Official FlightLine RC 1600mm P-38 Lightning Thread

[borntoolate]

I will have to try to find that type! Thanks.

Bon

[TiredIronGRB]

Check out this P-38 gun camera footage.

[shocktrooper]

Can any fellow owners of the Flightline P38 offer some advice/answers to the question of how best to approach the "down elevator to flap mix" to solve the "ballooning" issue? I use the Tactic TTX850 Tx and Tactic TR625 Rx. This is the 1st time I have been instructed to do this and am a bit stumped about how best to convert the; 1.5mm and 3.0mm recommended elevator travels to a percentage (%) value as the Tx is asking for in the programing module./? Anyone out there flying the P38 with the same radio gear as me?

[TiredIronGRB]

Can any fellow owners of the Flightline P38 offer some advice/answers to the question of how best to approach the "down elevator to flap mix" to solve the "ballooning" issue? I use the Tactic TTX850 Tx and Tactic TR625 Rx. This is the 1st time I have been instructed to do this and am a bit stumped about how best to convert the; 1.5mm and 3.0mm recommended elevator travels to a percentage (%) value as the Tx is asking for in the programing module./? Anyone out there flying the P38 with the same radio gear as me?

I used 10% Flap/Elevator mix and it really tamed it down.

[smdub]

am a bit stumped about how best to convert the; 1.5mm and 3.0mm recommended elevator travels to a percentage (%) value as the Tx is asking for in the programing module./?

Just pick some %, toggle your flaps up and down, and measure the elevator movement. Adjust the % until the travel is close to recommended. Exact same procedure you use to set regular throws.

[shocktrooper]

Ok! I'll start with 10% and measure the deflection at the elevator…sounds pretty simple to me now. Thanks TiredIron and smdub!

[Chalredline1]

So, I've been flying this plane since about last May. No real issue. So, today I take off and within about 15 sec. I hear a noise and then see something fly off the plane. Crap, figured it was a spinner. Chop the power and try
and land it as softly as possible. It lands where I can see it. Walk out expecting the thing to be destroyed. What I found was the plane was actually pretty intact except for the motor mount forward on the starboard boom
had blown completely off. Wasn't the spinner but the whole section from the mount forward. Damage included the bottom of the rudders, rudder hinges loose, props, spinners and pretty much where the gear doors attach.
Has anyone heard of this? I'm certain it wasn't vibration from the props that caused this. I'm thinking the mount had come loose and wala.

[Oxotnik]

I suffered almost the same exact failure. Right engine broke free and fell to the ground, during a high-speed pass down the FlightLine. A prop blade was missing. Don't know if the prop blade broke off before or after the engine came loose, but I'm reasonably sure that the backplate broke first and the prop imbalance caused the failure of the boom structure.

if you can do a search for my posts, I had more details on my in-flight incident.

[TiredIronGRB]

I've had this happen twice, both times I was high enough to recover and land, one time all the way back to runway the other a little short and broke a nose gear and scraped a wing tip. The motor stayed attached both times, now I check my backing plates every few flights.

[Chalredline1]

Thanks guys. I spoke to Motion and basically no help there. So, I'm considering a new boom and spinner, blades as well as fixing the rudders. Not sure what I'm going to do about the gear doors yet as broken pieces in there but amazingly the
gears work and weren't bent.

[RRHandy]

You don't have to replace the boom, a little foamtac, little filler, paint and it's good as new. :Cool:

[Oxotnik]

I agree, assuming that you're not missing key parts. I foam-tac'd my broken boom back together and it's flying as good as ever.

[Chalredline1]

Thanks. I do have some foam-tac so will be starting on it today. Not sure what to do with the gear doors. It's mostly where the linkage attached where they broke. I'll definitely reinforce where the motor mount attaches.

[mr.frankenjet]

foam tac is great stuff, gorilla also works great where you need to fill gaps. I recently had to repair a small plastic clip and since there was little structure I used small strips of fiberglass cloth and 30 min epoxy and it came out really strong, might be worth a try. Been lucky on the props so far, I had expected to find the back plates cracked after a crash but so far so far so good. This spinner/motor issue like chicken or egg thing , hope my motor mounts have enough glue. While she is together it's impossible to check them.

[downwindleg]

Hey Chairedline1, regarding the broken gear doors, the hinge arms are connected to a base plate that is flush with the outer foam skin of the plane. I have replaced this part successfully before. You have to carefully remove the plastic from the foam with an exacto knife. Work around the perimeter vertically staying very shallow and then slowly work it away from the foam beneath it. Because it was put on in the first place with something flexible like foam tac you can slowly apply outward pressure like opening an oyster cutting the glue loose as you go. If your careful, you can remove that whole part without damaging the underlying foam and then just get that replacement assembly from Motion and glue it back in bah-dah bing bah-dah boom! Then all you need is some lemon juice and tobasco sauceLOLBrad

[Chalredline1]

Thanks downwind. It's the piece that is on the door itself that broke off the door. If I understand the piece you are referring to that is in the foam in the plane the little plates with the pin those all were fine. I wasn't able to locate those pieces.
I may try again on Sat. to find them but if not I will have to order doors from Motion.

[TiredIronGRB]

Here's the epoxied back plate, taped over holes on the front side, I realize that's more weight but I'll take the weight over loosing the plane any day.

[Delizar]

Good idea Ti . I wonder how microballoons would work in that application?

[Beeg]

What we need is these backplates made out of aluminum. I've had both sides break at different times. One tore up the plane a little the other was just a pancake with minimal damage.

[TiredIronGRB]

I just don't trust multi-piece props, I've converted most my planes to one piece.