Ultimate 120 practice hack build thread

[XTREME_FLIGHT]

Hello guys
This is my first build thread so go easy on me Anyway i need to replace my nitro hack as it has served me well but so sick of buy expensive fuel. I have my extreme flight 88" Yak-54 with a DL-50 but feel that i have more fun with something that i wouldn't kill myself if i planted it
So the criteria is that:
1. It needs to be small enough to fit in a sedan (on LPG) so i don't have to hook up a trailer all the time
2. Has to run on petrol (gas for the yanks)
3. Cheap means more fun
So with that i went searching on the net and settled on a SPE-26cc engine and turned to Evilbay for the airframe.
Now this is the reason why im doing this build tread because i couldnt find any info on these airframes except that it looks like what nitro hobbies in the US sell and they are made in china probably by a 12 year old girl working for one dollar a day. I have bought a plane of Evilbay before and what a POS it was but i was hopeful that this one was OK
So lets look at what the guy in the white van brought me today
Well im amazed the quality is really good i was expecting worse, covering great no winkles and looks like its built very well id say as good as any name brand stuff.
Hardware is ok i guess but im just a little fussy i like socket head screws and bolts but phillips are provided.
The manual looks good no chinglish here but its not for this plane as you can see from the difference in the internal layout but if you have built a few ARF's this shouldn't be an issue (lets hope the CG is correct)
now on with the build
Cheers
Darren
And no the cat didn't come with it

[Gil]

Great thread, exactly what I have been contemplating. I too bought a kit from these guys and it was pretty good (small nitro).

Keep it going, can't wait for the flight report.
Did you consider other motors?
Regards
Gil

[bobrev06x]

sweet thread! i'll be watching this one too. funny how the family pet always thinks the box is theirs.

[XTREME_FLIGHT]

Thanks for the comments guys
I did look at a few motors cheap being the first deciding factor and looked at a few like xyz-26cc , CRRCPRO-26cc , HH 26CC all around $300ish with out looking to hard but the after sales support and spare parts was what sold me on the spe
Well slowly working on it tonight a few interruptions with dinner and the kids so heres were im at.
First i wanted to put the gear on so it had something to sit on and heres were the first little issue was the holes didnt line up to well so out came the dremel and fixed that.
Instaled the rudder servo (just a 645mg) and a throttle servo (425bb) hooked up the pull pull at the servo side (came with the kit).
Then marked out the fire wall with the nice little template that came with the motor and bolted it on looks like i need to make some ply spacers spinner needs to be 155mm from the fire wall currently at 135mm no problem but a job for tomorrow i just don't think the wife and kids would like me firing up the saw tonight.
so all going well BUT aways a BUT the nice pitts muffler that i thought would look good needs the bottom of the fire wall cut out so i could do that and make a little box inside the fuz just enough to clear the muffler (looks like its going to stick out the side too cowl might cover it just!) OR i could just use the standard side dump that came with the motor (ugly) hmm might sleap on that one and move on to the tail
ok let look at what ive been dribbling about
Cheers
Darren
The cats upset now that the box is chucked out

[grossy2]

Looks good. Keep it coming.

Sorry, but good luck with the SPE. Havent seen 1 run OK yet. There CDI's are fragile. Also go off tune in the air. Mite want to put a vent pipe on the carb now.

Cheers
Grossy

[XTREME_FLIGHT]

Hey guys
well i didnt get as much done last night than i wanted to but heres were im up to.
glued the tail on if you have put a simple trainer together this shouldn't cause you any grief.
hinged the flight surfaces with the supplied CA hinges i don't really like CA hinges but not much beef back there to drill out and use point type ones makes sure you drill out a little 3mm hole at each hinge point so the CA has somewhere to wick to.
wasnt to happy about what the tail wheel mounted to so just used some 3mm ply and epoxyed it under the mount for extra strength and the rudder is about 3mm to long anyway so it worked out good.
moving on to the wings were the outer struts mount you get these little alloy lugs that just screw into the pre-marked blocks so screw them in and back out wick in some CA let dry and screw them back in.
now the wing servo hatchs need the little hard wood blocks epoxyed on to mount the servos then i covered them in thin CA so they dont split drilled the holes and mount the servos.
so far all good very happy with the quality

grossy do you mean tapping and putting a nipple on the static air vent on the carb and running some fuel line into the fuz ? or using a velocity stack ? i sure hope i got a good one then

let see some pics
Cheers

[grossy2]

Putting a nipple on the static vent cover, then running it in the Fuz. It setteled down my SPE40. A velocity stack will help fuel smears down your aircraft.
Good luck with it.
If you need anything with it. I deal a bit in Engine stuff. Give me a PM.

Cheers
Grossy

[fastace]

what you should consider doing for your own piece of mind is , go around the inner main bulkhead and other areas with epoxy / micro balloons to make sure there is some glue to the joins. many arf,s do lack glue in critical areas.

[airborneSGT]

I think your cat enjoys being a ham!

[XTREME_FLIGHT]

Still buliding
Yes fastace reinforcing the firewall is on the to do list when i modify it to accommodate the muffler.
will have a update in a few hours
Cheers
airborneSGT Whats a ham?? i think he just enjoys sniffing glue

[XTREME_FLIGHT]

Ok These little things always take more time than you think but with work i don't get much time
Installed the elevator servo in the tail would have like two servos but there's no room for another on the other side so one servo it is.
Modded the firewall to accept the pitts just cut with a cut off wheel then use the part you just cut out flip it over and epoxy it inside perfect don't forget to reinforce the firewall with triangle stock and epoxy
I used a sullivan tank stopper because i dont like the nasty plastic one they supply
You need to cross the rudder cables so that they clear the formers
So slowly moving forward heres some pics
Cheers Darren

[apalsson]

Coming along great Darren !!!

[XTREME_FLIGHT]

Sorry for the delay but here it is ready for the maiden
couple of issues like the plastic wing bolts don't line up with the blind nuts so you need to elongate the holes a little then the supplied bolts are not long enough.
You need to butcher the cowl because of the very shallow nose profile
mounting the wing is a job and a half and is going to be a pain every time you want to fly it unless you have a trailer then you wouldn't need to take it apart .
Over all i am very happy and surprised with the quality of this kit but we will see how it holds up.
Now just need to tweak the needles a little and fly I will post a report of the maiden when it happens.
Cheers
Darren

[azza690]

Great thread. I have got one the same with the crrc26cc in it. I will be finishing mine tonight. butching that cowl. Quality good. I put both batteries under the tank and the cg is spot on. Lets us know when you maiden it. You can be my guinea pig haha. Looking forward to seeing how it flies

[krayzc]

yes yes