Yes , it would seem that the Feds want to tighten restrictions on RC in Australia ..
Apparently RC flyers have had too much freedom for to long !

Seems any ( ANY ) RC flying machine over 250 grams will be getting new restrictions ..
These are not DRONE laws , but cover all RC flying machines over 250 grams ..

So a hobby that has been very civil / and friendly towards society is about to come under federal government control .

We are talking about flying restrictions / registration / etc ..

Welcome to reality RC boys , smell the coffee and rejoice in Super Nanny ... ( Forget Big Brother - Ozz has super nanny )

We do how ever have a Federal Election around the corner !

So this is where you have a chance to decide in the sort of Gooberment you want to have ...

My advice is vote independent ...

Break the backs of the major political parties , punish them for stepping out of line or suffer the consequences ..

It was gun control !
Now it's RC control !
Then whats next ?

People get the government they deserve ! Are you really going to vote Butt Hole ?

Kinetic VS XK A800


Kinetic .....
Weight - 290 grams without battery
Wing span - 810mm
Length - 620mm

XK A800 .....
Weight - 125.4 grams ready to fly ( With battery )
Wing span - 785mm
Length - 520mm

Hmmm , the Kinetic is obviously the portly model . More weight , larger wing area etc , but that weight .

Kinetic does not come with a receiver , so you will need one , a small one if you can to get it where it needs to go over the ESC . I picked a 6ch Rx as I wanted to split the Ailerons between two channels so I could use flaperon . The Kinetic has a rep for tip stalling and does so rather spectacularly , I would explore such with a decent amount of altitude . Also the Kinetic is brushless and a 3s battery is recommended , I will be attempting to use a 2s battery since I have few handy .

XK A800 . is a RTF package that comes with everything you will need to fly pretty much out of the box . Just be sure to do a check out first as my sample did not have enough UP elevator travel , which did allow me to test the durability of the A800 as it tumbled across the park . ( My bad ) . With flight stabilisation the A800 is easy to fly . Unfortunately the ailerons cant be split , the motor is brushed . But at least you 2s in the A800 so there is a fair amount of power at full throttle . I have flown the A800 and I dont really care much for the factory Tx , but it does work and work well enough for the purpose .


I will be binding the Taranis to the A800 and hopefully getting both birds airborne for a direct flight comparison ASAP ...
If only the weather will be accommodating ?

It's HOT !
And there is more HOT on the way !

How ever !
HK had a 20% off across the board sale ..
ANd I promised myself a Super Kinetic if HK dropped the price .. ( 20% off was good enough )

I am aware of the short comings of the Kinetic ...
1) Tip stalls flying slow , and in slow turns ..
I guess a little flap action could cure this ..
Hence I put in a 6ch Rx , splitting the Ailerons onto different channels . This will allow flaperon !
Really looking forward to directly comparing the Kinetic and XK A800 ..

Ripit Rev 2.? is moving forward ..
I have cut out a new Rudder , and glued in a new servo ..
Just need to clean up the Rx and solder the servo wires in , ( Less heat this time around )
Hopefully the Rudder will work ..
Wing still needs to be finished ..

The weather is really slowing things down ,
So far been a very hot humid summer - can't wait for summer to end ! ( Been a real PITA )

480mm FF Glider to RC - Glud Test (2 min 45 sec)

Let me count the ways the 480RE bites ... ( Rudder / Elevator )

1) The elevator is rather ineffective
2) Rudder is relatively ineffective
3) Tip stalls horribly
4) 75 grams ... ( Wet )
5) Needs to fly .. To fast to be a glider ?

Honestly , I think this thing might be just to small and heavy ...
A FF one goes about 47grams , and even that might be on the porky side .
I will persevere and see if there is a CG spot that will allow this glider to glide rather than glud ..
Might buy another just for the wing , and use the wing to build a Micro DLG .. ( With the V911 board for control )


Oh well ! idle hands and all that !

Time to test the FrSky version of this receiver ..

I am using two Orange ( Cheap ) 9g servos that are going in the 480mm Glider , as the receiver is going in there as well .

First of all let me say the Rx is a little current sensitive compared to the FS 2A version ...
It really did not want to perform under 1A Max current and very much wanted 1.5A Max current to perform well .

Now just a quick reality check here ! 1.5A is nothing for a lipo battery .. Be very low current .. ( FYI )

At 1 amp max current the Rx did brown out bellow 3.5 volts ...
To get the Rx down to 3.2 volt I had to raise the Max current to 1.5A
At 0.5A , well the Rx wanted a full 5 volts ..

Now these measurements are with some rather hungry 9g servos ..
In fact I threw one 9g in the rubbish as it browned out the Rx on its own ( 3.5v - 1A )
Not sure why , but that servo really upset the Rx and the brown outs were huge ..
In fact this Rx with these cheap 9g servos browned out badly , 5 to 10 second brown out with the servos travelling ...
I tell you , this Rx browning out would cause a crash .. ( With these servos ) As the servos move to their max travel position ..
( Full up / full down etc for 5 to 10 seconds )

Anyhow , should not be an issue as long as there is enough current and you don't deplete the battery ..

Soldering the pins on a 4ch FrSky Rx from Banggood (5 min 53 sec)

Rx is a FrSky 4ch ( 4 pin ) Rx ( D8 ) from Banggood ...
I like these Receivers ..

Anyhow , I thought I might Video the pins being soldered in place
Another too warm to play outside day ..

Was a little warm today ! ( 42.5c outside my window - or 108.5f )
And yes , I had to go out and water the blue berries ...
It was WARM !

Anyhow .. 480mm Glider
Was toying with it and there is no way the V911 board will CG the glider , it's just too light ..
So I am shelving the V911 board - it will become a V911 DLG

Instead I have already shoe horned in two 9g servos , and with a Rx and battery .. Should CG without ballast .
Rx came the other day ...
Ordered another FrSky 4ch Rx from Banggood , I put the other in a glider and I am happy to leave it there so had to order another for testing .
You know , I had too ....

Hopefully the cool change is rolling in early , ATM it's 32c outside my window , the same temp as @ 7 am this morning ...

I really like these little 4ch Rx , either FS 2A or Frsky protocol ..
Be testing the FrSky one shortly .. ( I am already using it 1s = The one in the glider )
How low will the voltage go ?




.

It's Gona Be HOT !

We are talking Bush Fire Hot !
Tire Melting Hot !
My radiator just blew up HOT !

Yes , the next few days are going to be smouldering !
Going back a few days I re-visited my V911 Wing ..
In a Nutshell it bites ..
Just a rubbish design ( DIY ) ..

That means I have a spare V911 board to play with
So with some seriously , seriously warm weather on the way .
I started a 480mm V911 glider .

I figure since I will be trapped behind Air conditioning for a few days , I have some time to kill . Eeeer or maybe time to build another glider !
So I got myself a bit of a head start ...
Got the hollowing out done , as it needed to be done outside over the rubbish bin ..
Everything else can be done inside ...

Raven @ the Park !

A) I didn't break the raven , even with a few too fast landings
B) With the larger battery the CG is a little further forward and the elevator is really nice ( Did I move it about 5mm forward )
C) I did need to completely re-tune the Raven , it is almost hands off now ..
D) Lucky for me , the glide tune works a treat on launch ( No launch setting needed )
E) The Raven does like to glide with a bit of speed , not overly liking the slow speed stuff
F) I did try tuning in some flap for a slower glide , but definitely will need some down elevator mixing , otherwise the nose lifts and the Raven stalls out .
G) I need to change switches for the flap , I picked a bad switch .. Not intuitive to get to .

Did I mention , I didn't break the Raven ...
Seems all that extra cyno is helping .. ( From the previous repairs )

Prime Jet pro
It's done , it's ready ...
I need to do a CG test to see if it glides or GLUDS ! ( Glud being thumping the ground )
The 800mAh 2s battery is literally as far forward as I can get it to match the back yard glide tests . ( FF )

It has been super humid for weeks ...
Today was relatively less humid ...

How far are we from the Equator ?





Got the 4ch FS2A Rx soldered up .. ( Pins to board )
Next I will bind the Rx to the Qx7 .. And then put it in the PJp ... And Program Elevons .

Getting there !

A quick recap !

Fasttech.com sent me a 50mm EDF for review testing ..
To really test it , it should go into a plane ..
The plane is the Prime Jet pro from HobbyKing , and be one of those foam board cut out's ...
It took a long time for the EDF to get here , so the model did nothing for a while ..

Obviously for a EDF to replace a pusher prop , a little tweaking is required ..
Fuselage was shortened , and a cut out made for the EDF ..
Vertical stabilisers were moved inboard to stiffen the area around the EDF ..

Since then ...
The larger carbon spar was installed , epoxied each end .
When the epoxy dried I ran a bead of white glue along the spar for contact with the wing ( more stiffness )
Also I added some runners underneath to which I attached a skid plate for the EDF .. ( Keep it out of the dirt )
Also I used some budget 9g servos I got (?) a long time ago for projects ( Just like this ) ..

Needs doing ...
Solder the connecting pins to a 4ch Rx ( FS2A )
Bind the Rx and locate the 2s battery ...

Ooooh yeah !
After installing the EDF , I gave it a run on the intended 2s battery
Looks like 2s will power this project just fine ...

That elusive G Spot !
Where Oh where will the Centre Of Gravity go ?
Anyone watch the Chucky Video ?

I havent put in any RC gear ..
But I thought I might Chuck it some more ...
It does seem to like / favour a forward CG , perhaps it's that Canard ? Lifting the nose ?

Prime Jet pro Back Yard Chuck's (4 min 22 sec)

Next I will start installing the RC goodies , I will start with the 9g servos , then solder up a 4ch FS2A Rx and then install the ESC and EDF .

Hmmmm , I might Park it before I try to apply power ( The little hill = test glide )

...Continue Reading

HK Prime Jet pro - project is moving forwards ..
A little more work and the foam bits will be glued ..
It did require some thought , as one needed to re-design it for a EDF ..

Also the wing for Ripit Rev 2.? or Rev3 ( Havent decided yet )
But the wing is moving along ..
Depron and foam glued together ( laminate ) ..

Windy and warm / hot .. A whole week of it !

Sent for product review by FastTech.com

Product Page









I do sincerely apologise if I gush a little , the Ganzo FireBird is simply the best Chinese made knife I have experienced to date . The firebird takes Chinese made knives to the next level and priced around $25 USD , one is simply getting a lot of knife for the money . The knife is tight , there is no slop anywhere . The carbon fibre handle feels solid and perhaps a little cold and mechanical . I thought the clip might bite my palm , but no ! Carving up a cardboard box I could barely feel the clip . Also the blade size / thickness is just right , cutting through the cardboard with little resistance . Speaking of cutting ! When I had completed the task of turning the box into strips , I tried to shave my arm . Surprise surprise , it shaved hair with no trouble at all ! Seriously ? , most other knives get quite a bit of wear on the edge and can't shave hair after carving up cardboard . I am amazed that the firebird held it's edge so well . Quite frankly this just might be one of the best Chinese made knives out there , certainly the best that has passed through my hands . I have to say , if you collect or like cheap knives . Then you really need to pony up a little more and get the firebird from Ganzo . Here is a knife that can compete with the more expensive brand name knives from Europe and the USA . If Ganzo continues to make knives like the firebird for the lower end of the $$ market , I would say...Continue Reading

Sent for review testing by FastTech.com ( Product Page )

I came home after my morning walk and there was a box waiting for me .

Inside was a 50mm FMS EDF ..
The bullet connectors were pre soldered so all I needed to do to run some current measurements was connect a ESC .

2s = The EDF pulled 11.5 amp from a 2200 2s battery pack

3s = The EDF pulled 19.5 amp from a 2200 3s battery pack

Now I have to say that the motor did run smooth out of the box .
On the 2s there was some useful thrust , how much ?
How ever on the 3s it was just crazy .. At full power the thrust is just simply impressive as is the noise this EDF makes .. ( Be loud )
This 50mm will go into a HK Prime Jet pro , and I will try both 2s and 3s batteries ..
3s will definitely power the Prime , and I think that 2s will do just fine ( I think ) , just have to see how heavy the prime turns out ..

Now if you read the speel on this motor , it is supposed to be 3s - 4s ....
On 4s this EDF would be insane , and I am not sure you would want to go there (?) .. That 4500kv motor is already howling on 3s ...
So from here on the FMS 50mm 4500kv EDF is partnering with the Prime Jet pro ...
This be only the first post on this project ..

Thank you Fasttech.com , hopefully we will have some flying video's to view not to far into the future .

FMS 50mm EDF (2 min 33 sec)

It's not hot , there was even a cool breeze ..
But with 70% humidity I was soaking wet when I got home !
I went straight into the shower to wash the salt encrustation of my body ...

How the hell can you have a cool breeze and be sweating buckets ?
Come to Melbourne and find out ...

Aaaah yes , the TechOne DLG 1000

A) I pulled the last remaining lead out ( how the ? , did the previous owner ? , ??? )
B) I did quite a bit of peg launching and the DLG 1000 wants a little right rudder on launch to keep it straight . Otherwise it tends to want to roll left / launching off the left wing .
C) I even moved the battery further back to nudge the CG back .. Now the elevator is a little more sensitive and I put in 20% expo which was amended to 15% expo .
D) Flying weight is right on about 199 grams
E) The DLG 1000 is really twitchy on the roll axis for some reason , drop flaps and the situation improves . ( Flies real nice with flaps down )
F) I did mix in one of the rotary pots to adjust the angle of the Ailerons ( Mild flap ) ? So far
G) It glides ok now , but really cant hold onto that altitude .. It drops out of the sky relatively fast . ( Why Im playing with Flaperon angles )
H) I think I understand now why so many SLOPE the DLG 1000 , possibly more of a slope model than a true DLG ..

One hour spent sweating at the park .. The battery was off the charger at 8.4v and when put back on the charger was about 8v ..
Thats not bad for...Continue Reading

Parking FF Fun (12 min 40 sec)

Parking FF Fun ....

I was at the park , free flighting , and having fun ...
So I took all 3 of my small powered FF models to the park .
It really was too windy for them .
I started off throwing them into the wind , which was some what of a wast of time ...
The trick was to simply throw them down wind .

Tuning was difficult with so much wind .. But I did get in some long walks to retrieve the models after the battery in the action cam gave out ..
Got to remember to recharge the battery . These action cams really do suffer from parasitic drain something terrible .

Which one was best ?
Well , I don't know that the word best applies in this case .
I do like the lipo glider as it gives you a 15 second engine run and you don't need any batteries to recharge a capacitor .. Just push the button and go .
The capacitor gliders are lighter , and when tuned seem to glide reasonably and slightly better than the lipo glider ..

Again the conditions were windy , so no glider was in it's element and too much POT luck was involved .
Not one of the gliders wanted to be launched into the wind . The wind would just take the glider and do it's own thing , most of the time resulting in the glider just smacking terrafirma ...

Launching downwind certainly improved the odds of a decent flight , but there was not much gliding in evidence due to the wind .. Once the power dropped off on the motors the wind took over...Continue Reading

I was on FeeBay and spied this Lipo powered FF Glider .
Be very similar to the capacitor FF gliders , well (?) - Only it's not !

A) This particular glider is much more sturdy , not flimsy like some of the Capacitor Gliders out there
B) It's powered by a lipo battery , so you don't need to carry batteries about with you
C) Some what easy to tune for a decent flight

The lipo battery makes this one very interesting .
The motor does a pretty much full power run for 15 seconds and then cuts off .
So the battery should last for quite some time .
Just push down the button on top the canopy for a 15 second burst of power ( simple ) ..
And to recharge the battery , just connect to a USB power source .. Probably want a low current source for such a small battery .
To date , this one would have to be the most impressive Powered FF Glider I have ( to date .. )
Starting around $10 Ozzi bananas , it's probably a very affordable way to get anyone out and about flying a model .
I have bounced mine of the brick wall a few times now tuning the glide with no damage , so I would suggest it is rather durable .

I would definitely rate this one = Cheap Fun !
Oh! And let's not forget the potential of the internal goodies , for use in possibly other models .

...Continue Reading