hllywdb

The Hayes use that black fuel line inside the tank. I've replaced them with regular fuel line with no issues, as long as you use a small line that will still fit through the tank opening when streatched over the nipple.

It sounded about 27-28 to me on the video. If you cut the prop down to get 24k on the launch you might pick up another 500rpm at best unloaded. But it wouldn't bog down so much in the turns.

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

Well........the Hobbico said 22,000 tonight....so that's probably typical if the AME is only running 10% and it's a mediocre specimen.
This engine wasn't as strong as some others it raced against a few years ago.
I rigged up the Twerp to it's custom thrust angle jig. It shows a certain amount of right thrust and pretty close to zero for up and down.
I used the thinnest shim stock on the shelf to remove some of the right thrust.
Photo #3 shows the correction.
The LIFE batteries showed up, so now I have to build a concrete encased charging station for these new fangled Time Bombs.
The model weighs 11.4 ozs now.
That ought to improve the glide just a little..?

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

I'll give that a try. I was able to fumble it into an inverted spin once, but just once. The fun comes from making adjustments [that work], then being able to enjoy the plane until the warranty expires.
There is also flaperon mode to try, with the elevator coupled.
I'm not sure if coupled "in phase" or "out of phase" will work best on this model.

Pond Skipper

Ah the warranty perhaps a plane can progress to primarily a titanium design. The cheapest design would be a single sheet folded over a carbon square spar flying wing style.
A delta would be a two fold design from a single sheet. If the sheet is cut correctly it will create a natural component bay. Left and right folds ending short at the center. Micro rivets locking down to 2 airfoils /slash center bay formers.

The moment arm is the trick here your flaperons have some surface area more so than the elevator but closer to the CG so less effective in comparison to the elevators command. I think you should find a reasonable balance / enhancement to yield some additional flopping abouts

Mr Cox

The problem is that you have a doppler effect that alters the frequency of the sound that you are you are taking your rpm estimates from.

There are software that can use the sound file from a head-on pass, and give you both the airplane speed and the true in-air rpm, by comparing data from the approaching and departing parts of the trajectory.

CP would know all about that, including why the camera used for recording the sound should not be placed on, or near, something valuable...

Pond Skipper

I have 4 tools for measuring rpm a chart to obtain rough numbers for speed and a doppler radar gun.
The sound app works great for ballpark data doing the estimating for me in just a few mins of use. The
app compares very well with a photocell type hand tach and has code written to compensate for the doppler
effect providing continuous readings.
For estimating myself I do have that PC doppler software that requires interfacing a plot chart for results.

hllywdb

CP I don't use one of those blast proof baggies for charging lipos. Mostly because I have no desire to play hot potato with a bag with a flaming battery in it. I instead use the thinking man's solution. I charge mine in a big cast iron frying pan. If one does catch fire, I can simply pick it up by the nice handy handle, flip it once to ensure both sides are a nice golden brown, then toss it over the fence into my neighbors pool. At that point the frying pan is ready to try charging the next battery with almost no downtime.

Pond Skipper

I started using Lipo and LiOn in 2002 never a fire but had some puffers with the Lipo - these days they are more stable, as I understand LiFe batteries are the most stable at the expense of lower voltage making them ideal for RX batteries. I store mine in a military ammo case and when charging I monitor within eye sight.

MJD

My Feedback: (1)

I have been party to one LiPo fire only - at our little office here in the village, my "boss" (friend and neighbour) dabbles in RC and has a small stable of parkies. I had my older Triton charger here for our office fleet. On the Triton, you turn the finger wheel to get the settings, then you press it to enter - Danger Will Robinson! It is stupid easy to set it to 3S, and dial it to 4S as you press to start the cycle - as he found out. Stupid, stupid design. A few minutes later from downstairs.. 'fire, fire!". Melty smoky bits of battery had spewed all over the new office carpet and on the walls. He got someone in to fix it with in 4 hours and his wife never found out - amazing.

MJD

My Feedback: (1)

So Skip - you said you read 37k on the Toucan flight. How close do you think that is? Sounds optimistic to me, but it sure wound out on that lower pitch prop.

Mr Cox

Which app are you using?
The app cannot know in which direction the plane is heading, and thereby cannot compensate for doppler effects when it is working in a continuous mode.

Pond Skipper

Folks use it at race tracks / cars , planes, boats.
Presets -
- RC
- 4cyl auto
- Formula 1
- 2 stroke
- 4 stroke
You have to know how many cylinders and input
Andriod App is called RPM Gauge
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...viery.rpmgauge

Developer
Email [email protected]

Pond Skipper

Hey Mike

I had readings of 28.3k on the ground with the first prop 2.75 or is it a 3P?
- Rpm leaped up to 37.7k (best) in the air: 98 mph if 2.75P or 107 mph if 3P

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

No video today...I want to get this thing dialed in and work up some sort of a "routine" of different things that it likes to do.
The engine seemed lethargic today...until I noticed bubbles escaping from the glow head. While it was running I cranked it down tight and now it runs at 26,500 with a APC 5 x 3.
I also used the much lighter LIFE battery.
The biggest improvement of all was the thrust angle correction. It goes straight up without any meandering or wandering. With the extra power and lighter weight it was just a much better plane to fly today.
I only got 1 flight out of the APC 5 x 3, but I believe it was superior to the Cox 5 x 3. I actually had to open the needle some [from where it was set for the Cox prop] to accommodate the APC 5 x 3.
With the extra power it does vicious snaps and better looking spins. Once it's in a spin you can apply opposite rudder to cancel it, but if you give opposite elevator it doesn't respond at all. The ailerons have limited control over the tilt once it starts spinning.
Being a nice day, there were a lot of full scale planes loafing around over head at only 200 feet. I need to take the time to tell the airport manager about this. It's become "fashionable" now more than I ever remember for these guys to fly as low as they want over shopping centers, neighborhoods, boulevards and next to the freeway. Where I fly is just a stone's throw from all of these hazards.

Mr Cox

I have the same app, it works for stationary sources. It looks at the sound signal and tries to find a typical frequency in the signal. It then assumes that this comes from each firing in the engine and converts the frequency to rpm depending on the engine type. So you get a false reading for any moving object, higher when it moves towards you and lower when it moves away from you. For our fast airplanes the error can easily be around 10% or more.

Oh, and congratulations CP for a great build.

aspeed

So to adjust for the Doppler, you have to take an average of the high and low readings. I did that at the speed circles for the FAI speed champs a few years ago. I had a guitar tuner that would read the pitch, and then converted the numbers I had a chart for. Each octave doubles the rpm..... Anyway I figured 40,000 rpm, but it was way more and way less because of the doppler. If the tuner is taken to the middle of the circle, you can get the true rpm, with it just getting louder and quieter for each lap. I have watched a video of a pylon racer with an onboard video, and it measured about 3,000 rpm higher as soon as it was let go, and maybe a bit more in a dive, although he never did much of one. Now you can get the new radios that send you the info, although 1/2A may not be the best. There is supposed to be a decibal meter app too. The wicked stepdaughter loaded it on her phone for me, and it seemed ok. I may have to get a mini tablet to get those apps. No phone though...

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

I like to hear about the latest speed measuring equipment and have the chance to compare other's results with my methods.
My favorite is the "How Fast" air speed recorder. It is a tiny circuit board that samples incoming air from a pitot tube mounted in the airstream. It plugs into any unused channel of your RX for power. After the plane lands, you wave your finger over an LED. The LED then blinks a simple code to tell you how fast the plane went.
The wing mounted pitot tubes are easy to break with a belly lander. Especially with a tapered LE that tends to scoop grass into the pitot tubes. The tubes are not too hard to either repair or replace. This device is small enough to easily work with any .049 on up plane if you make simple arrangements to accomodate it.

aspeed

Does it work with any old radio? Sounds like a good thing if it doesn't cost more than the plane.

Pond Skipper

[TABLE="class: article-table-spec"]
[TR]
[TD]
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=923021







Dimensions:
[/TD]
[TD]








45mm x 20mm x 16mm
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Range of measurement:
[/TD]
[TD]14mph - 125mph
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Readout:
[/TD]
[TD]LED pulse - 1mph precision
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Power Input:
[/TD]
[TD]5v-12v
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Input:
[/TD]
[TD]Static port and Pitot tube
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Battery (optional):
[/TD]
[TD]12v
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Weight:
[/TD]
[TD]11g
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Weight of stand alone battery mod:
[/TD]
[TD]17g
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]US distributor:
[/TD]
[TD]Transolve
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]AirSPeed Gage:
[/TD]
[TD]ASPG-1.0 AirSPeed Gage
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Price:
[/TD]
[TD]$40
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

fizzwater2

My Feedback: (61)

Neat! It would be nice if there was another version for faster airplanes, though. I'll admit, I haven't flown any 1/2A for a long time, but it keeps tempting me. Picked up a Cox RR-1 a while back, just because I always wanted one! Most of my race planes are 150+ MPH.

MJD

My Feedback: (1)

Good price! Shame about the 125 mph limit.

The Transolve website link goes to a domain name peddler. Are they still solvent?

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

The HowFast? made by Winged Shadow Systems looked similar, but it was accurate to 200 mph+.
The air in and out was straight through the circuit card, instead of this Transolve unit where the air needs to make a tight 180.
I have no idea what the HowFast? uses for a transducer. The in / out nipples appear to enter and exit straight through a 16 pin micro chip..!
I'll bet there is info. online about how these tiny air speed transducers work.
This company stopped making the HowFast? and HowHigh? a few years ago
It was only $30 or so when I got it.