3D Hobby Shop 85" Katana - Assembly Thread

[TheTank]

If the quality is anything like the 55" Extra SHP I have from 3D Hobby, this Katana is sure to be a winner!!! I have an absolute blast flying the 55" electric, flys exactly like a larger gasser!

[sukhoi26mx]

Last post for tonight... Included hardware packs. Fuel tank and clunk (we're changing out to Tygon on the line - not shown in that photo), dual phenolic control horns, balllinks, and all the hardware to install are included. Also includes plywood drill templates, and two throttle/choke servo boxes.

Scott

[3DHobbyShop]

"Love it, when can we expect it and how much??
Edit: Looked at your website, need to think before typing. Good price."

Yep, info is there, doesn't hurt to put it here, too:

$549 + shipping
Airframes are in-stock
We're finishing up documentation, ought to be done by thursday or so.


"If the quality is anything like the 55" Extra SHP I have from 3D Hobby, this Katana is sure to be a winner!!! I have an absolute blast flying the 55" electric, flys exactly like a larger gasser!"

Thanks, Tank! You'll notice a lot of common features between the 55" Extra SHP and the 85" Kat. (BTW, email me about the new 55" Yak - feel like another review?)

[madmax]

Excellent thread!!! Keep it coming dude!

[sukhoi26mx]

Back at it... unpacked wings top and bottom

Scott

[always flying]

Great Thread!...I really like the scheme it'll show well in the sky!! Plus Something differant for once! Really cool!

mannyh

[sukhoi26mx]

First step... hinging the elevators. We include giant scale pin-point hinges with the kit and recommend either Epoxy or Sumo glue. I prefer Sumo. Verify the hinge seats fully, Vaseline the hinge, wet the hole with a wet Q-tip, insert glue, insert hinge, and voila.

Scott

[sukhoi26mx]

More hinging photos...

Thanks for the Kudos fellas! The scheme is all Ben Fisher (owner of 3D Hobby Shop). I agree that it looks great!

Scott

[sukhoi26mx]

You need to taper the nozzle of the Sumo tip to get it to fit, but I find that I really prefer this technique over mixing and drizzling Epoxy into each hinge pocket. The downside of foaming glues (Sumo, and Gorilla - but Gorilla in particular) is that clean up can be a pain. Sumo tends to foam pretty fast, and foams a lot less than Gorilla glue. Cleanup is all with denatured alchohol, and should be done several times in the first hour. Generally speaking, Sumo is done foaming after the first hour.

We know that many new models arrive completely hinged from the factory. This is something we're looking into, but to be honest, is a step that I (personally) almost prefer to do myself to ensure it is done right. Time will tell if we decide to have the factory do this at some point down the road.

Finally, before you tape up the surfaces, be sure to fully flex the hinge point to ensure they're aligned and functional before the adhesive sets. Once started, I generally hinge all of the surfaces in a kind of assembly line process, hinging, cleaning, etc... until its all done. Usually takes about 2-3 hours total. Sumo dries much more quickly than Gorilla, so I find the surfaces to be handleable after around 2-3 hours.

Scott

[sukhoi26mx]

On to the phenolic control arms. We consider this to be the ideal arm setup. The arms we use are a three-piece unit (four on the rudder) that fully slot into the surface. I prefer Sumo for this step as well, but Epoxy would be another good option. I use a hot soldering tip to remove the covering, and a felt tipped marker to mark. The iron eliminate the possiblity of scoring the underlying structure, and makes for a really quick and clean cut.

Scott

[sukhoi26mx]

More control arm photos...

Scott

[sukhoi26mx]

I use the same technique of wetting the arm pockets with a wet Q-tip before adding Sumo glue. Also, I align and tack the three control arm piece with medium CA before inserting into the surface to ensure perfect alignment.

Scott

[sukhoi26mx]

The rudder hinge is a little bit different in that you alignment is a little more critical. Rather than preglue the control arm pieces together, I simply insert each into the slot with adhesive, line them up, then tack with CA. Obviously, there are flat tie plates on both sides of the rudder so there are four parts to the rudder hinge instead of three.

Scott

[sukhoi26mx]

more rudder arm photos...

Scott

[Radioactive]

Scott Smoking Sweet!!!!!!!! Man , this baby looks awesome... can't wait to get one of these babes in the hanger. You folks are doing a fantastic job!These super light airframes, are going to be the Cat's Meow on Electric for us!
Kudos to 3DHobbyShop, and regards to Ben.