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Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Posted: Sun Sep 26, 2010 4:37 pm
by Hance
SecretSquirrel wrote:
Finding a decent airframe from a 26cc engine is a bit hard right now. I'm thinking of saving up my pennies for this one.

http://www.aero-works.net/store/detail.aspx?ID=442

It is listed as a 30cc plane, but at 10-10.5lbs in would be lighter than what I was flying. Only downside is that it is a serious chunk of change. I does come with all the niceties though so I don't have to go buy anything.

--SS



I seen one of those at the fun fly last week. It looked like a nice plane and flew pretty well. Of course the guy flying it was a futaba sponsored pilot so that helps.

Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Posted: Sun Sep 26, 2010 5:23 pm
by FireGryphon
I went to a hobby store nearby and the guy there said that having the kids build a plane from scratch isn't appropriate. I gather that the next step beyond snapping a plane together is spending months of careful work, which won't be all that interesting for my fifth graders. I'm having my students build simple wooden models now and I'm teaching them some vocabulary and concepts. Moving along quite nicely so far.

Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 12:08 am
by Hance
Spent all day flying. All planes are still in one piece. Had a bunch of flights on the ultra stick 60. Played catch the radian with me seven year old. He managed to catch it once and was in heaven when he did. Found out one of my buddies is now a member of the 300+ club. I can't imagine flying anything that fast.

Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 12:12 am
by Captain Ned
Hance wrote:
Found out one of my buddies is now a member of the 300+ club. I can't imagine flying anything that fast.

I'm assuming that means 300 MPH?

Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 5:11 pm
by SpotTheCat
I got my HBFP fixed up. Because I fly it so much I decided to get some chinese stuff to make a brushless setup. I needed a new tail motor too, so I put a direct drive kit from GWS on. I also got the cheap hobbyking headlock gyro.

It flies pretty well, and I'll be damned if I'm not ready for CCPM now. The more control I get the easier it is to fly around. The direct drive tail is amazing, the headlock gyro does a better job of correcting for larger throttle jumps than the old one, and the brushless motor does give me quite a bit more top speed. I've been doing hovering type "missions" lately. I'll take off, land on the roof, come back, fly over the tree, under it, back on the roof, etc.

I need something small, light, and easy to fly to warm up on before I start my funjet. I think I need to calm my sticks a bit before I fly something as fast. The funjet is just about ready. All I need to do is mount the battery in it's right place and run a few range checks to make sure the antenna positions are kosher.

Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 9:31 pm
by Hance
Captain Ned wrote:
Hance wrote:
Found out one of my buddies is now a member of the 300+ club. I can't imagine flying anything that fast.

I'm assuming that means 300 MPH?


Yes that means 300 mph.

Spot the funjet is fairly easy to fly once it's up to speed. Launch can be interesting though especially if you try to throw it yourself.

Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 10:07 pm
by Captain Ned
Hance wrote:
Yes that means 300 mph.

OK, where do I buy a full-scale RC P-51/Spit/Hurricane with a proper Merlin 61 engine? If I'm going to fly something at that speed I need the appropriate sounds. 8)

Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 10:13 pm
by JustAnEngineer
Rolls Royce Merlin engines are quite rare these days. It's much cheaper to get a more available engine and airframe.
P.S.: You can download some .wav files here: http://www.simviation.com/fsdsounds.htm

Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 10:38 pm
by Captain Ned
JustAnEngineer wrote:
Rolls Royce Merlin engines are quite rare these days. It's cheaper to get a modern engine from Lycoming, like you'd find in the Zivko Edge 540.

I know they're rare. That's why I take such joy in hearing them at full song when we have our every 5 years or so airshow here in Burlington, VT. I could care less about the Thunderbirds or Blue Angels; I want to see and hear the WWII birds, specifically those with inline V-12s.

Way back, some 25 years ago, the airshow that year (1985) had a pair of P-51Ds mock dogfighting over the crowd. The maneuvers may have been staged but both of those Merlin engines were firewalled as they passed over the flight line. The sound of a Merlin at full cry is not something you can describe, especially when it's 20 feet AGL and about 150 feet away horizontally, suffice to say that you won't need this week's sermon to think you've heard God.

Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 11:00 pm
by SpotTheCat
Hance wrote:
Captain Ned wrote:
Hance wrote:
Found out one of my buddies is now a member of the 300+ club. I can't imagine flying anything that fast.

I'm assuming that means 300 MPH?


Yes that means 300 mph.

Spot the funjet is fairly easy to fly once it's up to speed. Launch can be interesting though especially if you try to throw it yourself.

I've heard it can be a bit of a waggle before everything is dialed in right, especially on launch.

I've been doing a lot of hand-launch stuff. In fact, my helicopter is the only thing I ever take off and land from the ground :D.

Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 11:42 pm
by Hance
SpotTheCat wrote:
I've heard it can be a bit of a waggle before everything is dialed in right, especially on launch.

I've been doing a lot of hand-launch stuff. In fact, my helicopter is the only thing I ever take off and land from the ground :D.


Mine normally tries to roll left and stall. Its been doinked in on launch a few times. With my setup I find about 25 to 30 degree launch angle is just right. Usually I throw it and it starts to sink but I recover about 3 feet off the deck and zoom straight up after that.

Captain Ned wrote:
OK, where do I buy a full-scale RC P-51/Spit/Hurricane with a proper Merlin 61 engine? If I'm going to fly something at that speed I need the appropriate sounds. 8)


Fast radio controlled airplanes are basically ruled by one type of machine gliders. Dynamic soaring is where the speed really happens. The current world record is 445 MPH. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_soaring I have never been dynamic soaring yet but we have a 300+ mph mountain not to far from where I live. I am not pilot enough or rich enough to take up dynamic soaring but I need to go watch.

I don't care for warbirds. Most have all the bad traits of the full scale version and sometimes worse. I do know a guy that owns two yes two full scale P51's. I can get a ride in one pretty much anytime I feel like it. Don't hate me to much 8)

Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 2:23 pm
by Hance
Captain Ned wrote:
Hance wrote:
Yes that means 300 mph.

OK, where do I buy a full-scale RC P-51/Spit/Hurricane with a proper Merlin 61 engine? If I'm going to fly something at that speed I need the appropriate sounds. 8)


Maybe put this on your MP3 player and turn it up REALLY REALLY LOUD http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2nlGN6a ... re=related

Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 4:49 pm
by Captain Ned
Hance wrote:
I can get a ride in one pretty much anytime I feel like it. Don't hate me to much 8)

Don''t worry. A quick comparison of my waistline and the size of the cockpit pretty much rules out flying in one without some serious dieting. When I win the Powerball and can afford the P-51 I'll also be able to afford the requisite behaviour modifications.

Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 5:32 pm
by Hance
I fly RC with this guy once in awhile. For a price I could get a ride in his extra 300 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmqCxd1JmNY not sure I am man enough to do that though.

Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 8:50 pm
by SecretSquirrel
Hance wrote:
I fly RC with this guy once in awhile. For a price I could get a ride in his extra 300 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmqCxd1JmNY not sure I am man enough to do that though.


Dude! In a split second! I'll pay for the tank of fuel and the case of beer for afterwards!

--SS

Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 9:46 pm
by Hance
Just get your body to logan Utah and look him :wink: Brad did the noon time demo at the fall fun fly it was killer. He was out flying rc until about 11, went to the airport got the extra, did the noon demo, then came back to the fun fly. At the end of his noon show he was flying formation with a piper pawnee which is one of my favorite planes.

Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2010 8:40 am
by notfred
When I was a teenager in the Air Training Corps I did some basic aerobatics in a Chipmunk out of Filton Airfield in Bristol. There's nothing quite like pulling G's in a plane, we did a max of +4.5G and -1.5 but I think there might be a bit more than that going on in the Extra :D

Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2010 10:43 am
by SuperSpy
Captain Ned wrote:
I know they're rare. That's why I take such joy in hearing them at full song when we have our every 5 years or so airshow here in Burlington, VT. I could care less about the Thunderbirds or Blue Angels; I want to see and hear the WWII birds, specifically those with inline V-12s.

Way back, some 25 years ago, the airshow that year (1985) had a pair of P-51Ds mock dogfighting over the crowd. The maneuvers may have been staged but both of those Merlin engines were firewalled as they passed over the flight line. The sound of a Merlin at full cry is not something you can describe, especially when it's 20 feet AGL and about 150 feet away horizontally, suffice to say that you won't need this week's sermon to think you've heard God.


I used to see them all the time (typically in pairs) powering modified pulling tractors, and it's a total blast to hear a pair of them sing while fighting an enormous load. Lately they have been getting more and more rare though, mostly due to the lack of parts :(

Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2010 10:52 am
by njenabnit
So what is a good and cheap way to start this hobby?

Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2010 11:09 am
by Hance
njenabnit wrote:
So what is a good and cheap way to start this hobby?

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: If you can come up with a way you will be rich. Honestly though a high wing trainer/cub type airplane is your best bet. Take a look at www.parkzone.com you can pick up a decent plane pretty cheap from them.

Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2010 6:18 pm
by SpotTheCat
Get something made of foam. Also, stay away from anything with fewer than 3 channels.

Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2010 6:45 pm
by JustAnEngineer
The 8-figure (millyuns and millyuns) price for the P-51 Mustang that Captain Ned suggested probably isn't a good place to start, either. :lol:

Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Posted: Thu Oct 07, 2010 10:48 pm
by Hance
Warbirds are not a good place to start almost as a rule when it comes to RC to many bad tendencies. The corsair is especially bad they get in a flat spin and you can't get them out.

Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2010 9:44 pm
by SpotTheCat
Hance wrote:
Warbirds are not a good place to start almost as a rule when it comes to RC to many bad tendencies. The corsair is especially bad they get in a flat spin and you can't get them out.

Which is just too bad because they are beautiful planes.

I really wanted one until I heard about that. Many of them don't use the same airfoils and do not have the same tail volume and control surfaces, so are much more flyable. A full-retract corsair is a beautiful thing to come by on a low pass.

Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2010 11:28 pm
by Hance
SpotTheCat wrote:
Hance wrote:
Warbirds are not a good place to start almost as a rule when it comes to RC to many bad tendencies. The corsair is especially bad they get in a flat spin and you can't get them out.

Which is just too bad because they are beautiful planes.

I really wanted one until I heard about that. Many of them don't use the same airfoils and do not have the same tail volume and control surfaces, so are much more flyable. A full-retract corsair is a beautiful thing to come by on a low pass.


I agree completely. The corsair is just about my favorite WWII plane. After hearing half a dozen very good pilots cuss them and seeing a few of them spin in I don't want one.

Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Posted: Sun Oct 24, 2010 8:04 pm
by Hance
Hey secretsquirrel you still flying the spacewalker ? I am layed off from my construction job for the winter and my real job I only have maybe ten total days of work between now and march :lol: That means lots of RC building time for me. I am really thinking I want the 1/3 scale spacewalker. 104 inch wing span and lots of dollars but it will be a fun winters project http://sigmfg.com/cgi-bin/dpsmart.exe/M ... html?E+Sig Are you still liking the way yours flies ? Any problems with it ?

Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Posted: Sun Oct 24, 2010 10:07 pm
by SecretSquirrel
Hance wrote:
Hey secretsquirrel you still flying the spacewalker ? I am layed off from my construction job for the winter and my real job I only have maybe ten total days of work between now and march :lol: That means lots of RC building time for me. I am really thinking I want the 1/3 scale spacewalker. 104 inch wing span and lots of dollars but it will be a fun winters project http://sigmfg.com/cgi-bin/dpsmart.exe/M ... html?E+Sig Are you still liking the way yours flies ? Any problems with it ?


I haven't flown it in a couple of months, but it will be in the rotation next time I go out. I crunched up the cowl so cosmetically, it needs some work, but it is still functional. It is a lot of fun to fly. Very relaxing as it is not difficult. There is enough dihedral in the wing to make it quite stable, though you can still get it inverted without much trouble. My only real complaint about the one I have (1/4 scale, Great Planes) is that it has a one piece wing. Luckily it fits in my wife's Durango. All the other issues are due to it being an ARF and me not putting it together. :wink: Things like using a dowel as the pushrod for the elevator. I am thinking that I may pull all the hardware in it and re-vamp it. New servos, pull-pull on the tail, etc.

Several people at my field have said they have had either the 1/4 or 1/3 scale version and everyone has had positive comments. Wish I had that much free time. Though these days, that kind of free time tends to come with an accompanying drop in income. That I do not want. :D Look forward to seeing how it progresses.

--SS

Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Posted: Sun Oct 24, 2010 10:20 pm
by SpotTheCat
I haven't had a ton of free time, and when I have the weather has been crappy :(

Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Posted: Sun Oct 24, 2010 10:32 pm
by Hance
Yeah I am lucky that I wont have a huge decrease in income. I figure building the spacewalker will actually save me money. If I buy the kit which is quite reasonably priced and work on it over the winter I wont be dreaming up other things to spend money on. The gear to finish it out isn't cheap but buying a little here and there will spread the pain out over months. I would really like to go with a saito twin but a thousand bucks is just more than I can spend on an engine. I have heard some pretty positive things about the DLE engines depending on model. They are very reasonably priced. Thats a few months away at this point anyway.

Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Posted: Mon Oct 25, 2010 12:37 am
by Heiwashin
Hance wrote:
I figure building the spacewalker will actually save me money. If I buy the kit which is quite reasonably priced and work on it over the winter I wont be dreaming up other things to spend money on.

That's my favorite false delimma, i use it all the time. :lol: