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Don't be afraid of high wing loading! I actually like planes with higher wing loading. Sure they stall more easily, but you don't need a perfect day to fly.

SpotTheCat wrote:

Don't be afraid of high wing loading! I actually like planes with higher wing loading. Sure they stall more easily, but you don't need a perfect day to fly.

I'm not, but I realized that I started flying planes well after the "3D craze" had taken over and so I am a little colored by that.. If you read RC Universe and the like you would have to be forgiven for getting the impression that a 73" plane that weighs over 9lb will be a horrible flier. Go figure. I am looking forward to something I can fly in a more varied wind conditions. Being in Texas and all, we have plenty of days with 15+ mph breezes and the way our runway is set up, you get some turbulent air right over the runway. It makes landing a lighter plane very "exciting".

I'm off to Harbor Freight to see if I can find a decent IR thermometer and then figure out what the motor died on me.

--SS

In a moment of enlightenment, I just realized I think I did something really stupid. This brings me to item number four I learned from yesterday.

4) Don't put your flight mode and throttle kill switches on the same side of the radio.


Remember I said I had taken off on 3D rates? I recently got a new Hitec Aurora 9 and am still trying to figure out what switch layout I like best. As the radio is currently set up I have rates on the right hand 3 pos switch. It has low, high, and mechanical limits (3D) settings. next to it is a high idle switch that offsets the throttle curve to bring the minimum idle up for landing. Above that is the throttle kill switch. On my old radio (DX7) the default rate switch was in the same position as the throttle kill on the new radio. I suspect that when I realized I was on maximum rates I, out of habit, hit the throttle kill switch. *sigh*

That scenario would fit perfectly with what was going on at the time and with the fact that the motor just quit cold. I did get to go buy a IR thermometer though, and I think I'll still run the engine for a bit to check the temps. If the temps are ok on the ground with the cowl on, then they should be fine in flight.

--SS

SecretSquirrel wrote:

SpotTheCat wrote:

Don't be afraid of high wing loading! I actually like planes with higher wing loading. Sure they stall more easily, but you don't need a perfect day to fly.

I'm not, but I realized that I started flying planes well after the "3D craze" had taken over and so I am a little colored by that.. If you read RC Universe and the like you would have to be forgiven for getting the impression that a 73" plane that weighs over 9lb will be a horrible flier. Go figure. I am looking forward to something I can fly in a more varied wind conditions. Being in Texas and all, we have plenty of days with 15+ mph breezes and the way our runway is set up, you get some turbulent air right over the runway. It makes landing a lighter plane very "exciting".

I'm off to Harbor Freight to see if I can find a decent IR thermometer and then figure out what the motor died on me.

--SS

If you want something to fly on windy, inconsistent days, shoot for 40-60oz/ft^2.
The UAV we built in college weighed in at about 50oz/Ft^2.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOtyhR8ZdIY
This day was way windier than any I would ever attempt.

Ok I finally had time to dig out the Blade 400 and see what extra parts I have for it. I have about 650 invested in it minimum. After that I went over to www.rcgroups.com to see what the going rate is on a similar setup to what I have with the amount of spare parts I have. I found this thread http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1250659 Its a bit better than what I have and the asking price was $250. Other threads for used Blade 400's have similar pricing. Taking a loss on used parts is one thing but selling them for 1/3 or less of new cost isnt something I am willing to do. I also am not willing to take advantage of someone by jacking the price up to what I think is fair when there are better deals out there. So at this point Spot I guess I better hang onto it even if I don't fly it anymore.

Hance, have you tried a bigger fixed pitch heli to learn on? I know you had the coaxial. The Honey Bee Fixed pitch is a great learner, but you having learned with a belted tail might want to try a compy 300 or Guru-Z neon belted tail frame, especially if you have a decent gyro.

Crashes for me are dirt cheap (usually I just snap the head back on and realign the flybar paddles and do a visual check, nothing breaks or bends).

My worst crash cost me $30, took out a battery, canopy, some CF rods, center hub, and a few tiny parts on the head. It was pretty terrible, ripped the battery out through the canopy and everything. Fast Forward Flight turned CFIT.

Now that I know your Blade400 is out of the question, I'm probably going to go brushless motor and belted tail on my HBFP. There are a few people that have King2 modifications to FP, but they are heavy. SS gave me the wreckage (must have been one hell of a crash!) to his king2, so I have a head start!

My funjet arrived today. I won't be able to complete it for quite a while. Oh well, I'll take my time with the build.

Also, I saw the tiny sukhoi SU-26 on sale for something like $63. I will get one if the wife allows yet another toy.

If its the parkzone Sukoi make sure it is the newer SU26 XP. The new one is blue, yellow,black and white versus the older one which is mostly white with a little black and red. I have the first version and they are very under powered. Stay way away from them.

Hance wrote:

If its the parkzone Sukoi make sure it is the newer SU26 XP. The new one is blue, yellow,black and white versus the older one which is mostly white with a little black and red. I have the first version and they are very under powered. Stay way away from them.

It's this one.
http://secure.hobbyzone.com/rcplanes/rc ... Z3580.html
Watching youtube videos it seems like a fun little plane. For $63+tax what can beat it? I want something to warm up my eyes at the field before I fly my heavy/fast stuff.

SpotTheCat wrote:

Hance wrote:

If its the parkzone Sukoi make sure it is the newer SU26 XP. The new one is blue, yellow,black and white versus the older one which is mostly white with a little black and red. I have the first version and they are very under powered. Stay way away from them.

It's this one.
http://secure.hobbyzone.com/rcplanes/rc ... Z3580.html
Watching youtube videos it seems like a fun little plane. For $63+tax what can beat it? I want something to warm up my eyes at the field before I fly my heavy/fast stuff.

That is the one I have and they are not nearly as impressive in person as in the videos. Mine will barely drag itself through a loop. It could be related to the high elevation I live at (5600 fasl) but I just wasn't impressed with it at all.

I saw this and though of you guys. Over at Engadget: Cheap, tiny camera for RC planes captures video proof when you buy the farm

Darkmage wrote:

I saw this and though of you guys. Over at Engadget: Cheap, tiny camera for RC planes captures video proof when you buy the farm

Keychain spy cams are lighter and about nine bucks on ebay. That's what I use.

Thought this might interest you guys. Ended up here from that camera link.

http://www.su27.de/seite1.htm

bobboobles wrote:

Thought this might interest you guys. Ended up here from that camera link.

http://www.su27.de/seite1.htm

Holy macaroni!

There are way easier ways to do that if you have the time to make a model of it in pro-E. Hiring out a CNC machine (twice) is not as expensive as the time that went into that!

I am immensely impressed with the quality of that male plug though. That is incredible.

There are pounds to be shaved on the final product though. Considering the huge cost of the project by the end of it, I was surprised to see fiberglass instead of carbon and carbon/kevlar.

SpotTheCat wrote:

bobboobles wrote:

Thought this might interest you guys. Ended up here from that camera link.

http://www.su27.de/seite1.htm

Holy macaroni!

There are way easier ways to do that if you have the time to make a model of it in pro-E. Hiring out a CNC machine (twice) is not as expensive as the time that went into that!

I am immensely impressed with the quality of that male plug though. That is incredible.

There are pounds to be shaved on the final product though. Considering the huge cost of the project by the end of it, I was surprised to see fiberglass instead of carbon and carbon/kevlar.

Given that a pair of JetCat P200s will put out ~105lb of thrust, it may well have not really been worth it. I was an hour late getting to work this morning because of that link.... I suspect that the project was more about the modeling than making the lightest possible airframe. That is an incredible example of model making as an art form.

--SS

SecretSquirrel wrote:

SpotTheCat wrote:

bobboobles wrote:

Thought this might interest you guys. Ended up here from that camera link.

http://www.su27.de/seite1.htm

Holy macaroni!

There are way easier ways to do that if you have the time to make a model of it in pro-E. Hiring out a CNC machine (twice) is not as expensive as the time that went into that!

I am immensely impressed with the quality of that male plug though. That is incredible.

There are pounds to be shaved on the final product though. Considering the huge cost of the project by the end of it, I was surprised to see fiberglass instead of carbon and carbon/kevlar.

Given that a pair of JetCat P200s will put out ~105lb of thrust, it may well have not really been worth it. I was an hour late getting to work this morning because of that link.... I suspect that the project was more about the modeling than making the lightest possible airframe. That is an incredible example of model making as an art form.

--SS

I think these guys make them for special RC air shows. They make a faithful replica of an actual plane and are judged on accuracy. I can't remember if it was in a magazine or something online, but I definitely read something along those lines. It was a guy who made a replica of an A-10 Thunderbolt copying one that flew in Vietnam and after the show the pilot of the actual plane flew over in it. Wish I could remember where I saw it.

well poot.

I was just specing out some carbon fiber cloth to play with. In the past 3 years or so it has gone from "expensive" to "no longer affordable" even in small quantities. Wow. I wonder if volume is down on the hobby market (I use CST composites) and demand is up in the industrial market or something.

Well, it's good to see fiberglass is 1/50 the cost. At least I can afford that! I would love some Kevlar too, but that's pretty pricey too (it used to be more than carbon!).

I have very few modifications left on the chassis of my hydrofoil experiment. My wife suggested scorpion/crab/lobster body work. Perhaps if this drives well enough I'll make one nice and pretty. If the hydrofoil part of it turns out stable I'll make a much improved version 2. Total cost so far is one piece of 1/16 plywood, a few pieces of 1/4" square balsa, some plank balsa, and some glue.

Here's a sneak peak as of last night. That's the motor mount on top with electronics housing under it. I'm anticipating lots of tweaking to get the CG just right, perhaps major modifications. I need to get it sanded and water-sealed somehow now. Any suggestions on a way to make it water-tight?

What do you guys have for telemetry? I have none. I'm considering a battery tracker (giving current, voltage, and total power consumed) and a Pitot tube for airspeed.

SpotTheCat wrote:

What do you guys have for telemetry? I have none. I'm considering a battery tracker (giving current, voltage, and total power consumed) and a Pitot tube for airspeed.

Are you talking real time telemetry or data logging type stuff ? I have a full setup of eagletree stuff that will log everything but you can only look at the data after you land with the stuff I have.

Hance wrote:

SpotTheCat wrote:

What do you guys have for telemetry? I have none. I'm considering a battery tracker (giving current, voltage, and total power consumed) and a Pitot tube for airspeed.

Are you talking real time telemetry or data logging type stuff ? I have a full setup of eagletree stuff that will log everything but you can only look at the data after you land with the stuff I have.

I would like real-time battery info, but I would settle for speed logging as post-play analysis. I am currently field-checking batteries with my charger using my car battery, but it would be nice to know while I'm flying.

SpotTheCat wrote:

Hance wrote:

SpotTheCat wrote:

What do you guys have for telemetry? I have none. I'm considering a battery tracker (giving current, voltage, and total power consumed) and a Pitot tube for airspeed.

Are you talking real time telemetry or data logging type stuff ? I have a full setup of eagletree stuff that will log everything but you can only look at the data after you land with the stuff I have.

I would like real-time battery info, but I would settle for speed logging as post-play analysis. I am currently field-checking batteries with my charger using my car battery, but it would be nice to know while I'm flying.

Hitec Aurora 9. Built in battery telemetry. Full logging/telemetry is on the horizon. They are supposed to release a receiver add on that supports logging of speed, rpm, temp, and fuel level. The telemetry pack retails for $225 though it is still on pre-order. I'm debating over whether or not to pick one up. Speed and altitude would be nice, as would the ability to monitor a second battery pack. Still, not sure whether it is really worth it. $225 is a lot of other stuff too.

--SS

My latest project ready for a maiden. Hopefully tomorrow if I have the time.

My wife just told me to go nuts on a composite setup. I can get some glass, epoxy, foam, and a DIY vacuum setup.

Assuming proper time, I'll have some pretty sweet wings cranking out springtime.

In the mean time, I need to get my funjet in the air! I've been too busy to build/fly lately. Fishing or flying?

If you need help with the vac bag stuff let me know and I will hook you up with my buddy Marty. He is flying 350+ MPH DS stuff. He designs and builds his own planes

Hance wrote:

If you need help with the vac bag stuff let me know and I will hook you up with my buddy Marty. He is flying 350+ MPH DS stuff. He designs and builds his own planes

I know exactly how to work vacuum bagging in all different ways, and I more than know my way around the fabrics, resins, heat cycles, core materials, mold making, and pretty much everything. If anything, I need to find the best cheap way to get an appropriate pump. Right now the plan is to dig up a free old refrigerator from craigslist and commandeer its compressor. Everything I've done with composites has been done with a shop already in place.

I finally started working on my 33% Laser 200. I started hinging the wings yesterday. I must say, it is much much easier working on a giant scale airframe -- except for the cost. I'm looking at $550 just in servos for this thing.

I have come to the conclusion this is the last kit I will buy second hand, at least if it has been started. My standards for building are somewhat higher than most. This kit was started by an "expert builder" and while it has sat and been moved a couple of times over for five years, some of the things I have found cast doubt on the "expert" part.

I ordered a hot knife to core the wings and I am going to take some other weight saving steps to try and keep it light. The color scheme is "Mardi Gras" -- green, gold, and purple.

--SS

Finished the first wing...

That is big. I don't really have anything else to say.

SpotTheCat wrote:

That is big. 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.

--SS