I retired my last Radian Pro this weekend so the only foamies I have are now all Radians The local high school will get a bunch of servos, control rods, control horns etc for their robotics club and I get to keep 2 digital MG servos, motor, ESC etc for a future Radian scratch build. My full house glider is upscale a bit from the Radian Pro, but I still prefer the Radian for recreational thermaling and its just too easy to setup before and tear-down after a flying session. Stop truck, open tailgate, assemble Radian and launch... 5 minutes. After 20 minutes to an hour, 3 WOT followed by a landing, swap battery, put old one on charger, launch again... 5 minutes. Wash, rinse, repeat. After 2 or 3 hours, tear it down, put it all back in the truck... 5 minutes. Easy Peaszy Lemon Squeezy.

Originally Posted by Radio.Active

I buy my Graupner CAM props from ICare-RC. They have a 6mm mount. IC also has Aero-naut props which many folks like. Expect to have to enlarge the hole if it is not specified on the suppliers web site. A set of small Dremel bits in Metric and American sizes is real handly and I use them in my fingers to enlarge holes or create new holes in servo and control horns.

HeadsUpRC in Florida has 2" spinners, 8mm yoke, 4mm collett, 3mm screws and they also have a wide selection of props. Their spinner comes with 4 - 1mm washers so the 6mm props can be fitted. Fast delivery via USPS and comparable prices to HK. They have 10 X 6 and 11 X 6 generic props for <$5

HobbyKing has 50mm spinner, 8mm yoke, 2.3mm screws, no washers but comes with 4, 5, and 6 mm colletts. Canadian Tire and Home Depot have small washers in their you-pick'm bins While there look for a few spare center screws M3 X 20. HK also has similarly priced generic props.

Watch for Coreman's posts on the RP thread as he has several props on order and said he would post results.

Over in the RP thread the discussion on props introduced "efficiency" ( larger props with lower pitch ) which I do not care about. 3 WOT on a Turnigy 1300 mAh $10 3S LiPo is good enough for me. I just want near vertical launches for 30 seconds or less and not exceed the ESC rating - 26A on a 40A ESC. I don't cruise around with my Radian and Radian Pro as many folks do. I climb and glide.

Hope this helps... Alan

sure it helps-a lot! thank you great guy. i ask for details because am tired of buying things that don't fit, and i don't like to tinker with these hi speed turning things. i rather buy the right 1. will check all the data. i see that headsup has the 2" spinner and 10 and 11" blades that fit-the hole is 3mm like the spinner, so i better get them there. i guess these props do fine with the stock rad.
regards

I just got my new one and am in the process of the upgrades. In case Park Zone has not been reading this thread, your builders are still not putting very much glue on the stiffener in the fuse.

I have the PnP but not sure exactly what that means. Do I have to "program" the ESC as is outlined in the paper? Or is it already set up?

I am going to use a DX6i. I have flown DLGs and have some experience with helis. From my readings of different threads I have a choice of the left stick for throttle or using the "gear" channel. The second is my preferred choice. I can guess what to do but I can't connect everything up yet. I have not tried anything but how do you do this? Thanks in advance. John

Originally Posted by John63

I just got my new one and am in the process of the upgrades. In case Park Zone has not been reading this thread, your builders are still not putting very much glue on the stiffener in the fuse.

I have the PnP but not sure exactly what that means. Do I have to "program" the ESC as is outlined in the paper? Or is it already set up?

I am going to use a DX6i. I have flown DLGs and have some experience with heels. From my readings of different threads I have a choice of the left stick for throttle or using the "gear" channel. The second is my preferred choice. I can guess what to do but I can't connect everything up yet. I have not tried anything but how do you do this? Thanks in advance. John

The esc is already programmed. I have my DX6i set up with the throttle on the left stick and the flaps on the gear channel. You could have the flaps on the flap channel if the ailerons are on a Y harness.

Originally Posted by John63

I just got my new one and am in the process of the upgrades. In case Park Zone has not been reading this thread, your builders are still not putting very much glue on the stiffener in the fuse.

I have the PnP but not sure exactly what that means. Do I have to "program" the ESC as is outlined in the paper? Or is it already set up?

I am going to use a DX6i. I have flown DLGs and have some experience with heels. From my readings of different threads I have a choice of the left stick for throttle or using the "gear" channel. The second is my preferred choice. I can guess what to do but I can't connect everything up yet. I have not tried anything but how do you do this? Thanks in advance. John

Once you connect your ESC, to your Rx, and ten plug your battery in, your ESC will automatically recognize it. The brakes should already be set to the on position, from the factory. As far as. which channel to use for what, that all depends on which slot on the Rx, you plug your throttle into. Other than that, you should be good to go.

am amazed to see you guys doing all these mods to the stock rad.
the plane was designed to be a relaxed, thermal sailplane. and that was all.
and for that, it excels all the others around. the designers couldn't do better than that. mine flies just great as it comes (just a small bend to the pushrods, that's all), and am happy with it.
but i can't believe all that you do to it, and still survives things that was not designed or intended for.
that shows the flexibility of a good design.

and still some complain about it!

Originally Posted by phil alvirez

am amazed to see you guys doing all these mods to the stock rad.
the plane was designed to be a relaxed, thermal sailplane. and that was all.
and for that, it excels all the others around. the designers couldn't do better than that. mine flies just great as it comes (just a small bend to the pushrods, that's all), and am happy with it.
but i can't believe all that you do to it, and still survives things that was not designed or intended for.
that shows the flexibility of a good design.

and still some complain about it!

Hi Phil; I'm with you.

If it were up to you and me, this thread might be up too page 3. Ya gatta admit though that the folks here are having a great time. Heck, when I'm dead, my one and only Radian will still be ready to fly. Damn!

Originally Posted by phil alvirez

am amazed to see you guys doing all these mods to the stock rad.
the plane was designed to be a relaxed, thermal sailplane. and that was all.
and for that, it excels all the others around. the designers couldn't do better than that. mine flies just great as it comes (just a small bend to the pushrods, that's all), and am happy with it.
but i can't believe all that you do to it, and still survives things that was not designed or intended for.
that shows the flexibility of a good design.

and still some complain about it!

I agree she is a very well-designed ship, intended for the beginner e-sailplane pilot and casual flier, and she excels at that without any need for modification. Still, that doesn't mean there's no room for improvement if improvement is something to be desired. Most will probably not find that the effort and investment justifies the modest improvement in performance, but for those of us who can't seem to leave well enough alone, the benefit pays huge dividends.

From the standpoint of QA, we have to accept the Radian for what it is... a production foamy. I have been in the hobby long enough to accept the fact that whenever I purchase a model, some inspection will be necessary and anything not up to par will be addressed before I even think about getting her airborne. The control rod connectors have to go... Are all the glued seams secure? Is there any warpage in the tail boom or wings? Is the h-stab and v-stab perpendicular? Any cracks in the firewall? Are the motor screws secure? Do the control rods operate without binding or buckling? Are the control rod supports secure? Is the brake on the ESC set? Do the servos center without chattering? Are the elevator and rudder in line with the h-stab and v-stab respectively? Does the motor draw an acceptable amount of amperage in a static test? Is the CG where it's supposed to be? I know, basic stuff. Doesn't really fall into the category of improvements, but necessary to address if not in order.

That's probably where 90% of all Radian pilots are. For the (dysfunctional ) remaining 10% (myself included), we always seem to want just a little more. We have a pathological need to exceed the design performance envelope. Some examples:

1. High visibility trim scheme. Anyone can see their Radian well enough at 600 feet. When you regularly exceed 1500 feet, you need better contrast against a blue sky to determine orientation.

2. Excessive flex in the tail boom. Not a problem if you're just puttering around in the sky, but stressful maneuvers like spinning her down can create a lag in response time when changing directions or leveling out. Stiffening the boom makes her more responsive to control inputs.

3. Strengthening the wing saddle. Bad things can happen here when the wingtips go up while leveling out at an insane speed.

4. Wing retention. Sooner or later, the fit will get a little sloppy. Some people have a fancy solution, but tape works just fine.

5. Moving the CG back. The Radian comes to you with stability in mind. Great for the casual flier, not so much for thermal hunting. A more rearward CG will allow her to signal lift better without plowing straight through it.

6. The dreaded decalage mod. Moving the CG aft makes the Radian more sensitive to pitch changes. The positive incidence designed into the stock tailplane works fabulously with a forward CG, but can produce porpoising whenever the design speed envelope is exceeded. An aft CG just makes that worse. Zeroing the decalage in conjunction with moving the CG to the rear makes magical things happen.

7. More power. How fast do you want to get to 200 meters?

8. Miscellaneous bells and whistles. This would include completely unnecessary things like spoilers, flaps, provisions for mounting cameras or FPV equipment, etc.

So, I would say I agree with you. There are some common sense things that should be done by everyone, but most of the things the rest of us do to our Radians are just a matter of personal preference. Maybe we suffer from obsessive compulsive tweaking disorder (OCTD). Maybe we can't just leave well enough alone. Whatever the reason, it makes us happy. We enjoy the modest improvement in performance. And that works for us.

Originally Posted by chickenwing

...Radians are just a matter of personal preference. Maybe we suffer from obsessive compulsive tweaking disorder (OCTD). Maybe we can't just leave well enough alone. Whatever the reason, it makes us happy. We enjoy the modest improvement in performance. And that works for us. ...

I Mod; therefore I am. With apologies to René Descartes.

Originally Posted by phil alvirez

...the designers couldn't do better than that. mine flies just great as it comes (just a small bend to the pushrods, that's all)

Of course the designers could have done better than that. Otherwise, it wouldn't need a bend in the pushrods and you wouldn't be thinking of replacing the prop. If they had used CF instead of FG and the right amount of glue, it could have been a much better airplane for an additional 3% in price. Even if you only use the plane for thermal soaring, having it lighter, stiffer, and more responsive has to help.

Thank you, chickenwing, for providing a good summary of things that can be improved, and justification for doing so.

well, personalizing a plane or making some changes to suit every1's taste is just something that most of us do even without thinking that we are changing anything. and for others, that like to improve (or at least try something with that intention) things to work more to their needs or expectations, again, is something natural, and the rad has lot of room for that.
but as i said, am amazed of the things that some do, and the tasks they put the poor thing through, and still survives the ordeal.

but each 1 to his own, as long as you are enjoying it.
that's the final goal of all of this.

so squezze, add weight, reinforcements, anything, but don't blame the manufacturers if something goes wrong.

i just have a small suggestion, hoping the makers are reading this:
the kit that comes with the spinner has a set of hardware that is well thought.
still, i would add a 1.5mm allen wrench to fix the set screw that holds the hexagonal piece, as some may find hard to get.
enjoy!

Originally Posted by phil alvirez

... as i said, am amazed of the things that some do, and the tasks they put the poor thing through, and still survives the ordeal.

I have no idea what you are talking about. I have not seen any "over the top" mods like outlandish power systems proposed here.

The designers did an outstanding job of designing something that has introduced many people to the joys of gliders/sailplanes. It is perfectly suited to the beginner glider pilot and adequate for the more experienced, but some seek more than that. The majority of the mods that people including me do are along the lines of those recommended by Paul Naton, who knows far more than I do about glider performance. The structural stiffness upgrades make perfect sense, especially after watching in-flight videos of the tail flexing that happens with the stock plane. Upgrading the prop is a big help to those involved in competitions where climb performance is important, and the decalage mod is almost magical. None of those thing does any harm "the poor thing".

The bottom line though is why should anyone care? If you like the plane as it comes out of the box, great. If others want to do things they feel improve the plane that is great too.

well, the plane is designed as a thermal plane, and not for aerobatics. some guys fly it to the extreme of flexing the wings way more than a thermal plane is intended for.
if some1 does not see that as going to extremes, i won't argue about it.

so long, and enjoy.

Originally Posted by kaptondave

... If you like the plane as it comes out of the box, great. If others want to do things they feel improve the plane that is great too.

This MODDING thingy is not unique to the Radian and Radian Pro. Aside from the QA issues at HH, PKZ and their Asian manufacturers that requires the user to check and fix many of the things itemized in the last day of postings, all foamy electric sailplanes on RCG are getting a makeover whether they are Easy Stars I and II, Easy Glider Pro, Cularis, Graupner Elektro Rookie ( Ewektro Wookie ). I have hacked them all except the EZ II which I never bought.

Arguably Multiplex and Graupner have better QA and production than HH/PKZ , so even something like the Cularis ( Radian Pro competitior ) can be improved upon. http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1586457

The Radian is designed for a niche market - the entry level electric sailplane - cheap and fairly ruggied that will generally give immediate satisfaction to the new user. A good design is however defeated by bad process . A well designed process prevents humans from screwing up. We are not paying for NASA-like process but to glue or not to glue the boom spar, give me a break.. And if you ( the factory worker ) glue it, where and how do you glue it. The fail is that no one can know the decalage of their Radian out-of-the-box. It varies from great to adequate to total fail. My videos have documented this on multiple fuselages. Poorly glued cowlings and horizonal stabilizer saddles also come to mind.

And so fellow Radianauts, the longevity of your Radian and flying pleasure can at least be increased by constant attention to some of the "weak links" previously mentioned just like a ground check you would do on a full scale before you climbed into the cockpit. Common sense. And a range check before your first flight of the day. Can't lay that one on PKZ/HH

An old commanding officer once told me that as long as the troops are bitch'n and complaining, then all is well. They do so because they care, they are involved, and they want change and improvement. You really have to start worrying when they fall silent. That's when the customer walks away, RC pilot/consumer changes allegiance or the fragging begins. They have given up on you and you're toast.

Originally Posted by Raften

Rhett, I think you just blew a lot of Americans vision of your country. Many think of it as rocks, roos, snakes, and big things along the coast that eat you. Green fields, who would have thunk it. LOL

Raften, the roos are just up on the hills about 5km away.... the snakes are starting to show themselves in those fields and the big biteys on the coast are only 10km away.... I Love Australia ps i live 30km north of Adelaide, in South Australia...

Cheers
Rhett