looking better than ever mate, sure she will be a good thing second time around with what you have discovered since the first take.

Cheers
Craig

Originally Posted by trumps

looking better than ever mate, sure she will be a good thing second time around with what you have discovered since the first take.

Cheers
Craig

Thanks, though it's not looking that good upon close inspection. Still can't believe how little damage there was after spiraling in.

I did get a couple flights in today and with lower throws and expo and it's real pussy cat. Just level circuits for now to test it's handling and figure out best cruising speed. While I wait for the batteries to charge, I'm adding more flaps (started with only about 15 degrees).

I was worried about the wing incidence angle. On the 3-view it showed +4 degrees on the wing and -2 on the stab. That seemed like a lot to me so I set the stab and 0 and reduced the wing to 2%. Looks like I got lucky. There was no tendency to climb excessively at full throttle nor drop like rock with power off. It's got a pretty respectable glide, both landing approaches were power off.

Short video of re-maiden.

Beech2 (1 min 19 sec)

Great job on the remaiden ! Excellent job

-John

Got a few more flights in today. Increased flaps to 25 degrees, upped the rates a bit, tested the retracts. Starts to get slightly pitchy with the gear up so the CG is about as far back as it can be. Cruises well at about 2/3 throttle.

Slows down nicely with full flaps and can maintain altitude at about 1/3 throttle with flaps down. Curiously, no elevator correction needed with flaps. Pretty good aileron authority at slow speeds but it was really calm today. Not sure how well it would do in turbulence.

Sure wish I'd had this CG and settings on the first maiden! Live and learn.

congrats mate, glad she is a winner!

Congrats Pat, glad to see you got her sorted out.

Great effort all the way through...congrats!

Joe

Just discovered this thread (after having found an interest in the Beech 18 by accident - spotted a free plan by designer Cyril Carr in the British magazine RCM&E).

What an inspirational story your build-log is pmullen503. Loads of great building tips and techniques, and an admirable demonstration of persistence in ironing out the wrinkles when the maiden proved to be a harsh lesson. Really very good mate, one of the best threads I've ever seen on RCGroups - thanks for sharing it all and give yourself a beer!

Pat, your comment on the video about 20 seconds in says it all, "Ohhh (big sigh of relief)..nice.."....

Steve

Thanks yarrumevets and Steve,

The Beech wasn't my first scratchbuild to have a troubled maiden and it won't be the last! It is especially satisfying when you start with a three view and end up with a model that flies well; however bumpy the road was to get there.

Pat, I love your videos! I can totally relate to how you feel before the flight. I am the same way- pulse is pounding in my head and butterflies are flying in my stomach. Your re-maiden was great! Yes, the landing wasn't great- I would be saying the same to myself. Did it sink faster than you anticipated on the approach?

Bob

Originally Posted by voyager2lcats

Pat, I love your videos! I can totally relate to how you feel before the flight. I am the same way- pulse is pounding in my head and butterflies are flying in my stomach. Your re-maiden was great! Yes, the landing wasn't great- I would be saying the same to myself. Did it sink faster than you anticipated on the approach?

Bob

My landing area is a section of busted of concrete only about 40 ft long including the bit of grass at the end. There're buildings on two sides and trees on the third. Once you commit, that's it! For the D-18, this was the first actual landing so I really had no idea how fast it would drop or how "tip stally" it was at low speed. Much better to bring it in short than to cartwheel it in or have it glide into a building (done that several times).

The D-18 is pretty much dialed in now. Just have to reset the linkages mechanically to match the limits I now have programmed in the TX. I'll do that when I finish painting it. It's low speed handling is good, flaps are set up so that I still have aileron authority at full flaps. Tip stall is a non-issue at that speed. Elevator trim didn't change much at all at full flaps either.

I'll tell ya, damn thing sure is durable! This is the second plane I've done with kraft paper over foam (DO-335 was the first) and it really takes a beating. Someday, I'll join the local club to access their really nice field but it's so convenient to walk out your back door and fly.

Pat, I have a soccer/lacrosse field down the street, but I would rarely fly there as there are simply too many houses/trees/children/dogs/joggers/walkers/yada yada. I work on the local Army base, so the parade field over there is usually good- except when the cheap-skate golfers go there to use it as an unauthorized driving range. I can't really do anything as flying is not specifically permitted either, but the police don't really do anything unless you're speeding. Anyway, back on topic the Beechbaby looks great and now that you have a handle on its flight characteristics I will bet you are really enjoying it.

Bob