What a wonderful, wonderful, day...

I had today off for an appointment with my eye surgeon who unexpectedly dilated my right eye, because you know, I had a car-full of airplanes I was taking directly to the field... Dammit... Winds were going to get even better and I was off on a sunny day. I. Am. Going. Flying.

But even though I am an idiot, I waited a while and made sure I could see well enough to fly. I had also brought the Ultrastick to maiden today, but not with one eye, no matter how perfect the weather. The field will require me to fly high with that one and I wasn't going to risk losing orientation.

I did get over a dozen great flights in, and even trialed my field charger setup.

Hanging in the gang cover at NH Flying Tigers Field,

Derry, NH

Wanting to tune up my go-to plane and continue to re-train my thumbs, as well as  make sure I can safely fly with one eye, I flew half a dozen packs on the Alpha Sport 450 first. I have flaperons on it, to slow it down on approaches, but it's already really, really floaty. I think I am going to try spoilerons, and see if that will slow it and make it less floaty. I am beginning to see this revived version really wants to be nose heavy.

For the first time in years I took the vintage Eflite PT-19 Cornell out and up today. It's so light I put a Hobby King Orange stabilization system on it, and it makes a tremendous difference. Speedier and snappier than I recall, it flies on rails. Really enjoyed flying it after the first flight jitters, did about 3 packs.

Flight of the Cornell

I came with only four of ten or so 3S packs charged, so I got to trial the lead setup I ran from my hybrids auxiliary battery. I have to leave the engine "on" so the computer can sense when to, and to charge that battery. Worked perfectly!

I had psyched myself up to maiden the Ultrastick 10cc today, and by late afternoon the conditions could not have been better, and only one totally non-judgy pilot was there. I was sooo tempted, but my right eye didn't un-dilate until a couple hours after I got home. I was not adding that crash variable to the test flight. Benched. I am itching to get that plane up.

The even more exciting part of the day was when I got home, I used a suggestion from John Hayes to make it so the throttle closes when throttle cut is turned on. I had gotten the engine easily started on the first try after years of sitting, and tuned to to run superbly, quite easily. I did have to adjust both needles. But the throttle barrel would not close completely, so I had to manually choke the engine to stop it. John showed me which screw to adjust. There is a spring loaded screw on the back port side of the carb (top in the photo). This screw stops the throttle barrel at the desired position, which for me is fully closed. This is the last pic of that screw, because I didn't realize it was spring loaded, and to allow the throttle to close completely, it had to be fully withdrawn. Yep... Shot out of there like a bat out of hell... It went where screws go when the cross the edge of the workbench...  My vintage garage has a stone and dirt floor. 

It's in there somewhere, I think. Couldn't even find it with a magnet, but tons of iron chips and aged metals were everywhere.

Nice idle, nice slam to FOT, smooth mid-range, 

and throttle cut works now! I got an exhaust extender today 

and will install it soon.

Have to work the next 3 days. Sunday's weather is stormy, Monday winds 7 mph but not much gusting after 2p. Hope to maiden the Ultrastick. My rule is only one maiden a day, so the Goldberg Falcon 56 will follow that another day, unless the weather is pristine. A little nervous as I have never flown 3-channel and this field is tight. John says it will be fine!

Flight schedule is to get the Pulse XT60 26cc gasser, the Eflite Stearman (the real balsa one, not the overpriced foamie thing*), and the massive 30cc MX-Bach (MX2 fuse, Sbach wing). I also have the Cosmic Wind (I think a Great Planes 450 size speedster), and my helis airborne. Full summer. Need good weather matching days off.

* I so hate that Eflite went from making affordable beautiful and desired balsa ARFs to selling foamy overpriced crap. This is what kills this hobby. Foamies are fine, l just waaaay overpriced, and just don't fly like the balsa planes. Good small to medium balsa ARFs are hard to find. Muss my Eflite Ultimate, my Pulse XT25 (my all three me favorite plane), and eventually my Cornell and Stearman may expire with no decent replacement.

I'm back, baby!

Today was the day. Checked my batteries, most had really high internal resistance (IR) so we're not usable, but three had cells 20 or less, so I charged those. I updated the Spektrum Airware in my iX12 without any issues. I had to rebind the Alpha 450, but other than that no issues. A small flap break in the core on the horizontal stab was quickly patched and off I went.

First to a smaller "2 baseball diamond" field ringed by high trees. Flew the first battery there, but wanted some room to fly hard, so set off to find a field in town I had seen Last year, huge, several soccer/lacrosse fields huge, called Upper Wilkins Field.

Very nice. Grass a bit high but big wheels for that reason, a little flap and she took off and landed just fine. Almost windless day. Perfect for a return to RC flight.

I bought 4 more 3S 2200mAh 35C batteries from RCbattery.com with EC3 leads. I need to change the ESC leads on the Alpha to EC3 from EC5 now that I will be replacing my batteries. Will need to do that with all my electrics. I also had to buy a new voltage meter as my previous one isn't working.

Will be working out of an unlit garage for now, though I may do this sort of work on the dinner table.

This field will be fine for my 10-20cc gas planes, but my 30-35cc days are over, I think. My flying club, Southern NH RC Club got booted from the field hlits had for over two decades, I think it was, so that a solar farm could be built on the top of the landfill. I need to find a new club in the meantime.

I will be getting rid of the 35cc MX Breitling and MXBach, as well as a NIB Seagull 30cc Ultimate. Keeping the Ultra Stick with the hope of building it someday.

Been a minute...

 

It's been almost 2 years, I think, since I last flew my RC aircraft. Been a bit overworked. I quit medicine and became a letter carrier for the USPS, sold my house and moved to Amherst in a small apartment with my family. So I lost my basement workshop and am working out of a historic unit garage. Charging outside as I don't want any risk of fire burning down the historic over-250 up house we live in. 

Lots of dead batteries will need replacing. Will need to charge and the update the software in my obsolete iX12. Hope to take the trainer up and reteach mybeain-thumb interface.

I also need to get rid of my well loved 30cc planes including the Seagull Ultimate I have still NIB. Holding on to the 10cc aultrastick also NOB as I still want that one. Have had two I could not get to fly right as I think I was using too heavy battery and fuel tank, and I found CH hard to reach with the tail servos mounted aft in the tail boom. 

Anyway, hope to have some more free time, and with some local fields to get my smaller planes up. Will need to renew my AMA license I guess (don't want to get deported to El Salvador).

We'll have to see how this goes.

My Name is Ken, and I am an RC Addict

I am not mocking addiction, I do actually have one. My addiction to RC aircraft is real.

In the past two days I have made two major purchases. 

Being an idiot, I am buying my 3rd Hangar 9 10cc Ultrastick withing the last year, having the last one take too long to come out of a hammerhead. This time I will figure out how to fit the elevator and rudder servo's near the CG as opposed to aft, and put a smaller tail wheel on it. Dare I use the stock? Hmmmm... not sure. I am pretty sure I will spend more money I don't have putting bigger wheels on it, partly to make it more amenable to our field, but also because I like big wheels and I cannot lie.

I pulled the trigger on the Seagull Ultimate from Legend Hobby. I love the Ultimate. I cried when I had a midair with my balsa Eflite Ultimate, one of the best airplanes I ever had, which they degraded to a foamie so I won't get it again. I chronicled the demise of my lovely Pitts Model 12, and pouted that I hate flying and will never build another plane. So yeah, addicted, because I made these two purchases I probably shouldn't be making. I totally felt like a kid stealing cake from the kitchen... I'll get over the guilt, and I will still have cake.

I guess this weekend I will finally get around to salvaging parts from the pile on my "death bench", from the dead Ultrastick and Pitts. As part of my pouting over the losses, I haven't been down in the shop since I dumped the Pitts there. It's time.

Nitroplanes Pitts Model 12 20cc Build

Surfing Facebook the other day, I ran across an offer I could not refuse, and picked up a 15cc sized Nitroplanes Pitts Model 12, in the color scheme option I preferred (don't like that blue one). I decided to binge a bit, and have made a few parts purchases, making me pace myself as they come in. What I love about this plane is that its a bit bigger at 15cc sized aerobat, its a bipe, it has an ultimate wing, and a round cowl. Love this look! This model came with no manual, which from what I found online is fine as the manual was ripe with mistakes and misguidance. Its kinda fun doing this build using just my own experience and knowledge, dare I say, skills.

One version of the real plane.

This is the model's Python scheme. I am not planning on ordering the Python graphics since I don't really care if its scale, I just want to fly it. I will personalize it though! I am hoping Joe Nelson sends me some RSCF-USA Skull Logo stickers.

I started by fuel-proofing the anterior fuse. I did most of the interior, all sides, not just for the fuel proofing, but also to add some tensile strength. I use 15 min epoxy diluted out with alcohol and brush it on thinly.

After several careful dry fits and increasing the gap of the hinge slots, I epoxied in nylon Du-Bro hinges. I prefer the strength on gassers, although the provided CA hinges would work. I have never had a nylon hinge loosen, but several CA hinges, so I tend to avoid them.

Since the horizontal stabilizer could be installed either side up, I opted with the star side up. Not sure what the real Python has displayed. Here the horizontal stab and rudder are installed, all with the nylon Du-Bro hinges. I used the larger ones on the rudder since it also takes some of the forces from the tail wheel.

Installed the tail wheel. It is the standard design with the gear "tiller" end attached into a hole I drilled into the rudder providing yaw force to the tail wheel, and added epoxy support along the attachment to the rudder. There is CA in that hole securing the "tiller", and epoxy around the exposed part contacting the front of the rudder. I open the cote under that metal support, CA, then double screw: screw in the retaining screw, unscrew it and apply CA then re-insert it. That thing is secure.

Here are some of the coming parts.

ZYHobby 500ml gas tank.

Master Airscrew 15x7x3 prop. I happen to have one on hand. Painting the tips yellow with a black middle stripe. Love these props. Durable with great performance. I have a 14x7 Master Airscrew Scimitar coming that I will use to break in the engine. I also have a 2.75in aluminum 3 blade spinner coming from ZYHobby on eBay coming.

RCGF-USA 20cc RE engine.  I am a total RCGF-USA Fanboy. This plane is described as "70 class", inferring a 0.7 cu in or roughly between 10 and 15cc sized plane (0.6 cu in is 10cc). I like a little power, and another builder put a 20cc engine in the plane with excellent results. I am trying to get away from engines less than 15cc since their carbs are a pain to manage, so, bought a new engine from Joe Nelson at RCGF-USA. Always the best personal support on the best and most affordable engines that run reliably and awesomely. Really excited about this engine!

I have on hand:

Tech Aero Designs UBEC.  (Manual here). This takes power through the receiver and acts as a remote ignition cut-out switch. It also protects the receiver from any hardwire ignition noise. I don't use a mechanical ignition switch (see below).

Step down voltage regulator.  I will be using the 2S (7.4V) 5300 mA battery from the Ultra Stick in this plane. The servos are not high voltage, so it will need a step down to 6.6V. 

DS3218 Digital RC Servo Motor 20KG High Torque Full Metal Gear. This plane has 4 aileron surfaces, each driven by its own servo, which is a bit overkill, but good for a high powered aerobat. Using a 20kg high torque servo just adds more power to these surfaces. Each side will require a Y-harness to the receiver. This was a 4 pack, convenient. I have had very good results with generic servos.

Since I had to order 2 more servos (I have a throttle servo), I bought this 2 pack of high torque servos, one for the rudder (a pull-pull setup), and one for the elevator.

Spektrum AR637T Receiver.  I had bought this with other plans for it, and have had it on hand for over a year, NIB. I decided its a good fit for this plane. I will be programming the AS3X, but won't be using SAFE. The ailerons will be Y-harnessed to AIL and AUX1, each of the other servos will of course have their own channel. GEAR will be used for the Tech Aero Ignition UBEC/Cut out.

The remaining decision it the receiver power switch. I have had mechanical switches fail, never in flight, just not working one day, on a couple of occasions. I don't feel the need for redundant systems, though I appreciate their application in larger planes. What I wanted was a simple flag-and-pin style fail-on switch. I found one that was $60 (see below, from Australia), that was a simple stand alone switch, not one like DUALSKY or Smart-Fly redundancy bus systems. Why no one else makes a simple affordable switch capable of handling the battery pack voltage and amps is beyond me, I think there is a good market for one.  

\

My idea had been to take one of these (Left is DUALSKY, right is Smart-Fly) as an inline on-off switch, placing it on the negative side of the battery lead. They are not designed for that, instead are designed for microamp signals to a power control system. A couple of experienced folks (Thanks Cody Wojcik and Jerry Leach) felt they probably would NOT handle the amps. The gauge of the wire isn't the issue, its the internals of the switch itself that are of concern. Bummer. Someone needs to make one that is just simple but can carry the volts and amps of the battery pack. 

This one from Australia (the ONLY place I can find one) is expensive, and shipping almost doubles the cost. Its pretty much exactly what I need, though a simple switch and LED without the expensive switch plate is more my desire. I would build one myself, but I can't find the damn switch. I want one that I remove the pin, not place one, to power the circuit. I could easily make one that plugged in to power on, I want one to power on when I remove the pin. I welcome ideas!

The wing servos are arriving today from Amazon, so I will start on the wings. The top wing is one piece, 54" in wingspan. This creates a transport problem as it isn't going to fit in my car nor my wife's SUV attached to the fuse. The bottom wing is two piece joined in the middle. I will need to remove the wings to transport it. Since the top wing is one piece, and the bottom wings two parts are joined in the middle, I plan to permanently join the two bottom halves, epoxying the wing spar in place, and putting a thin fiberglass layer on the top and bottom of the wing at the wing joint. Since I have to use a large wing bag for the top wing, I might as well make the bottom wing one piece as well. Adds strength, and makes transport a tad easier. What this leaves is a LOT of tiny screw and nylock nuts that need to be put on and taken off with every transport. I will need to carry a bag of replacements, as those damn things will disappear like chocolates at a sorority house.

I haven't heard from Horizon Hobby about my iX12 transmitter, which is there for service.  Its there, and hopefully I will hear something this week. They have such great service and turn around is really quick.

More to follow!

UPDATE: I did find this flag-and-pin switch from RadicalRC for $11 plus reasonable shipping:

I don't understand RadicalRC "generally not recommending its use in high vibration environments" since its a "single contact" switch due to lack of redundancy. All switches are single contact. These ARE used with powersafe systems as the sole switch in high vibration aircraft (ie gassers), so I don't understand why they wouldn't. I'm going to give it a shot.

Sweet Baby Pitts Model 12!

Looky what daddy is bring home!  On Facebook today when I ran across an add for this beautiful 57" Pitts Model 12., NIB, for a decent price. Short trip to pick it up tomorrow. Psyche!

Who doesn't love a Pitts? A bipe with a round cowl, two of my favorite things, in an aerobatic beast. I bought this thinking I could use one of the two 10cc engines I have, but I think this one deserves an  RCGF-USA 15cc engine, so I am saving my pennies. I have been searching for something like this, ever since I had a midair with my Eflite Ultimate (the original balsa; why the hell they went on to replace it with a foamie???). I am super excited that Todd made this available. Happy, happy, joy, joy!

The Perfect Swing!

Much like yesterday I got chased off Mt Hudson by a storm, but I was ready for this one and boogied out just before the fireworks began. Up to then it was a sunny beautiful day! I loved every minute of it, and the flights were like that day of perfect golf swings that make you stay in the hobby just when you were starting to doubt, reminding you that you can do this and are pretty good at it.

I wrote about the storm yesterday, but I didn't share the excitement of flying the Eflite Cub 450 ARF yesterday. They don't even list it as an archive in Eflite anymore, but it is memorialized on Horizon's Facebook Page. My old friend, back from the days when Eflite made real planes and not just foamies. Don't get me started on discontinuing the Ultimate only to bring it back as a foamie abomination... This one is a sweet flier, simple, to the point, always a pleasure. A 450 motor powered by a 3S 2200 mAh LiPo, old school AR6200 without a satellite. Flew 3 packs before the deluge drove me out.

Today was like yesterday as I mentioned, starting out sunny and warm, no winds to speak of. But I could see thunderheads brewing to the west from whence they come, so I was watchful and aware my time may be limited. Weather radar suggested it would skirt by along the southwest, but I was wary. This is at the gate to SNHRCC, the very steep road to the top.

Ah, the Eflite Cornell, another plane they abandoned. It was discontinued back in 2011, but I got this one from somewhere, back in 2015, my third one. This is one helluva sweet flier! Conditions were perfect for her. Its one of those planes I will always have a version of, if not this one, another make, another size. It takes me back to the Cox 0.049 U-Control version back in the 70's. This one can also be set up as U-Control. She didn't need her Orange Stabilization system, but it sweetened the deal. Flew 4 packs on her, about 20 minutes or so, simply enjoyable flight. Her landing gear are tough and she handled the grass well. Such a pleasurable scale flier. The leggings I put on her are pretty sweet too. She has a new AR 620 onboard and also flies 3S 2200 mAh.

FINALLY, the RCGF-USA 26cc equipped Phoenix Waco. I set her up a week or two ago for the season and just haven't been able to get her airtime. Today was the day, the perfect conditions so helpful, though a breeze was evolving from the approaching storm to the west. She starts with one throw of the prop and hums merrily along. Its a lot of engine for this aircraft, designed as a 15cc aircraft. She has an old school AR6200 with a satellite onboard with a satellite, and the Hobby Eagle A3-L V2 stabilization system she really doesn't need. She is an amazing flier and just a pleasure. Stable, can fly slow on approach with no bad habits. She doesn't like having the stabilization ON at takeoff. Made several adjustments, including dropping the gain down to about 35-45% on the A3-L. Curiously today she required a lot of right roll subtrim. Maybe the wing took a tweak? I will be checking the incidence on the wings and see if there is something I can adapt. Its not a problem, just not pure. This is one BIG plane. I don't recall if she had a muffler on the exhaust tip, but I will be looking into it. Flew her for about 30 min total, several landings, in between adjustments.

Once again, the dulcet tone of the RCGF-USA 26cc!

 

This is what happens when you are not paying attention next to a freshly landed 26 cc engine cylinder, a nice partial thickness burn on the inside of your right distal forearm. Ow.

And then the clouds came. I watched this build, this is from the lower gate at the dump, about 1/4 mile from the field. Just after taking this pic the lightning started. Left just in time!

 

Well, this is good.

She starts and runs awesome! She stopped running in flight the other day and I could not get her to start. She has been very challenging to hand start. When I mentioned this to Joe Nelson of RCGF-USA he smiled (it was an email, but I know he thought ti funny I was working my wimpy biceps so hard) and suggested not trying to hand start her until a couple of gallons went through her. I put my 12V starter on and shaboom.! Right away, ENGINE NOISE!  Adjusted the idle, which I think lead to the deadstick, and she seems rather happy. Once she warms a bit and breaks in more, I expect to be able to lower the idle a tad more, she is just barely producing thrust at idle.

I did swap out the nice carbon fiber nose cone for the painted Ultimate Style one so I don't mar the nice one.

This motor tried to lift the back of the table off the ground! Some kinda power, and what a sweet sound!

Baby, Daddy's goin' flyin'!

MX-Back Tidbits

Almost ready to go!

I am repainting the top hatch. I primed the tp where the green is in the pic, and then laid down a base of white enamel. I will be adding green rays to it to add some more pizazz, since this is my pizazz plane!

I have a carbon fiber spinner coming. I like this Ultimate style pointy spinner, but when the the screw that secures it is tightened a crack that has been there despite my epoxy work shows up again... It just needs to be replaced. I like this Aerostar (Hobbyking) 19x8 wood prop, but I want to paint it black... we'll see.

Installed the new throttle servo and the new gas tank! Its a 500cc tank.... this thing is going to fly forever.

Once I get the top hatch done and get it to fit a bit better, install the new spinner and paint the prop, I will test run her again with the new fuel setup and trhottle servo, and then, baby, its go time!

Hobby King Edge 540 Foamie Build

I started on my new EPP foamie, wierd stuff, but durable for sure. I amusing 3M 4693 Clear adheaive, foam safe and strong, and some CA, which EPP is fine with.

I found out thet the Eflite 10 sized motor I wanted to use, formerly in my Eflite Ultimate wpuld not fit... so I ordered a 300W 480 motor from Headsuprc for $20. That should be plenty of power on 3S.

I have the aircraft built, just need to install the gear and electronics including the servos, I had to trim off the back corners of the horizontal stab/elevator to get them to pass theoguh the fuse, but other than that the build went smoothly. This took no time at all. If I had the motor I could have her built in an afternoon.

Letting the rudder set. I think she is going to be a lot of fun!