AAAAAH I wish I could type faster, Robbie's flight report went up while I was typing. Nice report Robbie, good to confirm the c/g point as i thought it should be more like 70mm which would likley cause a crash. RE: Stronger rod, I have stuck a wooden dowel in one and a smaller c/f tube inside another. (just some thoughts, might keep the cost down.)

Hey Helitime,

I'm in the Northeastern U.S. It's getting cold here fast and I expect the snow to fly before too long. I like your idea for reinforcing the wing joining rod. I'll measure the ID and get a matching, cheaper carbon fiber rod or maybe even a wooden dowel as well!

You're going to like this bird! Your mods are like mine and you'll have tons of control even in the wind. If you put a stronger motor as I have, you'll be able to fly her in the wind with little difficulty. I don't know how the stock motor would do in the heavier wind?

BTW, I fly helicopters too. I have a Blade 400 and a Heli-max Axe CPV3. While I don't really do much 3D other than loops, rolls, and the occasional flip (with the Blade 400, despite what the box says, the Axe CPV3 just isn't up to it IMHO), I have a ball with them! Here's a link to my youtube video of me flying my Axe CP at the park down the street from my house:

Heli-max Axe CPV3 (6 min 35 sec)

The little helis are actually a lot more tricky to fly than the bigger ones in my experience..

Good luck with your maiden!

Robbie

Robbie: You are more comfortable with a heli than I am. Although I can do tic/tocs up, down and sideways, fly inverted backwards and forwards, flips all dir., funnels skids in/out, I hate nose in. Inverted it doesn't matter(?). I will hover nose in at a distance, but flying back towards myself is just not done, I have to back it in. WEIRD, I KNOW! And simulator practice dosen't seem to reduce the nerves. I have to work on it!!
I need to buy a cheap non c/p and just fly the thing around.

The bigger they are the more stable for sure, and LOTS more power. I started with a "Blade CP" and no sim. a 6'X8' space surronded by hanging blankets/towels etc. in the basement was my training (hovering) area. It kept the damage to a minimum :-)
FCO/II on the forhead strap ? I have done a few that way :-) Never gets out of frame at least.

I guess I better mention the glider. I have installed a Turnigy 2836 1000KV, about 400 watts. I don't expect vert. performance but should be plenty. I have the same motor in another plane and it pulls about 36>38 AMPS so a new speed control will be required. (peaks at a little over 40 AMPS)
Kerry

I think I'm just going to let mine "be" for the near term.

I'll use it to find thermals prior to aero tows
or
I'll use it on my slope which is pretty precarious and often needs
a motor to get back to.

Um - does anyone have any close up pix of the the EXIT end of the stock
aileron push/pull rod tubes ?

If I dont have to dig and cut it would make it easier for me to make some decisions on an idea that I am harboring.


WOW Lots of FLEX !!!
A solid rod would certainly cure that.
Am I right in that the wing Tube goes all the way to the end of the wing (almost) ?
Or hasnt anyone been "in there" ?

I suppose if we add a larger motor and larger Batteries
then we should expect a bit more flex.

Well she certainly is a very smooth looking girl and i agree with you Robbie, at 25 clams, she's a cheap date...

i went on the site to look at the flying wench and unfortunately they don't seem to post to Australia... how disappointing.

i had an RV4 about 10 years ago (in my nitro days) and i whacked a big cigar in the pilot's face.. haven't followed suit with my other pilots though

i'm going to keep searching online for a nice busty beauty. as much as my current pilot seems to fly well, he's not the most attractive pilot!!

To be perfectly honest, i was really hoping someone would come up with a topless pilot.. although having said that, she might take the attention away from such a beautifully flying plane!

I picked up another glider on ebay over the weekend. big 2 meter wing span trident. i'll have to add ailerons and do a few mods, but it was well worth it. was constructed several years back (balsa and ply) and has never been flown. even came with a diesel engine, which i will on-sell, as i'm all electric now!). and the best part.... only cost me $5. They obviously didn't categorize it very well, as no one else bid on it... ;-)

cheers
p

Hey Bob: Page 4 post#56 is the best I have, but I may be able to answer a Q. I used the "tube" to pull in servo wire. You only get one go so you have to make sure the wire is well anchored to the tube and use LUBE, I didn't and it was tuff. But I WAS successful.
(If that's even what your thinking) No cutting up the wing to install the wire.
The joiner rod bottoms out, but there is an aluminum tube from root to about 5" from the tip. (Hope something helps)

By the way Pete, I would have gone your route if I was going to be able to fly the next day.:-)
$5 You lucky #@$ uh,"person". :-)

OK Good stuff "improve wing rod" will do.

Originally Posted by birdofplay

I think I'm just going to let mine "be" for the near term.

I'll use it to find thermals prior to aero tows
or
I'll use it on my slope which is pretty precarious and often needs
a motor to get back to.

Um - does anyone have any close up pix of the the EXIT end of the stock
aileron push/pull rod tubes ?

If I dont have to dig and cut it would make it easier for me to make some decisions on an idea that I am harboring.


WOW Lots of FLEX !!!
A solid rod would certainly cure that.
Am I right in that the wing Tube goes all the way to the end of the wing (almost) ?
Or hasnt anyone been "in there" ?

I suppose if we add a larger motor and larger Batteries
then we should expect a bit more flex.

I don't think the wing tube goes much further than the joiner rod length, but they have an aluminum one imbedded like Helitime says and there's another smaller carbon fiber rod imbedded in the wing as well that can be seen in the correct lighting. My ST Models Fox has a plastic tube that is glued in the fuselage center where the joiner rod passes through and I like this much better than having just foam for the joiner rod to pass. I may modify this one with some tubing but after that, that's about it for mods as this plane flies really well right now.

Robbie

Originally Posted by Helitime

Robbie: You are more comfortable with a heli than I am. Although I can do tic/tocs up, down and sideways, fly inverted backwards and forwards, flips all dir., funnels skids in/out, I hate nose in. Inverted it doesn't matter(?). I will hover nose in at a distance, but flying back towards myself is just not done, I have to back it in. WEIRD, I KNOW! And simulator practice dosen't seem to reduce the nerves. I have to work on it!!
I need to buy a cheap non c/p and just fly the thing around.

The bigger they are the more stable for sure, and LOTS more power. I started with a "Blade CP" and no sim. a 6'X8' space surronded by hanging blankets/towels etc. in the basement was my training (hovering) area. It kept the damage to a minimum :-)
FCO/II on the forhead strap ? I have done a few that way :-) Never gets out of frame at least.

I guess I better mention the glider. I have installed a Turnigy 2836 1000KV, about 400 watts. I don't expect vert. performance but should be plenty. I have the same motor in another plane and it pulls about 36>38 AMPS so a new speed control will be required. (peaks at a little over 40 AMPS)
Kerry

Not so weird at all. I know a few other guys that I've flown with that have the same issues with nose in even though they easily do the 3D manuevers you describe. Oh well, we all learn at our own pace and that's the fun really. If you can hover the Blade CP, you're not doing bad at all! That's one of the most difficult of the small ones to fly!

400W will be plenty of power for wind flying! I didn't dare do any aerobatics today with the wind and the wing flexing but it probably would have been fine. With the increased throws, this glider will be very aerobatic for sure!

Robbie

Originally Posted by PeteMacRemote

Well she certainly is a very smooth looking girl and i agree with you Robbie, at 25 clams, she's a cheap date...

i went on the site to look at the flying wench and unfortunately they don't seem to post to Australia... how disappointing.

i had an RV4 about 10 years ago (in my nitro days) and i whacked a big cigar in the pilot's face.. haven't followed suit with my other pilots though

i'm going to keep searching online for a nice busty beauty. as much as my current pilot seems to fly well, he's not the most attractive pilot!!

To be perfectly honest, i was really hoping someone would come up with a topless pilot.. although having said that, she might take the attention away from such a beautifully flying plane!

I picked up another glider on ebay over the weekend. big 2 meter wing span trident. i'll have to add ailerons and do a few mods, but it was well worth it. was constructed several years back (balsa and ply) and has never been flown. even came with a diesel engine, which i will on-sell, as i'm all electric now!). and the best part.... only cost me $5. They obviously didn't categorize it very well, as no one else bid on it... ;-)

cheers
p

Bummer! I'll keep an eye out for wenchs for your plane that can be obtained in Australia.

Robbie

Thanks guys.

I was just thinking about whether a couple of Threads could be poked down the tube
and attached to a top and bottom horn.
That way I'd avoid, longer wires.
Something nice and slippery like "Spider Wire" aka - Spekra line.
Maybe add a slippery rod to pass them by as they did a 90 to get Out to horns.
Just dreamin up new mods or new ways to mod.

No hurrys as the weather sucks !

Bird: A pull/pull aileron setup, interesting. I wonder if wing flex would cause any grief ? Maybe one of those 90*dohickey thing fittings with a single rod and horn. Just chucking thoughts here.

Well, I was also hoping to NOT have to move around the aileron servo at all.

But thats probably never going to work. oh well ...

I attempted to pull the aileron servo extension wire through the existing aileron tubing guide for the original rod but alas the servo wire I had on hand was of the heavy duty variety and was too tight of a fit so I wound up dremeling a trench from the wing root to the servo located next to the original hinge for both wings.

Robbie

Originally Posted by robbiehatfield

Not so weird at all. I know a few other guys that I've flown with that have the same issues with nose in even though they easily do the 3D manuevers you describe. Oh well, we all learn at our own pace and that's the fun really. If you can hover the Blade CP, you're not doing bad at all! That's one of the most difficult of the small ones to fly!

400W will be plenty of power for wind flying! I didn't dare do any aerobatics today with the wind and the wing flexing but it probably would have been fine. With the increased throws, this glider will be very aerobatic for sure!

Robbie

Thanks for that Robbie, I get enough grief because I can do these things with a heli but still fight to fly a plane. (Right turns can mess me up but I have improved this year. (so maybe not as weird as I thought, that's a good thing.) :-)

Still messin around but she's flyable now.

I included a "guts" pic as I may have done things a little dif (like me :-))
After adding air brakes I didn't want to have to "fish" 4 servo lines thru the fuse. so I went over the top. Removed 1/8" of foam and put up little depron walls with tiny velcro straps(red) to keep things organized. A slight cut out of the underside of the canopy foam also. I am missing 2 short servo ext. from the receiver to the ailerons that will be colour coded like the brake servo wires on the right. (Dif. colours of course). Easier then plugging into the receiver every time.


Now the odd /good part. I have already built enough weight out the back to make the thing tail heavy. I put it all together and checked the C/G and I may have to move the pack forward. (already moved the strap back.)Hard to say for sure as the prop/spinner will be about 10g heavier. Either way it will be easy to get right.

AUW is 1530 grams = 54 oz with a 2200 40c 3s (205g)