RE: 100KM cross country flight.
Hi It is not a race. Just a flight of a 100KM to see who can actually get to the other side without landing, refueling, crashing. There are no rules as far as the plane is concerned. And the process is basically a team of 3 people, one person drives a pickup along the route, then there are two pilots taking turns flying/resting.
Posted on: 7/2/2012 10:17 PM by Author "RappyPilot" in the forum "Questions and Answers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11140835

100KM cross country flight.
Hi all We here in South Africa have an event in December. It is a 100KM cross country flight. Done in one leg. How it works is you have a truck with someone driving it. And on the back two pilots taking turns flying the plane. I am quite keen to do this but I have no idea what plane/engine combo would be able to achieve this. I have never been to this event as it is held in a place about 1600KM far from where I live. But thought it would make a nice "holliday" to go do this. BUt as I live so far and have never done it there are not a lot of people to ask for help. Anyway, I am quite qurious as to what plane and engine combo would work. I was thinking along the lines of using a 40 sized trainer, perhaps build a Sig Kadette LT40 and power it with a SAITO FA56 .... Bulding a plane as opposed to using an ARF would enable me to build a MASSIVE fuel tank into it .... But what size... What would you guys use to do a 100KM cross country flight in one go? Marcel
Posted on: 7/2/2012 1:56 AM by Author "RappyPilot" in the forum "Questions and Answers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11139504

Prop unloading.
Hi all I have an OS160FX in GP Giant Big Stik. I had a MAS 18x8 prop on it using Cool Power 5% fuel and the engine managed 7400RPM, then I swapped for a Xoar 18X6 and got 8200RPM. The manual states that peak BHP is at 9000RPM. Maximum usable RPM is 10000. I am aiming for 9000RPM flying WOT straight and level. Anyway, my question is, if a prop runs at a certain RPM on the ground, how many RPM's does it gain more or less once it unloads in the air? Generally speaking. Marcel
Posted on: 4/30/2012 8:35 AM by Author "RappyPilot" in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11062509

My new Big Stick
Just showing off my new big stick [:D]
Posted on: 2/15/2012 1:13 AM by Author "RappyPilot" in the forum "RC Humor"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10959684

RE: How Many Channels?
A governor basically regulates and keep the head speed constant no matter how muchy throttle/pitch you apply. Without one you need to take particular care to set up a proper throttle curve, specially in IDLE UP mode. Without a governor you might find when you do some hard 3D manuevres that the head suddenly speeds up after you have applied full throttle/pitch and go back to zero pitch such as a fairly violent stall turn or doing tick-tocks. It basically has 2 magnets on the engine fan and a sensor, and then you set the head speed that you want on the governor and it will keep it there no matter how you fly.
Posted on: 2/9/2012 5:00 AM by Author "RappyPilot" in the forum "RC Helicopter General Discussions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10951036

RE: How Many Channels?
Hi Apart from the minimum of six needed to fly a heli. More Channels can come in handy if you say, fly scale heli's. An airworlf for instance you would need another channel if you want to use retracts, another on if you want add landing lights that can be switched on and off during flight etc. You MIGHT go over to Nitro Heli's one day, then two additional channels come in handy if you want to use a governor and mixture control for instance. Believe me, you can never have to many channels [:D]
Posted on: 2/8/2012 11:28 PM by Author "RappyPilot" in the forum "RC Helicopter General Discussions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10950886

RE: The most annoying sayings
There I was hovering my Raptor X50B setting it up after just rebuilding it after a nasty crash. Quite nervous and confidence lacking bit, hoping nothing will fly off or go wrong and this kid comes out of nowhere, walks past me right in front of me between me and my heli. I firmly but in a friendly manner told him not ever to do that again. And told him where spectators should stand. Goes and stands next to me and then asks the usual how high does it fly, how far does it fly, does it fly on petrol etc. Told him to please be quiet as I am concentrating trimming my heli etc. And that I wil answer his question when I land. Then out of the blue, while I am still flying, pulls out his wallet and asks me how much he should pay for me to rent him the heli for a flight! He wants to try it.....
Posted on: 2/8/2012 11:20 PM by Author "RappyPilot" in the forum "RC Humor"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10950881

RE: TREX 450 Pro V2 ESC question
Thanks :)
Posted on: 2/1/2012 9:16 PM by Author "RappyPilot" in the forum "T-Rex heli"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10939624

RE: TREX 450 Pro V2 ESC question
Hi I don't plan on using it as a governor. Just curious if I understood the concept correctly. But I am not much of a fan of governors. Maybe I am old school. I have tried the Align and the TT governors for a while but was not that impressed by them. No disrespect, I am sure they do their job well. Granted, it takes a bit longer to set up a heli when not using a governor, but once set and it's right, I can't say I really notice the difference in my style of flying which limited to light 3D and smooth aerobatics [:)]
Posted on: 2/1/2012 6:20 AM by Author "RappyPilot" in the forum "T-Rex heli"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10938225

TREX 450 Pro V2 ESC question
I have been flying planes and specially heli's for years now, but nitro only. I am quite keen to have a go at electric out of curiousity and I have just bough a TREX 450 Pro V2 (Flybarred) Almost embarrased to sat that I know very little about LiPO's ESC's , all those numbers on th engine, KV rating etc. [:D] etc. But I have been reading and asking questions and have a fairly good grasp of it all now. Only one question specific to the ESC that you get with the kit. It is a RCE-BL35P speed controller. This esc has a governor funtionality. In the manual they state that in order to use it (Only in Idle up) , you have to select Helicopter 2 on the ESC and then set your throttle between 75% and 80% ... What does that mean? Am I correct in assuming that you then have a flat throttle curve that looks like this 75-75-75-75-75 for instance and not use a 100-75-100 throttle curve? And is the esc then clever enough to know when you are flying in normal mode and then switch to idle up?
Posted on: 1/31/2012 10:28 PM by Author "RappyPilot" in the forum "T-Rex heli"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10937911

RE: GP750 Drifting.
Hi all Another weekend of testing and fiddling ... Almost getting there, tried moving the gyro to a different spot, turned it 90 degrees and tried different mounting pads, no luck. Then tried my GY520 that I know works that I have in another heli and it somewhat stopped the drifting. Seems to be ok for a while, flipped to idle up, flew around, went back to normal mode and the drift came back ... Pulling my hair out here. it come and goes. So, seeing that it comes and goes the way it does, all I can think of is that the engine seems to be vibrating more than it should, possibly due to the fact that it is a new engine with only about 8 tanks of fuel through it. I have set the top end needle to where it runs quite well, but a tad on the rich side for now, have not set the low end needle yet. Will try that and see if I do not get a more consistant mid range, might even try a different glow plug. (I am using te R3 that came with the engine) Will keep you posted.
Posted on: 12/28/2011 2:11 AM by Author "RappyPilot" in the forum "RC Helicopter General Discussions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10879194

RE: DS620 Servo dead ....
Hi Wel, I replaced that DS620 wit a new DS650 with Align step down. And have not had that issue again :) Still curious what could have caused it. But feel a lot better with that regulator in between.
Posted on: 12/21/2011 9:15 PM by Author "RappyPilot" in the forum "RC Helicopter General Discussions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10870929

GP750 Drifting.
Hi all I have a GP750 gyro with a DS650 rudder servo. I have a previous post where my DS620 rudder servo burned out on me after 5 minutes of flying ... I replaced the servo with a DS650 and added an Align voltage regulator between the gyro and servo to bring the volts to the servo down to 5.1V I am trying to set the gyro up but no matter what I do the tail drifts to the left very slowly in heading hold mode ... My subtrims/trims are zero, I have tried setting the tail blades at an off set in order to keep it from drifting in normal mode but that makes no difference. And no matter where I put the gain, the tail will drift, if the gain is too high the tail will wag and still drift. If I decrease the gain the wagging stops bit the drifting increases. Even tried playing with different head speeds but to no avail. The distance from centre of the servo horn to the ball link is 10mm as per the manual. The second hole on the servo arm. The only thing I can still try is to move the gyro somewhere else, but that would mean moving it further way from the main shaft (I have a Titan X50B) I also have the gyro on two gyro foam pads with the metal plate in between. Could that be the problem perhaps. I can imagine a gyro on two foam pads will have more "play" and might vibrate more. Any one have any advice on what else I can try? Marcel
Posted on: 12/18/2011 12:39 AM by Author "RappyPilot" in the forum "RC Helicopter General Discussions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10864544

DS620 Servo dead ....
Hi guys Just finished building my X50B, with an Align GP 750 Gyro with an Align DS620 servo, after a week of fiddling and setting and testing up my heli was ready for it's maiden. This is my 5th Nitro heli so I am not a noob at this. Started the engine and there I was happily hovering around, running in the engine, and poof, my rudder servo packed up. Luckily I was about a foot off the ground so no damage. Now what happened, I am running my heli on a Life Source 6.6V LiFE battery pack, it that too much for that DS620 servo? The manual states the servo can handle 6V. I can see/smell the servo burned out, there was no binding or anything that I can see. I made sure the servo was not binding at the end points. Did I have dud servo or is it not a good idea to run 6V through them? What could have possibly happened? Marcel
Posted on: 12/16/2011 7:16 AM by Author "RappyPilot" in the forum "RC Helicopter General Discussions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10862205

RE: Seagull Edge 540 (160) CG Crisis
Hi guys Wel, had a sleepless night on Friday in anticipation of maidening her. As you can see she flies! I must say, the manual is WAY out as far as the CG and control throws is concerned. But, with the CG being just in front of the wing tube, and the manual's recommended control throws disregarded and the plane set up according to "gut feeling", initial test flights went without a glitch. I was surprised how much she floats when coming in to land, I had to go around 3 times because she just does not want to land. This is really an awsome plane.
Posted on: 10/17/2011 2:21 AM by Author "RappyPilot" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10769050

RE: Seagull Edge 540 (160) CG Crisis
Hi Thanks for that, you have just confirmed what that little voice in my head was saying all along. At the moment it balances far behind what manuals recommended CG but it does balance just in front of the wing tube. Which "feel and looks" better. I am oping the manual is wrong and that I might me able to remove some weight. But as long as the initial flight and setup is done and she is not horribly tail heavy I will be happy. An Edge 540 does not have a tapering edge so balancing it on the root of the wing or the tips (As you, as my manual suggest does not make a difference) Anyway, hold thumbs, she is ready for her maiden this weekend ...
Posted on: 10/10/2011 10:36 PM by Author "RappyPilot" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10759204

Seagull Edge 540 (160) CG Crisis
Hi all I have just built a Seagull Edge 540. The big 160 size pearl blue one. I have an OS160FX in there with a Bisson Pitts muffler. Batteries, RX everything mounted as far forward as possible. They say the CG is 95mm to 110mm from the leading edge of the wing. But after putting in a whopping 250 grams of lead as far forward on the firewall the plane is still tail heavy and now balances about 125mm back from the leading Edge. Seems like I am going to have to add another 250 odd grams to get it to balance, totalling just about half a kilogram of dead weight! If anyone out there has this plane, where does yours balance and how much dead weight did you have to add? Marcel
Posted on: 10/10/2011 12:24 AM by Author "RappyPilot" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10757433

RE: The most annoying sayings
I have asked him a few times, never really seems interested in actually coming with, just so funny that he asks me whether I am going flying when I am hauling my gear to me car. As opposed to doing what? Taking my planes for a drive around te block?
Posted on: 9/15/2011 6:46 AM by Author "RappyPilot" in the forum "RC Humor"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10717565

RE: The most annoying sayings
It's saturday morning, busy packing my car with my toolbox, fieldbox and all the goodies I need for a day out at the field. My neighbour sees me walking out the front door with my plane and he asks: "Are you going flying today?" or when I get back home in the evening, "Did you go fly today?" Trailing with the usual my unlcle flew planes back in the day, maybe I should come with you one day and you can teach me blah blah blah .....
Posted on: 9/15/2011 4:17 AM by Author "RappyPilot" in the forum "RC Humor"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10717390

RE: Phoenix P51 Mustang
Hi Here is a link to their official website. http://www.phoenixmodel.com They are a manufacturer in Vietnam. And then Tower Hobbies also sells Phoenix kits, have a look here: http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0002p?&M=PMM That is about all the info I can get you, seeing that I don't live in the US. Good luck :)
Posted on: 9/12/2011 6:32 AM by Author "RappyPilot" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10712614

RE: Phoenix P51 Mustang
Hi Thanks for th info :) Found quite a few articles (including yours) when I Googled the tail number. Nice to know that it did/does actually exist at some point and that it is not just a mockup of what someone though it would be. It does however fascinate me how an aeroplane manufacturer decides what real life plane to use or model when it comes to creating an new ARF.
Posted on: 9/9/2011 1:42 AM by Author "RappyPilot" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10708372

RE: Newbie of your club that turns head when landing
My apologies, I knew I was going to get flamed for that the moment I hit the post button [:D]
Posted on: 9/8/2011 5:18 AM by Author "RappyPilot" in the forum "RC Humor"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10706913

RE: Newbie of your club that turns head when landing
I have an odd relationship with one of my students. I have been teaching for about two years now, most of the guys I have taught to fly figured it all out pretty fast, some have managed to get to a point where they can take off land and fly in as little as 2 or 3 weekends. Some take a little longer, some stayed in the hobby and some left. But I have one student, an old man in his late 60's. I have probably been trying to teach him to fly for two years now, every weekend, we buddybox and he does a few circuits and then asks me to take over. He just does not get further than that no matter what. Gets so nervous he just can't fly anymore. Still gets disorentiented, forgets left and right when the plane comes towards him, all the beginner mistakes, every weekend for two years now we do this. But after being his instructor for so long we have become friends and he sort has given up. What he does like to do is, build new planes, sometimes an ARF, sometimes a beatifull scratch built warbird, brings them to the field and lets me fly them. That seems to make him happy. He builds them, I fly them.
Posted on: 9/8/2011 2:22 AM by Author "RappyPilot" in the forum "RC Humor"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10706814

Phoenix P51 Mustang
Hi all I just bought a Phoeninx P51 Mustang (40 size) I must say it's one of the nicer looking 40 sized Mustangs out there :) I am quite curious whether this mustang is based on a real one that existed/exists or not. Marcel
Posted on: 9/8/2011 12:07 AM by Author "RappyPilot" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10706753

bopught
Hi all I
Posted on: 9/8/2011 12:04 AM by Author "RappyPilot" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10706749

RE: Using two Receivers at the same time (Aurora 9)
Great :) Thanks for that.
Posted on: 8/29/2011 3:41 AM by Author "RappyPilot" in the forum "RC Radios, Transmitters, Receivers, Servos, gyros"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10691495

Using two Receivers at the same time (Aurora 9)
Hi I have an Aurora 9 and I want to use 2 recevers in a fairly large plane for redundancy. So if I plug the one Aileron/Elevator/Rudder into one reciver and the other aileron/elevator and throttle into another receiver will that work? Regards, Marcel
Posted on: 8/29/2011 12:01 AM by Author "RappyPilot" in the forum "RC Radios, Transmitters, Receivers, Servos, gyros"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10691422

Fuel line pinch test
Hi all How exctly does the fuel line pinch test work to see if your glow engine's fuel/air mixture is correct. Can you use that for wide open throttle and idle? What do you need to listen for?
Posted on: 8/23/2011 12:58 AM by Author "RappyPilot" in the forum "Beginners"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10682894

Want to move over to LiFE
Hi all I have been flying with, back in the day NiCD's and for the pasrt few years with NiMH Receiver battery packs. I am keen on trying LiPO or LiFE batteries instead of NiMH. to power my aircraft receivers. Would I be able to use a 6.6V 2 Cell LiFE battery plugged directly into my receiver. Or would I need a voltage regulator between the battery and receiver as I would if I was using a LiPO? I fly with a Aurora 9 TX with an Optima 9 Receiver with HS-5645 Hitec servo's all capable of running off 6 volt.
Posted on: 8/19/2011 1:09 AM by Author "RappyPilot" in the forum "Electric General Discussion"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10677108

Slipstream SBACH 30cc with an OS160FX
Hi all I bought a Slipstream SBACH 30cc plane. I would like to keep it neat and not have cylinders and sparkplugs etc sticking out of a butchered cowl so I want to put a good old 2 stroke glow motor in with a pitts muffler. It is a fairly large plane and an OS160FX appears to be a good match as far as I can see. Although most people would I fly with with whith these planes have DLE30's or something similar mounted. Would a OS160FX be overkill for 3D type flying? I also need to considder that I live 5500ft above sea level. Or would an OS120AX be sufficient? Here are the manufacturers specs. Wing Span:72"(1830mm) Wing Area:1023sq in(66sq dm) Length:67"(1700mm) Weight: 9.9-11lbs(4500g-5000g) Engine:.91-1.20(2C)1.10-1.40(4C)24-32cc gas Radio:4CH/5-6S
Posted on: 8/15/2011 10:21 AM by Author "RappyPilot" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10671783