What ya changing for 09

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AIM
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What ya changing for 09

Post by AIM »

We started a conversation in upcoming events about 2.4 and a few other things so I thought I'd move that to here.
What new changes or improvements are you doing for the 09 season or are you happy with what you ran last year.

Staying true to form I am completely changing my fleet to something different. (different to me)
Every year I try a new plane because I just haven't found one that I truly love.
This year I'm going to flat bats. They look like they are tougher than hell and plenty of room to stash stuff inside which may help damage control. They weigh out a bit heavy but I build strictly for LimB so that shouldn't be an issue. I'm gonna start out with a V tail so I dont have to slot the bat but we'll do a test build and fly before building more.

What little things are the rest of you working on? Plane improvements? Field gear upgrades? Radio upgrades?
AIM
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Post by AIM »

Plus I'm considering a change to 2.4.
There are some pretty killer deals going on right now for the Assan system and probably others. I need to get a couple new rxs and switching may just be the thing to do. I was pricing new 72 rxs and by the time I buy a few with crystals I'm gettin pretty close to the cost of switchin to 2.4 if I go with the Assan stuff.
M. Gillette
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Post by M. Gillette »

What wing are you going to be using on the bats?? V tail sounds cool!! Are you setting up the wing with elevons and no flaps on the tail?? I think having a full function V tail would be slick, could do knife edge passes all day, and actually use the left stick for more than a toggle switch for the throttle.
Vapor52
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Post by Vapor52 »

V-tails are smooth fliers! Watch out though, they have a little problem with yaw control when you have a streamer on the wing tip. From what I've seen & heard though, that won't be a problem for you!
AIM
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Post by AIM »

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Vapor52</i>
<br />Watch out though, they have a little problem with yaw control when you have a streamer on the wing tip. From what I've seen & heard though, that won't be a problem for you!
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Oh you are a funnnny little man!
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boiler
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Post by boiler »

I believe Neil Byrd flew V tails. Chris Quinn's Battle Axe started with a V tail but he decided to change to prevent some snapping.
sgilkey
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Post by sgilkey »

The best way to counteract the yaw problem caused by a streamer on the tip is to use the "Scott Gilkey Yaw Control System" which is to surgically plant a streamer on the opposite wing side. Using advanced math, I calcleate the length of the problem streamer multiplied by the position on the wing span to come up with a yaw torque. I then spot the available streamers- depending on their length and proximity I do a probablility calculation of the best streamer to cut, then I divide the length of that streamer into the yaw torque to determine the station on the opposite wing where I need to plant the streamer. These calculations happen at lightning speed due to my unusually quick brain. Once the calculations are complete and I get what me and my fighter pilot and torpedo launching brethren call a "firing solution" (yes, in my mind I even get that rapid "missile lock" beeping, but you guys on the flight line can't hear it) I then rapidly and surgically snip the streamer and drape it on my wing. YAW PROBLEM SOLVED, until I get the next (of many) cuts and the "problem" starts all over again. With exceptional flying skills and brain power, though, it's all in a day's work.

On the other hand, lesser (i.e. not me) pilots can just go with a mondo fin to help offset their once-a-day cuts. That's why Brian and Eric's planes, as well as Doc Evil and other pikers, have monster fins, for example.
Alex Treneff
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Post by Alex Treneff »

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by sgilkey</i>
<br />The best way to counteract the yaw problem caused by a streamer on the tip is to use the "Scott Gilkey Yaw Control System" which is to surgically plant a streamer on the opposite wing side. Using advanced math, I calcleate the length of the problem streamer multiplied by the position on the wing span to come up with a yaw torque. I then spot the available streamers- depending on their length and proximity I do a probablility calculation of the best streamer to cut, then I divide the length of that streamer into the yaw torque to determine the station on the opposite wing where I need to plant the streamer. These calculations happen at lightning speed due to my unusually quick brain. Once the calculations are complete and I get what me and my fighter pilot and torpedo launching brethren call a "firing solution" (yes, in my mind I even get that rapid "missile lock" beeping, but you guys on the flight line can't hear it) I then rapidly and surgically snip the streamer and drape it on my wing. YAW PROBLEM SOLVED, until I get the next (of many) cuts and the "problem" starts all over again. With exceptional flying skills and brain power, though, it's all in a day's work.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Hm, I always thought Scott's solution to avoid the yaw issue was to just not fly! [:p]
AIM
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Post by AIM »

I did a bunch of reading this morning on the 2.4 stuff and quite frankly I think I know less now than I did before. I guess I'm just more comfortable with 2X4's than 2.4's. Anyways I think for this year I will just continue with 72 and wait a bit to convert.
I started cutting out a few parts last night for the bat and hope to get an actual start on building tonight. I've got everything I need to build one.
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boiler
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Post by boiler »

Since my fleet was pretty much intact at the end of the season I'm building 3 spare B wings with an improved color pattern. I'm also building a new SSC wing with no sweep on the leading edge to see how it balances and flies. If it works well, I will continue with that since it helps tape application for my new color pattern. I plan to start a Bearcat for 2548 to get a allied plane in my fleet. I may also do a p-39 or p-40 if I find time on my hands. I hope to complete the lower wing on my Ultimate Bipe before my club's first fun fly.
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Ed Kettler
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Post by Ed Kettler »

SSC: Building a new SSC squadron around Texas Flugwerks cartoon scale P-39s. 3 completed, plus two electrics for Scott


2548: Squadron intact from last year, replaced the glow P-70 with an electric version. Have the SBD ready, several Mustangs, a Spitfire needs to be maidened.

3696: Several Texas Flugwerks planes ready

Open B: yes, I'm back!!! Building a prototype Open B version of the cartoon scale P-39. Have parts for 3 in the shop.
Lee Liddle
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Post by Lee Liddle »

SSC I`ll be flying the F-werks kit version of my E-Falcon, which BTW is a very accurate duplication of my design, with all of the latest design features. I`ve bought a couple of Scorpion outrunners to play with for both SSC and a 2548 twin. Very good quality motors for $45 each.

3696 still have the fleet flying. Plan to fly my P-38 and Me-410 in actual heats this year.

2548 I`ve converted my original 2610 Me 410 to e-power and it flys great even at 5lbs. I hope to get a new airframe built. Should be able to keep the weight down to about 4.5 lbs. May do an F-82 later in the year.

Open B.not sure yet. Still have a couple of old beaters. Maybe a couple of Russian style wings for fun.

Open-E. Im going to build a few Open style wings for the 3696 power system and see if I can generate some intrest for some of this in the area. Should be fun and very easy. Then we could have an all e-combat day with open and scale.

For sport flying, I`m building some big bad-a$$ twin EDFs with weights between 15 and 20lbs and speeds between 150 and 190 mph.
AIM
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Post by AIM »

Went out to the garage last night to start a little assembly of the bat and discovered that mounting a V tail to the round handle of a bat is tricky. Getting the angles correct and getting both sides to match is quite difficult. Some form of jig would be nice but I'm now starting to see where slotting the bat for a conventional tail might just be the best and easiest way. I managed to come down with a nice cold yesterday so I'll admit that patience and enthusiasm were pretty low.
I was concerned about how I was going to mount a throttle servo but it looks as though I'll have room to cut one in just in front of the tank but it will need to be a smaller (hs81) servo. Lightning has been sending me some pics of his bats and he has the throttle mounted inside on a tray but I would like the servo and pushrod out where I can get at it.
It's going to be an interesting build all the way around but I'm hopeful that durability will offset the time invested.
ptsullivan
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Post by ptsullivan »

I am building 3+ fresh Makos with exciting new updates for the '09 model year (used car sales voice here)
Basically I am going to redesign the way the center keel works with the engine pod. My goals are to move
to a 3 servo configuration using a single 225 for the ailerons. I have had good luck with embedding golden rod
in the foam with poly-u glue for a low slop/yet survivable linkage. It seems light and I hope to reduce
the weight by removing an extra servo and several extensions. I plan to install the three servos plus battery
and Rx ahead of the CG below and in front of where the fuel tank sits. The point is to allow me to move the engine
closer to the LE and save weight due to less HDPE required for the engine pod. I will have to widen the engine pod forks to
fit all the hardware but this will help since the forks were too close together anyway. I will also be vacuum forming
a cover/fuel tank saddle to cover the electronics up front.
When I add up the material changes it looks like I should save 2.5 to 3 ounces which means a lot. It should also
speed build time by reducing the number of manual construction steps in favor of more standardized parts off of Terry's
CNC router. Having all the electronics in one pre-cut place should speed up setup and increase maintainability.
I hope to get to a point where all the foam cutting/gluing/covering can be done at one time and engines/electronics can
be bolted up as needed.
I seem to fly my best when my gear starts to feel interchangeable. I like it when all my planes fly off the
same program on my radio and one airframe is just as good (or bad) as any other. Thats the point I would like to
be at for '09.

I will also be building some cartoon scale FW190Ds for local SSC.
More on those later.
THend
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Post by THend »

Gonna fly more combat.

[:D]
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