02-01-2011, 02:54 PM
Date: 2 Jan 11
Conditions: Very light westerly winds, perfect visibility
Aircraft: T-33 50mm EDF by Sky Angel (784 mm wingspan, 683 mm length, AUW 385 g)
Pilot: "Junior" Murray
We picked this up a couple of months ago from X-Flight (http://www.x-flight.com.hk/) for AUD $102 delivered. A complete PNP setup, it came with everything except receiver. I was a bit unsure about the stock 850 mAh 20C battery, but reports from RCGroups said it will fly on the stock setup so we gave it a burl. Assembly was nothing to speak of and we tested everything on the ground, the fan seemed to be well-balanced and the CoG was pretty much right on.
I made the first of two mistakes when I suggested not worrying at all about the aileron throws being 10mm when the assembly and operating manual suggested 5mm. A good hand-launch and it was off. Junior reported immediately that it was sensitive in roll, but he seemed to be handling it well. After a couple of high circuits to feel things out, I made my second mistake when I told him to go ahead with a high-speed low pass, before a circuit to land. This is where the aileron throws kicked in and he lost it into the long grass near the reeds on the western end of the strip. A break in the starboard wing was the result, but will be an easy repair for next weekend.
Lessons learned: I shouldn't have ignored the recommended throws - we did ignore them for the PC-9 and got away with it so I thought we'd be right again. These will be corrected before the next flight. We hadn't flown an EDF model before, so I was a bit wary of keeping the speed up in the turns, but Junior didn't think that it was a big transition, after the flight.
Update: 16 Jan 2011
Repaired the wing during the previous week and conditions were good for a re-test today. With the battery charged and the aileron travel adjust (end-point) reduced to 45% we launched again. It flew perfectly! Scale manoeuvres were easily completed and the plane flew well - landings needed to be carried out at speed, but a fast glide with a slight nose-down attitude kept it from going mushy and tip-stalling. The reports we'd read on RCGroups were right - the stock setup does cut the mustard. The only alteration I'm considering now is some 1000 mAh 30C batteries, the rest of the power-train can stay as it is for the time being. Really a great little plane and if I had some cash handy I'd get a different one from the same series ... perhaps the A4 Skyhawk.
Conditions: Very light westerly winds, perfect visibility
Aircraft: T-33 50mm EDF by Sky Angel (784 mm wingspan, 683 mm length, AUW 385 g)
Pilot: "Junior" Murray
We picked this up a couple of months ago from X-Flight (http://www.x-flight.com.hk/) for AUD $102 delivered. A complete PNP setup, it came with everything except receiver. I was a bit unsure about the stock 850 mAh 20C battery, but reports from RCGroups said it will fly on the stock setup so we gave it a burl. Assembly was nothing to speak of and we tested everything on the ground, the fan seemed to be well-balanced and the CoG was pretty much right on.
I made the first of two mistakes when I suggested not worrying at all about the aileron throws being 10mm when the assembly and operating manual suggested 5mm. A good hand-launch and it was off. Junior reported immediately that it was sensitive in roll, but he seemed to be handling it well. After a couple of high circuits to feel things out, I made my second mistake when I told him to go ahead with a high-speed low pass, before a circuit to land. This is where the aileron throws kicked in and he lost it into the long grass near the reeds on the western end of the strip. A break in the starboard wing was the result, but will be an easy repair for next weekend.
Lessons learned: I shouldn't have ignored the recommended throws - we did ignore them for the PC-9 and got away with it so I thought we'd be right again. These will be corrected before the next flight. We hadn't flown an EDF model before, so I was a bit wary of keeping the speed up in the turns, but Junior didn't think that it was a big transition, after the flight.
Update: 16 Jan 2011
Repaired the wing during the previous week and conditions were good for a re-test today. With the battery charged and the aileron travel adjust (end-point) reduced to 45% we launched again. It flew perfectly! Scale manoeuvres were easily completed and the plane flew well - landings needed to be carried out at speed, but a fast glide with a slight nose-down attitude kept it from going mushy and tip-stalling. The reports we'd read on RCGroups were right - the stock setup does cut the mustard. The only alteration I'm considering now is some 1000 mAh 30C batteries, the rest of the power-train can stay as it is for the time being. Really a great little plane and if I had some cash handy I'd get a different one from the same series ... perhaps the A4 Skyhawk.
Steve Murray