Twisted Sticks August 2007 Newsletter

 

Summer.

Hope you guys have enjoyed the flying weather. Ive been working twelve₼s covering for our Maintenance Foreman who is on vacation.  I'm sure not used to actually working for a living!  I usually sit in front of a computer designing not walking the floor.  I sure envy those of our members who are retired.  :)  Work keeps cutting into my hobby time.

 

My vacation this year was cut short.  Way short.  My Uncle and I were driving on highway 24 in Indiana on the way to see my sister in Arkansas when I received a cell phone call from my sister-in-law.  My brother₼s cancer had spread to the brain and spine.  We₼ve since buried Mike and the week I'm taking for vacation is the second week in August so I'll miss another club meeting.  Guess Russ is going to have to cover for me again.  Great job with the last meetings minutes Russ.

 

New members.

Welcome to John Healy and Bob Baunoch.  Wow what a year for new members.  I'm still trying to get the names to match the faces.  My memory for names is right up there with my ability to sing.  :)  We now have four members whose given name is John.  I don't know about the other three but going through life named after a plumbing device or a lady of the night₼s paramour give one a sense of humility - NOT - but it sure is fun.

 

Basics.

Sometimes those of us who have been in the hobby a while forget to communicate the basics.  This was brought to mind by a comment Jim Parrinello made.  Your airplane should be able to fly straight and level by itself hands off.  Jim was helping Al Bouda and his plane wasn't trimmed properly nor balanced correctly.  Jim helped Al balance it axially and for and aft.  Al replaced the engine from a OS LA to an OS .46AX and he said it was like flying a whole new airplane.

Here's a helpful site.

 

http://webpages.charter.net/rcfu/HelpsHints/index.html

http://webpages.charter.net/rcfu/BegInfo/index.html

 

A member lost a trainer because the instructions did not say to epoxy the wings together.  Granted it should have been in the instructions.  I guess the moral here is to ask some of the more experienced members.  It is just that I want everybody to realize what a good resource the older members can be and to stress that we are available for any questions you may have.

 

You need a proper maintenance regime for charging your airplane and transmitter batteries.  This includes monitoring performance at the field so you know if you can safely fly without the battery going dead. 

http://www.rcbatteryclinic.com/

 

You need to get into a set pattern of pre-flighting the plane every time before you take off. 

 

Takeoffs and landings should always be in the center of the runway away from the other pilots on the flight line, even if there is a cross wind. 

 

Triming from Aircraft Proving Grounds by Geistware. 

http://www.geistware.com/rcmodeling/

I've reprinted it here because it is hard to bookmark his site as the URL doesn't change and I wanted you guys to be able to read it.

 

 

Flight Trimming Chart

 

If you come across any additional tips that you would like to share with everyone please email them to me at this site. I can be reached at rcmodeling@gmail.com. Please feel free to contact me so we can talk about one of our favorite hobbies!

 

Notes: Trimming must be done with little or no wind. Make multiple tests before making adjustments. Start at the beginning and work down the list for best results. If any changes are made, go back over the previous steps and verify or adjust further if necessary as each adjustment can cause earlier settings to change. CHANGE ONLY ONE THING AT A TIME!!

 

1. Control Centering: Fly straight and level. Use transmitter trims for hands off straight and level flight. Adjust clevis to center transmitter trims, or reset computer trims.

 

2. Control throws: Fly model and apply full deflection of each control in turn. Check response of each control; Aileron hi-rate: 3 rolls in 4 seconds, low rate: 3 rolls in 6 seconds, Elevator high rate: to give a good and smooth corner, low rate: to give a loop of approx. 130 foot in diameter, Rudder high rate: 30-35 degrees for stall turns, low rate: to maintain knife edge.

 

3. Decalage: Power off vertical dive, cross wind (if any). Release controls when model is vertical (elevator trim must be neutral).

    A: Model continues straight down; no adjustment

    B: Model starts to pull nose up; Reduce wing incidence

    C: Model starts to pull nose down; Increase wing incidence

 

4. Center of gravity:

Method 1:  Roll into a near vertically banked turn

    A: Nose drops; Add tail weight

    B: Tail drops; Add nose weight

Method 2: (Simple)  Roll inverted

    A: Lots of down elevator required to maintain level flight; Add tail weight.

    B: No down elevator required or plane climbs; Add nose weight.

 

5. Tip weight: (course adjustment) Fly straight and level upright. Adjust aileron trim for level flight. Roll inverted, level wings and release stick.

    A: Model does not drop a wing; No adjustment.

    B: Left wing drops; Add weight to right tip.

    C: Right wing drops; Add weight to left tip.

 

6. Side thrust: Fly away from you, into any wind and pull vertical.

    A: Model continues straight up; No adjustment.

    B: Model veers left; Add right thrust.

    C: Model veers right; Reduce right thrust.

 

7. Up/Down thrust: Fly normal path into wind, parallel to you, approx 100 yards from you. Elevator trim should be neutral per test 3. Pull vertical and release elevator.

    A: Model continues straight up; No adjustment

    B: Model pitches nose up; Add down thrust

    C: Model pitches nose down; Reduce down thrust

 

8. Tip weight:(fine adjustment)

    Method 1: Fly model as per test 7, and pull into a small loop (1 only).

    Method 2: Fly model as per test 7, and push into a small outside loop (1 only).

    A: Model comes out with wings level; No adjustment

    B: Model comes out with right wing low; Add weight to left tip.

    C: Model comes out with left wing low; Add weight to right tip.

 

9.Aileron differential:

    Method 1:  Fly towards you and pull into a vertical climb. Release controls, then do a half roll.

    A: No heading changes; No adjustment.

    B: Heading changes to opposite of roll command (veers left after right roll); Increase differential

    C: Heading changes in direction of roll command.; Reduce differential.

 

Method 2:Fly model on a normal pass and do three or more rolls.

    A: Roll axis on model center line; No adjustment.

    B: Roll axis off same as roll same as roll command (right roll, roll axis off right wing tip); Increase differential.

 

    C: Roll axis opposite of command; Reduce differential.

 

10. Dihedral: Fly on normal pass and roll knife edge. (left and right)

    A: Model holds knife edge; No adjustment needed.

    B: Model rolls in direction of rudder; Reduce dihedral.

    C: Model rolls opposite direction of rudder; Add dihedral.

 

11. Elevator alignment with independent halves: Fly model per test 6 and pull into a loop. Roll inverted and push into an outside loop.

 

    A: No roll tendency when elevator applied; No adjustment needed.

    B: Model rolls same in both tests; Elevator halves misaligned. Raise one half or lower the other according to roll.

    C: Model rolls opposite in both tests; One elevator half has more throw than the other. Model rolls  direction of more throw.

 

12. Pitching in knife edge: Fly per test 10.

    A: No pitch up or down; No adjustment needed.

    B: Nose pitches up; *

    C: Nose pitches down; Reverse below.

    *Alternate cures:

        1) Move C.G.aft

        2) Increase wing incidence;

        3) Add down trim to ailerons.

 

New aircraft.

Bob Baunoch has a new Hanger 9 Pulse powered by a Thunder Tiger .40 Pro.  I thought it was very impressive.  This is one of Hanger 9's plug and play ARFs, it bolts together!  If you are looking for something different from a SIG Four Star or a CG Tiger take a look at it.

http://www.hangar-9.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=HAN4100