Well, it has happened!
The standard motor has died. Even though I used heatsink paste and an extra heatsink the heat load was still too much.
As with all electric motors this tells us that it is simply not up to the job. No matter if the motor is in a plank or heli, if it gets excessively hot, you are overloading it. (Same goes for ESC and battery.)
With a fixed wing plane you have the choice of changing the prop in some way, (Reduce pitch or diameter or both) but with a heli you are stuck. You could reduce pitch, but that would need more head speed and more head speed itself needs more power…
I must say that I don’t know why manufacturers do this to their products. The HBK2 is a really great little heli, why not supply it with a motor up to the job?
Probably, if I had flown it around instead of hovering all the time, it would have been ok. On the edge, but ok. Problem is though, hovering and slow flight are a mandatory part of heli flying.
Anyway, I have an Esky 3900kv brushless motor, ESC and suitable batteries on order. So the saga will continue. (And I will use the two old batteries in my flattie!)
I must say, this problem is not limited to helicopters either. How many times do you find a really nice little foam job, and the first thing folks do is rip out the motor and fit a bigger one?
I am truly sick of hearing the excuse of ‘scale flight and power’ bandied about as a reason for the gutless wonder in front of me.
One of the main reasons for the popularity of glow models is the excess zoom they have bolted to the front! We in electric flight need to pay heed to this.
I have commented elsewhere on the reviewer who felt that the model under scrutiny was ‘way overpowered’ because it ‘jumped off the runway in two feet in a most unscale like manner’
(I might add here that I had done my rule of thumb calculation on its weight and power and thought that the manufacturer had got it right for a change!)
Have I missed something here? The throttle control wasn’t a switch the last time I looked! It is called a ‘proportional control’ for a very good reason. Use it!
Likewise, trainers need more power not less. Any flier who has nursed a model with border line power around the sky knows that he needed all his skill to avoid crashing. A learner does not have that skill level. Until you build up your skill bank, you need power to save your butt.
Rant over!
Monday 14 April 2008
Wednesday 26 March 2008
Well, it has finally happened!
What has, you unwisely ask?
I, a dyed in the wool, confirmed plank flier, have bought an electric helicopter! I can hear the gasps of horror from here! And I don’t even have the decency to remain firmly in the closet!
I guess it had to happen. When I started to think of RC flying I, looked at helis first. I even bought a book on building my own. That was after all, the option of the time!
No ARF then. In fact if you didn’t have serious engineering skill coupled to a bull terrier like single mindedness, model helicopters were not to be contemplated in any way.
And then, once you had built the *^%££££££ thing, you had to fly it! This was not for the faint hearted. No computer radios, no tail control gyros, if it flew, it did so because you controlled it yourself. And there were no simulators to practice on first either! If it crashed, you, and you alone, remade all the bits that got broken, no trip to the local with plastic in hand for spares.
Though I fitted the profile, I (wisely??) decided that I wanted to fly, not spend all my time making complex bits. (I did that at work anyway, and was looking for something different)
So I went fixed wing. And had great fun I might add – still am in fact!
But for all that, the urge lurked, and here I am with an E-Sky Honey Bee King 2 on order. And lets not have any snide comments about second childhood either!
While I will comment here about my journey from time to time, (Usually probably *.*%$££££!!) I intend to include some pages on my site detailing the whole trip. While The Radio Controlled Airplane implies, and is indeed about fixed wing, most readers will hanker after a heli at some stage, so I figure that the information will be useful.
The first page is My Electric Helicopter Happening. Visit it and see how I get on!
I, a dyed in the wool, confirmed plank flier, have bought an electric helicopter! I can hear the gasps of horror from here! And I don’t even have the decency to remain firmly in the closet!
I guess it had to happen. When I started to think of RC flying I, looked at helis first. I even bought a book on building my own. That was after all, the option of the time!
No ARF then. In fact if you didn’t have serious engineering skill coupled to a bull terrier like single mindedness, model helicopters were not to be contemplated in any way.
And then, once you had built the *^%££££££ thing, you had to fly it! This was not for the faint hearted. No computer radios, no tail control gyros, if it flew, it did so because you controlled it yourself. And there were no simulators to practice on first either! If it crashed, you, and you alone, remade all the bits that got broken, no trip to the local with plastic in hand for spares.
Though I fitted the profile, I (wisely??) decided that I wanted to fly, not spend all my time making complex bits. (I did that at work anyway, and was looking for something different)
So I went fixed wing. And had great fun I might add – still am in fact!
But for all that, the urge lurked, and here I am with an E-Sky Honey Bee King 2 on order. And lets not have any snide comments about second childhood either!
While I will comment here about my journey from time to time, (Usually probably *.*%$££££!!) I intend to include some pages on my site detailing the whole trip. While The Radio Controlled Airplane implies, and is indeed about fixed wing, most readers will hanker after a heli at some stage, so I figure that the information will be useful.
The first page is My Electric Helicopter Happening. Visit it and see how I get on!
Wednesday 12 March 2008
That Dreaded ‘Dead Weight’
Model weight is an issue for me! I think that we have become so weight conscious that we are being a bit silly about it.
I think that one of the problems has been the older electric powered models were a bit border line power wise and everyone got into the habit of paring the weight down to the absolute minimum. This has been reinforced by the growth of indoor flying using super light models for slow flight.
For many years now IC powered models have been flown with wing loadings of 20 oz/sqft or more quite happily! In fact I remember an article that placed under 15 oz/sqft as a powered glider!
Recently I saw another article that stated that you absolutely had to keep the weight under 10 oz/sqft if you wanted to have a decent flying model.
Clearly, things have become very confused. Personally, I prefer a bit of wing loading. It makes the model a lot more tolerant of wind and a lot more stable in the air generally. Yes, a lightly loaded model is easier to fly in that it is less critical of flying mistakes, but once we have passed the learner stage, then a model that goes where you want it to is a lot nicer!
This rant was provoked by a statement by another flier that shows just how obsessed with the ‘badness’ of weight we have become.
The discussion was about the conversion of nicad or NiMH battery packs to LiPo. The flier was highlighting the possible problem of the weight differences of the packs moving the C of G away from optimal. Up to now this was a good point.
Then things got silly. He called to question the viability of the change, because he felt that if you could not get the balance right by moving the lighter LiPo pack around, then you could not contemplate the change. His reason? You couldn’t possibly even think about adding some ‘Dead Weight’ to get the balance right!
Whilst I have no problem with saving a bit of weight here and there if you can, (I don’t really advocate flying a brick!) I have to point out adding weight in this case is only bringing the weight back to what it was before we changed the battery pack!
In fact we may still be better off anyway, because adding a little counterbalance weight to the nose or tail will correct the mis-balance caused by removing a lot more weight closer to the C of G. But, even if we have to add the same amount that we have lost with the battery change, we are only back where we were before!
Why the fuss? Easy, the great evil of ‘Dead Weight’ sprang out of the undergrowth and scared common sense away!
Remember, unnecessary weight may well be undesirable, but weight itself is not some great evil to be avoided at all costs!
Even house bricks can fly with enough power!
I think that one of the problems has been the older electric powered models were a bit border line power wise and everyone got into the habit of paring the weight down to the absolute minimum. This has been reinforced by the growth of indoor flying using super light models for slow flight.
For many years now IC powered models have been flown with wing loadings of 20 oz/sqft or more quite happily! In fact I remember an article that placed under 15 oz/sqft as a powered glider!
Recently I saw another article that stated that you absolutely had to keep the weight under 10 oz/sqft if you wanted to have a decent flying model.
Clearly, things have become very confused. Personally, I prefer a bit of wing loading. It makes the model a lot more tolerant of wind and a lot more stable in the air generally. Yes, a lightly loaded model is easier to fly in that it is less critical of flying mistakes, but once we have passed the learner stage, then a model that goes where you want it to is a lot nicer!
This rant was provoked by a statement by another flier that shows just how obsessed with the ‘badness’ of weight we have become.
The discussion was about the conversion of nicad or NiMH battery packs to LiPo. The flier was highlighting the possible problem of the weight differences of the packs moving the C of G away from optimal. Up to now this was a good point.
Then things got silly. He called to question the viability of the change, because he felt that if you could not get the balance right by moving the lighter LiPo pack around, then you could not contemplate the change. His reason? You couldn’t possibly even think about adding some ‘Dead Weight’ to get the balance right!
Whilst I have no problem with saving a bit of weight here and there if you can, (I don’t really advocate flying a brick!) I have to point out adding weight in this case is only bringing the weight back to what it was before we changed the battery pack!
In fact we may still be better off anyway, because adding a little counterbalance weight to the nose or tail will correct the mis-balance caused by removing a lot more weight closer to the C of G. But, even if we have to add the same amount that we have lost with the battery change, we are only back where we were before!
Why the fuss? Easy, the great evil of ‘Dead Weight’ sprang out of the undergrowth and scared common sense away!
Remember, unnecessary weight may well be undesirable, but weight itself is not some great evil to be avoided at all costs!
Even house bricks can fly with enough power!
Saturday 8 March 2008
RTF/ARF Friend or Foe?
In my web crawling the other day I fell over a site selling plans for radio controlled airplanes. It was a good site but I very soon got the message that the editor was not supportive of RTF or ARF airplanes! (To put it in a ‘family friendly’ way!)
I suppose that since he was in the business of selling ‘build your own’ plans, he could be forgiven for feeling a bit put out that folks could just rock out and buy something ready made!
But, I think he is wrong. I think that the arrival of these quick fix airplanes has been one of the biggest boosts to RC flying for a long time. Lets face it, we live in an instant gratification world. People are in the habit of going from thinking about something and doing it in one jump.
RTF is the closest we can get to this. Also, there is the cost factor. These instant flight sets allow someone who is on the outside looking in to accurately figure how much it is going to cost to get into the hobby, and also see a clear path through to the end result of soaring through the clouds!
Compare this to the old way of doing things. Anybody looking in was faced by a bewildering array of choice. Choice at every point along the way. Each choice costing more, (or less!) and leading to yet other choices. (Actually, the right choices were very limited, but it sure didn’t seem that way for someone looking in!)
This huge decision making nightmare was placed right at the entry point, where you were least able to make those decisions! Then you also had to do things that you had no idea how to do in order to get your new purchases to some good end point.
I think that this entry point minefield put off many people who would have gone on to be stalwarts of the hobby. Thing is, there is a huge learning curve involved in flying radio controlled airplanes. Once you can do it, it is enormously satisfying, but while you are on the path to that point it can be endlessly frustrating.
I personally spent many months of frustration getting to the point of being able to enjoy the hobby. Even now some 25 years later, I can still remember the joy and huge satisfaction of taking my airplane home unbroken for the first time!
But, as I say, many people see this as an un-climbable mountain. Had they had some relatively easy entry point, many of them would have joined our ranks. (And, many of those would still be around today)
I think RTF/ARF kits give such an entry point, and I see the huge upsurge of park flying and indoor flying as the proof of this. Many of these folk will graduate to larger more complex models later and swell the ranks for the clubs when they feel less intimidated by the level of expertise they see at those clubs. These folk may not have even tried the hobby without such an introduction.
So I think RTF and ARF are good for all of us and should be supported and encouraged, not frowned upon!
The aim is – FLY! Don’t matter what with!
I suppose that since he was in the business of selling ‘build your own’ plans, he could be forgiven for feeling a bit put out that folks could just rock out and buy something ready made!
But, I think he is wrong. I think that the arrival of these quick fix airplanes has been one of the biggest boosts to RC flying for a long time. Lets face it, we live in an instant gratification world. People are in the habit of going from thinking about something and doing it in one jump.
RTF is the closest we can get to this. Also, there is the cost factor. These instant flight sets allow someone who is on the outside looking in to accurately figure how much it is going to cost to get into the hobby, and also see a clear path through to the end result of soaring through the clouds!
Compare this to the old way of doing things. Anybody looking in was faced by a bewildering array of choice. Choice at every point along the way. Each choice costing more, (or less!) and leading to yet other choices. (Actually, the right choices were very limited, but it sure didn’t seem that way for someone looking in!)
This huge decision making nightmare was placed right at the entry point, where you were least able to make those decisions! Then you also had to do things that you had no idea how to do in order to get your new purchases to some good end point.
I think that this entry point minefield put off many people who would have gone on to be stalwarts of the hobby. Thing is, there is a huge learning curve involved in flying radio controlled airplanes. Once you can do it, it is enormously satisfying, but while you are on the path to that point it can be endlessly frustrating.
I personally spent many months of frustration getting to the point of being able to enjoy the hobby. Even now some 25 years later, I can still remember the joy and huge satisfaction of taking my airplane home unbroken for the first time!
But, as I say, many people see this as an un-climbable mountain. Had they had some relatively easy entry point, many of them would have joined our ranks. (And, many of those would still be around today)
I think RTF/ARF kits give such an entry point, and I see the huge upsurge of park flying and indoor flying as the proof of this. Many of these folk will graduate to larger more complex models later and swell the ranks for the clubs when they feel less intimidated by the level of expertise they see at those clubs. These folk may not have even tried the hobby without such an introduction.
So I think RTF and ARF are good for all of us and should be supported and encouraged, not frowned upon!
The aim is – FLY! Don’t matter what with!
Saturday 1 March 2008
Sanity Dawns!
Hi,
As I was uploading another page to The Radio Controlled Airplane last week, I suddenly realised that things were getting a bit out of hand. After a bit of thought it finally dawned on me that ‘a bit out of hand’ was not quite the right way of putting it and I could no longer simply allow the site to grow in a sort of random fashion.
The result is, I have been planning the site. And the more I worked on it the more I realised that the little ‘I’ll just put up a few things on the web’ site that I had casually started was no little site but a potentially huge site!
It also became apparent that it was going to take some serious time to make it happen. There are twelve ‘off the top of my head’, main sections each with many pages.
So I must ask the readers patience. The content will arrive, but I can see that I will be pounding the keys for some time before it all happens.
My plan therefor is this, I will place links where I lack content to supply something to read in the meantime. As I fill in the gaps I will have content on The Radio Controlled Airplane itself, but the links will also be retained.
So, keep an eyeball on the space, who knows what will appear next!
As I was uploading another page to The Radio Controlled Airplane last week, I suddenly realised that things were getting a bit out of hand. After a bit of thought it finally dawned on me that ‘a bit out of hand’ was not quite the right way of putting it and I could no longer simply allow the site to grow in a sort of random fashion.
The result is, I have been planning the site. And the more I worked on it the more I realised that the little ‘I’ll just put up a few things on the web’ site that I had casually started was no little site but a potentially huge site!
It also became apparent that it was going to take some serious time to make it happen. There are twelve ‘off the top of my head’, main sections each with many pages.
So I must ask the readers patience. The content will arrive, but I can see that I will be pounding the keys for some time before it all happens.
My plan therefor is this, I will place links where I lack content to supply something to read in the meantime. As I fill in the gaps I will have content on The Radio Controlled Airplane itself, but the links will also be retained.
So, keep an eyeball on the space, who knows what will appear next!
Sunday 24 February 2008
More on Simulators
Hi,
Just a quickie today.
I found another Blog that you might be interested in. It is called ‘Jazzy's Flight Deck’, and here is an exert from she says about radio controlled airplane simulators.
‘Practicing with a flight simulator such as FMS or Realflight can make a big difference in your skills advancement. For beginners it can make the difference between crashing on your first flight and NOT crashing on your first flight. For experts, it can improve your precision and reactions with more advanced maneuvers and teach you how to "feel out" a new plane much faster.’
Gotto agree! Go to Practicing with a flight simulator to read the rest of what she says and her list of things to practice.
(Go to the end of her page for newer or older posts, she has other interesting things to say as well!)
Just a quickie today.
I found another Blog that you might be interested in. It is called ‘Jazzy's Flight Deck’, and here is an exert from she says about radio controlled airplane simulators.
‘Practicing with a flight simulator such as FMS or Realflight can make a big difference in your skills advancement. For beginners it can make the difference between crashing on your first flight and NOT crashing on your first flight. For experts, it can improve your precision and reactions with more advanced maneuvers and teach you how to "feel out" a new plane much faster.’
Gotto agree! Go to Practicing with a flight simulator to read the rest of what she says and her list of things to practice.
(Go to the end of her page for newer or older posts, she has other interesting things to say as well!)
Tuesday 19 February 2008
Why Use A Radio Controlled Airplane Simulator?
Why? Because it is one of the best advances ever in the hobby of radio controlled airplane flying! I put the RC Simulator right up there with the invention of proportional radio control.
When you are flying a real model, unless you are independently wealthy, you have to fly within your ability box all the time. It takes many, many hours of practice to build your box and then expand it into more complex areas of flying.
Any pushing of the limits of your box has to be done very very carefully or you quickly find yourself digging in your pocket for money for a new model.
The advent of computers and the RC flight simulator has changed all that radically. Using the simulator you can seriously push your limits. In fact you can blow them away completely!
You can set yourself up to learn one impossible thing after another and it costs you nothing. All you need is a bit of staying power and you can learn anything! You can crash 50 times in one evening and who cares? Your monitor doesn’t even fill up with all those smashed bits.
What I really like about the sim is that it is totally adjustable to suit exactly what you need at the time. Different model, no problem! Different weather, slow things down, speed things up, all is dead easy.
No, it isn’t exactly like flying a real radio controlled airplane, (Nothing can get even close to the potential level of terror using a real model!) but it is close enough to get that critical reflex training up to scratch. Thus, when the terror takes over the trained reflexes can save the day!
Ten minutes on the simulator is like a whole day at the field! In fact it is even better than that! In the ten minutes on the sim, you can do things that you wouldn’t dare to do at the field.
So, with a few weeks of dedicated practice pushing your envelope on the sim you can advance yourself the same amount it would take years to achieve in real life.
Make no mistake, a good simulator is one of the most important RC accessories that any pilot of any ability can own.
See what I have to say about RC Simulators on my pageLearning To Fly a Radio Controlled Airplane
All for now, and remember practice, practice, practice…
When you are flying a real model, unless you are independently wealthy, you have to fly within your ability box all the time. It takes many, many hours of practice to build your box and then expand it into more complex areas of flying.
Any pushing of the limits of your box has to be done very very carefully or you quickly find yourself digging in your pocket for money for a new model.
The advent of computers and the RC flight simulator has changed all that radically. Using the simulator you can seriously push your limits. In fact you can blow them away completely!
You can set yourself up to learn one impossible thing after another and it costs you nothing. All you need is a bit of staying power and you can learn anything! You can crash 50 times in one evening and who cares? Your monitor doesn’t even fill up with all those smashed bits.
What I really like about the sim is that it is totally adjustable to suit exactly what you need at the time. Different model, no problem! Different weather, slow things down, speed things up, all is dead easy.
No, it isn’t exactly like flying a real radio controlled airplane, (Nothing can get even close to the potential level of terror using a real model!) but it is close enough to get that critical reflex training up to scratch. Thus, when the terror takes over the trained reflexes can save the day!
Ten minutes on the simulator is like a whole day at the field! In fact it is even better than that! In the ten minutes on the sim, you can do things that you wouldn’t dare to do at the field.
So, with a few weeks of dedicated practice pushing your envelope on the sim you can advance yourself the same amount it would take years to achieve in real life.
Make no mistake, a good simulator is one of the most important RC accessories that any pilot of any ability can own.
See what I have to say about RC Simulators on my pageLearning To Fly a Radio Controlled Airplane
All for now, and remember practice, practice, practice…
Wednesday 13 February 2008
The Use Of EPP In Model Airplanes
I am a great believer in the use of new materials in the hobby of building and flying radio controlled airplanes. It is after all a high tech hobby! High tech goes with the hobby like strawberries with cream. But, man, do people resist new stuff!
So, on to EPP or Expanded Polypropylene. While looking similar to EPS or Expanded Polystyrene, (Styrofoam) it has some great benefits for building model airplanes.
First, when you get it wrong, the plane bounces! How cool is that? Pick it up, make sure everything is still where it should be, and off you go again.
Second, if you REALLY get it wrong, a few squirts of glue, put everything back where it should be, and off you go again.
As a long time builder of radio controlled model airplanes using traditional materials like balsa, I can promise you traditional materials don’t work like that! In a split second your beautiful model converts into many more pieces than it had before you started building it. They can often be more difficult to fix than they were to build in the first place!
So, as you gather, I like EPP. But there is a lot of misunderstanding out there about it, In fact this blog entry was motivated by an article I have just read in a national RC magazine.
The guy fussed so much about how to glue or paint EPP that you could be put off by it being to difficult to use. He treated EPP as if it were a strange sort of new, more flexible EPS.
Guys, EPP isn’t some sort of EPS. EPP may look the same as EPS but it is a whole new item.
EPP is immune to just about everything. There is it’s main problem, as it can be difficult to get glue to stick to EPP. It won’t run away just because you have frightened it with a little solvent! (Like EPS does!)
That means you can use solvent based glues and paints. I use a solvent based contact adhesive called EVO-STIK IMPACT that I get from my local B&Q to glue it, and I use normal automotive aerosol paint to paint it.
I have decided to put up a guide page on The Radio Controlled Airplane to hopefully dispel a little of the mystery surrounding the use of EPP.
The page is 'Using EPP' How easy is that?
All for now, try to avoid the bounce, but if you really must bounce, use EPP!
So, on to EPP or Expanded Polypropylene. While looking similar to EPS or Expanded Polystyrene, (Styrofoam) it has some great benefits for building model airplanes.
First, when you get it wrong, the plane bounces! How cool is that? Pick it up, make sure everything is still where it should be, and off you go again.
Second, if you REALLY get it wrong, a few squirts of glue, put everything back where it should be, and off you go again.
As a long time builder of radio controlled model airplanes using traditional materials like balsa, I can promise you traditional materials don’t work like that! In a split second your beautiful model converts into many more pieces than it had before you started building it. They can often be more difficult to fix than they were to build in the first place!
So, as you gather, I like EPP. But there is a lot of misunderstanding out there about it, In fact this blog entry was motivated by an article I have just read in a national RC magazine.
The guy fussed so much about how to glue or paint EPP that you could be put off by it being to difficult to use. He treated EPP as if it were a strange sort of new, more flexible EPS.
Guys, EPP isn’t some sort of EPS. EPP may look the same as EPS but it is a whole new item.
EPP is immune to just about everything. There is it’s main problem, as it can be difficult to get glue to stick to EPP. It won’t run away just because you have frightened it with a little solvent! (Like EPS does!)
That means you can use solvent based glues and paints. I use a solvent based contact adhesive called EVO-STIK IMPACT that I get from my local B&Q to glue it, and I use normal automotive aerosol paint to paint it.
I have decided to put up a guide page on The Radio Controlled Airplane to hopefully dispel a little of the mystery surrounding the use of EPP.
The page is 'Using EPP' How easy is that?
All for now, try to avoid the bounce, but if you really must bounce, use EPP!
Monday 11 February 2008
The danger of knowing too much!
I was reading some reviews on a beginner radio controlled trainer aircraft earlier and I was struck by a danger that folks may not be aware of.
The first review was by a total beginner who had never had anything to do with Rc flying before.
He bought the plane, which, I might add, was a perfect first time RC trainer, and then had a really fantastic experience with it. It did exactly what he needed and he was successfully flying on the very first day! Seven flights with no damage!
The second chap was a returning RC flier. He had not flown for many years and wanted to get back into the hobby. His choice of this plane was perfect to get his rusty fingers back into shape again. He had a terrible experience, ending eventually with a broken model.
So what was the difference? Surely the second chap should have had the easiest time? After all he had previous experience and could already fly. So why?
Well we need to flesh out the experiences a little to see what was different, but what it boils down to was, ‘Do as you are told’ If the model is halfway decent and you follow the instructions you will succeed.
That was exactly what the first chap did. Not feeling that he knew any better, he followed the instructions to the letter. They said download a RC Simulator program from here and use it to practice first. He did it. They said, put the model together like this. He did it exactly like they said. They said, Only fly in dead calm conditions. He did it. They said, fly like this. Yes you got it – he did it!
And his reward? Total success!
Now the other chap, because he had flown glow powered models before, thought that he did not need to follow the instructions to the letter. Notwithstanding the fact that he had last flown many years previously, or that this was a electric model about which he knew little. (Things have changed enormously in even the last five years!)
So what did he do?
First, he ignored the sim, after all this was a kids model anyway, and he could already fly. Bad move. Never underestimate the value of an RC Simulator. Just because you can get an adequate one for free and a really good one real cheap, do not make the mistake of thinking they are of no value. Whether you can fly or not, an RC Simulator is of unbelievable value in its ability to help you hone you skill without costing anything.
Second, he made all sorts of ‘improvements’ to the way the model went together. Frankly, the time for ‘improvements’ is later. At the beginning you have more chance of messing things up than improving them. Stick to the way the model is designed to be.
Third he made modifications to the electric system. Even though he knew nothing about electric airplanes he still dived in and fitted a switch in the battery cable, because after all we always used switches and there ‘should be one’. Very bad news here.
Now there are ways of doing this that are acceptable, but not a little slider switch. The reason is the very large currents that RC motors draw nowadays. Your average switch just will not cope. That is the reason one is not fitted as standard. This mod almost certainly caused him all sorts of voltage swing and interference problems.
Forth, It was windy when he went out. These little models get blown around real easy. Until you are good at flying it, leave wind out of the equation!
So there you have it – Good news followed all the rules. Bad news broke all of them!
There is something to be learned from this story by everyone. If you are a beginner, eager to get out there and do it, don’t be tempted to skip steps. If your are more knowledgeable, be careful that your knowledge doesn’t trip you up.
Check out what I have to say about simulators and learning to fly on
The Radio controlled Airplane.
The first review was by a total beginner who had never had anything to do with Rc flying before.
He bought the plane, which, I might add, was a perfect first time RC trainer, and then had a really fantastic experience with it. It did exactly what he needed and he was successfully flying on the very first day! Seven flights with no damage!
The second chap was a returning RC flier. He had not flown for many years and wanted to get back into the hobby. His choice of this plane was perfect to get his rusty fingers back into shape again. He had a terrible experience, ending eventually with a broken model.
So what was the difference? Surely the second chap should have had the easiest time? After all he had previous experience and could already fly. So why?
Well we need to flesh out the experiences a little to see what was different, but what it boils down to was, ‘Do as you are told’ If the model is halfway decent and you follow the instructions you will succeed.
That was exactly what the first chap did. Not feeling that he knew any better, he followed the instructions to the letter. They said download a RC Simulator program from here and use it to practice first. He did it. They said, put the model together like this. He did it exactly like they said. They said, Only fly in dead calm conditions. He did it. They said, fly like this. Yes you got it – he did it!
And his reward? Total success!
Now the other chap, because he had flown glow powered models before, thought that he did not need to follow the instructions to the letter. Notwithstanding the fact that he had last flown many years previously, or that this was a electric model about which he knew little. (Things have changed enormously in even the last five years!)
So what did he do?
First, he ignored the sim, after all this was a kids model anyway, and he could already fly. Bad move. Never underestimate the value of an RC Simulator. Just because you can get an adequate one for free and a really good one real cheap, do not make the mistake of thinking they are of no value. Whether you can fly or not, an RC Simulator is of unbelievable value in its ability to help you hone you skill without costing anything.
Second, he made all sorts of ‘improvements’ to the way the model went together. Frankly, the time for ‘improvements’ is later. At the beginning you have more chance of messing things up than improving them. Stick to the way the model is designed to be.
Third he made modifications to the electric system. Even though he knew nothing about electric airplanes he still dived in and fitted a switch in the battery cable, because after all we always used switches and there ‘should be one’. Very bad news here.
Now there are ways of doing this that are acceptable, but not a little slider switch. The reason is the very large currents that RC motors draw nowadays. Your average switch just will not cope. That is the reason one is not fitted as standard. This mod almost certainly caused him all sorts of voltage swing and interference problems.
Forth, It was windy when he went out. These little models get blown around real easy. Until you are good at flying it, leave wind out of the equation!
So there you have it – Good news followed all the rules. Bad news broke all of them!
There is something to be learned from this story by everyone. If you are a beginner, eager to get out there and do it, don’t be tempted to skip steps. If your are more knowledgeable, be careful that your knowledge doesn’t trip you up.
Check out what I have to say about simulators and learning to fly on
The Radio controlled Airplane.
Saturday 9 February 2008
What RC flying is all about!
Yea Gods! This has been an interesting path getting this lot together! I reckon it was easier to build my first plane. Anyway we are up and running. (Well mostly!) So let us proceed …
As a beginning, lets see what radio controlled airplane flying is all about and where you start
Well, you go off to your favourite mega store, pick up one of those big glossy boxes that bugle ‘Ready To Fly! Radio Controlled Airplane! Easy! All You Need Right In The Box!
You know, the one with the Mustang or Spitfire with its guns blazing on the front, the one that parts you from a sizeable chunk of your cash and therefore gives you a really good warm glow.
As you drive off home, thoughts of roaring through the sky terrorising sparrows and incautious little old ladies flow through your head.
Back home the lounge carpet quickly disappears under a drift of packing pieces and general bits as you proudly display your acquisition.
She Who Lives Indoors raises her eyebrows at your latest insanity, and being the sceptic she is, says, ‘you can’t fly that thing!’
‘Corse I can’ (Quickly banishing any creeping doubts that may have arisen from a quick glance at the manual.)
Anyway, kids fly these things don’t they? How hard can that be?
You can hardly contain your impatience as you wait for the necessary battery charge time to pass. (Surely they could be sold with charged batteries?!!)
At last the batteries are done and there you are at the local park with the clan gathered around for the maiden flight. She Who Lives Indoors, (AKA ‘I Wouldn’t Miss This For The World!’) is armed with the family video recorder.
Comments of ‘Look, a radio controlled airplane’ drift across from passers by and those creeping doubts begin to get a little bigger. ( Full blown panic isn’t macho.)
You place the model on the grass and, taking a deep breath, push the leaver the pamphlet said was the throttle fully forward as fast as you can. The model leaps forward across the grass and you suddenly realise that your mind has gone completely blank.
You realise that this is not a good time for that to happen, and powered by the need to do something, anything, you jerk back on the leaver on the other side.
In your blank mind state you watch in amazement as the model rises off the grass and executes a perfect loop. Well, it was perfect except for the last bit when the ground got in the way.
As you stare at the impressive pile of bits the model has reduced itself to, your day is improved no end by the football playing kid who, staring at the wreckage, says ‘Core! You sure smashed that Mister!’
As you trudge off home dripping pieces you know from the chortles of ‘Got it all, got it all’ from She Who Lives Indoors that this is not the end….
Been there? Done that? Got the T shirt? If you have, then, any comments?
If you haven’t had the experience yet, but are thinking about setting this scenario in motion, then you have come to the right place! Visit The Radio Controlled Airplane and read what I say on choosing a radio controlled airplane and on learning to fly a radio controlled airplane. They could make your experience a whole lot better!!
Also seriously consider getting the e-book Model Airplane Secrets. (Link at top Right of blog) If you are thinking of starting this hobby it is worth it as it gathers together a huge amount of the knowledge you will need to be successful.
While that information will eventually find its way here, it may take a while…
The links to the other sites etc are at the top right of the blog page.
As a beginning, lets see what radio controlled airplane flying is all about and where you start
Well, you go off to your favourite mega store, pick up one of those big glossy boxes that bugle ‘Ready To Fly! Radio Controlled Airplane! Easy! All You Need Right In The Box!
You know, the one with the Mustang or Spitfire with its guns blazing on the front, the one that parts you from a sizeable chunk of your cash and therefore gives you a really good warm glow.
As you drive off home, thoughts of roaring through the sky terrorising sparrows and incautious little old ladies flow through your head.
Back home the lounge carpet quickly disappears under a drift of packing pieces and general bits as you proudly display your acquisition.
She Who Lives Indoors raises her eyebrows at your latest insanity, and being the sceptic she is, says, ‘you can’t fly that thing!’
‘Corse I can’ (Quickly banishing any creeping doubts that may have arisen from a quick glance at the manual.)
Anyway, kids fly these things don’t they? How hard can that be?
You can hardly contain your impatience as you wait for the necessary battery charge time to pass. (Surely they could be sold with charged batteries?!!)
At last the batteries are done and there you are at the local park with the clan gathered around for the maiden flight. She Who Lives Indoors, (AKA ‘I Wouldn’t Miss This For The World!’) is armed with the family video recorder.
Comments of ‘Look, a radio controlled airplane’ drift across from passers by and those creeping doubts begin to get a little bigger. ( Full blown panic isn’t macho.)
You place the model on the grass and, taking a deep breath, push the leaver the pamphlet said was the throttle fully forward as fast as you can. The model leaps forward across the grass and you suddenly realise that your mind has gone completely blank.
You realise that this is not a good time for that to happen, and powered by the need to do something, anything, you jerk back on the leaver on the other side.
In your blank mind state you watch in amazement as the model rises off the grass and executes a perfect loop. Well, it was perfect except for the last bit when the ground got in the way.
As you stare at the impressive pile of bits the model has reduced itself to, your day is improved no end by the football playing kid who, staring at the wreckage, says ‘Core! You sure smashed that Mister!’
As you trudge off home dripping pieces you know from the chortles of ‘Got it all, got it all’ from She Who Lives Indoors that this is not the end….
Been there? Done that? Got the T shirt? If you have, then, any comments?
If you haven’t had the experience yet, but are thinking about setting this scenario in motion, then you have come to the right place! Visit The Radio Controlled Airplane and read what I say on choosing a radio controlled airplane and on learning to fly a radio controlled airplane. They could make your experience a whole lot better!!
Also seriously consider getting the e-book Model Airplane Secrets. (Link at top Right of blog) If you are thinking of starting this hobby it is worth it as it gathers together a huge amount of the knowledge you will need to be successful.
While that information will eventually find its way here, it may take a while…
The links to the other sites etc are at the top right of the blog page.
Friday 18 January 2008
And So – It is a new beginning!
If you had told me a year ago that I would be writing a blog here today, I would have had you instantly certified! However, try as we might, times change and here I am!
As you see, this is the first post and is a bit of a sort of ‘rambling filler’ to put up something while I get all the technical issues of this dasterly system sorted out. I apologise for the lack of content at the moment but that will be rectified as soon as possible
I have finally been motivated to write this by frustration at the changes in the hobby of radio controlled airplane flying, and the lack of sensible information for the newcomer.
The march of modern technology has brought us the ARF (Almost Ready to Fly) foamy that may be bought from all sorts of unrelated stores. Modern marketing thrusts them at the unsuspecting public with not the slightest sign of any technical advice or backup, to say nothing of marginal or no safety advice.
Electric power has brought its own extra challenges made much worse by the speed of change. Cutting edge today may well be old hat tomorrow, and some of the ‘cast in stone’ advice out there is already years old!
And then we have the modern trend to 3D flying! (Is it flying??) People tell me it is flying, but I have my doubts…
Anyway, thats all for now, see you soon.
As you see, this is the first post and is a bit of a sort of ‘rambling filler’ to put up something while I get all the technical issues of this dasterly system sorted out. I apologise for the lack of content at the moment but that will be rectified as soon as possible
I have finally been motivated to write this by frustration at the changes in the hobby of radio controlled airplane flying, and the lack of sensible information for the newcomer.
The march of modern technology has brought us the ARF (Almost Ready to Fly) foamy that may be bought from all sorts of unrelated stores. Modern marketing thrusts them at the unsuspecting public with not the slightest sign of any technical advice or backup, to say nothing of marginal or no safety advice.
Electric power has brought its own extra challenges made much worse by the speed of change. Cutting edge today may well be old hat tomorrow, and some of the ‘cast in stone’ advice out there is already years old!
And then we have the modern trend to 3D flying! (Is it flying??) People tell me it is flying, but I have my doubts…
Anyway, thats all for now, see you soon.
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