Flying for Real..

[DaveB]

Hello Mate

Well.. not wanting to miss out on the weather completely, I was of sound enough mind to risk the rather frisky winds with the Bixler this morning. Your Cub would probably have pushed through it but it was harder work with the Bixler Was about to load a second battery (I'd actually loaded the second battery) when I noticed 2 of the canopy magnets had parted company.. 1 off one side and one of t'other They were firmly magnetised to their opposing parts but I didn't want to risk losing the canopy so came back home. Friend 'Epoxy' is currently doing his thing gluing them back

Found some 7x6's on ebay that will fit the hub on the Harvard so a pack has been ordered. They're bright orange so should be fun Hopefully, they'll be here before the weather changes

Glad the 'worked' prop is performing well on the CAP and that you've managed to find a spring for the Cub's tailwheel Dare I ask if the phone is working now it's dried out? I can imagine your frustration when you realised what had happened There must be a positive side but I can't think of one at the monent!

ATB
Dave

[DaveB]

My lovely 'orange' GWS props have arrived off ebay.. but I can't bring myself to try and launch the b1oody thing. Nerves of steel or what



ATB
Dave

[Vc Ten]

You need to launch over the long grass you found, and be ready too give it loads of opposite aileron
Hope the new props for the cub arrive tomorrow, cant wait to hear the engine start to faulter with the remodified cowl refitted
its a wonder ive still got all the screws for it
ATB
Dale

[DaveB]

... its a wonder ive still got all the screws for it



Never.. in the field of human conflict, has a cowl been on and off more times

You're right of course.. I need to head for that long grass and bite the bullet. I also need an extra arm 'cause I want to be ready! Driving past it yesterday on my way to work, I noticed a lot of trees with my name on. Still.. not crashed into a tree for ages so it must be my turn

It's a lovely morning here again but the wind seems to have got up. Also.. a min or so ago, my dad's clock (presented to his dad when he left the Police force) went off. Strange thing about that is it's not been wound up for 12 months or more! For whom the bells toll?? Err.. it's going off again now.. full Westminster chime Oo-er

ATB
Dave

[DaveB]

to continue..

The wind dropped and I found a closer bit of very long grass. Sadly.. it wasn't really big enough and had a tree growing where one could have done without it but it was better than a poke in the eye.. just With the battery as far forward as it would possibly go AND 6 pc case screws strapped under the nose in a plazzie bag (the sort these screws come in).. I tried a launch. I couldn't let it go too far otherwise it would have flown out of the long grass zone but this time.. it went off to the right. Had I not chopped the throttle.. it may have flown on. Retrieved it and tried again. This time.. it went up and to the left but still under pwr and not stalled though going inverted. What was to the left of where I was flying.. a fahookin mini forest. Where did the T6 end up.. up a tree Fortunately.. I'd cut the throttle to kill any additional inertia.. the trees are still young and bushy so I was able to shake the shit out of it until the T6 fell gently to earth.

That's me done with the T6. It's hanging up outside the shed on our back step and that's probably where it'll stay. I may even take the wings off and lob it back in the box. I can't be arsed with something that'll fly to the right one time and to the left the next. Hand launching requires something stable enough for at least a few seconds to enable you to get your launch hand on the stick and if I continue with this.. it'll end up in bits. Sadly.. I still have a pack of 6 props winging their way from China via sherpa and by some cruel trick.. another pack arrived off ebay this morning from the UK. I've not been charged twice and I've emailed the bloke to let him know he's sent me 2 lots. I honestly don't think the airframe would withstand 16 broken props

Back to the drawing board
ATB
Dave

[DaveB]

Perfecto conditions this morning. Put 3 through the Bixler and 2 through the ASW. The ESC on the Bixler was getting rather hot so I didn't attempt the 2200 on it. Also noticed the old Zippy (the one you gave me with the Cub) and my Parkzone 1300 were noticeably fat The 1300 Overlander was fine as were the 2 Overlanders I put through the ASW. I've let them all cool off before recharging.
Thus far.. not thrown the T6 into the ground.. may do that later. There were folk over the common this morning (1000-1200) and while I didn't mind giving them a spirited display with the Bixler or something less so with the ASW.. if I'm gonna bloop the T6 into the deck.. I'd rather do it on my own thank you.

ATB
DaveB

[DaveB]

.. and there we have it!

More weight bunged in the front of the T6 and the ESC velcroed in place as fwd as I could get it. Tried a quick 3/4 throttle launch into the long grass. Didn't seem so bad so went onto the common and tried again. The end result.. pretty much the same as before. Rear wing lugs pulled loose but decided to give it one last throw. Full throttle and up it went.. pretty much out of control it has to be said but up it went all the same. Managed to get directional control out of it but the nose still kept pitching up. Some 20secs later.. it was on the deck.. another prop broken and this time.. the main wing nuts pulled out of their (tenuous) position. I can't imagine how much more weight needs to be added to make this thing fly. No wonder many users put 3S lipo's in the front end. That would just about do it I think!

It's in the box.. radio and battery removed until I decide what to do with it next. Just the sight of it pi$$es me off so out of sight, out of mind Anyone need any 7x6 GWS props??

Just finished charging the 1300 Overlander. It took 60m49s. No wonder the Bixlers ESC was hot

ATB
Dave

[Airspeed]

Don't know if you real flyers have seen this, thought you might like it:
http://www.rc-airplane-world.com/mrrcsound-system.html

[DaveB]

Hi Mike

Yes.. seen a vid of it fitted to a Mustang and it sounded a treat. An expensive addon though. The basic pack is $150 and the 'ultra' pack is $220 USD.. a bit outside my hobby allowance

Got another model on the way (to replace the waste of money T6). Will post a shot when I get it and it's been assembled
ATB
Dave

[DaveB]

CAUTION... THIS IS NOT a pre-maiden shot!



Latest addition to the hangar.. the HobbyKing Walrus (closest to the camera). Tech stuff..
Length: 1036mm
Wingspan: 1400mm
Flight weight: 750g
Wing Area: 22.30dm
Channels: Currently 5.. ESC, Ailerons, Rudder, Elevator, Flaps
Motor: Brushless 2212 KV1350 outrunner
ESC: 20A
Battery: 11.1v 1300mAh 25C 3S lipo or 2200mAh 3S

Sat here twiddling my thumbs wondering if the wind was too strong (it always seems too strong for a maiden ) but threw caution to the wind and took it over the larger of the 2 flying areas on the common. Still a few bits of tidying up to so, not fitted the wing servo covers, not secured the rxer and haven't even checked the CoG is right. Just made sure all the control surfaces were level then lobbed it into the air. Straight as a die in a shallow climb

First impressions.. I like it a lot. Apart from going where I want it to go, it shrugs bumpy bits of wind off very well. There's a bump in the front end (a fuse joiner) which made putting the 1300 further fwd impossible. She's a bit flighty with the 1300's in that she wants to climb as soon as her nose is into wind even with a little throttle on. Did another flight with a 1300 (just to make sure the maiden wasn't a fluke) and noticed the 20A ESC was rather warm.. lets say hot for arguments sake so this might be a weak link. Regardless.. I then tried the 2200. Less flightly for sure but still keen to climb into wind. Flaps work ok and it scrubs speed off very quickly. Pitch is quite dramatic with flaps down (I only have them at 1 position.. up or down) and all 3 landings done with flaps up thus far.

Top end flight is quite impressive as shown in this clip.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfDugHr_A1w but it can also be a docile glider and I like that combination

Apart from tidying up.. I'll also unclip the rudder clevis and put a few more turns on it. I have it dialed out on the trannie at the mo but I don't like seeing that much trim. It'll only take a sec or so Other than this.. it's a good'un and I like it a lot May get a second canopy base at some point. I've glued the black plastic you see in the shot to the canopy base (couldn't be arsed to look for my double sided tape!!) but with the canopy glass removed.. the base is a good FPV platform. Don't have a camera at the moment so it isn't an issue

After I took that shot, I'd one 1300 left so I took the Bixler out.. and unceremoniously fluffed the launch! What am I like A light impact and nose-over.. no damage done Noticed how much more the Bixler moved around (buffeted) than the Walrus. Glad I landed when I did as I noticed the left wing just a couple of mm away from leaving the fuse.. a common problem with the Bixler and corrected with v2 This isn't a problem in very calm conditions but the wings will edge out of the fuse if flown with gusto in bumpier conditions.

If anyone fancies a Walrus.. you can get one at http://www.hobbyking.com for around $80 USD.. a snip really. They're available worldwide.. I got this one from the UK warehouse

EDIT: Oh.. and my props have just arrived for the T6 off that slow boat from China. Anyone need any GWS 7x6 props.. let me know

ATB
Dave