Andy Harris

My son has a 250W E-Max motor in his with a 10x7 prop that pulls 18A @190W. 3S 1800 20C Loong Max batteries give plenty of flight time, guessing around 15mins. It has a fair turn of speed, handles wind better than expected.

So finally the Addiction-X got to maiden today. However the outcomes were not so good. Wickedly quick take off, almost instant, well behaved with lovely tracking, nicely axial on the roll. Slow speed flight down to the point of going backward against a 10mph wind. It all went wrong when full rates were selected, on the first roll one aileron stopped in an odd position. It was like flying with a single barn door as a flap and trying to balance the ailerons to suit.  I coaxed it to the ground and we had a good check, we made an assumption that I didn't tighten the servo head screw enough, reset the servo arm position and tried again, same thing ailerons out as soon as high rates selected. A few sweaty moments later she was back on terra firma minus a tail wheel.  Further investigation revealed that the servo arms were slipping. These are brand new heavy duty Alszone hitec servo arms, used plenty of times before with no issues. Tried holding back the ailerons and sure enough the arms slipped on both sides.  Even the static wash from the motor can make them slip. However these ailerons are very very very big for mini servos. So tonight I'm searching through the internet for metal/alloy servo arms.   

Andy  There appears to be no logic in the pricing of ESCs. I've used GC ones with great success. You've built in a whopping safety margin.  I've developed my own rough rule of thumb that's something like:   o Up to 12A ESC, no safety margin, ESCs do what they say on the tin.  o 12-20A ESC 10% safety margin.   o 20-50A ESC 20% safety margin  o 50A+ ESC 30% safety margin  These safety margins are at the rated values, not the peak values. Which reminds me that somewhere I started a post grumbling about ESCs not being rated correctly. What is the point of selling an ESC that is rated at 70A with a 10 second 100A overload margin only to find that when you run it at 67A it fails. We've fallen into just accepting this!

Not quite a maiden yet, but hit some problems whilst testing.My main conclusion is that Hitec HS82-MG servos are not up to the job for the ailerons!I used a chair to restrain the model whilst doing a full timing and battery test. Wiggled the ailerons a bit whilst the motor was running and noticed that the left hand aileron would creep back to its neutral position. Carried on testing and found that the LH aileron started to shift its neutral position around. This is the second HS82-MG that has failed.The HS5085 is digital, slightly larger and has more torque. Looking at the size of the ailerons I believe these will be a better choice. I'll search around a little more - any advice on powerful 30x30x12 size servos please! On another note I was mildly suprised to find that I had to take the timing up to hard to cure the motor squeal (sync loss) on rapid throttle movements.

Hi forumTwas on the site today and realised that I don't really have anything that is comfortable in a +15mph gusty wind.Perhaps a Pulse 25 or an Electric Acrowot ? Anyone have favourites for the less than perfect days?Thanks ...

SteveIt depends on how you interpret the signal going to the speakers.If the signal is less that 50V between conductors or earth it is SELV. If it can go above 50V WRT earth in the shed then it falls under the regulations. If the cable is strung between the two buildings its an effective lightning conductor - definitely within the regulations. If we measure the resistance of the signal wires to ground and it is less than 3000ohms then it falls under the regulations. The output impedance of the PC amp should fall below this. If the power available between the conductors is enough to cause a spark then in falls under the regulations, Of course your shed meets the regulations. This is a pretty academic discussion until someone has to pass an installation. I would say that most professional electricians I work with would not be happy with this arrangement. Before your phone connection gets to a modem it should go through the BT master socket which contains an arrestor. The first part of the modem circuit will be a 2Kv isolation device. It is possible that the 17th regs have some relaxation from the 16th but I doubt it!

@Hamish and Steve W-OI have a copy of the 17th Regs in the office, however I have a copy of the older 16th Regs here.There are many applicable sections, 130-04,541-542 for example. 411-02-02.In principle one should not make a secondary connection to another building unless it is covered by the same earthing arrangements, or it is isolated. The guiding principle is where the fault currents might flow. We should remember that mostly our sheds require proper earthing arrangements.If we called these speakers portable appliances we could use a double insulated approach.

... Actually the regulations say not.Although it would work technically you would need an isolation transformer at both ends to meet regulations. This is due to lighting strikes etc, where the potential of one building can be raised about the other. If your in the building then you rise and fall with the building, but the other building connected by a solid cable would not, hence the computer of speaker could rise relative to their building in a lighting strike. This is why phones and network connections have isolation transformers or fibre.

Its a tough world out there.I can't get their website to load at the moment, was thinking of getting some T-28 spares.

I would suggest that there is an inverse relationship as well. Modeller: Seen at the field once a year with a pristine scale something that they are too frightened to maiden.  Knows everything about aerodynamics - can't put it into practice.  Builder:  Seen at the field on the better days, flies planes that are tough but too heavy to do anything interesting.  Knows quite a lot about aerodynamics, knows what flies the way it suits him/her.  Assembler:  Seen mostly at the field, rumoured to be able to fly the box the kit came in.  Knows nothing about aerodynamics but can knife edge land a model that has lost a wing.  Only joking ...

You can -- but really don't bother. Use a proper prop designed for the job.  The real benefit is efficiency, which means more power for longer and more satisfying climbs.  You'll be swinging less mass as well.  APC props are not much and for the overall cost of the model best to have the right elements in the power train.

@Manuel  --- The battery is 2300mAh 3S 30C  In other words it can deliver  69A at 11.1V.  Under static load it is giving 45.8A at around 12V or 550Watts.   I also hope that MacGreggor will have the bling spares like the pretty props.  @Lee  --- Yes you're absolutely right mine has cost too much in real terms.  My lady was determined to get it for me. Quality is an interesting factor,  I have an Iconic 50 EP finished to within 15 minutes of being flight ready.  The build was so much messing about that I never feel inclined to put the 15 mins in (its just fitting the straps to the battery bay and modifying the wing retainers so that they can be operated in the deep fuz).  Now I must get round to taking a photo of the wing bags, they are literally too good!  There are wing bags and there are 1000 dernier padded bags with stitching that could grace an Anya Hindemache hand bag.

Here we are ready for maiden:  The Vox Prop and spinner look gorgeous and sound silky smooth.  You can see the deflections here - they are on the useful side, not sure the picture does them justice, the deflections are slightly more with the battery connected. The CoG is about 132.499mm from the leading edge, which is towards the rear of recommended range but apparently right when the vortex generators are fitted.  The battery has to be pushed right to the very front of the compartment. I may get to test on Sunday depending on the weather.  

The build continues. I have made one unpleasant mistake, in the quest for huge rudder movements I've managed to wreck a pot on a Hitec 82MG servo.  So I'm almost complete but a servo down. Here's the motor:   Which looks way too small for the size of the airframe.  I have the very pretty VOX 14x7 prop (all part of the bling). Testing shows that the motor/ESC/Prop combination peaks at 550W and settles back to about 500W.  The ZS30 will take 650W so there is some safety margin there.  I'll measure the static thrust at some point but just holding the fuz with the motor wound up was enough to let me know that its way over 1:1.  The motor was hot after thorough testing, the ESC was fine, although 45A was enough to cause puffing on an older 20C 2250 3S battery, I have the 30C type for actual flying.  Since I had the extra time I used 30min epoxy on all the linkages.  I'm using standard long arms for the Hitec servos (the blue ones, not the ones the 82 MGs come with).  CoG looks like its going to be OK, I chose the very very forward position for the rudder servo.  I can tell you that getting the Kevlar cords through the airframe is a fiddly job!

@Martin.H  I'm assuming we're discussing as if the Eflite SU 26M (480 Motor) version was being flown. I have direct experience of the Diamante 25e and I had a look around at the SU 26M videos on youtube.  The characteristics seem similar, they stall into a harrier which is very nice for an intermediate model:   Here's the Eflite specs:Wingspan: 43 in (1090mm) Overall Length: 39 in (990mm) Wing Area: 365 sq in (23.5 sq dm) Flying Weight: 30–32 oz (850–910 g) Motor Size: Park 480 Radio: 5+ channels (required) Servos: 4 sub-micro servos (required) Trim Scheme Colors: Lite Scale White (HANU973), Orange (HANU877), Pearl Purple (HANU847) Prop Size: APC 12x6E Spinner Size: 1.75-inch diameter Hardware Included: Yes Speed Control : 40-amp Recommended Battery: 2100mAh 3S Li-Po Approx. Flying Duration: 10 minutes Approx. Assembly Time: 4–6 hours Experience Level: Intermediate Is Assembly Required: Yes  The Diamante was not really an out and out 3D model - Eflite suggest the SU 26 is "no holds barred" which may suggest that its a bit more lively when the wings are fully stalled. We have various competitions in the season, for 'spot landing' I used to stall out the Addiction high above the runway then use the rudder to guide it to the spot.  Harrier landings were prohibited this year along with a cut motor at runway threshold to equalize the competition. @John.P  - I would estimate that 50% of regular club sport pilots often have one or more flying surfaces stalled.  I don't think that scale pilots use stalled surfaces much - well, hmm, they do for stall turns.  I have a BH Mosquito which I wouldn't risk stalling, however it gets a thumb full of rudder for low passes in front of the flightline.  I was coached to do this so it 'presents' well. Scale flying relates to full size more.  However I only put in around an hour each year on the Mosquito - the older gentleman club members certainly remind me that there is a lot to remember in scale flying.

BEB -- no worries from me, looking back over the thread I'd mistaken your comments with FTBs - and it was only a playful nudge anyway - please use your powers to remove it!  For Andrew Smith:  Yes it is like using an airbrake. I use maximum rudder on the Panics (mad BiPlane) and the Addiction (3D trainer) to land.  But I wouldn't do the same on the Fliton Inspire 60 because the rudder comes round to about 50 degrees and not 80. As you move the rudder the tail swings round, this gets progressively stronger until you pass a certain point where turning effect tails off and the braking effect increases.  If the rudder does not go past this point you need to balance with more opposite aileron as in BEB's post.  Your SU 26 will have similar traits to the Inspire so you won't be able to use the rudder as a raw brake.  Somewhere in RCME is an article on cross-wind landing, it describes the side slip well.  The technique is really useful if you are in the circuit with slower models and you want to choose your overtaking point.   BEB's post explains what happens whereas I tend to say what it looks and feels like.  BEB also has a note about entering a spin, this will be particularly valid for your SU 26.  With a Panic you'd enter a flat spin which would be slow and good fun, the SU 26 on the other hand would lose height more rapidly.  Our field has a factory, road and social club on 3 of 4 sides so for bigger/faster models tight circuits are the order of the day.

Confessions:   I've been told-off before about suggesting beginners use rudder.  All the club pilots whose flying I aspire to use copious rudder.  Whilst 'B' training an Instructor at Paul Heckles removed rudder from my TX  My Logic:    Andrew S has come from a heli background where rudder (tail) control is one of the primary skills.  Andrew S has all ready worked out how to flat turn   Eflite Su 26 leans towards an intermediate model   I believe it is natural progression for foamies to take risk burden once the proper models arrive.  ..and reflecting on the indoor season, rudder definitely helps with avoiding wall contact.  Yesterday I found it much easier to navigate a packed session with F3P style foamies than with a 'Tetra' or the UMX 'Beast' However the overriding rule is that the Moderators are always balanced and right, that's why they get appointed as Moderators.  So, Mr Smith I'd say follow their advice (but sneak a bit of bad-boy rudder in when they're not looking )

Andrew     Don't worry about mixes on the eflite model it will be fine without. (I assume its the 25 size one)     The only caution I would raise is airspeed, I use the same caution on myself every year as I switch from the indoor to the outdoor season.  Foamies can cope with much lower airspeed in the tun without dropping.    On the rudder side try using a drop of opposite rudder in the turn, it'll sit right in the air when you have it right. Will also help with keeping the height spot on as you work up to your 'B'.    You can practice on the MS Unique, try a few knife edge passes that'll let you know when the rudder input is right.   I have a MS foam bipe that runs as 180W peak which I use to practice stuff that would put the rest of my fleet at risk.    I've witnessed two heli pilots switch to fixed wing, their progress was very quick.   happy landings ...  @import url(/CuteEditor_Files/public_forums.css);

... So far the build has been smooth.  You can almost do it without a modelling knife.   The manual makes a very clear point about performance being impaired if the aileron/elevator gaps are not covered.  Since the supplied strip is about 15mm wide making the 'V' crease has proved to be the trickiest part of the build.  I found that I needed an extra set of hands.   However building in the kitchen is quite handy because there'll always be traffic that one can borrow.   I've ordered up the power train which will be based around the Hyperion ZS30 922kV motor delivering 650W which is more than the 500W specified and some 30g lighter.   The build should come out at 1.2kg with 82MG servos, therefore the power to weight ratio with be adquate.   I have plenty of 2100/2200 3S batteries around but have been investigating the Loong Max Tipple 30-40C range which would allow the ZS30 to breathe.The import duty and carriage were certainly 'ouch!!' by I notice that Als Hobbies do not have Precision Aerobatics on their web site anymore.  I did find some others on a google but they didn't have the 'X'.   My last build was a BH Mosquito, the quality of these two builds are *planets* apart, with the BH parts were missing, parts had to be filed to fit and the CG was miles out.  The only filing I've done on the Addiction is roughing up the rear UC before the epoxy is applied.    whats this ?????  ====> @import url(/CuteEditor_Files/public_forums.css);@import url(http://www.modelflying.co.uk/CuteEditor_Files/Style/SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/CuteEditor_Files/public_forums.css);      

@Phil B  - asked my dear other half, it seems that just over £120 got used in delivery and extra customs charges.  Apparently it took some effort to get one of these despite them being advertised on this site.  Jo even had to call Australia to sort some details.  It was originally ordered early November, but from the US office, who referred it to the Aussie office. Anyway, here's the fuz almost complete:  Andy

Right, starting the build with the wings. These are hinged in the normal way but with a strip of covering over the joint.  The manual is very specific about how this is to be done. Here's a photo just so you can get an idea of how big the control surfaces are:The manual is a standard A4 size. Andy