Freshly acquired plane that I can't identify. Lookin' for tips/pointers!
- Thread starter JennyC6
- Start date
OliverW
Legendary member
I think a aerostar 40
Picked it up at my LHS for 40 bucks. OS 40FP in the nose, and I got it running again within 2 hours of getting home with it. Strong runner, too, she'll fly fine once I get a modern receiver and receiver pack shoved in there!
Anyone know what model this thing actually is?
Seems to be the consensus everywhere I have asked. RCU, Glow Nation on FB, here. Scuttlebutt is they fly great too, so really, all I need is an RX and a flight pack to fly this thing.
It had these in it when I got it. No doubt the Rx still works but its AM75. And enormous. And so old it has really wierd servo ports, three exposed pins with an indexing gap on the servos. Servos themselves are much newer and it has four adapter cables to make them work as well. That flight pack...4s 600mAh Nickel Cadmium! For scale, two alkaline D cells.
This one got built with minimal, if any, dihedral. Bit of a contrast from my NexSTAR which has so much dihedral you can turn it like a 3-channel if you want! Should make it a bit more of an aerobat haha.
Can I still get plans for this thing, in the off chance I stuff it and need to make repairs? Hopefully it doesn't ever need them...and I get the feeling it's been on this earth longer than I have with minimal evidence of crash repairs...but one never knows.
Also, CG location? PO had about a pound of nails in the nose to balance it out...
Andrew
G'day Mate
CG location is 3 inches from leading edge with a EMPTY fuel tank, I have 5 cell AA NiMH under the fuel tank as far forward as possible, and still it needed two large blocks of lead up front to balance it out right (used empty match box to cast two lead blocks). If you looked hard enough on the Web I'm sure you'll find I copy of the plans somewhere. I've still go mine but I have no way of scanning them for you. If you got more questions I'm more than happy to help.
EDIT, Second attachment shows lead blocks up front.
EDIT, Second attachment shows lead blocks up front.
Piotrsko
Master member
Seems to be the consensus everywhere I have asked. RCU, Glow Nation on FB, here. Scuttlebutt is they fly great too, so really, all I need is an RX and a flight pack to fly this thing.
It had these in it when I got it. No doubt the Rx still works but its AM75. And enormous. And so old it has really wierd servo ports, three exposed pins with an indexing gap on the servos. Servos themselves are much newer and it has four adapter cables to make them work as well. That flight pack...4s 600mAh Nickel Cadmium! For scale, two alkaline D cells.
You gonna keep that receiver?
Bricks
Master member
Buy the looks of the servo ends they look to be Futaba servos you may have to take a knife and cut off the tab and check for where the signal power and ground wires are in the plug as Futaba did it differently them most other radios systems by the picture they look correct..
L Edge
Master member
Points to remember:
When you set the high end of the carb and are satisfyied, back off about 2-3 clicks for this reason. As your fuel level goes down, it has to draw harder due to a head pressure, so if you turned it in too much with a full tank, it will lean out and start losing power and overheat!! Too long, and you will have to replace the engine or parts if you can find them.
Second point- Pay attention to the humidity- you will have to adjust the carb if the air has more moisture in it.
When the plane is flying full open, if you see the exhaust plume, your mix is good.
I have 2 Super Tigre 60"s made in 1976 that run like a top that I still use today because it has always been kept on the rich side.
When you set the high end of the carb and are satisfyied, back off about 2-3 clicks for this reason. As your fuel level goes down, it has to draw harder due to a head pressure, so if you turned it in too much with a full tank, it will lean out and start losing power and overheat!! Too long, and you will have to replace the engine or parts if you can find them.
Second point- Pay attention to the humidity- you will have to adjust the carb if the air has more moisture in it.
When the plane is flying full open, if you see the exhaust plume, your mix is good.
I have 2 Super Tigre 60"s made in 1976 that run like a top that I still use today because it has always been kept on the rich side.
I had planned on putting it on my collectibles shelf since its so old and obsolete as to be useless as anything more than a history piece. That Rx pack, too, never in a million years would I consider a 4s600 NiCD pack when a 2s2200LiFe weighs less and works orders of magnitude better.
Yeah I fumigated my mailbox from across the street with it. I always run my engines fat, have done since I first got into nitro in 2003. The only engines I have that dont smoke are my Cox engines, and that's mostly because they use pure castor and castor doesnt generally burn. They make a hell of a mess, though!
With this engine I'm nearly a quarter turn rich of peak. Sound didnt change, but it smokes like its coal fired. Perfect transition too. Very broad needle on this one. Feeding it 15% Omega with a 50/50 castor/syn oil blend in it, same fuel my 46AX gets.
Way I see it, if it ain't smokin' blue or drippin' schmoo, its too lean!
Servos installed in the plane have modern connectors. The PO had to get adapter cables to use them with this ancient receiver; its these cables you see plugged into it currently.
