Hyper Viper RTF From Cox

Hey CL Folks,

Check out the new offering in 1/2 A RTF CL from Cox:

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXDUT1&P=7

It looks like an attempt to sell a "more serious" stunt type model for 1/2 A. I wonder if a Norvell .061 would fit?

Looks pretty cool! Too bad they or Cox for that matter don't have any other info on it listed at their web sites!

Mike "Magnum" Pratt works for Estes, right?

And Estes owns Cox . . . .

Hmmmmmmmmmmm . . . . .

Man, how cool is that? Beats the silver P-39 that my first cox plane, circa 1967.

The specifications for the Cox Hyper Viper are as follows.

Wing Span: 27”
Wing Area: 165 sq in”
Wing Loading: 8.2 ounces per sq. ft’
All up weight including Deco 9.5 ounces.
Fuel Tank: 1 ounce Polypropylene stunt tank.
Adjustable controls ratios.
Adjustable leadout guide.
Adjustable tip weight.
Foam Wheels.
Airfoil: FCR

The Hyper Viper is a blast to fly.

Looks like the coolest Cox model by far! If I had the scratch, I'd want one for sure...

Tim

When will Tower be able to fill my order for one Mike? I've got it on backorder for a month now.

sounds like an update of the chipmunk from the late 80's. how do the two planes compare in weight? Will the stunt tank be available seperately? Which engine is in it?

Looks like an SV-11......lol

Here's the picture from Tower's web site:

I assume it's got the usual Cox reed valve engine in it? I wonder if the tooling's still available for the Queen Bee.. that'd be the better engine to use.

There are two engines for the rtf planes the Killer Bee and the Sure Start. Big difference in performance. I was wondering if the Killer Bee is used for the power.

The only bad thing about the Killer Bee is, is that it is not longer the Killer Bee it once was. Now they are using plain cranks and have lost most of the go fast parts from the past. Really just a plain products engine now! The Queen Bee made just a hair over the power of a .049 and was heavy too!

Not really a half A person but this could be interesting with a Big Mig. Next trick would be going from the Cox radial mounts to beam mounts for the Big Mig and find a way to mount a 1 oz conventional tank.

LAST EDITED ON Apr-25-03 AT 10:32 PM (CDT)
 
>Not really a half A person but this could be interesting
>with a Big Mig. Next trick would be going from the Cox
>radial mounts to beam mounts for the Big Mig and find a way
>to mount a 1 oz conventional tank.

Cool looking, but will it do the pattern? Could you buy the Norvel .061, and use the tank that comes with it with the H Viper's firewall mount? Or the .049, for that matter? Which of the Cox engines should be ordered with the plane, if a choice is offered?

Hey, this is a C*x ready-to-fly. It not only comes with the engine, it is almost certainly installed, tank, fuel hose and all.

Sorry, the Queen Bee was one of the most worthless engines I ever met, and a real black spot on C*xs reputation. It was about half again as heavy as a Medallion .049, and had way less power, and didn't throttle as well. Oh, yes, it cost more.

Other than that.......

Looks like a Magnum to me.
Imagine that!
Way to go Mikey Pratt!!

P.S. Bring one along to the C/L contest in Des Moines May 4-5th.

>The specifications for the Cox Hyper Viper are as follows.
>
>Wing Span: 27”
>Wing Area: 165 sq in”
>Wing Loading: 8.2 ounces per sq. ft’
>All up weight including Deco 9.5 ounces.
>Fuel Tank: 1 ounce Polypropylene stunt tank.
>Adjustable controls ratios.
>Adjustable leadout guide.
>Adjustable tip weight.
>Foam Wheels.
>Airfoil: FCR
>
>The Hyper Viper is a blast to fly.
>
>Mike

Mikey,

Is that the FCR 15 or FCR 18 airfoil?

Talked with Albert at Cox today, he says that the 'Crystal Ball Date' is May 19th when the Vyper should be available. Motor is listed as a Sure Start and that high performance parts will be available. Quizzin more as I didn't know if this was the engine with just a back plate he said that it has the carb tube behind the motor. That sounds like the reed valve backplate to me which means if we can snug an .049 mount up to a norvel and put that on we'll be in if you want to do something radical like swap an engine brand.

Lesse, that's 25 days away, hope they make the date.

Come on Mikey, quit teasin and tell us EVERYTHING. Tell us when you finally got the go ahead for what Albert called your baby. I could always buy another.

Can this plane be flown in the 1/2a event at the Nats?

Way to go Mikey!!! Can't wait to see one in the flesh.

How the heck did you persuade Barry to let you build that thing? I am in awe of your persuasive talents (and survival skills).

Interesting that the weight and wing area are identical to the ME-109 Super Stunter. However, with luck, you have a better airfoil. I really didn't have the data to work with way back then. Also, got flaps?

I made one prototype with the foam wings and flaps in '75, and it was awesome. Even though the 109 was selling 50K units a year, they wouldn't to the follow-up. Drat!!! Another interesting one was a combat model to be sold as a kit that you could put the Black Widow on. Side mounted engine, cylinder out, needle in. I have photos of both I can send.

Larry

Dmoon or anybody else, do you know when the 1/2A stunt event will be at the Nats, what day?
I have a few 1/2A planes with norvels flying really well, and doing the pattern well with a 1oz tank on a norvel .049.

In the past it has been on the Top 5 Saturday after the Walker Cup Flyoff. I think Dale Berry is the CD.

I bought one of those stunt ME-109's way back at a garage sale. It was well used when I bought it and I flew it fo a couple os seasons till one day the wings started flapping in flight! Man that was funny to see. They folded when I decided to see how far they would flap, and pulled into a wingover. The wings came down in two peices like falling leaves and the plane continued over the top and traight in. Didn't even bust the prop! I think I still have the fuse somewhere in my moving boxes. Always figured I would template it and build a balsa version. oh well...one day.

This is fun. The only one to catch the joke in my specifications was Mike Gretz. The FCR airfoil stands for “French Curve and Ruler”. Actually, the airfoil started out as NACA 15 and I moved the high point forward to the 20% mark. The root airfoil is 14% thick and the tip airfoil is at 15%.

Larry: The H/V is ¾ of and ounce lighter than the ME-109 (at least compared to one we have here). The wing on the H/V is thermal formed in two halves form EPS and then glued together at the factory. This process made a really nice wing that is light and reinforced with an internal foam spar (It was Barry’s idea to produce another C/L stunter so why would I want to argue with him).

William: The fuel tank looks similar to a standard stunt tank and has a capacity of just over 1 ounce. It is true that it comes with a production engine (we have plenty). The snap starter was replaced by the old Cox wraparound style starter spring, which gained between 500 and 1000 rpm. In addition, H/V is equipped with the Cox Competition 5” x 4” prop. The engine is bolted in place to a firewall and not clamped between the upper and lower fuselage. This makes the entire airframe much stronger and as a side benefit, the engine runs are much smoother because there is no vibration. Vibration is a killer for any reed valve engine and can make them inconsistent.

Out of the box performance is better than most of you would ever expect from a plastic ARF model. At the elevation I live at (5000’) here in Colorado the H/V can do all the AMA maneuvers in the hands of a good pilot. It does have a little trouble with the hourglass and four leaf clover on the short 35’ Dacron lines, but if flown at normal elevations it should be great.

Jim P: The additional power of a Big Mig in my opinion would not make much of an improvement. You would have to add tail weight to balance it correctly and that would be real detriment to any 1/2A stunter. Even better performance can be attained by switching to the APC 5.7” x 4” prop, 25% nitro fuel, and with 42’ .008 lines. You could install a TD piston & Cylinder and High Compression glow head and have the same power without the weight.

Thanks for you kind remarks they are really appreciated.

Mike

Way to go Mike

you rock dude.

Just wish I knew how to get paid for playing with model airplanes.

...It is true that it comes with a production engine (we have plenty). The snap starter was replaced by the old Cox wraparound style starter spring, which gained between 500 and 1000 rpm. In addition, H/V is equipped with the Cox Competition 5” x 4” prop.
...You could install a TD piston & Cylinder and High Compression glow head and have the same power without the weight.
>
>Thanks for you kind remarks they are really appreciated.
>
>Mike

Mike,
The last production engine I got was a "Sure Start" in one of the StarWars Fighters. It has the 290 backplate with an additional rear intake piece to provide ability to choke the engine. This works well although you need to provide a 1/4" standoff to use it in a balsa plane (not a problem).
It already has a two bypass cylinder. Is this different from the TD cylinder?
The snap starter was good to prevent starting backward but I'm glad to see that you went back to the "wrap around" model. I hate seeing the spring bouncing against the thrust washer as it runs.
The "Sure Start" I have may not match current models, but so far it has been a good little engine. I do not have extensive running time on it yet.
George

The twin bypass is not the same as the Tee Dee. The Tee Dee has at least one extra (usually two) flutes machined beside the main bypasses, and the piston and cylinder are (well, when C*x made the right) taper honed and ground, rather than straight. This is all good for a serious rpm rise, even when used on a reed engine.

Larry:P

Wow! It looks cool, but will it do the pattern, or anything near it? If there is an engine choice, which one should be ordered with the plane? If you used a Norvel with the tank, could it be made to fit, and if so, what advantage would there be? More power?

Whats the plane made out of? Hopefully wood or a foam wing. Most of those cheap cox planes are made out of plastic. With an 1oz tank it should be able to get through most of the pattern

LAST EDITED ON Aug-11-03 AT 03:06 AM (CDT)
 
New interest per new thread indicates the desirability of moving this one back to the top.

If the posts above from Mike Pratt are read carefully, the questions about size and construction are answered.

Paul

Can't wait for them to come out!

If you check Tower's backorders, it has been pushed back another two months! =(

Ahhh MAN!!!!!