[s]Quick little post.[/s] As it turns out a little longer write up of my first ever RC flying experience
A few of you have helped me in my previous post and those of you that have seen it know that my first RC aircraft was a huge early Christmas present and that it was also a huge frickin' FMS warbird. I haven't touched anything R/C since I was a kid, so in reading up on R/C flying and watching as many youtube videos that I coud I was really hoping I wasn't so far over my head that I was in trouble.
Airplane was built easily I took my time and did it at work over the course of several hours during my down time, once I trouble shot the retract issue (see my other thread) I spent the last few days in an empty parking lot just taxing around, slow then as fast as I felt I could w/o taking off to get the handle of it on the ground.
Well today came and I felt good enough (brave would be a better word) to try my luck at this flying thing. I've never flown anything R/C before but having several friends that are pilots, I've flown real AC before and spent god knows how many hours flying flight sims so I understand the theory of flight an how control surfaces act etc, which I think though there is obviously a difference helped me out. Packed up the plane and took my gf and sister to a park in my town which has a large mixed use field (975 feet in length and about 400 wide from tree line to tree line) waited until just before sunset when the park has hardly anyone there (also couple that with 40 degree temps) winds were calm with gusts to 10 from the north west. Initially my plan was to land and take off from one of the baseball diamonds, given recent weather and temperatures the infield dirt was rather soft which concerned me. Completed my range test w/o a hitch and was able to take off w/o any problem, first takeoff got a little squirmy with the rudder. Now due to the fact that I am waiting on wires for the retracts I flew all my flight with the gear down. She felt good in the air, CG is forward of where it is noted on the manual but in reading online that seems to be the norm. Left the throttle about 3/4 just enough where I had a positive rate of climb and was not sinking is where I left it, certainly not out to set speed records any time soon. Did some big winding turns over the field, she covered the distance fairly quickly but turns felt pretty natural, didn't use much rudder while airborne mainly slight movements of aileron and elevator didn't seem to slip in the turns at all. When I felt comfortable moving it around in the air I dropped the flaps and flew around with that for a minute or two at altitude to see how the sink rate and handling changed. First landing looked pretty good but my concerns about the soft infield rang true and she sank and flipped on landing, thankfully no damage. My 2nd flight I went to the grass, but in reading about the landing gear covers and how they are so close to the ground I decided to remove them for my subsequent flights. My second take off was much more smooth and controlled, flight no issue. On landing I felt that I was really close to a lacrosse net on the field instead of applying smooth power and going around I tried to stick with and at the last minute panicked and cartwheeled onto the ground, this time I slightly bent a wing tip and the tip of the vertical stab. Third landing was the best and got it down in relatively good order, though I am going to continue to fly and need to work on anticipating the sink rate and throttle input/torque on landing.
All in all I LOVED it. I think it wen't really well and I am w/o a doubt hooked, I've learned from my mistakes today and I'm going to go back early in the morning tomorrow and fly before the park gets busy and just work on take offs and landings in the middle of the field where it is the firmest and driest. What I've learned so far is that slow and steady wins the race, finesse of the controls making slow, small movements and staying several feet ahead of the aircraft and anticipating movements rather than reacting to something seems key.
I do have a question though, I am flying with a Spektrum DX6i transmitter and using Admiral 3000mAh 4S 14.8V 35C, I set the timer on my controller to 6 minutes to be safe, where I am flying at only 3/4 power at max can I get more than 6 min per battery? I'd certainly like to keep a safe buffer on time, also temps as I stated before are 30s/40s not sure if that has any serious effect on bat life.
First ever R/C take off and flight: http://youtu.be/df-9j_2Y2pE
Second Take off: http://youtu.be/LJta5RtQk0w
Landing: http://youtu.be/f_a1ocky_fU
A few of you have helped me in my previous post and those of you that have seen it know that my first RC aircraft was a huge early Christmas present and that it was also a huge frickin' FMS warbird. I haven't touched anything R/C since I was a kid, so in reading up on R/C flying and watching as many youtube videos that I coud I was really hoping I wasn't so far over my head that I was in trouble.
Airplane was built easily I took my time and did it at work over the course of several hours during my down time, once I trouble shot the retract issue (see my other thread) I spent the last few days in an empty parking lot just taxing around, slow then as fast as I felt I could w/o taking off to get the handle of it on the ground.
Well today came and I felt good enough (brave would be a better word) to try my luck at this flying thing. I've never flown anything R/C before but having several friends that are pilots, I've flown real AC before and spent god knows how many hours flying flight sims so I understand the theory of flight an how control surfaces act etc, which I think though there is obviously a difference helped me out. Packed up the plane and took my gf and sister to a park in my town which has a large mixed use field (975 feet in length and about 400 wide from tree line to tree line) waited until just before sunset when the park has hardly anyone there (also couple that with 40 degree temps) winds were calm with gusts to 10 from the north west. Initially my plan was to land and take off from one of the baseball diamonds, given recent weather and temperatures the infield dirt was rather soft which concerned me. Completed my range test w/o a hitch and was able to take off w/o any problem, first takeoff got a little squirmy with the rudder. Now due to the fact that I am waiting on wires for the retracts I flew all my flight with the gear down. She felt good in the air, CG is forward of where it is noted on the manual but in reading online that seems to be the norm. Left the throttle about 3/4 just enough where I had a positive rate of climb and was not sinking is where I left it, certainly not out to set speed records any time soon. Did some big winding turns over the field, she covered the distance fairly quickly but turns felt pretty natural, didn't use much rudder while airborne mainly slight movements of aileron and elevator didn't seem to slip in the turns at all. When I felt comfortable moving it around in the air I dropped the flaps and flew around with that for a minute or two at altitude to see how the sink rate and handling changed. First landing looked pretty good but my concerns about the soft infield rang true and she sank and flipped on landing, thankfully no damage. My 2nd flight I went to the grass, but in reading about the landing gear covers and how they are so close to the ground I decided to remove them for my subsequent flights. My second take off was much more smooth and controlled, flight no issue. On landing I felt that I was really close to a lacrosse net on the field instead of applying smooth power and going around I tried to stick with and at the last minute panicked and cartwheeled onto the ground, this time I slightly bent a wing tip and the tip of the vertical stab. Third landing was the best and got it down in relatively good order, though I am going to continue to fly and need to work on anticipating the sink rate and throttle input/torque on landing.
All in all I LOVED it. I think it wen't really well and I am w/o a doubt hooked, I've learned from my mistakes today and I'm going to go back early in the morning tomorrow and fly before the park gets busy and just work on take offs and landings in the middle of the field where it is the firmest and driest. What I've learned so far is that slow and steady wins the race, finesse of the controls making slow, small movements and staying several feet ahead of the aircraft and anticipating movements rather than reacting to something seems key.
I do have a question though, I am flying with a Spektrum DX6i transmitter and using Admiral 3000mAh 4S 14.8V 35C, I set the timer on my controller to 6 minutes to be safe, where I am flying at only 3/4 power at max can I get more than 6 min per battery? I'd certainly like to keep a safe buffer on time, also temps as I stated before are 30s/40s not sure if that has any serious effect on bat life.
First ever R/C take off and flight: http://youtu.be/df-9j_2Y2pE
Second Take off: http://youtu.be/LJta5RtQk0w
Landing: http://youtu.be/f_a1ocky_fU
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