Pilot Chad

My Feedback: (4)

My stick comes in today, and i plane to fly this weekend, but i was just wondering what differences i will see when fly my ugly stick. I will be buddying up for a handful of flights and hopefully getting checked off at the club.

Thanks
-chad

txaggie08

I *beleive* there is ALOT less dihedral in a stiks wing. im not realy shure on how much else is different honestly

Rubberduck

Didn't you already ask this question?

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_30..._1/key_/tm.htm

Pilot Chad

My Feedback: (4)

I was asking more about the biuld. I want to know about flight characteristics

bruce88123

I just carefully re-read every post of the other thread. Nothing there about "the build". More likely someone didn't like what they read and is trying again hoping to get different answers. IMHO not likely!

In fact, most of the other thread was about flight characteristics.

bubbagates

My Feedback: (32)

Here is how I see this.

In the other thread that was locked, it was asked if the Stik could be a trainer plane and it was beaten to death on the pro's and con's of doing it both ways.

This thread seems to be more to the point of asking what flight characteristics can be expected.

I will attempt to answer it as such based of the flight experience of the creator of this thread based on items the creator of the thread has given to me for review

A trainer will attempt to recover to upright flight from a turn or inverted due to dehidral. A dive and climb are not effected

A Stik will keep flying in whatever attitude it is in. Basically what is called a point and fly plane.

A trainer has trouble in winds over a certain speed and crosswinds can be tricky and turning downwind to crosswind my try to flip the trainer onto it's back

A Stik slices better through wind around 60 size and bigger but a smaller Stik can be tossed around pretty good in the air to the point of turning downwind to crosswind and having it flip over on it's back.

Both the trainer and Stik can be slowed to a crawl for landing

The trainer will take more abuse than most Stik's will. A good example in landings that bunny hop down the runway or simply planting it onto the ruway. Trainers will take a good amount of this. Stik's will loose the landing gear quicker hence they will not take as much unless the gear is properly beefed up.

Stik's are way more aerobatic the most trainers. Stik's need to be flown with proper throttle management especially when somewhat overpowered. There is no takeoff at full throttle and leave it there. Throttle management in level flight, up and down lines is important. You have bigger control surfaces and if control geometry is not maintained then speed and the flutter that comes with speed will destroy the Stik in a matter of seconds. Trainers can take a little more speed since it's smaller surfaces and more drag hence less speed.

THere is more but I need to head out for now...so someone else can add to this

jagnweiner

My Feedback: (1)

Bruce is right, the previous thread didn't have anything to do with building. There was some talk of flight characteristics, but a whole lot of "not much" in general.

I have a trainer (Kadet) and a Stik (GP Big Stik 40). They fly very differently. My Stik has a fully symmetrical airfoil and no dihedral. That means it will fly inverted as well as it will fly upright, with only a slight bit of down elevator to maintain altitude. It also means it has less lift and therefore must be flown and landed at higher speeds. It "goes where you point it", but that means that if you are banking in a turn and let go of the sticks, it will keep banking. It will not correct itself back to level flight.

I had no trouble flying and landing my Stik, but I had previously flown my trainer to death, learning aerobatics, sustained inverted flight, etc. I also flew a Cub as a second plane and had quite a bit of time on my brother's SPAD Debonair.

I guess you'll find out how they fly this weekend. Don't be in a hurry to get off the buddy box.

-Scott

Edit: Didn't see Bill's post when I put mine up, but I agree with everything he said.

FLYBOY

My Feedback: (11)

The stik has a symmetrical wing, which makes it fly faster. It tracks better, and when you get it screwed up, it won't recover like a trainer. That and everything else already told to you, get on the box and see for yourself. Its a great plane. I build them with no dihedral and they are a blast!

2slow2matter

My Feedback: (1)

jagnweiner,
I may be wrong, but I believe your GP big stick actually has a semisymmetrical airfoil. I have the GP big stick .60, and it as a semi airfoil, so I'm pretty sure the 40 does as well. Small point really, but it does make a difference in flying characteristics.

Anyway, expect the stick to land much like the trainer--that is, it will float quite a ways. Of course, I'm talking from the experience of a 60 sized big stick with a saito 100 pulling it--it doesn't like to get on the ground! It will take off very quickly, and is very aerobatic. Wherever you point it, it will continue to go that direction until you give it another command. This will take a little getting used to. You need to really begin mastering rudder control on landing, as this plane will weather vane on you in a hurry! And, I promise you, if you point it at the ground, and expect it to level itself back out (as you say your trainer will), then you'll need a trashbag to take it home in. You have to fly this airplane, it will only do what you tell it to.

BTW expect your Vstick to be of fairly poor quality wood. Be careful when handeling it, or you'll put your thumb right through the wing sheeting. Good luck. It's a good flying bird, but as built, won't take much abuse at all. Is yours the 40 or 60 size?

jagnweiner

My Feedback: (1)

2slow-

Nope, mine is definitely fully symmetrical. It was built by another club member from plans, and I know it was modified in some respects (taildragger, hatch for fuel tank, no dihedral), so it's possible the airfoil was modified. At any rate, it's a sweet flying plane with an old OS .46 SF.

-Scott

2slow2matter

My Feedback: (1)

cool. Mines an arf, so that may be a difference as well. I bet it is a sweet flying bird!

Pilot Chad

My Feedback: (4)

Thanks for all the replies questions are answered now. I will be putting 40 la on this one.

I got it in today around 2, and man this is a great lookin plane. I am very happy i bought it and for looks, it was worth the 85 bucks i paid.. I got the wing joined (it has an inch or 2 of dihedral, but not as much as the trainer at all) I got the tail feathers on and the servos need to be installed and she's ready to go. It has a 4 bolt nilin wing, and the covering wasn't all that wrinkly surprisingly. I was very impressed with the high quality wheels it had. They are treaded foam. All pushrods were in the fuse too, so all i have to do is put in the servos and get my movements right. The hinging was amazing as well.

Thanks for all the replies.

As of now without flying it, I highly reccomend this plane.

2slow2matter

My Feedback: (1)

I've flown it, and I highly DON'T recommend wasting the money on it, or any other VMAR junk. At one point I thought they were OK, until I became more and more exposed to "good" kits and ARFS--there's no comparison. And, pricewise, you only saved about 40 bucks or so off of a Great Planes model, and there is definite difference in quality. Just my opinion.
Good luck with it.

Pilot Chad

My Feedback: (4)

ONLY 40 bucks? MAN i ONLY saved 40 bucks.


Sorry 2 slow i had to, 40 bucks is alot when you don't have a steady income..

FLYBOY

My Feedback: (11)

Did you say grommets on the pushrods? Is there just an L bend on the end or a Z bend. Make sure you have a Z bend on it. An L bend with a gromet can come lose and you loose the plane. Make sure they are solid. Some glue the grommet on the rod, and the glue lets go under vibration and you have no control. Not good.

2slow2matter

My Feedback: (1)

The VMAR plane comes with the EZ connectors that you slide the pushrod into, and tighten a setscrew down on. That's how they want you to set up every control at the servo.

bubbagates

My Feedback: (32)

PICS, PICS, PICS...

RCKen

My Feedback: (9)

The EZ Connectors are IMHO a disaster waiting to happen. I can't count how many time I've seen people lose their plane because of the EZ Connectors. The vibration will cause the screw to back out and then the control rod can slip freely and you have no control anymore. IMHO you need to get rid of the EZ Connectors and put Z-bends in your control rods where they connect to the servo arms. An EZ connector on the throttle control is ok because if it slip you can just fly around till you run out of fuel. Even having one on the rudder is ok to because you can still fly with your rudder flopping around loose. But on the elevator and the ailerons you can't afford if you lose these controls, use Z-bends here.

Hope this helps.

Ken

Pilot Chad

My Feedback: (4)

i was going to change them on rudder, and elevator. Maybe locktite the ones i use?

RCKen

My Feedback: (9)

Chad,
I would completely get rid of them on the elevator and the ailerons. Those are the two control surfaces that you CAN'T afford to lose. You can lose rudder and throttle control and still get the plane back down. I wouldn't even try to locktite them, just get rid of them and use z-bends. If you leave them on the throttle and rudder locktite will help there.

Hope this helps

Ken

Pilot Chad

My Feedback: (4)

ok. How do i make Zbends?

RCKen

My Feedback: (9)

Chad,
the easiest way is to use a pair of Z-bend pliers (picture #1). If you don't have those follow the direction in the second graphic and that should give you a pretty good idea of how to do them

Hope this helps

Ken

txaggie08

i dont know what they look like, but they sound dangerous to use(the connectors, not the bends).

please use something that wont come loose on elvator and ailerons. Your plane does something realy cool till it demolishes into the cow pasture when you loose the elevator(see crash thread in crash section.....)

cat250

Ken,

What are your thoughts on EZ connectors on the servo arms with clevis's on the control horns?

Cat

RCKen

My Feedback: (9)

Cat,
I'd still say that it's not a good idea. The problem is still there. The screw can loosen up on the ez connector and the control rod now can slip, and you lose control of the plane.

There is another solution that I recommend. If you get solder clevises you can solder a clevis on at the control rod, and connect that to the servo arm. [link]http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXK082&P=7[/link]


Hope this helps