Advice needed, large plane [Archive]

briankizner

2010-09-12, 07:27 AM

Well, after so many years, I have decided that my winter project will be my first large, gas-powered plane. Having owned and flown the whole range of .40-.46 glow models over the last twenty years, trainers, aerobats, biplanes, fun-flys, etc, I think it is time. I gave brief consideration to going the other direction and getting into electric but, living in a very windy environment, I think it would be better to go heavier and more rugged. I haven't done much research yet but the model I am currently considering is the RC Guys Pitts S-1. It is 15-17 pounds and designed for 25-40 cc. The same company also has a couple of nice monoplanes that could be interesting (Agwagon, Cessna 150). The Great Hobbies website list of items required suggests a DLE 30 or Zenoah G38. Any ideas? If and when I actually get to work, be sure that I will be asking for more advice concerning batteries, servos, engine safety, and whatever else I may think of.
By the way, RC Guys is based in Ontario and also deals in RC blimps. I suspect that the company is run by the same fellow (Dan?, pictured from the back flying the blimp while the Zamboni cleans the ice)) that some of us met a few years ago who sold a blimp to the Bell Centre for promotional flights between periods of hockey games.

bob forest

2010-09-12, 08:32 AM

Brian, I had the RC Guys Ag Wagon, Beautiful Arf well done, but one big problem. The room for the equipment. Very small, and hard to get at. Even with the door that opens to get at the equipment. Plus I don't think it would be a good windy plane, being a semi semetrical wing and lots of dietral. Their Pitts is a very good flyer and lots of room and the two wings go on pretty easy, a little more work than a single wing. Being winter and windy you should really think of a low wing. Faster to put together when you arrive to fly. All you have to to is insert the tube and put plug in the two halves. then screw in the two wing bolts. Now a Plane that I would recommend, would be the Wild Hare Edge 540, it is a strong plane and a good windy flyer. Wild hare planes are built a little heavier than the other makes. Have a look at those. Mine is 6 years old and over 3000 flights. It is now going into it's 7th year. I also have their Cap 232 but for a 70cc a really good and strong plane. but the Edge is really a better plane made for a 50cc. Now you can buy a good 50cc made in China at a really reasonable price. Their is also a few guys flying the Great Hobbies planes for 50cc, also very good and reasonable. The problem buying from the US is the shipping cost. Wild Hare is US,
That's it from me.

bob forest

2010-09-12, 08:50 AM

Brian, I forgot to mention, that the Ag Wagon lastest not even one flight. It was a light wind day, but the sky was a white cloudy cover, no blue patches what so ever. The Ag Wagon was White with some light yettow trim. Well guess what, in the white sky with a white plane, Where is de plane, where is de plane, not only me, but others with me could not see it. down it came. Where as the Pitts is all red and flying on snow on a cold day with a white sky, believe me you are better off with a bright color. Also Andrew has an RC Guy high wind, they have a Cub or something like it, nice plane, and it flies well, a few years ago I saw him fly it, maybe will post his coments on it. Also RC Guys good service and nice people.
Another thing, setting up in the winter, you want a plane that is fast to set up and easy to get at things to adjust. So keep that in mind. Ree maybe tweeking a fuel adjustment, which with a gas engine you should do only once and not touch it again until the warm weather. lean for hot weather and a little richer for cold weather. Also make sure you get a side carb engine, not a rear carb, even though you get a little more power with the rear carb, harder to get at, to prime and so on. the side carb is right there, you can see it.
Bob

briankizner

2010-09-12, 10:08 AM

Good suggestions, Mr Forest. Thanks. I know biplanes are more complicated to set up and my intention is to build in winter, fly in summer. I just love the look of biplanes. However, I did look at the Wild Hare site and there are definitely some very interesting products, including some with servos and engines already installed. I used to have a US address I could ship to but that is no longer available. I have to do some homework to find out the cost to ship here. I think it is possible to avoid paying duty as long as it is clear on the shipping label that it is a scale model.
Do you know if Wild Hare models are available from any Canadian dealers? My impression from their website is that they don't work with any of the large suppliers, shipping their products themselves direct to customers.

briankizner

2010-09-12, 11:26 AM

HiFlight RC in Alberta lists Wild Hare products on its website though none of the aircraft are in stock. If I decide to order one of their planes, I think my best bet would be to call them. Even if it is a backorder which could take a while, at least I would avoid any potential difficulties of international shipping.

Kevin Rochon

2010-09-12, 11:45 AM

just my two cents,

for the engine I would go for a Desert Aircraft 50cc rather than a chinese one yes a bit more expensive but their engine is the best starts all the time service is next to none. (Remember those MDS engine we'd say go get an OS)

For servos go with Metal Gears you don't have to go with digitals since I guess your not going to do 3D. If you go for the Pitts you'll need 4 for ailerons I guess at least 70 oz torque each get strongest you can on elevator and rudder 100 oz is ok.

Kevin

bob forest

2010-09-12, 04:41 PM

Brian, re duty, we don't pay duty only the taxes. I have it shipped to Freeport Forwarding in Champlain, and pick it up there. I bring in the invoice keep the box in the car and pay the taxes. that is it. If it is shipped within the US it is pretty cheap. Or if you know someone with a large SUV that can handle the boxes, and is going to the states for over 4 days, then he is allowed 700 dollars, brings it back no taxes. If someone in Labrador has a place in the States, you would be a lucky man. DA, is good, I fly FPE,( First Place Engines, my 52cc is 6 years old and 100's of gallons, and no problems. Not much cheaper than the DA. Made in USA. Check their web site. buy direct from Kurt the owner. Nice man and nice to deal with and repairs are reasonable.

briankizner

2010-09-12, 04:58 PM

Too bad there are no Skyward or Royal 30 to 50 cc gas engines

Dwight Macdonald

2010-09-12, 10:29 PM

Brian, a good size gasser (eg 50cc) is much better in the wind than the smaller planes. I would recommend a DA50. Have a look at the Aerowoks 50cc Pitts Python ... Would likely fly better than a Pitts S1.

Kevin Rochon

2010-09-12, 10:36 PM

I agree with Dwight I flew the Christen Eagle 50cc from Great Planes that of course is an old design like the Pitts and it is short coupled and very bouncy on the ground the Python is longer so better on the runway in windy conditions.

Kevin

briankizner

2010-09-13, 09:06 PM

Thanks for all the advice, fellows. I will definitely go with metal servo arms on strong servos. A lot of engines to choose from- I am still not sure which one to get if only because I haven't yet chosen the plane. It was nice to see more airplane than heli discussion, if only for one day. I am now thinking that going with a biplane for the first bigger project might be too ambitious. I figure I will get my feet wet with something that will not increase the knee knocking, teeth chattering, and heart fluttering too too much. Maybe a Decathlon like Andrew was flying a couple of years ago. It looks to me like a stable machine with some aerobatic capability. Or one of the many Edges, Caps or Extras out there. I will probably change my mind three or four times before excercising my credit card in about a month.
By the way, If Alix is reading this, I was right about RC Guys. The company is owned by Dan Speers, who we met at the Bell Centre a few years back.

Dwight Macdonald

2010-09-13, 09:21 PM

An extra or an edge would be much better in the wind than a Decathelon ... High wings are poor in the wind.

Andrew Fernie

2010-09-13, 10:05 PM

Brian,

The Decathlon was O.K., but I would go for an Extra or an Edge. Much more predictable overall. I also agree with the recomendations for 50cc. There is a great selection of aircraft for 50cc - significantly less for 40cc.

Andrew

Andrew

AlixB

2010-09-14, 11:04 AM

Grrr... you are recalling me stuff I'd rather forget :-)

Yes, I recall Dan, I also recall that I simply CANNOT fly a Blimp.
Reaction time of 16 seconds confuses my brain...

I am very happy to hear that FINALLY you are going for bigger stuff that will make shine you great abilities.
I still remember those beautiful cross wind landings you performed at Wimac, Not to mention that you always won the precision landing contest...

I fully agree with some of the recommendations above. The sweet spot is 50CC.
I know you love bipes but stick for the moment to the mid wings (Extra, Edge and whatever). They are the most fun for the bucks and all the modern designs of that size fly very well.

The bipes are fun but sometimes for us that are getting older they look like a furrball in the sky :-)

saludos

briankizner

2010-09-14, 11:48 AM

Great advice, folks. Thanks for the help. Time to put up or shut up. I'll let you know what I get.

Michael V

2010-09-14, 12:34 PM

Hello Brian!
I know you have your heart set on a Biplane and I agree they are nice planes.
I would like to make a suggestion if I may. Hangar9/Canden Yak54
Of all the 50cc size planes I've flown this is by far my favorite. I still dream about it. It is actually a 60cc size plane but a DA-50 pulls it around easy so long is it is built light.

briankizner

2010-09-20, 07:14 PM

OK. How about a Hangar 9 Carden Yak with DA 50? 22 x 10 prop. Large scale Hitec servos with metal arms. At this stage, digitals would be a pretty big additional expense and complication so I would stick with analogs, at least initially. Any advantage with 123 batteries or am I OK with a 1500 and 2700 NiCad. Alternatively, would I be better off with an Aeroworks Extra or Edge? I also noticed that OS has a 55cc gas engine, similar price as DA 50.. Would it be a good choice?
I was thinking about getting a Hitec Aurora 2.4. I think that is what Mick is using now. Any comments about it? Can I use my current Spectra module with it to operate the receivers in my other planes?
Another question- Great Hobbies sells several 50cc models by other companies that I am not familiar with, EG, Dietrich, and GH. GH are generally less expensive so I assume they are products from a manufacturer rebadged for Great Hobbies. There seems to be much less info about these company's products than Aeroworks, Hangar 9, Wild Hare and others. Any comments about their kits and how they compare.
Please realize that I am the most experienced pilot in my area and so I will not have any useful help in flying. I know from previous experience that any of these planes, with a conservative CG and built straight, should not be too much of a handful to fly and probably a heck of a lot easier to see and control than my little Coroplast combat plane. Nonetheless, I will be very nervous for takeoff number one.

Kevin Rochon

2010-09-20, 09:53 PM

I would stay with the known brands, AWK, H9 or WH; peoples got them here with good experiences. Personally I think there is no problem going with analog servos just make sure they are strong enough, like 100oz on elev also for the rudder, ailerons hey I flew my Cap with reg Futaba 3004 for years maybe not as sharp for the snaps but it depend on your style of flying, I like smooth flying myself.

Brian you're an excellent pilot seeing you fly here for many years and those planes are much easier to fly than your little smith mini biplane(I know I had one in the eighties), they are stable smooth easy to take off and land so don't worry too much.

The advantage of A123 batt. is you can charge them in like 10 to 15 minutes depending on how much there is left in them. you do need a special charger though. So that's your call.

Go for the DA50 the OS who knows ?

Hope that helps you.

Kevin

xed

2010-09-21, 12:57 AM

OS is good at glow, and the story ends there...

Engine: DA-50 or DLE-55 are a safe bet.

Pilot-RC makes fantastic planes as well. You can buy them direct from Canadian distributors (Azure Hobbies (http://www.azurehobbies.com/) or Paragon RC (http://www.prcmodel.com/)).

They come with a lot of useful hardware that you will not need to replace.

I would stick with a digital servo metal gear in a bigger plane, they are not any more trouble (plug & play) than an analog servo. Get Hitec 5985s, they are not the best available and have a little slop in the gears but they are strong enough to not worry about stripping over the long haul.

Aero-Works and Wild Hare are great too, you can't go wrong with any of those models.

Regarding A123, they are perfect for these planes and you can build the packs yourself if you are so inclined but if you do go for something more common, make sure you have an adequate pack since digital servos have the potential to draw more amps. As well, you will probably want to be running 2.4GHz to avoid any ignition noise coming into your receiver. 2.4GHz receivers are essentially mini wireless networks and if they brown out, which causes them to reboot, your aircraft is dead with certain radio manufacturers brands. Most modern chargers now support this battery chemistry. FMA Direct has the best chargers for them, plug & charge. You can buy a $40 charger from Hobby King that will also charge these types of cells.

briankizner

2010-09-22, 04:22 PM

Thanks, Greg. I looked at the Piolot planes. Nice and very complete, even a carbon fiber spineer included. Decisions, decisions

briankizner

2010-09-23, 12:19 PM

Maybe a dumb question. Should I get an ignition cut-off like the optical sytem from SmartFly?

xed

2010-09-23, 12:21 PM

Yes, and it saves adding a Choke servo to shut the engine off, and less prone to failure and a lot safer.

Your choke setup would be manual, push/pull at the start of the day to get your engine running and possibly between flights depending upon how often you fly.

briankizner

2010-10-28, 06:09 PM

Some pretty big boxes showed up at my door today. I was going to take teaser photos and get people guessing but I changed my mind and decided to just tell you. Pilot RC 50cc Extra 300 with DLE 55. My original intention was a DA 50 but the Pilot dealer (Azure Hobbies) had a plane-engine combo that was too good to resist. I found a few amazing videos on Youtube of this plane and engine flying 3D. I also bought an optical ignition shutoff, two props, and metal servo arms.
Still to come- servos and batteries. I know and understand NiCads and am sure I'd do OK with a 1500 and 2700 mAh pack charged by my trusty old Hangar9 Double Vision. I may be interested in trying some newer battery technology but I find that there is so much info out there that I get more and more confused as I read about it. Can anyone give me concrete suggestions as to what to order, ie- xxxyyy Acme battery and yyyxxx Neveready charger?
I also intend to order a Simulator, The Phoenix, Hangar9 FS-one, and Great Planes G5 all look pretty good. All have in their list of models 1/4-scale Edges, Extras or Yaks, so should give me something to practice with. I hope to be comfortable flying a model of this type on the computer well before risking the real thing. Any ideas which of these sims gives the most realistic flying experience?
'
On another topic, I enjoyed the Captain's Cadet article in MAAC mag. Kevin and the field both look wonderful in the photos. In the same magazine, you may have noticed some photos of float flying in Quidi Vidi lake, Newfoundland. I was a little surprised that the St John's club flies there as Quidi Vidi is a small lake in downtown St Johns. The closest analogy I could think of would be if WIMAC flew from Beaver Lake.

bob forest

2010-10-28, 08:05 PM

Brian, you are going to be very happy with that plane and motor. Re batteries, I like the nikle metal hydrates. I would go into the 2400 to 2700 for your receiver and servos. re the ignition, 1500 to 1700 will do. What I like about the nickle battries, no memory like the nicads. no problem in cold weather. Same size as the nicads, and safe. You wont have any problems flying that plane, you are going to think it is like a trainer, it will be so easy to fly. They are steady and just a pleasure to fly compared to the small planes you are flying now.
back to the nikle metal bat. they keep their charge even leaving them for a week or two, were as the nicads loose their charge.
I am sure you will get some really good info from some of the guys that know a lot more than me when it comes to electronics.
Have you had any snow yet.

Andrew Fernie

2010-10-28, 08:51 PM

Brian,

I have both Phoenix and FSOne and prefer Phoenix. I definitely prefer the graphics, and the helicopter flying, but haven't really compared airplane dynamics. Also, if you get Phoenix you can download the WIMAC field scene I built and show your buddies what its like to fly in a tight field. If you go that way I can tell you how to take pictures of your flying site and put together a scene for you.

Andrew

briankizner

2010-10-28, 08:57 PM

Thanks, guys. I'll get the Phoenix and your WIMAC views. No snow yet but we are getting morning frost.

beto9

2010-10-29, 10:04 AM

Brian, do not start building yet... wait until the days are dark and cold. Nothing like a closed house to better inhale the CA and epoxy fumes...

Have fun!

briankizner

2010-10-29, 02:42 PM

Exactly right, Alberto.
Bob (or anyone else who cares to answer)- any particular brand or model of NiMH battery packs that you prefer?

beto9

2010-10-29, 03:08 PM

I have a different experience than Bob's regarding batteries.
I bought many NiMh that are quite poor in maintaining their charge. Looses it after a week.
However, the classical NiCad is excellent for that. Keeps the charge for months.
A clue should be that Futaba still ships receivers with Nicads. That or maybe they had a huge inventory of them.
Another (complicated) solution is to use Lipoly with a BEC regulator (Castle creations) Lipoly can hold a large amount of work. The regulator can be programmed with CastleLink to output any voltage you want as long as is not larger than the input.
http://www.castlecreations.com/products/castle_link.html
http://www.castlecreations.com/products/ccbec.html

I use this combinations for the receiver in a plane.
However, remember to connect Lypo->switch->CC BEc->Receiver OR ignition. If you use the switch after the CC BEC its operating consumption will eventually drain the Lypo.

Why simplify when we can complicate?

bob forest

2010-10-29, 03:55 PM

I get my Nickle batteries from the store in Ille Perrot. No brand name on those, he makes up a pack for me. 35.00 for a 2400. I also had some Sanyo that I bought in Toledo.
Also Brian, make sure you have an engine cut off switch. I buy a optical kill switch. plug in the receiver, and the electronic ignition. I use one of my toggles on the transmitter to cut the engine off. This is very important. If for some reason, you have no engine control and your engine is stuck at mid rpm, or a mounting bolt comes loose and you have all kinds of vibration, or in my case, the spinner came loose, and came off and broke half of the prop, the engine kept running and shaking the plane apart, plus I had for no reason I could not understand until I brought in the plane for a good landing, the servos plug came out due to all the vibration, I was able to cut the engine in the air, and land it dead stick. Without that, I would of lost the plane. This was on my old Edge 540T by Wild Hare, which I still have.

briankizner

2010-10-29, 05:42 PM

I have an optical kill switch.
Good point, Alberto. I must admit that, in the past twenty years, I have never had a problem with the many, many nicads that I've used although I have witnessed dead batteries a few times in other people's planes- in most cases they admit to not having charged the day before. I have always made it a habit to charge with a regular wall charger overnight before a fly day. If I end up not flying, I will still plug in for a couple of hours the next day if I expect to fly then. If I have any doubt about the battery, I use the Double Vision for a quick charge. I guess I will just continue with Nicads- one pack of 15-1700 for ignition and another of 25-2700 for servos.

Ronald Longtin

2010-10-29, 06:49 PM

Yes Brian, vibration can be destructive. Especially so as the change is usually not apparent and can cause nasty surprises.

I mount my engine using 1/4-20 Wellnuts (Rona, Reno) with safety nuts behind them. The rubber helps a little and the safety nuts are and added security.

As for batteries, I'm happy with my nicads and NiMh. I haven't tried LiFe.

My 42percent Opto kill switch from Thunderbolt rc seems to work well and is easy to install.

briankizner

2010-10-29, 10:55 PM

Thanks, Ron. I will definitely balance the prop. I have the same opto-kill switch.
More questions- Hobby King 9150 servos or should I spend more for Hitecs(5985 I think)
- gas-oil. Is 87 octane OK or will it run better with premium gas? Here in Labrador, the gas stations only sell regular gas so those who need higher octane add a can of octane booster to the tank. Standard two-stroke oil (TC-3 if I remember correctly) like I use in the lawnmower and snowmobile?

By the way. All the responses I have gotten have been tremendously thoughtful and helpful.. I hope this discussion will be useful for anyone else considering their first gas-powered project.

bob forest

2010-10-29, 11:36 PM

91 is better, but not a big deal. If you can get Bel Ray MC 1 Synthytic oil, that would be very good. First Place, DA and many other manufactures recommend it.

xed

2010-10-30, 11:01 AM

Stihl HP Ultra (if you can find it) or RedLine Racing Fuel 2-Stroke (Canadian Tire stores near the Motorcycle stuff) are recommended by the engine experts on Flying Giants and RedLine is one of the top choices by DA these days. Both are synthetic and either can be mixed at 40:1 or 50:1 but not leaner than 50:1 or you are asking for trouble. DA quit recommending AMSoil to their customers within the past two years.

As far as fuel, you should not run higher octane fuel in your engine, it is unnecessary and a complete waste of your money....

NiCds have the memory effect.
NiMH do not but they definitely discharge overtime.
A123 packs (I cannot speak for LiFE chemistry - they are the Chinese version of A123s) are the real deal in terms of being the best battery pack to use for powering your receiver and servos. Very quick charge cycle, do not loose their charge and they do not lose their performance in the cold like LiPos.

If you want to go the A123 route, you can get them made properly by Hang Time (http://www.hangtimes.com/a123_packs.html) hobbies. One A123 2300mA pack with two JR leads 18g JR/Hitec/AirtZ with a 22g Univ charge node/tap. That works out to be three leads coming out of your battery pack, two leads for plugging into your receiver and one lead (3-wire) which leads to your charge port on the side of your plane for charging the pack with the canopy still on.

You can also get a single A123 1100mA pack that can power your ignition box, which can also be be recharged quickly at the field. You would be able to get 5 flights out of that pack and not have to worry about bringing different chargers to deal with old chemistries (Nicd, NiMH).

For a charger, the FMA CellPro Multi-4 Digital Charger has been my favorite for a while, and they sell them too (http://www.hangtimes.com/chargers.html). This charger, you can probably also find it at Great Hobbies and some other Canadian hobby stores but if you are making an order from Hang Time hobbies (USA), you might as well get it there too. They ship pretty quickly, from my experience but I do not know about NFLD...

briankizner

2010-10-30, 12:17 PM

Thanks, Greg. That was exactly the kind of response I was looking for. Very specific with brands and model numbers.

bob forest

2010-10-30, 05:48 PM

Brian, Greg has it right on the dot. He is de fellow to listen to. He knows his stuff. Re the nickle metal batteries, I like them for the memory part. I can fly once and come home and charge, they do not get that memory that nicads get.

briankizner

2011-01-30, 03:21 PM

Just finished today. Pilot RC Extra 300 . DLE 55 with XOAR 23 X 8 at the business end for motivation. Pull-pull rudder control. Carbon fiber wing tube, tail tube, and spinner. Hitec 7955 servos on all surfaces (my credit card is still smoking) except for throttle which uses an old standard servo. 42% Opto Kill switch. Hydrimax NiiMh batteries, 4300 for servos and 2000 for ignition. Triton EQ charger to keep the batteries happy (also works great on my cordless drill). Loctite all over the place.
Note the sophisticated device the aircraft is sitting on to check the CG.
All I need now is a gas can and fuel pump and some nerve. Depending on the weather and my resolve, I may not fly it before March or April, but I do hope to at least get the motor running before then Thanks again for all the help.

beto9

2011-01-30, 03:28 PM

Brian, that balancing device seems a bit crude to me. I have experienced and also seen the effects of improperly determining the CG: if you are lucky and nose heavy OK, otherwise be prepared to change your long-johns tout suite!

Good luck with your first flight! Send a seismograph of your knees.
The plane looks cool!

briankizner

2011-01-30, 03:41 PM

I know the effect of a wrong CG, too and have been very careful to get it right. Thanks for the warning. My other concern was the control surfaces set up to the recommended throws seem to me to be pretty wild so I have arbitrarily put -30% exponential on elevator, aileron, and rudder as well as reduced the rudder servo travel end points to 70%. Further adjustments to come assuming there is still a flyable aircraft after the maiden voyage.

beto9

2011-01-30, 04:03 PM

Brian, if you have dual rates in your radio (I am sure you have a 2.4 GHz by now, with that nice looking plane) put low rates, at least, 30 to 40% less of the recommended. With your fingers trembling is better to reduce throws substantially. You can always switch to high after takeoff.
I usually have three rates: high, low and low with less rudder for takeoffs, to avoid a tail dragger from squirreling in the runway.
Anyhow, a lot of hand wringing before the event... If you are coming for Easter/Passover maiden it at WIMAC!

bob forest

2011-01-30, 04:36 PM

Brian, you did the right thing by reducing the throws from the recommended ones. It is easier to give more elevator than having too much and trying not to give too much.
Nice plane. Enjoy.

briankizner

2011-01-30, 05:54 PM

I do intend to come in April. However, carrying a big plane in my small SUV (a Toyota Rav 4) will not allow my wife to empty out a few of her favourite Montreal retailers. On second thought, bringing the plane could save me a bundle- as long as she doesn't realize that we could use a trailer for the plane and/or even more purchases.
As for control throws, I reread the Pilot RC manual. They recommend 70% expo on high rate elevator (40% travel) and 40 % expo on low rate (15% travel). They don't mention rudder and aileron expo but ask for 45% high rate travel and 40% low rate for rudder , 40% and 15% respectively for aileron. Sounds reasonable to me except that I reduced low rate rudder to about 30%.

xed

2011-01-31, 08:55 PM

briankizner

2011-02-01, 07:13 AM

Thanks Greg. Yes, the manual states CG to be at the back of the wing tube. Good advice re expo. By the way, I went to the site of the battery manufacturer you recommended. In the end, I did not order from them because I was confused about what to get and, they did not have the charger you recommended in stock, and the website states clearly that they do not want customers to phone for advice. Maybe, after I have some experience and more knowledge.

beto9

2011-04-14, 01:33 PM

Brian! Have you flipped the engine, have you finished your project?
Photos would be appreciated... c'mon! Shake the snow, man!

briankizner

2011-04-14, 04:00 PM

Ready to fly. I haven't yet started the engine. I Am leaving for Montreal tomorrow so will probably maiden shortly after I get back here- late April or early May. I have been doing a lot of sim flying and also flying a new little e-flite heli around the house. Hope to visit WIMAC in the next few days.

briankizner

2011-05-01, 01:50 PM

I've heard it said that wings, tail, ailerons etc are not what makes an airplane an airplane. An airplane becomes an airplane when it flies. On that basis, I am pleased to say that I now have an airplane.
The first time I started the motor was yesterday in my backyard. I needn't have been so worried. I flipped the prop a few times with a heavy leather glove on my hand and it started easily and ran well. I could have flown it yesterday but chickened out.
This morning I ran out of excuses. The weather was nice (5 C) though somewhat windy (20 -30 Km/h, fairly steady and right down the runway) Those who know me know that I rarely let wind stop me. Then I range tested the new Aurora- no problem. And so it was now time to get this thing off the ground. Advance the throttle- take off perfectly straight with no drama at all. It barely needed any trimming to fly well. I flew around a few minutes with the ailerons, rudder, and elevator all on low rates. The response on low rates is still quite fast with nice fairly quick axial rolls. Landing was very easy and smooth at a walking speed into the wind. I find the plane (Pilot RC Extra 300) to be an absolute joy to fly. It goes where I point it. When I visited last week, Gilbert, among others, was kind enough to let me fly his aircraft- A Yak if I remember correctly. I felt the same way about his plane. It is wonderful to fly something that has no surprises- it just does what you want it to.
Today, I did only the one flight but there will be more to come. I think I will leave the controls on low rate until I feel completely comfortable.
A bit of advice for anyone getting into gas power. Lock washers and/or Loctite are essential. These motors, even when the prop is well balanced, vibrate a lot. I used lock washers and Loctite on all the motor mount screws and on the prop nuts and spinner and these all stayed tight. However, I neglected to do so on the four screws that attach the cowl so I landed with one screw gone and the other three loose. As soon as I got home, I disassembled the plane and checked screws throughout the structure.
Thanks again to all those who gave me advice on so many aspects of getting into bigger planes.
I was alone at the field this morning and took these photos just before the flight. I did not realize that there was a bit of condensation on the lens. The snow you see on the hills is melting quickly and the weather is actually warmer than it looks.