Wizard Compact X-tail

[Peewhit]

Hi Ian,

 

Many thanks for the set up info and advice.

 

The servo extension lead for the rudder is as short as possible and runs straight down the fus, so hopefully no excess weight there.

 

I do need to have another look at the elevator snake, but have been too busy playing with wing servos and flying that Typhoon thing in these lovely southerlies which are just too good to miss

 

Are your set up measurements taken at the root or tip ends of the surfaces?

Edited By Peewhit on 08/10/2010 13:18:40

[ian mason]

Hi,

  the measurements are from the tips on the ailerons and root withh the flaps.

 

Good luck with the wing servos. 

 

Ian

[Darran Powell]

Posted by ian mason on 08/10/2010 22:45:12:

Hi,

  the measurements are from the tips on the ailerons and root withh the flaps.

 

Good luck with the wing servos. 

 

Ian

 seeing as you reply to people here could you reply to emails or answer the phone from sloperacer web?

[Peewhit]

Managed to make a start on the wings.

 

The surface control horns screw in  nicely only the aileron ones seem a bit too long as they protrude beyond the hinge line.

 

Symmetrical movement is required for the ailerons and 5mm shorter they look about right.

 

Now for the control rod and, as per usual, one side of the clevice needs to be ground down to clear the servo spindle

 

All four wing servos are Hyperion DS095-FMD.

They will just fit through the holes in the skin but need a lot of twisting and turning to get them through

 

Not much chance of potting them in like that so it called for a drastic solution

 

No more mounting lugs to get in the way and they  pop in nicely

 

The flap horns also protrude beyond the hinge line

 

As much more flap down movement (for crow braking) than up movement is needed, I decided to leave them this way.

On full down flap, the servo arms need to be in line with the push rods, in order to minimize servo damage on landing (when I forget to put the flaps back up).

This means that they need to be at a forward angle when neutral

 

Assembled everything  dry and using the second hole on the servo arm gives 10mm aileron each way and 45mm down flap which is about 70 degrees.

 

Wrap the servos in masking tape. Sand lightly and wipe with white spirit to remove the release agent on the tape and they are ready to pot.

 

Just remembered to put the screws in to hold on the servo arms, and a light touch of CA should make sure that they do not work loose.

 

In with the wiring harness, and a final check to make sure that everything works

 

And then, four servos potted in with epoxy and micro balloons

 

Back to the fus next.

 

 

 

[ian mason]

Hi Pete,

  I love the way the wings come together.  If you've not glued the horns yet id drill through the bottom surface as well.  This will get the horns lower but also make sure theres glue all the way down the horn and the horn will be fixed across the 2 surfaces for maximum strength. 

 

  The rest will be easy in terms of throwns etc.

 

 

Ian

[Peewhit]

Hi Ian,

 

Thanks for that.

 

There is plenty of epoxy around those screw threads and the horns do go right to the bottom of the holes.

 

Just had a quick balance up  and with a rough calculation of taping weights to the nose,

it seems that this beast will need about 12oz of lead for C of G at 100mm from leading edge.

 

Does that seem about right? - glad now that I didn't put the elevator servo in the tail.

 

Ah well - fill that little nose cone, under the battery and a soft bit left up top somewhere for fine adjustment.....................................

[Andy Burgoyne]

youll get that lead in the nose no problem pete .....this is what 26oz looks like

[Peewhit]

Lovely neat lay up you have there Andy.

 

And an awful lot of errrrr lead

[ian mason]

Andy's DS wiz is a delicate little beast! 

 

12 Oz sounds about right- I just keep adding until the CG is at 98mm, I've never had the heart to take it out and weigh it after that

 

Must be nearly ready now- are you 2.4giging her?

 

ian

[Peewhit]

Nearly finished.

 

Need to work out where to put the lead to balance up, tweak a few control surfaces at neutral and then program - that's always the best bit.

 

Not going to rush it though as I would like it to be right.

 

Yes, she is going to run on 2.4 - Spektrum 7600 two part receiver.

 

Will try and post a few more pics - it's just that the day job keeps getting in the way

[Peewhit]

Only 12 oz  needed to balance - the Typhoon only needed 6oz so this is going to be a bit of a challenge.

 

Firstly in the nose and under the battery - I would normally have cast it but that lip around the nose would have made insertion of a cast weight impossible.

 

Some more up the sides.

 

Decided that the switch is going to have to move in order that the battery can go further back to make room for more lead.

 

Just managed to get the switch in behind the servo - limited depth below the deck due to the ballast tube eject slope - bit of a shoe horn job but it's in.

 

Finally sorted to balance at 100mm behind the leading edge - good job nothing else needs to go in!

 

An hour of programming with the DX7 - flaps linked to ailerons for increased roll rate, ailerons linked to flaps for full wing camber, crow braking with elevator compensation, and a touch of snap flap.

 

Anyone have a 2.4 DX9 for sale?

 

Half an hour with the wife's spray polish and she is ready to fly.

 

Will let you know how the maiden goes.

[Peewhit]

Just weighed this little beast and thankfully, both wings weigh exactly the same.

 

All up weight is 91.5oz which gives a wing loading of 17.1 oz/sq ft.

 

The supplied ballast bar weighs 24oz which would increase the wing loading to 21.6 oz/sq ft

[ian mason]

looks neat, 

 

As Andy would say, let the wing work- you've paid for it.

 

Looking forward to the flight report.

 

Ian

[Peewhit]

Finally, a dry day with no interference from the day job, and a 10mph westerly forecast which should be about 15 mph on the edge.

 Except that when I arrived it was just 6mph on the edge.

 

Well I know that the Typhoon would fly in that, so there I was about to throw a large pile of pound notes off the top  of the hill into a 6mph wind - what a strange hobby (compulsion!) we have.

 

The wind was enough and with a bit of up trim the Wizard started to gain height.

 

It was wallowing around pretty awfully and then I realized that I had it on "speed" reflex flap setting.

 

Put it into normal flight mode, took the up trim off and this little beast was a different plane.

 

Graceful and straight - with the x-tail it goes exactly where you point it.

 

No heroics as the lift was not good.

 

Tried the thermal camber setting and she just floated up - found that some down elevator is needed in thermal mode.

 

 Attempted a landing and overshot straight back into lift - the Wizard just did not want to slow down!

Second time around, full crow, and she just settled down on top of the bracken without even touching the ground.

 

Programmed in some down elevator for thermal mode, had lunch and the wind picked up to about 13mph.

 

It was then that the Wizard really started to fly.

 

It is fast and tracks beautifully.

Big loops, small loops, stall turns and circles were no problem at all.

 

I was a bit disappointed with the roll rate and the fact that she slowed too much in a roll. Think we need some differential on the ailerons and a bit more flaperon mixed in.

 

Tried the speed reflex setting again and she rocketed up and down the ridge in the compression layer. I had a big grin on my face.

 

Did I mention the turns? For both "yank and bank" and reversals the Wizard seems to come out of them faster than she went in. Speed retention is excellent.

 

Let the wing do the work - one flick of that switch into thermal mode and she just floats up and up.

 

In summary, this is an incredible little beast. Fast with quick turns - could F3F it - and will thermal nicely in light lift.

 

Just need to get those aileron throws sorted then can't wait to get back to the slope for some real action in a big wind with that 24oz ballast bar on board.

 

 

[ian mason]

  Sounds like you had a blast, glad that you enjoy the model.  It goes to show that once you're in the air they really are starting point.

 

  Now if I can just get a couple of hours off I'm on holiday with the family near Falmouth annd St Agnes head (My compact's in the boot).

 

Ian

[Peewhit]

Aileron throws now sorted.

 

 Just over doubled the up throw and kept the down throw the same.

 

Nice axial rolls which are as fast as the 2m Typhoon.

 

Flew this beast today in 25mph with 24oz of ballast on board.

 

VERY, VERY IMPRESSIVE

Thanks to Andy for the recommendation.

[ian mason]

Hi Pete,

   My Compact was the wepon of choice at Aggies  last week- can't help but make you smile!  Up to 3/2 ballast in some light sea breazes makes me wonder why I bother with my other toys but don't tell Zim

 

  I think my fingures myst have slipped when i was typing the Ailerons settings to you- I menat to recomend 12 up and 8 down.  This definately works for me.

 

Enjoy the beastie!

 

ian

[Peewhit]

Hi Ian and glad you had a good time with the Wiz.

 

I think that Zim may be a bit jealous - you have one, I have one, and he does not have one yet

I have 18mm up aileron and 7mm down - flaperons 7mm up (all I can get) and 3mm down.

This seems right for me as rolls are so axial

There were some F3F guys at Horcum with Skorps and Martinets etc.

Whilst the Wizard is not as fast and not set up with "instant" snap flap for those tight F3F turns, it more than held its own and the "experts" seemed quite impressed with its performance.

 

Anyway, mine is being set up for aerobatics more than F3F and I had an absolute blast with it - expensive yes, but seems well worth the money.

 

Don't you just love it when the beast settles down on top of the heather when landing and doesn't even touch the ground!

 

Early days so far yet the Wiz does seem to need quite a lot of down elevator for inverted and that's with C of G at 100mm.

 

Any thoughts on this?

[ian mason]

Hi Pete,

  Zim's currently stroking the latest batch of Compacts to arrive  He's definately twitching aftyer his.

 

  The Compact is pretty simpathatic to changes in CG so don't worry about playing with it and get the set up as you want for your thumbs.  The elevator is trimmed flat on mine and the CG set so it doesn't tuck under when I'm really going for it in big air.  I don't think it needs too much elevator but I couldn't tell you how much as my thumb just does it.

  I haven't been usuing reflex on mine (yet)- just pointing the thing- shows the difference in prefferences for set up I guess.

 

  That putting down gently is so easy with the Compact.  I know that a more possitive aproach is generally safer but less fun.

 

  you take on those F3F boys- they can only go left and right:

 

Ian

[Tom Foreman]

Video of Paul's Wizard Compact for all you Wizard lovers

 

http://vimeo.com/20425761

 

Tom

[Tom Foreman]

 

This is the embed code, but will it work?

 

Edited By Tom Foreman on 27/02/2011 11:03:49

 

Nope, maybe this then?

 

 

Edited By Tom Foreman on 27/02/2011 11:06:55

[Tim Mackey]

Hi Tom - Vimeo and U tube changed their embed code recently - we need to use the "old" code.

Its all explained here mate.

[Peewhit]

Nice video Tom - it goes just like mine does

[Paul Bromley]

Have any 2.4ghz issues arisen with the glass nose and how has anyone routed aerials to make the best of reception ? any advice appreciated.

 

Paul.

[Tim Mackey]

Glass fibre should not affect the aerial - unlike actual carbon fibre, for which special extended aerial leads on some receivers are used.

This allows the actual active aerial ( about 1" long ) to actually exit the fuselage. No reason at all not use same on any model...other than cost of these receivers is a little higher.