seem good quality.
Anyway next step is the rudder and tailwheel but before that, a balsa porn shot of the inside of the fuselage showing the light weight construction used on these models…
Tailwheel assembly fitted the rudder. If anyone else reads this who’s building one of these, the 25mm measurement for where you drill the hole for the tailwheel to fit in the rudder is wrong. Measure before you drill…mine was about 22mm….doesn’t sound a lot but it won’t fit at 25mm.
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