H9's Sundowner

[Mike S.]

I put the first flight on one that a friend of mine in VA bought, it was the one that Dick Pettit flew for R/C REPORT. it had a evolution 26, bisson muffler, and APC 15/10
On the stalker radar gun we were getting speeds of 105-108, The plane was super smooth and very comfortable to fly, but the muffler--though quiet--was very restrictive.

[dptp9lf]

	Quote: Originally Posted by Mike S.
	I put the first flight on one that a friend of mine in VA bought, it was the one that Dick Pettit flew for R/C REPORT. it had a evolution 26, bisson muffler, and APC 15/10 On the stalker radar gun we were getting speeds of 105-108, The plane was super smooth and very comfortable to fly, but the muffler--though quiet--was very restrictive.

Mike...
Do you know how the Sundowner balances out with the heavier gas engines?
With out having seen one other than pictures, it looks like it could be tail heavy and be able to handle the heavier gas engines?
Cheers,
Lyle

[Sparky69]

Latest decision from the USRA listed below. Please uderstand that we are growing as we learn about the Sundowner.
Mine is 14 lbs with a Lipo for the ignition battery and a 2500 Mah NiMh, nice digital servos, Radial engine mount.
To get to min weight run Lipos all around, lighter small servo's, Hollow tail rods. You can't remove any material from the planes structure. we have one guy who is sub 13.5 so it is doable.
Mike S. With all due respcect I think your speed gun is reading a little high we are having a tough time breaking 100 MPH using the Evo 35
Sparky

- Minimum weight 13.5#
- Any fuel tank that meets the minimum flight duration is acceptable
- Taping of any openings is acceptable
- Any baffling within the cowl is acceptable
- Adding holes in the cowl or right cheek for the sole purpose of cooling the engine is acceptable.
- No modifications to the scale outline are allowed.
- It is recommended that the right cowl inlet be blocked in front of the carb by tape or a deflector mounted to the inside of the cowl.

[MartinT]

Just a Little update on speeds. "Grunk" has now made ~20 runs that have seen the speed at a consistent 110 using the 15x12 and higher speeds with other props. So the speed is getting there and the prop may change to get even more.

KennyMac has done some testing recently that will be appearing soon and he will be making some recommendations for the engine and the first few flights that will help the maidens of the Sundowners. Stay tuned!

[RobertV]

	Quote: Originally Posted by Mike S.
	I put the first flight on one that a friend of mine in VA bought, it was the one that Dick Pettit flew for R/C REPORT. it had a evolution 26, bisson muffler, and APC 15/10. On the stalker radar gun we were getting speeds of 105-108, The plane was super smooth and very comfortable to fly, but the muffler--though quiet--was very restrictive.

Hey guys, here's a little interesting update on this particular plane. I was at a fly-in in Greenville, NC this past weekend and they had it there. Mike S. was telling me about how it seemed that the muffler was acting like a governor and not letting the engine unload, even in a dive. Well, I mentioned that they should try one of my new 15x8 Vess Sport Props to see if there was any difference. Well, the plane looked fast and the engine sounded like it "liked" this prop (nice RPM, good acceleration out of turns, etc.). They once again had Mike's radar gun on it and said that they were now consistently getting 115 mph. I'm not totally sure of the validity of these speed measurements but the plane looked fast and "racey" to me. I could easily envision it on the USRA course, even with the Evolution 26 that was in it!

BTW - they bought two of the 15x8's on the spot (shameless plug!).

Hopefully, Mike Saleeby will chime in here with his official observations, since he's the pilot.

[Mike S.]

The only question as far as the radar gun being accurate is trying to clock the plane in straight and level flight rather than in a slight dive. The gun I use is a STALKER that has been used at IMPBA (International Model Power Boat Association) record trial events in conjuction with timing lights set up on a surveyed course. The gun is typically within 1mph of the speeds recorded through the lights and the gun would be lower rather higher. The gun has also been used with two other stalkers at a Southern Drag Boat Event locally and all three guns read within 3/10 MPH of each other. That being said the gun is nothing more than a tool for comparison testing. No matter if it reads high or low its more important that it is consistent ---which it is--- so that changes can be monitored.
OK ---now to the prop. We replaced the APC 15-10 with a VESS 15-8 (remember we are flying the 26, not the 35) and the first thing we noticed was that the motor was not loading thru hard banks as bad and sounded much happier. And yes we saw a definite increase in straight line speed and just for the heck of it pulled the plane in a long vertical climb and that was much improved. Several runs were made at the gun and the 115 reading was consistent. One pass was at 121 but that was thrown out because it was in a slight dive. We aren't racing the plane in any events but just trying to wring what we can out of what we have and passing the info along.

[MartinT]

Robert,

What do you have in a 16" prop that I can try on the 35?

Martin

[RobertV]

	Quote: Originally Posted by MartinT
	Robert,What do you have in a 16" prop that I can try on the 35?Martin

Martin, I'd say you want to try the 16x8 (highest pitch I have in that diameter). Just order it from East RC at www.eastrc.org.

I'd like to hear what it does for you, if anything!

[RCER123]

I saw a video of this planes maiden! Awesome looking thing and sounds well too!!

[Flatlandman]

I know MM didnt want this kind of thing to happen but i was building this for a friend and i had to talk him out of an 80cc motor for more than a couple days.

[RCER123]

	Quote: Originally Posted by Flatlandman
	I know MM didnt want this kind of thing to happen but i was building this for a friend and i had to talk him out of an 80cc motor for more than a couple days.

Thats a beaut!!

[Leseirf]

What's the weight?

Mike