|
Post by Pij on Dec 15, 2008 20:57:43 GMT 10
Another satisfied customer. Oh, you noticed, didn't you? No, it's not a Slope Monkey. You see, the #3 Monkey is not to be built until we fully test #2, and we need the right weather conditions for that. So, #3 boy couldn't get his #3 Monkey in short order, so he got his Christmas present, Multiplex Easy Star, early. I have one more EasyStar and an Easy Glider Electric to build before Christmas, so #3 Slope Monkey will have to wait. But work on the previous Monkeys continues. This morning, I prepared to re-balance #1 Monkey after its wing surgery, but then I was shocked to see that its fuselage was badly twisted! I don't know whether it was due to the hot weather, or the extra kids we've had around lately, but it was bad! I used a hair dryer to heat the Gooped fuse, and let it cool, so after a few tries I think I have it straight again, but that was a nasty unexpected extra. The Easy Star says on the box that it takes 2 hours. This one took 2 days, but the next one should be very quick.
|
|
|
Post by jirvin4505 on Dec 15, 2008 22:54:52 GMT 10
Another satisfied customer. .. so he got his Christmas present, Multiplex Easy Star, early. . Hello Paul.. Great choice the easy* Recently got 2 of them into the air. used them to get a friend back into the hobby and to get another friend started. They go well with he standard 400 gear. I have one set up with chinese clone brushless running on 2200 3s zippy packs. Goes real well. Seems to give a mornings training session on one charge. I also like taking it out as a back up and do some thermal hunting with it - sick man that i am! ;D cheers jeff
|
|
|
Post by Pij on Dec 16, 2008 6:48:41 GMT 10
Yes, it's a disease, Jeff When I built my Minimag about a year ago, I ordered an inrunner, but while I was waiting I built it with the standard brushed motor, and it was pathetic. When the inrunner arrived, it was almost an unscrew-remove-replace-rescrew job. And WOW what a difference it made, on 3s lipo. So I was disappointed to discover that the motors in Easy* and EasyGlider are glued in. The boys will have to be satisfied with standard performance. Of course, these have lots of wing and a pretty low-drag fuse, unlike the Minimag, so should be OK, though they are a much bigger plane.
|
|
|
Post by Pij on Dec 16, 2008 17:45:12 GMT 10
Maidened the EasyStar this morning. It flies well, but the cheap Tx was cr@p. Flew it from my JR, much better. There were motor glitches, but that's not unusual at the Bonna Road field. The young owner is very happy. The EasyStar glides amazingly well. Tends to drop the nose on left turns, though. Paul there are extensive (overwhelming!!!) threads on rcgroups concerning the Easy*. The one essential mod is to increase the rudder area. I extended the hinge line completely to the top of the fin - this gets close to being adequate area. One retro mod i make to assembled Easy* is just tape on a credit card to extend the rudder backwards. Dropping nose heavily in turns could indicate a nose heavy condition. I run my cg at the rear of the spar cover. Heads Up - keep an eye on the canopy catch's, a lost canopy is a common occurrence. I have the sophistication of a rubber band to secure it in place cheers jeff Thanks for that Jeff. Yes, the rudder is tiny, and the recommended deflection is tiny too. But I won't consider increasing it until after I deal with the nose-dropping - otherwise I think more effective rudder will drop the nose worse. I have the recommended CG, 5mm ahead of yours. Can change that easily. Actually, tweeked the battery back a couple of mm during the session, and noticed some improvement in overall performance. The canopy latches have been revised - a lot better than the old style, which I have in my Minimag. I use a fat rubber band on the MM. But there's still a high chance of mis-latching one side, but thinking it's secure. The rubber-band might become an accessory for this one too I think. BTW they haven't revised the instructions to keep up with improved latches, or improved prop.
|
|
|
Post by Pij on Dec 16, 2008 17:49:57 GMT 10
Monkey #2 got its "real" maiden today, at Barolin Rocks. It was sensitive, but flew beautifully, even from the cheap Tx. Monkey #1 was not so good - faster, and didn't seem to stay trimmed. Looks like the fuselage twisting was associated with tailboom weakening. Also looks like deliberate sabotage, not heat damage.
|
|
|
Post by Pij on Dec 17, 2008 21:36:39 GMT 10
I built another Easy* today. It went much smoother overall, but there is a problem: The horizontal stabilizer is not on a parallel level to the wing. I am disappointed.
|
|
|
Post by felix on Dec 17, 2008 22:54:01 GMT 10
Pij definitely getting quite a hanger going there now mate! Well done……hopefully with a bit of heat and coaxing you can get that tailplane straight –fustrating when that happens
|
|
|
Post by Pij on Dec 19, 2008 19:46:02 GMT 10
I used CA, on EPO foam. Quite a lot of CA, PolyZap, the almost flexible one. But I don't think heat will do it. If it becomes an issue, I'll put a cut through the foam below the mount, re-level and re-glue. But the maiden was good. Got a bird-attack on the first flight, same as the previous EZ* two days earlier - but this time the d@mn peewee was really cranky, kept striking again and again, and managed to get beak/claws through the foam and fibre tape on the nose. Nothing serious, but it was a reminder of why we avoid that field in spring/summer.
And of course, the radio glitches. Always have trouble at that field. It is on a direct line with the microwave communications link between 2 sugar mills, though according to the concepts of radio frequency interference microwaves should have no effect. But using the idea of flux density producing a potential difference between the ends of any wire in the field - the leads to the motor and servos could develop their own tiny voltages, which might explain what I've noticed on several planes, using different receivers and transmitters, on different frequencies. There are certain bits of airspace at the field that are worse than others.
So, we wanted to go to the Goodwood field to re-test, to be certain whether the problem lies in the model, or in the location. But the weather won't co-operate. Testing for intermittent glitches in gusty winds doesn't sound smart.
Anyway, regarding the non-parallel horiz tail: It had no adverse effect on the EZ*, after trimming, until I tried a loop, which it rolled out of. So, for beginner training, it's OK for now.
I used a CG a bit behind recommended, but not as far as Jeff's, and it did seem to reduce the nose-drop in turns. Thanks for that, Jeff.
|
|