Originally Posted by xpower180

I've finished my new look EZII, went for a simple one... and a mug shot for post #12

Cheers, Jay.

Nice and simple color scheme. I like that. As for the mug shot.

I'm surprised someone from the UK would wear a Miami Dolphins T-Shirt.

Since I'm from Tampa Bay I prefer the Bucs.

Nice paint job anyway.

Vince

Originally Posted by Eagle202

I'm surprised someone from the UK would wear a Miami Dolphins T-Shirt.

Good spot, that!
Miami were playing in the first NFL game I ever watched from over here, so I stuck with them ever since.

Originally Posted by xpower180

I've finished my new look EZII, went for a simple one... and a mug shot for post #12

Cheers, Jay.

Jay Looks nice Hope you managed to take advantage of today's good weather and fly it.

Terry

Originally Posted by Scott_NJ

Rick, nice, I like the belly take off... how bad does it chew up the bottom of the plane?

And yes, video antenna is a good idea for FPV :-)

Oh not so bad really... I keep a couple of layers of packing tape along the bottom and every few flights I peel it off and replace it. It gets ugly looking from fine scratches on the very first flight but it doesn't start to rip and peel until a few. The most important thing is POWER for that... The more power you have on takeoff, the faster you've got the weight of the plane off that tape, and the less damage it soaks up. I'm up in the air in just a few seconds with the 1500kv + 8x4E setup I have now. Landings aren't so much a big deal because the friction stops the plane pretty fast.

Also I have to make sure and tape the undersides of the wings, because as you've no doubt noticed, she tends to list to one side or the other due to vertical CG. Without taping, the wing leading edges out at the curled tips take a bigtime roadrash over time. The tape lasts a LOT longer out there.

It's the ONLY way I take off... I didn't like throw launches even before I was flying FPV, and now that I am, I can't stand even the idea of trying to throw launch her. Besides that... a rudder equipped plane steers REALLY nicely on the ground... almost too nicely at times - she can whip and flip if I'm not careful, which is how I broke my original DPCAV vee dipole and landed myself in the purgatory of FPV antenna design land.

Rick NR417

Just a passing thought on the ROG belly skid takeoff issue - One thing I've never done that I always wanted to try is to put little wheels on the underside. Not full out gear - some of my "landings" would rip em right off and damage the underside as well, probably. BUT... something very low profile to keep the plane level on asphalt or dirt, and alleviate some of the contact between surface and belly, now that would just be all kinds of cool.

Oh, and one interesting fact about belly skidding on the EZ - almost ALL the damage to the underside occurs between nose tip and the rear extent of the canopy opening. I do show a very small bit of damage to the very tip of the tail boom, but it's minor and very easily protected. Between tail tip and the rear extent of the canopy opening, I show only very minor scuffing, and the whole tail boom underside is clean tape after lots of takeoffs and landings. Focus your shielding efforts on the area underneath the canopy opening and you'll cover 90% or more of all skid damage to the fuselage.

Rick NR417

Think about this if you can. It is not a ROG, but SOG or as I have stated a few times. SOGATO. SLIDE not ROLL if it had wheels then it would ROLL but the belly SLIDES.
So it SLIDES ON GROUND AND TAKES OFF.

I thought ROG meant "Rise Off Ground" meaning taking off from a surface as opposed to being hand or sling launched.

That said... I like "SOGATO" better. Going to use that term heavily from now on. Has a sort of an ethnic feel to it... SOooGATOoooo. :-)

Rick NR417

Rick, I have seen the belly wheel design before, a pretty good idea I think as well. Put yes a bit of packing table makes good sense... I hadn't really thought about toss launches in FPV, that initial drop and tile could be a bit of a tricky moment to overcome :-)

_Scott

Originally Posted by xpower180

I've finished my new look EZII, went for a simple one... and a mug shot for post #12 Cheers, Jay.

Work for BA by any chance, Jay???

Looks good - though in the interests of tradition, I need to think of summat derogatory to say about your mug shot.......

Hows about 'last time I saw a mug shot like that it had the words "Wanted: Dead or mortally wounded....." underneath it'.

Originally Posted by Colonel Blink

Work for BA by any chance, Jay???

I wish!

Originally Posted by Colonel Blink

I need to think of summat derogatory to say about your mug shot.......

Hows about 'last time I saw a mug shot like that it had the words "Wanted: Dead or mortally wounded....." underneath it'.

I know! Scary....

Strips of blow molded milk jug work great for protecting the belly. Use packing tape on the edges and leave the plastic exposed. Slides nicely and can be replaced if worn.

I have seen strips of formica used tough as nails and slick to.

Originally Posted by raygun45

NightRunner - thanks again for the great info. I guess I will move on with more questions:

How is everyone securing the tail? I am using the stock double sided tape but I don't really trust it. When I crash the entire tail comes off. I am wondering if I would permanently glue it? Magnets? velcrow?

Also - see my servo linkage - is this normal? This is how it came in the box.

Thanks everyone.

Raygun

Every one I know glues the tail on with CA. I used med CA -Never take the tail off when i toss it in the truck.

Originally Posted by NightRunner417

I thought ROG meant "Rise Off Ground" meaning taking off from a surface as opposed to being hand or sling launched.

That said... I like "SOGATO" better. Going to use that term heavily from now on. Has a sort of an ethnic feel to it... SOooGATOoooo. :-)

Rick NR417

Good video rick. I always thought it meant "right off ground" so who knows??
I'm almost in your area. Out from Seattle here on "Sanibel" for a week. Wish I could have brought my plane or my "hex-copter" with me. You've got a lot of flat areas out here where you could fly.-- JOHN

Oh yeah that's cool, John! We coulda raised hell on the beaches there, do some FPV beach skimming. I've often thought about invading Sanibel Island in search of a spot to fly but never got around to it. Maybe now that my EZ* is about near the end of useful upgrading and testing, I might could turn my focus to keeping it where I've got it and learning to fly it REALLY well, and then looking to explore some of those places I haven't due to not having the system quite bulletproof yet. :-)

Rick NR417