Brian_in_IN

My Feedback: (1)

Hello,
I have been flying RC airplanes for about 10 years, and my radios are about that old also. I have a Hitec Focus 4 and a Focus 6, operating on 72 mghz on channels 52 and 48. I fly mainly .40 size planes out at the county airport on the grass runway that isnt used by the passenger planes, as they use the paved runway. I have had many crashes over the years, some were pilot error, and some are unexplained. I am going to give details on the last crash, as I feel it was not pilot error, and would like to know what could have caused it.
I just finished building a Lanier Sky Scooter .40 plane. It was built properly and all the control surfaces working and adjusted properly. I uploaded a picture of it, but am not for sure where it went. Its called skyscooter2.JPG . Anyhow, I took the plane to the airport for its first flight, and when it got about 3ft off the ground, it just rolled left into the ground. After fixing the minor damage, I tryed again, with the same result. I thought the first couple times was caused by pilot error, stalling, or controls out of trim, so I made adjustment, let it picked up more speed before lift off, with the same result again. So now I'm thinking what the heck, so I decide to trim the ailerons a tad right trim. And this time it takes off and doesnt roll to the left when its 3ft off the ground, instead it keeps climbing, gets about 20 ft high and starts to roll right, so I push the stick left to adjust, and it takes 1-2 seconds before it comes back left, but it comes back left really hard, I push the stick right, and it takes 1-2 seconds before it responds. I fought this plane for the whole 10 or so seconds it was in the air, never had control of it. It ends up nose diving into the ground distroying itself. I havent had a plane crash so fast since my very first flight. ANyhow, I chaulked it up too interference and ordered another plane. But I am now loosing my confidence on being able to fly a RC plane, when I have had them up and down many many times without any crashes. But thinking back, I have had alot of crashes, some of them pilot error, some are unexplained.
Do any of you know of any radio interference that could have cause my crash?? Or maybe its just my old radios and receivers ?? I have a new Cap 232 coming, but am almost afraid to fly it. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...e=STRK:MEWN:IT I also have a frequency checker coming so I can determine if there is some waves out there on my channels. Heck of it is, it is intermittant, not all the time, as I have had many flights out there with no problems. BTW, battery packs were full charged, as I did check them after the crash.
OK , I broke down and bought a new Hitec Optic 6 radio with the spectrum module. This radio is the new Qpcm, but I dont fully understand the difference between this new radio and my old radios as far as transmitting. The new radio still transmits over the same frequency and channels, so how is it better??? I still need to buy another receiver, and need advice on which one to get.

Thanks in advance.

Flak

My Feedback: (1)

Brian,
I recommend you buy all Hitec equipment, since you bought a Hitec tramsmitter. Remember, you get what you pay for, so don't buy some cheap receiver. I don't know what your level of flying ability is. However, I will recommend you purchase the Great Planes G3 flight simulator or other simulator on at least this level and practice, practice, practice!. Good luck.

"Keep 'Em Flying!"
Flak

RC MANIAC119

My Feedback: (14)

Check your batteries!!!!!!!!! Sounds like a dying cell problem.[]

jetmech05

passenger planes huh! any military aircraft use that airport?
does this airport have an ILS? lots of radio traffic around airports. VHF com and NAV, RADAR, UHF, HF, AIRPHONES, RADALT, if the miltiary uses your field then you have TACAN, and all the ECM counter measures. I've heard of helicopters causing problems due to the blades having a built up charge especailly when its humid. I fly within 20 miles of Quantico and 10 miles from AP Hill i know one pilot that swears a low flying military chopper caused radio interference. maybe so.
A new radio should have ppm or pcm perhaps that will solve your problem

Brian_in_IN

My Feedback: (1)

I consider myself a intermediate pilot, I can take off, fly around and do simple tricks, and land with no problems, as long as the plane does what I try to make it to do via the transmitter. lol I mentioned in my post that I checked the batteries after the crash and they were good. The airport is just a small county airport, no ILS, no military aircraft, no helicopters, atleast when we go flying. I just bought a Hobbico frequency checker so we can start checking if theres any radio useage on our channels, but havent used it yet. I was hoping that someone would come back and say that my old radios would have problems and the new one would solve the problem, but it is probally just wishful thinking. lol After 10 years of rc flying, I hope I can keep control of my plane doing simple tricks and normal flying, but after these last crashes, I am wondering if maybe I should find a new place to fly or new channels or new equipment.

Thanks again.

308jockey

My guess is that after a decade of sometmes hard use you may need to replace either the Rx or the entire radio. Don't worry, people will tell you a radio should last forever with proper care but after a few crashes a reciever can become unreliable. With your confidence level where it is I suspect a new radio, properly installed and range checked, will solve your problems. I can say for a fact that while I have some good equipment going back to the mid '80's, I use much newer radios now and NONE of my airborne stuff is more than 5 years old. A good friend has lost one pattern plane due to an Rx that just got flaky. He nearly lost a 2nd one that he valued highly over an Rx that just decided to not have enough range. He barely got the plane back but when he range checked at home it only had about 15 feet where it had once had more than 100 in a properly done range check. His other ship, with a new RX, exceeds the mfrs. specs by nearly 100%. We have some of the best radio gear ever and I speak from 30+ years of doing this. It's better and cheaper than ever but once in a while it just needs to be replaced. Look at it this way. Most of your planes cost you $100 or more, engines are from $75 for a cheap one to many hundreds of $$. You have quite a bit of time in the airplane even if it is an ARF. So is it worth losing that over an old radio that is questionable when new one can be had for $150?? Not to mention the lost confidence that comes back when you don't have to worry about these issues any more.

Rick H.

exeter_acres

My Feedback: (2)

how did you check the batteries?
do they cycle to near capacity?
maybe send your stuff in for check and service to make sure the TX and RX are OK

Dan767

My Feedback: (19)

I would send the receiver in for a check. Noise filters in the receiver that are used to help block unwanted signals from causing problems, can cause problems similar to what you describe when they get damaged after a crash. You may also have other internal damage to your equipment. Send the receiver and the older transmitter in for a check. If you're still using the original receiver battery pack, I would consider replacing it. Even though you're showing adequate voltage, you may have little or no real capacity in the old pack.

egor

As suggested before send the radio equipment in and have it checked, All of it transmitter and reciever. I'm guessing, because nothing was mentioned, did you check the center of gravity (ie) balance both fore and aft as well as lateraly (left to right) .

Egor

Brian_in_IN

My Feedback: (1)

I checked the voltage of the battery after the crash and it was still over 5 volts. I havent cycled the batteries, but do know they charge good and hold the charge when not in use for a month or better. But I do charge them for 4-8 hours before going out to fly to reach peak charge, and I make sure I never over charge them too. I did find the screw that the antenna screws onto was not snugged down like it should be and the base on the antenna would turn inside the antenna shaft. ( theres the hollow telescoping tubes, the biggest one, bottom one, has a base crimped on it that has the screw hole in it to screw to the radio) Maybe that is my problem?? I do know that I will always range check before all flights now. [:-] So where does one send hitec radios and receivers to be checked?? And yes the plane was balanced before trying to fly it, along with all control surface throws checked, and moving the right direction with the radio sticks. Thanks for all your input. I believe the answer to my unexplained crashes is the radio antenna, along with maybe old receivers. I have bought a new Hitec Optic 6 QPCM radio and will be buying new receivers also.

I really want to make sure I have full control of my newest plane, a 33% Ace Extra 230, 96" WS with a Zenoah G62. I have had this plane for almost a year now and have yet to fly it. I want to brush up my skills with a .40 size acrobatic plane first, which is why I bought and built the Lanier Skyscooter. But when it crashed after the first 10 seconds of flight, I havent been able to do any brushin up. [&:] So now I bought a .46 Cap 232 and am building it to be my next brushup flying plane, but want to get ALOT more then 10 seconds out of it. Once I get several good flights on the Cap 232 and know that the radio and receiver is working good and theres no interference, I will then take out the Extra 230 for some real flying.
I attached a pic of my Extra 230, and it is sitting on a 8ft pool table so you will understand just how big it is.

Thanks again

egor

hitec service department can be contacted at 1-858-748-8440 as per their website at hitecrcd.com click on support.

egor

E-Mo

My Feedback: (12)

i would find another place to fly,

i flew at the alameda naval air station ( no longer active )
except for the fact the uss hornet is on display there
and multiple merchant ships too.

i had so many hit's, lock out's, and a total loss crash in the salt water
i swore i would never fly there again

ICE_MAN

I'd bet on the radio system.. Send it in to HITEC for a check up that way it can be used to fly your smaller airplanes and used as a buddy box system..

Another thing to check would be you controls.. Were the linkages tight, slop free? No strip ail. servo's? Adequate throws?

Brian_in_IN

My Feedback: (1)

Accually, you just got me thinking. I was reading the manual for my new Optic 6 radio and it said in there that I could get interference by doing what I did in the Skyscooter. I wanted a cleaner install then my other planes, so I chose to route the receiver antenna wire thru the fuselage all the way to the back and come out the bottom at the tail of the plane. I used a hollow tube to accomplish this. I also used solid wire pushrods to all controls, which the manual says with these 2 combinations there might be interference?? Anyone care to confirm or deny this claim??? Thanks.

jjflash

I get hits quite often from a pager tower half mile away. Usually hit is only second or two but sometimes will last quite a bit longer. It operates close to 150 mhz and even overloads sound systems at home sometimes. I hope a better receiver for my plane will help but I havn't got one yet.

JJ

rrragmanliam

My Feedback: (1)

hmmmm

Dan767

My Feedback: (19)

Brian,

As far as the routing question goes, I have not had a problem with similar routings in the past. I'm still advocating that you send the equipment in. When it comes back, put it in the model of choice and do a thorough range check. Engine running, engine off, antenna up, and antenna collapsed. If it passes the range checks, go fly!

bnjones22

Hi Brian in IN, I am a new rc pilot, but your account of the flight characteristics of this plane sound familiar. My four star forty was and still does the exact same thing, (rolls one way and then the other) what is causing this on the 4 star is a twist in the plain on the right side of the wing, mostly at the outer tip. So what happens is at slow speed it wants to roll one direction and at higher speeds it tries to roll the other direction. I simply reheat the covering to straighten out the warp and fly again. Could this be what was causing your problem?

multicasting

I built a plane once and didn't get the wing straight. It did exactly what you are describing. I was unable to reim it into level and controllable flight. It is now in a box in the attic.

Bob

Fredo-RCU

Have you ever serviced the ariel. Normally a range check is done with the ariel down. I had a simmilar problem and found it to be the ariel on the transmitter. I soaked it in white spirit and cleaned it thoroughly and havent had a problem since...

Nanuk

I'm with Dan767 on this one. Anytime I have a crash my receiver gets sent in for repairs and or checkup. As Dan said the filter in these things can't take anything worse than a minor crash. I learned this leason the hard way by crashing a plane and then using the receiver in my next plane. This went on for about five more planes before someone mentioned the filter.
Now I keep at least one spare receiver that is either new or has been checked by Futaba. So far I have sent them about ten receivers from crashes and they always replace the filter and the antenna. Get this though so far they have never charged me a dime for any of this.
My advice, if the plane has a hard crash DO NOT use the receiver until it is checked by the mfg company that made it.
Mine would almost always range check fine on the ground but would loose control at about 50 feet up and there went the plane.

Good luck

Nanuk

TexasAirBoss

My Feedback: (22)

It rolled one way and then the other?

Maybe you are getting lock out. You see the plane rolling........you then input the correct control to counter the roll.........first nothing happens.....then it rolls too far in the other direction.........is this right ?

If so, you are getting lock out..........interference or just poor reception...........send it in for service. Hard wacks can damage crystals and other stuff.

windsurf1

I always replace the Rx crystal after a crash - if you take one apart and have a look at it you will see just how delicate they are!!!

glowhead

check wing incidence. I had a friend with a similar problem. Always fall out of the sky to the left no matter what the trim was at. Make sure the tips are rotating downward compared to the center of the wing(just a little bit) and both tips are about even. $25 tower hobbies laser incidence meter makes planes fly so much better and avoids problems suck as these. This too may vary. Aerobatic wings are straight across but sailplanes are rotated much more than airplanes. This is called tip stalling.

bdavison

My Feedback: (1)

ANY time a rx is crashed, it should be sent in for a check-up. To fly it again without having it checked by a radio facility is just asking for trouble. You can send it off to places like Radio South, and have it checked, tuned and back in great working order.