Official FlightLine OV-10 Bronco Discussion Thread

[vduniec]

A recent vid.

https://youtu.be/awT3or_sIPQ

[Evan D]

That's great!

[tab28682]

When I flew mine it had the same yaw and wiggle at low speed and for the next flight I recalibrated the ESCs and it took care of the problem. I am quite happy with the power system that came with my plane.

I calibrated the ESCs before the first flight.

For scale like flying around the pattern, the power is not terrible. However, it needs to be able to do a loop from level flight to be satisfying to me. Also would like the option to do a little faster fly by without a dive to build up speed.

[sam51401]

Im interested in the yaw issue seemingly being addressed by recalibrating both ESC's.

[xviper]

Im interested in the yaw issue seemingly being addressed by recalibrating both ESC's.

A non-calibrated power system will aggravate the yaw "waggle" and doing the calibration (to sync the throttles and set the low/high throttle end points) will make it "seem" like the waggle is gone but that's not the fix. My throttles have been calibrated even before the first maiden flight and the waggle doesn't get fixed without other intervention. You'll know when the waggle is fixed whenever you finish a roll or whenever you come out of a banked turn because that's when the yaw oscillation happens. For me, it was a gyro with optimized gains that does it. It's possible that playing with where to balance the plane (CG) could have mitigated the yaw dance.
Multi-engined planes that don't have their motors synced will generally pull on one side (the stronger side or the side that begins to spin a bit sooner than the other side), as if your rudder was not centered. The plane won't generally alternate pulling one side, then the other, which is what would be needed to produce a back and forth, side to side yaw oscillation.

[Mad Baron]

All I know is with the recalibration of my ESCs took care of my issue with my plane.

[tab28682]

Note that the yaw hunting issue is widely reported and typically solved with a gyro.

My take is that some combination of aerodynamic factors makes this Ov-10 slightly over stable in yaw, or the verticals are in some turbulence. I have had a couple of different old school pattern aircraft they had too much vertical stabilizer. They typically hunted a bit in yaw, exactly like the OV-10.

[OV10]

I have seen the never ending talk about the yaw "waggle" factor on this bird since it's release. In case the majority have missed my analysis of this anomaly on this airframe
here is an excerpt from post#22 from my build thread OV10's version of Foam 72" (1800mm) OV-10A Bronco build.

Speaking of challenges, one of the things I discovered during this build I believe is the reason the other pilots are commenting on seeing a "wagging" on the Flight Line Bronco due to a structural anomaly in the wing/boom connection rigidity.

When I was doing the fit up of the center wing/booms/fuselage I lifted the assembly by one of the booms at the rear and observed that there was torsion on the wing between the fuse/boom.

So I alternately lifted the booms and could observe a cross torsion which would tilt the vertical pitch of the prop drive lines at the leading edge of the wing

OK...….had to add another CF spar (that's 3 now) in the center wing with a new one at the leading edge cause the quarter round balsa leading edge was a 2 piece segment between the boom/fuse and not giving full span rigidity.

I assumed that the horizontal stab would tame this down a bit also but since I do have the FL Bronco to examine I did the same test on it.

To my surprise there is some torsion on the center wing between the fuselage/boom when lifted by the rear of the boom.

I am convinced that this is the reason for the "wag" when the airframe is subjected to really heavy maneuvers or winds and is countered real time with the gyros.

Thats the way I see it

[tab28682]

......I am convinced that this is the reason for the "wag" when the airframe is subjected to really heavy maneuvers or winds and is countered real time with the gyros.

Thats the way I see it [/FONT][/COLOR][/LEFT]

That could certainly be a contributing factor, but I think there is a little more going on.

My last Ov-10 flight last weekend was late in the day and the wind had laid to nothing. Made a straight and level pass at a higher altitude, moderate speed and with no control inputs to load the airframe.

It still showed some (less than before) wiggle in yaw, not caused by turbulence or maneuvering.

[walkerm45]

not a peep in 5 days

[xviper]

not a peep in 5 days

What were you hoping to see? Those who have had this plane for a while now have either grown bored with it and don't fly it as much anymore or have decided it's just not powerful enough for it to be consistently fun. Then there are those of us who have modded it and fly it regularly because we really enjoy it but don't post about it every time we fly it due to not wanting to sound like a broken record. Usually, new posts are made by new owners who are wondering about this or that. Maybe there aren't many new owners of late.

[AirHead]

not a peep in 5 days

I wouldn't be concerned dude. I was considering buying this plane, but I think I'll pass. There are "corrosive narratives" out there about this aircraft. But, let the truth be told, right! After 5 years of collective chanting for this package and after putting it into production; baking it in the oven and shipping it to all the folks who couldn't wait to get their hands on it, it doesn't impress enough to be the "Ace of Spades"....Too bad.....

[Evan D]

Interesting take on it. When I bought it I was ho hum. When I built it I built it with 2 1/2 times the stock power. I re painted it and I added P&T FPV. As such I think it's a great plane. One of my go to planes, no not really but I like it more than not...

I wouldn't be concerned dude. I was considering buying this plane, but I think I'll pass. There are "corrosive narratives" out there about this aircraft. But, let the truth be told, right! After 5 years of collective chanting for this package and after putting it into production; baking it in the oven and shipping it to all the folks who couldn't wait to get their hands on it, it doesn't impress enough to be the "Ace of Spades"....Too bad.....

[AirHead]

Interesting take on it. When I bought it I was ho hum. When I built it I built it with 2 1/2 times the stock power. I re painted it and I added P&T FPV. As such I think it's a great plane. One of my go to planes, no not really but I like it more than not...

Well, you have a lot more flying experience than I do Sir. I would have figured if you were going to "uprate" the old OV-10 to those specs, then you might have gone with a twin tail boom H-King, 70mm FlyCat EDF with a FPV installed running on 6S....

[SanExup]

Evan D Have you posted a photo of it? I would love to see it. I've seen your fpv footage but not your plane. It sounds like you are taking full advantage and have raised it to the level of the full size Ov10.

[SanExup]

Evan D I see the photos, just had to go back some pages.

[Evan D]

Cool! I think I’ll fly it tomorrow...

[SanExup]

Evan D Great, now I want an Ov 10. Is yours the marines grey or the fire attack plane?

[Evan D]

Navy blue gray...

[SanExup]

My apologies. Navy bronco. I keep needing stronger reading glasses. That looks so good. It's inspiring.