New FMS/Eflite Su-30 coming soon

[Hugh Wiedman]

PaulZ, also forgot to ask how much up trim did you need for the elevator on flap deployment.

[PaulZ]

PaulZ, also forgot to ask how much up trim did you need for the elevator on flap deployment.

None, this is a strange model. The flaperons made no difference in pitch, I know does not make sense aerodynamically...

[PaulZ]

Thanks PaulZ, I haven't flown it yet, currently painting the urethane on. I'll go ahead and increase the gains to the original, but still seems high to me, but what do I know. I went ahead and assigned the FM channel to Aux 1, which is the Flap channel for me and got 2 flight modes out of it (since the flap travel is not 100/0/-100 it won't change to all 3 flight modes, but 2 is enough-1 for take-off and landing flaps and the other for fly around).

One last question, how much deflection did you program into the take-off and landing flaps and does it make a big difference on landing and take-off speed? Have you landed with full flaps and the air brake and how does that feel, image you need to keep on the throttle.

Yes, have been landing full flaps and air brake deployed. Yes you will need more throttle to keep her flying that way. Makes for a softer landing in my case. One note, I did not like how she felt during cross-wind landings with flaps deployed. With flaperons you loose alieron effectiveness and in a strong cross wind the rudder may not be enough to correct for being blown off the runway. I had a situation forcing me to land off the runway in grass with a 90 degree cross wind.

[Hugh Wiedman]

Yes, have been landing full flaps and air brake deployed. Yes you will need more throttle to keep her flying that way. Makes for a softer landing in my case. One note, I did not like how she felt during cross-wind landings with flaps deployed. With flaperons you loose alieron effectiveness and in a strong cross wind the rudder may not be enough to correct for being blown off the runway. I had a situation forcing me to land off the runway in grass with a 90 degree cross wind.

Thanks for all your advice PaulZ, really appreciate it. How many mm of deflection did you use for full flaps and take-off flaps?

[dusmmdb]

I threw a second pilot, seats and a HUD into mine to make the cockpit not look so... plain

now I have to clean paint up and do touch ups but I think this will do for now

[Hugh Wiedman]

I threw a second pilot, seats and a HUD into mine to make the cockpit not look so... plain

now I have to clean paint up and do touch ups but I think this will do for now

Nice, I guess E-Flight couldn't spring for the 2 bucks for a second pilot, either that or the cut-backs in the Russian economy are everywhere.

[Hugh Wiedman]

Finally got the SU-30 finished and ready to fly. Unfortunately, just in time for the weather to go to hell, high winds (20-25mph) predicted for the foreseeable future, and mostly cross winds. At least I'll have some time to work on the F-18. Did only a few things to it, the idea was minor mods and get it out flying. I did do the following:

1) Set it up with flaperons and a 7th channel so the speed brake is on it's own, independent switch. Also trimmed the nose gears wheel pants a bit as I fly off grass, hope this keeps it from catching on it.
2) Added the twin LED afterburners and coated the exhaust tubes in aluminum foil tape. Since the EDF is closer to the nozzles than say my F-4's and F-16, it seems to show up even better.
3) Coated it with 4 coats of gloss spar urethane, mostly for protection of the paint as I said earlier this paint's adhesion is awful, but it sure shines nicely with the gloss!
4) Did some very minor things to the cockpit and added a second pilot (c'mon E-flight, how could you leave it with only one pilot).
5) Added some red paint to the underside of the horizontal stabs, mostly cause I have major difficulty with my orientation, especially with fast moving jets. Tried for the first time Aros's suggestion of using Tamiya trim tape. It was a little hard to find, but I got several roles of 2mm, 3mm & 5mm and man, this stuff works great. Been using Testors trim tape for years, but I think they discontinued it. Even so, the Tamiya seems better for delicate surfaces and since I gloss coated it first, the edges came out sharp with no lifting (primarily I think because of the urethane coating).
6) Gave the missiles a little paint as well, need to see them if I'm going to put them on and fly with the extra drag.
7) Did a couple different nose cones. They were a real pain starting out with unpainted foam, it was prime, sand, prime, sand, etc. until I had a smooth enough surface that it didn't look like the moon.

This jet is slightly larger (30" wide at the horizontal stabs and 60" long without the nose) than any other jet I have, so I had to rearrange my hangar to get it to fit-where there's a will, there's a way! Can't wait for the winds to die down and try this thing out. Hmm, hope it fits in the truck.

[T-CAT]

Nice Hugh! I can imagine you're itching to get some flights in. Hopefully the weather plays nicely soon.

[JLambCWU]

Down and Dirty with the SU-30

Preview video of getting low, slow, fast and vertical with the SU-30 from Eflite. This jet is so heavy, it has no right flying this good. Powered by Roaring Top 70C 5500mah batteries, she still flys amazing.

Look for the full video soon...
Get your batteries over at RCJETWERX. Andy will set you up right!

Camera girl does it again!

[Beachsideflyer]

WTF is with this Russian POS? Why would you want to fly an image of a machine that may attract your armed forces

[Hugh Wiedman]

Down and Dirty with the SU-30

Preview video of getting low, slow, fast and vertical with the SU-30 from Eflite. This jet is so heavy, it has no right flying this good. Powered by Roaring Top 70C 5500mah batteries, she still flys amazing.

Look for the full video soon...
Get your batteries over at RCJETWERX. Andy will set you up right!

Camera girl does it again!

Very cool, love your videos, especially kicking up the dust on the runway, outstanding.

Quick question, getting ready to maiden my SU-30 (if the winds will every drop below 20mph) and set mine up with flaperons and a 7th channel for the airbrake.
Question 1: The manual has a CG range of something like 115-150mm. I'm starting in the middle at 132 for the maiden. Where did you find it flies best?
Question 2: With the air brake deployed, I assume you had to give it slightly more throttle than without on landing, yes?

Thanks

[Hugh Wiedman]

OH, and how much time are you getting (I'm using the Admiral 6000mah)

[JLambCWU]

Very cool, love your videos, especially kicking up the dust on the runway, outstanding.

Quick question, getting ready to maiden my SU-30 (if the winds will every drop below 20mph) and set mine up with flaperons and a 7th channel for the airbrake.
Question 1: The manual has a CG range of something like 115-150mm. I'm starting in the middle at 132 for the maiden. Where did you find it flies best?
Question 2: With the air brake deployed, I assume you had to give it slightly more throttle than without on landing, yes?

Thanks

You’re gonna want to fly that battery as far back as you can move it against the nose gear hump. I even cut the hump out on mine to move the battery back to touching the nose wheel when it retracts. Even then, it will be nose heavy.

3-3:30 on a 70C Roaring Top 5500mah. I’ve flown most all major brands of 6S Lipos. Nothing Tops, Roaring Tops, no joke. They put down the best power for the weight,
see Andy over at www.rcjetwerx.com

[T-CAT]

3-3:30 on a 70C Roaring Top 5500mah. I’ve flown most all major brands of 6S Lipos. Nothing Tops, Roaring Tops, no joke. They put down the best power for the weight,
see Andy over at www.rcjetwerx.com

Roaring tops are good LiPo's , but yes, there are LiPo's from other brands that "Top" Roaring Top. Before spending the dough, it is helpful to see how specific brands and versions of LiPo's performed during testing. This at least provides a more accurate depiction of what a customer may expect from a LiPo. Even then, as we all know, the quality control of LiPo batches of manufacturing may change, manufacturers change, the weights, dimensions, and packaging may change, etc. So, a LiPo we received 6 months ago, may not be the same as it once was, but testing at least gives a reference point of performance. With that said, the thread linked below has had (and continues to have) many contributors, and Joe (MCSGUY) has done an incredible job organizing and performing LiPo testing over the years.

https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...st-Comparisons

[PaulZ]

You’re gonna want to fly that battery as far back as you can move it against the nose gear hump. I even cut the hump out on mine to move the battery back to touching the nose wheel when it retracts. Even then, it will be nose heavy.

3-3:30 on a 70C Roaring Top 5500mah. I’ve flown most all major brands of 6S Lipos. Nothing Tops, Roaring Tops, no joke. They put down the best power for the weight,
see Andy over at www.rcjetwerx.com

I am getting 3:30 flight times and land at 3.8v storage charge on 6s 5000 HRB packs. They cost $75 ;-)

[xviper]

Roaring tops are good LiPo's , but yes, there are LiPo's from other brands that "Top" Roaring Top.

Agreed! I don’t get swayed by “testimonials”, especially when they sound like sales pitches. My Graphenes are the Best. Oh wait, my HK Heavy Duty are the best. But then, my ChinaHobbyLine are the best. And they’re all less money.

[JLambCWU]

I am getting 3:30 flight times and land at 3.8v storage charge on 6s 5000 HRB packs. They cost $75 ;-)

Guarantee they don’t accelerate and hold power like a Roaring Top in high amp draw applications.

I’ve tried every major brand going on 6S. Nothing has beat a Roaring Top for putting down the power at or near the same weight as a 5500 70C RT.

I REGULARLY go out and put up 20+ flights a day on dual 70mm and large 90mm setups, and I push them all hard. These aren’t lab tests, I go for actual flight performance and do it at high density altitudes.

[Hugh Wiedman]

You’re gonna want to fly that battery as far back as you can move it against the nose gear hump. I even cut the hump out on mine to move the battery back to touching the nose wheel when it retracts. Even then, it will be nose heavy.

3-3:30 on a 70C Roaring Top 5500mah. I’ve flown most all major brands of 6S Lipos. Nothing Tops, Roaring Tops, no joke. They put down the best power for the weight,
see Andy over at www.rcjetwerx.com

But do you have any idea what is the actual CG that you fly at (115mm or closer to the 150mm mark)? I've added twin LED afterburners plus put 4 coats of spar urethane (which added tail weight) so if I move it back to touching the nose wheel it will be at 150mm or higher?

[T-CAT]

Agreed! I don’t get swayed by “testimonials”, especially when they sound like sales pitches. My Graphenes are the Best. Oh wait, my HK Heavy Duty are the best. But then, my ChinaHobbyLine are the best. And they’re all less money.

Yeah, LiPo opinions often remind me of fitness supplements in some ways, ha-ha . They are both marketed heavily and their labels tend to shine. They obviously aren't an identical comparison, but with some similarities. Everybody and their brothers father in law may think a certain fitness (especially dedicated to muscle building) supplement is the best thing since sliced bread, yet many of the supplements have very little research to back their marketed claims, and people spend a boatload of money each year on it. Quite a bit of someone's potential gains can often be contributed to the placebo effect. They often exercised more regularly and organized their diet in a more advantageous way while taking a supplement to get their money's worth, which in turn produced better fitness results, so the supplement was not the true key to the success. If something worked for someone, even if not well, sometimes they may consider it good or even absolutely awesome.

Now, to make it clear to others reading since written responses can come across different than intended, I respect peoples experience with products, and I realize it has something offer , and I don't discredit that. I enjoy the sharing of opinions and knowledge, and this hobby is incredible with that. However, it's also nice to find fact vs. fiction to add to plethora of opinions and experience. In the past, many people believed the LiPo labels and their claims (especially the C rating), and some still do today, just less often because they are better informed. Maybe someday we will get accurately labeled LiPo's depicting their "true" performance capability. That's a lofty dream since I'm sure companies realize that people look at the C rating discharge capability on the label. The higher it is, the more people are impressed, and assume the battery can deliver the goods. It's a money maker. Some brands were charging several hundred dollars for a 6S 5000mah higher C rated battery and they were terrible, but the label and the expensive price made them appear to be of high quality. It wasn't long ago, although it still occurs, that some were constantly using the formula of battery capacity in Amps multiped by the discharge rating (C) in the hope of calculating an accurate depiction of a LiPo's output. However, with so many false claims of C rating, there is no way to actually know until it's tested. Some were under the impression that a 6S 5000mah 120C LiPo battery would actually achieve an output of 600A . The great part about our experiences and the amazing threads with collected data from testing, we can all make more informed decisions on whether specific LiPo's are of value to each of us, and that provides an easier purchasing decision.

[Hugh Wiedman]

Yeah, LiPo opinions often remind me of fitness supplements in some ways, ha-ha . They are both marketed heavily and their labels tend to shine. They obviously aren't an identical comparison, but with some similarities. Everybody and their brothers father in law may think a certain fitness (especially dedicated to muscle building) supplement is the best thing since sliced bread, yet many of the supplements have very little research to back their marketed claims, and people spend a boatload of money each year on it. Quite a bit of someone's potential gains can often be contributed to the placebo effect. They often exercised more regularly and organized their diet in a more advantageous way while taking a supplement to get their money's worth, which in turn produced better fitness results, so the supplement was not the true key to the success. If something worked for someone, even if not well, sometimes they may consider it good or even absolutely awesome.

Now, to make it clear to others reading since written responses can come across different than intended, I respect peoples experience with products, and I realize it has something offer , and I don't discredit that. I enjoy the sharing of opinions and knowledge, and this hobby is incredible with that. However, it's also nice to find fact vs. fiction to add to plethora of opinions and experience. In the past, many people believed the LiPo labels and their claims (especially the C rating), and some still do today, just less often because they are better informed. Maybe someday we will get accurately labeled LiPo's depicting their "true" performance capability. That's a lofty dream since I'm sure companies realize that people look at the C rating discharge capability on the label. The higher it is, the more people are impressed, and assume the battery can deliver the goods. It's a money maker. Some brands were charging several hundred dollars for a 6S 5000mah higher C rated battery and they were terrible, but the label and the expensive price made them appear to be of high quality. It wasn't long ago, although it still occurs, that some were constantly using the formula of battery capacity in Amps multiped by the discharge rating (C) in the hope of calculating an accurate depiction of a LiPo's output. However, with so many false claims of C rating, there is no way to actually know until it's tested. Some were under the impression that a 6S 5000mah 120C LiPo battery would actually achieve an output of 600A . The great part about our experiences and the amazing threads with collected data from testing, we can all make more informed decisions on whether specific LiPo's are of value to each of us, and that provides an easier purchasing decision.

Well said. I've been thinking of getting the new Progressive RC Lipo ESR Meter Mark II. It supposedly measures the internal resistance of an entire pack and individual cells to give you the true C rating as well as many other features that tell you if a battery is "ready for the grave". The down side is that it sells for about $150. Has anyone bought this meter yet?