kerwin50

Your too lean on your lower end

rowdyjoe

My Feedback: (9)

It doesn't matter where the low end needle is. It won't idle properly. Thanks for the suggestion though.

RJ

AA5BY

Making some progress on the Spacewalker II build.

AA5BY

So far this ARF has been a good build with a couple of small exceptions.

Instructions call for the axle bolt to hold the wheel pants on. I don't trust such an arrangement to keep the pants from rotating so one small hole was added in the gear strut for a 6-32 screw and blind nut in the plywood. I opted to try a nylon screw as a shear device to hold the wheel pant from rotating but fail under a strong rotation force.

There was also no plywood area to install the fuel dot though not a big deal to add a small ply doubler inside.

The firewall also needs some additional support but will have to wait until after receiving the pitts muffler and checking to see if it clears the bottom of the firewall. It could necessitate coffering the lower corner of the firewall.

Tail feathers will also have to wait until after the muffler comes because of the firewall question as I choose to have tail feathers the last phase of construction.

The supplied fuel tank is too large for a gas engine and the stopper is questionably suitable for gas and I don't use three line systems on gas but either a 10 or 12 oz Du Bro tank fits the location well but because it doesn't have a neck to insert into the supplied pocket will need some front support. Again, that support will have to wait until after the firewall question is answered. Initially I hoped to install the tank on the CG over the wing tube, but having forward and rear wing bolts requires keeping the area clear enough to get ones hand to the bolts.

rowdyjoe

My Feedback: (9)

Good idea on the wheel pants. I may follow your example and do that one too.

About the fuel tank. I plan to build a support for the rear of the tank using strips of ply (or tongue depressors) epoxied to the bulkhead just behind the tank compartment in front of the wing tube. However, that plan may be scraped due to the location of the wing bolts.
Also, I'll have to be careful that Iget the support in the right spot so the cockpit will fit properly over the fuel tank.
I don't like the idea of the rubber band holding the tank forward so, I'll probably go with velcro.

In the meantime I'm working on my Yak.

RJ

AA5BY

Have had the grandkids here quite a bit so not a lot of progress. I did get all hinge slots prepared for the nylon pin hinges. I do that with a multi tool and then dremel tool to radius for the pins. What used to be a burden is now easy.

If it had gotten about five degrees warmer, I'd gone flying again today. Yesterday was a great flying afternoon.

After preparing the hinge slots, I can testify that the TE stock of the stabs are hard balsa.

Very good on progress on the Yak. Had plans to fly mine today if I'd gone and will tomorrow if weather suitable. Tues and Thurs are regular flying afternoons for the retired crowd locally.

BlackPhantomDragon

Just a thought on your tank. I was going to buy a SW but ended up with a PT19. I looked at the SW a lot though and I was going to make a bracket for the tank to sit on and then make it so it could so to speak clip in to position. This way the wing bolts can be accessed easily and then just clip the tank down. U could do it the same way as a canopy is held on. Use a dowel or something at the front and a canopy latch to lock it in at the back. The other option would be using Velcro to hold the tank in and then U undo the Velcro you can lift the tank up to get your hand in underneath. Just glue a raised bit of wood on the floor so can threat a Velcro through. Sit your tank on some padding do the Velcro up and locked in. Undo Velcro lift tank and get to screws. The PT is different so don't have this prob now.

AA5BY

That is a good idea about a tank mount that will lift out of place enough to get to the wing bolts. There is of course plenty of space forward for the tank that doesn't interfere with getting at the bolts, but with a gasser it is nice when one can move the tank aft over the CG as often doing so frees up forward area to mount ignition unit or battery for ignition.

I will probably mount the ignition in the rear cowled area beneath and aft of the fire wall however and the tank in its normal area just behind the firewall.

I've one aftermarket Rcxl ignition for the Zenoah engines on hand and will use it if no nose weight is needed as it requires only a 900-1100 mah battery whereas the Zenoah ignition requires 2300 mah. If using the Zenoah ignition, it needs to be where it will get cooling air.

The plug n play Rcxl ignitions are the better way to go with the Zenoah engines and aren't overly expensive. With them one can fly all afternoon on a 1100 mah pack.

stangevil29

My Feedback: (1)

Making the place for the gas tank is exactly what I did on mine. I just glued in a piece of plywood vertically at the front of interior fuselage area. On the end I put a 1" brass hinge that was then attached to another piece of ply just wide enough for the tank to sit on. I made it long enough that the back end barely went over the servo tray. I just lifted it to get easy access to the wing bolts. I sold the plane to a club member but, he has it at the club often. If I remember I will take some pics of it next time I see it out there.

AA5BY

Other than a little work skinning the covering off the stabs where they glue, a halting point exist until the muffler arrives in a week or so. As usual, the tail section gets the tail end of the build.

Seagull once again has done a good job, if it flies as good as it builds, it'll be fine.

Bund34

Hi. Spacewalker plan drawing, in any format? Thanks for help. email: [email protected]

Tailspin

Bund34,

There are plans for sale on eBay for several different sizes of Spacewalkers.

Steve

Bund34

  Tailspin.  Thank you very much!

AA5BY

My build is waiting on a muffler, but I was messing with a couple of odds n ends that haven't been done yet. I'm using a Zenoah G-26 with a side carb and noted that if the dummy engine heads and manifolds are positioned lower than they ought to be for an opposed engine on the engine center line, the black velocity stack will be disguised by the black dummy engine and the dummy engine will cover all of the carb cut out in the cowl except the velocity stack. Doing so would greatly reduce the visual of the carb cut out but I'm trying to imagine the dummy engine heads and exhaust stacks not being where they would normally be on the cowl. Roughly it looks like the heads would be about 1.5" below the engine center line.

Has any one else repositioned the dummy engine heads and if so did you have any second guessing about the appearance of doing so?

AA5BY

Lowering the dummy engine to cover the carb cut out worked out well. The black velocity stack is disguised quite well by the dummy engine and stands proud only about 1/4".

georgee

Hey Folks,

I"m also flirting with the idea of buying this beauty.Am I right,that this is the same modell as the Black Horse SwII.According the specifications it is the same.

Thx,

AA5BY

I maidened the Seagull Spacewalker yesterday and to my great surprise it wasn't docile.

But.... it wasn't my Spacewalker. And... it wasn't the 1.20 size.

Another flyer at the field had completed his .40 size Seagull Spacewalker and needed it trimmed.

Wow.... this thing was far from docile as I'd expected... and I'd checked the throws to confirm they were the recommended.

And... we flew without the cowl and it felt slightly tail heavy.

And... we had a fairly stiff cross wind.

But... fortunately the plane was in very close trim and only needed a couple of clicks of trim.

And... we got it down safely.

It was hard to believe the plane was that sensitive with the recommended throws. The images I'd collected of a docile flyer were dashed.

Then... back on the ground as the owner prepared to reduce his throws, I looked over his shoulder and see a minus sign in front of the expo on the Spectrum transmitter.... he had used 40% expo on all controls and done so reversed.

Reversing the numbers and adding an ounce of nose weight produced a much better flying plane for the second flight.

AA5BY

Muffler came yesterday so progress resumes. It fits fine with no firewall mods needed. It is heavy with the snufflers (8 oz heavier than the Zenoah muffler) but my hope is the trade in noise reduction is worth the weight trade and the larger wing area of this plane will handle it without problem.

rowdyjoe

My Feedback: (9)

I took the carb off my engine a couple of days ago and looked for any faults. Ialso cleaned it with a good contact cleaner. It was clean but, I sprayed it down anyway. No junk/gunk build up ...all looked OK. However, during reassembly Istripped the threads in one of the holes holding the diaphram plate on. Now I have to find a tap to fit and a new screw. These little set-backs really tick me off. I'll let it set a while until I get over my "mad" and then fix the dang thing.

The tips on locating and securing the fuel tank are helpful. Thanks.

RJ

AA5BY

RJ... sorry to hear about the continued problems with the gas engine for the SW.

I've resumed work on mine now that the muffler has arrived. Not sure what I was thinking when ordering the snufflers as they make the pitts muffler a whopping 13 oz. Didn't realize it would be so heavy. The stock Zenoah muffler is considered heavy at five oz and is 8oz lighter than the pitts with the snufflers. So, at this point it will boil down to plane balance... only if the plane needs the nose weight will it be used.

At any rate, now knowing that no cutting of the firewall is needed, progress can resume. I've yet to beef the firewall and gear strut supports and that is on the agenda for today. The firewall I think just needs two strips of tri stock and maybe some screws. The gear blocking looks however to need a good bit of effort and I might take some pics and show what I do with that.

Otherwise most of what is left to do is mount the stabs, which have been prepped for install.

AA5BY

First task this morning was a preliminary balance to confirm what will be done muffler wise. With the Jtek pitts muffler with snufflers, it is way nose heavy so that decision is decided... that muffler will not be used. No problem on the muffler cut out, as the cowl needed that air flow exit anyway.

Could have saved the long wait and expense of the muffler had a preliminary check been done earlier, oh well. A project down the road can probably use the muffler.

I'm back to two muffler choices now, the stock Zenoah steel muffler at 5 oz or I've had a side discharge aluminum muffler that is only 3 oz. Both will protrude from the port side of cowl.

JNorton

My Feedback: (2)

Just curious as to your decision. I know I hate to add weight to a model but the SW should easily take the additonal weight of the snuffler muffler. Just for giggles figure out what it will weight needs to be, then calculate the wing loading. I'll bet it is still less than 24 oz / ft. which would still be a great flyer.
John

rowdyjoe

My Feedback: (9)

Sorry to hear about your muffler issue. Between my carb and your muffler neither one of us is making steady progress. However, yours will most likely fly before mine does.
I have repairs to do to my MX2 ...again ...and I'm going to focus on finishing the Yak.

RJ

AA5BY

My test balance was with flight batteries under the receiver just aft of the CG point. Ignition unit was in place under fuel tank and ignition battery was not installed yet but was planned to go beside the fuel tank, which is of course ahead of the CG.

I had to scoot the plane back at least two inches on the balancer. From experience, that is a pretty gross out of balance situation. I don't think moving the flight batteries behind the servos would have balanced it given they are slightly behind CG now. That means that tail weight would have been needed.

Given that the muffler is 10 oz heavier than my other option and very possibly 2 oz would be needed in tail... were talking likely at least 12 oz difference.

I haven't weighed the plane yet, but its published weight is 11lbs and 1086 sq in and I assume that is with a glow engine. Likely the best case with the G-26 is an additional 12 oz so my plane weight will likely be 11.75 lbs. or 25 oz/sq ft of loading. If adding 12 oz it goes to 26.5 oz/sq ft or an additional 1.5 oz/sq ft of loading.... not huge but significant.

rowdyjoe

My Feedback: (9)

I had to add 8 oz. under the horizontal to get mine to balance at the factory CG. My engine, muffler, etc. is box stock so, the gas engines add quite a bit of forward weight. Wish I could give you flight data to confirm this location.
I haven't calculated the all up weight. With that big wing, I'm not too concerned about it. The tale will be told when Ifly it.

RJ