When I printed my albatross last year the print quality had much to be desired. I often had to make tweaks to this or that to get it to print a part, often requiring me to reprint a part several times before I got one good enough to use. Among other things I learned that I needed an enclosure to keep the part from cooling too fast. I also learned that after I printed a tall part the auto home function would cause the z axis configuration to be wrong, I'd have to tweak it up or down. So I got a BL Touch thinking that would fix it. It did not. I got a glass plate to make the bed more level, that helped with leveling but not the z axis drift.

Last spring I had to replace the boden tube. So when I had the circuit board accessible I took a few pictures. And noted some of the significant chips, like the main processor and the step drivers. I was also playing around with Marlin at the time to try to get a better print. I did get better prints, my FW 190 printed better. At the time I noted that the stepper drivers config for the ender three and the drivers I saw on the board were not the same. At that time I did not change the stepper drivers config in marlin. Now finally I rebuilt marlin again and this time I specified the correct stepper drivers. It really helped I"m getting much better prints now. As near as I can figure my ender 3 was assembled when there were many chip shortages. The better stepper drivers on my board are supposed to be backward compatible, and minimally seem to be, but matching the marlin configuration with whats actually on the board made a noticeable improvement.

From five visits to the local field the planes I fly.

The next thing to come off the printer is an Albatross biplane.

Printing this one was an adventure. Plenty of issues with bed leveling, stringing, warping, temperature overruns and so on. Printing the cub went easier mostly because it was warmer out. Eventually I figured out that I needed to make an enclosure, that really helped. Still for some wing parts I found that I still needed to put it on a raft. Using Cura to make my own gcodes with a raft, caused me to learn more about settings for the ender three that work with the lw-pla that I have. Nothing came out optimal. But it did come out use able. So the plane got built.

I was nervous about how the plane would fly after my experience with the cub, how much hacking would be required to make it fly as I like. I can say that I like it's flight envelope. The albatross has made a good first impression.

And I now two weeks later have had a second chance to fly this albatross - again it made a good impression in the air.

I have a new 3d printer. Looking forward to making things with it, starting with the piper cub. So far so good.

I had a smaller one in the past. I've already learned that with this one it is much easier to clean jams.

I've also learned that this ender 3 needs some attention to being put together square, when it came time to fit some parts I found them warped and that was why. Easy to reprint after going back and making everything orthogonal.

The plane does fly as advertised. It does handle wind ok. I do have trouble with ground loops on this plane. It is not simple weather vaneing, it turns off randomly. Somehow the petg landing gear legs are letting the wheels wobble toe in and out. I can build up some landing gear legs with wire and will get around to doing it.

In addition for me this plane is too heavy. When I get back to this plane I'll see if I can reduce weight with a less powerful motor and battery combination.

Last summer we changed location. Naturally we bought a place in need of updating (back in 18 yet). The move interrupted building, so the B10 has been sitting in a box in storage. In the mean time I've purchased a few ARFs, Ultimate, Waco, Mig 21. The place updating is coming along, some time this winter I should be able to start using my new garage... And I should be able to fly with more confidence again as I've had cataracts fixed.

The BeDe thing in the last entry did not fly well, it was too heavy to hand launch. I expect I'll come back to it I like the concept.

The weather's not conducive to flying this weekend. But I have been building. Some time ago I saw someone elses idea of a Bede/Ez blend. When I had to fix the fan in my TA183 this fall I bought a couple 55mm fans. One fixed the TA183, one went into this BDEZ, the third went into the trash. It is made from blue foam. I decided to try covering in packing tape again. I don't think it was easier than light fiberglass and polyurethane, but it came out ok. Here are a couple of pictures of the BDEZ. I've not flown it yet. Will report the result here. - not good too heavy. I may return to it.

Thought I should also post an image of my third Mile M20. This one files well. It has a 24 inch wing span and a 5oz per square foot wing load. The spinner is more bulbous than it should be, but it balanced well so I'm leaving it that way for now. I went back to the taco shell fuselage to save weight an simplify the build, it worked.

Spent the last hour of daylight at PGRC yesterday. As it was the war birds, big birds event this weekend and as I have nothing that would qualify as big I brought my DR1 and a Miles M20 I'd just finished. The DR1 behaved like always, a pleasure to fly. The new plane the Miles M20 worked I ran two packs through it. The 2s 400mah packs I used gave me the slow stall speed I was hoping for but not much speed. I don't think it is enough power to loop the plane unless I dive to pick up some momentum. I guess I'll try a 3s 450mah pack next time and see if I like that better.

I should mention that I've been flying the bird of time, an loving it. But I made a newbe mistake, I used transparent covering - which does not make the plane easier to see when it gets some distance out.

Spent the afternoon at PGRC. Flew SU26, TA183 and Radian. The BoT was not quite ready for first flight. With radian found the thermals were easy to catch on the day, easy half hour flights with minimal motor runs. The last two items on the BoT are acquiring rubber bands and measure amps for the three prop sizes.

February and the weather is not conducive to flying. But building works. My current project is a Bird of Time kit. It should be ready in late March or early April.

PGRC, good conditions, 50deg mostly still air. Infineon, QED, TA183, DR1. Flew each twice. The infineon needs a new aileron servo. I should tidy up the battery area of the DR1, it is wearing, and the wheels, both need improvement, but it flys well all the same.

Bird of Time is progressing. Starting on the rudder today.

I've been playing with Real Flight 7.5, Phoenix and FMS, over all I am liking FMS best.

Nice afternoon, still or nearly so, 47 f, overcast - i guess it will rain tonight. Four planes, Infineon, QED, DR1, TA183, and a blade 180 heli.

Drove my mother-in-law's car to the field to put a charge on the battery. All flew well. The QED had had some major repair and a tail reduction, it flew with nearly no trim changes. The Infineon had to be tweaked because I had closed the rudder in the car door when loading the car. I flew the TA183 with a 2s 1500 once, it flew a bit slow but it flew. Normally I fly the TA183 with a 3s 1800, the fan is a GWS55. I flew the heli three times, third time I lost orientation and planted it. so far as I can see the tail tube is the only damage. The DR1 flew first and last. The DR1 looks a bit tatty these days but it still flies well.

Having spun my previous model of this plane into the ground this spring I decided to build a new copy, this time with depron. This is it. After the first flight I went ahead and added some lettering.

There are more test flights ahead to sort out the trim and flight envelop.

The colors should be an approximation of the initial color scheme of 1934. I've been surprised to find two youtube videos of the original aircraft in the air. see https://youtu.be/wlVlRlCoBJ0?t=259 from 1934 and https://youtu.be/wauuFGyPoME?t=44 from 1939.

My previous threads:
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show....php?t=1122531
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=702679

- Allen

PS: sadly I won't be sorting out the flight envelop of this plane any time soon.

I was able to get out an fly this afternoon, good conditions calm 50ish. Remaidened my SU26. (the motor mount had come apart due to a bad landing) On the rebuild I put in more down thrust since it did not have enough before it broke. It took a couple of flights to get it dialed in again.

And having just finished a new copy of the GeeBee R6H QED, it was maidened today. The first flight was a bit challenging as it needed some trim and I did not like my propeller choice. The second flight went much better the trim was not perfect but much better. And on the second flight the landing was much more under control.

- Allen

Spent an enjoyable morning at PGRC. Some flying some chit chat. The maiden flight of my Dragon Rapide went flawless, just about the only thing on that plane that has gone flawless. Note the flaws are due to me, I should have picked a simpler kit for my first stick build. Anyway it flew very well. Another guy with a roadster about twice as old as mine showed up to check out the field. Early morning was still, as the morning went on some light termals formed. Might have been a good day to fly the glider. But I choose not to bring it because fitting the Dragon in the car is challenging, not so much because of it's size but because of its fragility.

Instead of putting this elsewhere I thought I'd try putting it on my blog. I know there are a bunch of other treads on this plane. I've found the other threads useful and encouraging, so hopefully someone else will benefit from this one.

A couple of years ago now I received this kit for Christmas. Since I'm in a spell where I can not get out and fly much but I can find time to build it was time to start this. I've built a few balsa planes but not many, so far this is much the most challenging, I'm enjoying it. I've made a number of minor blunders - or at least they seem minor now. I'm not sure how I am going to do the gear do I build up some a-frames or do I follow the plans? I guess I'll build the gear per the kit and then see.

I'm not sure how I'll do the aileron hinges or why I should wait till final assembly to do them. I would typically use some house wrap. That is how I've hinged the rudder.

I am planning to use 1300kv blue wonders for motors with 6a plush esc's and a 7x6 gws prop.

I'd love to try shaping a pair of props for this plane, we'll see... I'd also like to make some lego style people to put in the plane. And I'd like to put a light kit on it. But I probably won't since this plane clearly needs to be light.

I am currently planning a dark green and cream color scheme, but again that is a month or two into the future.

Westfields

SU 26 um
Beast um
Bat Wing Gee Bee
Blade 120

Battery for the had heli expired no real flights from it.

Bat Wing Gee Bee had motor mount issues, I did not fly it.

Beast um flew well twice, third flight it got tail ended by a T28 I think. The prop cracked.

The SU 26 flew perfectly every time.

PGRC 0900 1300

SU26m 480
DR1

HK450

Very nice weather. Noticing how the Orange gyro makes the rolls a bit jerky. Looped the HK450 for the first time in a while.

PGRC 14:00 17:00

SU26m 480
Infineon
M20

HK450

Another pleasant day, flew everything at least once. The M20 only once, it is too weak for it's weight. The other three were flown four or five times each. I'm getting used to how the Orange Gyro RX initializes, you have to watch it sometimes it does not come up right - then any input will cause the rudder to twitch in one direction.

PGRC 14:30 17:30

SU26m 480
SE5A
Jbug

HK450

Flew everything at least once. Very pleasant weather. On some flights something funny happens with the SU26m - I am putting it up to the Orange RS3X for the moment. For some reason early in some flights the plane wants to roll right. After a minute or so in the air it seems to straighten out?

PGRC 8 - 12

SU26m 480
Radian
Infinion
HK 450

Flew the SU26 four times this morning. Gaining a bit of confidence with it again. It is much more stable even without the orange stabilizing receiver. I have to think rebuilding the motor mount helped. New pack's help - I've been flying with the quantum telemetry unit. Nice to bring the SU26 home without anything that needs fixing.

Flew the Infinion also four times this morning. As always very nice to fly.

Light lift for the Radian, made no real thermal assents today.

Becoming more comfortable with the HK450 again.