soaringhigh718

Hi everyone,

Last week I had a dumb mishap with my Trojan T28 (Grey). I was basically grounded for a year. No time to fly while in school. First day out last weekend and I lost it because I failed to check my radio settings. I was fortunate enough to be able to pick up another one the other day. Hot and sunny and some a bit of wind at higher altitudes, but I was able to get in a few flights and successful landings relying heavily on the rudder. I just need to get the plane trimmed out a bit and it will be perfect.

On another note, my Escapade .61 arrived this past Thursday with my O.S. 75AX engine. This is going to be my first glow engine aircraft. I am excited and nervous at the same time.

CGRetired

My Feedback: (1)

Congrats on getting back in the hobby.

Regarding your new Escapade... the OS 75 AX is a great engine. I have two and love them.

Just be aware that there is a rather large increase in power available with the glow power than with electric. Still, you should have learned a bit about throttle management with the electric and learning to apply that to the glow is very important. Mainly because you want to learn to fly the plane rather than have it fly you.

Before flying it, make darned sure that you have all controls operating at peak with no binds, especially the throttle, which is the easiest to have binds with and probably the hardest to set up correctly. And, make darned sure you have all controls moving in the correct direction, espcially the ailerons. Stand behind the plane, and move the aileron to the right. The right aileron should move up, and, of course the left should move down.

For the elevator, pulling the stick toward you should move the elevator up, and, of course, pushing it up should move the elevator down. The rudder should follow the stick.

This may sound elementary, however, you can ask around RCU to see how many RC'ers have lost a plane because they had the controls reversed, especially the aileron.

Good luck.. and, if I were you, I would have a "pro" take a close look at your glow powered plane and take it up for the maiden.. trim it out, then hand it off to you. Eventually, you will learn to do this yourself, but for your first, solicit help from someone you trust and that has some extensive experience to check it out and maiden it for you.

CGr.

soaringhigh718

Thanks for the input. I agree with you 1000%. I tripled checked ailerons, rudder, and elevator directions before I took the Trojan this evening. As far the Escapade, one of my experienced field buddies is going to help me get that plane squared away. From building to the maiden flight and to the handoff. Right now, that Escapade is still in the factory box sitting with the engine. I will be ordering my servos and final pieces of field gear in the next couple of weeks. This is such a cool hobby.

CGRetired

My Feedback: (1)

Well, you are off and running. What you need to do now is really watch what the mentor did and ask questions. Make sure you understand what he/she is doing and why. Then, follow up with that by setting up your own ground check to include everything he/she taught you. If you listen and learn, you will really limit the problems you have and spend more time enjoying flying.

Good stuff!!

CGr.

landeck

My Feedback: (1)

You will like the Escapade 61 with the OS .75 in it. I have been flying mine with a Fox .74 Eagle IV in it for a year and really like it. It is a great performing plane with that size engine. For the first flights be sure to balance it where the directions say. This will probably result in a fairly fast landing speed but will ensure a stable flight. Later you may want to move the CG back some for easier landings. Good luck with the plane.

Bruce

Villa

Hi soaringhigh718
When checking your control surfaces to make sure they are working, it it IMPERATIVE that you check them correctly. At the field I see many people check them while standing in front of the plane. This is WRONG. These people take off with the ailerons moving in the wrong direction and CRASH. All they are checking is to see if the controls are moving. To check controls correct, they must not only move when commanded, but they must move in the correct direction. You must stand behind the plane to determine if the controls are moving in the correct direction. It is true that you can train yourself to do it correctly using the wrong method, but I'm not interested in that type of confusion. A computer can do it, but not my mind. Comments?

acdii

+1. When Icheck, since Ihave to connect the servo when Iattach the wing on both planes Itend to do it from behind, and Ialso move the way the plane should move, imagining the wing doing it and making sure the ailerons are moving the correct way.

Sounds like the OP learned his lesson though, always do a range check with the radio check, and have a buddy watch the controls to make sure they are moving correctly and pointing to the part you are moving to verify, this way you aren't relying on the ol mark 1's to see the parts moving. What I have him do is mimic the part with his hands. Both hands with elevator up and down, or opposite with ailerons, and one hand for rudder, thumbs up for throttle.

soaringhigh718

I agree 100%.

One of the guys at my field trimmed the T-28 for me this morning. No wind at at 8:30am EST at the field. The guy that trimmed my plane was great. It was the first time I met him and he actually fly real planes. He gave me a lot of good advice about getting my plane in position for landing and controlling it. Multiple flights and plane is home in one piece. I have to practice my landings.

I have been extra cautious about everything since losing my plane last week. I have been checking my control surfaces not only for movement, but for proper direction prior to each and every take off.

sylvie369

Ilearned this lesson the semi-hard way (no damage, thank goodness, but major heart attacks) on my first flight of the year, with the elevators reversed. Fortunately it's really easy to fly that way when your plane has flipped over onto its back.

acdii

LOL one of those cases where you wish there was a switch to reverse the channels.

Villa

Hi acdii
My 2.4 MHZ radio has that reversing servo feature. Probably all computer transmitters have that feature.

Villa

Hi sylvie369
About 10 years ago I designed and built a Pusher Canard 46 OS size plane. The maiden flight was a super high tension event for me. I checked everything multiple times. Then I took off. The plane would not get off the ground. The acceleration and ground speed seemed adequate. I brought it back and tried again. I think I tried it three times. Finally I realized that the elevator was backward. It was going UP for UP elevator, like on all of the planes I had built. Well, since the elevator on a Canard is on the front wing, the elevator needs to move DOWN for UP elevator. I had designed and built the plane but never realized that difference. I reversed the elevator servo on the transmitter and took off. I just realized that a photo of the plane is to the left of this message. I totaled it last year and have a strong desire to build another.

sylvie369

I wish I had an excuse like that, but I don't. Mine was on a standard tail sailplane, one I flew a couple of hundred flights on last summer. Just a plain old rookie mistake, one that I hope I never make again.

My transmitter does have a servo reversing switch but there was no way I was going to be able to reverse it while flying, even if I HAD thought of it, and even if there had been time between when I realized what had gone wrong and when I found the ground.

In a testament to modern R/C design, I reversed the servo back to normal and flew her about 25 times (short flights off a high-start) after the accident. I realize I was pretty lucky - by all rights, I should have destroyed the plane.
On the plus side, it was pretty cool to see how well she flew upside-down.

Charlie P.

Back in the day (young guys roll eyes and throw red Solo cups) before model memory it was VERY common to miss a Tx set-up when assigning servo DIP switches. 

The traditional response to the inevitable crash on take-off was to yell: "I WAS HIT!" or "I'M ON CHANNEL XX!  WHO'S ON MY CHANNEL!" 

Not sure what the proper etiquite calls for now.  I guess it's "GLITCH!  SUNSPOTS!  BROWN-OUT!" or some combination.