RE: Whats a warbird?
I forsee the genre dying with the generation due to a resistance to evolve.
Posted on: 3/15/2011 7:17 AM by Author "tankertoad" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10401193

RE: Wild Hare Electrics
Maybe mine were made on a Friday :) Those digital servos sound awesome. As much as I love Hitec, I would love to see more budget servo options on the market (just like Zippy did for the budget lipo). Oh and BTW, LOVE the slick (we got off on a rabbit trail...no pun intended, talking about servos) It is THE best crafted ARF I have seen to date.
Posted on: 3/12/2011 6:07 AM by Author "tankertoad" in the forum "WildHare R/C Support"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10395045

RE: Wild Hare Electrics
Mine stripped on one of the ailerons and both elevators. I'm using a HS-225BB on the rudder. I may have glued my hinges a little tight, but I really don't think HS-81s are a good option on this plane.
Posted on: 3/11/2011 6:27 PM by Author "tankertoad" in the forum "WildHare R/C Support"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10394331

RE: Wild Hare Electrics
I did a couple of Google searches and found a handful of people describing the same problem going back to 2006. I called Hitec and they are sending me new gears for all my servos to try. They didn't seem to think the 81 was a good way to go on a 3.5 lb plane, so I have HS-82MGs on the way to replace.
Posted on: 3/11/2011 12:54 PM by Author "tankertoad" in the forum "WildHare R/C Support"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10392903

RE: Wild Hare Electrics
I set the endpoints as I was doing the initial set up and noticed them stripping in the shop. On the first flight, I could tell the travel was even more limited as the servo couldn't push the control surfaces against the air load. I opened up the servos tonight and found no damage, but there's a lot of slop between the top two gears. The shaft pins on a couple of them didn't seem like they were seated very well, so I pushed them in as far as they would go. That seemed to help a little, but the servos are still stripping under load. I'm really suprized with this result as Hitec is not normally of such a poor design. I doubt the teeth would break on any of my servos because there's not enough holding the gear mesh together when they are torqued, they just slip. I went ahead and ordered HS-82 (metal gear) servos to replace these. I really hope they don't have the same problem. I'll probably also contact Hitec. It sounds like any body else who has had trouble with HS-81, was from them actually shearing teeth off the gears, not getting the kind of slipping I'm getting.
Posted on: 3/10/2011 7:00 PM by Author "tankertoad" in the forum "WildHare R/C Support"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10392219

RE: Wild Hare Electrics
I think the motor in the HS-81 is just too strong for the servo. Mine stripped in the shop too. They would go to the end of travel for the surface they were driving and make a ratcheting sound as the motor kept running and the drive train slipped. I'll open them up tonight to see if the gears are actually stripping. I suspect there's too much tolerance in the gear mesh and it allows the teeth to disengage and slip. Usually a servo will bind against the gears and stop, but not in the case of the HS-81. They recenter just fine (unlike a servo with broken teeth), which makes me suspect loose gear mesh. It's the first time I've ever used an HS-81 (I have a ton of Hitec servos), and I'm pretty disappointed with the results. What would otherwise be an awesome airplane has been neutered by a crappy servo. Since I've already modded for the HS-81, I'll have to go to the HS-82. That [i][/i]should[i][/i] fix the problem.
Posted on: 3/10/2011 11:41 AM by Author "tankertoad" in the forum "WildHare R/C Support"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10391275

RE: Wild Hare Electrics
I must have gotten a bad batch then. 3 of the 4 servos ( both elevator/ 1 aileron) I have are doing it. I'll pull them and probably go with the metal gear servos since I can't get the throws I need because they strip under load. Thanks for the info :)
Posted on: 3/10/2011 6:13 AM by Author "tankertoad" in the forum "WildHare R/C Support"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10390604

RE: Wild Hare Electrics
Is anyone else using the HS-81 servo on this plane? I don't know if I got a bad batch or what, but these servos won't even move the surfaces at airspeed aero with out stripping. If you put a slight load on them, they skip. It's like the gears are sloppy and the motor is too strong. They center, but something is skipping or stripping inside.
Posted on: 3/9/2011 8:13 PM by Author "tankertoad" in the forum "WildHare R/C Support"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10390159

RE: 2.4 poll - Requesting pilot experiences
Absolutely! Bottom line up front KNOW YOUR VOLTAGE REQUIREMENTS! When I made the switch to 2.4, I had a momentary lock out on my 50cc plane, but recovered. I also locked out a .60 size electric. It was a hard hit, but re-buildable. Both of these were due to [u]my own lack of understanding [/u]of the voltage requirements of 2.4. I made the improvements and have had ZERO lock-outs since. I also have one RX that seems to need re-binding all the time. It probably is somehow related to all the crap I have plugged into the receiver (lights, gear, and flaps on servo regulators). Either way, I just make sure I have a good link before each flight and have had no problems in the air.
Posted on: 3/9/2011 8:02 AM by Author "tankertoad" in the forum "RC Radios, Transmitters, Receivers, Servos, gyros"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10388741

RE: Wild Hare Electrics
Will do - Thanks Tom!![:D]
Posted on: 3/2/2011 1:56 PM by Author "tankertoad" in the forum "WildHare R/C Support"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10374885

RE: Wild Hare Electrics
Just ordered the Slick. Tom suggested the E-flite Power 25, which I will probably use. Since there are 2 versions of the Power 25, does anyone know which is better? The higher KV (1250) gives more power (850 watts), but uses a smaller prop (8*6) at higher RPM vs. the lower KV (870) has a little less power (600) and uses a 12" prop. I like the idea of the larger prop for 3D, but would prefer the extra power. Any suggestions?
Posted on: 3/2/2011 9:53 AM by Author "tankertoad" in the forum "WildHare R/C Support"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10374449

RE: C-17 from easy tiger
I'm getting the ARF/retract version from here: (I don't trust the electronics in the RTFs) http://shop.hobbyshopwarehouse.com/55MM-EDF-JETS_c26.htm They guys on the OTHER forum are modding the rudder and putting in a bigger battery to move the CG forward...that's about it. In addition to that, I'll do the retracts, make the cargo door scale, add lights, make scale decals, and add flaps. It shouldn't be nearly as much work as converting an Eflite airliner into a KC-135R... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyOiyd-nU7E
Posted on: 12/9/2010 6:11 PM by Author "tankertoad" in the forum "Electric RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10187344

RE: PHASE 3 EF-16 Reviews??
The Phase 3 F-16 is the one to go with, but it requires a few mods to get it in the air with confidence. I love mine. I'm flying it on an E-flite EDF 64 with a 4s1p lipo. It scoots along at around the 100mph mark. I plan to get another and run a 70mm fan on a Hoffman motor. It should REALLY scream then. Check out You Tube. There's a modded one on there that hit 177 mph! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TufYysDFJk
Posted on: 12/9/2010 5:48 PM by Author "tankertoad" in the forum "Electric RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10187295

RE: Kyosho Edge 540 Red Bull Air Race series
http://www.voltmaster.de/aircrafts/models/Kyosho/Red-Bull-Airrace/Kyosho-BK-SQS-EP-Edge-540-Red-Bull-Chambliss-1400-mm-10065CHB.html My German isn't so good, but the Kirby version looks like a 55" span built for electric. I'm not sure if you can get it in the US yet (or EVER...it's Kyosho) They also have a smaller foam version and a Minium version.
Posted on: 5/24/2010 3:04 AM by Author "tankertoad" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9755134

RE: Banana Hobby F-14 and B2
I'm confused. Where are foam EDFs being MANUFACTURED in the USA? Point them out, and if they look like a good deal, I'll buy one.
Posted on: 4/8/2010 5:44 PM by Author "tankertoad" in the forum "Electric RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9647056

RE: Banana Hobby F-14 and B2
[quote]ORIGINAL: stoneenforcer Hopefully , this one doesnt choose to learn the hard way and purchase from Banana Peel. You ''might'' get what you ordered. And by the time you replace all the defective parts you could just have purchased an american made quality controlled product. I'm speaking from expereince.... and dont like paying for a partially empty box and never getting what I paid for. AND if you need tech support or customer service to help a guy out... you can forget about that too. Your stuck with whatever junk is shipped. [/quote] I can only agree in part. Having just jumped into the EDF world, I've yet to see an American-made EDF jet. For the most part, yes, you get what you pay for. But, of the 6 different EDF jets I've purchased in the past 9 months, I've only had problems with one. My first EDF jet was the E-flite F-16 (the one with the crappy motor). Although I purchased it from an American based company (Horizon), they didn't build that plane here, they got it from China, and it was a POS. Everything is coming from China, and most can be bought from an American retail outlet (yes, banana counts) without ordering directly from China, so you are not screwing Tower or Horizon anymore than they are screwing themselves for offering such a limited selection of EDFs. You are actually helping the little guy, because there are a bunch of small web-based companies that sell EDFs...all right here in the good 'ol US of A. You may get a little better service from the big name retailers, but no matter where I order from, if the jet is a hit on the forums, then I don't plan on spending anytime talking to a customer service rep. There's an old saying in the Air Force "Don't fly the A-model of anything". It applies here. Don't buy the RTF or PNP or BNF of ANYTHING, unless it's been out for a while and it gets good chatter on the forums. (I've found that the "reviews" on here and elsewhere are unreliable) Buy the ARF and put good, time-tested components in it. I've done that on 5 other EDFs (including the E-flite airliner) and had nothing but success. I can't say the same for my friends who buy the RTFs.
Posted on: 4/6/2010 5:04 PM by Author "tankertoad" in the forum "Electric RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9642087

RE: Eflight Ultra micro site 4
Flying the new one today. 6 batts through it and not so much as a glitch. Problem solved (hopefully)! I tried the Sukhoi prop and the results were mixed. It's a big prop so it flys a lot slower and is easier to hover, plus it slows the down lines with all that drag. This plane is already not a floater so it will stall in hard when it gets too slow. With the big prop, it doesn't spin up quick and throttle response is slow. It eats the battery too. I have a big space to fly in, so I'm going back to the stock prop. Thanks Fern for the links-I'll have to give the GWS props a try.
Posted on: 2/12/2010 4:02 PM by Author "tankertoad" in the forum "Electric Indoor & Micro RC Flight"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9498779

RE: Eflight Ultra micro site 4
If HC's batts aren't up to the challenge, then where do we go from here? 2s? Smaller prop? Brushless? I read where those running the GWS props are burning up motors. Have you had any issues? My LHS also said some guys were putting Sukhoi props on their 4-sites...funny, everyone was running away from that prop when the Suke was released. I've got one I'll try tomorrow. My dig on templates was directed toward E-Flite. When I built the full-size 4-site, I couldn't believe their directions said to use a cheezy little square to get your angles straight. If you haven't put together a GP Yak foamie, I highly recommend it. It has templates that you tak together with CA, then you slide all the parts in and glue them up. Cut away the templates and you have a perfectly square fuselage. Why couldn't Horizon do that with an $80 foamie?
Posted on: 2/10/2010 10:59 PM by Author "tankertoad" in the forum "Electric Indoor & Micro RC Flight"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9494554

RE: Eflight Ultra micro site 4
Fern - Thanks for the info. I've been using the Celectra charger for all my batts (150s) so I don't have any numbers to know if they are suspect. I'm doing all my charging and flying in a heated hangar, so cold temps aren't a prob either. I would have thought it was the battery too but, after a re-set I get 2+ minutes of additional flying before LVC. The only thing that has been consistant is that it happens at high power settings and low airspeed. Could it be a thermal shut-down? Would that affect the servos also? It acts just like a loss of signal that sends the brick into failsafe, except you never get a reboot. I forgot to mention it also did it once when I first put a fresh battery on. So I re-set the battery and it was fine for a 5-min flight with no shut-down. My LHS was kind enough to swap me for a new one, so the old one will go back to Horizon. When I called tech support, he thought it was something on the brick causing it. I'll post here if I experience problems with the new one. Looking for good brushless/prop combo for it now. [quote]ORIGINAL: FERNDALE AIR FORCE That sounds like the battery collapsed. If the battery is not fairly freshly charged and you put it to a strain it just caves. And resetting is not doable. I can make both the Sukhoi and 4-site do that especially in low baro conditions. Also, how are you charging the batteries? The other option is a thermistor of some sort on the board that is cutting out the ESC and needs a hard restart. I got hints that such a component might be on the brick for protection when I was doing battery tests. But it always seemed connected to the battery. I would try a good deep charge on the battery, if you are using a battery based charger, ensure your batteries are good and figure out a comfortable flight time for the battery. The LVC is iffy and will damage batteries. You are not using MCX or Vapor batteries in it are you? Or their chargers for the 150's? I hope that helps. Fern [/quote]
Posted on: 2/10/2010 11:06 AM by Author "tankertoad" in the forum "Electric Indoor & Micro RC Flight"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9492694

RE: Eflight Ultra micro site 4
[quote]ORIGINAL: tankertoad [quote]ORIGINAL: FERNDALE AIR FORCE OK, this plane has got me. I would order the big one, but HH discontinued it. David E. Please reconsider, if possible. The last plane to really just exceed expectations and make me want to just feed it batteries was the Micro-Cessna. When that flew it was marvelous and at the point it came out was perfect for me as a pilot
Posted on: 2/9/2010 11:29 AM by Author "tankertoad" in the forum "Electric Indoor & Micro RC Flight"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9489686

RE: Eflight Ultra micro site 4
[quote]ORIGINAL: FERNDALE AIR FORCE OK, this plane has got me. I would order the big one, but HH discontinued it. David E. Please reconsider, if possible. The last plane to really just exceed expectations and make me want to just feed it batteries was the Micro-Cessna. When that flew it was marvelous and at the point it came out was perfect for me as a pilot in training. I would just keep on loading batteries and seeing what the plane would do, in the case of the Cessna it was not a lot, but a lot for me. Fast forward a few years, I have multiple everything and a 1000 flight plane. I have picked up and figured out tips and tricks. I am involved with an online club(Badius Owners Club), I fly everyday just about. I am a bit jaded, and I rarely believe Manufacturer claims. Then, after an epic hassle, I got the plane and set up the tx and flew it. Wow and holy cow, but that was just a response to getting a new plane that I had wanted for months, right, and would ease up as I found problems with the performance and or airframe. I am only on my 12th flight, and I flew 4 today, but I am really and truly impressed. I will be upping my rates tonight, but so far the only thing I worry about is me. The plane does exactly what I tell it to do when I tell it to, everytime. Fern [/quote] Fern - I'm with ya on the full size 4-site. The build was painful (ever heard of TEMPLATES?), but it's the best flying foamie I've had to date (#6, if I recall). I don't get it, they don't have a replacement for it. If they did, they would announce it in the Summer when no body is flying indoors. Then, they would push back the release 4 or 5 times and you wouldn't see one in the LHS until the very end of the indoor season. Sound familiar? I'm beginning to think Horizon took bailout $ and is being run by BHO, Rahm and Nancy.
Posted on: 2/8/2010 10:33 PM by Author "tankertoad" in the forum "Electric Indoor & Micro RC Flight"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9488578

RE: Eflight Ultra micro site 4
Do you lose the servos too? [quote]ORIGINAL: srt10 [quote]ORIGINAL: tankertoad I'm on the third flight today. It's indoors, so it wasn't too cold and I was not in LVC. Lucky for me I was only a couple feet off the ground wings level high-alpha when SMACK! It stopped dead and flopped on the nose. I could hear the normal servo whine, but the motor and controls were un-responsive
Posted on: 2/8/2010 9:08 PM by Author "tankertoad" in the forum "Electric Indoor & Micro RC Flight"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9488355

RE: Eflight Ultra micro site 4
I'm on the third flight today. It's indoors, so it wasn't too cold and I was not in LVC. Lucky for me I was only a couple feet off the ground wings level high-alpha when SMACK! It stopped dead and flopped on the nose. I could hear the normal servo whine, but the motor and controls were un-responsive. I re-set the battery and all was fine for two more flights. I'm flying stock battery on a Spektrum module equipped Futaba TX. This thing glides like a man hole cover and I'd hate to pile it in from higher up (the hangar ceiling is at least 75 ft high) if it quits again. Any ideas what caused it?
Posted on: 2/8/2010 8:46 PM by Author "tankertoad" in the forum "Electric Indoor & Micro RC Flight"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9488294

RE: Off Subject! Any Military/ex-Military here?
12 yrs ADAF. IP on the Tanker. Currently doing Operational Test at McGuire. Lovin' every minute of it (if you believe that I've got some land to sell). God bless all the vets on here. [8D]
Posted on: 1/15/2010 10:14 AM by Author "tankertoad" in the forum "Airplanes - Full Scale"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9417897

RE: Looking for UAV/UAS job. Can anyone help?
Dave - I'm not sure what your flying background is, but there are UAV options in Dept of Homeland Security and many air guard units that lost their fighters are going UAVs (Fargo, Terre Haute, etc). If you don't mind making less $, there are universities that are looking for UAV experience like UND in Grand Forks. They just started up a UAV program and partnered with the AF base (big UAV future there, if you don't mind living up north). Unless you are wanting to leave the AF for the sake of leaving the AF (and I wouldn't blame you with all the generals and politicians running it into the ground), then I would stay and go west where the air is dry and the planes are pilotless. Lots of heavy guys in the AF going UAVs because they are sick of deploying, plus the training is useful for life after Uncle Sam. It sounds like a lot of fighter guys are ticked about the loss of cockpits, but the MAF guys are just as fed up for other reasons. All the guys I know that have gone to UAVs love it. It's a huge growth industry for the AF and you get to see your family. The locations leave something to be desired. I see little change in that due to the FAA not wanting to see UAVs co-mingle with the 7:15 out of Chicago. Good luck!
Posted on: 10/1/2009 8:05 AM by Author "tankertoad" in the forum "UAV's and Drones"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9138100

RE: Main shaft bent? MSR
Kind of like right thrust angle on a prop plane![:D]
Posted on: 9/30/2009 7:06 PM by Author "tankertoad" in the forum "E-Flite Helicopters"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9136804

RE: Armor the mSR
After breaking two tail motors, I covered the end of mine with 5 min epoxy to encase the wires and end cap. No problems so far. My problem is the stupid "toilet bowl" thing. I keep re-calibrating the swashplate with the little red tool, but it only helps a little. Anybody else having this problem? (links are fine, main blades look OK)
Posted on: 9/30/2009 7:03 PM by Author "tankertoad" in the forum "E-Flite Helicopters"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9136796

RE: Spares for Blade mSR
I have had mine for 5 days and so far I have replaced 2 tail booms, one because the plastic end cap came off (you'll never get it back on) and the second because the wire broke loose. I have also replaced the spindle in the rotor head and the blade grips because one blade grip broke and the spindle vanished somewhere in my carpet.[:o] I have talked to others who have replaced the tail rotor blade, main rotor blades and landing skids. To keep from having to replace the entire tail boom when the motor gets damaged, dab a small drop of epoxy on the end bell to cover the wires and where the plastic end cap enters the metal motor housing. I did that to mine and have had no more damage. I have also bent one of the control arms and was able to straighten it. Already, mine is doing the "toilet bowl" thing. The manual says to replace the main blades, re-calibrate the swash plate (with the little red tool) or replace a rotor linkage. I keep recalibrating mine and it helps a little, but I think I should also replace the main blades, even though they don't appear to have much damage.
Posted on: 9/30/2009 6:56 PM by Author "tankertoad" in the forum "E-Flite Helicopters"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9136776

RE: What jet should i get???
Check out U-Tube. There's some modified Phase 3 F-16s that are pretty impressive on there.
Posted on: 9/22/2009 6:49 PM by Author "tankertoad" in the forum "Electric RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9116115

RE: Lanxiang/BlitzRCWorks F-22 thrust vector mod
If you go to the Hobby Lobby site and look at what their SU-34 can do in the video, my F-22 will do the same. On the front side of the power curve, it's a VERY stable EDF jet, so adding the TVs made it do exactly what I hoped it would do. (Cobras, flips, etc) It would probably be capable of high alpha flight, but it tip stalls pretty wickedly, so I would suggest a gyro on the roll axis if you are looking to do it. I may add one later, but now I'm busy converting an E-Flite Super Airliner into a KC-135. I hand launch with no problems and it's very easy to land. The additional weight is nearly a non issue since I didn't add the gear to mine. I compensate for any CG issues (I doubt it makes much difference) by running a slightly larger battery than if you get the RTF version. It's a great mod. It impresses everyone who sees it fly. Now if I can just get someone at my club to get an SU-34 so we can go head to head :)
Posted on: 9/18/2009 8:30 AM by Author "tankertoad" in the forum "Electric RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9101579