Hi Everyone,
I just acquired a Graupner Cirrus since previously my largest sailplane was a 2m Gentle Lady. I want to convert it to electric. I think I'm going to chop off the nose and mount the engine there as opposed trying to build a somewhat clunky power pod that would go above the wing. It already has a repaired break between the canopy and tail feathers so it isn't in pristine condition.
What are your experiences and thoughts?
Thanks,
Russ

Finally! First color coat down!

Looks pretty good, need to sand a few spots and buff w/ 600 then final color coat.

Needs to sit for a few weeks for the paint to cure then I can clear coat.

Hopefully it will be warm enough by then.
.
.

Checking the Pattern Before Taking Off

I don’t remember when this happened. I think it was after I soloed but I probably didn’t have a current medical so I was flying with Tony Barone the FBO who both taught me to fly and was my examiner (quite strict!!!) for my glider private. I also don’t remember if this was in the Champ or a Citabria. Probably the Champ because the Citabria’s had Maule tail wheels and you could see over the nose when taxiing. Even though they were taildraggers that big tail wheel made them feel almost like they had a nose wheel.

I taxied to the beginning of the runway and we sat a while checking the pattern and finally lined up on the runway and pushed not quite full throttle. Tony was particular about rpms on take off. He never used full throttle but insisted on something like 2150 or maybe 2250 rpm. All of a sudden a Cessna 310 passed us about fifteen feet above. Tony saw the shadow and hollered, "I’ve got it!! I told him the guy already passed us.

While we were sitting there checking the pattern this guy was on a long straight in approach and our high wing blocked the view.

Since then I have always made sure I could see the approach before taxiing out onto the runway.

The guy in the 310 just kept going. Whatever had drawn him to Wurtsboro was no longer important.

For me it was a valuable lesson.

I can only think of one time I did a straight in approach in a sailplane. It was the day I hit rotor...Continue Reading

Eachine E129 4CH 6-Axis Gyro Helicopter RTF - Load Testing Flights - Can this Heli carry an FPV Cam?

Get One Here: Eachine E129 Gyro Helicopter RTF
https://www.banggood.com/custlink/3GGdcftJBH

Here is a link to the Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dprefIXYirk

Here is a link to the Playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...pcJ8AVtaVVMT6i

Coupon:BGSMTW2 (I don't know if this is still active but give it a try)

Banggood GCRC
https://www.banggood.com/custlink/GmDmQ1nVkO

Spare Parts:

Eachine E129 RC Helicopter Parts 3.7V 300mah Lipo Battery
https://www.banggood.com/Eachine-E12...47791920140372

2PCS Eachine E119 RC Helicopter Parts ABS Main Blade (I beleive these are the same as the E129)
https://www.banggood.com/2PCS-Eachin...47791920140372

2PCS Eachine E119 E129 RC Helicopter Parts Tail Blade
https://www.banggood.com/2PCS-Eachin...47791920140372

Eachine E119/E129 RC Helicopter Parts Coreless Main Motor With Gear
https://www.banggood.com/Eachine-E11...47791920140372

Eachine E119 E129 RC Helicopter Parts Tail Motor Set
https://www.banggood.com/Eachine-E11...47791920140372

Eachine E119 E129 RC Helicopter Parts 615 Coreless Tail Motor
https://www.banggood.com/Eachine-E11...47791920140372

4PCS Eachine E119 E129 RC Helicopter Parts Motor Gear
https://www.banggood.com/4PCS-Eachin...47791920140372

2PCS Eachine E119 E129 RC Helicopter Parts Main Gear
https://www.banggood.com/2PCS-Eachin...47791920140372

Eachine E119/E129 RC Helicopter Parts 2g Digital Servo
https://www.banggood.com/Eachine-E11...47791920140372

Eachine E119 E129 RC Helicopter Part Receiver Board Compatible With FUTABA FHSS
https://www.banggood.com/Eachine-E11...47791920140372

4PCS Eachine E119 E129 RC Helicopter Parts Canopy Washer
https://www.banggood.com/4PCS-Eachin...47791920140372

#GroundControlRC #GlueAndFly #ScratchBuildPlanes #Eachine #EachineE129Helicopter #E129Helicopter #E129 #Banggood Best Cheapest


See you in the Air!

Build, Fly, Crash, Repair, Rinse & Repeat!

Ground Control RC™ Glue & Fly™ Series Scratch-Build Planes

Consider Supporting Our Channel by becoming a Patron at: https://www.patreon.com/groundcontrolrc
Patrons of the Channel will have Exclusive access to Aircraft Plans & Content!

See Us On Youtube | Patreon | RCGroups

https://www.youtube.com/c/GroundControlRC
https://www.patreon.com/groundcontrolrc
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/member.php?u=754189

Gemfan's #newarrivals here! Are these what you wanted?
🔥𝟱𝟭𝟯𝟬-𝟯 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗬𝗟𝗘🔥
Super light, more durable, bigger thrust, powerful flight for freestyle and light weight drone.
🔥𝗟𝗥𝟱𝟭𝟮𝟲-𝟮🔥
Longer flight time, higher efficiency for longer range
🔥𝗗𝟵𝟬-𝟯🔥
Less Noise, bigger thrust, higher efficiency for 3.5 inch cinewhoop quad.
#gemfan #cinewhoop #superlight #longrange

The Heron’s T tail makes marking elevator trim settings difficult. Unlike a cruciform tail where you can mark elevator trim settings on the rudder or fin there is nothing for the Heron. To fix this I used a plastic credit card and cut a piece of music wire for an axle. I used frosted scotch tape that you can mark with a pencil and wrapped the plastic . When not in use I rotate the indicator down and into a slot in the rudder.

The elevator trim and maximum throws should be set to prevent a tip stall when flying slow as in thermalling. This should be with SAFE On or Off.

The pencil marks shown have been tested and should work with any other Heron with the same CG.

Aircraft Setup File - Fun Cub 1100mm Wingspan EPO Kit
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aDG...ew?usp=sharing

This is my favorite Factory Plane so far ;-)
This Plane has excellent Slow Flight capability and with the right amount of Power is very Aerobatic ;-)

It's a very easy Build and this Setup should give you a very successful Maiden Flight.

Here are links to the Plane as well as the Components I selected.
It's a very inexpensive Build with the Components I selected and has Power to Pull Vertical ;-)
My PNF Build = $109.50

Fun Cub 1100mm Wingspan EPO Monoplane Training Plane RC Airplane Kit for Trainer Beginner - Red
https://www.banggood.com/Fun-Cub-110...47791920140372

Racerstar BR2212 1400KV 2-4S Brushless Motor
https://www.banggood.com/Racerstar-B...47791920140372

Volantex 30A 2-4S Brushless ESC With XT60 Plug
https://www.banggood.com/Volantex-30...47791920140372

4PCS Racerstar DS1202MG 12g 180° Metal Gear Digital Micro Servo For RC Helicopter Airplane Robot
https://www.banggood.com/4PCS-Racers...47791920140372

APC 10x3 Sport Gas Prop
https://www.apcprop.com/product/10x3/

Banggood GCRC
https://www.banggood.com/custlink/GmDmQ1nVkO

You can help support us by using our affiliate links to the products above. A small commission (At No Cost To You) helps us buy more items to review.

#GroundControlRC #GlueAndFly #GFS #GCRC #ScratchBuildPlanes #FunCub #FunCub1100 #SetupFile Best Cheapest


See you in the Air!

Build, Fly, Crash, Repair, Rinse & Repeat!

Ground Control RC™ Glue & Fly™ Series Scratch-Build Planes

Consider Supporting Our Channel by becoming a Patron at: https://www.patreon.com/groundcontrolrc
Patrons of the Channel will have access to the latest Aircraft Plans & Exclusive Content!

See Us On Youtube | Patreon | RCGroups

https://www.youtube.com/c/GroundControlRC
https://www.patreon.com/groundcontrolrc
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/member.php?u=754189

It took a full day just to swap the container, as expected. Headlights still have to be installed. There is a debate whether the speed fluctuations are from radio interference, tachometer glitches, or PID oscillation. Tried reducing the throttle to just 1 speed instead of 3, but it still had speed fluctuations. There is a desire to improve the radio error detection by XORing the packet with a key, but so far, there's no evidence of the radio causing speed fluctiations.


Finally put in a better buck converter to replace the crummy 3A Turnigies which are taking over the world.

Here's an index to my blog posts. Click the link to directly open a blog post.

Building & debugging OpenTX
#1: Step-by-step guide to building (custom) OpenTX firmware under Ubuntu Linux
#2: Exploring and debugging OpenTX with Qt Creator IDE under Ubuntu Linux
#3: Step-by-step guide to building (custom) OpenTX firmware under 64-bit Windows 10
#4: Exploring and debugging OpenTX with Qt Creator IDE under 64-bit Windows 10

Native MAVLink & MAVLink telemetry with OpenTX
#5: Native MAVLink telemetry with RadioMaster TX16S (w/o having to use Mav2PT converter)
#6: Modified Yaapu telemetry widget to support OlliW MavSDK/native MAVLink on OpenTX

RadioMaster TX16S modifications
#7: RadioMaster TX16S tray modification
#8: RadioMaster TX16S stick pot dial modification
#9: RadioMaster TX16S DFU button modification

DIY electronics
#10: USB2PPM Interface for controlling a remote device from PC

DragonLink related
#5: Native MAVLink telemetry with RadioMaster TX16S (w/o having to use Mav2PT converter)
#11: Disabling all RF emissions of DragonLink V3 WiFi+BT ESP32 module

Well, I am normally an "air" guy but again this "corona" thing forces me to explore other "things" ...

Axial SCX24 - Demo of FPV Space Buggy X1 and non permanent obstacles (2 min 8 sec)

Started building the Mandrake from a Jeremy Collins plan found on Outerzone.
Build the fuselage around a carbon 10mm tube which I will cut away partly , at the battery and rx tray, and leave the rest in for strength .
Up till now easy to build, just formed a 1.5mm balsa tube for the mid section of the fuselage over a 90mm dia drain pipe. I will put that on tomorrow.
The cone shaped front and rear part I will do in strips of 2mm balsa to leave a bit more space for sanding.
Shall I put a UC to it or not ??

More to follow!

Greetz

I was not planning to use the embedded ESP32-WROOM-32 module in DragonLink V3 transmitter, so looked for a way to turn it fully off, also not to transmit anything on the 2.4 GHz band.

Unfortunately there is no official way to achieve this, also by flashing MavlinkToPassthru (Mav2PT) project is not a solution. The latter does offer over WebGUI the option to turn WiFi & BT off, but after looking at the source code, I noticed that it still does not turn off the RF-output (this is also noticeable from the fact that the WebGUI remains enabled, it just turns off MavLink output via WiFi & BT).

To overcome this issue, I created my own DL V3 ESP32 firmware (attached below for download). The code is really simple, also the procedure to compile and flash the embedded ESP32 is pretty straightforward (thanks to Noircogi for Mav2PT instructions that gave me initial ideas how DL ESP32 module is setup).

Here are the steps (without any warranty for success from me and also do not expect help from DragonLink after you continue!).

DO NOTE THAT YOU ARE WIPING THE FACTORY ESP32 FIRMWARE (but it is possible to re-flash it as instructed here). Nevertheless if you mess up something and brick your DL Tx, be prepared to take full responsibility! Also do note that the DragonLink transmitter firmware and the WiFi+BT ESP32 module firmware are two separate items. Here, we are not touching the DragonLink transmitter firmware, but only the embedded ESP32-WROOM-32 WiFi+BT module firmware.

If...Continue Reading

Is the E-flite T-28 Trojan Still The Best Foamy? I do my best to answer that during the Unboxing & Preliminary Review of this upgraded RC Plane legend.

Still The Best Foamy? E-flite T-28 Trojan 1.1M BNF Basic Unboxing & Preliminary Review (10 min 0 sec)

E-flite Trojan Review Notes:

Pros:
- The option of using 3S or 4S power
- A proven and legendary airframe
- SAFE/AS3X Receiver with the BNF Basic version
- Stronger nose wheel
- Carbon fiber added to the horizontal stab
- Very quick RC Airplane build time
- Easy radio setup with recommended radios
- ESC works well with Spektrum Smart packs & lets you know if your flight packs are not charged enough to fly

Cons:
- Color is a con for me, but may be a Pro for some due to increased visibility.
- No retracts, but this price point for a BNF, does imply that.
- The air gap in the canopy is a con for me, but should not be the end of the world.

E-flite T-28 Trojan 1.1m BNF Basic Links:
- Amazon: https://amzn.to/2OyvCzW
- Hobbyzone: https://bit.ly/3kFbuYB

The links in this description are affiliate links. They give me a small commission on sales which helps support the channel and keep it independent: https://www.amazon.com/shop/gblyndensrc or visit https://www.gblynden.com/.

4S 2200 Spektrum Smart Battery:
- Amazon: https://amzn.to/3sWHiex
- Hobbyzone: https://bit.ly/30kHBUg

Hello all,

Just wanted to take a quick minute and share that we are starting to work on a pair of Ed Kazmerski's Simla Kits from Home and Hobby Solutions. Will be doing a video build log with video and pictures during the construction. Here is a brief introduction. Follow me on youtube for more updates.

The R/C plane project reveal! Ed Kazmerski’s SIMLA. Kit from Home and Hobby Solutions. (1 min 6 sec)

Thank you for your time,

Matthew Prachar

Model: Art Hobby Sky 2m electric glider
Location: Urban park
Date: December 12, 2020

Transmitter 1: QX7 ACCESS, R9 external module, ACCESS protocol, 20dBm power, VAS Longshot antenna, vertically polarized
Transmitter 2: QX7 legacy, Ghost external module, GHST protocol, 20dBm power, DIY crosshair antenna, circularly polarized, other antenna deactivated

Receiver 1: R9 MX with DIY monopole with 2 ground plane radials, vertically polarized
Receiver 2: Ghost Atto with standard FrSky replacement monopole, vertically polarized

Transmitter and receiver 1 (R9) were used to control the model. Transmitter and receiver 2 (Ghost) were used to log data only.

During the test flight, I held transmitter 1 in my hands to control the model. Transmitter 2 rested on my flight bag on the ground in an upright position. The antennas on both transmitters were directional. However, I only tracked the model with the transmitter in my hands. This put the Ghost system at a possible disadvantage. Still, the link quality shows comparable performance. In fact, this result with Ghost is by the far the best I've obtained with any 2.4GHz system I've tested in a similar manner.

I created an interface to control a remote device (e.g. a drone) from the PC via a radio link and I call the project USB2PPM.

The USB2PPM circuit gets the signal from PC over USB connection and converts it to Pulse-Position-Modulation (PPM) to be input e.g. over a trainer jack into a remote control transmitter.





USB2PPM uses standard trainer port signal. Back in 2003, I did a similar project PC-to-R/C Interface V2.0, but it was much bigger than the current version and used RS-232 serial port that is deprecated today.

...Continue Reading

Note: This is still being edited.

Here is some info on OS FS-61 four stroke glow engines:

The FS-61 is the second .60-size Four Stroke in OS's lineup. It makes more power than the original RC Nitro Four Stroke, the OS FS-60 (which had open rockers, btw).
It came before the 'Surpass' line of engines. It may tag the nickname of 'Pre-Surpass' (though this is not necessary as OS didn't create other .61 Four Strokes).

The FS-61 may not have modern hp/weight numbers but is still very useful. It has nice details in engineering that new engines may be missing--like Bronze Valve Cups and Brass Bushings on the Conrod. This may provide longer life as well as allow possible repair options not doable on plain aluminum surfaces.

The FS-61 is designed to work without exhaust back pressure. Though it does come with the option (see 'Exhausts'). I think it sounds great with just a pipe, my preference btw.

Be sure not to lose the Woodruff Key with its Propeller Drive Washer. I either place my key in a parts bag with the engine or snug the slim Prop Washer/Nut to help prevent the Drive Washer from backing off.

Storage
After the engine is run out of fuel, it is is stored with oil throughout. I prefer 3-in1 oil. It is placed in a plastic bag, then in a box, and within an airtight container to prevent rust, water, and storm damage.

Be careful to prevent condensation on parts if taking out of cold storage spaces, such as a basement or a garage in northern climates.
You can do this by...Continue Reading

If you followed my blog post #5 about native MAVLink telemetry with RadioMaster TX16S, you are aware that we can use the TX16S top USB-C port in MAVLink routing mode to connect to a ground control station, such as Mission Planner or QGroundControl. To recap, I add the connection image from my blog post #5:



Without the modification to the radio hardware, as explained in this post, there is one caveat when using the top USB-C port connected to ground control station. This has to do with the specialty of the internal STM32 microcontroller, as used in most OpenTX radios, and the schematic wiring used. Namely, the main microcontroller of TX16S boots in Device Firmware Upgrade (DFU) mode when the USB cable is connected while the radio is powered-up and thus will NOT boot and run the normal OpenTX firmware. You will get a black screen when powering up in DFU mode and no functionality from the radio.

This behavior stems from otherwise a very nice feature of the STM32 microcontroller in the radio that allows it to be flashed without external programming device, even if no bootloader is yet programmed. (This is also the reason, why most OpenTX radios cannot be bricked by user doing something wrong while flashing.) Unfortunately, STM32 DFU paired with the electrical schematic in most OpenTX radios, where the BOOT0 pin hard-wired to VBUS, results in the before mentioned behavior of radio not booting in this situation. The solution is either to disconnect the USB cable from ground...Continue Reading

As a long time Futaba tray transmitter user, I was used to having additional controls on my sticks, e.g. to control a camera gimbal. After making a jump to OpenTX, got myself TX16S and made a tray modification (see my blog post #7). Nevertheless, I was still missing my old beloved stick controls.

I could not find readily available commercial solution for TX16S, so went the road of customization. Here's the final result:



The trickiest part is to get a hollow shaft into the existing sticks, as they are from solid material with a M4 thread:



I disassembled the TX16S hall sticks and very carefully in a lathe I was able to drill 2.0 mm through-holes into the stick pins:

...Continue Reading

Yep Les Amis,
YACINE devient mon Coach officiel ! lol. Cette vidéo devait être, au départ, une review relax et assez courte .. et bien c'est raté, désolé ! 4 sujets vont être abordés, le sujet principal c'est le test, comme promis, de la nouvelle enceinte nomade PA01 de chez BOMAKER. Puissante, autonome et très polyvalente, cette mini sono mobile sera très efficace dans différentes activités, animation, karaoké, coaching etc... Le son et la puissance sont au rendez vous et les possibilités nombreuses. En bref, un produit intéressant à un tarif plutôt raisonnable. 3 autres sujets seront abordés, un concours dans la vidéo, un live en prévision et un petit débat sur le nouveau pack DJI FPV avant de le recevoir pour des tests sur le terrain... Bon Film et merci à tous pour votre soutien .

Bomaker PA01 Enceinte Bluetooth Karaoke Nomade - Review Test Démo - DJI FPV, on en parle ? (54 min 21 sec)

NOTATAZ : 18/20 La puissance nomade, défi FPV !

Pack DJI FPV COMBO en précommande 1072€ avec ces coupon BGAFF10OFF ou BGCuponation10 ou BGhoney2110 : http://bit.ly/307Ww3Z
MASQUE DJI V2 en précommande 490€ (coupon BGfpv30 ) : http://bit.ly/307Aqi6

- Enceinte BOMAKER (AMAZON.FR) : https://amzn.to/3dQ8yXI
- Site BOMAKER sur Amazon : https://amzn.to/3c41HYl

Qu'est ce que BANGGOOD EXPRESS : https://www.banggood.com/custlink/mGGYSnO6NH

- TABLEAU DES PROMOS ET COUPONS BANGGOOD 2020 RC et ACCESSOIRES (remis à jour quotidiennement, en utilisant ces liens,...Continue Reading