JC's Planes and Projects
Great Planes EZ Sport 40
This was my second R/C airplane and I built it up from the kit. The kit is built like a brick out-house, but uses the older style of construction. In other words, it does not use the latest techniques of laser cutting or tab-and-lock construction. Never the less, it built up fairly quickly. The plane originally had a Thunder Tiger .46 Pro engine that gave me problems - probably more my fault due to the use of a "cold" glow plug. I have since learned that the TT Pro engines like a hotter glow plug such as the OS #8. I the TT Pro back and bought an OS .46 FX that I have been using happily ever since. ACE hobby replaced the TT Pro and it is happily powering my brother's kit-built Sig Kadet! The EZ is a great second plane and has been bulletproof as far as maintenance. Nothing ever goes wrong with it and it has just finished it's second season. I was able to test fly it myself after mastering my Kadet. Even though I have graduated to unlimited aerobatic airplanes, I am keeping the EZ in my stable for fun-flys and for starting the season off with "rusty thumbs."
Builder Notes: This plane has been designed to fit Great Planes fuel tank and not the Dubro or Sullivan tanks that I prefer. I ended up using the GP tank and it has worked OK so far. However, the GP tanks have been splitting and GP is recalling them. Contact GP for details. With a ball-bearing .46 engine the kit will come out nose heavy. I would recommend moving the engine as far back as practical on the engine mounts to avoid lead in the tail. You could also move the battery back to just in front of the servo mounts. Both of these suggestions should get the balance very close. I built exactly per plan, and had to put a one-inch strip of lead in the tail.
10/23/00 - I took the EZ out yesterday and actually managed my first "flat" spin! This stunned me because the plane is sometimes too honest to even do a spin. I took her way up and did a snap-roll entry into a spin. I reversed aileron and she actually flattened out - I stood there with my jaw on the ground! Well, when I started getting close to the ground I neutralized the sticks and watched stunned as she continued to do two more rotations. The plane will recover from a regular spin almost immediately, so I was a little...surprised. I spent the next three flights doing flat spins. Just when you think that you have mastered an airplane you find a new way to enjoy it!
Wingspan: 60 inches
Length: 50 inches
Weight: 6.15 lbs.
Engine: OS .46 FX with APC 11x6 prop
Radio: Futaba T6XA, with Futaba 7 channel RX.
Goodies: All Monokote covering and trim - except for tail and fuselage decal. Futaba RX w/Tower Hobbies standard servos, Williams's brothers jet pilot bust, 2.75" Dubro light treaded wheels and spinner. The canopy was attached with Pacer RC56 canopy glue and it has worked great! The cockpit framing was done with 1/4" vinyl pinstriping and it has not lifted or peeled at all.
Lessons learned: This kit has an optional trim package consisting of fuselage, tail, and wing decals. I absolutely could not get the wing decal on without large bubbles. I stripped it off with UN-DU and just used the fuselage and tail decals. I am not a fan of decals at all. If I had to do it all over again I would do all the trim in Monokote.
Performance: Great! Lands like a feather and is capable of all loop and roll maneuvers. The only limitation is lack of rudder and a heck of a lot of roll coupling from it. You could fly this plane without ailerons - the rudder would suffice! Plane is larger and heavier than typical 40-sized airplane and I like that. Go with a .46 to make up for the extra size and weight. If you will be flying off of grass, "up-size" the wheels to 2.75" for less rolling resistance.
To-Do's: Landing gear mounting screws are a getting loose. I need to put some small hardwood blocks in the fuse to give the screws a little more to bite into.
First Flight: Summer 1999
