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Buub
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Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Fri Sep 03, 2010 8:14 pm

SecretSquirrel wrote:
SpotTheCat wrote:
That is big. :o I don't really have anything else to say.


Each wing is just shy of four feet. Total wingspan is going to be 98". Big it definitely is. I am going to have to build a Vanessa CG rig to balance it.

... and a hanger to put it in!
 
SpotTheCat
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Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Fri Sep 03, 2010 9:05 pm

Good question. Are the wings detachable to assemble at the field?
 
SecretSquirrel
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Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Fri Sep 03, 2010 9:50 pm

Yes. They have a 1 1/2" wing tube and attach to the fuse with 1/4" wing bolts -- standard plug in wings. The horizontal stab however is not detachable as it is on many newer 25%+ models. I can pretty much take this one and my 68" Edge 540 to the field and that's about it. Unless I want to get a trailer, of course.

A couple of pictures to give you an idea on the completed size.

http://origin-images.rcuniverse.com/forum/upfiles/43353/Ie98147.jpg
http://origin-images.rcuniverse.com/forum/upfiles/20394/Ax73084.jpg

--SS
 
Hance
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Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Mon Sep 06, 2010 12:18 pm

I have added a few things to the fleet. I bought a Mini Ultra Stick, Ultra Stick 60, Radian, and a trailer to haul all my RC stuff around in :o


Image
Radian by Hance1976, on Flickr


Image
Ultra Stick 60 by Hance1976, on Flickr



Image
Group of toys by Hance1976, on Flickr
 
SecretSquirrel
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Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Mon Sep 06, 2010 5:49 pm

I miss my Ultra Stick 60. I met its end after contact with a tree. Unfortunately, they have apparently been discontinued by Hangar 9. I have a complete set of gear, motor, servos, battery, switches, etc, just waiting for one to show up on the used market somewhere near me.

--SS
 
Hance
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Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Mon Sep 06, 2010 5:57 pm

SecretSquirrel wrote:
I miss my Ultra Stick 60. I met its end after contact with a tree. Unfortunately, they have apparently been discontinued by Hangar 9. I have a complete set of gear, motor, servos, battery, switches, etc, just waiting for one to show up on the used market somewhere near me.

--SS


I gave 350 for mine RTF. Had to change over to 2.4ghz and get a new flight battery thats it. The motor had never even been started. A saito 100 is 329 alone. I basically bought the motor and got everything else for free.
 
SecretSquirrel
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Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Mon Sep 06, 2010 9:14 pm

You will be quite happy with the Saito 100 on the nose. That was what I had on mine and it was a very nice sport aerobat.

-SS
 
Hance
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Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Mon Sep 06, 2010 10:11 pm

SecretSquirrel wrote:
You will be quite happy with the Saito 100 on the nose. That was what I had on mine and it was a very nice sport aerobat.

-SS


I seen a kid flying one when I was in Seattle working last spring and was very impressed with the way it flew. I have wanted one ever since then. I have a mini ultra stick and fly the guts out of it all the time its awesome.
 
Hance
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Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Thu Sep 09, 2010 12:03 am

Picked up the mobile hangar today ended up with a 6X10 now I just have to start build plane racks etc in it. Castle creations recalled their bec pro and I just found out I have one of the affected units guess the Ultra Stick doesn't get to fly for awhile yet :x
 
SecretSquirrel
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Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Thu Sep 09, 2010 7:20 am

Funny we should be talking about UltraSticks. I just found a replacement airframe from someone in the area for $100. It will take a bit of modification to bring it inline with my original. I had moved all the servos to the tail, moved the fuel tank back over the CG and put in a pump. The throttle servo, along with the flight pack, was moved forward into the area that had the fuel tank. That and I had mounted a second gear block so I could put floats on it.

--SS
 
Hance
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Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Thu Sep 09, 2010 6:37 pm

I don't know when I will get to fly my ultra stick now that I ended up with the recalled castle bec.

Here is the mobile hanger that I just picked up

Image
 
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Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Mon Sep 13, 2010 8:48 pm

I want to build a model airplane with my students and I need some expert input on doing this. I know next to nothing about building and flying R/C planes, but the idea of opening up students to the ideas and experiences that go along with it is too much to pass up.

The plan is to eventually build an R/C airplane with a video camera on it and have the video streamed back to the flier. I'll teach the students the theory behind how a plane flies, how the electronics work, how radio works, etc., and the culminating project will be building and flying the plane. The focus, of course, is for the kids to learn how planes fly, but I want them to have the experience of building the planes, as most of them probably wouldn't if it weren't for this opportunity. AFAIK, I'm working with 5th grade students on this.

I want the kids to have something cool to build so that they can see the things they learn at work, but it should be easy enough that students can build it successfully in a short period of time.

I have a Technicians License with the FCC, so transmitting video doesn't pose any legal problems. All of the problems lie in actually buying, building and flying the thing, because I have absolutely zero experience in building and flying R/C planes. I have pretty much whatever budget I need, though I hope to be reasonable and thrifty.

Perhaps a cheap Toys R Us plane will be good for the students and I to practice on? For the actual project plane, is electric or gas better? Balsa or foam? What company makes a good frame, good electronics, etc.? Really, I don't know anything about this, and know it's a big chunk to bite off, but the year is long and I'm on a mission to teach kids and open their experiences to things they normally wouldn't know about. Any input and hand-holding here would be cool and much appreciated.
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Hance
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Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Mon Sep 13, 2010 9:05 pm

I have never dealt with this type of thing before so the help I can offer is very limited. With RC you usually get what you pay for. If you buy a very cheap plane odds are it will fly very poorly if it flies at all. Balsa and rough handling/crashes do not go together at all stick with foam. The best advice I can really give you is to head over to RC Groups at www.rcgroups.com and pose your question in the beginners forum. And just FYI what you are thinking is gas is more than likely nitromethane gas engines are reserved for large expensive models.
 
SpotTheCat
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Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Mon Sep 13, 2010 9:47 pm

I can help you a ton. I have experience with just the type of plane you want to build. I'll give you a fairly comprehensive post when I have some time.
 
FireGryphon
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Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Mon Sep 13, 2010 9:56 pm

Thanks for the replies so far. I am eagerly awaiting your post, Spot!
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SecretSquirrel
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Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Mon Sep 13, 2010 10:13 pm

This poses an interesting challenge. My first question would be which do you want to be the greater focus: building or flying? Flying includes flight dynamics, control surfaces, physics, etc. In the case of the focus being flying, I would certainly guide you towards foam. Specifically the line from Multiplex. It is not at all uncommon to see people using Multiplex EasyStar's as basic FPV platforms. They do not however have ailerons. You have to move up to at least the Easy Glider Pro for ailerons. Another to consider is the Mentor. With a motor on the larger end of the recommended scale, they can lift a considerable amount and Multiplex even recommends it as a tug for their gliders. All the above come as kits, so there is assembly involved. Going slowly and working an hour a day including cleanups you could probably be flight ready in 10 days. Much less if you have bright and motivated students.

If you do want to go the balsa route, the first thing that comes to mind would be a Telemaster kit, probably the Telemaster 40. It is large enough to lift a decent sized camera package but still a manageable size and can be outfitted with engine and servos for a pretty reasonable price. Still, putting together a balsa kit and covering it brings in a whole new set of issues.

Knowing some of the stuff he has working on, I too look forward to Spot's response. I don't know where you are located, or if you are even in the states. If you are, you might hit the AMA web site and see if there is an AMA chartered club nearby. I know that our club does all sorts of out reach projects and I suspect you could find help and advise there too.

--SS
 
SecretSquirrel
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Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Mon Sep 13, 2010 10:17 pm

One random thought that popped into my head is that there will be CA (cyanoacrylate -- aka superglue) involved so it goes without saying that safety needs to be a big part of the lesson as well. Dig up some pictures of what happens when a prop spinning at 9k RPM meets the flesh of an arm or hand. Even a 200W brushless motor can do some pretty serious damage.

--SS
 
SpotTheCat
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Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Mon Sep 13, 2010 11:39 pm

I'll give a short right now and elaborate later when you have questions. I do need a better idea of the level of the students (and you) and the goals of the project. I am guessing you want a kit that you modify to fly FPV.

First I'll start on the type of aircraft you should build, then I'll mention some things I think students (and you) need to know about the physics of flying, and then I'll talk about electronics. If I have time before I got to bed, that is.

If nobody in the group has flown before, I second the recommendation of the EasyStar. I regret not using an EasyStar fuselage on one of my UAV projects. The configuration is ideal if you anticipate rough landings, which you should. It is the single most used FPV platform in the world for a reason. The fuselage can easily carry a 5800mAh 11.1V battery, camera, transmitter, etc. Everything about it, aside from lack of ailerons, suites the FPV hobby scene very well. The rear prop behind the nose and above the tail is perfect for rough landings. Three channels are enough for people who haven't flown much, especially if you're not looking to do anything more than beginner FPV. Don't worry about not having ailerons, just make sure you do tests early in the morning when the wind is calmest.

You do not want to do ailerons at that age level. Plane and simple. Turn right, Turn left, point up, point down, speed up, slow down is plenty.

I do not recommend a Balsa plane. They take a very long time to build, require a high degree craftsmanship, and can't take a crash like a good foam plane can.

On to the physics of flying:
If you don't know the basics of flight, you (and your students) need to start with longitudinal static stability. You don't need to know all of the math, but knowing that the tail normally applies downforce, that a plane traveling too slowly will dive and that one traveling too fast will climb (and why!) is important. You might also want to hit home the importance that the plane does this. If it doesn't it will crash much faster than the pilot can correct. If you need help here, let me know.

After that I would stick to the basics of aerodynamics and flight. Smooth surfaces, smaller total area, blunt noses, sharp trailing edges, curves instead of harsh angles, etc.

My engineering background tells me that planes need to be low drag slippery pieces of high performance, but really they need to stay in the air first. Emphasis stability and control before speed and tricks and things.

For electronics you'll need to make sure you don't get any interference between transmission and your bands of receiving. You will need video and, depending on project goals, aircraft telemetry (heading, speed, battery status, etc.). I can get more into this if you want, but I would need to know more about what equipment is available.

I deleted a lot of my post when I re-read your 5th grade level comment. Good for you! You will need to be extra cautious in your safety procedures. Make dead certain everything is in top notch flying condition before committing anything to the air. Even a plane as pedestrian as an EasyStar can do some major damage. You (and your students) might want have a go at a flight sim, too.
 
FireGryphon
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Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Tue Sep 14, 2010 10:07 pm

Amazing info, thanks. I will take all of this info an let it marinate for a short time. I feel I need to take it all in before I can ask my next round of questions.
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FireGryphon
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Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Wed Sep 15, 2010 7:06 pm

Do you guys think that a plane like this is a good investment to start? Its intended use would be acquainting me, and later my students, with the basic mechanics of flying an R/C plane so we approach better models with some experience. Will an inexpensive plane like this be able to survive crashes so that it can be reused for training purposes?
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Hance
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Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Sun Sep 19, 2010 6:53 pm

FireGryphon wrote:
Do you guys think that a plane like this is a good investment to start? Its intended use would be acquainting me, and later my students, with the basic mechanics of flying an R/C plane so we approach better models with some experience. Will an inexpensive plane like this be able to survive crashes so that it can be reused for training purposes?


The champ flies quite well actually. With a little practice outdoors you could fly it in the school gym fairly easy. The biggest three things with something as small and light as the champ in no particular order are NO WIND, NO WIND, and finally NO WIND. With the micro stuff like the Champ inertia is almost zero, cut the throttle before impact and chances are there will be no damage.

Speaking of inertia I lawn darted my Blizzard at a fun fly yesterday. Vertical dive from 500~600 feet up doing aileron rolls all the way down and the wing bolts sheared off about 100 feet up. The plane was going 100+ mph when that happened. The fuselage picked up speed all the way to the ground. Impact was impressive. The wing came fluttering down a good 5 seconds later totally undamaged. At least it wasn't dumb thumbs or something stupid that caused the crash it was equipment failure plain and simple. Already picked up a replacement today.

Image

Image
 
SpotTheCat
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Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Sun Sep 19, 2010 7:20 pm

Ouch Hance, that sounds like a pretty impressive crash. Did you lose any electronics?
 
Hance
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Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Sun Sep 19, 2010 7:56 pm

SpotTheCat wrote:
Ouch Hance, that sounds like a pretty impressive crash. Did you lose any electronics?


Motor and battery is all. Everything else appears to be ok. The battery pack was a 4s 2200 mah. When I pulled it out of the plane it was about an inch and a half shorter than normal. No smoke or flames which kind of sucked. The can on the motor is now egg shape and the end bell is bent. The rx, speed controller, and servos are all fine.
 
SpotTheCat
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Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Sun Sep 19, 2010 10:28 pm

Hance wrote:
SpotTheCat wrote:
Ouch Hance, that sounds like a pretty impressive crash. Did you lose any electronics?


Motor and battery is all. Everything else appears to be ok. The battery pack was a 4s 2200 mah. When I pulled it out of the plane it was about an inch and a half shorter than normal. No smoke or flames which kind of sucked. The can on the motor is now egg shape and the end bell is bent. The rx, speed controller, and servos are all fine.
When I lost my easystar one side of the 3S 2200mah battery looked like a crumpled soda can, I bet yours was even more impressive.

Also, be glad you didn't get smoke or flames. You would have lost it all.
 
SecretSquirrel
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Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Sat Sep 25, 2010 9:56 pm

Well.... today I lost my Edge 540....

Image


Image

I think I lost it to my cell phone. Unlike normal, I had left my cell in my pocket when I got to the field. I was towards the end of a 15 minute flight and had just finished the upwind leg of the pattern and was starting to turn crosswind when I heard the engine miss. Just two or three revolutions, then it picked back up. At the exact same moment, my cell rang. I bailed out of the pattern, swung around in a tight left turn and set up on the runway. As I did, the engine died (my cell is still ringing at this point). Luckily, the wind was extremely light, 0-3mph at best, but I was still coming in dead stick, down wind. I as lined up on the runway, I was about 50ft up and maybe 150ft down the runway from the pilots station. I pushed the nose down and set up to land. The plane came by me at about 15-20ft up and I distinctly remember hearing the rush of the air over the plane and thinking "wow, that is is moving fast!" I made the second mistake of the day then, I did what you should on a dead stick. I didn't try and force the plane to do anything. It was in a good glide and I knew if I tried to force it down, I'd crack up and I knew I didn't have the altitude to turn around, so I let it glide. Within another 50ft or so down the runway, I knew I would run out of runway, but I had dealt with that before. There is a large grass field past the end of the runway. Unfortunately about 150ft past the end of the runway is a barbed wire fence which as the picture shows, I manage to hit. The plane was still airborne when it hit the second stand from the bottom, slicing the starboard wing completely in two. It even snapped a 3/4" carbon fiber tube clean through.

I'm writing the airframe off as a complete loss. I could probably fix it if I really wanted to, but the time isn't worth it.

--SS
 
SpotTheCat
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Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Sat Sep 25, 2010 10:15 pm

That's a terrible crash!

Did that plane coast pretty well then?
 
SecretSquirrel
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Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Sat Sep 25, 2010 10:40 pm

SpotTheCat wrote:
That's a terrible crash!

Did that plane coast pretty well then?


Yes, it did. For as heavy as it was, it still had a very nice glide. The only sign that it was a heavy plane was the speed at which it landed, or glided for that matter, and like most high wing loading planes, it would snap out of a loop it you got it too tight.

I was actually quite happy with it and was really just starting to get it fully trimmed. The engine hadn't even been weened of its break-in mixture yet.
 
SpotTheCat
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Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Sat Sep 25, 2010 10:47 pm

SecretSquirrel wrote:
SpotTheCat wrote:
That's a terrible crash!

Did that plane coast pretty well then?


Yes, it did. For as heavy as it was, it still had a very nice glide. The only sign that it was a heavy plane was the speed at which it landed, or glided for that matter, and like most high wing loading planes, it would snap out of a loop it you got it too tight.

I was actually quite happy with it and was really just starting to get it fully trimmed. The engine hadn't even been weened of its break-in mixture yet.

As long as you're out of stall speed, glide ratio is nearly independent of weight.

I really liked that build log and it was a beautiful plane, I hope it's flying well in heaven.
 
Hance
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Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Sat Sep 25, 2010 11:07 pm

SS ouch man that sucks. I hate to see a nice balsa plane go in. Foamies who cares grab another one and keep flying.
 
SecretSquirrel
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Re: Radio Control Hobbies

Sun Sep 26, 2010 7:36 am

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

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