Originally Posted by ThatGuy123

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Iw3TRZb3DfM
Here's another flying video from today

Your video is private

Originally Posted by citivolus

Your video is private

Oops, I'll fix it

Fixed

I have a launch preset setup on mine. 6% up when the launch button is pressed on my TX. Helps A LOT to transfer your launch power instead of trying to launch it at a higher angle without the launch preset. I now just press the launch preset button on my TX and launch between the horizon and 45°, then release the button when the bird pitches straight up to the sky, and away it goes.

Here's a video demonstrating launches with a launch preset and also using a throwing peg on the wingtip:

Alula Launches with a launch preset and throwing peg (1 min 56 sec)

(This is a cross-post from the Alula Teaser thread. My apologies to the OP if that's frowned upon, but figured it might be useful to those that don't follow that thread)

Love the video, i'm still having a blast with my Alula, i do alot of thermal hunting on the island, mid afternoon seems to work best.

Eosglider can you show us a pic of that throwing peg installed on your Alula, it sounds really interesting, would love to see a pic.

Regards

Danny

eosglider:

Now, that's MY kind of launch!

Well done!

Yours, Greg

cool, are you wearing a glove to throw?
your getting about twice the height I'm getting with my tosses

Hi,
I just did the setup on my alula and did the first straight tosses at the field. Thanks for the high grass there!
Now I have read about launch mode with 3% or 6% up elevon. What does this equal to? 6% of what? With my current hardware setup I have set elevon range in my TX to 50% range and 20% expo. That gives roughly the 3mm throws as described in the manual.
For launch mode I would use the 'flaps' setting in my TX (dx6i). Can anyone give me a hint whcih values I have to enter to get the afore mentioned 3% or 6% and what do those numbers mean anyway?
Thanks.

Originally Posted by drmgcm

Love the video, i'm still having a blast with my Alula, i do alot of thermal hunting on the island, mid afternoon seems to work best.

Eosglider can you show us a pic of that throwing peg installed on your Alula, it sounds really interesting, would love to see a pic.

Regards

Danny

Sure. See below.

Before the peg, I installed the 3x1mm carbon strip "spar" that spans from wingtip to wingtip and goes through the original wing attachment tubes:
- I simply cut a slit deep enough for that strip
- Made small holes in the pod so the strip goes right through it.
- Used CA to glue the strip into the slit I cut.
- Epoxied the wing tubes to the new carbon strip using an epoxy mix with a healthy amount of microbaloons so the resin is lighter and has more flex than just pure. See the photos.

For the peg, it was pretty easy:
1.- I made a small hole through the wingtip close to the original wing spar and new carbon spar.
2.- using that new hole, I roughly measured the smallest length of CF tube peg my fingers could be comfortable with, and cut it with a dremel.
3.- I epoxied the peg into place making sure it's straight (could have used CA instead of epoxy in this step).
4.- Once that dried, I then cut out 2 oval patches of very light fiberglass cloth and started at the bottom of the wing.
5.- Made a hole in the FG cloth a bit off center so the peg can go through the cloth and the larger part of the cloth can sit inwards to anchor the peg down to the CF spars.
6.- Used 30 minute epoxy (warmed up for about 3 or 4 seconds in the microwave to thin it out) to wet out the fiberglass using my finger (with a rubber glove on).
7.- Spread the resin as much as possible making sure all fibers were wet and as little resin as possible is used making sure to leave a fillet of resin on the base of the peg.
8.- Tried to blot out any excess epoxy with a paper towel, but by that point not much was picked up because epoxy was already curing. (cures faster when thinned out in the microwave)
9.- For the top of the wing repeated steps 5 through 8 with a new batch of resin and using the other piece of FG cloth from step 4.


Hope that helps. It's actually simpler than it sounds with all these steps. Just wanted to make sure all details are captured here.

Originally Posted by hamburger

Hi,
I just did the setup on my alula and did the first straight tosses at the field. Thanks for the high grass there!
Now I have read about launch mode with 3% or 6% up elevon. What does this equal to? 6% of what? With my current hardware setup I have set elevon range in my TX to 50% range and 20% expo. That gives roughly the 3mm throws as described in the manual.
For launch mode I would use the 'flaps' setting in my TX (dx6i). Can anyone give me a hint whcih values I have to enter to get the afore mentioned 3% or 6% and what do those numbers mean anyway?
Thanks.

Don't get confused with dual rates and expo #'s. This is completely independent of all that. FOR ME on my Aurora 9 the 6% I mentioned before for the launch mode is 6% of servo servo travel in the up direction. In other words 3% of the overall 100% servo movement.

This launch preset number works FOR ME and I came to that number by trial and error so you should just start somewhere with your DX6i and DIAL YOURS IN like I did on my A9.

Hope that helps you hamburger.

Originally Posted by janole

cool, are you wearing a glove to throw?
your getting about twice the height I'm getting with my tosses

Yes. Using a racket ball glove with the pinky and ring finger areas cut off to help me operate the A9's touchscreen. The glove is very cool and comfortable, has a very grippy surface on the fingertip area which helps with launches, but more importantly helps protect my fingertips!
Before getting the glove and after throwing using the peg for a while bare handed, I've had raw and swollen fingertips (index and middle), and a day or two afterwards, I've gotten blood clots that look like little brown birthmarks inside my fingertips. Definitely more comfortable throwing with a glove when you use a peg.

One thing I ave to say about wearing a glove is that it does take some getting used to holding the TX stick, but you quickly adjust. I'm thinking of trying out a golf glove next. It might have a more direct feel when operating the TX. I guess I'll take my TX to the store and try one out.

The single glove cost me $7 at Sports Authority BTW.

Nice launches!

One thing about having a peg/blade on the Alula is that you can put more power into the launch.
I always thought the Alula's weakspot is here (your pic, eosglider):
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/attac...mentid=4915863

Without reinforcement, I've ripped that nose cleanly off the Alula. And I'm pretty easy on my planes.

Jun

Originally Posted by eosglider

I have a launch preset setup on mine. 6% up when the launch button is pressed on my TX. Helps A LOT to transfer your launch power instead of trying to launch it at a higher angle without the launch preset. I now just press the launch preset button on my TX and launch between the horizon and 45°, then release the button when the bird pitches straight up to the sky, and away it goes.

Here's a video demonstrating launches with a launch preset and also using a throwing peg on the wingtip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_fRRC6ZEJA

(This is a cross-post from the Alula Teaser thread. My apologies to the OP if that's frowned upon, but figured it might be useful to those that don't follow that thread)

Originally Posted by jcats

Nice launches!

Thanks Jun! That means a lot coming from you. Anything you can see in my technique to improve on? Reason I ask is I also launch my Taboo GT in the same exact way. Any criticism is appreciated. My wife thinks I launch with a "ballerina step", but what does she know.

Originally Posted by jcats

One thing about having a peg/blade on the Alula is that you can put more power into the launch.
I always thought the Alula's weakspot is here (your pic, eosglider):
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/attac...mentid=4915863

Without reinforcement, I've ripped that nose cleanly off the Alula. And I'm pretty easy on my planes.

Jun

I agree. Have not ripped a nose off yet because that's the first mod I ever did to mine. Bamboo stick on the expansion side of the nose, but now it's a little on the weak side, so I've also added an epoxied fiberglass cloth reinforcement to the neck.

Originally Posted by hamburger

Hi,

For launch mode I would use the 'flaps' setting in my TX (dx6i). Can anyone give me a hint whcih values I have to enter to get the afore mentioned 3% or 6%?

On the DX6i just open the "flaps" menu and change the landing flaps setting (not elevator) to "up 3". Now before launch pull the flap switch down...that should give you slight up elevons (you may not even see them move but you may hear the servos move....you don't need much!). The glider should now pull up after launch. You'll want to push the flap switch back up just after launch so it doesn't loop over. You'll almost certainly have to play with the "3" setting....it will vary depending on a lot of things like your trim and CG, and your style of launching.

Probably a good idea to check that the elevons are in fact moving up when you pull the flap switch down....don't want to throw it hard into the ground on the first launch. Just set the number to something much higher, like "up 20", so you can see them move when you move the stick. Just be sure to put it back to 3 before you throw!

Originally Posted by JimZinVT

On the DX6i just open the "flaps" menu and change the landing flaps setting (not elevator) to "up 3". Now before launch pull the flap switch down...that should give you slight up elevons (you may not even see them move but you may hear the servos move....you don't need much!). The glider should now pull up after launch. You'll want to push the flap switch back up just after launch so it doesn't loop over. You'll almost certainly have to play with the "3" setting....it will vary depending on a lot of things like your trim and CG, and your style of launching.

Probably a good idea to check that the elevons are in fact moving up when you pull the flap switch down....don't want to throw it hard into the ground on the first launch. Just set the number to something much higher, like "up 20", so you can see them move when you move the stick. Just be sure to put it back to 3 before you throw!

thanks for that thorough explanation. Actually I started using Flaps: Land->Elev and it seems to do what I want. I tested it in the way you pointed out by putting in extreme values. I currently am at 'up 8' but do see the occasional loop. I have not yet 'my' style of launching - still experimenting.

I find throwing the alula so very complimentary to what I usually fly - which is mostly homebuilt tricopters that are completely dependant on onboard computers requiring lots of tweaking. Today I had to quit only because my arm felt tired and the CF-tube in the wing began to get loose. Love it.