Radio and rx for RES ship ?

[mangas]

Hi all,
After a few years off the field due to family commitments etc. it's come back and bit me :D I'm over flying little indoor helis and I'm itching to build a 2.5mt wingspan RES, maybe something 80's classic, fg fuse, balsa wing ribs etc. I haven't decided what yet and still looking and getting ideas but as dollars are a bit of an issue I want to utilize the radio equipment I have. A Hitec Flash 5 and a Hitec Micro 555 receiver. I have an assortment of spare servos etc.
I already have a 2mt wingspan 2ch rudder/elevator poly which has been a great trainer and still flies nicely. The question I have for the group is can I use this radio and rx for the spoiler function on ch5? I noticed the 555 rx has ch5 socket allocated for the battery. I think I missed something along the way :confused: I'm assuming also that spoiler is an on/off function with the ch5 toggle switch on the radio?
thanks.

[dave440c]

Hi: You will most probably want the spoiler function on your throttle stick and elevator and rudder on your other stick. That's what most folks do so you can adjust the spoilers for an accurate landing or descent from speck height. :D

[schrederman]

I have a 2.5 meter RES model with one of those Castle 4-channel postage-stamp receivers. It is rock solid after about 2.5 years.

Jack

[atjurhs]

The 555 is a good Rx, and it will work fine with a RES. If you don't want to use the 555, send it to me, I'd be happy to use it in one of mine :)

If I recall correctly, channel 1 is for a motor, that's where you'd insert the spoiler servo lead into.

[mangas]

Thanks for the replies. Never flown a ship with spoilers so not sure how they're supposed to work. I was under the impression they're either up or down? By the sounds of it they can be adjusted. I guess this would mean the elevator would need to be compensated as well when using spoilers?

[atjurhs]

Yes, the elevator needs to compensate for when the spoilers are deployed. Be sure to test your elevator compensation settings at altitude so you will know how the plane will respond before you deploy the spoilers near the ground. You don't want the plane severely pitching up or down when you deploy the spoilers.

From the very beginning, learn NOT to think of the spoilers as an on/off switch. The throttle stick has many positions in between fully closed (frwd stick) and fully open (back stick). Use them all. That is, think of the throttle stick like the brake pedal on your car (only the throttle stick is pulled backwards not pushed forwards). The only time you would slam on the brakes is to prevent an accident, normally you slowly depress the brake pedal. Same thing with the throttle stick. Learn to slowly pull it back.

Todd

[mangas]

Thanks Todd, that's the answer I was looking for.
best regards,

[ecormier]

I learned in full-scale glider school to use spoilers to control rate of descent, and elevator to control airspeed. I find it also works well in RC.

Make it so that spoilers are deployed with the throttle stick DOWN. This will mimic the control inputs used to land a powered airplane. As was already mentioned, dial in some elevator compensation so that when you deploy spoilers, the glider will maintain roughly the same pitch angle.

Try this when you first practice landings: On final approach, with the glider coming towards you, try to keep the glider on the same spot in the sky (same angle relative to the horizon). Look at it the same way as an LSO on an aircraft carrier. If it moves up, deploy more spoilers. If it moves down, deploy less spoilers. Use elevator to maintain a brisk airspeed. If you let it get too slow, you will lose effectiveness of your rudder and you risk stalling if the wind slows down suddenly. If you do this perfectly, it will be at the height of your head when it reaches you and will land several yards past you. Don't flare like an airplane. Roundout to level flight, do a belly landing, and let the glider slide across the grass. The grass will quickly dissipate the glider's speed (especially if you have tow hook).

After practicing landing that way, you can start letting the glider move down slowly, on final approach, relative to a fixed point in the sky. After a while, you'll figure out by how much you need to do this so that the glider lands at your feet.

I hope this all makes sense. It's hard to describe with only words.

Landing is actually easier in full scale. You do the same thing, except you keep the landing point on the same spot on the windshield. Things happen much more slowly and you can know exactly what your airspeed is. I've crashed 0 times in full scale vs several times in RC. :D

If you already have powered airplane experience, or will have an instructor, then forget what I just said. :D

[aeajr]

Is that a Flash 5 or a 5X. The 5X is newer, 5 model memories.

Either can fly a RES glider, no problem. And the 555 is about as good as a 72 MHz receiver as was ever made. As said above, if you don't want it, send it to me. I will put it in my AVA.

I don't know the 5, but the 5X has glider settings. Treat your spoiler as if it was flaps when you look at the manual for the radio. Put it on the flap channel which should be channel 5. I think it has a flap to elevator mix, so you want to use that too.

I think it puts the flaps/spoiler on a 3 way switch and has elevator compensation mixing. So you would have a setting for no spoiler, some spoiler, more spoiler. Each setting would have some elevator compensation that you would adjust so that the plane does not dive when you deploy spoilers. How much is up to you and you will tune it over time.

A 3 way switch is MORE than adequate for sport flying and once you get used to it, it will work fine for competition flying too. You don't need fully variable flaps on the stick.

If it is a Flash 5X, you have all you need. If it is the Flash 5, you may still have all you need.

[mangas]

Thanks ecormier and aeajr,
Yeah my radio is the Flash 5X. It's good to know I won't be up for another radio. I like the idea of using the 3 way switch for spoilers instead of variable on the throttle stick, I think it'll be easier. Now to go through my servo stash and see if I have any good standard size ball bearing servos :)
cheers,
mangas

[aeajr]

Depending on what glider you get, standard sized servos may work well, but more typical of gliders is to use mini and micro servos. I often use Hitec so I will use their line as examples. Weight is everything and saving two to 4 ounces is usually worthwhile.

A standard servo it typically about 1.6 ounces. A mini, like an HS-81 is .6 ounces, so on 3 servos you save 3 ounces. Unless it helps you balance the plane you typically wnat to save that weight. But that is an opportunity, not a requirement.

For example, on a 2.5M bird I would probably use HS-85 ( .77 oz) or HS-81 (.56 oz) class servos for the R/E and 81s for the spoilers. If the budget is a little richer you can go for a digitals on R/E.

Of course that assumes that you don't need the weight in the nose. If you do, and you have the room, standard sized servos work great.

Are you going to use a hi-start?

Plan to build a kit?

www.skybench has a wonderful assortment of RES glider kits. The Big Bird or the Olly II, or IIS would be good choices.

Mountain Modelas as the Scepter 100
http://www.mountainmodels.com/product_info.php?cPath=25_28&products_id=178

Let us know how we can help.

If you have the budget, probably the best RES glider on the market would be the AVA. Available in 3 sizes, this is a competition grade plane that practically defies gravity. I have one.
http://www.kennedycomposites.com/ava.htm

[mangas]

Thanks, I haven't quite settled on a ship yet, but those suggestions and links are very handy. I have a hi-start and plan to build a kit hopefully with a ready made fg fuselage. I'm sure I also have some HS85MG's which can be put to good use. As this will be a bit of a project for which may take me a couple of months to do, in the meantime I'll put together an epp foamy for some quick carefree slope soaring.
Thanks for your help, it's much appreciated. When the time comes I'll be back to let you know what I've decided on.

[ozmo01]

Skip Miller is close to releasing a Bubble Dancer variant kit, from what I have read it will be SWEET :) I purchased all the parts independantly for one and would go with the kit if I had to do it again.