Lynn S

I have noticed since going from a .049 C/L to a .061 AME that the plane is harder to control right after launch. It was almost hands off with the smaller engine and kinda hairy with the AME. I would think that once the engine is up to speed there would be little torque effect. I can't remember which direction right now but I have to hold some aileron until the plane is up to speed. I don't have to compensate after that.
Come to think of it, my best friend has a full scale Bonanza and its pretty hairy on take off too.

Bipe Flyer

You could try some right thrust, or not using as much throttle.

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

The other thing to take note of is the roll rate going left vs right. About the veer to the left on launch, just learn to LOVE IT!

Lynn S

CP, I think it may have been more a trim problem than torque, but the extra power has an effect on trim too. I'm using more down trim than before at full speed, which it does not need at launch. It was wanting to dive after lauch so now I know to give it a little up trim for the lauch. The roll to one side has been adjusted out too. Anything that is not in proper trim(or working correctly) will really show up with the extra power. I learned that last year with the .074 powered Simple Extra, I crashed it more times than I flew it. This one has more than made up for that one.

Larry Driskill

Torque can be a problem, especially on launch before full effectiveness of the control surfaces is gained as the plane comes up to minimum controllable speed.

My LiteHawk RC is sometimes a bear on launch. Those times are when there is little or no wind to hand launch into, or when you have to takeoff downwind as was the case part of the time at the 2004 North Little Rock S.M.A.L.L.

With the LiteHawk it is the first 10 or 15 feet that can be tough. With no rudder available you have to resist correcting for torque, or rather attempting to correct, with ailerons. If you whip in a bunch of aileron right away you get either bad adverse yaw or a snap. But if you launch with the right wing slightly down and make the launch toss slightly nose down, the speed comes up pretty quickly and you only have to be disciplined and stay off the ailerons for a short count.

With an ROG set up nose or tail wheel steering can keep the takeoff tracking down the centerline until the rudder is effective, but with hand launches, and no rudder, the low right wing and level or nose down toss seems to be my best bet at success.

Lynn S

I guess I need a check list.

I think resetting the trim tab is the most important thing I forgot to do today and my last launch was really wild. The first launch was good with the added up trim, I forgot to give it up trim on my last lauch and it heads right for the ground, it gets ugly after that.....but the AME is turning close to 20,000 now and I managed to keep the ground away.

Note to self: RESET THE TRIM each time you launch.

50+AirYears

Sounds to me a touch of right and down engine offset might tame the launch. look up some of the articles on flight trimming in MA or FMs free flight columns. Back in the days of the early single channel radios, flight trimming with thrust offset was something you either learned by having been involved with free flight, or from someone who had previously been in free flight. It also reduces the need to change your controls surface trims with speed changes.

Lynn S

50+
I'm sure it could use some down thrust, that would help with the trim change. It has enough right thrust I think, it doesn't pull to the left when going vertical. I didn't do a very good job in getting the horizonal stab level when I expoxied it in place and built some down trim into it, so that adds to the trim problem too. Its not a big problem I just need to remember to set the trim for launch. I'll try to get the next one right.

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

I look at it like launching a hot car at the drag strip, once you get beyond the initial lunge and steer out of it, the rest is anti-climatic. I would not want to bias my steering or thrust angle [rearend allignment] to compensate for a little bit of squirrellyness right at the start. A certain amount of right thrust is needed on some planes to get them to track a vertical line, but with even the hottest 1/2As that I've ever flown, I've never needed it. There is a certain amount of "stored energy" that needs to be dissipated on a hand launch that I feel you should just live with, instead of retrimming the plane each and every time you take to the sky. ROG take offs with a torky setup can be kind of exciting too, but you fly your way through the power transition, not trim your way through it. I feel like the time that is invested in getting to a perfectly dialed in trim [for flight] shouldn't be wasted[and re-dialed in] each time I go up. Bottom line is, what ever works for you is what matters, but when duty calls to teach someone, this is the philosophy I try to get across to my gullible student! Just dipping the right wing panel somewhat is all you need with a level push into the wind.

William Robison

My Feedback: (3)

Lynn:

Larry Driskill said it, the Pigg repeated it, and I learned it years ago. Launch the plane nose level with a right bank. Problem solved, and no "Launch trim" needed.

Bill.

Lynn S

Hey, I'll try anything.
I'll give it the right wing low- lauch and see what happens.