GP 27% Cap 232 3D

[red_z06]

Guys:

Great Planes finally wised up after Brick 580 design.

The airframe with included hardware (minus wheel pants) is coming in at 7lb even.
We are looking at 13lb DA50 powered 3D badass.

I am tempted to just bolt on the DA50 but it looks to be a 27% foamy with new BME55.

I can't wait to get her in the air. It comes with robart clone hinge points and all surfaces pre drilled.

This has te be the lightest 27% airframe I've ever felt. Sooooooo Light!!!
I think it will be a sin to mount slimline heavy muffler on this baby.

http://video1.hobbico.com/gallery/gpma1410-deluxe.mpg

[Funflyaddict]

Sweet plane, get some video once you get her up!

One thing though, is it me or does the elevator/horizontal stab seem too low for a cap? I like caps because they have a high elevator/stab line on the fuse, like on my 3dfoamy cap. But maybe im wrong:S....just a thought?

Other than that i like it

[Vic3D]

Prolly made it that way to get rid of coupling issues and/or bad habits.

[red_z06]

I prefer the look of H9 Alitalia Cap 232 better than GP. But, at 2-2.5lb lighter with same wing area? I'll take it even if the stab is mounted on the bottom of fuse.
I pray that it will have no bad habits. It will be a rocket. I've seen one of my friend's PacAero Edge 540 with DA50 at 13.5lb hover at less than 1/4 throttle. It was a big foamy.

I'll keep you posted with a mini build thread.

[Badfish]

stock hardware and os 1.60 up front it came in at 12.1lbs. have not flown it yet waiting for some good weather. N E has been crappy lately. anyone else have the pull- pull wires touching the elev. servos? had to use some drop down hardware on the rudder servo arm for clearance. other than that it went together nicely.

[red_z06]

Praise to GP on bucking the industry trend of posting false projected weight.
They advertize 12.5-14lb dry weight. Most glows are coming in around 12lb and my DA50 powered will be 13.25lb with slimline pitts. If I go DA stock muffler, it will be 13lb even.

There isn't much place to lose weight like other birds. To give an example, if you don't put the switch in designated spot, there is no wood to put the switch on. Instead of seeing lightening holes, it is more like twig built frame. They really really learned from Crap 580 design.

This thing goes together soooooo fast too. There are no holes to drill for robart hinge as they are predrilled for robart clone hinges supplied with the arf.

I can't wait for a break in the weather for maiden.

[red_z06]

I maidened it yesterday

The snow at the field was not plowed so I had to clear 8' x 30' patch for takeoff and landing. The flight was 5min short and never made the 2nd due to possible ignition module failure. In order to take off in 30' and not knowing anything about this plane, I gave full throttle and it did take off and just cleared snow.
More than anything, I wanted to see rock solid harrier with wide range of elevator positon but the plane did rock as much as other planes not known for good harrier.
Rolling harrier was surprizingly smooth. I manage to put in 1 inverted flat but did not experiment much. Hopefully I'll get the ignition module replaced by tomorrow for another flight.
In a new engine with slightly rich idle, it manage to hover below 1/4 throttle but it was difficult to hold from climbing as the stick was near idle and engine rough at idle. 2nd flight will tell more.

The plane came in at 13.25lb. For the purpose of getting DA50 plane under 13lb, slimline pitts will be replaced with stock DA muffler.

If I build one from scratch (no existing hardware or engine), I will go with zdz40re. I don't know if it is smooth running engine or not but that is another debate.

[red_z06]

Here is not so exciting maiden video of the cap.

http://www.flyinggiants.com/gallery/...o=1499&cat=504

[red_z06]

Another few trim flights today!!

I got to trim out for K-E coupling. It required 17% elev on left rudder and 19% elev on right rudder. I got to test tumbles. It seems with good practice you can do end over end tumber without any altitude drop!!! Amazing. I purposely pushed and banged the sticks and did not yet find any deterring bad habits. This has to be the best upright flat spin on any airplanes I've flown including 36% AW Katana, 35% C-A Yak 55sp, and bunch more. As you enter the flat spin, more right aile is applied to flatten the wing and more power applied to pick up the nose. As it stablized it spins about the axis near cg point rather than near wing tip on most other birds. As a result you get blindingly fast spin and it is dead flat. With more experiment in slowing down the decent, it might even be possible to do a flat spin landing. Hover is done with up elev held. It was expected as the vertical cg is well below thrust line due to low wing design and lower stab position. It may require a little upthrust to tame this.

Vertical is..... well.... should I say rocketlike?

I really wish I have the 2.4lb zdz40RE on it try.

[66stang]

Nice Job Red,
I can't believe you flew off of that runway.. Plane look awesome in the air...

[red_z06]

I have a motto "When plane gets done, maiden gets done rain or shine"
I have lost many planes needlessly due to that motto.

[ShortBus]

Benny, Looks like your enjoying it already! Good luck with it!

Jon

[sal98]

Nice flight and video,You flew it very confidently for a maiden. Easy to see you have flown bigger.

[youngflyer]

looks good benny. very attractive plane lol!

[JoeAirPort]

Nice looking bird. It probably needs a longer cord for a better harrier. You did a great take off and I was just waiting wondering how you were going to land it. I have a lot of confidence flying and let me say that I could not have landed that any better. I like your motivation to get out there and maiden in the snow. Next time there is snow in the runway, I'm going out there.