Hi All, Just about finished my Alula I started this morning about 10 and it is now 5.25 and apart from final balance and and test glides all is done I won't bore everyone with the details but I found a few things worth pointing out
I used esky 7.5 gramme servos with shortened cables
receiver Spektrum 61110e
having read the many threads that abound I decided to install carbon rod along the sides of the nose to strengthen it so I cut two slits and inserted 3mm x 1mm x 4.5 inches of flat rod starting just in front of the cg mark I also moved the receiver as far forward as possible and cut in the battery cable to fit under the receiver so as to make a neat installation, after which I opened up the hole in the lexan? (I think) cover so that old sausage fingers can get at the plug for re charging
Stopped for Lunch.
This afternoon was spent with final fitting and checking of parts and decoration .
There are so many great designs out there used on the Alula I felt I had to do something and have spent days doodling and trying out lots of colour combinations I honestly think that this was the hardest part of the build(weighed before and after no appreciable weight gain!), anyway, I hope it passes muster.by the way the AUW LESS balance lead is at the moment 5.5 oz/ 156g

dont fly with a church in the background! now you see it! now you...

Yak

Neat paint job!!!!!!
Is the bottom to remain white then?

Pete

Hi Pete, thanks,yes for the moment I will leave the underside white, I have a weasel pro on order and have a few Ideas for that

Originally Posted by schamberlin

I'm having trouble getting the recommended control throw distances with my new DX6i transmitter and new Alula. I can't get the elevons to move far enough, even after "exercising" the hell out of them to make sure they're loose.

I'm using the stock Blue Bird servos, with push-rod in the middle hole on the servo horn. Turned on elevon mixing, set dual-rates to the recommended 20% for elevator and 60% for aileron, and left all other trim/travel settings at defaults. That setup gives about 1.5mm deflection in each direction for elevator, and 4mm for aileron. The manual recommends 4mm elevator and 9mm aileron for beginners, so it's way too short.

Attempt number two, I moved the push-rod to the outermost hole on the servo horn, set travel adjust to 120% in both directions for both servos, then set dual-rates at 50% for elevator and 100% for ailerons. That setup gives about 4mm deflection in each direction for elevator, and 8mm for aileron. So it's almost there, but I have no where else to go to get more travel. I'm maxed out, yet the manual suggests 6mm elevator and 14mm aileron for advanced pilots, so it must be possible.

Can anyone help? Thanks!

Edit: Will it damage the servos to set the travel adjust to 125%? Why is 100% not the maximum travel? On a powered plane, if my throttle travel adjust is "only" at 100%, will I not get max power at full throttle?

hello,
i use also my alula with a DX6i, and i found also this kind of issue. but the throw was not so short as you.
finally, i use the 2 servos wing as a normal plane and use free mix elev -> flap to resolve the problem.
using it the elevons mode was not really a problem to flight, but the BIG PROBLEM is that you can't adjust the differential in elevon mode with the DX6i. that's the reason i change the programation of my DX6i...

Originally Posted by lebenj

hello,
i use also my alula with a DX6i, and i found also this kind of issue. but the throw was not so short as you.
finally, i use the 2 servos wing as a normal plane and use free mix elev -> flap to resolve the problem.
using it the elevons mode was not really a problem to flight, but the BIG PROBLEM is that you can't adjust the differential in elevon mode with the DX6i. that's the reason i change the programation of my DX6i...

Thanks. I should have mentioned, I did switch to the same solution you described before my first flight, instead of using the DX6i's broken built-in elevon mixing. I left the differential set at 0 for the Alula, though. What are other people using for differential settings with this glider?

The Alula is all done now and has come out at 169g or 6oz rtf which amounts to 13g of nose weight, so I am pleased but I felt the c of g was not accurate enough by balancing the plane on two pencils held in my hand as per the instructions so I made simple jig using the same pencils but accurately mounted in a piece of old pine I had lying around and discovered quite a difference in balance over the previous method. i am now balanced a tad behind the optimum point with the model sitting on the jig about 6 or7 degrees down at the back which is from what I read about right
The other thing I noticed was that the two ailerons were slightly off centre ie. twisted a little so again I spent some time realigning them before final glueing of the control rods which I hope will sort things. past experience has taught me that the more you do in the workshop the less chance it will go wrong at the site. I thank Michael for the extensive trimming and flying info in the booklet, top marks!
Murphy's what?

Originally Posted by schamberlin

Thanks. I should have mentioned, I did switch to the same solution you described before my first flight, instead of using the DX6i's broken built-in elevon mixing. I left the differential set at 0 for the Alula, though. What are other people using for differential settings with this glider?

someone here told me that my alula was maybe missing little differential when he saw my video. that's why i manage to have the possibility.

Alula Evo inboard outboard camera (4 min 27 sec)

now i'm with 30% of diferential, but i need to flight much more.... but since mid december, it rainning every day i have time to fly!!!!

Originally Posted by Erk

...

All that said, if you're in the SF Bay area, you're in a hotbed of DLG flying. http://www.bayrc.com/ has some extremely friendly and very experienced pilots; if they're having a DLG clinic, try to get there early.

Steve C.,

If you get your servo problem sorted out, bring your Alula out to Fremont on Sunday, we're having a DLG contest. Many of the Bay Area DLG experts will be there and I'm sure someone will be able to help you out. Even if you don't figure out your servo problem, I'd recommend coming out to watch... Here's the rcg thread, although most of the talk about it is on bayrc: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1158224

Brian

Originally Posted by yakhakker

The Alula is all done now and has come out at 169g or 6oz rtf which amounts to 13g of nose weight

Can you describe a little more what you did to balance the plane? I'm using the same receiver as you, and Blue Bird servos which I think are slightly lighter that your eskys, and I had an AUW of 158g before balancing and 177g after balancing. How did you get to 169g?

Originally Posted by yakhakker

i am now balanced a tad behind the optimum point with the model sitting on the jig about 6 or7 degrees down at the back which is from what I read about right

Where did you read that? I am balancing the plane so it's level when supported at the indents in the foam. Are others doing it differently?

Hi Steve, Wings or Planks are very sensitive to c of g and need to be set up accurately if the best is to be had out of them, also weight is an issue on a model like this. so is what I did. Firstly any nose weight should be as far forward as possible and as dense a possible (lead is best) that way you use less of a given materiel and a smaller mass please see photo of the nose section.
Secondly to balance the plane I made a simple jig as mentioned, again see photos which although is primitive by design it is in fact very sensitive and therefore accurate I put a couple of dabs of ca in the dimples to harden them up a bit and basically played around from there.
The question of which is the best place to balance is sort of a personal one really and is a combination of two things 1/ how does the model perform at certain settings and 2/ personal preferences, I like my models on the 'liveley' side which is why I opted for the (very) slightly rearward attitude.
You will find a mine of information on a thread entitled 'alula teaser' elsewhere on the site, If I can help in anyway more just ask Cheers

I finished today on my Alula build. I exceeded the weight max according to the mfg by 3 grams( 187g vs 184g) I Couldn't find any small rx battery locally so I bought their smallest which was 720 Ni-Mh cell.

I balanced her and it's nose heavy. I'll experiment with moving the cells in the radio bay and the rx on the nose. One thing I did to strengthen the nose is I CA'd carbon tow on the nose all the way past the wing root. Just one long piece of tow looped on the nose and then I taped the ends where I wanted it and CA'd it in place.

Carbon tow is like a flat ribbon, right? So you just spiral that around the nose a few times, and the use CA to glue it in place?

I'd been planning to cut a groove on each side of the nose and insert a carbon fiber rod. Would spiral-wrapped tow be better, or about the same?

Hi Red, the recommended pack for this model is only a 300mah which weighs in at 30g and this is surely where your nose heavy problem is coming from

Hi Steve, the strength needs to be lateral ie. along the fuz. In my view it is better and easier to install a couple of rods either side the fuz just by simply slitting along and inserting (in my case flat rod) and ca in place or its possible to thread the rod directly into the foam without cutting using a drill. you can just see my installation in the jpg of the nose above.