frenchstan

rznz:

Some of the tips I've collected or learned.

Aerobird Xtreme from Horizon Hobby

First, this is NOT a beginner’s model. If you don’t already have, say, 50 flights, don’t fly the Xtreme!
Second, you will want to fly it ASAP, even if it’s windy. DON’T DO IT! Wait till there’s no wind!
Third, while waiting for calm wind conditions, join AMA, for insurance - if not for their magazine.
While still waiting, read and re-read the Aerobird instructions. Set up the Xtreme per the directions.
Watch the CD/video for the setup and initial assembly, but……………….
don’t even think about doing any of the AEROBATICS it shows until you have 50 flights completed.
Look around for a high school or park with clear space equal to at LEAST 4 soccer fields; 8 are better.
When you charge your battery, follow the directions and DON’T charge more than 3 hours…. DON’T.
Reinforce the rear (trailing) edge of the wing with a 14” long piece of glass-reinforced, 2” wide tape….
Yes, your prop WILL HIT the rear edge of the wing and take a bite out of it! This taping is a must!
Also, reinforce the leading edge with an 8” long, 2” wide piece of glass-reinforce fiberglass tape.
Do not fly your Xtreme, even once, without the reinforcement of the leading and trailing edges!
Permanently mark your name and phone number on the body, battery and wing. Trust me, it’ll save $$.
If you join the American Modeling Association, mark you AMA ID number on your plane, too.
Use permanent markers to color-code the lines leading to the elevators as to right (green) and left (red).
Closely study / sketch how the elevator lines are wrapped on the horn and those little gray spools.
Note there is a tiny o-ring that must be mounted under the spool to give it some resistance to unraveling.
Do a Search for “Aerobird Extreme” at RCUniverse and study how to reinforce the motor mount. DO IT!
Also check RCGroups.com and do searches for info on the Xtreme, and reinforcing the motor and boom.
DO NOT TRY TO FLY YOUR XTREME, EVEN ONCE, without reinforcing the motor mount. DO IT!
Do a Search for Aerobird Extreme on RCUniverse and study how to reinforce the tail.
Don’t even think about landing in grass, unless it’s on the greens of a golf course, because it WILL flip.
Still, you will try to land the Xtreme in grass! It won’t work unless you land on putting greens. It’ll flip!
WHEN you flip over your Xtreme in the grass, each time you have a 20% chance of breaking the tail.
With its standard wheels, land only on swept-dirt infields, putting greens or asphalt - unless you are rich.
Each new tail is $15; each new wing is $20. Buy one spare wing, two spare tails and extra batteries.
When you first get it flying, fly in gentle circles. Practice flying level - round and round and round.
Early on, practice your landing “approaches”; of course, always land into the (very slight) wind, right?
Don’t even think about using Pro Mode until you have 25 flights in, AND you feel VERY comfortable.
You’ve read about flying safety: not flying over cars, people, roads. For THIS plane, actually follow that!
You have to launch the Aerobird Xtreme with a strong throw; HORIZONTAL, or just a LITTLE above.
Early on, fly in no wind or very slight wind, but always launch / land INTO THE WIND.
Don’t even think about using the Bomb release or Combat attachment until you have 50 flights.
Have silicon glue ready at home for when you crash and rip off the soft nosepiece. It’s guaranteed.
Another “first” thing to do when it’s new; put 2” wide clear plastic tape on the black nose to hold it on.
When you crash the Aerobird, make sure you pick up ALL THE PIECES, for repairs. Repeat: get ‘em all.
The Xtreme wants to fly fast and it covers a LOT of ground – FAST. That’s why you need lotsa space.
Option: buy Maxx / MPI 2.5” light weight foam wheels, or equivalent, and exchange with the originals.
Always fly with a rubber band over the canopy to keep it from flipping open when you crash.
THE XTREME IS ABSOLUTELY NOT FOR BEGINNERS! THERE’S NO “MAYBE” HERE!
When upgrading to the Xtreme from a “trainer,” make sure the first ten flights are in CALM air!
When flying the Xtreme, make sure the first 25 flights are at a clear area; at LEAST 4 football fields.
Initially, don’t fly when people are around…this is a fast, ponderous, HEAVY machine. It loves to dive!
Reinforce motor mount BEFORE you fly, to reduce inevitable damage. Don’t fly, even once, without it.
WHEN the radio receiver’s board rips out of the mount it’s screwed into, glue it back with hot melt glue.
When the body is shot because you didn’t stay out of the wind, buy a $20 replacement (empty) body.
If the radio receiver gets ruined, buy the $60 replacement body with new motor and electronic guts.
The original Xtreme will land and take off from a WIDE, flat surface or a well-maintained dirt infield.
If you can afford it, buy extra NiMH batteries.
Buy some generic rubber bands that match the ones for the wing, and that oddball one on the tail.
Flight-check: inspect that brown rubber band for the tail. It comes off sometimes. Length is 4.”
Buy a Flight Simulator and practice with a V-tail model.
The adjustment spools on the control horns have to be fairly tight; tight enough where you can JUST move them with your fingers. If they are not tight enough, they’ll unspool in flight and – it’s crash-city.
About those elevator lines, consider routing them through TWO “holes” and THEN onto the gray spool.
The black fiberglass tail boom can be come dislodged in a crash. Inside the body, the boom is mounted at two points. It may be obviously damaged and out of alignment, or, it may just have come out of its forward mounting point, in which case you may not be able to notice it. In this second case, the bird will act as if it has too much “down” elevator, and it will keep nose-diving into the ground on launch. Unfortunately, this second condition is subtle, tough to “feel” it with your hand on the boom, and is impossible to see looking inside the body from the front hatch.
Once you get proficient, and if you have a lot of money, see the forums on RCUniverse for modification to the Aerobird tail to make it more aerobatic.
The radio receiver inside the Xtreme has an “FET” (Field Effect Transistor?) that burns out if you run it full throttle all the time. Do a Google search for IRLI3803 and buy a spare FET. It’s fairly easy to de-soldier the original (it’s got a big heat sink bolted to it) and soldier in this new, more powerful one. International Rectifier is one source, $7.08 for each FET plus ten bucks S&H; Customer Service is 1-888-671-1736. Again, do an RCUniverse search for more info on this great fix, and one for the blue resonator.
Easiest way to work on the receiver board is to unbolt the motor and untie the antenna and elevator wires and pull everything out. Get a long piece of FINE wire from a Local Hobby Shop to use to fish the three wires back into the boom later on. While everything’s out, cut off some of the tip of the black, plastic insert at the end of the boom to make a bigger hole for fishing the antenna back in. Also, use a small drill to open up the slanted hole for the elevator lines, so it’s easier to fish them back out.
Oil the motor bearings when the motor is out.
If the Xtreme JUST won’t quite fit in your car or trunk, you can cut off 2” off the wing tips; it doesn’t seem to affect it. I did it to fit it into my Honda Civic’ trunk or back seat
Keep the speed up, keep the nose up, and don’t fly in the wind until you’ve got those 25 flights!
See the Xtreme in a new car commercial in May 05; I think it was a Dodge.
For insurance, carry your AMA card, and put your AMA number on your bird. Fly in no wind, no wind!
You can fly the Xtreme with the transmitter from the Park Zone Stryker if you have the same channel.
After 50 flights, you can do Touch and Goes with wheels or without.
If an otherwise good-flying Aerobird starts to “float,” and only wants to go up but not down, you’ve probably lost or broken the elevator rubber band.
When the body of the Xtreme starts to split at the nose, you can usually fix it with hot melt glue, or by using the tip of the hot melt glue gun to “weld” the edges together. As a preventive, put a piece of tape over the seam.
Some Forum comments have mentioned using a slightly tighter rubber band on the tail for better response. I haven’t tried it yet.
Some magazines that I’ve found useful for those interested in electric flying are Park Flyer and Quiet Flyer. The magazine 3D Flying is OK, as is Fly RC magazine.
Have you noticed how many times this document says to start out flying the Xtreme in CALM AIR?