RC Guys 50cc Decathlon...

[motomoron]

	Quote: Originally Posted by Trumpetman
	I know this thread is about the RC Guys Super Decathlon but does anybody out there have one of the kit built Dynaflite Super Decathlons. It has about an 89" wingspan. One of the LHS's has one of these kits and I have a spare DA50 that needs a home....

...I've got one built and all wrapped up in Sig Koverall with quarts of Randolph dope ready to be sprayed on. I'll respectfully offer that it's a Dynaflite/Great Planes kit, subsequently it is all pretty stone-age from an engineering standpoint, the wood is just abysmal, the parts fit is sub-par, and it weighs a freakin' ton.

I started building model airplanes in the mid/late 60's, so the construction was all very familiar, like building an enormous Sterling Ringmaster (the deluxe one with the *full* fuselage). I'm using a Zenoah G38 w/ and electronic ignition conversion, and I popped for a fiberglass cowl and wheel pants. It's a pretty plane all assembled, but if I paid myself minimum wage I'd be way ahead if I'd just bought the R/C Guys ARF instead.

I'm looking forward to having it done, and I expect it'll fly reasonably well, but my priorities have changed in the 2 years it's been on the table on and off while I built numerous other planes, and I suspect that the space I have in the shop for one 8' plane would better be occupied by a 50cc Yak or somesuch.

Unless you need to spend evenings carving balsa wingtips the size of your forearm 'cause you need the quiet time, I probably wouldn't bother.

[fonzegator]

i had one with a G38 in it.. nose heavy but great flier!!!...i now have the hacker models XXL super bellanca (3mWS) with a 3W 85CS!... great quality and parts... i like the RC GUys Decat too but they dont ship to Singapore... so i got the hacker one locally.... LOVE DECATHLONS!.. superb lookin plane!

[gotsky]

I would just like to state that I have been flying one of these for almost a year now. On and off. The earlier reports of it flying like a turd or worse are totally false!!! If the plane is set up properly they fly superbly. Knife Edge, rolling circles. Knife Edge loops, Inverted, What ever you want (no 3d) This arf will do it with ease and scale lines.. No it is not a QQ with 2 to 1 power ratio you must fly this plane as if it were a true scale aircraft. If someone is claiming that theirs or better yet they know someone who flys one and it flys like then they have it set up wrong or they were given bad info.
I use a Moki 2.10 in mine balanced on the trailing edge of the wing tube. It will float like a feather on landing and climb out vertical on take off... Nothing like going straight up into a tail over with smoke on the get the guys oohhhing and ahhhhing.
Just my 2cents

[68mustang]

I have one with a Brison 2.4 and it is a great flyer. Having flown the full scale Decath. I can tell you that this one is very similar in many ways. It is a real floater and has no bad characteristics.

[Charley38]

First off, it's not a 50cc airplane. It's for 23 - 40cc and has a WS of 98". Too many guys want to overpower it and then bitch. There's a long thread about it on RCU. It's not for 3D, it's a scale aerobat. Has been converted to electric, too. There's a thread about that, too.

I have one; beautiful ARF, great workmanship, haven't started putting it together yet, still getting all the gear together and finishing an Extra 300. Mine will be powered by a G38 EI if CH ever sends my conversion kit.

CR

[Charley38]

	Quote: Originally Posted by motomoron
	...I've got one built and all wrapped up in Sig Koverall with quarts of Randolph dope ready to be sprayed on. I'll respectfully offer that it's a Dynaflite/Great Planes kit, subsequently it is all pretty stone-age from an engineering standpoint, the wood is just abysmal, the parts fit is sub-par, and it weighs a freakin' ton.

Well, all I can say is that the "in the bones" pics show some pretty darned nice workmanship. Goodonya!!

CR

[Extra nuts]

	Quote: Originally Posted by Charley38
	First off, it's not a 50cc airplane. It's for 23 - 40cc and has a WS of 98". Too many guys want to overpower it and then bitch. There's a long thread about it on RCU. It's not for 3D, it's a scale aerobat. Has been converted to electric, too. There's a thread about that, too. I have one; beautiful ARF, great workmanship, haven't started putting it together yet, still getting all the gear together and finishing an Extra 300. Mine will be powered by a G38 EI if CH ever sends my conversion kit. CR

I have one with a BME 50 in it, which i might add is lighter then a G-38. Fly's awesome. No issuses. I can fly i at 1/2 throttle all day long and get longer flight times with less rpm than a G-38, but pull a bigger prop and end up with the same thrust as a G-38, AT half throttle. And its lighter!!!. And Mine hovers just fine, i use faster servo's on the elev and rudder and that made a big difference.. Any lightweight weight 50cc engine should not be a problem for this plane. This plane is also very predictable to fly. Like any plane if you dont get the balance close it will fly like crap but thats fair to say about all planes. I give it two thumbs up.

[motomoron]

Thanks, Charley. The upside of breathing balsa dust, glue and dope fumes since the Nixon administration is that you get better at sticking them together. If you fly sometimes you get better at not re-kitting them.

I've got the Super-D sanded, covered, 2 coats of nitrate dope, sanded, filled w/ nitrate+baby powder, sanded, sprayed with Rand-O-Fill silver, sanded, and shot with insignia white for a base coat. It looks pretty nice. Now I need to mask all the sunbursts and stars on the wings and tail and the top of the fuselage. Once the yellow is on, then the seperating lines between all the white and yellow gets shot. Then it gets scuffed with an extra fine scotchbrite and shot with a couple coats of clear...

After that it's just like putting an ARF together. Just throw the tank, plumbing, batteries, receiver and servos into the big hole and shake.

[Charley38]

Well Nuts,

If you want to fly a scale aerobat in a non-scale fashion that's up to you. I'd rather fly it in a scale fashion. Besides, I had the NIB G38 (picked up for a song on Ebay) on the shelf. I've a CH ignition coming (finally) and am looking forward to tinkering with that. Not sure what the G38 will weigh without the heavy flywheel and coil but it will interesting to find out.

We all enjoy the hobby in our own way.

CR

[motomoron]

I bought my G38 used from BME engines, already converted. I'll weigh it tonight, but for sure, the prop driver extension/ignition module/battery/switch are lighter than the miniature manhole cover they replace.

If the RC Guys ARF Super-D was available when I decided I wanted a big Super-D, I'd have bought it rather than wading in to another Great Planes deathmarch.

[dubd]

A local guy has one with a DA-50 on it. Flies like a champ.

[Extra nuts]

	Quote: Originally Posted by Charley38
	Well Nuts, If you want to fly a scale aerobat in a non-scale fashion that's up to you. I'd rather fly it in a scale fashion. Besides, I had the NIB G38 (picked up for a song on Ebay) on the shelf. I've a CH ignition coming (finally) and am looking forward to tinkering with that. Not sure what the G38 will weigh without the heavy flywheel and coil but it will interesting to find out. We all enjoy the hobby in our own way. CR

Oh it flys in scale fashion. I just throttle it down(see throttle managment 101) and it flys perfectly scale. And gets better gas mileage. It has the best of both worlds really. Its twice as nice. I think my longer prop is alot closer to scale than shorter props on smaller engines also. This plane has to rate at 5 stars in the fun catagory any way you look at it. that CH upgrade will definatly lighten it some.

[whirlyspud]

I'm thinking of trying this one with a spare da50 I have lying around. I had a .40 size midwest decathalon years ago. Everyone that I knew that had one said it was the worst squirrel they had ever flown. They all had 40's. I put a os 60 fsr in mine and it flew great.

Mike

[RCCola]

Just my 2 cents... I am currently making plans to purchase and do a build with the RC Guys Super Decathlon and a DL 50. The weight of the DL 50 including the ignition and muffler is 3.46 lbs and with a street price of $380.00... it's a no brainer. A G 38 weighs 4.4 lbs and puts out only half the horsepower as the dl 50. I spoke to the folks at RC Guys and they said that several people are flying the Super D with a 50cc motor, it is wise to use proper throttle management though. They also offer tips on there website to make flying wires on the tail if using a 50cc motor. Just my thoughts....

Happy Flying

[N726AC]

Real one has flying wires on the tail.