Official Freewing B-2 Spirit Bomber 86" Twin 70mm EDF Jet

[jasmith41]

sorry guys - thoroughly reading isn't my strong-point either...

[xviper]

Thanks - that's what i use to get the off, but those little wheel axle ones are a bugger to get back on when you can't see and shake a lot... :)

Yeah, putting the little rascals back on is also a problem. What I do is to put a small dab of FoamTac on my finger tip, touch with opposing thumb so both fingers have goo on them. Blot the "C" clip with one finger, pinch with the thumb so that the C clip gets a little glue on both sides. Poke the C clip onto the axle and slide finger away, leaving the C clip on the axle. I then use a small hemostat to squeeze the clip onto the axle. Helps to have a magnet on the hemostat in case the C clip slips. However, when the clip is gooed up with glue, if it slips it kinda just sticks there.
RC Informer suggests to put a dab of FoamTac on each C clip on a brand new plane so they don't pop off from all the vibration. It's horrible to try to land with one wheel missing.

[jasmith41]

Yeah, putting the little rascals back on is also a problem. What I do is to put a small dab of FoamTac on my finger tip, touch with opposing thumb so both fingers have goo on them. Blot the "C" clip with one finger, pinch with the thumb so that the C clip gets a little glue on both sides. Poke the C clip onto the axle and slide finger away, leaving the C clip on the axle. I then use a small hemostat to squeeze the clip onto the axle. Helps to have a magnet on the hemostat in case the C clip slips. However, when the clip is gooed up with glue, if it slips it kinda just sticks there.
RC Informer suggests to put a dab of FoamTac on each C clip on a brand new plane so they don't pop off from all the vibration. It's horrible to try to land with one wheel missing.

Learned that one early on...
Took my A10 to the field just to taxi it for the first time last year, got her all hooked up, powered up the fan, she went 3' and the nose wheel took off diagonally...
It was really pretty funny... had no intention of flying it, but just the idea that the wheel came off could have been taken as a sign, but i wasn't discouraged...
I fly the sh*t out of it and it's one of my favs...

[viper1gj]

Disappointing B-2 performance in grass today.

I removed the steering from rudder board pins to a separate channel as I always have done for rate and trim control. This was a mistake as the first several attempts were uncontrollable after the first steering correction input. This resulted in uncontrollable 90 degree direction changes and aborts.

Steering was reconnected to the rudder board pin where I discovered steering is gyro stabilized with very high gain, I suspect 100% on Yaw. The next several attempts were controllable and made straight runs. However, there was too much drag from wheels on the grass runway and or not enough thrust. The B-2 would accelerate to its max speed and stop accelerating. This speed was not enough to get rotation and airborne.

My next step will be to find a way to reduce wheel drag, hopefully by finding an easy strut and wheel replacement for the mains, ideally with one large wheel. Maybe a larger nose wheel would help also and provide some positive pitch attitude on the ground.

The other option is to make more thrust.

Suggestion welcome.
Gary

[Radar-Guy]

Disappointing B-2 performance in grass today.

I removed the steering from rudder board pins to a separate channel as I always have done for rate and trim control. This was a mistake as the first several attempts were uncontrollable after the first steering correction input. This resulted in uncontrollable 90 degree direction changes and aborts.

Steering was reconnected to the rudder board pin where I discovered steering is gyro stabilized with very high gain, I suspect 100% on Yaw. The next several attempts were controllable and made straight runs. However, there was too much drag from wheels on the grass runway and or not enough thrust. The B-2 would accelerate to its max speed and stop accelerating. This speed was not enough to get rotation and airborne.

My next step will be to find a way to reduce wheel drag, hopefully by finding an easy strut and wheel replacement for the mains, ideally with one large wheel. Maybe a larger nose wheel would help also and provide some positive pitch attitude on the ground.

The other option is to make more thrust.

Suggestion welcome.
Gary

I‘d suggest to check posts #536, 552 and 679 of this thread. More thrust won’t be needed with these modifications.

Good luck

Frank

[mikedlv1]

Seems I have seen conflicting info on here as to if the gyro controls the nose steering on the b2……so has anyone confirmed if does or not….
I have mine on separate channel but with the wind i have not been able to test….

[xviper]

Seems I have seen conflicting info on here as to if the gyro controls the nose steering on the b2……so has anyone confirmed if does or not….
I have mine on separate channel but with the wind i have not been able to test….

Mine hasn't arrived yet so can't really "confirm" this. However, if you read about those who have removed the steering servo from the gyro, reports appear to indicate that without the gyro on the steering, this plane can wander all over the runway. Re-connecting it to the stock gyro or installing a steering gyro fixes the wandering. To me that tells me that the gyro does intervene in the steering servo function.
I intend to increase the "travel" on the master gain to 110% (or more) and use that for take off and landing, dialing it back just after lift off and dialing it back up just before landing. Also from some reports, it would seem that the stock 100% gain on the rudder is primarily for ground handling since those who have dialed the gains to zero have not noticed a significant degradation in yaw stability. The roll gain for higher speed flying seems too high @40%, so dialing the master gain to say, 90% (or ~35% real gain), might be the ticket.
If you've removed the steering servo from your gyro, you'll very quickly be able to see the affects of the ground roll and determine the validity of my previous "theories".

[flyboy787]

Is anyone able to post a picture of how the nose gear and doors are supposed to go together. I bought the replacement nose gear doors but I don’t know how the inside looks. There is just really one piece I don’t know how it attached and motion does not have any pictures at all.

thank you

[mikedlv1]

[mikedlv1]

[kallend]

Mine hasn't arrived yet so can't really "confirm" this. However, if you read about those who have removed the steering servo from the gyro, reports appear to indicate that without the gyro on the steering, this plane can wander all over the runway. Re-connecting it to the stock gyro or installing a steering gyro fixes the wandering. To me that tells me that the gyro does intervene in the steering servo function.
I intend to increase the "travel" on the master gain to 110% (or more) and use that for take off and landing, dialing it back just after lift off and dialing it back up just before landing. Also from some reports, it would seem that the stock 100% gain on the rudder is primarily for ground handling since those who have dialed the gains to zero have not noticed a significant degradation in yaw stability. The roll gain for higher speed flying seems too high @40%, so dialing the master gain to say, 90% (or ~35% real gain), might be the ticket.
If you've removed the steering servo from your gyro, you'll very quickly be able to see the affects of the ground roll and determine the validity of my previous "theories".

The manual (p. 11) shows a "User Defined" flight mode. There are no details given, but if it's like the HobbyEagle A3S3 you will be able to tailor it more to your liking for, say, take off while using the normal mode for regular flying around.

From the A3S3 manual: User defined mode allows you to decide which mode to use on each axis separately. Currently there are only 3 options available for choosing: Gyro-Off mode, Normal mode and Atti-Lock mode.

[flyboy787]

mikedlv1

thank you!!!

[TwistedGrin]

Gyro toggles to the three settings (Basic Gain - Attitude Lock - Trainer)...details of each are explained in the second manual specific to the Gyro

TwistedGrin

[xviper]

Guys, he was asking if anybody thought the steering servo was heavily affected by the 100% yaw (ie, rudder) gain. I think most people by now, know what the 3 "modes" are.

[Evan D]

Stock wired the steering and drag brakes are both gyro'ed and to the same rate. If you decrease the gyro gain by connecting the E-52 gain pin to a receiver slot the steering gyro gain can be increased or decreased along with the drag brakes (yaw) and elevons (pitch and roll).

Seems I have seen conflicting info on here as to if the gyro controls the nose steering on the b2……so has anyone confirmed if does or not….
I have mine on separate channel but with the wind i have not been able to test….

[xviper]

Stock wired the steering and drag brakes are both gyro'ed and to the same rate. If you decrease the gyro gain by connecting the E-52 gain pin to a receiver slot the steering gyro gain can be increased or decreased along with the drag brakes (yaw) and elevons (pitch and roll).

I think that's the answer he was looking for. I just couldn't confirm since mine isn't here yet. So, you believe that the gyro gain can be increased above 100% master gain? If that's possible, I think that would make ground handling even more solid.

[Evan D]

Yes, on my radio -100 is no gyro effect, 0 is half, +100 is the same as not hooking up to the gyro, full programmed effect. Going to higher than +100 adds to the effect.

[xviper]

As an aside since a few people on RC Goofy have had tense moments when taking off / landing when a cross wind has caused sudden wing overs and resultant crashes ..........................
Has anyone tried to take off and land in "trainer mode"? Isn't that mode a bank/pitch limiter and also a self level capability? If that is so, wouldn't trainer mode help more in cross wind take offs and landings, just as SAFE does for those planes equipped with it? In cross winds, I take off and land my Eflite 90mm Viper and 80mm F-16 in SAFE and there isn't a hint of roll disturbance. Same goes for my VTOLs with SAFE "equivalent". Convergence and Flex FV-31 Cypher when hovering and when taking off/landing in "limiter" mode are very unaffected by cross winds.

[viper1gj]

Seems I have seen conflicting info on here as to if the gyro controls the nose steering on the b2……so has anyone confirmed if does or not….
I have mine on separate channel but with the wind i have not been able to test….

I can confirm that the steering is controlled by the yaw gyro axis and highly advise keeping it connected to the steering pin on the mixing board. I removed mine to a separate channel at first and was completely unable control the take off track after the first steering correction in either direction. This usually happened at higher speed and resulted in 90 degree direction change and aborted TO. After I reconnected the steering back to the mixing board it was very easy to keep the take off run straight even is a slight crosswind.

It is easy to check. Just power up the jet and verify a solid red light on the gyro. Then pick up the jet and move it back and forth in yaw directions and watch the corrections on the nose wheel and drag rudders.

Gary

[viper1gj]

I‘d suggest to check posts #536, 552 and 679 of this thread. More thrust won’t be needed with these modifications. Good luck

Frank

Thanks Frank, I got your photos and notes. I'll be trying to work something like your mods next week. Finishing up the SC Jet Fest tomorrow and then back to the B-2 next week.
Thanks for sharing your mods.
Gary