Newbie - Pleae HelpMe !! Trying To Fly My New Pico-Cub

[Passing Wind]

Oh go on then...Do I get a free plane ?

I am getting fairly comfortable flying/landing now, with the cub anyway.

I am building a Zagi at the moment for slope soaring, can't fly it atm though because all the slopes I am near are closed because of foot and mouth.

I am having to fly the cub on a sports field with rugby posts which is quite fun, I have been training my depth perception flying through the posts, I even had inverted flight through them, it's a bit hairy getting the club the right way up again though. I don't bother trying to ROG anymore, the cub is so light the slightest bump throws her off course.

I went to Long marston airfield last weekend and they had a JET club fly in there. Pretty amazing stuff. There were jet planes the size of my car and boy were they quick. I take my hat of to the pilots flying them, Impressive !!

Regards....




[This message has been edited by Passing Wind (edited 03-15-2001).]

[sav]

Passing wind

its a shame to stop at 200

I know what would happen if I tried to fly through a rugby post and upside down.

so whats the trick for getting the cub inverted. do you pull up and do a half loop or can you get it over with a roll.

[Clive Henry Jones]

I was wondering that too - and doesn't the now anhedral orientation of the wings make the aircraft want to "roll over" to upright?

Clive.

[Passing Wind]

Dive Dive Dive..

To get the cub inverted get yourself plenty of altitude then dive until you have a fair amount of airspeed then tip it all the way over. I found that once she was inverted she held her alt with fullpower. To right her again, full rudder and she "falls right" not exactly a roll or very scale but she'll do it. And to mention the Dihedral of the wing, I actually built her with too much, 13 degrees to be precise.

I am re-building her at the mo, I flew at long marston again this weekend in way too much wind, I chucked her and she shot up to about 100' and just soared there for about 4-5 mins then came down fast and hard, hit the runway and flipped over breaking the gear and elevator. All this and I didn't even power her up. I quite fancey the cub as littled soarer......

Happy Landings

[This message has been edited by Passing Wind (edited 03-21-2001).]

[jerrysimon]

Glad you guys are keeping this going http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/smile.gif

Work really is just getting in the way at the moment http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/frown.gif

Still need to do some posts on my newly aquired G2 simulator and Supernova charger.

G2 does not come with a Cub standard, so you have to buy an addon. You can then change it in every way so the physics/flying characteristics can mimic a Pico Cub http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/biggrin.gif

Regards

Jerry

[This message has been edited by jerrysimon (edited 03-23-2001).]

[jerrysimon]

Hey I notice the adds are appearing for the Cub floats as well http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/biggrin.gif

Anyone here purchased a set yet ?

Jerry

[sav]

no not yet, even if I did get them at the moment I'm restricted to where I could use them as the best place is of limits because of F&M.

I flew my easy pigeon this weekend because it was to windy for the cub. This plane is a speed 600 1.8M glider,Its a lot faster than the cub and makes a amazing sound as it flies past at speed.

[Passing Wind]

Sav

What packs do you use with your easy pigeon, I have a windstar 2m span which came with a 540 motor as stock, but the brushes have gone and the unit is sealed so they cannot be replaced. I was recommended a replacement 540 that is used in cars. How does the speed 600 perform?, i am using 7 cell 2000 & 1700mah packs (c size).

Jerry

Have you got round to using those nimh cells yet, I'd love to know how they perform.

[sav]

passing wind

I'm using 6*1700mah pack's,I thought I'd made
the wrong choice at first but they worked really well. I was concerned that if I used 7 or more that they may be to much weight.I was told that if I wanted to replace it with a hotter 600 I should try the typhoon from overlander.

Its a lot faster than I thought it would be so at the moment I'm going to keep it stock.

my biggest problem at the moment is that I keep lossing to much height when I turn. I've not quite got the hang of feeding in up elevator in at the right time.

[jerrysimon]

Passing wind,

The new NIMH cells are for my Wattage Hawk not the PC.

I have flown (and crashed) it once so can't really say how long they last. The trouble is as some warned me, the WH is much faster than the PC.

I also have a new seven cell set of Sanyo 1100mAh for my PC which I have not flown since the F&M outbreak here in the UK.

Regards

Jerry

[This message has been edited by jerrysimon (edited 03-27-2001).]

[Passing Wind]

Looking at pics of the Wattage hawk it looks a LOT faster than the cub = The need of a LOT more space. I am having to revert to flying on the local rugby field which isn't a problem with the cub, but nowhere near open enough for my glider. It is situated at the the top of a loooong gentle slope so when there is a northerly wind I can actually soar her for ages without using any throttle.

I am now looking for something faster, I have the zagi(slope)but cannot find any decent slope open so I was thinking about a pico jet. The trouble is there are so many different models out there .............

[Passing Wind]

I forgot to mention...

I saw a real Piper Cub flying last week and I was amazed how scale the pico cub really flys !!!

[rcracer_xxxt_futaba]

this is BIG! 212 post!

[sav]

sure is

Had a great flight this Sunday I thought it would be too windy for the cub so I took the pigeon instead.

I had a awesome flying session I got the plane up around 400ft at a guess not sure it's hard to tell. My first flight lasted about 40 mins. I Finally figured out where the lift is coming from it looks like the lift is caused by the wind hitting the side of the sports hall and going upwards.

well If it's carm tonight I might get to fly the cub


[This message has been edited by sav (edited 04-02-2001).]

[Passing Wind]

hehe,

Just come back from a flight round the corner at the local sports field. What a beautiful morning, the wind picked up quick though!!

Nearly lost it twice, first I flew into the sun where she blended in quite nicely....and disapeared... then I went for a turbulent downwind turn and she just nose dived fast but managed to level her at about 6ft..

After both my packs ran down and my car/charger 10 mins walk away I resolved to get another pack tommorrow .....hmmm maybe an 8cell...........

[sav]

no cub flying for me it was a to windy so I took the pigeon instead.

I use a small sealed lead acid battery at the field like the glow guys use for there prop starters it's a 7.5Ah capacity and it's not to heavy.

I can get to a field which is a 10 mins walk with it and all my flying kit ie cub,tx,batteries,charger etc

[leccyflyer]

Passing Wind

Not at all not at all http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/smile.gif

We had a great day's Pico Cubbing yesterday - I doubt I had a full minute on the sticks all day- the grass was a little too long for ROG and it was pretty gusty so I took control of the hand launches but my son flew the rest of all the other sorties.

By the end of the day he was feeling pretty pleased with himself. All his landings were perfect (if a few were a little far out on the field) and the Pico Cub suffered no damage at all.

Good luck with your repairs and get that Cub back in the air http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/wink.gif

cheers

Brian

[This message has been edited by leccyflyer (edited 04-17-2001).]

[This message has been edited by leccyflyer (edited 04-17-2001).]

[Passing Wind]

It's all gone quiet !

Have you all had enough of your cubs ?

I must post that my Windstar came to a sad 'Violent' end this weekend.

I took out all of the weight (200 odd grammes) and repositioned the battery to compensate giving me a much lighter glider.

However, on sunday the wind was MUCH stronger and being determined as ever i decided that i was going to fly anyway. Bad Mistake.

I lobbed her into (about 30 mph) wind and she just shot skyward and then to the left. the poor rudder just couldn't cope with the amount of wind on the bottom of the wing and couldn't compensate. She hit the deck VERY fast and exploded : (

Got some spare gear for a twinstar now though : ) : ) : ) : )


[This message has been edited by Passing Wind (edited 04-17-2001).]

[sav]

The cub is still in favour I got some flying in on fri 1 session with the cub it was carm but a bit cold and another with the pigeon. Then no flying untill monday I took out my champion HLG and put in a new RX and took it out for a quick test.

sorry to here about your windstar.

any plans for a replacment

[jerrysimon]

Hi guys sorry I am still here. God I hate this work thing! Gets in the way of flying.

Anyway now that restrictions on our parks here in sunny Swindon have been relaxed, I have been out flying.

I have reverted back to my Cub (the Hawk is too fast).

Went out last Friday for the first time in about 3 weeks. As some of you know I have purchased Realflight G2 and has IT made a difference.

I now find I can fly (after a hand launch) for the full battery life before landing.

I tried the new batteries out and my daughter timed the 500ARs (7) and 1100 E's ? (AA *7). Basically the ARs are better performers but last only 5 mins the 1100's last 10mins http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/cool.gif but are a little more sedate.

I love my Cub http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/biggrin.gif

Now I want to build one with ailerons!

Anyway after 4 months I think I now deserve my Cub flying wings.

Things learnt :

1. Keep it in close
2. Keep some height
3. Small stick movements only
4. Learn to hand launch before ROG
5. Practise on a computer sim
6. Check check and double check all your plane/radio before launching.
7. COG is essential check it add the ballast as required.
8. I most importantly don't give up http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/biggrin.gif

Regards

Jerry

I had loads of spectators and it was great to fly without crashing. A young lad asked if he could "drive it".


[This message has been edited by jerrysimon (edited 04-18-2001).]

[leccyflyer]

Rarch

Welcome to the ezone and congratulations on your learning curve with your Pico Cub.

Do you have the geared or ungeared motor? The geared motor is likely to improve penetration into wind but other than adding some heavier cells to ballast the Cub then these lightweight models are always going to be buffeted by the wind.

Dropping the amount of dihedral and adding ailerons will serve to make the Pico Cub less stable- needing more hands-on flying and the weight of the extra servo etc would ballast her a touch as well.

Unless you make the Pico Cub heavier though I guess she will still be blown about and making the Pico Cub heavy has other disadvantages- higher stall speed, more inertia in an arrival, reduced flight times.

If you fly her in the wind like you have been doing that will make you a much better pilot. Some days it will be too windy to get any penetration and then just like the real Cub pilot you might have to sit that dance out.

good luck

Brian

[RArch]

Thanks for your reply Brian.

I have indeed got the recommended gearbox (1:2.33) and prop (17x16cm) fitted. My battery pack is 7x800mAh Sanyo AR's. Could I use 8 cells on the supplied motor?

Like you state adding more weight may just change the problem http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/smile.gif

Would changeing the motor to a 480 help and uping the cells?

Thanks

[leccyflyer]

Rarch

Yes going to 8 cells would definitely give you a bit more penetration into wind with the geared set up. I honestly have never felt the need to go to a 480 - don't like to lose duration you see.

We use both 6 cell and 8 cell 700AAs in our Pico Cub. If you make the pack up or have it made up in a 3-3-2 formation then it should be a nice snug fit in the battery compartment with no modification needed.

cheers

Brian

[Passing Wind]

Absoulutley
For me duration is more important than power, Once I'm up I try to keep at 1/2 throttle for the rest of the flight and am still able to gain altitude fairly well and loop.

It's probably better not to learn with loadsa power, I suppose you learn not to depend on it and more on the wings to fly the plane!

I want to buy a new plane this week and I can't decide what to get. I Keep coming to the decision that I want a twinstar but I have never flown with ailerons before.

I have spare a 7channel futaba (standard) reciever, rc line 35a speed control, 2
standard servos, 2 7cell 8.4 2000mah packs.

What can I stick that lot in?

cheers


[This message has been edited by Passing Wind (edited 04-18-2001).]

[RArch]

I have been following this post on ezone with great interest for some time and feel its about time I joined in.

I recently bought a Pico Cub, on which I have learned to fly and I have so far soloed 6 times! If I can count taking off and landing after doing one circuit because of gusting wind. I find the wind is a real heartache as the PC easily gets blown around.

Would reducing the dihedral by 50-75% and adding ailerons help?

Thanks in advance.

[leccyflyer]

It looks like a Twinstar is indeed in your future. I don't have one myself but from what I've read it should go on that gear. It would probably go better on 8 cell packs but will work okay on 7 and it is a good aileron trainer. I might be inclined to replace the standard servos with HS-81s but that's just me as I never use standard servos in electric models these days.

It would be worthwhile to do a search in the Foamies forum or stick a question up on the use of that gear but it sounds do-able to me.

cheers

Brian

[Clive Henry Jones]

Yeah, go with the TS.
Use the Std servos on elevator and rudder and buy HS81's for ailerons.
The TS comes with motors/props as standard so no extra expense there.
Quite a few of my friends have TS's, and they certainly out perform my PicoCub in every way, apart from slow speed handling and touch and goes. The Cub can also ROG too, unlike the TS (Someone is gonna correct me on this - I can see it coming! :-) )
So for fifty quid for the model and twenty eight for the HS81's, you could be flying a modern day classic!

Clive.

[Passing Wind]

Nice one chaps,

Today I buy a Twinstar + Paint, I thinks I can see a WW2 Bomber in creation

Thanks

Dean

[jerrysimon]

I also found wind a problem when learning to fly the cub, (that sounds rude)

Anyway sorry to harp on about Realflight G2 but you can set various wind levels in the software and that has helped me in real life.

On batteries, I had never thought of going up to 8 cells. The 7*AA 1100 AE's are definately my favourite with as I said above 10 min of flight at fuill throttle. Guess I could better this with more economic throttle control.

Ok guys tell me what's your best flight duration/cell set up ?

Regards

Jerry

PS Re my job I may be moving to Cambridge do any of you guys fly/know good sites for flying around there.

[leccyflyer]

Jerry

At a guess I would say the 7 cell set up is the optimum compromise between power-weight and duration. I haven't tried a seven cell pack but have tried both 6 and 8 cell packs and the 8 cell provides more than enough umph. You could also substitute NiMh cells (say 1100s or 1300s) for the NiCds and greatly improve duration with no net weight gain but that would benefit from adding an extra cell to a 7 cell pack.

If I even put the leads on my Whattsmeter I'll do some tests of the geared Multiplex L400 with various packs.

cheers

Brian

[jerrysimon]

Brian,

Yes good idea the NiMh cells would increase flight time with no weight addition.

I will have a look on the Overlander web site. Now I also have a SUPERNOVA charger it should handle them as well no problem http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/biggrin.gif

I think I need this new job to afford the cost of this new hobby!

Regards

Jerry.

[jerrysimon]

Well from the Overlander site :
www.overlander.co.uk/new/default.asp (http://www.overlander.co.uk/new/default.asp)

I currently have 7 SanyoAA 1100mAh from them. (£2.65 & 24gms each )

They do some Sanyo 1500 AA NiMh (£3.00 & 26gms each i.e. 14gms heavier for a 7 pack) which may give longer flights ? They have quite reasonable current draw as well.

Regards

Jerry

[leccyflyer]

Jerry

I have one of the Overlander Sanyo 1500AA NiMh 7 cell packs in my Zagi and get 15 minute flights with that direct driving a Gunther 5xwhatever it is prop ;. The only thing is that the pack is 1/2 inch too long to fit in the Pico Cub battery compartment without modifying it- IIRC you have already modified yours. Maybe I'll do the same.

The 7 cell Overlander 1500NiMh pack weighs 205g whilst the 8 cell Overlander 1300NiMh pack weighs 210g (but I haven't replaced the Tamiya connector yet) - so there is nothing in it weight wise.

cheers

Brian

[RArch]

Thanks for your quick reply Brian.

Sounds like 8 cells would be better for the wind. I'd like to try the PC with 8 cells but my little charger only handles 7 maximum. So for now I will leave it as it is and hope for better weather. I’ll drop the 480 idea to keep duration like Passing Wind says.

I too have been looking at the Twin Star as my 2nd plane, if that requires 8 cells then maybe I'll get the Super Nova charger and the extra cells sooner http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/smile.gif

I bought the easyFly simulator and found that has increased my confidence no end. Like Jerry and others have said a simulator is a great investment.

R

[jerrysimon]

Oh Sh**

Well I am now really getting the hang of this to the point where I can fly continuoulsy do loop the loops, touch and goes and get through two sets of nicads recharge and fly again http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/biggrin.gif.

Well that is what I thought http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/frown.gif

Once I had gone round and round as above I then tried to get more adventeous. I thought I know I do will do a loop, hold it half way over and fly upside down http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/biggrin.gif

But! did not have enough height. Not too bad damage. Wheels came down on the wing and sliced through 3/4 of it. Gear box ( it was getting old and bent anyway) is a write off and wait for it, snapped the ruddy prop again!

Anyway I need to practice that more on the PC sim first, or perhaps fit ailerons.

Soon be fixed up and flying again http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/biggrin.gif

Take care all. Have fun!

Jerry.

[RArch]

Jerry, Sorry to hear your PC came to a quick stop! http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/eek.gif

I was out flying my PC too today. It must have been the best day yet for a long time! I had 3 flights this afternoon in between watching some others fly, I'm still flying circuits, squares, ovals, eights and any other direction it heads http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/smile.gif Flights were 5-8 minutes long.

On my way home, I was thinking about what Brian said in an earlier post about 8 cells. So I detoured to my local model shop and bought 2 extra cells (700mAh’s, I thought I had 800's!) for my 2 packs and the all important Supernova charger http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/smile.gif Off home I went and rebuild my packs so they now have 8 cells.

Back to the flying field I went with two fully charged packs, ROG's were fast and easier with the extra power. I also did my first loop the loop http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/biggrin.gif I would certainly recommend running 8 cells I was using less then half throttle to keep it flying which has lead to an increased flying time. I must remember to time it accurately.

I am a bit concerned running the standard motor on 8 cells. Can it handle the extra voltage? Isn’t the motor rated at 6 volt http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/confused.gif

[jerrysimon]

RArch,

Eight cells sounds interesting especially for ROG. I had not thought about the extra power and how that would help it. I think eight cells are ok on the stock 6V motor. They may reduce it's life slightly, but then they are not that expensive to replace. Do search on EZone there loads about it. If you move up to 1100mAh nicads you will definately get longer flights 10-12mins.

What do you think about the SuperNova ?

Have you got wing struts ?

Loop the loops are fun http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/biggrin.gif I just need to make sure that I have plenty of height to recover if things go wrong http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/frown.gif

Regards

Jerry

[leccyflyer]

Originally posted by RArch:
[
I am a bit concerned running the standard motor on 8 cells. Can it handle the extra voltage? Isn’t the motor rated at 6 volt http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/confused.gif[/B]

Rarch

Glad you found the improved performance to your liking. I wouldn't be too concerned about running your 6v motor on 8 cells - it probably will burn itself out a bit quicker but that isn't a problem.

My philosopy (learned here) on e-flight with cheap ferrite motors is to consider your batteries as the equivalent of your IC engine and consider your cheap motor as the equivalent of your glow fluel. Permax 6V Speed 400 motors are £2.95 - £3.95 depending on where you are getting them from- that is a whole bunch cheaper than a gallon of GX-5 http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/biggrin.gif When the motor dies then it is time to replace it - you will know when that is by the reduced performance. Correctly run in and frequently lubricated 6v motors will last for a good while.

cheers

Brian

[RArch]

Jerry,

Do you fly till the motor cuts? How do you time it, I was thinking of getting a digital egg timer that counts down to a buzzer, as my TX does not have any timing facility.

As for the SuperNova, I think its great it’s just “Plug n Play” with NiCads. I have now been through the leaflet manual on how to set up other batteries, which wasn’t that complicated and you can record the charge settings for your Ni-MH batteries. Just one question I assume the battery type Pb are lead acids?

I don’t have any struts on my PC, but I have used a strip of coloured duck tape (about 2” wide) on the top & bottom LE and the bottom of the TE. This should help a bit to stop the wing snapping as well as making it more visible from the ground. I can tell which it is heading much easier now that the bottom side of the wing has two stripes http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/smile.gif


Brian,

I never ran in my motor http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/redface.gif I didn’t hear about that till it was fitted in the model with the gearbox so I just gave it a few minutes running at half throttle. I’ll run in the next one http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/smile.gif Now you have got me thinking so more, how do you lubricate these motors and with what?

Thanks Guys

Another thing, which way round does the under carraige go? I have been using it with the wheels under the LE, when its turned the other way the wheels are in front of the LE.


[This message has been edited by RArch (edited 04-22-2001).]

[SJ]

Hi there...

Im also new to electrics , but have flown glow planes 6-7 times so i would hardly call myself good at flying.

I have just recently bought the PC and have just flown it today. WOW :-)It fly´s exelent. I flew the first 2 times with my instructor, then another 3 times on my own (because my instructor went home and i just couldn´t resist not to fly :-) )

I have been reading this thread with great interest, and have learned quite a lot of stuff from reading you guys good/bad experiences.

I have flown with 3 different battery packs today.

6x600AE mAh
7x800AE mAh
7x1400AE mAh

Flying with 6 cells is rather slugish, and because they dont way verry much they made the PC be more sensetive to wind gusts.

7 cells are much better to fly with, and with the 1400mAa cells the PC weighs a bit more which makes it fly smoother, and longer.

Well, thats what i have learned today anyway. :-)
Just thought i wanted to share my experiance with you guys on my PC.

I have built it almost stock, with the geared motor the multiplex recommends (speed 400 6V with 2:3,3 17,5/16cm Gunther prop)
I have not built struts on mine yet.

I was just wondering how you guys keep the batteries in place ? I cant seem to find anything in the manual exept the Velcro tape.

I dont use the velcro because it is too hard to change batteries, so i have just cut out some cardboard and hold it on with rubber bands from the strust that hold the landing gear in place.

well, that my 2 cents :-)

keep up the good work and flying.....

[leccyflyer]

Hi Sj

Welcome to the ezone and Pico Cubbery

For good solid battery retention I can recommend a short velcro seat belt- which can be made up with a length of hook and a length of eye velcro each about four inches long, stapled together with about a one inch overlap. Make sure that the hooks are on the opposite side to the eyes and use the non-adhesive type from the haberdashery.

These can then be stapled to the wooden undercarriage mount doublers with a few ordinary office staples- simply put the battery pack in the battery bay, ensure that your seat back is in the upright position with the central armrest down and fasten your battery seat belt. This neatly holds the battery cables in place as well. I can put a digital piccie up if anyone can't get the basic idea.

Okay chaps here is the digital piccy as promised http://members.aol.com/Leccyflyer/myhomepage/zagiseatbelt.jpg
note that the velcro is stapled face-to-face and then can be stapled to the side walls of the battery compartment. Wrap the ends around the battery and it isn't going anywhere.


Rarch

The motor can be lubed with any light machine oil- such as sewing machine oil or the green stuff that RC car racers use - which comes with a nice applicator- just a single small drop on the bearings at each end of the motor can makes a difference- quieter and more revs.

hth

Brian

[This message has been edited by leccyflyer (edited 04-24-2001).]

[This message has been edited by leccyflyer (edited 05-19-2001).]

[sav]

hi sj

I use velcro and also put card over the
gap as you described. I also pack in some bubble wrap. I've checked to see if everything gets to hot but it seems to be ok.

jerry

I've also pranged by gear box this weekend

I goofed my landing and ended up going into some long grass. The cub did a nice roll end over end. which resulted in a bent prop shaft.The prop it's self was ok

[jerrysimon]

Damn just lost my post http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/mad.gif

[jerrysimon]

Right I will try again.

Anyone been flying this weekend ?

Well I did and what an idiot I feel.

The postman turned up with a new motor and gearbox, spare gearbox and 3 props on Saturday.

Fitted it all and charged up my batteries in the evening ready to go out Sunday morning. After my last crash I had also dislodged the servo/tray, so I also had to glue that back in. However I glued it in the wrong way round so the servos where slightly further away, but fortunatley the control rods ? where still long enough.

Sunday 7:00am sun shinning it was a beautiful start to the day. Almost spiritual http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/wink.gif

But I have still not learnt the golden rule before you fly, check, check and double check your control surfaces first. I did check they worked but had overlooked that becasue the servos were now reversed so were the controls http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/redface.gif

I hand launched pulled back on the elevator stick, plane dives towards ground http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/eek.gif push forward it lifts, pull right to recover but hey! right is now left. Tail smashes into the groung breaking off a tail feather and spins over to break my first of three props http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/mad.gif

They cost £1.99 each.

Anyway after a 15 second flight I was back home by 7:30am. I did fix it, reversed the switches on my TX and had two great flights in the evening http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/biggrin.gif

BTW where do you guys buy your Multiplex motors/gear box and special props for the PC ? I get them from West London Models no where else seems to have them. E+G £11.95 G only £7.95 and as I said prop £1.99. Anyone got a cheaper source ? I know I am cheap but all these broken props are mounting up.

Regards

Jerry

[This message has been edited by jerrysimon (edited 04-30-2001).]

[sav]

jerry

I managed to get a couple of flight's in this weekend in between showers and some stong wind.

may be you should put a sticker on saying

"check your control surfaces and motor"

I always check mine even when I change battery.

how many props have you broke ?

[jerrysimon]

Props ? I don't know about 10-15. Maybe I should get a folding prop.

Jerry

[leccyflyer]

Wow Jerry that's a lot of props http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/frown.gif

Not sure which folder you could use- the Pico Cub nose is much too chunky to let a prop fold back very much in any case.

I doubt you'll get them or the 400L gearbox much cheaper than at WLM - they're a Multiplex main dealer and their prices look better than average. I've never seen so much Multiplex stuff in one place.

The best prop saver is to land on the wheels rather than the nose - plus it is free - and with the rate of progress you've had so far it won't be very long before those prop bills get a lot smaller I bet http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/smile.gif

good luck

Brian

[sav]

10/15 - wow

That's a lot of props.

are you going in at full power nose first or is it sometimes landing then tipping over.

[jerrysimon]

That's about 10-15 props since I started back in Jan. I find that I am ok for a couple of weeks and then suddenly I break 2 or 3 in one go.

As you say it should get less now.

You are right a folding prop would not work on the PC http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/redface.gif

Regards

Jerry

[jerrysimon]

Sav,

Usually when I get confident and try some aerobatic stunt flying upside down etc.

Now I am just playing safe, low fly passes, loop the loop at a high altitude etc.

Regards

Jerry

[sav]

I'm a bit like that I seem to be ok for a while then I have a bad patch. I've had a bad patch on landings at the moment.I've tried the odd loop but no low passes.

[Passing Wind]

hello chaps

Glad to c u r still having fun with your cubs

I had a good day's flying at loing marston this weekend, perfect still air, excellent for then cub !!

I can now fly comfortably at about 6 inches from the ground, I enjoy low level flying much more although there is NO room for error. You can't beat a touch and go where you land and fly (tail up wheels down) for a ten feet or so then powering back up.

[LeeKeyes]

For the last 1&1/2 hours, I have read every posting and looked at every picture/stream on this thread. It started out with a sore leg and a decision to check e-mail at an unGodly hour. Set up a search on YAHOO for a Pico-Cub and........WOW!!!
This is so transcendental.....I have just ordered a P-C and expect it tomorrow...er, today. I am 54 years old and just decided to try R/C'ing to fill my time.
I really feel that all the trials and tribulations (especially of Jerry) has given me hope and inspiration. I have plunged into this endeavor with reckless abandon and was (still) fearful of my decision. I wasn't even clever enough to order a RTF package....doing it by bits and pieces from different vendors. It is all scheduled to arrive in the next few days.....I may be still awake by then. I am going to try every suggestion on this thread. Jerry's adventures may pale in comparison to mine....absolutely no experience, online ordering of all components, no help locally, a terrain with nothing but mountains and trees, limited physical ability to track down wayward Cubs....the list is endless.
All I can say is it's good to know that others have gone before.

The future is now.....thanks to everyone.

Lee Keyes

[leccyflyer]

Hi Lee

Welcome to the ezone and best of luck with your Pico Cub - excellent choice.

If this is your very first ever RC model it has to be said that the Pico Cub instructions are not really up to snuff so please ask here if anything isn't clear at all. For me the real achilles heel in the instructions is the rather poor information supplied regarding fitting the wing reinforcement plate- I myself thought it was a battery compartment hatch when I opened the kit. So I did a fairly scruffy little sketch after the question was asked on the RC newsgroup
http://hometown.aol.co.uk/leccyflyer/myhomepage/games.html

which I hope will supplement the instructions and make them a bit clearer.

Remember, any problems at all just ask- you'll probably get an answer on the ezone within a very short time.

cheers

Brian

[sav]

hi

LeeKeyes welcome to the E-zone like leccyflyer say's any questions we are happy to help.

sav

[LeeKeyes]

Hello again

Well, I'm still waiting for the Pico-Cub package and the rest of the necessary equipment. Here in West Virginia, delivery services don't always live up to expectations.

I've ordered the following equipment:
Pico-Cub
Hitec Focus 3 w/HS-81 servos
Great Planes C-20 ESC
MPY345 2:1 gearbox
9-6 Slowflyer props
6 cell 1100 NiMH pack
Graupner Ultramat 5 charger
necessary connectors/wires
It has just dawned on me that I've NOT ordered any epoxy....hope the local hardware store has something suitable.

I'm still in full-out anticipation mode.

I would like to thank those who welcomed me to EZONE. It was/is a pleasant surprise.

Will try to post the highlights (low as well) without becoming a word narcissis (sp?).

Thanks again,
Lee

[LeeKeyes]

MY P-C HAS ARRIVED.....

Construction has started although in fits and bits. Already have a question.

I am planning on using a MPI gearbox and right now I notice the prop doesn't turn in the same direction as direct drive.

It would seem to me that just reversing the battery leads would solve the problem...HOWEVER..the ESC I am using requires soldering a Schottsky diode from the + and - leads on the motor. The instructions warn of dire consequences if the wrong polarity is applied.

Neither the intructions for the ESC or motor give me any help. Is there a solution short of going back to the direct drive?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Lee

[leccyflyer]

Hi Lee

Yes you do just reverse the leads from the speed controller to the motor - the positive wire from the ESC goes to the negative terminal on the motor.

The polarity of the Shlottky diode follows the polarity of the speed controller- the motor is largely irrelevant. So if you just solder the positive of the shlottky diode (it should be marked with a broad band) to the terminal which the positive wire from the ESC goes to, then the negative lead to the other one and you should be in business.

Funnily enough someone asked just the same question over in the modelling science forum.

cheers

Brian

[sav]

LeeKeyes

I just noticed your battery choice 6 cell 1100 NiMH pack I'd use a 7 cell pack. I don't think you will get enough power from the 6 cell Nimh.

[SJ]

Hi again

I just had a great day at the field with my PC.
For the first time i made a loop with the PC, and it is good at it :-)
But i did run into problems. After a few loops and a bit of recless flying, my wing-strut came loose and tore a chunk of foam out of the wing. Epoxy´d it together again and was flying within 5 min. :-)
And i broke my landing gear. The epoxy that i glued it together with just couldn´t hold it. So now i have soldered it together.Hope it will hold now.
I have also been using different batteries.
(which weigh differently) and found out that the PC fly´s verry bad when the CG is too far back. The ideal place for the CG is when you balance the PC with your fingers on the wooden wing spar, then the nose should point slightly downwards. The reason for my CG was too far backwards, is that i tried some 1600mAh NiMh batteries which weigh a little less than my 1400mAh NiCd Bat.

Well, that´s my flight report :-)

[LeeKeyes]

Greetings.....

First things first....thanks to leccyflyer and sav for their help. It was greatly appreciated.

All parts and equipment are now in house.

Construction of the P-C is proceeding...very slowly. Spent most of the day tracking down electrical leads and superglue (CA). Not available in my community, surprisingly.

I will not win any style points for my construction, but have only committed one blunder so far. I won't bore with details but it involves the landing gear, the tires, and superglue.

While purchasing the battery connectors at RadioShack, I picked up an eight cell 700 mah NiCad on their bargain table. It's a flat config but the price was cheap and I can always use it as a landing skid.

Soldered all the caps and diodes on the motor. I haven't soldered for a long time, but remembered to have a tight mechanical connection first. Made a very home-made motor stand, assembled the gearbox and 9x6 prop and let it rip.

On only the second charge, the 6-cell 1100 mah NiMH gave me over TEN minutes at FULL throttle before the ESC shut it down. While I don't know how much thrust was produced, it seemed to have plenty of pull.

The NiCad only gave me about 3 & 1/2 minutes and really didn't sound to be working any harder. Time will tell, I guess.

Another question.....does the the propeller shaft have to be in a straight line relationship with the fuselage....or is some angle desired?

Time to give it a rest for the day.

Thanks again,
Lee

p.s. I don't think my next plane will have ANY styrofoam in it!!!!!!

[leccyflyer]

Hi Lee

Sounds like you have it sorted out and you'll be airborne in no time.

The thrust line on the Pico Cub has a fair bit of downthrust which is fixed automatically when you mount the motor&gearbox assembly to the motor plate- you don't need to alter that in any way.

It's probably best not to overdo running the motor at full throttle in a test stand - these are only cheapo ferrites and can get a bit warm - though on six cells it shouldn't be overworked. You'll find out about motor break-in techniques from the ezone if you read about them in the FAQ at the top of the page.

Good luck

Brian

[LeeKeyes]

Greetings all....

Well, except for the decals, my Pico Cub is now finished....not the best style job...but finished none the less.

It will be several days before I get my first crash attempt. Weather, cleaning my house, and other comittments come first.

I made two changes to the plans: first I taped the cowling on instead of glueing. I used transparent wrapping tape that is close to invisible and is somewhat strechable. This was because the cowling needed to be longer on account of the gearbox.

Secondly, I didn't like the fit of the wings to the top of the fuselage. So I cut out a piece of packing foam, cut out the center, and glued it to the fus top. It compresses down nicely so it doesn't look too bad. It certainly makes the wing/fus fit feel better.

I am just going to do taxi/liftoff tests at first. My plan is to take it to a tennis court and aim it at the net. I'm going to cut the power shortly after liftoff and let it coast into the net. After I get comfortable with that, then its time for flight.

Will post after first flight/crash.

Lee

[leccyflyer]

Lee

That's a novel approach - arrestor nets for a Pico Cub. Just bear in mind that if your tennis net is anything like the ones over here it maybe has a steel hawser at the top to keep the net up - that would make a right mess of a Pico Cub wing. You'd be better off with an open space- you can always throttle back to land.

If you've never flown at all before then download the FMS simulator and have a try of some of the models on there - do a search on FMS and you'll find the pages.

cheers and good luck

Brian

[LeeKeyes]

Thanks Brian.....

I've downloaded FMS and already crashed two slowflyers, but I really think it will help me prepare for reality.

After downloading, I spent thirty minutes trying to translate the commands......then I found the English option. Surprisingly enough, without any knowledge of German, I was pretty close.

The weather is promising to be bad for the next three days, but maybe I'll catch a break.

My idea about using a tennis net seemed like such a good idea at the time. It's amazing what the light of day to hot ideas and plans.

I have two fears about any flight. One, is where the plane goes straight up....then straight down. The other fear is where the plane takes off, goes straight away....and just keeps on going....ultimately crashing through the windshield of a pickup truck. Actually that sounds more like a fantasy.

Will post AFTER.

Lee

[jerrysimon]

Lee,

Great to see another PC newbie. I had read some of your intial posts but had been too busy to reply up until now.

I certainly subscribe to the just go out there buy it, build it and fly it. That's certainly how I did it. The beauty is you have all these posts from my colleagues, from which to learn and hopefully get flying earlier.

FMS is good and although I used it, it was not until after I had crashed the PC a few times first. I would certainly recommend plugging it into your TX using the adapter/training (buddybox) socket. Although not perfect it's as near to the real thing you can get for it's cost (free). I now use Greatplanes Realflight G2 http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/biggrin.gif (£170 later http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/frown.gif )

Anyway I am sure you will have loads of fun learning. It took me about 3 months before I was totally confident that I could control it. Well 9 times out of 10.

That said this weekend I went out but it was too windy. It flew for a bit but it was hard to control, so I bought it down quickly before it went into some trees.

Guess what guys ? I broke another £1.99 prop http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/redface.gif That's one left from the 3 I bought a couple of weeks ago.

Lee, just remember :

1. Check all your controll surface (flaps/rudder) first to make sure they are moving in the right direction from your TX control. If they are different from what you have tried in FMS then you are in for a shock!

2. Don't let it get to far away or too high. Fly round in circles.

Regards

Jerry

[RussC]

I too have just completed building the Cub and have a question on the C of G.

The forward/aft C of G is spot on , on the wing spar, but when balancing the plan on the front/back axis ( ie on the prop and the tail skid ) it is significantly left side heavy. I think the engine mount is slightly to the left pointing right a few degrees which may account for it.

Also when hanging the Cub from the ceiling on a loop of string and running the motor it slowly turns to the left. So the motor thrust to the right doesnt seem to counter the torque of the engine turning the plane left.

Anyone else tried this and any thoughts ?

[jerrysimon]

Russ,

I definately know my balance is off across the wing as it pulls to the left. I just counteract that with a littl right trim and up elevator.

I have filled it with so much glue and tape etc (from crashing) that I suspect this is more to do with it, than any problem with the basic kit design.

Regards

Jerry

[LeeKeyes]

Greetings all....

First flight attempt......miserable.

The 6-cell NiMH battery I used had aloose connection and apparently wasn't delivering full power when I hand-launched the P-C. Since I more or less just tossed it, it didn't have enough lift and the glide path was more vertical than horizontal. The result was a broken prop. Not too bad I thought....at least it wasn't a styrofoam dust-pile.

I quickly affixed a new prop, attached the 8-cell nicad, and did a quick run-up to check for power. Then the disaster started.

I did not have the prop retainer screw tightened enough and with the power of the fresh battery, it unsrewed itself. The prop, retaining flange and screw fly better than the plane......across the room. It took the better more of 15 minutes to find the pieces.
I re-attached the prop and torqued it tightly and added a drop of Loc-Tite.

The final diaster occurred when I turned on the receiver before the tx. Result: a seemingly fried ESC. Now I know why pilots perform a checklist before every flight.

I am going to order more powerful NiMH's and a new ESC later tonight, but right now I am going fishing. Today has stressed me out and I need the break.

I will establish my own checklist and attach it to my tx and swear before the God of flight to faithfully follow it!!!!

Lee

[jerrysimon]

Lee,

Pre flight checks, my God this is all Dejavu.

Don't worry keep in there it's worth it.

Tonight was perfect, still and sunny. Went to the park with my wife, did all my pre-flight checks http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/wink.gif tossed it into the air at full power. It nose dived and broke the bl**** prop. That was the last of three!

Sometimes I go to the park and an expected two full battery pack flight, turns into a 10 second disaster.

Now where is that tel number for WLM and more new props.

Some times I hate this hobby. Maybe I should take up fishing!

Regards

Jerry

[jerrysimon]

Lee,

BTW don't understand how you fried your ESC. Switching it on before the TX should not do that ?

I also have a fuse in line with the motor which has saved more ESC on more than one occasion.

Jerry

[LeeKeyes]

Jerry....

Thanks for your replies. It seems I have a passel of impatience. Slowing down is hard for me to do.

The ESC I did in is an ElectriFly C-20. The directions say the transmitter must always be turned on when BEFORE the ESC. The servos work fine through the ESC but the motor doesn't. Checked all the connections...seemed fine.

I am going to call the manufacturer tomorrow. If anyone has an ESC brand that is idiot proof, please let me know.

Thanks,
Lee

[LeeKeyes]

Stop the presses!

My ESC is now working. Found a cold solder joint between the motor and the ESC.

Tomorrow I'm going to return the soldering pen(30W)I just bought and get something more heavy-duty. (Maybe should keep it for smaller jobs)

Then I'm going to re-solder every connection and wire splice.

Then charge the batteries and wait for a break in the weather which is now wet and miserable.......then try again!

Wish me well,
Lee

[jerrysimon]

Lee,

Glad your ESC is ok. I use the Jeti brand it's listed on one of these pages somewhere when we were all discussing what we use.

Definately take things slowly. I have had to learn that too. This hobby is not kind to the impatient http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/frown.gif

Jerry

[sav]

jerrysimon

another prop wow , so what's going on

Is there a pattern is it always on launch is it the same pack.

do you cut the power when you know your going in. I've gone in prop first a few times but I've always cut the power so far I've not broken a prop on the cub.

maybe you need to find a bendy prop http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/smile.gif

[Smifta]

Gooday All,

I, as well as many others have been monitoring this thread for a long time now. A veritable plethora of usefull information!

I just thought that it was duty to jerrysimon to relay on my recent experiance with my cub.

I went home this lunchtime to remove a battery off the charger that I had accidently left on! Of course when I got home and saw a fully charged 1300 maH pack and a cub gagging to fly.... I had no choice but to give in to my carnal urges and take the bear out!

I was enjoying the best flight I have ever had due to: No wind, a new greased gearbox and motor, a new 8 cell pack! I was looping, rolling, and lolling about and thouroughly enjoying myself.

I even started to put the bear into small spiral dives and pull out after a couple of rotations.... risky I know! And this was mto be my downfall.

After a particulary fast spiral dive, I applied opposite rudder and what I thought was a touch of elevator ( in actual fact it was a lot of elevator!)... It doesn;t take a genious to figure out what happed next...


....SNAP.....

No more wing! One managed to stay attached whilst the other fluttered to the floor gently in the breeze! Needless to say the remaining fusalage and wing ceased to fly with much joy. Perhaps its me but I could not control a one armed plane !!!

Anyway... Result: Snapped prop, Snapped off nose, marginally damaged wing sections, and two wood spars split exactly at the join http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/frown.gif

Funny I thought... i could've sworn that i glued those wing spars with some pretty funky epoxy. Well I guess my gluing was not up to scratch, either that or it was the Araldyte adhesive that I had used on that section.

Anyways, all in all a resonably repeairable craft by jerry's standards !!!!!

I would just like to offer my thanks to all who have posted to this thread... roll on page 8 http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/smile.gif

(insults, quirps, and funy remarks expected!!)

[sav]

Smifta

not sure about the insults.

I've put some glass tape on the underside of the wing in a X,other tape may work nothing to much so as not to add to much weight but enough to stop the wing from flexing. It may stop you snaping the wing if you get into some tight spirals and loops.

just spotted another thread about wing reinforcments you may want to check out.
http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/Forum12/HTML/002236.html

[This message has been edited by sav (edited 05-11-2001).]

[leccyflyer]

Smifta

Did you fit struts to your Pico Cub or just rely on the spars?

The same wing on our Teddy copes with loops and pretty violent manouvers with no added reinforcement but the Multiplex advice for the Pico Cub is to definitely use spars ( sorry my mistake - I meant STRUTS not spars- the spars are already there- DOH!) if you plan to use it as anything other than a slow flyer- it's a bit heavier than a Teddy.
A single spanwise piece of glassfibre reinforcing tape above and below the wing would help in future if you don't fancy the hassle of rigging the spars every time. (STRUTS you dozy scouse b*****r - you mean STRUTS http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/wink.gif)

Good luck with you repairs and future Cubbery

cheers

Brian

[This message has been edited by leccyflyer (edited 05-14-2001).]

[LeeKeyes]

Greetings to all...

In this time of high-tech and a global economy, I cannot find 5-minute epoxy in any of my local towns. Afrustrating morning was spent in search of same.

As I am going to be busy with my volunteer work for the next 4-5 days, I decided to order some online.

At the same time, I ordered abunch of props. Not because I plan on breaking them but rather because of the various length and pitch I've seen used and reccommended. Everything from a 7-7 to a 9-6 (I'm using a 3-1 gearbox).

I also read with great interest about reinforcing the wing with tape. Seems like a simple and effective method.

I also reconfigured my flat pack 8-cell NiCad into a 2 x 2 x 2 package so it would fit inside the fuselage.

Will be getting back when I finally get airborne.

Lee

[Smifta]

I built the entire machine stock - therefor no wing struts! I have now added additional wing spars and some tape.

Since the crash I have rebuild the cub and flown it with success! It'll never look like it did before, but hey!

I have decided to remove the undercarriadge permanantly, and have not had any probs with belly landings as yet. I have also reverted back to direct drive on 8 cells too. I was kinda forced into this for the moment as the geared unit simply willnot fit in the crushed engine mount http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/smile.gif

I flew it in reasonable winds with direct drive with success, and was able to hover the plane above my

[trevsie]

Hi!
I got my PC today and looking through the instructions, I cant make out how the tailplane hinges work and am hoping I can draw on someones experience. As I understand it, you are supposed to score along the back of the hinge with a pencil or something then put some stick tape along the hinge to strengthen it. Is this correct? If so, what type of tape should be used? Is glass reinforced tape necessary?

The instructions arent very good, are they? They keep referring to "the drawing" but there are just a few miniature, fuzzy photos which dont even show the hinges or control cable connections. Unless I am missing some documentation from the box?

Regards,
Trev

[leccyflyer]

Hi Trevsie

You are right - the instructions aren't very good. The advice to score the hinge line with a pencil is to ensure that the hinge line goes straight across individual polystyrene beads, rather than around them. To be honest it wouldn't make any significant difference if you cut the surface off and tape hinged as normal. Multiplex sell a hinge tape for the purpose that works very well, but parcel tape (such as is used for covering Zagis and the like) does the job too, as does greenhouse tape apparently (though I have yet to try that).

Now then - what the heck has happened to this thread?? I distinctly recall reading several responses on this page 8 to one poster's whinge about the length of the thread, and I for one also posted a reply to some of the questions asked- regarding struts and spars. Those posts have apparently gone. Past experience has shown that where a moderator removes a post they usually leave an explanatory post to that effect - and there isn't one of those here.

What's going on??

http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/frown.gif

Brian

[jerrysimon]

Brian,

My thoughts exactly. What has happened to the posts ?

Maybe someone is seeing how long it would take to close this thread by taking a few off every day http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/wink.gif

More likely is that someone has restored a backup that has not included the last day or so of posts. If that's the case all the site's posts would probably be affected.

The site certainly seems to have been running a little slow the last week or so.

Comments Mr Moderator ? Andy http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/wink.gif

Jerry

[This message has been edited by jerrysimon (edited 05-18-2001).]

[trevsie]

Hi!
It happened yesterday when I made my last post. One minute they were there and after I submitted my post they were gone and I was the only one on the page. No idea why.
Thanks for the responses. Hope you dont mind me asking dumb questions.
What size servos did you use? I was thinking of using sub-micro SD150's to keep the weight down but will the PC handle the micro variety which are a bit heavier?

Regards,
Trev

[trevsie]

Also, Leccyflyer,
I saw a digital picture of your battery retention at the top of page 7 of this thread but now I cant access it. Is it possible for you to post it again please?

Thanks
Trev

[leccyflyer]

Trevsie

I've repaired the link to the piccies- don't know what happened there but the pictures are at
http://members.aol.com/Leccyflyer/myhomepage/zagiseatbelt.jpg

The only dumb question is the one that is never asked mate - fire away. Servos? We used plain vanilla HS-81s- not the metal geared variety and the Pico Cub can easily carry that weight. There are models about at that sort of size using HS-55s or Union 9gm servos but I prefer the HS-81s for all but my smallest lightest models. Those Futaba 148s in my IC models look like bloomin' housebricks now after using all these 9 and 5 gram servos.

cheers

Brian

[jerrysimon]

Sorry could not resist posting the 300th post http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/smile.gif

[trevsie]

Jerry,You're forgiven, especially since you started this most useful thread!
Leccyflyer - many thanks for repairing the link to the battery retention piccy.
One more question, I have just got to the wing. The instructions say to put the wings together with one raised to give the dihedral, but say nothing about gluing them together. Should they be glued together before the reinforcement plate and spar are added or do these two items join the wing together? I would just tack them with some epoxy before adding these but I was wondering if this would cause any problems?

Regards,
Trev

[leccyflyer]

Trev

You should put the wing together with 30-min epoxy to give yourself time to jig everything up preoperly (5 minute is a bit to swift IMHO) - I would put the spar in at the same time, which saves any problems with epoxy in the channel if you were to try to add it later. Put a layer of epoxy on the wing joint, and on the spar then put some cling film or polythene under the wingjoint to stop it sticking to anything, weigh down one panel and prop the other panel up to give the required dihedral. Make sure the leading edge is straight and you have the panels aligned correctly. Leave it to dry. Then you can add the wing reinforcement plate later on (there should be a link to a little sketch of the plate further back in the thread as the instrctions for that part of the operation are very poor) with some 5 minute epoxy.

cheers

Brian

[trevsie]

Thanks Leccyflyer, that makes perfect sense.
If they said that in the instructions they would save some people a lot of grief, dont you think?

Regards,
Trev

[jerrysimon]

Six new props turned up in the post yesterday http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/redface.gif

So last night 7:00pm went out to the park. Two perfect flights 3 mins and 10 mins.

A little breeze but it was a perfect summer evening. Had some fun trying to dodge a stunt kite!

Most importantly came back with a whole plane and no broken props http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/biggrin.gif

Regards

Jerry

[sav]

jerry

I wish I was so lucky in this weather all the kids play out on the school field. I went out about 7pm but they where playing cricket right in the middle of where I normally fly.

my best time's seem to be early in the morning.

I may try my HLG tonight may not get a lot of flying from it but at least it's better than nothing.

[nasa_steve]

i crashed mine on its first flight i must say the instructions are very vague. make sure when you fly it for the first time that there is absolutley no wind the model is very light and floaty and will not handle anything more than a 5mph wind believe me!!! Originally posted by trevsie:
Hi!
I got my PC today and looking through the instructions, I cant make out how the tailplane hinges work and am hoping I can draw on someones experience. As I understand it, you are supposed to score along the back of the hinge with a pencil or something then put some stick tape along the hinge to strengthen it. Is this correct? If so, what type of tape should be used? Is glass reinforced tape necessary?

The instructions arent very good, are they? They keep referring to "the drawing" but there are just a few miniature, fuzzy photos which dont even show the hinges or control cable connections. Unless I am missing some documentation from the box?

Regards,
Trev

[leccyflyer]

Hi Steve

Welcome to the ezone and sorry to hear that you crashed your Pico Cub on it's maiden flight.

Can I ask is this your first model, or maybe your first electric? Is your Pico Cub direct drive or geared?

I and others here can testify that the Pico Cub will fly just fine in winds stronger than 5 mph if it has the geared motor- it just needs a bit of energy management to ensure that you don't find yourself powerless and downwind.

If you look back through the thread you'll see that the Pico Cub can be repaired from some quite horrendous crashes with either epoxy, or better still PVA and an overnight taping up.

Maybe if you wait for a calmer day and work up to flying the Pico Cub in gradually stronger winds over time.

Good luck

Brian

[nasa_steve]

hi brian
yes was a)my first electric b)first real time i'd attempted to fly on my own (bad experience 11 years ago guy teaching me wrecked my plane 3 times so i gave up as a bad idea)
any way the cub was well beyond anything glue could do nose snapped clean off wings in 3 or 4 bits and the full tail plane assembly torn off at the rear of the fuselage so it went in the bin obviously stripped of anything i could use in another plane at some point
steve

[sav]

It's a shame you binned it they can be put together quite easly after a major crash.

sound's like you may want to try a epp plane

check out the push-e cat you will see a lot of post's about this on the e-zone here
http://www.gordontarling.co.uk/

also
http://www.phoenixmp.com/

any way don't give up it's well worth it

[jerrysimon]

Very quiet here at the moment.

It's been too windy for the last week to fly http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/frown.gif

Jerry

[trevsie]

Hi!,
My PC is nearly ready to fly. I'm starting out with direct drive. The CoG is way out (tail heavy). I assume this is because I havent got the gearbox to weigh down the sharp end.
Silly question, where is the best place to put the ballast weight and how has everyone attached it? I can see various possibilities but I was wondering if anyone has come up with any good ideas. Ideally they should be easily removable if I want to change to heavier packs later.

Regards,
Trev

[leccyflyer]

Trevsie

Go to your local tyre fitting place and scrounge some of their self-adhesive balance weights. These are in 5g and 10g strips with really good doublesided tape on the back. Fit to the inside of the cowl to balance. They can be prised off later if you change your setup.

cheers

Brian

[SJ]

DAMN!

I crashed my PC for the first time in 23 flights. I hand launched it into the wind, then a crosswind just blew it sideways and made it roll onto its side, then the nose came down and BANG. The nose crunched, cowling split ,wing broke in two, left horizontal stab broke off, prop broken, rudder horn snaped off. jeeeez....

ahh well, Im allready glueing it together again. Just like a jigsaw puzzle :-)