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Bizarre Radian Story!

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  • Bizarre Radian Story!

    My Dad & I love our Radians. He has the updated Eflite version & I have the original Parkzone version. Well, Friday morning after Thanksgiving we were enjoying a few hrs at the field & decided to do a tandem Radian flight. We launched simultaneously & got up to altitude & cut throttle for a nice relaxing glide. I commented to dad, "Mine's not responding to rudder!" Dad says,"Where is yours?" I said,"Right there!" He said,"That one's mine!" Holy crap! Mine was gone, I was watching the wrong plane. Those 2 Radians at altitude look identical. O well, time for a walk in the woods to try & recover my plane.(need to invest in some tracking devices) Last glimpse I had of mine was out of the corner of my eye off to the north east, thinking it was dad's I never looked directly at it. Got into the woods on a trail & found my 1st Radian I lost back in January! (We've had 3 disappear into the sky so far!) Haven't found my newer 1 yet, but my FAA numbers & cell are written inside it so hopefully an honest person will stumble up on it. Put a fresh battery in the old 1 and EVERYTHING but 1 servo still works!!! Waiting on the new wings to arrive & she'll fly again after almost a year in the woods.

  • #2
    We usually fly a minimum of 2 Radians at the same time and at most, we've had 7 of them in the air at the same time. It's actually rare when somebody DOESN'T fly someone else's plane. We've learned that if the plane we think we are flying is not responding to our inputs, chances are we're flying the wrong plane and we either immediately start to do slow circles. Fortunately, many of our Radians are equipped with "Return to Home" modules and if we can't find the plane very quickly, we hit "RTH" and power to 1/2 throttle and wait for it to circle overhead. This has saved many of us countless times. Many of us also have telemetry installed, so we know how much altitude we have to bring it home. The voltage readout is also very helpful. Check it out ................ Bigaole makes the "RTH" module and Lemon makes the telemetry. You can have both for ~$115.00 US.
    Before the days of "RTH" devices, we've lost a few Radians for one reason or another. I strap on a camera to one of my sailplanes or wings and do a grid search. I've found 3 of them after reviewing the video frame by frame.

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    • #3
      Originally posted by xviper2 View Post
      We usually fly a minimum of 2 Radians at the same time and at most, we've had 7 of them in the air at the same time. It's actually rare when somebody DOESN'T fly someone else's plane. We've learned that if the plane we think we are flying is not responding to our inputs, chances are we're flying the wrong plane and we either immediately start to do slow circles. Fortunately, many of our Radians are equipped with "Return to Home" modules and if we can't find the plane very quickly, we hit "RTH" and power to 1/2 throttle and wait for it to circle overhead. This has saved many of us countless times. Many of us also have telemetry installed, so we know how much altitude we have to bring it home. The voltage readout is also very helpful. Check it out ................ Bigaole makes the "RTH" module and Lemon makes the telemetry. You can have both for ~$115.00 US.
      Before the days of "RTH" devices, we've lost a few Radians for one reason or another. I strap on a camera to one of my sailplanes or wings and do a grid search. I've found 3 of them after reviewing the video frame by frame.
      Thanks for the info! Very helpful. I've done the grid search with my mobius several times to no avail. The woods around our field are so dense all it captures is treetops. You'd think at least one plane would come to rest gently in the canopy, but no luck so far. But I WILL get a module fore both radians ! Thanks again. Ron

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      • #4
        Update on the Radian search! My dad slipped off to the field last week to fly his Eflite Radian. While he was flying the maintenance guy from the park walked up holding his Radian Pro that disappeared last summer! They're clearing some woods near by & the guy instantly recognized the plane & who's it was. Everything still works too! Unbelievable Ordered new wings & fuse, He,s got her rebuilt already. So only 1 left in the woods somewhere..

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        • #5
          Re-maidened the pro yesterday. Flies perfectly. Here's a pic.

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          • #6
            Thanks for sharing the photo, CZ Flyer! The Radian and Radian Pro are among my favorite powered gliders. They're so smooth! In the past I've laid down on the ground with a pillow and flown this bid for an hour on thermals. Very relaxing and satisfying!
            Live Q&A every Tuesday and Friday at 9pm EST on my Twitch Livestream

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            • #7
              Originally posted by Alpha.MotionRC View Post
              Thanks for sharing the photo, CZ Flyer! The Radian and Radian Pro are among my favorite powered gliders. They're so smooth! In the past I've laid down on the ground with a pillow and flown this bid for an hour on thermals. Very relaxing and satisfying!
              Thanks Alpha! Yep, exactly why Dad loves his. Lawn chair flyin! Here's the link to the re-maiden https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVj_wxyHelI

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              • #8
                Here's the re-maiden video.
                 

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                • #9
                  I just lost my Radian, I think it is issues with my Transmitter. DX8 Gen 1 already on the way to get checked out by techs. Hope they can find something definite had issues with some other aircraft as of late but thought it might be from different issues. Plane took off and headed South East from my location. Forever lost in the woolly swamps of Southern Alabama. It had 400 LED on the wing. Was hoping to see glow where it may have went down but no luck. Everything had checked out prior to flight. Flew the plane earlier in the day with no issues at all. Had the plane for at least 2 years. Going to put together a big 2500mm Diamond. Might also try the new Radian XL. Going to take Xviper2 advice and get the Bigaole and RTH from lemon.

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by doneod1 View Post
                    Going to take Xviper2 advice and get the Bigaole and RTH from lemon.
                    The Bigaole is the RTH device. Lemon makes the telemetry, which you may or may not want or need. Also, until you regain your confidence in your TX, you might also consider a "failsafe" RX like the Lemon 6-ch. failsafe. That way, if you lose radio connection, the electronics will be set to come home on the pre-set failsafe configuration. If you are concerned that it may have been an ESC/BEC failure, then this small investment ($25.00) will run the electronics to get it home. It's easily movable from plane to plane.
                    This is the Scorpion Backup Guard. The Backup Guard is a small, lightweight stand by power system developed for radio controlled aircraft. The Backup... SCP-SC-BUG



                    Aloft Hobbies offers top quality RC aircraft and radio gear with very reasonable pricing, fast shipping, and full service to backup our products. We are very loyal to our customers!



                    The best quality First Person View equipment. Free or discounted shipping on all orders.Drone Racing, RC Airplanes, FPV Cameras, FPV Goggles, Video Transmitters, RC Quads, Drone Antennas, Lipo Batteries, and Ground Station Equipment.All available for amateurs, schools, hobbyists, government, and wholesale buyers.


                    I have my own bizarre story about the Radian. We had 4 of them in the air, when our friend yelled out he had not control over his Radian. His TX battery was too low to work. The plane went into failsafe mode and just started to come. Luckily, it had good altitude and just circled overhead with the pre-set 1/2 throttle. During this time, the rest of landed and powered off our planes. I told him to just shut his TX off and yank the battery as I ran over to him yanking out the battery on my TX (same DX8). I plugged my battery into his TX. He turned it on, regained control and landed it safely. We all went home happy. That Radian could have circles overhead on 1/2 throttle for another 10 minutes, then spiraled down and landed itself had we not swapped batteries. One guy has put his Radian on RTH and just sat and watched it come back and land itself (just to see if it could).

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                    • #11
                      Viper, I have a few 6 and 8 channel Lemon RX receivers. recently purchased, Is the failsafe option included in all of their receivers or is that a particular receiver model?

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by doneod1 View Post
                        Viper, I have a few 6 and 8 channel Lemon RX receivers. recently purchased, Is the failsafe option included in all of their receivers or is that a particular receiver model?
                        It's on only certain models of Lemon. I believe your 6-ch is a failsafe. The way to tell is to look for a tiny button on the end of the unit. It's on the end with the plug for the satellite antenna. That button is for failsafe binding.

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by doneod1 View Post
                          I just lost my Radian, I think it is issues with my Transmitter. DX8 Gen 1 already on the way to get checked out by techs. Hope they can find something definite had issues with some other aircraft as of late but thought it might be from different issues. Plane took off and headed South East from my location. Forever lost in the woolly swamps of Southern Alabama. It had 400 LED on the wing. Was hoping to see glow where it may have went down but no luck. Everything had checked out prior to flight. Flew the plane earlier in the day with no issues at all. Had the plane for at least 2 years. Going to put together a big 2500mm Diamond. Might also try the new Radian XL. Going to take Xviper2 advice and get the Bigaole and RTH from lemon.
                          I feel you pain bro! We've lost sight of 3, found 2 so far. Fun relaxing planes. I have an audible loss of signal alarm in mine now, so if I get within 1000 feet of it I can find it.

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                          • #14
                            I have a Diamond 2500 on the way, going to make sure that I have a way to get it back should there be a problem. Off subject a little, does anyone have any experience with a Vario Prop. German design. I was thinking of getting one for one of my warbirds and was wondering if anyone had used one.

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                            • #15
                              Lost ANOTHER ONE TODAY! Same scenario. Audible signal alarm was too far away to hear evidently. Thermals were insane, for all I know it could still be in the air. I think I'm done with gliders.

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                              • #16
                                Originally posted by CZ Flyer View Post
                                Lost ANOTHER ONE TODAY! Same scenario. Audible signal alarm was too far away to hear evidently. Thermals were insane, for all I know it could still be in the air. I think I'm done with gliders.
                                That can get very discouraging for sure. In our small group of flyers, there are about 7 - 8 sailplanes, mostly Radians. of the bunch, we've lost probably about 4 of them. Since we put Return to Home and telemetry modules on all of them and watch how far we let them go, nobody has lost one since. Some of us even use Back Up Rx batteries in case of main battery loss. Our group sailplane flight is usually the last flight and is the highlight of the day.

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                                • #17
                                  Originally posted by CZ Flyer View Post
                                  Lost ANOTHER ONE TODAY! Same scenario. Audible signal alarm was too far away to hear evidently. Thermals were insane, for all I know it could still be in the air. I think I'm done with gliders.
                                  Well, My Radian I found before AND dad's Radian Pro both vanished AGAIN within 2 weeks of each other.... and we found BOTH AGAIN! Mine spent 2 weeks in a pine tree and was found by a post on facebook trying to locate dads pro. Someone posted a reply with a pic of a glider in a tree, so I zoomed in & saw green & blue trim instead of red & black. It was my Radian, not dad's. The next day dad found his about 1/4 mile from where mine was. It was in a field down wind. Looked like it went in inverted but was in decent shape considering.. Replaced the fuse & esc & she flies great! Mine was almost flawless, all electronics are still good, just needed some foam putty on a couple dings on the leading edges.

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                                  • #18
                                    Thats some strange good and bad luck.


                                    I recommend one of those drone keeper mini "buzzers"

                                    Self lipo powered, loud alarm, and has option port to install a led light for those lost airplanes late in the day.


                                    locator, beeper, buzzer, ssb-70, lost, alarm

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                                    • #19
                                      [QUOTE=crankestein;n98758]Thats some strange good and bad luck.


                                      I recommend one of those drone keeper mini "buzzers"

                                      Self lipo powered, loud alarm, and has option port to install a led light for those lost airplanes late in the day.

                                      That's a good idea. I actually have a loss of signal alarm in mine, but didn't even look for it this last time because I had no clue which direction it went. I wrote it off until I saw the facebook post! Guy who found it said, "yeah, we were playin poker & kept hearing this noise in the trees out back." So in a round about way I guess the alarm did help me find it.

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