ARF Nobler bellcrank photo

LAST EDITED ON Jul-02-04 AT 12:37 PM (CDT)
 
Here 'tis, the long awaited photo of the impending failure bellcrank from an ARF Nobler. Got it posted with Leonard's help in getting it to fit the forum.
Kinda makes you want to wait for the Brodak Oriental. Prettier plane, better company, and no junk controls.

Jim: I believe that the only flaw with the Nobler bellcrank the leadouts.....the bellcrank is plasma cut and spun in sand or gravel or whatever things should be spun in to debur them.

Certainly replacing the bellcrank / leadouts is not that tough a job?

See Ya

I hope the Fox 3" bellcranks I have installed in several planes don't look like that! Makes one think about some sort of hatch over the crank so it can be inspected from time to time.

Floyd. We put Fox 3" bellcranks in a Bazillion Ukeys and never had a problem. We checked out the exposed bellcrams often and never had a problem. To the best of my knowledge, neither did any of our customers.
Joe

>Floyd. We put Fox 3" bellcranks in a Bazillion Ukeys and
>never had a problem. We checked out the exposed bellcrams
>often and never had a problem. To the best of my knowledge,
>neither did any of our customers.
>Joe

Joe,

Not to be a spoil sport, but FYI:

http://www.clstunt.com/htdocs/dcforum/DCForumID1/9542.html

This was one of the new models, and with a Brodak bell crank, so it might be apples and oranges...

Andy

>>Floyd. We put Fox 3" bellcranks in a Bazillion Ukeys and
>>never had a problem. We checked out the exposed bellcrams
>>often and never had a problem. To the best of my knowledge,
>>neither did any of our customers.
>>Joe
>
>Joe,
>
>Not to be a spoil sport, but FYI:
>
>http://www.clstunt.com/htdocs/dcforum/DCForumID1/9542.html
>
>
>This was one of the new models, and with a Brodak bell
>crank, so it might be apples and oranges...
>
>Andy

ANDY.....Joe has nothing to do with the new U-KEY'S. Joe's U-Key came with FOX Metal Bell Cranks and they’re PERFECT; for the weight and design. The New U-KEY with the Brodak Bell Cranks is a Perfect match also. HOWEVER, we found a bad one. Cost a Plane. The Bell Crank was defective when molded. SO If one is found maybe we can find more to get the bad ones out of the market.

Peabody that is a rather strange statement by you condsidering the photo of the bellcrank! Almost every ARF Nobler I've seen has had the bellcrank and leadouts changed out. You fly with it, the rest of us have made changes.

The first modification I made to my ARF Nobler was to the controls. I saw nothing wrong with the bellcrank except some obvious potential for wear. I drilled out the leadout holes and ran braided leadouts through copper tubing, and formed the copper tubing to go through the leadout holes. The pushrod hole was drilled out and bushed with brass. These techniques (along with the reasons for them) have been discussed on this forum several times.

Also, my Nobler has NO CLEVISES! The flap horn has 2 heavy-duty ball links and the rear clevis was recently replaced with a tried-and-true L-shaped piece of heavy spring wire (and 2 washers).

I think the controls are now pretty much bullet-proof. Time will tell.

Fred

Fred,
You are such a good boy.

I find it hard to believe that someone didn't notice the excess slop that would have to be generated by what appears to be 1/4 inch hole with a typical 1/16 inch pushrod. It didn't fail in one flight, me thinks.

Then again, ah can believe my lying eyes, ah suppose. Bizarre.

I say ban the ##### things outright. Or, at least stop producing them with the blue Navy markings. Only a bigger one could be uglier.

The change in handling qualities was the exact reason the ship was opened for inspection - and the abnormal wear noted........but just in time!

Well, that's a plus.

I just can't imagine aluminum of such quality that this would happen. As far as the texture, it's just bead blasted. Granted, rather course beads - or perhaps ground up asphalt. No problem there, as far as I'm concerned.

But after looking at the photo - I'd be afraid to use the stock unit. For whatever the reason, that just doesn't look right.

Unless you tell me that you're using old really thin chain saw blade files for pushrods. Granted, they'd be stiff. But a little hard on aluminum bellcranks.

Somehow, I doubt that are the case.

And btw?

I still think a Nobler done up in blue Navy get up is butt-ugly.

>I just can't imagine aluminum of such quality that this would happen.

This feels like what used to be called "pot metal" in the days before political correctness became the rage. Don't know why it was called "pot metal" as any pot made from such stuff would likely melt or break.
I think the metal formula was that whatever metal retrieved from melted down Yugos that was not used in the Daewoo was used for bellcranks.

Whatever combination was involved, well.....it didn't last! But I still won't buy into Jim P's conspiracy theory!!

Everyone that flies the Arf Nobler (even Bill Calkins who lost his) claims it is one of the best flying planes they have ever flown. I agree that the control system is cr*p, but the replacement cost is ~$10 (and it is trivial to do---and this is from someone who is still flying the Stock control system). Yes Top Flite was pretty ignorant about this, but they sure figured out the that an Arf Market exists in CL.

I am not sure if the Oriental has the flight characteristics of the Nobler -- and I am building a MAN plans built Oriental (after listening to The DIRT's comments in Stunt news over the last 5 years or so, so I don't think I am biased against the Oriental

As a matter of fact I am willing to buy the the Brodak Oriental or the Cardinal. I just wished I'd finish my own first!

I think the short version of my comment is that I see no reason to run down the Arf Nobler--it was the greatest thing since sliced bread for Intermediate fliers. I'll be happy to see the Brodak planes once they come out. I am just worried how I will convince the judges that my own built Oriental isn't an Arf!! (Has anyone figured out that yet?)

Sure. Cover it in clear $Kote.

>I am just worried how I will convince the judges that my own built Oriental isn't an Arf!! (Has anyone figured out that yet?)

The only ARF Oriental I have seen had a formed(fiberglass?)cowl. I believe this more or less belonged to or was set up by and the bugs worked out by forum contributor V12. A kit or scratch built Oriental will have a wooden cowl, or no cowl at all-I believe the original had no real cowl, just fuselage sides covering the engine from a side view. Anyway, it should be easy to spot as an ARF, just like the ARF Nobler is with it's formed cowl.

I'm not knocking the Nobler but in a beauty contest with the Oriental,most objective judges would likely give the nod to the Oriental.

Not to mention that I would much rather John B. get my coins than Gas Pains.

How about a vote on:
1. Which model is more eye appealing
2. Whether or not the doomed to fail control system is a massive and super secret conspiracy between Great Planes and the Peoples Republic of China.

Can't buy into your conspiracy theory, Jim! Quite an imagination! We're flying at 1430 hours this afternoon and the city has cut our grass!

"I am just worried how I will convince the judges that my own built Oriental isn't an Arf!! (Has anyone figured out that yet?)"

Alan,
Convincing the judges that you are not flying an ARF is one reason I finally got off my duff and finished my Brodak Pathfinder kit. Even though the Brodak Pathfinder ARF isn't out yet, I was still getting some questions at the club field and at the SIG contest asking if my plane was a Brodak ARF or ARC. Hopefully my plane is "grand-fathered " in now.
Dennis

Alan, at one contest I took out my ARF Nobler that had been recovered with sillkspan and Japanese tissue and I have made a new cowl like the kit version. On the rudder I used dry transfers 1/4 inch high and put on 57 ARF in white on the blue rudder. It still has the ugly , off set landing gear and those mud tires, yet two judges came out to give it appearance points and they actually wanted to argue that it wasn't an ARF. They thought I was pulling their legs. So, it will be hard to prove a kit version is not an ARF unless it is very obvious and here is where being honest comes into play.

It looks like the bellcrank was made from unhardened aluminum (O grade) rather than T3, T4, or T6. The burring around the hole suggests that. If it were hardened, it would simply have worn away instead of burred.

"SAVE ALL THE PIECES"-Phil Brown