Official Skynetic 1.4M Shrike Glider Thread

[Aros]

Motion RC is proud to announce Skynetic, a new brand of foam electric aircraft offering high value and diverse selection for newer pilots looking to broaden their flying experience across a range of platforms. Developed by and available exclusively at Motion RC, Skynetic advances our vision of a global audience discovering the fun of RC Flight. Backed by Motion RC's customer support and a full line of spare parts to keep you flying, stay tuned for new products as we expand our exciting new brand!

The Skynetic 1.4M Shrike Glider raises the bar for foam electric sport gliders. Ideal for newer pilots looking to expand their skills with confidence and convenience, the Shrike assembles in minutes, provides "full house" control surfaces including flaps, and features an innovative mounting system that fastens or removes the main wings in mere seconds without tools.

More info, video and photos coming soon!

PRODUCT PAGE:

https://www.motionrc.com/collections/coming-soon-airplanes/products/skynetic-shrike-glider-1400mm-pnp

[Aros]

Product page is live...ETA is 10/18...

https://www.motionrc.com/collections/coming-soon-airplanes/products/skynetic-shrike-glider-1400mm-pnp

[James]

So excited to have the Shrike Glider available now in the US warehouse! Pilots will really enjoy the simplicity and flight characteristics of this model. I had a blast gliding all over TripleTree at Nall in the Fall and I was never much for gliders previously. Perfect for training a new pilot too.

Shrike Glider: https://www.motionrc.com/collections...der-1450mm-pnp

[TangoVector]

Very nice!

There will be one under the tree for my oldest daughter this Christmas.

[Swissjet]

Must have

[PappaBear]

The Skynetic Shrike is a motor glider that is both docile and can be flown as a thermal soarer, slope soarer, or a powered aerobatic glider. The overall quality of the model is really excellent and I couldn't fault it in any way. The parts fit together well and it assembles quickly.

The way the ESC motor wires are routed in the fuselage they should fit into a slot in the plywood battery tray. This should be checked carefully, mine would have worn through rubbing on the rotating motor case. It's an easy fix, but all the same, should be checked by the builder pilot. I stuck a piece of tape over the slot to prevent them from coming out in flight.

The horizontal stabilizer slides into the slot in the rear of the fuselage and is held firmly in a location notch in the fuselage. This works better than you might at first think. However, you could add a small dab of foam Tac to secure if one is in doubt as to the security. Access the rudder and elevator servo is via a hatch in the bottom of the fuselage behind the wing. The elevator and rudder pushrods are already fitted and only require connecting to the servos via the link stops which are attached to the servo arms.

The wings attach to the fuselage by a carbon rod through the fuselage and into each wing panel. The aileron and flap servos are already fitted to the wings and the connection of the servos is by a multi-point connector fitted in the root of the wing with the corresponding connection in the fuselage. Pushing the wing up to the fuselage side will automatically connect the servos and the wingtip lights to the RX. The wings are secured by a single retaining pin in the cockpit which pushes through the fuselage and both wings. This locks the wings in place and also makes for a good connection to the multi-block connector.

I used an Admiral standard 6 channel RX (not Gyro) and I installed this on the rear of the battery tray just in front of the rudder and elevator servos. This leaves plenty of room in the nose for the battery. I used an Admiral 3S 2200mAh. The battery strap I found to be a little fiddly to hold the battery in place, so in addition to the strap, I also used an elastic band just to be sure the battery would stay in place. The battery can be positioned anywhere in the nose and there shouldn't be a problem balancing the model in the correct place. The CG is 65 mm behind the L/E of the wing. This position is the correct starting point. Some pilots may want to move it slightly further forward or back to suit the flying style.

I set my control throws as follows. The elevator and rudder at 100% up and down, left and right with 25% exponential. The ailerons I have the pushrod in the second hole in the servo arm and 100% up and down with 25% expo. The flaps I have 3 positions, neutral, up, and down. I have about 25º up and 45º down. The up flap adds a reflex to the wing and increases the speed. The down increases the lift.

Carry out a throttle calibration before attaching the folding prop. This is simply held in place with the spinner cone hand tight. If the spinner is over tightened it will cause the folding prop to bind and it may not fold with power off.

The model climbs away from a hand launch with plenty of power. I had to adjust the trim slightly to obtain a straight and level flight under power. I'm guessing this is due to the fact the controls may not have been quite level when I set everything up. With natural flap the model is quite aerobatic, it will loop and roll, fly inverted with ease. Lowering the flaps it will fly around what seems like forever very slowly and gently and will hold the altitude well. Raising the flaps to the up position will lower the nose and the speed increases rapidly, it works well to lose height quickly. Roll the model inverted and lower the flaps (Raise) and the model is just as docile as it is the right way up. The model will fly well using just the rudder and elevator to control without the ailerons. The plastic parts in the underside of the fuselage prevent damage to the foam when landing.

Overall, it's a nice model to fly and it a lot of fun. Several club members showed a great deal of interest in it when I flew it for the first time yesterday. Personally I think it represents excellent value for money.

Pappa Bear

Motion RC, LLC

[James]

Nice work Martin. Has anyone else got their Shrike out for a flight yet?

[Alpha]

I went back out with my Shrike earlier this afternoon, flying alongside its big brother..

[JamesonC]

I went back out with my Shrike earlier this afternoon, flying alongside its big brother..

It's big brother???

[ridgerunner]

Ordered!

[ridgerunner]

Received the Shrike a few days ago and assembled it today.
A test spin up inside the house revealed that the spinner will immediately unscrew itself if the throttle is cut instantaneously (the ESC must have strong braking enabled). To remedy this unwanted behavior, I first used some blue Loctite on the spinner threads and secondly I'll be changing my radio settings so that the throttle slowishly ramps down under all conditions thus eliminating the large "unscrewing torque" when throttling back. (Us heli pilots like to use an (instantaneous) throttle hold in conjunction with a governor, and the governor handles the ramp down).

Some notes on the build:

• The manual says the rud/elev links use a 1 mm hex wrench - its actually 1.5 mm.
• The labels on the Elevator and rudder servo leads were reversed.
• I also threadlocked the motor mount screws (us heli pilots have a built-in "threadlock it!" mentality when it comes to metal-to-metal machine screw fasteners ).
• The "no-tools-required" wing assembly mechanism is Brilliant! This assembly checks all the right boxes: - Quick, easy, simple, strong, lightweight and almost idiot-proof (it would be easy to forget to insert the plastic spike). I'm going to attach a tether so that it always stays with the cockpit - and should never get set astray).

So far, I'm really liking this very well designed sport motor-glider.

Maiden tomorrow!

[ridgerunner]

Successful maiden this evening in virtually calm conditions (wind ~ 2mph out of the North). Three flights totaling about 10 minutes airtime and 6 minutes throttle on time - battery came down @ 3.9V - (but it was not fully charged to start off with). I'm thinking this will give 15 minutes easy with mixed gliding and ripping. Much longer on a slope!

The Skynetic Shrike flys beautifully! Hauls butt like a sport/slope plane but glides and sinks like a floater. Required zero trim. Plenty of power on a 2200 3S. Here's a frame grab from my hatcam - That's Monroe Peak just under the wing (11,227 ft MSL).


Thanks to Alpha for the great design and execution!

[Nav135]

I am interested in this plane and would want to use an Admiral RX600SP for gyro stabilization but wonder how easily it would be to install? The un-boxing video mentioned you could use such a gyro but did not go into RX installation except to comment he shoved the RX back into the fuse behind the battery. I don't think he was using a gyro RX(?). I wonder how easily it would be to secure the RX on the floor of the fuse and configure the antennas rather than just having to shove it back. Is there enough maneuvering space to properly secure the gyro RX on a level plane behind the battery or could it go somewhere else under the canopy? Or should I just forget about using a gyro? Any feedback greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[drettger]

I do not have the Shrike glider, so I cannot talk from experience. But, a really easy way to mount the RX is to go to the hardware store and buy some velcro tabs that stick on both sides. Stick one side of the velcro on the inside of the fuse where you want the receiver to sit and the other side on the receiver itself. Then just stick the two velcro pieces together. They will stay where you put them, but you can easily peal out the RX any time you want to. I have also stuck velcro tabs where I want the antenna wires to run. Lay the antenna wire over the stuck on tab and then stick the other piece of velcro over it. The antenna will stay where you put it, but it can be removed easily. Makes mounting the RX really easy and could probably work for a gyro, too.

[Nav135]

Thanks, drettger, for taking the time to respond to my inquiry. Your suggested use of velcro to secure receivers to the side of aircraft, or where ever one can secure them, is valid and I usually use it for receivers on my other aircraft. However, my question had to do with the RX600SP, which is a receiver with gyro stabilization. It is recommended that this receiver be mounted on a surface that is horizontal when the model is in normal level flight attitude, and preferably close to the CG. Some gyros can be mounted on the side of the fuse as long as they are orientated in the correct forward/aft direction. Either way though, the gyro component should be mounted with double-stick tape rather than velcro to prevent even the slightest movement between component and aircraft. Having to place the RX600SP on the fuse floor in the rear of the Shrike brhind the battery location prompted me to ask if there was enough room in that space to easily mount that receiver. Well, I will find out for myself as I just received a new Shrike and will shortly unbox it to see if I want to go with the RX600SP or some more easily mounted non-gyro receiver. If I do the latter I will probably use velcro. Thanks again for your support!

[Cvg77]

Must have

Wing

[Jims123]

I love this plane and the way it was designed and shipped is superb—it was very well packed and fedex didn’t mangle the box at all..

I just sent this email to support and hope they respond quickly . The Chat apparently doesn’t run over the weekends..

there were some issues. I did not get a manual but did find the build video on YT.. it was helpful but for one critical area.. the servo arm types with the little white clip over holders to keep the pin in the servo arm hole are unusual and VERY poorly documented in the video. you get all of 3 seconds to see how they shud be hooked up.. and that part is covered by your reps fat fingers most of the time.. it really sucks.. and says nothing about which ends get the fuel line tubing sleeves to hold the control arm clips ends in place .. the only way these will work is with a tubing clip at BOTH ends and I only 4 .. I need 4 more to set up both ends of the control arms of the flap and aileron servos on the opposite wing .. please send me these 4 missing parts..ASAP. Meanwhile I have them held in place with blender tape

There were two other issues .
1. The labels on the servo channels are very nice but the Rudder and Elevator labels were swapped and applied to the wrong channels.
2. The fit for the joiner hole in the center of the fuse is too loose for the spar to hold the wings securely.. it’s super loose so I plan to wrap it with a couple turns of duct tape and build the outer diameter of the spar a little to fixit.
3. it needed a little UHU glue to hold the stabilizer in place properly but was very easy to fix..

Big Plus:
Since I plan to use a 7ch Rx with it I really do like the way you can easily disconnect and mod the Y-cables and split each CH out.. very nice touch.. the finish and decals are super as is the canopy and tail/ Rudder design .

this is going to be a great trainer plane for mu 10yo Grandson . Thanks
ill be back after I get a chance to get the Rx in it and do a maiden

[Jims123]

The Skynetic Shrike is a motor glider that is both docile and can be flown as a thermal soarer, slope soarer, or a powered aerobatic glider. The overall quality of the model is really excellent and I couldn't fault it in any way. The parts fit together well and it assembles quickly.

The way the ESC motor wires are routed in the fuselage they should fit into a slot in the plywood battery tray. This should be checked carefully, mine would have worn through rubbing on the rotating motor case. It's an easy fix, but all the same, should be checked by the builder pilot. I stuck a piece of tape over the slot to prevent them from coming out in flight.

The horizontal stabilizer slides into the slot in the rear of the fuselage and is held firmly in a location notch in the fuselage. This works better than you might at first think. However, you could add a small dab of foam Tac to secure if one is in doubt as to the security. Access the rudder and elevator servo is via a hatch in the bottom of the fuselage behind the wing. The elevator and rudder pushrods are already fitted and only require connecting to the servos via the link stops which are attached to the servo arms.

The wings attach to the fuselage by a carbon rod through the fuselage and into each wing panel. The aileron and flap servos are already fitted to the wings and the connection of the servos is by a multi-point connector fitted in the root of the wing with the corresponding connection in the fuselage. Pushing the wing up to the fuselage side will automatically connect the servos and the wingtip lights to the RX. The wings are secured by a single retaining pin in the cockpit which pushes through the fuselage and both wings. This locks the wings in place and also makes for a good connection to the multi-block connector.

I used an Admiral standard 6 channel RX (not Gyro) and I installed this on the rear of the battery tray just in front of the rudder and elevator servos. This leaves plenty of room in the nose for the battery. I used an Admiral 3S 2200mAh. The battery strap I found to be a little fiddly to hold the battery in place, so in addition to the strap, I also used an elastic band just to be sure the battery would stay in place. The battery can be positioned anywhere in the nose and there shouldn't be a problem balancing the model in the correct place. The CG is 65 mm behind the L/E of the wing. This position is the correct starting point. Some pilots may want to move it slightly further forward or back to suit the flying style.

I set my control throws as follows. The elevator and rudder at 100% up and down, left and right with 25% exponential. The ailerons I have the pushrod in the second hole in the servo arm and 100% up and down with 25% expo. The flaps I have 3 positions, neutral, up, and down. I have about 25º up and 45º down. The up flap adds a reflex to the wing and increases the speed. The down increases the lift.

Carry out a throttle calibration before attaching the folding prop. This is simply held in place with the spinner cone hand tight. If the spinner is over tightened it will cause the folding prop to bind and it may not fold with power off.

The model climbs away from a hand launch with plenty of power. I had to adjust the trim slightly to obtain a straight and level flight under power. I'm guessing this is due to the fact the controls may not have been quite level when I set everything up. With natural flap the model is quite aerobatic, it will loop and roll, fly inverted with ease. Lowering the flaps it will fly around what seems like forever very slowly and gently and will hold the altitude well. Raising the flaps to the up position will lower the nose and the speed increases rapidly, it works well to lose height quickly. Roll the model inverted and lower the flaps (Raise) and the model is just as docile as it is the right way up. The model will fly well using just the rudder and elevator to control without the ailerons. The plastic parts in the underside of the fuselage prevent damage to the foam when landing.

Overall, it's a nice model to fly and it a lot of fun. Several club members showed a great deal of interest in it when I flew it for the first time yesterday. Personally I think it represents excellent value for money.

Pappa Bear

Motion RC, LLC

Nice review..Poppa Bear
I agree with all of it and will look into the ESC cable abrasion risk and appreciate that tip.. Thanks
JimS

[ridgerunner]

... the only way these will work is with a tubing clip at BOTH ends and I only 4 ...

I thought the same thing when I first saw the parts, but I was wrong. The funny little clip at the servo end works perfectly, but you need to snap them in place - (the clip snaps onto the straight part of the rod - see photo). Once these snap into place they hold onto the servo very securely with virtually zero play - (a brilliant design actually). Hopefully the attached photo won't hurt your eyes (I painted my Shrike for high visibility!)


)

[Jims123]

Ridgerunner,
Thanks for posting this.. That's a pretty snazzy bright orange .. wow..

I initially assumed that these little brackets might snap on too, but perhaps I didnot press hard enoughjt or something cause Mine would not stay in place so I would up using some blenderm tape to hold them on till I can get some proper fuel line or get them to snap on one.. I'll have to try again and see if they will snap on place firmly... Its all the more reason Motion RC's Build video should have addressed how to apply these things properly without covering it with fat fingers in a 2 second clip showing how to do it..

The punctures in your foam alongside show the other beef I have which is the type of foam in these planes.. They are made of super frajile and brittle foam. it's definitely NOT EPO or EPP or anything more durable, it's more like Styrofoam and it's very easy to scratch/ ding crack or put depressions in it.. I've ordered another set of Wings for mine since I can see these aren't going to last .. my typical LZ's here in San Diego are tiny, and are full or boulders trees and tough brush if I'm not right on target with the landing..
..

I have another concern .. The maiden flight yesterday went fantastic, but only lasted 20 seconds before I dropped the throttle and as the BRAKE applied it apparently de-spun the spinner .. I never did find it after gliding in but the collet was still on really tight onto the motor shaft via the 1.5mm grub screws . only the spinner had loosened up and fell into the tall brush below.

I've asked support why this happened cause I'm sure it was screwed on tight onto the collett threads and yet still came right off in flight.. Is there supposed to be a Nut or something else to hold that spinner in place? I've got a ticket into tech support but am mentioning it here since others may experience the same problem with these spinners ..

Thanks again.
JimS