RE: TBM Shock Jet
Yeah, definitely pilot error. You can even see where part of the nose was broken off before it hit the ground, so you know it had to have flown through the wires. I bet the lamps in the nearby houses probably slid across the tables, too. [:)] Not very safe flying conditions to begin with. Taking off from the pits across the flight line, flying over spectators on both ends, flying over houses - could be a disaster waiting to happen, IMHO.
Posted on: 3/22/2012 1:07 PM by Author "toprudder" in the forum "RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11010867

RE: The new Tornado sport jet
[quote]ORIGINAL: MichelPidner Henry, Check it ou my new TORNADO V1!!!!! [/quote] I like that color scheme - very visible!
Posted on: 2/29/2012 5:52 AM by Author "toprudder" in the forum "RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10981214

RE: TBM Shock Jet
I had a flameout with mine not too long ago, right after takeoff. I had gone full throttle with my Falcon, was pulling to vertical when it quit. Only about 100 ft up. Nose down, build up speed, flared and pulled full flaps a few seconds before landing off field. Only thing that broke was the bulkhead the nosegear was mounted to. (A real weak point in the design, IMHO). Quick fix, though. I beefed it up a bit when glueing it back in. If it had been a grassy area I'm sure there would have been no damage. It landed in a harvested field with furrows. With all the wing area and large flaps, it is amazing how slow it will fly, and is one reason why there was so little damage. The problem was the fuel pump. I have a replacement coming from Eric, and am looking forward to getting it back in the air soon.
Posted on: 2/26/2012 5:54 PM by Author "toprudder" in the forum "RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10977355

RE: The new Tornado sport jet
[quote]ORIGINAL: Woketman Yes, but clearly NOT an attack. An attack is if I call someone a dumb_ss!!! [/quote] Dang, I must have missed that one. Who did you call a dumb_ss??? [:)]
Posted on: 2/23/2012 4:27 PM by Author "toprudder" in the forum "RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10972872

RE: The new Tornado sport jet
[quote]ORIGINAL: BaldEagel Its the underside of the airframe that you see mostly in the air and yellow is the best contrast against most sky scapes. Mike [/quote] No one color will stand out under all conditions. I had a plane I flew in pattern years ago that started out with flourescent yellow on the wing, and it completely disappeared against a bright overcast sky. I had to add large dark-blue bands at the tips, then it would show up well against any kind of sky. Large patches of contrasting colors (dark and light) are the best. The light blue and white scheme is one I would never consider for that reason, unless I replaced the light blue with a dark navy-blue. JMHO. For me, both the top and bottom are important. Would be too boring for me if all I saw during most of the flight was the bottom. [:)]
Posted on: 1/23/2012 6:19 AM by Author "toprudder" in the forum "RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10922924

RE: The new Tornado sport jet
[quote]ORIGINAL: BlueBus320 Red & white! Definitely not that light blue that blends into blue sky.. My 2cents, even though I like the yellow better than both. [/quote] Exactly. Some colors look great on the ground but not in the air. Red/white for me.
Posted on: 1/22/2012 5:00 PM by Author "toprudder" in the forum "RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10922160

RE: New Boomerang! Introducing the Exige..
[quote]ORIGINAL: speed is life Little interest here in the States for ''boomers'' if it doesn't say BVM on the box[:D] [/quote] Say what????
Posted on: 1/17/2012 10:14 AM by Author "toprudder" in the forum "RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10913587

RE: How big of a generator do I need ?
[quote]ORIGINAL: mithrandir my $300.00 Champion Generator was a freshly squeezed Steamer... though it always started... the voltage coming out of it was soo poor it wouldn't operate my AC and it killed a battery charger and blows fuses in PA Systems..... I dumped it :( [/quote] Did you call Champion?
Posted on: 12/16/2011 11:52 AM by Author "toprudder" in the forum "Electric Pattern Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10862569

RE: How big of a generator do I need ?
[quote]ORIGINAL: mike31 Buy a Honda. Only rich people can afford cheap stuff! [/quote] Hondas are nice and they are the benchmark, no doubt. If I wanted to go the Honda inverter route to power my camper, the most common way is to get 2 of the EU2000 and the parallel cable set which would set me back about $2000. I have a Champion 3500 that I paid $300, and then the small Sportsman 2000w that I paid $150, depending on whether I need to run my AC or not. I've not had the first glitch with either. Downside is they are heavier (the smaller one is no problem lifting, but the 3500 is HEAVY compared to the Honda). The other is noise, but niether is bad. In fact, they are always quieter than most of the generators running where I camp, and I always try to be courteous to others by not running them all night, and I camp away from others when possible. But, my point is, my experience is that I have saved a LOT of money over the Honda route. I did a lot of research on generators before I bought the Champion. I followed a thread on RV.NET that started out talking about Chinese generators. When the Champion came along, it soon became the one of choice since Champion has a good reputation as well as listening to feedback from the RV.NET thread. They were the first (if not the only) to put the 30A RV style plug on the generator, as well as improve the overvoltage protection on the output. They also were one of the first to put a 120/240 switch to make ALL of the power available on a 120v plug (most have the power as 240v divided on two 120V plugs). This was the only way a 3500w generator would be able to reliably run the 15000 BTU air conditioner on a camper. But, to each their own. I'm not going to call anyone crazy for buying a Honda. They are probably the most reliable make out there and are very popular due to their size, weight, and noise level. For the original question that was asked, "How big of a generator do I need" it has been answered that less than 1000w would easily suffice. That said, a Honda EU1000 would be sufficient, and they run about $700 new. Still way more than I have spent.
Posted on: 12/16/2011 11:16 AM by Author "toprudder" in the forum "Electric Pattern Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10862532

RE: How big of a generator do I need ?
[quote]ORIGINAL: motomike I might be missing something, but if you are using an inverter, to convert DC to AC so you can plug in a charger and convert AC to DC there might be a better way to go. [/quote] I think most of the discussion has been about inverter generators, where the generator has a variable speed engine driving an alternator, that drives a built-in inverter with a pure sine-wave output. You open up another option, though, in that you could use a regular generator to power a 12v charger hooked up to a 12V batt. The generator does not need to be able to handle the peak load, but just enough to keep the 12v battery topped off. The advantage is that you don't need to run the generator every time, only when you are going to be charging a lot of lipos. Most 12V chargers are simple transformers that won't be sensitive to 120v waveform distortions or transients. One of the Harbor Frieght 900w jobs ($90) and a 12v charger (15A output, maybe $50) and a 12V deep cycle battery ($75 - shop around). Someone mentioned solar panels. It would take a lot of panels and they are not cheap. Rated output is only in direct sunlight, so doing much charging on cloudy days is not possible. I would really love to install a few hundred watts worth on top of my camper, but by the time I count the panels, wiring, brackets, charge controller and battery bank, I'm looking at probably $1500. It is too easy for me to pull out my small $150 generator to justify that expense.
Posted on: 12/16/2011 5:40 AM by Author "toprudder" in the forum "Electric Pattern Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10862088

RE: How big of a generator do I need ?
I have the Sportsman generator listed earlier (got mine at Tractor Supply for $150 on sale) and have no problems with it. It is fairly quiet, but not as quiet as a Honda inverter model. I use it to run my 12V 20A power supply for field charging, as well as for my camper when I don't need to run the air conditioner. It also has a 10A 12V output (for [b]charging[/b] a 12v battery ONLY) that can be used to keep a deep cycle battery topped off. Don't try using this output to power your lipo charger, though, as it is unfiltered DC. [link]http://www.tractorsupply.com/sportsman-trade-2000-watt-portable-gasoline-generator-4458506[/link] You can't charge a deep cycle battery in 15min from you car alternator, or any other charge source for that matter. Not going to happen. It has to do with how fast the battery can accept a charge. At the very minimum it will take 4 hours to go from about 50% charge to 85% charge. (AGM batteries can charge faster than the common flooded wet-cell batteries). The last 15% charge may take 12-24 hours to accomplish. When I camp, I try to keep my 12v house battery between 50% and 80% charge. Going below 50% charge shortens the battery life. I don't recommend using the car alternator to charge a depleted battery. Don't ask me how I know. [:o] I know it sounds stupid, but the instructions that come with some (most?) alternators say they are not designed to charge a fully depleted battery. There are special alternators made for things like ambulance duty, but they are not common and are more expensive. [link]http://econtent.autozone.com:24999/znetcs/psb/en_US/2/00/86/546-3tb.pdf[/link] As to why non-inverter generators have noisy outputs, it has to do with how the voltage regulation is done. Some generators use a capacitor circuit to regulate voltage, others use an electronic AVR to do it. Both will have some distortion, but the electronic regulators generally have a cleaner waveform. I won't hesitate to use my Champion generator with my camper or to run anything. Most electronic power supplies are designed to handle distortion and transient surges (to a certain degree) without damage. The most likely way that a generator will damage electronics is if the generator's regulation circuit fails and drives the output high. The normal waveform distortion should not damage anything. I have a WFCO converter in my camper, and I tried using one of the small inverter generators (ETQ) to run it. Did not work. The capacitor filter on the input drew too much current (inrush) when first connecting that it always tripped the output of the generator. I could use the ETQ to run my 12v 20A DC supply for my field chargers, but sometimes that would trip it as well. Once connected and running, it never tripped, it only ever tripped when first turning on the converter. I've never had that problem with my non-inverter generators. Other brand inverter generators may or may not have this problem. Hope this helps. Bob R.
Posted on: 12/15/2011 11:12 AM by Author "toprudder" in the forum "Electric Pattern Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10860989

RE: So you think your EDF is safer than a turbine
Eddie and Ron, GREAT information.
Posted on: 12/15/2011 5:25 AM by Author "toprudder" in the forum "RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10860498

RE: Real Turbine batmobile
[size=3][b]Holy crapnoids, Batman!![/b][/size]
Posted on: 12/14/2011 7:03 AM by Author "toprudder" in the forum "RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10858943

RE: So you think your EDF is safer than a turbine
[quote]ORIGINAL: Mike873 Question for Ron and others- the halon extinguishers seem relatively expensive and are not so great for the environment, totally banned in some countries. Are there other extinguisers you would recommend? (I do not fly turbines). Preferably one that would not soak the plane in fluid or foam. I read a little about the different types but it was not clear to me which ones could be used on Lipo fires and which ones would leave your plane intact. [/quote] Good question. I'm no expert, but as best as I can tell a lithium battery falls under class D (combustible metals). From what I can find, certain dry powder extinguishers are rated for class D fires, but could possibly ruin other parts of the model. They don't make halon extinguishers anymore, but there are replacements called halocarbon or halotron - and they are expensive as well as not being rated for this class of fire. Neither is CO2, for that matter. I'm thinking the best thing to extinguish a Lipo fire would be a bucket of sand. Save the extinguishers for the secondary fire started by the battery (airframe, surrounding dry grass, etc).
Posted on: 12/14/2011 6:17 AM by Author "toprudder" in the forum "RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10858877

RE: So you think your EDF is safer than a turbine
I can't disagree with you, I've seen more lipo fires than I have with turbines, but then again I see a LOT more electrics flying than I do turbines. I've probably witnessed 4 lipo fires (none of them mine [;)]) but only one of those was not pilot error. (Pilot error meaning not properly connecting multiple packs, not checking current on a new setup, etc). The one that I witnessed that was not pilot error was a battery charging. Not sure what went wrong. I have seen one very spectacular turbine fireball, however. David Shulman at Joe Nall, I was probably 200 feet away and felt the intense heat. All I can tell you is that, given the choice, I would much rather have an electric model crash 2 feet from me than a turbine 20 feet from me. The fire from an electric is very small, and is not instant. The fire is usually preceeded by a lot of smoke, giving some warning before flames. JMHO.
Posted on: 12/13/2011 8:10 PM by Author "toprudder" in the forum "RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10858506

RE: PLAN_2 revised: plane to train on BEFORE first turbine jet ?
[quote]ORIGINAL: KC36330 [quote]ORIGINAL: toprudder Yeah, I know that, but I find it interesting that it does not explicitly mention it. [:)] [/quote] why list out every variant??? Kerosene covers them all. [/quote] Sorry I derailed this thread. [sm=omg_smile.gif] Last comment on this from me. Lets say some type of accident happens at the field, a big fireball, someone is burned. Lawsuit occurs
Posted on: 12/13/2011 6:51 PM by Author "toprudder" in the forum "RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10858392

RE: PLAN_2 revised: plane to train on BEFORE first turbine jet ?
[quote]ORIGINAL: KC36330 [quote]ORIGINAL: toprudder Unrelated, but also interesting, is that the regs don't explicity allow JetA fuel (only Kerosene, Propane and Diesel fuels are mentioned as ''approved''.) [/quote] Jet-A is a Kerosene grade fuel. [/quote] Yeah, I know that, but I find it interesting that it does not explicitly mention it. [:)]
Posted on: 12/13/2011 12:38 PM by Author "toprudder" in the forum "RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10857734

RE: PLAN_2 revised: plane to train on BEFORE first turbine jet ?
Yes, a simulator is great, but still not quite the real thing. There is no reason both can't be used. However, the AMA regs do state this: "All turbine waiver applicants should have accomplished at least 50 flights on a high performance model". Doesn't have to be a ducted fan. Not to be picky, but it does not mention simulator time (maybe it should?). Unrelated, but also interesting, is that the regs don't explicity allow JetA fuel (only Kerosene, Propane and Diesel fuels are mentioned as "approved".)
Posted on: 12/13/2011 11:48 AM by Author "toprudder" in the forum "RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10857676

RE: So you think your EDF is safer than a turbine
Bleeding down the batts with automotive bulbs is a good idea for packs up to 3S, and possibly 4S as well, but a higher cell count may burn out the 12V bulbs quickly. In that case, use 2 same-size bulbs in series for up to 7S packs, 3 bulbs for higher cell count.
Posted on: 12/13/2011 11:17 AM by Author "toprudder" in the forum "RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10857635

RE: PLAN_2 revised: plane to train on BEFORE first turbine jet ?
I think it depends on what aspect of your flying you think needs more work (aka TIME). The PNP Habu is only $199 right now. Cheap, quick, easy to get into the air. IMHO, it is good for learning to land on the runway. You don't have to fly it like a turbine, but if you do I think it is good stick time towards that goal. Shoot plenty of touch-n-goes with it. Learn to make low approaches with a little throttle on. Having a small runway to aim for is good, if you fly off a big runway always try to touch on the same spot every time. Once you get good at that, add a 5 cell pack. Plenty quick for its size. I have not really thought about it before, but if you want to simulate a higher wing loading, cut a couple inches off the wing tips of the Habu. I don't really think this is necessary, though, as some of the turbine trainers (like the Shockjet and the Boomerang) land slowly anyway. My Shockjet is like a telemaster with a turbine. [:D] Besides landing approaches, I think the only other aspect of flying a turbine plane would be the speed. Any fast airplane can simulate that. The Habu on 5 cells won't fly 200mph, but for its size it will appear pretty quick. Get used to flying close to the ground with it at full throttle. JMHO.
Posted on: 12/13/2011 7:26 AM by Author "toprudder" in the forum "RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10857284

RE: First jet for a good pilot?
I've flown RC for 38 years, including various types of competition. I just started flying turbines this year (Shockjet). Here are my observations. 1) Throttle lag. Ok, should be pretty obvious, but it ALWAYS seems to lag more when you decide to abort a landing. [X(] I found, at least on my Shockjet, that full flaps and a long-low approach require a little throttle to maintain, and it spools up much quicker from partial throttle than it does from full idle. If you have flaps and/or crow, use it. Don't try a steep approach and flair, make a lower approach and use throttle to maintain it. 2) Elevator response. Several things combine to cause a difference in elevator response from the other type of planes I have flown. No prop blast over the tail. Smaller surfaces. Shorter tail moment (typically). And one that took me a while to realize is the larger moment of inertia. Since the jets typically have the turbine close to the trailing edge of the wing, the nose has to be long and a lot of equipment is placed up there to make the plane balance. This increases the planes response time to elevator input and, if you are used to flying more aerobatic type planes, may cause you to overcontrol the elevator and balloon the plane when flaring. Again, doing a long low approach reduces the amount of flair needed and mitigates the problem to a large extent. Just my observations, FWIW.
Posted on: 12/13/2011 5:48 AM by Author "toprudder" in the forum "RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10857177

RE: So you think your EDF is safer than a turbine
Oh, I almost forgot to say this reminds me of a scene from the movie "Tommy Boy". "...that was AWESOME!!!!. Oh, sorry about your plane, Mike". [:D] Hey, I just saw where Horizon has the Habu P-N-P on sale for $199.
Posted on: 12/12/2011 1:55 PM by Author "toprudder" in the forum "RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10856177

RE: Digital or Analog Throttle Trim
I prefer analog trim for throttle. As someone else posted, I program the left slider to give me throttle trim on my radios.
Posted on: 12/12/2011 1:42 PM by Author "toprudder" in the forum "Gas Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10856159

RE: So you think your EDF is safer than a turbine
Ron's list is a good one - Thanks Ron. I think the info that Eddie passed on is good information as well. Thanks for sharing. I've been lucky that I have not had a lipo fire - yet. I've seen a couple, though. Causing a Lipo to intentionally ignite can be done safely if common sense is used, and is highly educational for others to see that as well. If it causes others to have more respect for what can happen, then that is a good thing.
Posted on: 12/12/2011 1:37 PM by Author "toprudder" in the forum "RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10856149

RE: does anyone else suffer from the build bug these days
I have gotten to where I really don't feel like building much anymore. I think the quality of most ARFs are not bad (I like the 3DHobbyshop and Extreme Flight planes) but there always seems to be things I will change because I don't like something. For instance, for any control surface with lots of deflection (3D planes, smaller ones) I don't like to use CA hinges since it robs torque just to bend the hinges. For the larger planes, I prefer flat hinges over the Robart style, since there is more glue surface in contact with the wood. Sometimes I will change the control linkage setups as well. For instance, I just put together a plane that was setup for flaps and I moved the horn location on the flaps. They were in a good location if they had been ailerons, but the wrong location for a surface that only deflects in one direction. I had to add plywood plates in order to do this. Even with the problems I find with ARFs, I still find it is easier in most cases to start with an ARF and make changes.
Posted on: 12/12/2011 9:12 AM by Author "toprudder" in the forum "RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10855709

RE: TBM Shock Jet
[quote]ORIGINAL: Tip22v Toprudder, I flew out at the Aeromasters a few times around 2001-2002 but they did not seem interested in new members because I never could get anyone to engage in any kind of conversation so I stopped going out there. [/quote] I kinda dropped out of the hobby between '97 and '05, so I was not around then. When I got back into the hobby, I went back out
Posted on: 12/12/2011 9:03 AM by Author "toprudder" in the forum "RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10855703

RE: What allows Kingtech to use diesel where others say you can't?
[quote]ORIGINAL: marquisvns Toprudder, just in case if you also have a KingTech, please give Diesel 1 or 2 a try, it's not picky. [/quote] Nope, don't have a KT. Just getting started with my first turbine right now.
Posted on: 12/8/2011 5:48 AM by Author "toprudder" in the forum "RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10849459

RE: You Know You're A Jet Pilot When??
[quote]ORIGINAL: rcguy59 I knew I was hooked when $2000 seemed like way too much for a 30% gasser, but $3500 For my jet trainer seemed cheap. [/quote] That has been a slow transition for me, but I am getting there!! [:D]
Posted on: 12/8/2011 5:30 AM by Author "toprudder" in the forum "RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10849433

RE: What allows Kingtech to use diesel where others say you can't?
Yeah, I pay $4.20/gallon for clear K1 at the Sheetz close to where I work. They charge $3.99/gal for diesel at the same station, but another station nearby sells diesel for $3.79 (today, anyhow).
Posted on: 12/7/2011 6:33 PM by Author "toprudder" in the forum "RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10848873

RE: What allows Kingtech to use diesel where others say you can't?
Interesting discussion. It was mentioned in a couple of posts about the different types of diesel available, ie: Diesel 1 or Diesel 2. I have heard they change the mix in cold weather, since diesel fuel will gel at colder temps. I did not see any mention of the cetane rating, which can vary as well. Also, I noticed that the Jet Central Rabbit is now rated to burn diesel fuel. [link]http://www.jetcentralusa.com/RABBIT_HLMP.html[/link] I will stick to K1 since it is readily available for me, but about 30 cents/gallon more than diesel (at the moment).
Posted on: 12/7/2011 4:53 PM by Author "toprudder" in the forum "RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10848710