Got it! Nobler Arf

Thanks to Al K., I was able to get my Nobler Arf tonite. Here are a few comments.

1) It is definitely worth the money.
2) Weight of all pieces was 900g, or 2lbs---32 oz for those of you who are counting. This is going to be a reasonable final weight when I add my Brodak 40!
3) Engine bearers are oak. They extend back just past the wing leading edge, and actually are tapered. They are not soft!
4) Wood looks all laser cut balsa and ply. The construction is quite impressive.
5) This plane should be a no-brainer take apart plane.
6) Monocote covering looks pretty good.
7) Tank is an Aldrich pinch tyoe, most likely 4 oz (haven't actually measured it).
8) The Bell crank and control lines are interesting. They actually use a heavy gauge spring wire sort of clamp to go thru the control line holes. The lines (crimped) are then captured by the clamp. Al thinks the lines are a bit on the light side, but should be a cinch to replace.
9) Definitely weight is in the outboard wing. Also inboard wing is ~1 inch longer than outboard wing.
10) looks like a reasonably fast assembly.

Overall I think they have a winner here. Let the feeding frenzy begin!

Hi Alan,
Got mine tonight also, but the wife is gonna wrap it for my birthday gift from the kids! So I'll have to wait till the 19th to start building...RATS! I did get a chance to look at it, it does seem pretty well made, and I noticed the thin lead outs. The Tank I believe is 3.5oz.
This is killing me, I need to find out if a 25 size motor mount will fit (don't have) Could you measure yours and let me know what the width is? I'll figure out the width of the mounts, I'm thinking of a .25 rotated with Mac muffler down and out thu bottom of cowl, a fiberglass one to boot! Lots of power and a clean plane. If all else fails a FP 40 will go in, 3.5 oz. is ok on a straight two cycle. Hopefully we'll see at least three at Rockford this year!

Take out the contents and let your wife wrap the empty box.

> This is killing me, I need to find out if a 25 size motor
>mount will fit (don't have) Could you measure yours and let
>me know what the width is?

Here are the dimensions for the LA 25:

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXXD69&P=7

This has all the relevant measurements at the bottom of the page. Hope this helps...

A Fox 35 fits the mounts perfectly. Is that good enough for your needs?
Alan

Daaaaaarrrrn it!

I just checked my account at Tower. I guess they have more orders than kits. Mine didn't ship and I notice the due date is pushed back to late August.

Looking forward to the flight reports.

Mines out in the car. I showed it to some of the KC guys, actually, I grabbed them from the field early today and drug them to the hobby shop to pick it up.

Now, I sit here, at work, until probably 2 in the morning. Maybe I'll get the bench cleaned off tomorrow so I can start it.

LAST EDITED ON Jul-11-03 AT 08:45 PM (CDT) by ()
 
Mark,

You are right about the tank, it is only 3.5 oz. A 4oz Sullivan clunk will fit in, so I'm ok.

The mounts are a perfect fit for the Fox 35 and a Magnum 36, a little wide (but ok) for an LA25, and a little narrow for the OS35S and Brodak 40. I will need to shave the mounts a hair for my Brodak 40. I think the 40FP is about the same as the 35S (I think they fit the same mount, although the fp is a little longer.

Hi Alan,

I was thinking of wacking off the mounts and installing a R/C type mount but wonder if the firewall is wide enough. I thought of a Fox .35 with a O.S. type muffler (.25) that use to come with the FP40, or maybe a Big Art? but thinking more power.

It might work fine, but personally I wouldn't try bolting a Fox .35 to a radial mount.

The firewall is probably doorskin-type cheapo plywood anyway. I guess you could go for a radial mount if you are willing to rebuild the nose, but I'm thinkin' that defeats the purpose of an ARF. When you guys get your Nobler's together and engines installed, how about posting the CG and tailweight info, please? Steve

:)
Mine shipped, probably will get it Monday.
Bill

I didn't have any confidence in our LHS getting any, so I ordered one from Tower a few weeks ago. Turns out the local guys got eight in a shipment Thurs. and since I had told them I wanted one, I felt obligated to take it. Then today, the one I had ordered from Tower arived, so now I have two- what rotten luck! Ed:)

Your idea of using a Sullivan tank is interesting. I'm not so sure a Max-S 35 or a Brodak 40 will make it through the pattern on 3.5 oz of 10% nitro.

Which Sullivan tank are you using? Do you have to modify the engine bearers aft of the engine to get the tank height correct?

I may go your route.

Rick Campbell

LAST EDITED ON Jul-13-03 AT 08:31 AM (CDT)
 
FYI: My 1st Brodak 40 will not make it on 3 1/2 ounces of 5%. Don't have any of the others on planes yet but expect them to need 4 ounces also.

Received the Nobler yesterday. I noticed that some of the Monkote seams on the fuselage are not sealed down that well. I plan on rubbing some NO HEAT Monkote solvent down the seams with a Q-Tip to seal everything up. Willis Swindell called and he received his Nobler as well. Willis stated that the tank compartment and the engine area are both coated with some kind of sealer. I checked and he was correct. The model is built up very nice. I like it. A Brodak 40 is going to be installed. I can fly the pattern with around 3 ounces of 10%fuel with the Brodak 40. The size of tank should not cause a problem with that engine.

LAST EDITED ON Jul-13-03 AT 03:33 PM (CDT) by ()
 
Rick,
Just plan to use a the lightweigt Sullivan 4 oz tank. I adjust the height by tweaking the uniflow vent to the correct location. On my version of the clunk, the uniflow is just a copper tube bent out to nominally be in the little bulb protrusion on the top (RC orientation). For CL this bulb is outward. The pickup clunk is plumbed to near the back the tank. These seem to work ok for me.

Any updates?? Any flights???

I want one! I am located in Europe (the Netherlands). The importer in our country does not want to sell to individuals. The biggest hobby store said he can order them, but can not give a price. He said they wil be 20% more than the US price. My question is: what is the US price? Can anyone give me a site where they offer it an name the price? Bye, PP

For a U.S price check here:

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXDUM0&P=0

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXDVF3&P=0

For Canadian dollars try here:

http://www.greathobbies.com/scart/productinfo.php3?PartNumber=TOPA1005

http://www.greathobbies.com/scart/productinfo.php3?PartNumber=TOPA1000

Not sure on the shipping cost to EUR. But it is do-able I'd think if your willing to pay those costs.

Hope this helps.

Tower will not ship outside UK.

Ripmax will import to UK - Streak is £88, Nobler £149.

Tony

I'm going for great hobbies - still reckon it'll come in at under £149....

Of course that should've read Tower will not ship outside of US.

>Of course that should've read Tower will not ship outside of
>US.

Oh yes they do! I live in Auckland, New Zealand and have NO problems buying from Tower...

Lars Carlsson

My Nobler showed up at the house yesterday and I am 800 miles away in Goshen Indiana

Alan: Is this the tank you suggest? The Sullivan FRST-4 Rectangular Flextank?

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXFU60&P=7

:7
I got mine today. Boy is it ever nice. I may rethink my engine selection though. An OS .40 LA may be overkill for this one. Maybe an OS .32 F would work or a Webra .32.
Bill

LAST EDITED ON Jul-16-03 AT 09:07 AM (CDT) by ()
 
I am not sure about that particular one--it is very similar. The one I have has the little "bubble" part on the "top" side (the widest part) of the tank. That one looks like the bubble is on the narrow side (like it was meant to be mounted sideways in a narrow rc configuration. Of course it will work just fine, just ignore the bubble and plumb to the (CL) outboard side.

You could of course use the more rigid version, I don't think it weighs that much more. I like the flex version because I can see inside easier when I position the uniflow vent.

Alan

Added--here is the one I have

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXFU68&P=0

Got mine today. Good thing they double boxed it because it looked like it had been run over by a truck! Had a hole punched in the outer box and one corner crushed. But it was the corner where a little padding was. The decals are mylar and feel heavy. Time for some decal paper and a laser printer. I have a Randy Smith OS 35S I'm going to use.

I had ordered three from Tower, they all arrived today. I am impressed with the quaility of the building and covering. I do intend to change the leadouts, use different tank, and fabricate some monokote hinges.

I am here at work this afternoon, but am spending my time remaining at my desk sketching out color schemes. I am thinking of a PT-19ish old Army color scheme.

I received mine today and all my comments are in the section for product reviews. Mostly positive.