John Murdy

Thanks for all your quick reponses. Dave, it's interesting that the ST Discovery exhibited this same symptom, as the Blaze has the factory supplied power train as standard. Graham, the ESC is none programmable so can't do much there. I've checked the integrity of the wires as far as I can see and all seems ok. Simon, prior to the crash the wires to the motor were connected as per the correct colour codes, post the crash the motor only runs correctly if I swap the red and yellow wires. It could be that the ESC took an irregular power surge prior to disconnecting which has upset the ESC logic. Out of curiousity I will swap the ESC with a spare I have to isolate whether the fault is in the motor or ESC. I'll keep you posted on this test. Thanks for your inputs, John

I was flying my ST model Blaze the other day when through my own cockiness it had a coming together with terra firma. This knocked the nose off the aeroplane which has subsequently been glued back into position. I connected the motor back up, put a freshly charged battery in and checked all the controls, at this point I noticed that the motor was running in reverse. I double checked all the connectors and all was as should be but still the motor ran in reverse. I have subsequently reconnected the power leads from the ESC to motor swapping the red and yellow leads such by colour code they are now crossed. The motor now runs in the correct direction. The question is why has the motor reversed its rotation post the crash?

Hi Mike and all those interested. I have had a response from Futaba support who have confirm that the throttle is inhibited in the power down mode as a safety feature when doing a range check. However, in power down mode you can select individual servos using the servo test function, as described on page 17 of the manual, and by this method you can check the throttle. I can see some method in their reasoning but it all seems a bit of a per lava to me Thanks for all your responses, happy flying. John

I also thought fail safe, so I dialled in a large rudder defection in along with throttle to idle for fail safe, however, this deflection never appeared on range check although the throttle remained stubbornly silent . When I was in Power Down Mode all other surfaces worked as expected with no glitches and on return to normal Tx power the throttle worked as required. I then tried the same Power Down range check on my Blaze power glider and this replicated exactly the same symptoms as experienced on my Zlin. This is my first 2.4 gHz set which I have only had for a short while so I'm not totally familiar with the set just yet, so I'm exercising caution over this problem.

Does anyone know whether the throttle channel is inhibited when doing a range check on a Futaba T8J transmitter in the Power Down Mode? The reason I ask is that I noticed this on carrying out my range check today and aborted flying because I was unsure and there is nothing in the manual about it. I assume it maybe a safety feature but it seems strange that there is no mention in the manual.

An interesting collection of views and thank you for the interest shown in my question. As an aero modeller for approximatly 15 years I have embraced both sides of the hobby the traditional build and flying and both have given me equal measures of enjoyment. I have dabbled with ARTFs but have never really found the success and enjoyment that I get from my trad models. The reason for my venture back into ARTFs is the unfortunate demise of a long standing Extra 300 which was powered by my OS 61, however, I am in the middle of building the Tony Nijhuis Hurricane and require a quick fix. I am very much a perfectionist when building my own models and hence the question on the quality of Black Horse ARTFs. The majority of responses point to the Zlin and this is probably where my heart is, so a deep breath and dip into my wallet. Thanks again for all the views and advice, I never thought I would get so many responses

Hi Lee Thanks for your response, you are pampering to my own thoughts. I like something different thats why I scratch build. There do seem to be a lot of Acro Wots about these days. I suppose my concern is what is the typical build quality of Black Horse ARTFs?

I have been an avid reader of RCM&E for a number of years and have never used the forum. So here goes for my forum baptism. I currently have a redundant OS 61FX and was looking at possibly housing it in an Acro Wot Mk2 ARTF, this was until I saw the Nuremberg 2013 article in April's edition of RCM&E, where there is a photograph of the Black Horse Zlin 50 designed for a .55 two stroke engine. My dilemma is which to go for, as I tend to be a scratch build flyer and have no experience of either manufacturer. My preference is towards a more scale like aircraft than pure out and out sport flyers. However, I do need an aircraft which will stand up to the harsh Lancashire weather. Any advice would be gratefully received.

I've recently acquired 2 Graupner HB 50 Engines which were still in their boxes and never ran. I have fitted one of them in an old Extra 300 but I am having difficulty getting the engine to run relieably. I have checked the fuel supply and tank position in relation to the carburettor intake and all seems fine. After another aborted flight today I am suspecting the carburettor setting. In my limited experience with this make of engine it seems that the idle mixture is very sensitive to adjustments. Has anyone any experience with these engines and if so are there any tricks that might help me setup the carb?