2 or 3 questions please, need some wise advice

[911hillclimber]

My 'instructor' was a volunteer there who know how to fly and had his Junior 60 there, electric, and said he would help me.

He said exactly what you have, the crunch was me using the elevator to kill some height, the engine was off.

I had lots of runway ahead and had no idea how to estimate the fall off of speed as the plane came down.

 

I had lots of help and good advice and the Tx mode set to a far more comfortable orientation, throttle only on the left stick, rudder/elevator on the right, much like a real plane. Being left handed does not help, but this configuration felt good.

 

So far yet to go obviously, but the plane is ready tomorrow for re-assembly so hope to be back out very soon.

The breeze was gusting quite hard esp when i was landing and held the plane aloft, but all things to understand and control.

 

I'll never forget the sight of it cruising at 50 feet down the runway almost silent in the blue sky!

[911hillclimber]

Managed to get the plane repaired and back together. For such a hard stop, surprising little damage. Added some reinforcement to help 'next time' it happens.

 

Re-visited the hurriedly made nose weight to get the plane level to the CofG. I used some old wheel balance weights, but these looked embarrassingly naff, so machined some from steel and added a 10% for good luck, thus 120 grams needed.

 

Pondering on buying another 4Max battery so to allow more flying time. Not sure how much was left in the 2200 battery after all the flying, but just to have 5 mins seems too little for a good morning in the sky.

Can you charge these LiPo's from a car lighter socket?

 

Need a new prop, maybe plastic this time.

 

 

Edited April 16, 2021 by 911hillclimber

[Roy Thompson]

Re the flight time, two ways to see how much your taking out the packs 

1/ make a note fo how much charge your charger puts back each time, and gage it against your flight times. Bit long winded and no instant results.

2/ Do you have a good quality battery checker. Check the voltage after every flight, a good multipurpose checkers will tell you the percentage used, you can also use them to tell you your power/current draw. Not expensive these day and worth there wait in gold. Always use one to check pack charge state before flight.

 

Second pack always a good idea I’m assuming it’s in the order of a 2200 3cell. Talk to George about battery checkers he’s been at this game a very very long time. 

 

https://www.4-max.co.uk/gt-lipo-capacity-tester.htm

Edited April 17, 2021 by Roy Thompson

[911hillclimber]

Thank you Roy, good advice.

All the electrics came from George at 4Max and he supplied the 3 cell 2200 I'm using.

I looked at his site yesterday for the spare battery but stopped when his site said it was insecure.

However, will check the meter side and think again.

He supplied the charger too, but it just goes from red 3 lights to green 3 lights. Took 20 mins to go from red to green after my flights this week.

 

Starting to see why everyone else had boxes of 'stuff' at the flying field!

[Shaun Walsh]

You can charge from a car battery if your charger will accept 12 volt input. You may have to make up a lead with suitable connectors and remember that a car auxiliary socket can normally supply a max of 120 Watts. Also if anything goes wrong there's a lot of flammable materials inside a car.

Best option is multiple batteries. The charger you have sounds pretty simple, ideally you want one that displays voltage and the ampere hours of charge that has gone into the battery. It should also be capable of balance charging, discharging to storage voltage and if it can display the internal resistance of the battery cells you can monitor battery condition too.

A cheap battery checker will enable you to monitor how much charge is left in the battery after your flight. 

Edited April 17, 2021 by Shaun Walsh

[BackinBlack]

2 hours ago, 911hillclimber said:

Thank you Roy, good advice.

All the electrics came from George at 4Max and he supplied the 3 cell 2200 I'm using.

I looked at his site yesterday for the spare battery but stopped when his site said it was insecure.

However, will check the meter side and think again.

He supplied the charger too, but it just goes from red 3 lights to green 3 lights. Took 20 mins to go from red to green after my flights this week.

 

Starting to see why everyone else had boxes of 'stuff' at the flying field!

From George's 4-Max homepage:

 

Some of the browsers have been updated recently and now a warning is popping up saying this website is not secure. Do not worry about this. The only page on our website that needs to be secure is the page where you enter your card details.
All other pages do not have to be secure. Before entering your card details, please check the website URL should start with https://www.ww10.astisafe.com/.......
The important part to look for is the "s" in https, as this indicates the website is secure. We recommend the Firefox Browser

 

I don't get any warnings and have not had any problems using the website or ordering.

 

[Dwain Dibley.]

Well done on the repairs Matey, but please don't use that prop in the pics to fly. I don't know if you have repaired it, or not noticed the crack, but it will be horribly unbalanced and will probably shear in flight, if not just being spun up.

Apologies if you are already aware of this, or I have missed something, I have not read all the posts.

Re 4 Max, it's as safe as houses, never had a problem there.

Good luck with the next attempt.

D.D.

 

 

[911hillclimber]

Thanks to all.

Dwain, the wood prop took the brunt of the impact and is split at the hub, I've straightened it out just so I could get the full weight distribution to check the CofG after adding the steel nose weights, so a new one is needed.

I'll get another 3 cell 2200 battery and have 2 fully charged asap.

 

Life is happening all this week as my first 'hobby/love' is all starting next weekend and there is little time for preparation let alone a trip to the field, but will try to get there on Thursday. Hope my 'instructor' will help me out again if he is there.

I want to do the full take-off, circuits, and landing a few times and then focus on repeated take-off/landings.

 

I seemed ok in the air once I realised how fine the rudder needed to be controlled and 'nudged' the other way to straighten out the plane level again. I can't remember the gents name but he is a retired vet, maybe you know him (I think you are a member of the club?).

Wish I'd got a pic of the plane cruising at 50 feet in the blue sky.

 

As he said, "if you are not ready to repair them, you shouldn't be flying one"

[Dwain Dibley.]

Are you talking about Central MFC ??  You may be referring to Gurth, he is a lovely Chap, on here as Dr Chinnery I think.

[911hillclimber]

That's him, unusual name but couldn't remember it! (age creeping in)

Thanks.

[David Davis]

I admire your positive attitude Hillclimber but I have two other bits of unsolicited advice for you Hillclimber.

 

1. On landing, keep just a little motor on to provide some airflow over the tail surfaces. This will make the model a little more responsive on the landing approach.

 

2. Take off by opening the throttle progressively. This is difficult to explain to a beginner but if you try to take off too slowly the model will stall and you'll have a repair job  on your hands. On a vintage model like yours, if the tail starts to lift, give it just a little more power and she should be off. On the other hand if you wack the throttle open from a stationary start, the model will probably squirrel all over the place and you may pose a danger to other flyers. You won't be in control that's for sure! ?.

 

 

[911hillclimber]

You say exactly what Gurth said to me.

he was very impressed by the way it took off and landed, he made it seem soooo simple!

 

yes, progressive throttle and it came off the ground so smoothly.

He felt the plane turned left far better than right, but after some trimming it seemed better.

[911hillclimber]

Nice day if a little breezy so off to the field to have another go with the repaired plane.

Got to the field to a sock that flew horizontal, then nothing then horizontal, so not too good..

 

Had some issues binding a 2 Tx's together so my 'instructor' felt at ease helping me, but that soaked up a lot of time, but into the air he took the plane.

It did not fly well.

Added a huge lump of lead to the weights already there (from above) and tried again. Flew Sooooo much better, but battery life was a worry so came down in, nice landing.

Gurth arrived and seemed very happy to have a go but not with the buddy connected, so in the end with a gale blowing we called it a day. Learnt a lot so progressing!

 

Plane needs the weights adding without gaffa tape, and I hope next week to have another go.

Managed to snatch a few pics:

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 22, 2021 by 911hillclimber

[Kim Taylor]

Ahh!!

Gaffa tape - the racers friend? Obviously has other applications too.

Never went to a track without a couple of rolls

Kim

[911hillclimber]

Ah..

what kind of racing exactly?

[Kim Taylor]

Karting (running my son) for about 5 or 6 years, including two years doing the 'Super 1' championships. Did that until the homologation changed and they allowed water cooled motors in and I couldn't afford to get three or four new motors to stay competitive. Beat some big names along the way, though - he could be quick, on his day.

Took a year out, then went circuit racing with the Volkswagen Racing Cup running an ex Barwell Motorsport Vento VR6 Cup car. He did well in that old thing, came fourth or fifth in the championship and first Vento Cup car in his first year. I know we got protested a lot, but he was legit, just a decent pedaller. Oh how we laughed as we put the motor back together, or had yet another visit to the rolling road to have the power output checked (it was a power vs. weight class system).?

Ran out of money half way through the build of the next car and it just petered out, really. Had an offer from one of the better British Touring Car Champs teams, but they needed a shed load of money on the table and I just couldn't do it.

After that, I took up marshalling and went all over the place country mainly following the BTCC but also did World Touring Cars, FIA GT's, DTM and Goodwood Revival and Members Meeting (still had the gaffa tape with me, though). Also marshalled at Gurston Down Speed Hillclimb, which of course you are also familiar with. Had to stop due to a chronic health condition called fibromyalgia, which causes me to be in constant pain and sometimes tired for no apparent reason.

So then I started playing with r/c model aeroplanes again, and here we are.

IF I come out of a forthcoming house move with a bit of spare cash, I may screw together a mod prod saloon to point up Gurston (I live reasonably local) just to prove to myself I still can.

Sorry, long answer to a short question?

[Denis Watkins]

Brilliant answer Kim

Determination can be expensive

Good Luck with it

[911hillclimber]

Prescott hill climb today. Blue LOLA is mine, bad bad hobby to have i promise you all!

Not a plane in sight, so sorry for drifting my own thread...

Hope the lead weights and battery  come Monday, been given a pass-out for Tuesday if the weather is calm.

 

 

Edited April 24, 2021 by 911hillclimber

[911hillclimber]

Am i going at the learning curve wrong here?

Went to fly the buccaneer on Thursday morning to see a horizontal sock and the experienced flier discouraged me to try to fly it in these wings (about 15 mph)

One very helpful man suggested the plane should be kept for nice lazy (wind less) days, and a foam trainer would be far better for my early stages.

 

All the foam models there flew well though they know what they are doing too.

 

I wonder if I should follow this advice even though it carries a £150 bill.

If so, then i think the Durafly Tundras trainer fits the bill.

Any thoughts please before i ask for permission?

[Dwain Dibley.]

A trainer that will cope with a bit more of a breeze, is a very good idea Matey. Other wise you will be on the side lines a lot of the time up there, as a good blow always comes up the hill, and it's normally a crosswind. 

D.D.

 

[David Davis]

I like the Seagull Boomerang ARTF trainer. It has a fully sheeted wing with a semi symmetrical aerofoil section and it will penetrate a wind very well. Shove a decent 46 two-stroke into it and it's a great trainer. I have a much-loved Enya 50 in mine.

Edited May 1, 2021 by David Davis

[Dwain Dibley.]

Terrific trainers David, I still fly one. I built the kit and made it Electric. No mess... LOL

D.D.

[911hillclimber]

Is that a thumbs up for the Tundras though?

Got to be electric.

[Dwain Dibley.]

It boils down to personal choice Matey, As I said, my Boomerang is Electric, but if you can't be bothered to build and work out a power train then the tundra is the way to go.

I don't mean that in a derogatory way either, your main objective is to learn and get your "A".

D.D.

[Shaun Walsh]

1 hour ago, 911hillclimber said:

Is that a thumbs up for the Tundras though?

Got to be electric.

Max thrust Riot?