Tim Cheal

I have an Acro Wot with a single aileron servo. I am considering adding a second aileron servo. This would give increased redundancy in case of a servonfailure, and flaps or reflex. I have read mixed advice about which would work best or even whether either is worthwhile. I fly from a field which is 75m square and in light winds it can sometimes be tricky to get it down over the trees. Does anybody use flap(erons?) or reflex with an Acro Wot, and would you be able to let me know if it makes much difference to overall landing distance? Many thanks. Tim

Thanks John,   Regards   Tim

Lee, it will be so!!   I think I have found a possible cause.    I did the range check with the radio kit and found that if I hold the aerials down the side of the receiver (as opposed to perpendicular) the servos simply freeze.  This seems consistent with what happened, and whilst I agree this is only one possible cause, I can see nothing else wrong.   One aspect that I had considered was servo stall, but as no-one has mentioned this and the servos do seem to be 'man enough for the job' (even thoough they are not the most expensive) I think I can discount that.    So, thanks all for your help.  the new model is 'in build' and will hopefully be ready soon. I know what mistakes not to make and will be sure to install the radio as specified, and conduct a thorough range check, as well as the other safety checks.  I just hope it doesn't take me another 8 months to get this model flying!   Thanks all for your pointers and advice.   Regards   Tim    

Timbo,   Fair comment, although I did not say I had not "bothered", I said I had not done one, and it guts me now I realise the importance of this.  However, like everything it was in fact more complex.  I had fitted the radio, taken the model to the model club and the model was safety checked.  We did take some time on the settings, although I had it in my mind for a range check we did not fly as I was distracted by engine issues and the range check was not conducted.  After this I had to replace the engine (I could write a book on why, but not right now!).    The engine trouble included removing all the radio equipment for a fuel tank check and replacing the fuel lines.  It is in the re-stowing that I must have wrapped the aerials up.  I fully expected to do a range check before we flew, but for whatever reason we were off.....   I think the whole episode of learning to fly is interesting, and fraught with danger, but it remains a personal responsibility, luckily the radio gear and engine still work fine.   I am going onto the field later to conduct some trials on the range issues with the aerials to prove the diagnosis, I will let you know.  But fist I am off to buy  a new Seagull (thanks Stephen you have confirmed this is the right thing to do!!).  

I think the throttle safe was disabled  as its something to do with the timer on the DX6i, but I will check.   Sadly, I never did do a range check - I will now though, and experiment at range with aeial positioning!!   PS, Just looked at your album Stephen, and my Boomerang and yours are very simiar!!  What caused that?   Regards   Tim

Frank,   Sorry I missed your question.  The throtte to idle failsafe is not set up.   Regards   Tim

Thanks Guys,   We were not on a buddy box, simply passing the transmitter.   It is a Spectrumm Dx6i with a Spectrum AR6200 receievr.   I had bundled the arials in the protective wrapping I had put around the receivers, so they were 'wrapped around' the main and remote receiver, whch we placed about 3 inches apart in the model.   Regards   Tim

If anybody is interested I tried everything.  The guys at the club could not get a consistent setting either so I eventually took the engine back to the shop, who sent it to SC.  SC could not get it to run properly either, they have replaced the engine and the new one runs as sweet as anything!!   Regards   Tim

I am after some help.   I flew my model for the first time yesterday with an instructor at my local club.  All was going well, then I seemed to momentarily lose aileron control input, but by the time I had thought about it all was well again.  I did let the instructor know, but put it down to my nervousness.  However, a short while later the aircraft pitched down in the turn, but up elevator had no effect.  I rolled out the turn, but the aircraft continued in a dive that I could not arrest .The instructor quickly took control but to no avail, and the aircraft continued in a steep dive.  The model is Cat 5, so I collected the bits and set off home.  The instructor wanted to know about the elevator linkages, which were all still connected.   I have tried to diagnose the problem today.   The linkages to all controls are all still intact.  I have now removed the radio equipment from the wreck and it works as advertised.  I have checked the voltages; the voltage on the receiver was near enough 6 volts about 2 hours after the crash (when I thought to check it) and the transmitter was 5.4v.  After removing the control runs I have found the metal pushrods (housed in a plastic sleeve pre installed in the ARTF Seagull Boomerang) to be quite rusty, but nothing else seems untoward.    This is all a bit of background info and I am after some help and advice.  Can anybody advise what might have caused the loss of elevator control?  I have salvaged the engine (which with a new needle valve is working fine) and the radio equipment (a Spectrum Dx6i (2.4GHZ) with receiver and 4 servos (Zebra ZS-S2113) All this is as supplied by the model shop in a 'package deal'. For info, the servo instructions (on the box) state that they have a torque rating of 3.2kg-cm (44.43 oz-in) at 6.0 v and 2.6 kg-cm (36.10 oz-in) at 4.8 v   I have to confess I had taken little care to check the aerial runs on the installation as the aerials are only about 1 inch long on the main and remote receiver.  Could these have been close to each other and interfered?  The manual states that the remote antennas should be at least 2 inches away form the primary antenna, but I am not sure if that is critical.

Thanks David,   Definately worth a change fo fuel lines to see.    I am in Wilmslow, and have joined the flying club at Total Fitness on the A34 bypass.   Thanks for the help.   Regards   Tim

The fuel is 5 months old (or at least I bought it 5 months ago!).   Regards   Tim

I have just got in from tinkering for an hour or so.  Its -1deg C, so not sure if that has any effect.

Thanks Guys.   The engine is in a Seagull Booomerang, with pressurised tank and clear tubing. Your advice is greatly appreciated.   The snow in Manchester has precluded me running it today, so I will try tomorrow.   Thanks again for all your advice, I will let you know how I get on.   Regards   Tim.

Thanks you for the direction.  That is what I will try tomorrow!   Thanks again   Tim 

I am not sure if anybody out there can help.   It’s a long story, which I shall keep short.  I have a brand new SC46 engine which I damaged the carburettor barrel on, and possibly the high and low end mixture screws.  I have replaced the carburettor barrel, and am using a new high end mixture screw (actually from an older SC carburettor, but it looks identical) and a new low end screw.  Try as I might I cannot get any settings that will allow the engine to run at any setting for any length of time.  I have read articles and tried various starting points; the first port of call has been to try to get the high end mixture set.  But it does not seem to stay stable enough for any length of time.  I have tried the RCM&E advised method of setting the low end screw as advised in a recent magazine (needle in carburettor barrel to obtain a small opening and then blow down the fuel inlet while turning the low end mixture until air starts to flow), but I am not sure that my setting is correct.   Does anybody have the factory settings for these carburettors, so that at least I know I am in the right ball park?   Or any other ideas?  My fuel is 5 months old, my glow plug as fitted new when I got the engine 5 months ago, through which I have run about 4 tanks of fuel when it was running OK before I damaged the carburettor.   Thanks in anticipation.   Tim Cheal