ATIS
09-29-2009, 05:53 PM
PARKZONE BF-109 BNF
BUILD AND REVIEW
http://www.horizonrcflyers.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=10&pictureid=255http://www.horizonrcflyers.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=10&pictureid=259
http://www.horizonrcflyers.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=10&pictureid=252
The PZ BF-109 BNF comes neatly and securely packaged. The interlocking foam cross members keep everything in place during shipping so you shouldnt have any damage upon arrival. (Howerver, one of my elvator halves did come loose in shipping but was indamaged) Its a nice touch compared to just taping the cross members into place and hoping they stayed put. (Note: The cross members have to be pulled STRAIGHT up to remove them after you have removed the tape)
Whats in the Box:
(1) BF-109
(1) Park 15 (720kv) BL motor (installed)
(1) 30 amp BL ESC (installed)
(1) AR500 DSM2 RX (installed)
(4) servos pre-installed (2 aeliron, 1 elevator, 1 rudder)
(1) PZ 3s 1800 lipo (12c)
(1) car charger
(1) Bind plug
(+) Misc hardware (pushrod and control surface horn for the optional flaps)
Whats not in the Box:
Transmitter (must be DSM2)
Touch up paint (needed to touch up around the pushrod holes)
The Build:
Wing:
The first step is attaching the main wing to the fuse...be sure to feed the aeliron servos wires through the hole and pull them so they dont get pinched between the wing and fuse. When you secure the wing to the fuse apply a little loctite to the screw to prevent it from backing out later. Attach the wheels next, make sure they are leaning slightly forward.
Elevator:
Slide the half the elevator into the support on the fuse. Slide the CF rod in from the other side and fully seat it. (I put a little foam safe CA on the rod before installing it to help add a little extra strength as I know I am going to push the air frame hard). Now slide the other elevator half onto the CF rod and seat it in the support. Apply the thin piece of clear tape to hold them on. (I ran a thin line of CA along the joint on the underside of the elevators and support and kicked it with a little kicker for safe measure.
http://www.horizonrcflyers.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=10&pictureid=254
Mounting Prop:
Mounting the prop is straight forward, put on the alum prop adaptor, follwowed by the black spinner back, the prop, prop nut. Tighten the prop nut down. Then remove the spinner screw from the end of the prop adaptor nut, put the spinner on, ensure that the spinner seats inside the lip of the spinner back plate. Then use the screw to secure the spinner.
http://www.horizonrcflyers.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=10&pictureid=257http://www.horizonrcflyers.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=10&pictureid=258
Binding:
I prefer to bind the RX to the TX before I attach the pushrods to the control surface horns incase a servo is not centered it wont drive the control surface to the maximum deflection or strip itself out.
Once your done binding leave the TX on and just remove the Bind plug. Its now time to center everything and attach the pushrods to the elevator. For the rudder, attach the servo arm to the pushrod and then attach the arm to the servo followed by attaching the pushrod to the control surface.
http://www.horizonrcflyers.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=10&pictureid=256
Damage:
Mine suffered a little damage in shipping/package or somewhere along the way. Its nothing major and a little touch up paint will fix it.
http://www.horizonrcflyers.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=10&pictureid=253
PREFLIGHT:
Double check your control surfaces, with my DX6i my ailerons were reversed so I had to reverse the servo in the programming screen. For throws, I like alot and set my ailerons to the max for high rates. Everyone is different so if your new go by the book here. I moved the ailerons in 2 holes and the elevator in 1 holes to gain more deflection.
Build Time:
Per instructions: 30 minutes
Report Card:
Good:
CG marks on TOP of the wing
Quality foam
Fast build
Nice details... spinner looks great
Included charger charges through the balancing tap
Optional flaps (servo pockets already cut/pushrods and hardware included you just need 2 servos and Y harness)
Bad:
Low detail pilot...way below the standards and quality of the plane.
12c lipo.... a stronger lipo might increase the RPMs and power
No touch up paint
Some decals already pulling away from foam
FLIGHT REPORT:
http://www.horizonrcflyers.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=10&pictureid=267http://www.horizonrcflyers.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=10&pictureid=263
Weather Conditions:
Late afternoon
8 mph winds with gusts to 15-18 mph
Maiden:
I had to fly her and the wind for week was suppose to stay in the teens so I went for it. I used a EFlite 3s 1800 (20C) lipo rather then the PZ 3s 1800 (13c) lipo... with all the wind and the heavy gusts I wanted to ensure I had as much RPM as I could get out of the motor. ROG was short once I got on the throttle but the minute the wheels came off the deck she dumped the left wing and pitched the nose up like she wanted to stall. I was able to correct her quickly and she got on step. The gallery of flyers that I fly with got wind I was going to maiden tonight so I had a crowd gasping at the near crash on take off!! Once in the air it was apparent the winds were worse then I thought and I had to stay at 3/4 throttle to WOT to keep her from slowing to a stop. The 3 Bladed prop looks great but I am not sure if it has enough pitch to really do the plane any justice. After making a few passes around the park and watching the wind rock her wings I went for a roll...very smooth, fast, and tight... she held a straight line from entry to exit...very nice!! Loops resulted in her kicking out to the side a little so I am goign to recheck my elevator halves to make sure they are level with each other I that I have equal throw on each side.
With all the weight spread from the nose to the center of the wing and directly down the center of the fuse the wing tips are easily influenced by the wind so keep that in mind on turns. Banking turns resulted in no lose of altitude and she will bank as tight as you dare but remember if you bank too hard you will lose airspeed!! After a good 6 minutes of racing around the sky and making passes past FlyBye (Scott) so he could take photos I came in for a landing. Just like my normal maiden luck the wind picked up to a nice gusty 12-18mph and shifted direction requiring me to land across the short side of the soccer field. I had to make several attempts to land as she wanted to balloon in the wind even with the power reduced and I had the opinion that a tip stall was in my future. After a third go around I kept the nose stuffed low on the final turn in and reduced power. She came in but I had to fight to keep her from trying to climb. A few feet off the deck I killed the throttle completely as I was running out of room to land and as the wheels touched the deck she bounced. I watched in terror as the left wing tucked under the fuse and she came to rest upside down!! She suffered no damage but my pride took the hit.
Report Card:
HL: NA
ROG: Short, but watch for the wing drop if too early on lift off or at WOT (ROG at 3/4 throttle to reduce the TQ roll)
Glide: Steeper decent then other PZ warbirds...keep some power at all times
Rolls: Fast, smooth
Loops: Big
Inverted: Requires a little more elevator then I am used to
Speed: 25-35mph...much slower then expected (PZ P-51 is faster) (Even with a EFlite 20c 3s 1800 lipo)
Landing: Puckered with gusty winds. You need power and the LG is NARROW so room for error is very tight.
Beginner: No, a good third plane if taken used with LG, as a belly flopper you might be able to get away with her as a second plane.
Summary:
She looks great in the air and she flys just like a warbird. I own all the new PZ warbirds from the T-28 forward and this is hardest to fly and definately the most difficult to land with the narrow landing gear. PZ is staying true to the profile has also carried over some of its traits, fly her too slow and do something "abruptly" and she will stall on you. I would keep her on the ground in winds above 15 mph... she can handle upto 10 mph with ease. I look forward to flying her in calmer winds.
I want to thank GBI Hobbies for their support in helping me get her in the air quickly upon its release. Without them, my ability to rapidly review the newer planes would be greatly reduced.
http://www.horizonrcflyers.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=10&pictureid=265http://www.horizonrcflyers.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=10&pictureid=264http://www.horizonrcflyers.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=10&pictureid=262
http://www.horizonrcflyers.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=10&pictureid=261http://www.horizonrcflyers.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=10&pictureid=260
http://www.horizonrcflyers.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=10&pictureid=266
BUILD AND REVIEW
http://www.horizonrcflyers.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=10&pictureid=255http://www.horizonrcflyers.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=10&pictureid=259
http://www.horizonrcflyers.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=10&pictureid=252
The PZ BF-109 BNF comes neatly and securely packaged. The interlocking foam cross members keep everything in place during shipping so you shouldnt have any damage upon arrival. (Howerver, one of my elvator halves did come loose in shipping but was indamaged) Its a nice touch compared to just taping the cross members into place and hoping they stayed put. (Note: The cross members have to be pulled STRAIGHT up to remove them after you have removed the tape)
Whats in the Box:
(1) BF-109
(1) Park 15 (720kv) BL motor (installed)
(1) 30 amp BL ESC (installed)
(1) AR500 DSM2 RX (installed)
(4) servos pre-installed (2 aeliron, 1 elevator, 1 rudder)
(1) PZ 3s 1800 lipo (12c)
(1) car charger
(1) Bind plug
(+) Misc hardware (pushrod and control surface horn for the optional flaps)
Whats not in the Box:
Transmitter (must be DSM2)
Touch up paint (needed to touch up around the pushrod holes)
The Build:
Wing:
The first step is attaching the main wing to the fuse...be sure to feed the aeliron servos wires through the hole and pull them so they dont get pinched between the wing and fuse. When you secure the wing to the fuse apply a little loctite to the screw to prevent it from backing out later. Attach the wheels next, make sure they are leaning slightly forward.
Elevator:
Slide the half the elevator into the support on the fuse. Slide the CF rod in from the other side and fully seat it. (I put a little foam safe CA on the rod before installing it to help add a little extra strength as I know I am going to push the air frame hard). Now slide the other elevator half onto the CF rod and seat it in the support. Apply the thin piece of clear tape to hold them on. (I ran a thin line of CA along the joint on the underside of the elevators and support and kicked it with a little kicker for safe measure.
http://www.horizonrcflyers.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=10&pictureid=254
Mounting Prop:
Mounting the prop is straight forward, put on the alum prop adaptor, follwowed by the black spinner back, the prop, prop nut. Tighten the prop nut down. Then remove the spinner screw from the end of the prop adaptor nut, put the spinner on, ensure that the spinner seats inside the lip of the spinner back plate. Then use the screw to secure the spinner.
http://www.horizonrcflyers.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=10&pictureid=257http://www.horizonrcflyers.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=10&pictureid=258
Binding:
I prefer to bind the RX to the TX before I attach the pushrods to the control surface horns incase a servo is not centered it wont drive the control surface to the maximum deflection or strip itself out.
Once your done binding leave the TX on and just remove the Bind plug. Its now time to center everything and attach the pushrods to the elevator. For the rudder, attach the servo arm to the pushrod and then attach the arm to the servo followed by attaching the pushrod to the control surface.
http://www.horizonrcflyers.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=10&pictureid=256
Damage:
Mine suffered a little damage in shipping/package or somewhere along the way. Its nothing major and a little touch up paint will fix it.
http://www.horizonrcflyers.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=10&pictureid=253
PREFLIGHT:
Double check your control surfaces, with my DX6i my ailerons were reversed so I had to reverse the servo in the programming screen. For throws, I like alot and set my ailerons to the max for high rates. Everyone is different so if your new go by the book here. I moved the ailerons in 2 holes and the elevator in 1 holes to gain more deflection.
Build Time:
Per instructions: 30 minutes
Report Card:
Good:
CG marks on TOP of the wing
Quality foam
Fast build
Nice details... spinner looks great
Included charger charges through the balancing tap
Optional flaps (servo pockets already cut/pushrods and hardware included you just need 2 servos and Y harness)
Bad:
Low detail pilot...way below the standards and quality of the plane.
12c lipo.... a stronger lipo might increase the RPMs and power
No touch up paint
Some decals already pulling away from foam
FLIGHT REPORT:
http://www.horizonrcflyers.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=10&pictureid=267http://www.horizonrcflyers.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=10&pictureid=263
Weather Conditions:
Late afternoon
8 mph winds with gusts to 15-18 mph
Maiden:
I had to fly her and the wind for week was suppose to stay in the teens so I went for it. I used a EFlite 3s 1800 (20C) lipo rather then the PZ 3s 1800 (13c) lipo... with all the wind and the heavy gusts I wanted to ensure I had as much RPM as I could get out of the motor. ROG was short once I got on the throttle but the minute the wheels came off the deck she dumped the left wing and pitched the nose up like she wanted to stall. I was able to correct her quickly and she got on step. The gallery of flyers that I fly with got wind I was going to maiden tonight so I had a crowd gasping at the near crash on take off!! Once in the air it was apparent the winds were worse then I thought and I had to stay at 3/4 throttle to WOT to keep her from slowing to a stop. The 3 Bladed prop looks great but I am not sure if it has enough pitch to really do the plane any justice. After making a few passes around the park and watching the wind rock her wings I went for a roll...very smooth, fast, and tight... she held a straight line from entry to exit...very nice!! Loops resulted in her kicking out to the side a little so I am goign to recheck my elevator halves to make sure they are level with each other I that I have equal throw on each side.
With all the weight spread from the nose to the center of the wing and directly down the center of the fuse the wing tips are easily influenced by the wind so keep that in mind on turns. Banking turns resulted in no lose of altitude and she will bank as tight as you dare but remember if you bank too hard you will lose airspeed!! After a good 6 minutes of racing around the sky and making passes past FlyBye (Scott) so he could take photos I came in for a landing. Just like my normal maiden luck the wind picked up to a nice gusty 12-18mph and shifted direction requiring me to land across the short side of the soccer field. I had to make several attempts to land as she wanted to balloon in the wind even with the power reduced and I had the opinion that a tip stall was in my future. After a third go around I kept the nose stuffed low on the final turn in and reduced power. She came in but I had to fight to keep her from trying to climb. A few feet off the deck I killed the throttle completely as I was running out of room to land and as the wheels touched the deck she bounced. I watched in terror as the left wing tucked under the fuse and she came to rest upside down!! She suffered no damage but my pride took the hit.
Report Card:
HL: NA
ROG: Short, but watch for the wing drop if too early on lift off or at WOT (ROG at 3/4 throttle to reduce the TQ roll)
Glide: Steeper decent then other PZ warbirds...keep some power at all times
Rolls: Fast, smooth
Loops: Big
Inverted: Requires a little more elevator then I am used to
Speed: 25-35mph...much slower then expected (PZ P-51 is faster) (Even with a EFlite 20c 3s 1800 lipo)
Landing: Puckered with gusty winds. You need power and the LG is NARROW so room for error is very tight.
Beginner: No, a good third plane if taken used with LG, as a belly flopper you might be able to get away with her as a second plane.
Summary:
She looks great in the air and she flys just like a warbird. I own all the new PZ warbirds from the T-28 forward and this is hardest to fly and definately the most difficult to land with the narrow landing gear. PZ is staying true to the profile has also carried over some of its traits, fly her too slow and do something "abruptly" and she will stall on you. I would keep her on the ground in winds above 15 mph... she can handle upto 10 mph with ease. I look forward to flying her in calmer winds.
I want to thank GBI Hobbies for their support in helping me get her in the air quickly upon its release. Without them, my ability to rapidly review the newer planes would be greatly reduced.
http://www.horizonrcflyers.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=10&pictureid=265http://www.horizonrcflyers.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=10&pictureid=264http://www.horizonrcflyers.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=10&pictureid=262
http://www.horizonrcflyers.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=10&pictureid=261http://www.horizonrcflyers.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=10&pictureid=260
http://www.horizonrcflyers.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=10&pictureid=266