Originally Posted by Patchitagain

You may want to replace them altogether..

I am putting in Gold-N-Rod S503 with Dubro 121s;

Edit;
I wound up using JB Weld to mount the original Z-Bends to the Golde-n-Rods


http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showp...postcount=7137

Originally Posted by ecase

I wish I could remember whoever had the idea to put the silver tape on the wing LE because it works great. Its almost like a small strobe light.

Question - This is my first attempt at using the rudder to coordinate the turns, hardly ever touched the rudder on other planes. I seem to lose altitude when I use both rudder and aileron to turn. When I start a turn with the aileron the plane banks, add a little rudder and it seems to point the nose at the ground. This may be a stupid question but here goes, do I use left rudder and left aileron when trying to turn left, or, do I use opposite inputs? Which do you use first, rudder or aileron?

I had exactly the same thought but was too silly to ask.
Personally, I lead Into the turn with the rudder. I then add the same direction of ailerons and a little up elevator to execute a sharp, coordinated turn. When thermaling, I lead into the turn again with the rudder but I tend to use the opposite aileron input to keep the wing more level. I remember someone on here pointed out that the lift from the wing is only ever perpendicular to the wing. If you are in a thermal, that implies more lift will be attained if you keep the wings more level (unless you are coring a low or small thermal).

This is my personal findings and I am faaar from experienced. I'm in my first season of sailplanes.

I'm sure Aejar or other thermal gurus can correct or confirm...

Originally Posted by VaderSS

I am putting in Gold-N-Rod S503 with Dubro 121s;

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showp...postcount=7137

Ahhh yes! The dubro 121s are the answer to the problem of the rod contacting the other servo! no more servo throw limitation!

Thanks!

Originally Posted by ecase

I wish I could remember whoever had the idea to put the silver tape on the wing LE because it works great. Its almost like a small strobe light.

Question - This is my first attempt at using the rudder to coordinate the turns, hardly ever touched the rudder on other planes. I seem to lose altitude when I use both rudder and aileron to turn. When I start a turn with the aileron the plane banks, add a little rudder and it seems to point the nose at the ground. This may be a stupid question but here goes, do I use left rudder and left aileron when trying to turn left, or, do I use opposite inputs? Which do you use first, rudder or aileron?

Not sure who came up with the chrome tape either but it sure does work for high altitude orientation when the sun is out.

I don't use the rudder often. I find that as long as the elevator input is sufficient for the bank angle, the plane does not slip or skid. I either adjust the elevator or the bank angle to keep the g force horizontal through the plane, thus avoiding slip or sink. I only use the rudder when there is noticable slip or skid and I don't want to change the bank or elevator input. This idea will probably get slapped down again by the experts though.

I've been trying to learn how to slope soar with this Radian Pro and I was using the rudder yesterday like a madman. When making my 'figure-8s', I was using rudder to whip the tail around while using opposite aileron to keep her somewhat level and not lose too much lift (it was a lighter breeze I was playing in so I wasn't doing any high-g dives).

I read through this thread and couldn't find an answer: does anyone have any actual impressions of using a 7-channel receiver and engaging flaperons for better roll authority? In a light slope breeze, I found it somewhat difficult to maintain roll control.

Originally Posted by Infernal Bill

I read through this thread and couldn't find an answer: does anyone have any actual impressions of using a 7-channel receiver and engaging flaperons for better roll authority? In a light slope breeze, I found it somewhat difficult to maintain roll control.

Yes, if you mean 7 channel or higher. I use an AR8000 and DX8 set up for full-span ailerons, and the roll control is great. If I want a 15 degree roll, I just tap the stick and bam, it's rolled by 15 degrees. I have been primarily flying the Radian Pro on the slope so far, and I've had a lot of fun flying it, even doing some rolls, etc. despite my elementary acro skills.

Originally Posted by Infernal Bill

I've been trying to learn how to slope soar with this Radian Pro and I was using the rudder yesterday like a madman. When making my 'figure-8s', I was using rudder to whip the tail around while using opposite aileron to keep her somewhat level and not lose too much lift (it was a lighter breeze I was playing in so I wasn't doing any high-g dives).

I read through this thread and couldn't find an answer: does anyone have any actual impressions of using a 7-channel receiver and engaging flaperons for better roll authority? In a light slope breeze, I found it somewhat difficult to maintain roll control.

Engaging flapperons for better roll control? Do you mean mixing flaps to ailerons to get get full span aileron effect? This is not flapperons.

Flapperons is what you use when you have no flaps and want to use the ailerons as flaps.

Now, if you are using rudder to turn and opposite ailerons you are creating the roll issue, not the plane. What kind of roll control is this? Planes don't turn flat they turn by banking then adding up elevator into the turn.

I can stand most R/E gliders up on a wing tip and circle them in little more than their wing span with no need for ailerons or full span ailerons or flapperons.

I can't do axial rolls or anything like that but I have no lack of roll control or tight turning radius. But you MUST bank the wings in order to change direction efficently.

What kind of roll authority are you seeking? What are you trying to do?

The only roll issue I have is at very low airspeed, and that will happen with any plane.

At high speeds the RP will roll just fine....not like a plane with a shorter wing mind you, but for a sailplane the roll rate is normal. I don't see any full size sailplanes doing fast rolls either. Those long wings have mass far from the rotational axis and so naturally it takes some energy to get them rolling. That's why a Pitts has such an incredible roll rate...the short stubby wings.

For funsies I might just give the full span thing a try. It might be worth it just to be able to trim the flaps separately, as they seem to be warped in different directions every time I go fly. Does anyone have the DX 7 programming for this mix? I want to keep the camber/neutral/reflex on the three way flap mix switch, the flaps on the gear switch and the crow on the Aux. (it's a hybrid of the mix in ChuckTSeeker's video except I swapped the flap and crow switches around. Perhaps the full span mix could be switched at the rudder mix switch which I never use?

I am putting in Gold-N-Rod S503 with Dubro 121s;

So, do you have a pic of where you placed the receiver? I like how clean the servo area is..

thanks,

Paul

Ed - when flying the radian yesterday at the top of a slope with some light wind, I found that when turning into the wind, at the point where the plane is sideways to the wind, I was having a hard time keeping the wind-side wing where I wanted it to be. Sometimes it was just plain unresponsive. I'm sure that it is largely pilot error on my part and something i will learn to deal with or overcome as I improve my technique through hours of stick time, but i wanted to get a sense on here whether people were separating their flap channels (like I saw a lot of guys doing at the Fermin slope races this last Saturday).

Thanks for the input.

Originally Posted by aeajr

Engaging flapperons for better roll control? Do you mean mixing flaps to ailerons to get get full span aileron effect? This is not flapperons.

Flapperons is what you use when you have no flaps and want to use the ailerons as flaps.

Now, if you are using rudder to turn and opposite ailerons you are creating the roll issue, not the plane. What kind of roll control is this? Planes don't turn flat they turn by banking then adding up elevator into the turn.

I can stand most R/E gliders up on a wing tip and circle them in little more than their wing span with no need for ailerons or full span ailerons or flapperons.

I can't do axial rolls or anything like that but I have no lack of roll control or tight turning radius. But you MUST bank the wings in order to change direction efficently.

What kind of roll authority are you seeking? What are you trying to do?

Originally Posted by Patchitagain

So, do you have a pic of where you placed the receiver? I like how clean the servo area is..

thanks,

Paul

That is a Radian(not Pro). Not mine, just gave me the idea for the rods and connectors.

Originally Posted by rcoconut

NICE gift!! This helped me out as far as some of the setup with my DX6i, it's from the HobbyZone website under "Recommended Setups":

http://www.horizonhobby.com/ProdInfo...DX6i_setup.pdf

BUT as far as setting up the CROW configuration this YouTube video is how I set up my DX6i. You'll see he's talking about a P-51 but the set up is EXACTLY the same for our Radian Pro:

http://youtu.be/nRAOqQGu3eY

Hope this helps and have a great maiden flight, look forward to reading about it later!

I made about three ten minute flights with zero damage to the Radian. Hasn't always gone that well for me in the past. I used crow to exit a strong thermal in an orderly fashion, no more wing warping white knuckle dives. I think I might need to play with the CG a little as I never could quite get it trimmed. I might try moving it forward a bit next time out. All in all I'm loving the radian, and the programmable radios are great.

Originally Posted by trailmaker

I think I might need to play with the CG a little as I never could quite get it trimmed.

Make sure your elevator is not sticking. Move it up and then down. It should return to center. Mine is off a couple of mm, depending on whether it is returning from up or down. i can trim it so it centers from one way or the other, but not both.

That is why I am replacing the pushrods.

Originally Posted by Infernal Bill

I found that when turning into the wind, at the point where the plane is sideways to the wind, I was having a hard time keeping the wind-side wing where I wanted it to be. Sometimes it was just plain unresponsive.

I've had the same problem. I was thinking that maybe I was not carrying enough speed or maybe not enough rudder. I crashed hard before I could get a handle on it Sunday.(Too small flying area)

Seems like you could use Y cables to connect aileron and flaps if you just want to test that out, before spending the money on a radio(s). One would need to have a reversing lead for the flap servo that is not flipped or you could try to flip the one flap servo.

http://www.wolfmodels.net/servo,switch.html

I was thinking I'd just try increasing the aileron throw by moving the clevis to another hole on the aileron horns.

I`ve got an issue withe the RP just wondering if anyone else has experienced it.

When going in to a quite fast 45 degree dive the RP seems to bank over right quite alot every time and it seems to take a while for the elevator to react i just cant really get a nice straight dive. It is trimmed out perfectly and the throws are all good and i have no problems with normal flight,It just does not feel right in dives.This is my first sailplane so i`m no expert,but just cant figure out why..