The Radian Pro is a great plane in standard form, no modifications necessary. I keep it light by using 1000mAh batteries. The 1800's would be great as ballast for windier days.

I would, however, not actually recommend it for a first aileron plane, as it isn't that stable, and had the added complication of flaps. I would recommend the MPX EasyGlider as a much better first aileron model.

Another great way to learn ailerons is on the biplanes, they are floaters typically and very easy to fly. I have a Tiger Moth that flies itself practically. I had no experience with RC when I bought that plane and landed it perfectly the first time out with no help. And it wasn't because I was a great pilot lol.

Sorry, accidently did a "double" post, disregard

Originally Posted by iford

Hi All
had three or four good flights and one disaster. Without my stap on my tx managed to ful throttle hand launch 45 deg, up pitched to the right and looped into ground breaking fus just behind motor

Kev (iford)

Ouch, sorry to hear that, but don't feel bad, you're NOT the only one. I did the same thing! Too busy watching my two little ones running off to play & not paying attention as I was tossing her. Ooops, little bit too much of an AOA and she broke left. Closed the throttle (& I prayed) and touched down left wing first & totated 180 degrees on the bottom of the fuselage. The canopy "bounced" off into the air & after checking her out all was WELL. Whew, I got lucky. Of course the kids were asking me, "why did you crash daddy?"

Originally Posted by cvanscho

The Radian Pro is a great plane in standard form, no modifications necessary. I keep it light by using 1000mAh batteries. The 1800's would be great as ballast for windier days.

I would, however, not actually recommend it for a first aileron plane, as it isn't that stable, and had the added complication of flaps. I would recommend the MPX EasyGlider as a much better first aileron model.

I'm a newbie who got a Radian for Christmas, and I just maidened the Radian Pro a couple weeks ago as my first aileron plane. As long as both the Radian rudder and the RP ailerons are on the same stick on your transmitter, you'll get the hang of aileron control pretty much right away, especially if you have flown aileron planes on a simulation. And although it's easier to avoid trouble with the original Radian, if you're in trouble, the RP is actually easier to save than the Radian, because there is so much less lag time on the roll control, and the plane doesn't flex nearly as much.

I question your controls scheme as I believe most of us have conformed to a plan of ailerons and elevator on the right stick with throttle and rudder on the left. I then mix out throttle and have flaps and crow and rudder on the left stick.

just my preference maybe???

I think I'll be able to fly the radian pro with the ailerons (I've built a few foamies with ailerons like the funder & lightning and the F22), and also because I fly gliders in real life (no RC)

Originally Posted by v9climber

So I know I have seen some ESC and engine problems on these forums, just don't remember the specifics. Anyways, out flying yesterday and right off the launch the RP seems a tad sluggish. I thought that maybe I just had a bad battery or partial charged battery as the fight was much shorter than normal. Anyways, just wrote it off and decided with the wind conditions it was a better idea to head down to the slope. Arrived, did a quick system/range check, powered her up and she pull as normal, and away she went. About 2 mins into the flight I noticed the RP was again sluggish so I landed. When I then powered up the RP their is sound that is completely wrong and the prop does not want to turn, like a clutch is slipping, but the shaff is still turning (but no where at the spped it should be). Anyone seen something similar? Honestly didnt have time to break it open afterwards, other activities arose. Just additional info, the plane has never been crashed, and has 60+ flights. Seems a bit soon for the Motor to go, anyone with any thoughts? Thanks in advance

Check your connections between the speed control and the motor. A poor connection at any of the three wires can cause those symtoms.

Originally Posted by rcoconut

Ouch, sorry to hear that, but don't feel bad, you're NOT the only one. I did the same thing! Too busy watching my two little ones running off to play & not paying attention as I was tossing her. Ooops, little bit too much of an AOA and she broke left. Closed the throttle (& I prayed) and touched down left wing first & totated 180 degrees on the bottom of the fuselage. The canopy "bounced" off into the air & after checking her out all was WELL. Whew, I got lucky. Of course the kids were asking me, "why did you crash daddy?"

This plane is pretty durable. I have done a couple of pirouettes on the wingtip, one of which landed in the embarrassing inverted position. Nothing broken yet. A stick built plane would probably be splintered by now. Another great thing about foamies...they bend rather than break.

Quote:
Originally Posted by aeajr
Assuming there is no loss of contact with the receiver I would think the reason a Radian might now be able to pull out of a high speed dive would be:

* Servo not strong enough to overcome the pressure on the elevator
* Linkage is flexing under the heavy load trying to move teh elevator against the pressure on the elevator
* Servo arm has stripped under the high pressure so the servo moves but the surface does not.
* Control rod connection failed so the rod is not moving the elevator.

I guess you could stall the elevator, but that is something I don't know how to test. But these are items I can check.

Originally Posted by JumpySticks

I still think that the elevator is more likely to stall before the rods flex or the servos give out. The new golden rods I installed are overkill, and most certainly did not flex. Servo arms are not stripped either. Servo stall is the only one of the three which is possible in my case, unless the elevator stalled.

While reading the Airline pilot forum someone said that this is a peculiarity of sailplanes in general. It has to do with the long wings, which compound the tendency of a wing to tuck under at high speeds due to the rearward shift in the center of lift. This rearward shift in lift force is along the entire length of the wing.

A flying stab would probably be more efficient, but too complicated and fragile for a cheap foamie.

A larger elevator would probably also be counterproductive for this glider overall.

I think the bottom line is that this plane is not a hotliner and should not be used as one. It may be the reason that slope hotliners have short stubby wings.

All of aeajr's points could be the cause but the Radian is a foam airframe
and very flexible. In a sustained dive the whole wing is likely twisting to
a negative angle of attack and causing it to want to tuck.
I don't own one but I am impressed that it did not flutter itself into confetti
during a 400 ft dive.

Doug

The RADIAN PRO is my first venture into powered gliders - I loaded in the DX8 program and setup the servo adjustments
_The only real fault I find is the pushrod layout for the elevator
I pulled it and fixed the built in bind.
Now to fly it

Originally Posted by tlar633

[That is what I think is happening to our Radians. Too much speed plus too much elevator deflection (until the braking action slows the thing down and the elevator will become effective causing a steep wing bending pull up. The horizontal stab is NOT stalled but actually generating more lift than the "stalled" elevator can overcome.

Stick my hand out the car window? Really?

I'm sorry but I remain convinced these 'tail stall' scenarios are fantasy extrapolated from the notion that the elevator 'levers' the tail through all 90 degrees of a pullout. It does not.

The elevator pushes the tail down a few degrees, STOPS and HOLDS it there. It is not continuously pushing the tail down, it simply sets the main wing to a different angle of attack to the airflow.

The lift of the main wing is what pulls the airplane into a curving flight path.

The elevator is not gonna lose all its 'push' on the tail until it's deflected 90 degrees to the airflow, if then. I doubt anyone has elevator throw set anywhere close to 'airbrake'.

The stab is not gonna 'generate lift' until the deflected elevator forces it to assume an angle of attack with the airflow. That's how the elevator works.

.........Mike

With something foamy and a bit floppy, I don't think ANY of these aerodynamic explanations are relevant. It just flutters and distorts when flown outside of it's design speed.

Originally Posted by mgroves

I question your controls scheme as I believe most of us have conformed to a plan of ailerons and elevator on the right stick with throttle and rudder on the left. I then mix out throttle and have flaps and crow and rudder on the left stick.

just my preference maybe???

That's how I have mine set up, too. Sorry if I wasn't clear. I only brought up the Radian because that's where a lot of Radian Pro people are coming from. The Radian has the rudder on the right stick because it functions as the banking/turning control for that plane, due to its polyhedral wings. That makes an easy transition to aileron planes like the Radian Pro, where that function is performed by the ailerons rather than the rudder.

i'm agreeing with MS in NY... i don't think the dives are tail stalls.
.
i think we are looking at brownouts, electronic malfunction (moisture), or weather/lift/sink.
.
i was at a hand launch competiton this weekend with the competition-class pilots and very expensive, top-of-the-line competition DLG's. At one point (i didn't gete to see it - just told of it), all were in a downwind thermal and had to get back because of the timed task. all but one flew directly back upwind. the other flew out at a 45degree angle. all the others went straight down to the ground. one of the pilots described his glider as ignoring any elevator inputs and going straight down - even curving back in towards the thermal at the bottom. (sound familiar?). the pilot that flew out at 45 degrees is the only one that was able to return to the landing area. he explained that the area just upwind of a thermal is very strong sink, so one should always try and fly out of a thermal at 45 degrees to the prevailing wind. AHA!