RBean

I think my DLE 30 was running hot. After a couple of circuits around the field at full power, it started to sag. Was able to land ok. The engine smelled hot. I blocked in a little more of the intake area and opened up the cooling air outlet. Now about twice as large as inlet. Also opened up both high and low needles 1/8 turn. Now seems to be doing ok. Still working on trim. Less elevator throw. Flys good and lands nice and slow. Three flights today before the cross wind got too strong. I really like this plane. Looks good and flys great.

RBean

I have the 74 degree trunions installed in the retracts and have had several flights since. Engine is running fine and the DLE 30 is more than enough power. I installed a Beilla? 3 blade prop and found a True Turn spinner in the spare parts box. Took a little work getting it installed. The prop is 17-10. Troy Built models website says it will work on a DLE 30, or at least that is how I read it. However, it only turns up 5,500 rpm static. The Master Airscrew 2 blade turns 8,450 rpm static, which is reall too much since the engine is rated a 8,000 rpm. I'm afraid to fly it this way although I suppose it will pick up about 1,000 rpm while airborne. I like the looks of the three blade, but I think I need about a 17-8 three blade but don't know where to get one.

kahloq

You could get a Graupner 16x8 3 blade. They tend to be a bit heavier then MAS props....might load the motor. I think that Troybuilt might have a 17x8 3 blade, just dont remember if its Biela or one of the other brands they carry

w1nd6urfa

My Feedback: (4)

There you go: [link=http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=8216]XR wood 17x8 3-blade[/link]

Light, well-built and balanced, you might want to paint it scale black

Nick

RBean

I though the XR wood props were electric only. Anyway, I tuned the engine with the 17-10 three blade and was getting 6,000 rpm. Took off ok but was too lean. Landed and put about 1/4 turn rich on the high needle. Took off again. Enough power for take off and good speed in level flight but engine bogged down on nose up for a loop. Vertical is very limited compaired with the 18-8 two blade. I've put the two blade back on. Still looking for a 17-8 three blade prop. I'll check out the XR props. The plane looks a lot better with the three blade prop.

RBean

I checked out the XR prop. Says "electric" so am afraid to use it. Don't want a prop coming apart at 7,000 rpm. Only 3 blade 17-8 I have found is Zinger Three Blade. Maybe I'll get one and see how it works. I need to measure and be sure it's metal hub will fit in my 3 blade spinner.

w1nd6urfa

My Feedback: (4)

The "ESM squad" at my field use Biela 3-blades on gassers, I think TroyBuilt stocks them

RBean

Troy Built has 17-10 Beila three blade but no 17-8 three blade or at least not that I can find.

aghost

My Feedback: (13)

Magnum RC has a 3 blade 17 x 8 prop. Its a painted XOAR prop>

RBean

Valley View RC also carries the same Xoar three blade composite props, but they are expensive. They recommend the 18-8 three blade. I ordered one and will see. They think the 17-8 three blade would be too little. Same rpm as the 18-8 two blade. Around 8,400-8,500. The 18-8 should be in the mid to low 7,000s which would put it at no more than 8,000 unloaded.

sparky4lawndart

My Feedback: (10)

I bought the kit from a guy with too many plans... he gave it up for cheap...

I built it and put a DLE 20 in it (there's a thread where people had serious reservations about cutting up the cowl for the DLE30 I have)... It was spinning a Zoar 16X8 but I'm trying out a 16X10 right now...

I swapped out the robart air retracts with eFlite 60 120 size electrics... (I've never had air retracts and didn't want the hassle)... my mistake.. the E-Flight retracts cycle all by themselves... individually up and down while I'm flying... there's a thread but no real specific fix.. I tried the extra battery, a new y cable, etc.. to no avail...

My biggest problem in the last two days was the right wing landing gear mount rolled right out of the wing yesterday... It wasn't a hard strike or anything... the wheel pigeon toed in and nose the plane over at about 10MPH.. it rolled the mount right out of the wing... I glassed the **** our of it last night convinced that it would survive the apocalypse and went flying today and the other mount "rolled" out of the wing... I've just glassed the **** out of that one too now... (BTW.. a bad landing now would only serve to either break the wing in half or push the entire thing through the top of the wing)

I like the DLE... pulls ok I guess.. I don't know the quirks and none of the club guys are "sharing" info with a noob like me. The plane flies very scale... lots of fun to watch doing low passes at speed and bank up into a slow aileron roll... loops look terrible, slow inverted flight is not a FW190 strong suit. Any complaints I have about how well it flies has to be tempered with the fact that I'm a terrible pilot who thinks he knows more than he does...

she lands a lot easier with a head wind... <- very easy
she's faster than similar planes with bigger engines... <- racing zirolli Zero around the patter (Zenoah 65) but he's a much better pilot than I am...

btw.. has anyone pulled the covering off the wing to glass the sheeted wing? I'm tempted to do so and wondered if anyone had any thoughts... I'm good with an air brush for color scheme but the rivets would kill me... Also... anyone have recommendations on better electric retracts.. I bought 90 degree e Flights and they lean out a bit... (yes... i know I'm lazy but I got them on sale at the local hobby store - $100 instead of $150)

w1nd6urfa

My Feedback: (4)

Electric retracts for this size:

1. Lado, US design now built in France [link]http://www.e-retracts.fr[/link], not sure who imports in US

2. Wingspan [link]http://magnumrc.com/electric-retracts-electric-retracts-c-41_7.html[/link]

3. ESM (not very reliable) from TroyBuilt

IMO for 10+ lbs air is still the best alternative

aghost

My Feedback: (13)

Sparky, regarding your comment about rivets - Here' a site that offers rivets in a strip form. I don't do rivets, never have tried these, but just FYI.

http://fritzdezings.com/products-main-decals.html

sparky4lawndart

My Feedback: (10)

here's a video to make you giggle...

[link=http://youtu.be/eAgx2Y2JnCk]e flight retracts on my BH FW 190[/link]

RBean

Sparky, I have a set of 85 degree WingSpan electric retracts in a 15.9 lb CMP Zero. About 50 flights on them off a grass field and so far they are doing good. I'm using 7/16" dia. forked Robart struts and 4" wheels. The retracts are robo strut ready. If I were going to buy new retracts they would be WingSpan. I'm using Spring Air retracts in the 190 because I already had them.

kahloq

I have a set of them and have never had any issues at all. I've got a Spektrum 7 channel 2.4g rx.
Have you tested other retracts(or a servo that would actuate an air valve) with that radio/rx combo? OR...have you tried a different radio and different rx with the e-flite gear to see if they do the same thing? Cuz It looks like its a signal issue on the up-line coming from the radio or the rx processing the signal.

sparky4lawndart

My Feedback: (10)

I'm very happy the E-flite retracts are working for you... but to clear up a point... the retracts exhibit this weirdness in 3 different test environments...

Env #1... the BH FW 190 with Airtronics RDS8000 and a Airtronics 7 channel rcvr...

Env #2... a Tactic 6 channel radio and rcvr that I pulled out of a RTF (replaced with AirTronics rcvr)

Env #3... to satisfy a club member... I used a FM Eclipse 7 radio with a Futaba 8channel on channel 25 and a 4.8v rcvr pack...

The retracts I have are just goofy... I can make them cycle if I slap the wing... I can make them cycle using my dremel 2 feet away... To prove a point, I'd be willing to wreck a y-cable and just cross the signal feed with power (last resort).

kahloq

Not asking you to prove a point, just asked if you' tried other radio's/rx's thats all. Send them set back to Horizon and get them to send you a completely different set.

RBean

I got the 18-8 three blade Xoar prop from Valley View RC. Finally got a decent day. Max static rpm with the DLE 30 was 6,600. Less than I was expecting. But the airplane flew ok. Good take off power, good speed, large loops. Also the prop looks good on the airplane. Only problem is that my landing was less the perfect, not bad, just sort of an arrival on the mains. The right gear mounts torn out. The gear mounts are really weak. Repaired and reinforced. Not much structure there and there was no glue on several joints. I've got a 5mm steel rod connecting the struts to the spring air retracts. It was not bent at all so the impact was not great.

RBean

Well, I flew my 190 again with the 18-8 three blade prop again. Within a few degrees of same temperature as last time. Didn't mess with needles since it did ok last time. But this time the engine started bogging. Didn't have time to get the gear down and had to belly land. Broke my expensive prop. I think the 18-8 Xoar is a little too much prop for the DLE 30 which makes the engine very sensitive to needle settings. Also the prop is too fragile for me. Its made of wood and painted. Maybe I'll try a Zinger 3 blade 17-8. Hopefully this will give me close to 7,500 rpm static. These also have wood blades but they can be replaced.

sparky4lawndart

My Feedback: (10)

I went flying my BH FW 190a Sunday morning at OCMA (www.flyocma.com). I plugged the wing in... filled her up... started her up with a shiny new spinner and a new Xoar 17X6... I waited for a P47 and a P40 went up... I taxied out.. checked flaps... pointed windward... rolled on the throttle to half... transition... gear... it was text book... it was beautiful... I then started chasing the bigger allied planes around... the "Gary's" are pretty great.. they didn't mind me doing my machine gun impersonation while diving on their planes... HAHA!!!! ga ga ga ga gaaaaaa.... The plane was fast... very fast... not squirley... I've got her dialed in..

It was the best flying day I've had in years... first flight was 20 minutes... used about 2/3 tank of fuel... next flight was 15 minutes...

RBean

Congrads on the maiden. Its a great flying plane.

RBean

I have given up on the search for a three blade prop for now. Had an Xoar 18-10 two blade wood prop. Thought I would try it. Static rpm, about 7,000 with the DLE 30. More than plenty of power, also engine does not sound like it is over reving in the air. More speed than the 18-8 and just as much verticle. I got the landing gear adjusted where it comes down without delay. We had one nice day last week and I got in two flights. A club memeber had an ESM P-47 with a DLE 30. I think the FW is faster with more verticle. I'll have to find out next time he has it out.

sparky4lawndart

My Feedback: (10)

Troy Built Models has 3blade props, spinners, and nubs special for DLE30's. I just bought a pre-drilled 3blade prop, and some incedentals for less than $100...

RBean

Sparky, let me know which prop and what static rpm you are getting. I'll wait for you to test it before I spend more money.