Max Thrust Riot - Upgrades

[Colin Carpenter]

It’s clearly a Riot just re decaled ! It’s a very long lasting design. Testament to the overall design !!!✅✅Colin

[gangster]

On 02/01/2020 at 15:51, Keith Miles 2 said:

Peter,

As far as the performance issue is concerned I can only refer back to that 7600 rpm I was getting and the resulting (and not really surprising) very marginal power available for straight and level let alone for aerobatics!

The manual states “sensational flight performance” and “capable of a wide range of amazing aerobatic manoeuvres to thrill the experienced pilot”. Unless mine is not typical of others, I would certainly not describe it in those “sensational” terms but rather as, in standard guise, a gentle follow-on trainer probably best flown on light wind days!

Indeed, the initial control throws suggested would also seem, in the Riot case, to be aimed more at a complete beginner (although it doesn’t say that) rather than an experienced flyer of any level. In particular, a mere 12mm rudder deflection seemed well short of spin or stall turn territory and, indeed, it was! Fine for taxiing, though!

I also remain curious as to why, despite no changes apparently having ever been made to the motor or ESC since the model was first introduced, the supplied prop was relatively recently changed from 12x6 to 11x5.5. I did ask Century that question but was told simply that they found that it “flies better” on the latter. Hmmm...wonder why it took so many years to reach that conclusion if, indeed, that is the reason?

We have a Riot XL in the club (which funnily enough, a similarly disappointed original owner apparently sold to a fellow member very soon after its first few flights!) and several standard Riots so it might now (belatedly) be interesting to take a closer interest in those, for comparison with mine!

In the meantime, on with the 4S battery search and a bit more experimentation and tweaking!

Many thanks for the input!

 

 

I understood that the reason they changed the prop size was that the esc or motor was on the limit and that people were burning them out fitting 4s batteries to them. I have not done power measures but I cane flight  see no discernible difference in performance  on a Ruckus between 12 6or 11 6.5 on 3s .what I really like is the flight time. The ruckus gives way longer flight from the same battery than my Dawn Flier gives on an equivalent power chain. I have no experience of the Riot but if it’s anything like the Ruckus it must be a great trainer.  I piled the ruckus in hard, got complacent because it’s an easy model to fly and played with the elevator trim 0.5 mistakes up.  Got disoriented, ( I think I have to fly these days with Half sight and half memory). that crash would have totally wrecked a balsa model. As it was the spinner was smashed. The prop bust, the thread on the prop drivers  needed a die running down it and the motor shaft is a tad bent.The wings and prop  were creased a bit causing the paint to flake. Looking good and flying well again. The wheel mounts are a weak point but I made stub axles using 4 inch nails. No that is not the bodge it sounds. They are the perfect diameter to thread to M5. The Ruckus is also a good windy day hack

[MattyB]

Meanwhile, HK have got a "brand new model" out - errr....

 

 

https://hobbyking.com/en_us/h-king-pnf-frenzy-epo-aerobatic-sports-plane-w-led-lights-1400mm.html

 

Given their shipping costs and what is happening to the pound I don't expect them to sell too many... 😁

[GrumpyGnome]

3 hours ago, gangster said:

 I have no experience of the Riot but if it’s anything like the Ruckus it must be a great trainer.  

 

With rates dialled down, and the nose weight in place, it is VERY docile and easy to fly..... 

 

Meanwhile, in addition to: replacing the wheels, axles and clevises; dialling rates to max; removing the nose weight.... I have now binned the spinner and prop adapter to remove vibration, and cut away the plastic battery tray to make my 2200 3S LiPos fit without putting strain on the fixings.

 

It's nice now!

[Shaun Walsh]

I cut the bottom out of the battery bay too and can get a 3s 3000mah battery in. 

The other thing I did was to epoxy thin piano wire along the sides of the battery hatch as constant flexing of the retaining tabs eventually breaks them. 

[GrumpyGnome]

@Shaun Walshgood idea! Ta.

[Geoff S]

On 29/09/2022 at 12:39, MattyB said:

Meanwhile, HK have got a "brand new model" out - errr....

 

 

https://hobbyking.com/en_us/h-king-pnf-frenzy-epo-aerobatic-sports-plane-w-led-lights-1400mm.html

 

Given their shipping costs and what is happening to the pound I don't expect them to sell too many... 😁

 

I commented on the HK 'Riot' on the Century UK stand at Buckminster today and they weren't happy at all!  

[GrumpyGnome]

Now changed the cheap & noisy tailwheel as well.................... 

 

Flies nicely but all these changes are a huge contrast with the Foam E Wots Wot it replaces - that had more than 750 flights and needed just:

 

a) new fuselage (crash)

b) new aileron servo

c) think I changed the wheels for bigger ones as I flew from some roughish sites.  

Edited October 2, 2022 by GrumpyGnome