RE: Newbie question regarding flying in cold weather...
I think it was on a different forum.
Posted on: 11/3/2009 7:44 PM by Author "aeajr" in the forum "RC Gliders, Sailplanes and Slope Soaring"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9226175

RE: the simple flying pleasure of a 2M R/E glider
This past weekend I took my Radian R/E and began teaching an 9 year old how to fly. After spending some time reviewing the controls I did some hand on hand instruction with him. After about 15 minutes he had the controls in his hands. His task was to keep the plane in front of us and to keep it flying fairly straight and level. If he got over our heads or had lost enough altitude I took the radio back and got him back where I wanted him. You see, they have a Radian, but shortly after putting it in the air it crashed. So it has not been flyable for several months. Each time they have come to the field I see the boy looking at his Dad flying and the rest of us, but he is not flying. He helps with the winch and retriver and is a great kid. Anyway, after about 45 minutes he and his Dad ( one of our club members ) had to leave. So his Dad asked how he liked it. Hi response was to tell Dad that they needed to get their Radian back in the air. :) Dad was pleased.
Posted on: 11/3/2009 7:20 AM by Author "aeajr" in the forum "RC Gliders, Sailplanes and Slope Soaring"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9224538

RE: New to sailplanes
[quote]ORIGINAL: jonny_hthwy I have flown rc for many years and decided to try sail planes. I have a Radian and it is fun to float around with but... I would like to learn how to find thermals better, and then stay in them. Are there books, FAQs, or videos anyone can recomend? I have no one in my area to mentor me so I will be learning on my own. Thanks (removed the repeated text) [/quote] Jonny, How are you doing catching thermals?
Posted on: 11/3/2009 7:14 AM by Author "aeajr" in the forum "RC Gliders, Sailplanes and Slope Soaring"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9224531

RE: Newbie question regarding flying in cold weather...
[quote]ORIGINAL: RogerParrett Hello All, I'm thinking about moving over to sailplanes as my primary R/C fixation. I've been flying glow 40-size craft for a little over a year and as long as I can stand the weather, so can my plane. I flew New Years day with a windchill of -10 F. I've got a Hanger 9 Aspire that I put together four or five years ago, attempted to fly soon after, crashed, and re-built and put away before I knew how to fly. However I finally took it out over the weekend (now that I know how to fly) and did a couple of high start launches. I didn't catch any thermals, but I am reasonably good at staying out of the trees with only rudder and elevator :) Now, regarding sailplanes, is this something that I can do even when it's cold (mostly thermal, given my proximity to flying sites)? The only reason I ask is that I see some photos where the guys seem pretty ''bundled up'', clothing-wise... and it did not appear they were slope flying. Somehow I just can't envision thermaling when it's cold enough for snow (unless I set some strategically located bonfires!). Electric power / pod is an option I know... but right now it's just not my bag... I'm really going for the challenge :) Thoughts / comments / laughter? Best... Roger [/quote] The cold weather is coming Roger. Have you decided to fly your glider this winter? If so, how will you launch it?
Posted on: 11/3/2009 7:12 AM by Author "aeajr" in the forum "RC Gliders, Sailplanes and Slope Soaring"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9224525

RE: Learning to use a hi-start
THE EFFECT OF CG ON HIGH-START LAUNCHING Let me share an experinece I had yesterday to illustrate a point. And I am going to take you through my thought processes as I discovered and corrected the problem. My main planes are a Supra and an AVA. I use these for contest flying in the Eastern Soaring League where I launch off winches. My Thermal Dancer has been relegated to a back-up plane position. I had not flown it in months, but I had it out yesterday. What I relate here was experienced on a winch, but it applies to HS launching as well. What we are giont to discuss is the impact of moving the CG. Before I launched the plane, I did a hand throw. Seemed it needed a couple clicks of up to give me the glide I wanted. Having done that and completing a good range check, it was time to launch. Well I popped off 3 times in a row. Once I did get the plane in the air, it was flying very poorly. A dive test indicated the plane was nose heavy. I have done several repairs to the nose and fuselage area of the Thermal Dancer over the time I have owned it. This has resulted in the plane becoming somewhat nose heavy. Since I have no removeable weight in the nose, I added 1/4 oz of lead to the tail over a year ago. After some trial and error, I realized the tail weight was missing and added it back. I added 7 grams, about 1/4 oz, right in front of the verticle fin. This would be like taking about 3/4 to 1 oz of weight out of the nose. This sifted the CG back, giving my plane a much better balance. Several hand throws confirmed this and allowed me to adjust the elevator trim, removing several clicks of up trim. Now I was getting a nice smooth glide. Now I was getting great launches and the plane was flying much better. [b] WHY????[/b] Because the plane was nose heavy, this CG was shifted forward, as compred to my normal CG. This effectively moves the hook position rearward in relation to the CG. I may have actually had the hook behind the CG. The further back the hook, relative to the CG, the more unstable the plane becomes on launch. Most people have the hook 3/8 to 1/8 inch in front of the CG. On my competition planes I have it right on the CG. But having it behind the CG makes for extremely difficult to control launches and a great tendency to pop-off. By putting that weight on the tail, I effectively shifted the CG rearward. Now the hook was back in its proper position relative to the CG and the launches were as I expected them to be, straight, steep and high. The second issue that comes up is that a nose heavy plane requires a lot of up elevator trim. That up trim on the elevator can become very effective at the speeds that a hi-start produces during the launch. This can lead to pop-offs. By shifting the CG back, I was able to remove some of that up trim, thus removing my tendancy to over rotate and pop-off. I share these experiences because they apply equally to the hi-start and to the winch. The position of the hook, relative to the CG is critical to a smooth, high launch. If you change the CG of your plane, be aware of how this will change the relative position of the hook. If you have a high tendency to pop-off on launch, consider that your plane might be nose heavy. Or, if you like the balance of your plane, consider setting up a launch mix that adds a few clicks of down elevator during the launch. This will prevent that over rotation during the critical first 50 feet of the launch. You can flip that mix off somewhere along the arch of the launch.
Posted on: 11/2/2009 6:19 AM by Author "aeajr" in the forum "RC Gliders, Sailplanes and Slope Soaring"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9221936

RE: Radian - a new e-glider from Parkzone
I am begining to dislike the charger that comes with the Radian. With the variety of blink sequencies and a button to push it is easy to get it wrong. I left mine charging for an hour, only to discover that nothing got charged. :( I will keep the charger in the box but I will be using my other lipo Cellpro 4s going forward.
Posted on: 11/1/2009 5:07 PM by Author "aeajr" in the forum "RC Gliders, Sailplanes and Slope Soaring"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9220677

RE: Radian - a new e-glider from Parkzone
Since the Radian is an RTF I have not measured the CG of the glider. However I have suspected that mine was a bit nose heavy. I was flying when a gust of wind blew the canopy off. As it floated to the ground I continued to fly. I noticed that Radian seemed to fly better with the hatch off. Only one reason for that, CG. Removing the hatch made the nose lighter and sure enough the glider was turning better and thermaling better. When I landed I put the hatch back on ( with a rubberband) and taped a penny on the fuse just in front of the tail. That worked pretty good, but I am going to try a quarter the next time I take it out. I have the battery as far back as it will go and the plane flies fine, but I guess, as a glider pilot, I can really appreciate a more rearward CG on this plane. Give it a try. Tape a penny or a quarter on the fuse, just in front of the tail. Now go fly. See how you like it. ;)
Posted on: 11/1/2009 5:32 AM by Author "aeajr" in the forum "RC Gliders, Sailplanes and Slope Soaring"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9219458

RE: Adding ailerons
If your spoiler servos are on independent channels then, yes, you can use them to assist with roll control. By lifting one spoiler you reduce the lift on that wing and increase its drag. This will cause the plane to roll to that side. The extra drag on that wing will likely also cause the plane to yaw to that side a little. It would not produce an axial roll the way ailerons do. Also, since the spoilers are inboard, where ailreons are normally outboard, the roll authority will not be as dramatic, but it will produce greater roll control. If your radio has the right mixing you can coordinate this with the rudder so that left rudder also raises the left spoiler. On my Futaba 9C I would set this up with rudder on the right stick, the "aileron channel", channel 1. I would set up the spoilers on the flap channels, 5 and 6. Then I would set up aileron to flap mixing with zero down set for each side. With this set-up, as I move the right stick to the left the rudder would go left and the left spoiler would raise. The right spoiler would do nothing. If I want true coordinated spoiler response for glide path control I would use my flap control. I have never done this on my my RES gliders but I do have this set on my 6 servo sailplanes so the flaps can follow the ailerons. Flaps are set for about 10% down and 5% up when they follow the ailerons. I have it on a switch so that I can turn it on and off. On my full house sailplanes I only use it in gusty, windy conditions where the extra roll authority can help make the plane more responsive to my roll commands.
Posted on: 10/30/2009 9:06 AM by Author "aeajr" in the forum "RC Gliders, Sailplanes and Slope Soaring"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9214659

RE: EVERYTHING YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT ELECTRIC FLIGHT
I would like to bring to the attention of the readers of this e-book the work of Ken Myers, President EFO. Ken has taken this e-book, added some editorial work to it and has produced it in .pdf format so it can be downloaded. http://homepage.mac.com/kmyersefo/ Ken has reorganized some of the my chapters. In doing so it shifts the focus of the e-book from the electric power system to an overall guide for the new and experienced electric pilot. While the content is 98% the same as here the content order is different. Thanks for your contributions Ken. This is the reason I published this in e-format rather than paper. The electronic format allows us to work together to take the work of one and build upon it. You can find the .pdf format here. It is 49 pages. Ken, on behalf of the electric community, we thank you for your time, effort and your contribution. http://homepage.mac.com/kmyersefo/everything-e-power.pdf ( direct link to the pdf)
Posted on: 10/30/2009 5:14 AM by Author "aeajr" in the forum "Electric Training"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9211862

EVERYTHING YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT ELECTRIC FLIGHT
[b]EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT ELECTRIC POWERED FLIGHT[/b] An E-Book by Ed Anderson PREFACE A number of people have suggested I write a book on the topic of electric flight. I would, but I find the electric field is changing too fast. Paper based books go out of date too quickly. Instead I am going to create a thread that is my version of an e-book on the subject of electric powered flight. This e-format allows me to provide updates and to answer questions, things I can't do in paper form. Whether you are a new flyer, a wet fuel pilot, or a glider pilot who wants to add an electric motor to your glider, I hope you find value here. Of course, I will fail to live up to the title as you can't know everything, but I will try to hit the essentials. I am also going to provide an index for your convenience. The principals of weigt, lift, drag, stall and all the other things we know about flying apply the same regardless of what motor or engine the plane may have. The power systems may differ, and each has its unique benefits and quirks, but the principles of flight remain the same. [b]For new pilots who have no background,[/b] just relax, breath deeply and read. I have tried to put it all in one place for you. Don't expect to know it all in one reading. After you take your early flights, come back and read again as you will now have some real life experience to compare to what is contained here. [b]If you are starting with an RTF electric airplane, [/b] you really don't need to know all this stuff. However be sure to look at the articles on RTFs and the Six Keys to Success for New Pilots. I think you will find them helpful. [b]For wet fuel pilots coming into electric,[/b] the first problem is terms and their meanings. The first two articles are specifically focused on this need. I want to change your question from "What is the electric equivalent of a .40 glow engine?� to "What electric power system would be right for a 40 size glow plane?" The first question is VERY hard to answer, the second is not. I am going to ask you to put aside what you know of wet fuel systems and look at electric power with a fresh mind. Electric motor systems are both simpler and more complex than wet fuel systems. It is just a matter of looking at them in terms that make sense for electric power and not trying to make them fit the wet fuel framework. What about batteries? How do I choose between NiCd, NiMh, Lipo, and others? We will cover that. Battery chargers are a mystery too, yet they are an integral part of electric flight. We will cover those. What about tools to tell what is going on in your electric power system? Yes, we will cover that also. I will be adding new chapters and topics, so visit again, you might see a new topic that interests you. And don't hesitate to suggest topics that need to be covered. I invite others who have experience in this area to add their knowledge and become co-authors of this e-book. If you have an area of expertise, share it with us. If you come across a good discussion or a reference source somewhere, post a link to it and tell us why you found it helpful. You will find my articles and posts rich in links to other resources. Be sure to take a look. [b]If you have a question, by all means ask as others will have the same question[/b]. I hope you find this helpful. I hope you will contribute your knowledge as well. TABLE OF CONTENTS Post# ..... Topic 1 ............Preface 2 ............Amps vs Volts vs C 3 ............Sizing Power Systems 4.............Props vs. Amps 5 ............What is an Electronic Speed Control? - Amended 11-2008 6 ............The LVC, Low Voltage Cut-off 7 ............Who Needs a Wattmeter? 8 ............Why Use a Gearbox? 9 ............Extended Flight Times and Balance 10 ...........Battery Basics 11 ...........Lithium Batteries, Chargers and Balancers 12 ...........Six Keys to Success for New Pilots 13 ...........Things to Check on an RTF 14 ...........Now its Your Turn! 15 ...........The Role of the BEC in Your ESC 16 ...........The Mythical Best First Plane 17 ...........What You Need to Know About Receivers 18 & 19 ... Radio System Basics 20 ...........The AMA Park Pilot Program 26 ...........What Goes on Which Stick? 54 ...........What Do Motor KV Ratings Mean? 90 ...........A Downloadable and Edited Verson of this e-Book ( editing by Ken Meyers ) As the book progresses, I have expanded the range of the discussion beyond stricly electric topics but I have tried to stay within those topics that I feel are are relevent to electric flyers. For example the electric "parkflyer" class of planes has a large number of rudder/elevator/throttle planes. Sometimes people get confused as to were the rudder should reside on the radio. The article at post 26 addresses this question. Looking back, I would have organized the chapters/articles in a different order, but I am not going to trash the thread to do it, so I hope you will not find it too confusing as it appers here.
Posted on: 10/29/2009 9:29 AM by Author "aeajr" in the forum "Electric Training"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=7100376

RE: Easy Glider Pro Battery Mounting
Yes, carve out the battery space.
Posted on: 10/28/2009 5:45 AM by Author "aeajr" in the forum "RC Gliders, Sailplanes and Slope Soaring"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9208579

RE: Help with Glider Please
Let us know how it goes.
Posted on: 10/28/2009 5:42 AM by Author "aeajr" in the forum "RC Gliders, Sailplanes and Slope Soaring"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9208576

RE: What to do with a crashed electric heli.....
[quote]ORIGINAL: Heartland actually, the motor is a great planes electrifly that i had to buy. just a plain 370 can motor. the old one out of the heli was messed up trying to get the pinion gear off it. i'm sure there's a right way to do it. pliers ain't it.... oh well, only $7.99 so didn't break the spirit of the project. but yeah, the original motor was geared waaaay down to turn the rotor. sounds like the props are in the ballpark. no doubt they'll fly the plane just wondering how it'll climb, that's the important part. i know the windmilling prop will give me more drag than a stopped prop. we'll see how we're doing at first. wonder if it'll windmill at all in a slow glide.... maybe not? back to the shop... thanks for the tips!!! [/quote] I would not expect the climb to be real steep, maybe 30 degrees. For strong climb you would want a wider prop, say an 8 or 9", but you would need a gearbox to turn that with that motor. I have stopped using brushed motors. I only use outrunner brushless to turn large folding propls on my e-glider.
Posted on: 10/28/2009 5:35 AM by Author "aeajr" in the forum "RC Gliders, Sailplanes and Slope Soaring"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9208570

RE: What to do with a crashed electric heli.....
Looks like about 5.8 oz/sq ft wing loading. That is reasonably light so it should be able to fly fairly slowly in a glide. If your ESC has a brake, you will get a much much better glide than if the prop is free wheeling. I think the 370 is typically flown with a 6X3, 6X4 or maybe a 7X3. I don't know if a heli 370 is different from an airplane 370. I would think in the Heli is was in a gearbox. If you have the battery pack, fine. If not I would use a 2 cell lipo instead. Much lighter.
Posted on: 10/28/2009 5:30 AM by Author "aeajr" in the forum "RC Gliders, Sailplanes and Slope Soaring"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9207845

RE: GP Spirit 2M sailplane - glow power?
Yuck!
Posted on: 10/28/2009 5:28 AM by Author "aeajr" in the forum "RC Gliders, Sailplanes and Slope Soaring"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9208568

RE: What to do with a crashed electric heli.....
with no info on the details of the plane, estimated all up weight, wing span, type of flying, etc, I can't advise you. Good luck.
Posted on: 10/27/2009 6:51 AM by Author "aeajr" in the forum "RC Gliders, Sailplanes and Slope Soaring"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9205347

RE: Glider coverings
[quote]ORIGINAL: warren4618 I just finished a hand lauch glider called the BUG .It's A pod and boom with a v tail. It is suposed to be hand launched. I am 80 years old and not up to hand launching,Thought I would try catapult but an not shure where to put the launch hook.Can you all help me with some sage advice. Warren4618 [/quote] Try 1/4" in front of the CG. If you can use an adjustable hook that is best. Or use a set-up that will allow 2 or three holes. On a HL sized plane, space them as close as every 1/4". Hard to get them closer than that. Fling Hi-start http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXHMZ3&P=7 Alternate HS that would be suitable http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXE637&P=ML This one might work but might also be too heavy for a HL plane. if you sed half the rubber and half the line, that could work. http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXE635&P=7
Posted on: 10/27/2009 6:12 AM by Author "aeajr" in the forum "RC Gliders, Sailplanes and Slope Soaring"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9205320

RE: What to do with a crashed electric heli.....
Cool idea. Be sure the ESC you use has a brake so you can stop and fold the prop. No way the Heli ESC has this.
Posted on: 10/26/2009 6:47 PM by Author "aeajr" in the forum "RC Gliders, Sailplanes and Slope Soaring"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9204039

RE: Glider coverings
[quote]ORIGINAL: AndyW I have a feeling that you're both right. I now recall having a 500 mAh pack in the nose but it was a real bear to get it in there. So I used a 250 pack and bored a hole in the nose to take a lead plug. I now also recall that I didn't get the CG exactly where indicated,, a bit too far back maybe. Next sunny day I'm going to add some lead to the nose and give it a go. Gotta wait till the snow melts though. And what about winter flying? Take a sunny day with no wind. Are thermals possible? [/quote] My longest flights have been in January in NY, so yes, there are thermal all year round. In fact the strongest thermals I have ever worked have been in cooler weather. I presume that would be because the heating differential can be so great. A dime is about .1 oz A quarter is .22 oz. I balance planes with coins all the time. ;)
Posted on: 10/25/2009 12:55 AM by Author "aeajr" in the forum "RC Gliders, Sailplanes and Slope Soaring"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9198431

RE: What servos to use?
I have had HS-55s in the ailerons of my Easy Glider Electric for years. Never a problem. Actually the 55 has been one of the most reliable servos I have used. But HS-81/82s are only a little more weight and certainly are stronger.
Posted on: 10/24/2009 12:27 PM by Author "aeajr" in the forum "RC Gliders, Sailplanes and Slope Soaring"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9198449

RE: Sailplane mix
Looking throught the 7C manual I see an airbrake funciton which = Crow. It seems to be switch activated and does not apper to be variable. Flaps on Y cable ??? Based on this chart I don't see a provision to have the flaps on separate channels, though I guess you could use a "user mix" to set that up. Just make sure that it works well with your other mixes. Receiver Aircraft (ACRO) Output and Channel 1 ailerons/combined right flap & aileron 1 aileron 2 elevator elevator 3 throttle throttle 4 rudder rudder 5 spare/landing gear/combined left flap and aileron [i][b]1,2[/b][/i] 6 spare/ flap(s)/combined left flap and aileron pitch [[i]b]1,2[/b][/i] 7 spare/combined left flap and aileron spare/governor [i] [b]1,2[/b][/i] [i][b]1,2[/b][/i] Flaperon mode. (See p. 43). Within flaperon, the second aileron servo can be assigned to channel 5, 6 or 7. (See p. 43) When I was looking for a new sailplane radio I looked at the 7C. This lack of built in support for flaps on separate channels was one reason I went to the 9C. However, this is not a big deal. Having the Flaps on a Y will work fine if that is what you end up having to do.
Posted on: 10/24/2009 10:05 AM by Author "aeajr" in the forum "RC Gliders, Sailplanes and Slope Soaring"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9198159

RE: Learning to use a hi-start
In the Eastern Soaring League's Novice Lounge you can find many articles that are helpful to new glider pilots. http://forums.flyesl.com/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=14 In particular I did a follow-up on the subject of maximizing your height using a hi-start. Where this discussion was learning how to use a HS, the article at this link is about getting it as high as possible. http://forums.flyesl.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=257 I hope you find it useful.
Posted on: 10/24/2009 8:29 AM by Author "aeajr" in the forum "RC Gliders, Sailplanes and Slope Soaring"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9198015

RE: Listen To Free Podcast On Cutting Edge Soaring
Thanks Paul. I tried to download the podcast but neither link worked. BTW, your DVDs are recommended to all of our new pilots. They are the best. I think I have 10 of them.
Posted on: 10/24/2009 8:17 AM by Author "aeajr" in the forum "RC Gliders, Sailplanes and Slope Soaring"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9198001

RE: Polydihedral question?
Do a lateral balance on the plane. One wing that is heavier than the other will likely have more impact than the slight difference in dihedral. Add weight to the wing tip of the light wing.
Posted on: 10/24/2009 8:15 AM by Author "aeajr" in the forum "RC Gliders, Sailplanes and Slope Soaring"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9197996

RE: Glider coverings
If it is light, and the covering is tight, I would leave that alone. Play with the CG. Move it forward. Move it back. Perhaps you are just trying to fly it too slowly, a common mistake among glider pilots. That wing may need a little more speed so keep it flying at its minimum sink rate. So fly it a bit faster and it may do better.
Posted on: 10/24/2009 8:12 AM by Author "aeajr" in the forum "RC Gliders, Sailplanes and Slope Soaring"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9197992

RE: Help with Glider Please
I don't know the plane but you can make some assumptions and tune from there. I assume this wil be for thermal soaring. I would try 15 MM up and 10 down for the ailerons. If you have a dual rate switch set that as high and set 10 and 6 as your low rates. See how it feels. Try 12 mm on the elevator for high rate and 7 for low rate. See how that feels. Try 35 mm on the rudder, if you can get it. Use 25 for low. See how that feels. I normally try balancing on the spar as a starting point, then tune from there. You want to do your inital hand throws over tall grass and soft ground on a very light wind to windless day, if possible.
Posted on: 10/24/2009 8:08 AM by Author "aeajr" in the forum "RC Gliders, Sailplanes and Slope Soaring"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9197987

RE: Sailplane mix
I fly the Futaba 9C Super, big brother to the 7C. Set up all the same controls as you would use on any airplane. What follows ignores that you have a motor. I will assume you will use this only to launch the plane and get it to height. After that, I assume you will be flying as a glider. I presume you will have flaps on a Y cable. Either mount your flap servos so they face the same way, or you will need a reversing Y cable so they can move in the same direction. Aileron-rudder Many glider pilots like to use the aileron-rudder mix. This adds some rudder to the ailerons for a more coordinated turn. When horsing the plane around with the motor, this may not seem necessary but when you are soaring, a coordinated turn will reduce your drag. Try 25% as a starting point. I have this on a switch so I can turn it on and off. When I am in thermals I prefer to fly the rudder manually. Flap-elevator, I would add a flap to elevator mix for a landing mix. As you add flaps to slow down for landing the nose of the plane will tend to ballon up. This mix adds down elevator to compensate for this to keep the plane flying level. Otherwise it can have a tendency to stall. You should have that on your 7C. Glider pilots typically have the landing mix, flap to elevator, on the "throttle stick" with the throttle moved to a switch. Since the motor is used to climb to height you only really need on and off. Or you can put it on a 3 way and have low and high. You can even put it on a dial, again, since you will basically only use it to climb to height. I don't recall if the 7C has side sliders, but if it does, and you can assign the flap/elevator mix to it use that so you have variable control. If not then a 3 way switch with a 50% and 100% setting would work OK. At worst you put it on a 2 way switch and only use it when you are final. Set it for 100% for maximum stopping power and just use it in the last couple of seconds, as an air brake. Aileron Diff I presume you will have the ailerons on their own channels. You want to add aileron differential. A good starting point is to reduce the down travel of the ailerons to about 60% of the up travel. This will reduce adverse yaw when you are gliding. You can tune this over time but that would be a good start. Camber Control See if you have a mix for flaps to ailerons or if you can make one using user mixes. This would allow you to have the ailerons follow the flaps for trailing edge camber control. This is not flapperons. When you are in a thermal you would like to be able to droop the traling edge 2-4 mm depending on the plane and wing profile. You test and tune to get the right amount. Typically you would like to have this on a switch so that you turn it on and off. Off is normal. On droops that trailing edge to a specific loccation/offset. This is your thermaling mix. Using that same flap to aileron mix, if you can get 1-2 mm of up travel in your flaps, you can set up reflex. This raises the flaps and ailerons slightly. This is your speed setting. This is for running quickly from one location to another, to penetrate into the wind, or to get out of sink. If you can control that flap to aileron mix on a 3 way switch then you can have one position for thermal, center for normal flying, and the third for reflex. That is how I have it on my Futaba 9C. Crow is fun, but totally unnecessary. This would be a combination of the flap to elevator and the flap to aileron mixes. I would not bother with it. I have used crow but have now removed it from all my FH gliders. I fly contests and find I can land the plane more accurately using the flaps alone, no need to raise the ailerons. If you had a 9C or a JR 9303 there could be a a wide range of additional things you could do but frankly they are unnecessary. These are all you need.
Posted on: 10/24/2009 7:47 AM by Author "aeajr" in the forum "RC Gliders, Sailplanes and Slope Soaring"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9197970

RE: What servos to use?
HS -55 would be fine for the ailerons. For the flaps I would recommend Hitec HS-81, HS-82, GWS Naro or any servo with 20 oz torque or more. Since this is a top wing configuration you might not need metal gears on the flaps, but I would use MG if possible. Since the flaps are down as you land, the drag of the flaps in tall grass can lead to broken grears. But the HS-82 has carbonite gears, I think, which may do just fine. I would do flaps or spoilers, not both. There is little value to having both.
Posted on: 10/24/2009 7:25 AM by Author "aeajr" in the forum "RC Gliders, Sailplanes and Slope Soaring"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9197939

RE: Radian - a new e-glider from Parkzone
If the Spirit had a similar power to weight ratio it would have a similar climb. It would need a more powerful motor to have that same power to weigh ratio. The Tower Vista is essentially the Spirit without spoilers. The Spirit has a higher wing loading than the Radian so it would tend to fly faster. The wood wings are stiffer so you don't get the flex that you get in a foam wing. My Spirit has spoilers so I have those to help with landings. Naturally the Spirit, being built up wood, is easier to break and harder to fix. But if you don't smack it up it flies great, but the Radian would have an advantage in very light lift. Both are fun.
Posted on: 10/19/2009 5:22 AM by Author "aeajr" in the forum "RC Gliders, Sailplanes and Slope Soaring"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9184615

RE: What do you recommend for a first slope plane?
My background is more thermal than slope. I only fly slope in the winter in NY as that is the only time the wind is from the correct direction for my main slope sites. My first slope experience was with an Aerobird. Did pretty well. My first slope glider was a Zagi and I loved it. I needed a lot of help learning to launch it and to deal with its tendency to drop into a spin. It was certainly rugged. However I have always found it hard to maintain orientation, but it is a lot of fun to fly. I still have it. Questions for the newbie: How much are you willing to spend? Describe the slope. Do you understand the importance of wind direction? How will you get to the plane if you crash in front of the slope? Describe the landing area. What radio will you be using? Recommendations I discovered the value of plane locators very early so I always recommend one of the beeping kind for every slope glider. I also learned the value of long painter's poles. I have a 25 foot and a 12 footer that come with me to the slope or the flat field every time. I don't use them too often these days but I loan them out a lot. I tend more toward the Easy Glider as a first slope glider for new pilots. They fly well in light lift but if the wind kicks up you can ballast the plane with a steel rod in the hollow wing joiner tube. The overall shape of the EG makes it easier to see the orientation than a you can with a flying wing. The EG ailerons give you enough control to handle most conditions. It is not highly aerobatic but you can fly inverted, do slow rolls, and loop. The Elapor foam, while not as tough as EPP, is pretty tough and easy to fix if you break it. For slope A/E is all the control you need but the rudder can come in handy during landings. If you have a computer radio you can set up spoilerons to help settle the plane for landings. I also find that electric gliders make good first slopers as the new pilot has the electric motor as a back-up if they get into trouble. And if we get to the slope and there is no lift, they can still fly using the electric motor to gain height. While the original EG Electric was underpowered for thermal soaring it was more than adequate as a back-up for slope soaring. So, again, an Easy Glider Electric really works well. I prefer ailerons/elevons for the slope, but R/E gliders can work well too. A plane like the Radian will be very stable and forgiving. Aerobatics are limited but for a first slope glider, stability and repairability are more important than aerobatics, in my opinion. The motor provides a safety net. And, like the Easy Glider, you can put ballast in the wing rod. Once they have become comfortable with these, and understand how to work lift at the slope, then they can move on to other planes. So, an EPP Zagi wing, An Easy Gllider (no motor ), an EG Electric would be my primary recommendations. A Radian would also work. In all cases I am going for highest opportunity for success as opposed to high speed or aerobatics. Many of my slope sites are out over the ocean so if you lose it, you could end up in the water. The fact that foam floats is another reason to recommend foam. Who else has suggestions?
Posted on: 10/19/2009 5:16 AM by Author "aeajr" in the forum "RC Gliders, Sailplanes and Slope Soaring"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9184223