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**Grossman56** · Sep 14, 2014, 12:44 PM

Re: A little help From My Friends!

Oh, and by the way, the wheel fairings stayed on!!

**Rocketeer** · Sep 14, 2014, 01:10 PM

Re: A little help From My Friends!

Greetings G56,

Sounds like you finished the day 1 and 1.

First I'm glad to hear the Pandora lived up to expectations.
Second, as far as the CG on the Waco all I can say is that I've never had an issue with it.
Regardles of weather I run a 1600, 1800 or 2200mAh LiPo I just install it as far forward as it will go and she flies beautifully.
I'm not sure what could cause such a drastic tail-heavy characteristic in the Waco. I am sorry for your misfortune and the issues you are having.
I am hopful that perhaps someone here on the forum has also experienced this tail-heavy attitude (not the crash) and can offer a resolution.

Hang tuff my friend.

Bill L.
in Okla.

**Grossman56** · Sep 14, 2014, 03:34 PM

Re: A little help From My Friends!

Thanks Bill:
I've gone through every inch of her, all is repaired except for the prop. A couple of things I noticed were that the motor mount was loose, it wasn't before the take off, but I'm wondering if the torque may have broken her loose during take off. I also noticed that the ESC was flopping around so I secured it as well.
I checked the elevator control rod because I did notice there wasn't a lot of extra length, my train of thought was that it slide out of the servo linkage and jammed in the tail heavy position, but no, she's tight as a drum and functioning fine.
Rechecked the CG using the two finger method, postioning them right at the light sockets on the upper wing, she seems to be fine, level without the prop should give me a little nose wieght when the prop is on. The only thing that seems to make sense is the motor mount, have to wait and try her again when the props get here.

Grossman56

**Hippie 64** · Sep 14, 2014, 04:34 PM

Re: A little help From My Friends!

Gman sorry to hear that's a heartbreaker !!!!
Do you have a CG machine ??? I bought one with my first plane and has made such a difference .I have the Great Planes one and I never leave the house with checking . To me it was a worth while purchase .

**Grossman56** · Sep 14, 2014, 04:40 PM

Re: A little help From My Friends!

Yep, I have one, I always run my planes through it as well. This one was true as can be. I'm really thinking that the motor mount let go, its the only explanation. She took a good whack in the lower wing, almost a right off, but Gorrilla Glue to the rescue, Whew!

Down but not out!

Grossman56

**Rocketeer** · Sep 14, 2014, 07:14 PM

Re: A little help From My Friends!

Greetings G56,

That's a very likely scenerio..

If the motor mount came loose it most likely altered the normal downward pitch of the motor and once the motor shaft angle began to raise, so did the Waco.

I saw that happen to a guy in the club. He tried another flight shortly after a sligh nose-in but he only checked that the motor still turned, not the mount. Once he torqued it up on the next flight the prop pulled the loose mount upward and the plane with it. At first we thought he was trying to fly 3D! His flight did not last long.

I will be curious to see if re-securing your motor mount does the trick.
I wish we lived closer to each other as I have 4-5 props for the Waco I'd be happy to run a couple over.

Bill L.
in Okla.

**Grossman56** · Sep 15, 2014, 04:09 PM

Re: A little help From My Friends!

Thanks Bill, I appreciate the sentiment. Thats what the Waco did, tried to fly 3D , she was only ten feet or so off the ground. Anyway, I've resecured the motor mount and have props and the center pieces on the way, also a spare cowling.
One thing I'm going to look at as well is whether the Pandora Tricycle rear wheels are a sub for the waco main gear, just as a matter of interest. I had to pull the wheel pants off one side to resecure the back side of the pant as well. Very interesting in that the pants are the only thing that holds the wheels on the strut.
I think the thing to do would be to anchor her down and give her full throttle, just to see if the motor mount stays on. She's glued really well right now but the original gluing looked pretty minimal. Not only that, but its pretty sloppy in the slot when she's loose, but impossilbe to remove/replace, so I guess I'm lucky that it didn't break as well.
By the way, hope you checked out the lost Waco landing gear step in "all us newbies..."

Grossman56

**Rocketeer** · Sep 15, 2014, 09:24 PM

Re: A little help From My Friends!

Greetings G56,

I did indeed check out the mods you put into effect and presented well earned Kudo's to you my friend!!!
You knocked it out of the park on that one.

I hope you don't mind but I intend to steal your mod idea for my own Waco ..... <smiley image="smiley_good.gif"/>

Thanks again for all of the effort and sharing along the way.

This Bud's for you !!! <smiley image="anim_drunk.gif"/>

Clear Skies

Bill L.
in Okla.

**Grossman56** · Sep 16, 2014, 04:03 PM

Re: A little help From My Friends!

Well, if you liked that one, here's another. Everything has a silver lining and this is an example. Since the Waco is down, I thought,"Perfect time to Minwax her" So, I tried prepping her with IPA, but it tends to pull color off the decals. I put some Minwax on the decals and some naturally got on the white, bare foam. With the oil that they put on the mold to help it release, of course, it started to ball up. So, I started wiping it off with a micro fiber cloth. This is when I started to notice something very interesting. The residual Minwax, laid down perfectly on the foam surface! Now wait a minute. A water based substance laid on top of an oil based substance, will cause the water to ball up. Why? Because its gathering the oil up in water and the oil floats to the top, so when I removed it, I took the oil with it! So I tried it again and rubbed it as if I was applying a coat of shoe wax on a shoe, rubbed it in fairly well, and let it dry, takes about 5 to 10 minutes, then coated her again and its perfect!!
You don't have to use IPA!
This is so simple!!

McGiver to the rescue again!

Grossman56

**Rocketeer** · Sep 16, 2014, 07:44 PM

Re: A little help From My Friends!

Greetings G56,

I did indeed the the photos under All us newbie pilots, lets share..

See my reply there..... it also applies here....... <smiley image="smiley_good.gif"/>

Keep those awesome - and quite beneficial - discoveries coming.....

Clear Skies

Bill L.
in Okla.

**Grossman56** · Sep 19, 2014, 05:46 PM

Re: A little help From My Friends!

OK, Deep Breath and we'll try her again tomorrow!!

Grossman56

**Rocketeer** · Sep 19, 2014, 06:05 PM

Re: A little help From My Friends!

Greetings,

As promised, I did investigate the battey orientation for the WACO and it appears, in retrospect, the I do install the battery with the wires forward. I align the front of the battery with the fore-edge of the battery compartment (not down in the well under the cowl). It seems to CG perfectly at that position.

Best of luck tomorrow....I know your going to nail that first flight and I'll be looking forward to one of these little clapping smiley face emoticon things in your post!!!!! <smiley image="smiley_good.gif"/>

Ok, new stuff is in here on the MRC site..... gotta go shopping......

Clear Skies

Bill L.
in Okla.

**Grossman56** · Sep 20, 2014, 09:58 AM

Re: A little help From My Friends!

Hi Guys:
Just to let you know, I'm two for two today!!
Tried out the new field with Pandora 2 and the Waco.
P-2 flew gracefully, although in the sun, close up, she's packing alot of scars!
The Waco, well, an aptly named airplane because she is , well, WACO!
I added a little (7.5gm) wieght in the cowling. Now, she started going wacky after leaving the ground, but I got her under control and flew a few circuits with her. For the most part she behaved herself, turns were a little hairy, the landing, well she came home in one piece, so I guess it was good.<smiley image="anim_handshake.gif"/>
So, Bill, what have you got your control throws set on. I"m at 100% on all and I've also mixed a little rudder with the ailerons. I'm beginning to think that I might not need that. I'm thinking of adding another 3 gm to the nose just to see if that helps. I seem to be on the right track. I figure that if she behaves herself for the most part, with the extra wieght, I should be able to trim everything else out.

One thing, she sure looks pretty in the air, I see what you mean about Waldo Pepper!!

Off to Canada, talk to you all soon!

Grossman56

**StarHopper** · Sep 21, 2014, 08:44 PM

Re: A little help From My Friends!

"...turns were a little hairy"
Have you got inside or outside rudder dialed in with those ails?
Hint: What's the nose doing in the turns?

**Grossman56** · Sep 30, 2014, 05:18 PM

Re: A little help From My Friends!

both in equal measure. I'm going to have to check my control throws as well, they may be too much

**StarHopper** · Sep 30, 2014, 06:29 PM

Re: A little help From My Friends!

<i>"both in equal measure. ..."</i>

<smiley image="anim_confused.gif"/> How can you have both inside and outside rudder coupled with the ailerons?????

re: <i>" I"m at 100% on all and I've also mixed a little rudder with the ailerons. "</i>

**Rocketeer** · Sep 30, 2014, 06:57 PM

Re: A little help From My Friends!

Greetings G56,

I'm wide open all the way around... no mixing.
For me, it's all in the thumbs..... <smiley image="smiley_good.gif"/>
Hang tuff, buddy..... you'll get her dialed in....

Bill L.
in Okla.

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A little help From My Friends!

A little help From My Friends!

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