bubrockit

i was flying my firebird scout and as it took off it kept going in a big circle around me.......is it normal to do that???i got scared so i crashed it(not on purpose) then the wing cracks.........but before it cracked a fliew it into the ground like 5 times!!!!!!!and the time it cracked i thew it into the wind and did that circle thing agian and as it was turning, the wind lifted the wing and slammed it into the ground and cracked it! i was to scared to fly it agian so i went home to check out the damage.the engen still worked like it did last time and the back still turns like it did before....how do i fly the danm thing!.......ps. it also was the first time i flew a rc plane.....

scoooper

bubrockit ;;you can fix it but you gotta quit try'in to fly in ANY WIND AT ALL!!! after you get the hang of it (sooner than you'd think) and THEN you can do maybe 5-8 MPH of breeze an no more for that plane, I've been fly'in for 40+years and I HATE WINDY DAYS!!!And I still learn something every time I pick a plane up or turn on on a transmitter,I use foil tape where the prop hits the wing (packing tape will do) make sure your booms not come loose on the inside of the pod, get some 30min&5min epoxy, look for slop in the control-lines, I like to see some better pix of your plane an if I got something you need and I've got it I'll be happy to mail it to you ( I'll pay postage, my treat) I just hate see'in my bub's give'in up when I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT!!and you'll help somebody down the road, I've got over 20 pod &boomers and there a GREAT learn'in plane, you'll probly be fly'in any plane you want in a year,your bub, scoooper

Swift427

Manufacturer/model of all those yellow electric gliders in the second photo in from left?

Looks a lot like an Aerobird Swift except yours have full wing mounted on top.

scoooper

Swift427::same plane older style,( firebirdII's) THEY WON"T DIE!!!!!your bub, scoooper

bubrockit

thx alot for the advice, i pached it up with some tape and im hoping that itll work.....also a took some more pix of my plane like you requested......the v-part off the plane got a little rinckley but its still strong.....i havent tryed it since a crashed it.thx

scoooper

bubrockit:ut a bit of tape on the bottom of the the tail to beef her up a bit an if need be I'll send you a tail that should work( you may need to trim it a might) make sure the V tail is lined up with the wing and not ascewed (happens)your bub, scoooper

bubrockit

thanx but wat do you mean put tape on the tail?.....i dont understand.....

scoooper

use pack'in tape on bottom sufaces of the tail, not control sufaces, you get more support tape'in against the flex, don't over-tape it as you'll end up tail heavy( BIG no-no on these planes) your bub, scoooper

bubrockit

sorry that i keep bothering you like this its just that i realy have NO clue what to expect it to do when it takes off.do you have one and if so, when you throw it into the wind does it start to climb and do a big circle around you as it climbs???mine does that so i get scared that it flies away(as rediculous as that my sound)and crash lands it...i never got it to do a full circle for that reason.....i throw it into the wind and it goes about five feet infront of me, climbs, and starts to turn to the right, thats when i land it.any suggestions would be wonderfull!!!!thanx

bubrockit

thanx, youve bean great help

Swift427

Are any of those yellow birds in your photo the HZ "Electric Fire"? That's a neat name--they should bring it back. The firebird prop (HBZ1007) being slightly longer most likely has a little more thrust then the Scout prop. I bought a HBZ1007 prop and with TLC shortened it just enough to clear the Scout beam with room to spare. Will try it out tonight and compare difference in climb/thrust and flying time between this altered firebird prop and the Scout prop.

What would you guess is the motor size difference between the yellow firebirds in your photo and the Scout motor? Do both your yellow firebirds and the Scout use the same size motor and battery pack (voltage and amperage)?

Swift427

I bought 2 Scouts for grandson because they're on sale at local hobby shop. I've been reading some older Scout threads from '04 & '05 and noticed I had same "left turn servo jitter" problem on both of my new Scouts right out of the box. The left turn rudevator would barely move while the right turn rudevator worked great. I took everything out of the fuselage to checkout the servo. When first operating the servo the left turn servo arm action/swing was only half as much as the right turn servo arm swing. However, when I tried it again this morning after going back and forth between "smart trak mode" and "expert mode" it now seems to work OK. Although now no matter whether I arm for "smart trak mode" or "expert mode" it always goes into what I suspect is "expert mode" which is probably better any way. I also noticed that the left servo action/swing doesn't seem to have quite as much swing movement as the right servo action/swing. I guess one could put the left control line in the outermost servo arm hole and the right control line in the 2nd hole in to equalize swing movement. Any suggestions on best happy medium servo hole use on the Scout in full swing "expert mode" would be appreciated.

I find it rather amusing that HZ has a rather complicated procedure for arming the inexpensive Scout for either "smart trak" or "expert mode" on a plane that is more of a toy with NO real down elevator control for taking on some wind. Can you recommend any kind of quasi-death spiral maneuver with the Scout for taking on some wind?

I read on a 2005 Scout thread where it was suggested that you replace the Scout wing with the Firebird II ST "Speed Wing." What's your take on using a different wing on the Scout from HZ or another manufacturer?

Also read that the fuselage pod and beam/boom is a common design flaw/weakness that needs to be fixed before flying. Could you please give a detailed explanation of the expoxy procedure you've found works best (lasts longest) for securing beam/boom in best aerodynamic position in the fuselage pod. Thanks!

scoooper

bubrockit::On the tail there are two screws the front one needs to be backed off and the back one tighted up as from what you said your out of trim, Look at it from the side and do the screw ajustments so you can see the angle move up abit in front down in back, good luck, your bub, scoooper, PS OOps wrong pix,

bubrockit

yep, i tride to flie it with my friend agian but i totaly crashed and burned.........THE WHOLE THING!!!!!!!the tail snapped in halve and the motor dosent work any more...........i have to buy a new plane i guess...............thx for the advice but im sad to say but..............thats all folks.[:@]

bubrockit

i tried to tape it back togethe agian but i snapped the rudder in the back as well.........maybe ill just get a new fusalage and a tail.........itll only cost around $40.hhmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

i live for 3D

with that $40 i would suggest getting a airhogs aeroace. It is much easier to fly and will not give you any problems. Its crash proof aswell.

scoooper

Tonys right, aeroaces are the hot set-up! I've got a stack of em four feet high,your bub, scoooper

bubrockit

thanx for the advice...........i rechecked the engein and the problem was that the stupid battery popped out when i crashed it!!!!!!!i found it when i was walkin my dog mabea itll still fly...are the aeroaces good?????do they fly well??????????ill probobly earn $40 by next month so ill get it then.......

PrkFlyrRic

bubrockit,
Yes, if/when you can afford it, get an AeroAce, try to start with the two wing bi-plane, you'll learn how to fly with it coming at you alot quicker with an AA.
Check Target or KB Toys, they sell them for $29.99, Wal-Mart sells them for $39.99. If you have any problems right out of the box, (it always flys to the right or left, or any radio problems), take it back to the store for another. Try to get a blue or yellow one, the red ones are on channel "A" and seam to have more problems then the other two. I know the Jet looks "cooler" but stick to the bi-plane you'll get better results.
As for your Scout, as long as the motor and radio still works hold off trashing it. A main wing or tail can be ordered for under $20 or someone here can probably help you out. If you get it running again make sure the main wing is on straight and one side isn't higher then the other, and the tail is not leaning to one side or the other, it has to be even. Check the little parts of the tail that move to make sure they are lined up with the rest of the tail, not pointing to one side or the other.
If something doesn't look right to you, ask here on the forum and we'll be glad to help.
Good Luck

Swift427

The "smart trak" and "expert mode" are a joke on this inexpensive Firebird as neither is really smart or expert. Left servo jitters and getting it into the proper servo mode are the biggest complaints. All it really needs is the "expert mode" which is really your normal V-tail ruddevator function for making turns. I returned one of my Scouts due to faulty servo/circuit board communication. Both my Scouts now always go into "expert" mode even if the procedure for "smart trak" is used. Don't really know why you need the "smart trak" mode which isn't smart as it doesn't even work. The weakest link in the Scout, that has persisted since its was launched by HZ, is some Scout's inability to always communicate distinctly between the circuit board and the servo.

Otherwise, it's a good enough 2-channel flyer for its intended purpose.

PrkFlyrRic

My scout moves the left rudder/elevator whatever, if I push the throttle all the way down. Anybody else's do the same???
And I’ve had to adjust them almost every time I've flown it. The fishing string "pull-rods" keep stretching, especially if I take it from the cool AC in the house to the warm air outside or vise-versa, warm to cold. It's not much, but it does move the control surfaces.
Something to watch out for....

mropincar

I was having fun with my firebird scout, till I lost sight of it. It when down in a corn field, and when I got to it, the wind and the tail were trashed. I bought a new wing and tail, and put them on the plane (the tail was a real pain to put on). Ever since then, my plane will not climb (seems nose heavy), and genrally turns right and crashes. Control surfaces seem level when I let off the stick, and they respond appropriately to input.

The original tail appeared to be glued to the bracket that goes on top of it, whereas the replacement had not adhesive in the area. Didn't know if that mattered. The angle of the v tail on the replacement, once everything was screwed down, did seem the same as the old tail.

Anyway, I am looking for some advice to get my plane to climb again.

rszanti

mropincar

Page 19 of your Scout manual explains how to adjust the stabilizer for the turning problem. Also make sure your wing is centered on the fuse.

And page 20 covers the adjustment for getting it to climb. A motor not producing full thrust can also be the culprit - this can be caused by a worn out (lube the motor bearings once in a while) or damaged motor or a battery that's shot or not fully charged.

Glueing the stabilizer is a good idea, just make sure you use the appropriate glue (foam safe CA or Gorilla glue or one of many others that will work for foam to plastic)

Richard