Extra SHP
- Manufacturer:
3DHobbyShop & Aerobatics Authority Scott Stoops
- Product
Construction Type:
Balsa/Light
Ply
- Aircraft Type:
ARF Parkflyer - Precision
3D/Advanced Aerobatic
- Pilot Experience Level:
All Levels
- Controls:
Full 4 channel
- Dimensions:
47.3inch Wingspan - 44.0inches Long - Flying weight as
tested 39oz
Setup
Used
- Motor:
Torque 2818T-900 - 900kv Brushless Outrunner w/ Xoar 13x6 PJN Electric
Beechwood Series Propeller
- ESC: AirBoss 45amp Elite Series
- Servos:
Ailerons - HiTec HS-65HB
Karbonite Gear - Rudder and Elevator HiTec-65MG
Metal Gear
- Battery: TP2200-3SX
- Thunder Power Extreme Series 2200mah 3 cell 11.1volt LiPo
- Receiver: HiTec Electron 6
Initial
Impressions
We had been contemplating a new project/build for
several months, then the decision became incredibly easy all of a sudden.
3DHobbyShop already offered the un-matched, leader of the 47" class, Extra SHP
in the Blue and White color scheme, but due to a fair amount of overcast skies
and clouds in our coastal area, we were searching for a kit with a little more
vibrant of a color scheme for easy distinction. Bam, search no more, out came the Yellow and Black version of
the Extra SHP, decision made.
First off, the way 3DHobbyShop boxed/packaged this plane is simply
un-matched.
Typically the packaging will not get mentioned in a review,
or really at all, who
cares right, but this went well above and beyond what you would typically
expect, and therefore deserves mentioning. A
triple box packaging process, that just about ensures there is no chance of
damage. The lightweight interior plane box had all of the kit components taped down
and secured to prevent
over-shifting during shipping. This interior plane box also has thicker reinforced
cardboard stiffeners and dividers, strategically located to further prevent the chance of damage
by
keeping the box it it's intended, original shape even when placed under extreme
load or force. Truly well-engineered.
That interior plane
box, was then located inside a thicker, larger sleeve box, which was then placed
inside a completely separate outer carton box, that was even thicker.
So 3 total boxes in all. It
was just nice to see a well developed thought and engineering process put into the
packaging of a kit to ensure the aircraft arrives to the customer in tip top
shape. With that as the first experience, how could you be disappointed with the
plane right???
The Build
Hopefully all of this will help some people with the plane
build. I am sure the experienced modeler is going to find this a bit over the
top and unnecessary, but hopefully the information will help out some people
looking to step up from their current aircraft, and looking for a little
assistance in doing so. The manual is pretty straight forward and well written. There are a few little quirks & small tidbits of miscellaneous info. that I am
going to cover so anyone building the plane, especially the 3D beginner/novice
getting into ARF balsa/ply construction, can get through it with very little
fuss. Mostly, I am going to leave majority of the build in the manuals hands, and just
touch on the points that might get you hung up.
Putting together this plane has me feeling like a big kid in a candy store. This
is by far the nicest, highest quality construction kit I have put together to
date. Part of me just wants to sit down and "get er done."
That's when the age (and supposed wisdom) takes over, and I wind up doing one step per night, or even
every other night.
Aileron Control Horn Installation/Preparation:
Step one was to properly seat the aileron section into the wing section, via the
4 hinge locations, insuring you have a proper gap to allow for full aileron
travel in both directions per the manuals recommendations. Remember, 3D throws
far exceed the throws of any other flying style, so be sure you leave proper gap
clearance on all surfaces. After aligning the aileron section, next was to apply
THIN CA to each hinge location. The manual says to apply 2 drops to each hinge.
I applied 2 drops to each hinge, on each side of the wing, top & bottom.
Applying one drop on each hinges' left & ride side. So each hinge received a
grand total of 4 drops to insure a firm installation. Giving ample time to dry
and completely wick in after
each application (top & bottom wing sections). I followed the manual steps, as
far as cutting out the area in the covering to allow for the servo installation.
But then I jumped ahead to the control horn installation before actually
installing the aileron servo on both wing sections. This way the epoxy on the
control horns had time to set while I was working on the servo mounting. Since
the control horns have spikes that penetrate and hold them in place, there is no
worry about disturbing the control horns while the epoxy set.
First step on the control horn installation was to remove a small rectangle of
covering to expose the aileron wood surface as described in the manual. Next,
the key is to pre-align the control horn to insure it does not impede into the
hinge gap and allows for full travel in either direction. Simply aligning the
edge/mid. point of the control horn with the edge of the aileron at the hinge gap does the
trick. You can just eyeball this from above. Then, I slightly pressed the
control horn spikes into the exposed aileron wood surface to get a small indent
at each spike location. The manual does not mention anything about the spikes,
as far as pre-drilling or how they penetrate the exposed aileron wood surface.
It just says to coat the spikes in epoxy. So I took it upon myself to pre-drill
1/16" dia. holes (by hand, no power tools here) at the indent locations already established. Being extremely careful to only
go down as far as needed to allow the bottom of the control horn to sit flush on
the aileron surface, and avoid coming through the top side of the wing. I coated
the entire bottom of the control horn, including the spikes with 20 minute
epoxy, and applied a small amount to the aileron exposed wood surface. Then
pressed the control horn into the pre-drilled holes making sure it sat
completely flush with the aileron surface and making sure there was a small ring
of leftover epoxy around all edges of the control horn, sealing it to the
aileron covering.
Aileron Servo Mounting Installation/Preparation:
Now, jumping back a step to the aileron servo mount preparation. I went with the
Hitec HS-65HB karbonite gear servos for the ailerons and the HS-65MG metal gear
servos for the rudder and elevator for this kit. I would recommend using the MG
on the rudder and elevator surfaces, because they are under the most stress and
even the high strength karbonite gear will strip out under certain conditions.
After removing the covering around the aileron servo mount, it was time to
connect the 6" servo extension to the servo. There is a great little detail
located in the manual for securing your extension to the servo lead. I have also
included a picture below.
The picture describes it better than I will be able to
but once you have the servo lead plugged into the extension, snip off a 4" piece
of thin gauge galvanized wire, and run it down, in between one of the sides of
the middle wire at the servo extension plug, then run the wire underneath the
extension plug, then up through one of the sides of the middle wire on the servo
plug (opposite side). Meet the two ends of wire together in the middle, and
twist by hand, then with a pair of pliers until it is secure and moderately
tight. Snip off the excess wire, and fold down the twisted part so it lays at
flat as possible on the surface of the plugs. Then wrap the entire plug
configuration in clear packing tape to prevent the wire from rubbing against any
part of the plane while pulling the extension through the wing, or while
vibration occurs during flight. This is a great little method for keeping your
servos plugged into the extensions securely, and avoid running the risk of
having one come loose and losing control of a surface while in flight. Pulling
the extension through the wing was next, nothing to report here, instruction
tell it all. Next step was to locate the servo in the servo mount. This is
your typical ARF aileron servo installation. Just be sure to CENTER the servo in
the space provided. Don't just align it with one side and call it a day. It has
to be centered or you run the risk of have one of the servo mounting screws just
barely catching one of the sides, and not having enough wood to grab for a
secure installation. Once I had the servo centered in the space, I marked the
center hole on each side with a sharp pencil. Removed the servo and verified
that there was proper clearance on each side for the screws to grab securely.
Using a 1/16" bit, I hand drilled the holes for the servo screws.
When done, blow off any excess dust, and apply a
single drop of thin CA to each hole and allow it to completely dry. This will
harden the hole and help prevent the screws from vibrating loose during flight.
Once the CA dries completely, I applied a single small drop of medium CA to the
very tip of each servo screw prior to attaching the servo, then screwed each one
down securely.
The next couple steps involved a series of areas that required
covering to be removed. Nothing really to go
over. Couple of pics. below.
Horizontal Stabilizer Installation/Preparation:
Next build step was the horizontal stabilizer assembly. The most important issue
here is just making sure everything is properly aligned and making sure the wire
joiner for the elevator sections is installed while installing the stab. If the
wire joiner is not installed at this point, it is next to impossible to get it
in later.
If you go slow and follow the instructions,
the stab./elevator installation is pretty easy, but takes a little time. First,
I checked that the wire joiner to assure that it is smooth and straight, no
warping or twisting, just nice an level/straight. Then I slid the stab. into the
slot in the fuse, and verified that the space was equal from the fuse to the
edge of the stab. on each side (left & right). Just to get it nice and
centered. Then, take a piece of string and align one corner of the string
with the left, leading edge of the stab. and the other end with the trailing
edge of the center of the wingspar tube hole. Mark the distance, then
align the right side to match.
Once you get the stab. perfectly aligned on all sides, follow the manual and remove
it, and apply epoxy to the section you just removed covering from, then re-align everything
as described above. I also applied epoxy with a fine bristled hobby paint brush, through the
cut-out cooling vents, on the underside of the fuse, to the seam where the stab.
re-inforcer hits the fuse on both sides, for a little extra durability.
I then applied a thin layer of epoxy at the seam
between the fuse and the stab., on the exterior/underside for a little extra
support and to seal the gap. The epoxy takes a good 2-3hours to really firmly
set.......
Elevator Installation/Preparation:
Next up was the elevator assembly. Nothing really to report
here, pretty standard stuff, just test fit, make sure it all lines up and you have proper travel, then
slide the elevator sections back off and apply epoxy to the ends of the wire joiner. Then slide
one section at a time back on, get them both aligned, make sure you have a
proper gap, remembering again that 3D throws far exceed that of any other type
of flying, so be sure a proper gap is allowed to achieve full throw, and drop
THIN CA onto all hinges, on both sides
(top & bottom). Again, I did (2) med. drops per hinge (one on each hinge side
left & right), per side (top & bottom), so (4) drops total per hinge. Then allow
ample time for the epoxy to set.
Tailwheel & Rudder Installation/Preparation:
The rudder and vertical stabilizer installation
is completely self-explanatory and there is not much to it. Install the
vertical stab. first and give the epoxy ample time to dry and set prior to
marching forward.
With the rudder, the
BIG KEY, is
to insert the hinges into the vertical stab., then slide the rudder until it
aligns and is completely even with the underside of the fuse. This will
make the tailwheel installation 100 times easier. Unfortunately I realized
this after already affixing the rudder into place, and was more concerned with
providing an attractive gap between the top of the rudder and the vertical stab
at the time. Tailwheel was a bit tricky, but really didn't need to be if I
had followed my advice just mentioned. The instructions are pretty good,
but the sample picture is a little distant. The only issue I had was the
transition point/gap from the rudder to the fuse. The tailwheel wire and
retainer would not sit flat together at the same time once the screws were tightened down. Either the wire
would pop out from the bottom of the rudder, pulling it out of the hole you
create to secure it, or the retainer would sit unevenly on the fuse once you
attempt to fully tighten down the screws, coming up about 1/16" at the
transition/gap point. This could have all been avoided if I would have
test fit the rudder and tailwheel prior to affixing the rudder in place. Solution was to have the wire sit flush on the rudder, and
firmly/secure in the hole, then just fill this gap on the fuse with epoxy for
extra stability.
Looking back at it now, it is obvious that I had the rudder
fixed in place too low and not level with the bottom of the fuse
. So when you are setting the rudder section in place, pay attention to the
gaps, and the evenness with the bottom of the fuse. One of those things that
comes up 6 steps later after the rudder is already affixed.
Rudder & Elevator Servo Installation/Preparation:
I used HS-65MG's for
both. They are under the most stress of the 4 servos, and I would rather not
have something strip out on me in flight. Same notes from the aileron
installation, make sure the servo is centered in the space and not just pushed
up against one side, install extensions and secure per the detail used on the
ailerons. Remove the covering as shown in the manual for the control horn
installation. There is a little bit of guestimation involved.
Unlike the aileron control horn instructions that told you how far to measure
over, these both just show a picture, but you can pretty much figure it out
based on what is shown. Only difference in the installation on these 2 tail
servos, is that you will need 12" extensions instead of 6", and you will need to
snip off about 1/8"-3/16" of the spikes on the control horns. They are too long
for the rudder and elevator and if you do not cut them down they will come
through the other side, and pierce your coating. Once the epoxy dries on the
control horns, you can install the servo linkages and servo control horns.
One note on the rudder control horn location, make sure you place it low enough
to avoid conflict with the elevator and to insure as close to a parallel line as
possible is created between the linkage and the fuse. I placed the bottom
edge of the rudder control horn approximately 1/4"-3/8" up from the bottom of
the rudder and the linkage was just about dead parallel with the fuse.
Rudder Pics
Elevator Pics
Landing Gear Installation/Preparation:
First of all, the carbon fiber gear is simply
SWEEEEEETTTT. Nice to have something that is lightweight, durable and has
great looks as well. Much better than the typical non-shapely robust
aluminum gear supplied with most planes. Not a whole lot to go over,
pretty simple stuff. Only note is that I added a
good amount of epoxy to all joints in and around the landing gear blind nuts
inside the fuse for extra durability. I don't want the gear ripping out of the
bottom of the fuse if I should happen to decide to smack it down from time to time.
I also scrapped the wheel pants for grass takeoffs and landings. The
carbon fiber legs are sharp looking. Really add
a nice little touch to the plane. The overall landing gear install was one of
the better ARF setups I have experienced thus far. Two separate landing gear
legs that each mount using two bolts each. Nice and solid.
Motor Installation/Preparation:
Motor installation was next up. All I have to say is it is so nice when
something goes the way it should. Much to my surprise, and I believe all
new generation Extra's now have this, the
firewall was pre-drilled and blind nuts were already installed for the Torque
Motors. It couldn't be any easier than this.
So all you have to do is bolt the motor on. I did add epoxy around the
blind nut locations on the interior of the
firewall for a little extra added support. I also applied med. locktite
threadlocker to the firewall mounting bolts, motor to x-mount bolts, and the prop
adapter to motor screws. Just to make sure nothing comes loose with the
vibration while flying. Installed the ESC as shown in the manual. It is the best
spot to allow for optimal cooling conditions.
Cowl Installation/Preparation:
The always painful cowl installation. No matter how many times I do
this install, something always seems to go just not quite according to plan.
Just make sure you follow the manual's recommendations with the card stock hole
locators, they will help.
I did everything per the manual, the
instructions are very good in helping this be as painless as possible. Also make
sure that you have the canopy installed first. If you install the cowl
without the canopy on the plane, you might not be able to get the canopy on at
all. After getting the cowl on, make sure that you completely install your prop
and spinner (if you are using one) and achieve and acceptable gap from the nose
of the cowl to the back of the prop. or spinner. I had planned on using a DuBro
spinner, but had to cram the cowl so far back to get it to sit right, and give
me at least a 1/16" gap from cowl to back of spinner, that I could not even get
the canopy off or on to switch out batteries. So the spinner went bye bye.
Other spinner types have proved to work better than the DuBro. Use the previously marked sections of card stock to align the hole locations
on the cowl. Drill the holes out with a 1/16" bit and then apply THIN CA to
harden the holes up. My only issue was my own fault here. I am a CA lock and
secure nut job. So I applied a very small drop of med. CA to each screw holding
the cowl down, screwed it all down nice and secure, let it dry.......... then
immediately realized that I never connected the ESC wires to the motor.........OOOOOPS.
So in taking the cowl back off, one of the screws had the head break off on
me.......too much CA apparently.........So make sure you completely install the
ESC and connect it to the motor before screwing the cowl down, and assure the
motor is rotating the proper direction.
Wing Installation/Preparation:
Lastly, but definitely not the least important is the wing installation. I
never installed the servo linkages on the ailerons, so that was first.
Many of the pics. in the manual show the wings already attached, but never
really touch on how it happened. Until you get to the last few pages in the
"Controls and Finishing Touches" section where Scott has his tips listed. It is a
simple install, just slide each wing panel section on the carbon fiber spar tube, carefully wiggling back
and forth until you get up against the fuse. Then line up the wood peg on the wing
section to the hole in the fuse and gently tap on the end of the wing until the
peg is completely through and the wing site flush with the fuse. Then use the thumb screws to completely secure each wing section.
I did apply some additional epoxy to the thumb screw attachment supports on the
inside of the fuse to prevent anything from giving way to the stress, before
installing the wing sections.
Radio Installation/Preparation:
Again, not a whole lot to talk about. I
located the receiver as shown on the picture. It was the easiest, most
accessible location I could think of. Secured it with some heavy-duty zip
ties and that was it. I also secured all servo extensions to various spots
along the battery tray to prevent the wires from knocking around during flight.
Ran the receiver antenna inside a 1/16" dia.
piece of heat shrink tubing, all the way to the air exit holes in the rear of
the fuse. Then affixed the antenna using the rubber band and servo horn
method to the tailwheel.
Here is a quick shot of the battery tray and ESC
switch location as well. I just attached the switch along the side of the
battery tray using a light-duty zip tie.
That pretty much does it for the build. I must say that this was an extremely fun and easy build. Very little fuss and the kit's components and construction
quality are top notch. Very
nicely done. 3DHobbyShop definitely has a huge winner on their hands here.
Now to get the act in gear are get this beautiful bird in the air.
GENERAL BUILD NOTE: be sure to apply THIN CA
to all drilled holes and allow them to dry before installing any screws.
This will keep the screws from vibrating loose during flight. Also make
sure you have the proper servo extensions, nothing is worse than sitting down to
build a plane and not having what you need. You will need (2) 6"
extensions, (2) 12" extensions and (1) 12" Y-harness.
Testing:
First, I tried testing the system with a Thunder Power 2100 3s Pro-Lite pack. Just to get a general idea where the power and draw of the system was at. I was
baffled when I only pulled 30.7 amps with the Xoar 13x6 PJN prop. Way under the
range I was looking for in terms of power, and way under where it should have
been. Kept trying all kinds of different prop. combinations still using the
Pro-Lite pack. Had an APC 13x6.5E pulling 34.8 amps, that was very close, but
still not quite the power at WOT I was looking for. Finally decided to fess up
and get out the new Thunder Power 2200 3s Extreme Pack. I was trying to test the
system with the 3s Pro-Lite, because I was contemplating going to 4s on this
plane, and just wanted a general idea if 3s was going to supply the power I was
looking for. As soon as I connected up the Extreme pack, the system came to life
What a huge difference in power from the Pro-Lite pack. Nothing else in the
system configuration was changed, just swapped out the pack from the 2100 3s
Pro-Lite to the 2200 3s Extreme. Batteries don't produce amps, the system does
right..........well, I got all the way up to 37.8 amps at WOT.......just by
swapping the battery out. It seems as though the system wanted to pull more than
the Pro-Lite could/would deliver and the Extreme pack was more than capable of
allowing the system to reach it's full potential. Which is bizarre
considering the Pro-Lite packs are rated at 50.4amps on a burst.
After testing the 13x6 Xoar PJN vs. the APC 13x6.5, it was a very easy decision
to put the Xoar back on.
It ran much smoother than the APC prop did. The APC
prop. produced a lot more vibration, and almost ran rough in my opinion. It was properly
balanced, but the thin electric prop was just not quite rigid enough to handle
this power and these RPM's. The extra rigidity of the Beechwood prop. allowed it
to run much smoother and produce a lot less vibration. The APC prop. also
pulled a fair amount more in terms of amps. With the 13x6 Xoar PJN pulling
right at about 38amps, the APC 13x6.5E was all the up to the 43-44amp range.
So the Xoar was running smoother, and it seems as though it will allow for a
little longer flight time.
Very last build step was to install a 3DH canopy/hatch latch to insure the
canopy would not come loose during flight.
It
was a really simple/clean install, and is a nice little contraption. This
is a must in my opinion. When performing extreme maneuvers, even with
proper airflow exiting, the pressure can cause the hatch to blow off. This
little latch completely removes the chance of that ever happening.
Transmitter Dual Rates and Control/Servo Horn
Linkage Connections:
High Dual/Expo. Rates
Ailerons:
100% / -55% (negative for Futaba radios)
Elevator:
100% / -65% (negative for Futaba radios)
Rudder:
100% / -55% (negative for Futaba radios)
Low Dual/Expo. Rates
Ailerons:
70% / -40% (negative for Futaba radios)
Elevator:
60% / -50% (negative for Futaba radios)
Rudder:
65% / -40% (negative for Futaba radios)
Servo Horn Hole Used for Linkage
Ailerons:
4th hole on single arm 3D Horn provided with HS-65HB servo
Elevator:
4th hole on single arm 3D Horn provided with HS-65MG servo
Rudder: 4th
hole on single arm 3D Horn provided with HS-65MG servo
Control Horn Hole Used for Linkage
Ailerons:
Last/Outside hole
Elevator:
First/Inside hole
Rudder:
Middle hole
EPA (End Point Adjustment) Numbers
Ailerons:
140% (max.) both ways
Elevator:
125% up and 140% down (max.)
Rudder:
140% (max.) both ways
Flight Results and Overall Final Impressions:
What a GREAT, GREAT airplane!!! First, I
didn’t think it could look any better than it did on the ground.
I mean
this is one jaw-dropping, beautiful plane. I can't seem to talk about it
enough. 3DHobbyShop has hit the nail dead center on the head with this
one. A top notch, high quality construction ARF kit with an absolutely
gorgeously designed coating and color scheme.........but then………it is even finer
when it is in the air. The videos and pictures just don't do it justice.
There is definitely no substitute for flying it in person. On the maiden,
I Hit the air
just before sunrise, then about halfway through the sun peeked out and the plane
just lit up the sky ................and my face. Really a sharp
looking plane when performing maneuvers. Even my wife commented as soon as
the sun hit it how great it looked in the air. She was shining in all her
glory, and showing off her stuff.........the plane, the plane.
I was off the ground in about 6-8 feet and did 2 quick laps to get her dialed in, only
needed 3 clicks of right aileron, everything else was dead on. After the
two laps I immediately went vertical to about 250-300 feet and brought her all
the way down in a flat spin to about 20 feet off the ground. Figured there
was no better way to get introduced to each other. Does a really
nice, flat, well controlled flat spin. Hovering was rock solid, she almost
hovers by herself. Just about hands off and holds it beautifully.
Kept it pretty simple first time out with a mix of flat spins, hovering and a
few harriers, plus the typical aerobatic stuff. Vertical was very strong
and unlimited for at least the first 4 -5minutes, then dropped off a bit around
the 6-7 minute mark, but was still plenty powerful. Landing was the easiest I
have experienced to date. I had the brake off, so she was a big time floater.
Dove in, two clicks of throttle and a little flair, just about landed herself.
No stalling, just a pretty little glider of a landing. There are
absolutely no bad habits with this plane. It quite simply just does
everything very well.
This was a
Big Step up from the current 3D plane in the hangar, the Mini Funtana X,
actually not even fair to the Extra to compare the two. The most obvious
difference with the Extra is the
precision and general smooth flight
characteristics. The plane just
seemed to be locked on rails. No jitters, nothing loose or jerky, just
tight, smooth and locked. Finally a great flying plane added to the hangar
over here.
Really, I can’t say enough about this plane.
Just an absolute joy to fly. Big
time thanks to Ben, Scott and the whole 3DH squad for a GREAT GREAT Product........Looks
like the 55" version is going to be a must now.........
Rating:
5.0 out of
5.0 Fireballs - a MUST HAVE
for any RC Pilot
