MattyB Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 Hmmm... down elevator does imply a more rearward CG, but it could just be they have set the incidence too high and/or there is insufficient down thrust. Best way to check is the dive test; climb to height, power off, dive 30-45 degrees down at 90 degrees to the wind and see what it does... Edited By MattyB on 20/04/2017 23:07:10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Ryall Posted April 21, 2017 Author Share Posted April 21, 2017 Matt, Thanks for this a good reminder. I will try and pay more attention next time I get up instead of just general handling although I think it is somewhere in the middle from what I've seen so far. Just my rusty perception! Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff S Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 Well, I'm on my 3rd Riot. The first had well over 200 flights and was getting a bit tatty when, for a reason I've never fathomed, the ailerons became reversed (I had been doing some repairs, but still a puzzle) and, despite managing to do a circuit using the rudder, 'levelling' the wings on finals (it was very windy) had the inevitable result. The second airframe only purchase was fine and I was using it to test a new Frsky S6R when I inadvertently flew into the only cloud in the sky which was lower than I thought! It came out higher and further away than I could properly see it and it flew away downwind. Hence number 3, which is a Devil, for some reason but it's the same plane. Anyway, on all of them I removed the steel weight which is glued in just in front of the battery box and it transforms the model from a staid and reliable trainer into the model I never go to the field without. Adjust control throws to taste but more is better. I fly it in any flyable conditions and it's my warm up model before a test flight. It doesn't have quite the performance of a Wot4 foamE but it's far more rugged. I flew the original one when on holiday from a recently harvested barley field (with permission). It took off in 2 or 3 metres from a smoothish bit of dirt track and I landed by stalling it onto the rough field with no problems at all. The undercarriage was never a problem once I'd replaced the axles with some 3mm ht cap head bolts. The other mod I did was to remover the battery box lid on numbers 1 and 3 because my 2200 3S packs with some Velcro attached wouldn't fit. The battery is held in with a couple of Velcro straps. Number 2 was probably a later design because the battery box was deeper. I still added straps though. Geoff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanR Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 Geoff, I've heard about the steel weights being removed to compensate for a heavier - usually 4S - battery but not simply removing them and continuing to use, say, a 2200 3S, as in your case. What did this do to your CG? Ian PS I have been following your S6R/Riot posts in the other thread. How are you getting on with it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff S Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 Removing the steel weight just makes the Riot behave as a lively model should. It's perfectly controllable and IMO easier to fly in windy conditions because it's more responsive. I'm no ace pilot but I much prefer the response without the extra weight. Not sure where the CoG is. I probably checked it when I first did the surgery but it's a long time ago and I never even tested it with my latest Riot/Devil. I removed the weight before I even test flew it. It is a good idea to replace it with a bit of 6mm balsa or ply to support the foam. I never found the model despite an extensive search so the S6R is gone and I haven't replaced it but I may try another. IIRC the modes I tried seemed to work but I only attempted the first 2. Stabilisation seemed to work but I think I had too much gain on the auto level mode. When the plane disappeared into the cloud I switched off all the stabilisation so the receiver wasn't the cause of the loss. In fact it was working right up to the end because it wasn't until it eventually dropped behind some trees that I got the message 'telemetry lost'. The range is greater than anyone flying line of sight would ever need. I was impressed! But this is off-topic here. A bit sorry to lose the plane as I'd put better servos in and it had an alloy spinner - a great improvement on the horrible foam one. Geoff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Plains Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 I totally agree about removing the nose weight. Although I was just a novice when I had my first proper flights with the Max T, even I found that it came alive after removing that steel lump!!!! Do it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Ryall Posted April 21, 2017 Author Share Posted April 21, 2017 That sounds the way to go once I've got to grips with it as it is and a few more flights under the belt. How did you peel the weight out, just get a blade behind it? Useful experience, thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff S Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 Brute force and ignorance helped by a knife As I said, I replaced the steel with a bit of balsa to support the foam. Geoff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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