Newbie - Pleae HelpMe !! Trying To Fly My New Pico-Cub

[hoppy]

Jerry,
A gent named sav asked a question about his pico cub in the foamies forum. Maybe he can help if you can find him.
Hoppy
http://www.ezonemag.com/disc/Forum12/HTML/001185.html

[leccyflyer]

Jerry

You fit a six cell pack in as two ranks of three - like soldiers standing up - that is the "standard" Multiplex configuration that they sell for the Teddy - that fits fine.

Based on your posts - and Kev Gasgcoine's replies - good old Kev (Mullarkey) is making up an 8 cell pack to fit - maybe get a chance to compare them this weekend.

cheers

Brian

[jerrysimon]

Leccyfler,

The problem was that the shop sold then ready packed lined up like soldiers. There answer when i querried about how I should fit them in was "to "hack" the fusalage! after all many modelers do this" sorry don't mean to sound cynical about my local model shop.

Anyway today I mailed Multiplex about the whole issue. Like you there answer was that the six pack sold by them for the plane was 2 banks of three.

They also said my pack must be duff!.

Hoppy I answered Kev and passed on what Multiplex also said about the landing gear. "It was made for landing not taking off" Mine has bent several times already.

Anyway tommorow I should get my charger. I will then work on improving the landing gear, adding struts and finishing of the decals etc.

Regards

Jerry

[jerrysimon]

sorry that should have been Sav not Kev.

Oh and I guess I won't be working on it at all, until after I know it flies! It's had far too much of my attention already and it's time it gave me something back first!

Jerry

[Danny Troy]

My two cents....go with 8-cells and throttle back after airborne. I know you don't want to hear it, but how about taking the landing gear off and hand launching (last resort). That will save some weight. And how about the 8-cell Radio Shack nimh packs. Are there any Radio Shack stores in the UK??

[leccyflyer]

Hi again Jerry

Your posts set me to thinking as I have the Pico Cub on the bench - hasn't flown yet - so I connected up a 6 cell pack just to see how much waft I got. Very little waft indeed at first .

Then I noticed that the Permax gearbox wasn't working too well and the gears were definitely slipping. Out with the allen key and a further good dose of tightening up on the four grub screws that retain the gears was greeted with a dramatic improvement- off the same battery pack.

Might be one more thing worth checking. I imagine that Multiplex would have flown the Pico Cub on 6x600AAs if they recommend it as a viable flying option - sho nuff it will probably fly better on seven or eight cells.

[jerrysimon]

Wow, that's more like it

The mail order never turned up so I went back to the model shop and purchased a Speed One charger (I think Kev uses one of these).

Took twenty minutes to charge up the 7*500mha ARs. Plugged them into the plane and went full throttle. Compared to the 6 cell 700mha pack it's like there is a third more power. I had to almost stand on the tail to stop it moving

Put the amp meter on and it's drawing 6.2A at full throttle compared with the 3.5A previously.

I am confident that this baby will now fly. Unfortunately it's still too windy outside. Hopefully after the weekend I will be in a position to report back and then finish off the model (assuming I don't crash it).

All us CUB fliers here can then compare our various flight pack sets re flight times, peformance etc.

Jerry

[sav]

great news, don't rush your checks make sure your C of G etc is okay, The number of times I've made a stupid mistake because I didn't check everything in the rush to go and fly

[Clive Henry Jones]

Jerry,
I've also got a Pico Cub, but unlike you I already had a 8.4V pack of 600 AE's in my workshop. Flew well with Gunther prop and Direct Drive 400 6V. Also flew longer but with less power on 1600 NiMH 8.4V.
Since then I have put in an aftermarket Multiplex Prop, G/Box and 6V motor combo (For those who have them, the type with the "slotted" prop mount and the flanged prop). This seems to give better "grunt" but at the expense of speed (The Cub is not a fast ship by any means). Conditions were a little gusty when I tried this setup, so I'll have to wait for a more "still" day to make a valid comparison.
Keep with it - it does fly - honest!
Clive.

[leccyflyer]

Jerry

Warning - long post coming folks

Well I can confirm that the Pico Cub will fly fine with 6 cells- I hope you didn't give Multiplex too much of a hard time

A gorgeous day for flying here today in the northwest, we had brilliant blue skies, generally light winds with the odd stronger gusts and bright sunshine.

Timmy's Pico Cub came out at 745 grams (29oz!!!) AUW with eight 700 AA cells and a touch lighter with the six cell Teddy 700AAE pack. That is a fair bit above the Multiplex top weight of 675g. In the end I decided to put the tape on the wing after all and added a single strip of 3/4" glassfibre tape across the whole wingspan covering the spar. The glass tape plus the yellow parcel tape covering added about 50grams in weight and needed 15 grams of ballast in the cowl with the 6 cell pack (eventually).

Having knocked several lumps out of our Teddy and Smiley bare foam wings in the hanger, car and at the field I thought the parcel tape covering would be more robust. There is a weight penalty to be had though.

The first flight today with the 8 cell pack ROG in about ten feet and the model climbed briskly, I'd left her a smidgen tail heavy- balancing just on the rear of the wingspar. A bootful of trim took care of that until we got her down and added the extra bit of noseweight. Reset the controls, took off again and found it is a very nice flier with bags of power on 8 cells- climbs on 1/3 throttle- the gearbox was pretty noisy though.

Second flight was better after some lubrication on the gearbox and the discovery that the shaft was slipping- the grub screw was a pointy one and making no purchase on the shaft- swapped that for a flattie and a drop of CA fixed that.

Timmy (age 7) took the controls for the second flight and both he and the model performed admirably- very nice and stable- though the odd gust caught it and produced some unexected wing drops (or lifts).

We are very impressed with the Pico Cub on 8 cells - it's a delight to fly and I would say makes an excellent trainer. The one negative point is that weak undercarriage- I had put some little depron triangles between the legs and however gentle the landing the gear was deformed. In view of the need for noseweight (imparted by using the parcel tape covering no doubt) I'm going to make another undercarriage with stiffer wire or maybe carbon fibre -that should let me remove the little bit of lead in the cowl.

After Timmy had had enough for the day we tried the Pico Cub on 6 cells. Take off run was extended to about 40 feet or so but with a gentle touch on the elevator she climbed out okay and flew around very sedately- not overpowered but definitely flying well - similar performance to our Teddy. I landed after probably about five minutes (sorry didn't time any of the flights)- well pleased with the model.

I will probably use eight cells- because of the noseweight requirement with six cells - though I think seven AA cells would be an ideal compromise.

I hope you had as good a day as we had today

cheers

Brian

[jerrysimon]

Brian,

Thanks for sharing that here. Like you I now have a long long post.

Looks like this is the day for flying Pico Cubs

Like you I am one happy chappy. It's only taken me from 27/12/00 when I got the kit until today 13/1/01 and 40 Ezone postings later!

I feel good. It was a beautifull clear sunny but freezing day down here in the south west. Although I had to go to work I came home about 3:00pm. Charged up the battery and headed out to the park (wife in tow). There were footballers there, so decided against it. Went home and came back an hour later (wife still in tow). The sun was going down and it was VERY cold.

The flight went like clockwork. I should add at this point that this is my first EVER (if you don't count the three foot 30 second flights posted before) that I have ever flown an RC plane. As a boy I played around with some rubber motor ones and one control line that never flew. I have also always flown kites, but model planes add a whole new 3D experience.

Anyway lined it up on the cricket astro turf, increased throttle, slight up elevator, kept the rudder straight and off it went. Took off in less than 6ft

I could not believe it Suddenly all the hard work and patience was finally rewarded. I had been afraid of my first proper flight but this plane is Sooo easy to fly. When it started to dive or stall I just took my fingers off the rudder/elevator control and it flew like it was on some sort of auto pilot.

After about a minute it got a bit low and I just landed it (quite hard) As you say the under carriage is pathetic. I bent it back and went for another go. At this point I should add my wife has caught the whole thing on video camera, a digital one borrowed from work, so I intend to put up a clip for you all you to see Anyway the second flight was even better, as I was beginning to get the hang of the controls. It's the flying away (reverse rudder control) that confuses me. I managed to turn it around and it came back towards me over my head about 5 ft. Wow

Well anyway had another fairly hard landing way down the bottom end of the field and decided to call it a day. It was freezing.

My wife was almost excited as me and kept saying "it's flying". They (my family) had given up and decided it would never fly.

So in conclusion. As you can see I am one happy first time flyer. I now love this model dspite all the problems I have had with getting the right battery. My final one is a 7 cell 8.4V 500AE. I did not time it but it seemed to fly for a long time. When I got home I ran it down and it still had another 30 seconds or so left. I have concluded as you say that it will fly on 6 cells but I think the pack I had must have been given first time was duff.

I also noticed that it required quite a bit of throttle to make headway against the wind at the higher flight points.

I am now going to give it lots of loving care, tape it up, add struts and stronger under carriage.

Unlike you Brian, I do not have a son but have two daughters one of whom has been out most times up to now. When she saw the video should could not beleive it. She said that she was thinking it would never fly.

If it is nice tommorrow I might take her out and let her have a go too. They have both practised with FMS and the TX plugged into the computer and understand as much as I do about the controls.

Anyway just to restate my thanks to you all here for the help and encouragment. At 40 years old (I know I am a big kid) this has to be one of those memorable moments that occasionally we get get to experience in life.

Sorry if that sounds a bit deep, but I am still buzzing a bit.

I will put up some pictures and a few details on a web site in due course. Hopefully I can also put up a short video clip of my first ever flight.

Jerry

[leccyflyer]

Jerry

That's brilliant- WELL DONE !

I had no idea this was your first time flight - I just thought it was your first electric. I thought the Pico Cub would be an ideal trainer and it looks like it is. I know what you mean about still buzzing BTW

Good luck tomorrow- I doubt I'll be flying - I have an appointment with some brick paviors a thousand billion algal cells and a high pressure water jet

[hoppy]

ATTA BOY JERRY!!!!!
Ain't it a great feeling to bring your baby home in one piece!!!!! I might have to get me a cub. They look good!
GoodLuck Tomorrow
Hoppy

[Mark Wood]

Jerry:
Don't feel silly by being so excited. It happens everytime you put a new plane in the air but it's nothing like that first real flying experience.
Congratulations and way to go on sticking with it and not giving up.


mw

[jerrysimon]

Thanks Guys

I had hoped to get out today but am at work probably until 7:00pm, so by then it will be too dark. We are doing a refurbishment of the offices and us IT people are always the last to go, as we have to set up the PCs etc on the desk and check they work for the Monday morning.

I am also away Monday/Tuesday as I have an interview down in Canterbury, South/East England.

If I got the job it's so close to Dover that Hoppy's joke could become a real life experience for me

Jerry