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RE: Official Aerobird Swift Thread - 1/9/2008 3:21:53 PM   
Fourtypluskid


 

Posts: 23
Joined: 12/9/2007
From: Rochester, NY, USA
Status: offline 		It's too bad that the Swift has so many issues, it is a nice looking plane. I'll keep my investment in it to a minimum and save up for a new plane. I've got four batteries for it now, so I'm good for about an hour of flying. The Swift will just be what it is, an aileron trainer for me, a step to 4 channel. If I can master the Swift then I should be set to get the T-28 come spring, that is if the wife lets me!

Have a great day!

Happy flying and even happier landings!

(in reply to The_Mongrel)
       Post #: 726

RE: Official Aerobird Swift Thread - 1/9/2008 3:42:03 PM   
cbatters


 

Posts: 160
Joined: 7/19/2006
From: Stoughton, MA, USA
Status: offline 		Check the programming of the swift bec cutoff voltage. If it has been set incorrectly you can get into a world of hurt. (Programming info posted earlier in this thread.)

Also, I continue to have an alt opinion about the Swift. If you fly the plane agressively in the speed envelope it was designed, it is a blast to fly. (I also belive that proper motor break in and a strong battery are critical to success. Moer than one time I have launched the Swift and immediatley landed straight ahead because I was not getting sufficient power. I found that several of my 7 cell batteries were not putting out full voltage. )

Try charging up all of your batteries and then testing to see which ones provide the highest RPM.

Without enough thrust / speed, the Swift is a disater waiting to happen.





Clint






< Message edited by cbatters -- 1/9/2008 4:06:29 PM >

(in reply to Fourtypluskid)
       Post #: 727

RE: Official Aerobird Swift Thread - 1/9/2008 4:18:58 PM   
DaxFX



Posts: 693
Joined: 10/6/2007
From: San Juan, PUERTO RICO (USA)
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Fourtypluskid

It's too bad that the Swift has so many issues, it is a nice looking plane. I'll keep my investment in it to a minimum and save up for a new plane. I've got four batteries for it now, so I'm good for about an hour of flying. The Swift will just be what it is, an aileron trainer for me, a step to 4 channel. If I can master the Swift then I should be set to get the T-28 come spring, that is if the wife lets me!

Have a great day!

Happy flying and even happier landings!


I can said other way. first learn with the t-28 is much much easier flyer. like cbatters said swift is a fast plane and have to be flew fast, flying slow the SWIFT will end in some disaster. they are some pople that says SWIFT can Slope very good. I just dont know. too heavy I think. people that are buying the SWIFT are not intermediate to expert pilots. they are begginer that think the SWIFT is for begginer and is not thruth is for guys with good skills flying. thats the reason for lots of crash. they think fliying the SWIFT will be like fly a Super CUB. the fact is NOT.

FourtyKid you recive back your new one. let me know how is it.

I recive yesturday the tail wings for my Phantom. that is a veryy cool super fast little plane.

I am starting a new project from scratch. is called the Super Stick CUB. I am using a Basswood rod with all the plastic holder from the slo-v and tail and wing from Super Cub. will be a 3 channel and reduced gear and 8 cell pack. I will post some pictures when done.. wich me luck.

_____________________________

Sorry you need to play Tetris with my english !!
www.youtube.com/daxfx

(in reply to Fourtypluskid)
       Post #: 728

RE: Official Aerobird Swift Thread - 1/9/2008 9:08:00 PM   
Fourtypluskid


 

Posts: 23
Joined: 12/9/2007
From: Rochester, NY, USA
Status: offline 		DaxFx, If I knew that the T-28 was easier than the Swift I would have jumped right to it. But they say hind-sight is 20/20. I have only flown the Swift less than a dozen times with only one crash (a wing stall right after hand launch) and the last time I flew I took it out (the day after Christmas, just before I sent it back to Horizon) and I had three great flights and landings, including a ROG take-off and dropping the streamer bombs.

The X-port was part of the appeal of the Swift, so I got the ADM and combat modules for it. The kids get a kick out of the ADM, I make them chase after the parachute and streamers, but I haven't hooked up with someone to combat against. I can also use those on my Aerobird Xtreme too. I'm sure that once I get the T-28 that the Swift will end up collecting dust.


quote:

ORIGINAL: DaxFX

FourtyKid you recive back your new one. let me know how is it.



quote:

ORIGINAL: cbatters

Check the programming of the swift bec cutoff voltage. If it has been set incorrectly you can get into a world of hurt. (Programming info posted earlier in this thread.)



I did get the replacement from Horizon and it does the same thing so I think it is just the circuit design. I even confirmed the battery programming is correct. I am just skeptical about what the guy at your LHS said about the motor coming on being auto-landing feature because the ailerons don't always go into that same position to make it circle down, but who knows, he could be right. I think it just looses it's brain because the voltage is at or below 4.5 volts and keeps dropping from there, so it is doubtful the logic board is working anymore.

I am concerned that the tail on the replacement Swift seems a little skewed, I don't know how that will affect it's flight yet. We had 65-75 mph winds rip though town this morning (sounded like a tornado was about to hit and we lost power for a few hours) but tomorrow afternoon the prediction is for 2-5 mph winds. So as long as it isn't raining or snowing I'll try to give the new Swift it's maiden voyage.

Hope that your Phantom fly's OK with the new tail, I still haven't heard from my brother and nephew on how they made out with his Phantom's repairs.

Good luck with the project plane, someday I'd like to put one together from scratch. I'll have to accumulate some more parts first.

Happy flying and even happier landings!



(in reply to DaxFX)
       Post #: 729

RE: Official Aerobird Swift Thread - 1/10/2008 2:15:50 AM   
Zeta30



Posts: 230
Joined: 8/17/2007
From: Portland, OR, USA
Status: offline 		Don't feel bad fourty, my Swift was my first plane, bought it thinking I would be able to fly it no problems, because I had been practicing with aileron planes on a flight sim for several months. I ended up totaling the fuselage the second time I flew it. I then bought a Hobbyzone Super Cub and flew it for 3 months before I broke anything on it. Now the SC has a BL motor and ailerons.

I now have a PZ T-28 and agree with Dax that the T-28 is much easier to fly than the Swift.

It took me a long time to finally figure out that you fly the Swift fast almost all time. You can slow down when you're flying straight and level but if you are even thinking about turning give it full throttle and let it speed up then turn.

(in reply to Fourtypluskid)
       Post #: 730

RE: Official Aerobird Swift Thread - 1/10/2008 5:36:25 AM   
Fourtypluskid


 

Posts: 23
Joined: 12/9/2007
From: Rochester, NY, USA
Status: offline 		Zeta, my first plane was the PZ J-3 Cub, which the kid at the LHS recommended as a good trainer, and the first time I threw it in the air (my first time with an R/C plane) I smacked it into the ground about fourty feet away. A new prop and shaft, a little packing tape and foam re-inforcements later I was up in the air, and a little wiser. Over the years I've replaced a number of props, shafts, and gear boxes but overall it's a pretty tough plane. In this past year I finally gave it a new fuslage, cowl, decals, etc. to make it look nice again and have been more cautious when and where I fly it since.

For my second plane I was originally going to go for a warbird like the Spifire but if your going to drop almost $200 on one of those for not much more the T-28 comes brushless and with Li-Po amd steerable gear. But I figured that jumping from just rudder to ailerons and rudder without aileron experience might be too much. The Swift is a fairly inexpensive aileron plane that is a designed to be a stepping stone to something like the T-28 or the warbirds.

I agree with the Swift's flight characterics, you do need to give it throttle when turning, probably due to the weight, but if you give it some height it glides well, depending on the wind. I think that for me to become proficient at barrell rolls, Immelmans, and inverted flight the throttle will need to be at 100% most of the time. Which is why I was concerned about the Swift's control possibly being lost if the battery gets too low. I'll just be cautious with it and keep the flight time down, not a problem since I have 4 batteries.

For now I need to put my hobby money into my Xtreme to set it up as an aerial video/photography platform so I can check out the neighborhood from above.

Happy flying and happier landings!

(in reply to Zeta30)
       Post #: 731

RE: Official Aerobird Swift Thread - 1/10/2008 2:34:22 PM   
Zeta30



Posts: 230
Joined: 8/17/2007
From: Portland, OR, USA
Status: offline 		There was someone quite a while back who clipped the wings on their Swift and gave it this monster BL Motor. There was a video posted somewhere of it flying. He claimed it would fly 75mph, from the video it looked like he was right.

(in reply to Fourtypluskid)
       Post #: 732

RE: Official Aerobird Swift Thread - 1/11/2008 1:36:19 PM   
Fourtypluskid


 

Posts: 23
Joined: 12/9/2007
From: Rochester, NY, USA
Status: offline 		I've seen that video, pretty amazing. But I'm sure that between the brushless and Li-Po battery he had at least another $150 in it.

Got some good weather yesterday so I went out at lunch and flew the Xtreme in Pro mode for the first time, quite a difference in manuverability. Such a nice relaxing plane fly, so easy to see. Then I took the new Swift out for it's maiden flight. I had a good, fairly long flight and a nice landing on the lawn. I hooked up the next battery for another flight and the plane sputtered. I remembered a comment Dax made about the battery connector and sure enough the connector pin had been pushed out so I pushed it in. No problems, so it seems. I take off and the plane seemed ok at first, then I noticed that something didn't seem right, it wasn't steering right so I figured I should bring it back around and land it. I was bringing it down field to head into the wind for the landing approach and the motor stopped, after only a couple minutes in the air. It came back on and I was able to get it on the ground without damage and checked it out and only one aileron was working and there was some random twitching. I unplugged and replugged the battery and it came back ok so I think the battery connector worked loose. I checked it out last night and the barb that holds the black wire's bannana plug in the plastic was broken. The battery connector is cheap, might be worth soldering in the Deans connectors as others have done. That would probably solve some of the Swift's unpredictable behavior.

(in reply to Zeta30)
       Post #: 733

RE: Official Aerobird Swift Thread - 1/11/2008 2:39:47 PM   
Zeta30



Posts: 230
Joined: 8/17/2007
From: Portland, OR, USA
Status: offline 		It would be a good idea to go with a different connector other than stock like Deans. I use Deans on my 3 planes and Heli and have had no problems.

(in reply to Fourtypluskid)
       Post #: 734

RE: Official Aerobird Swift Thread - 1/11/2008 5:04:36 PM   
Fourtypluskid


 

Posts: 23
Joined: 12/9/2007
From: Rochester, NY, USA
Status: offline 		A question on the Deans Ultra connector, does the battery get the female connector (it would seem to make sense that way, like a 120V outlet) and the RX connector would be male and then get a Tamiya to Deans Ultra adapter for the charger?

(in reply to Zeta30)
       Post #: 735

RE: Official Aerobird Swift Thread - 1/11/2008 5:57:38 PM   
DaxFX



Posts: 693
Joined: 10/6/2007
From: San Juan, PUERTO RICO (USA)
Status: offline 		hello Guys.
FourtyKid I am glad you recived your new SWIFT as I told you will do same since we try all swift in the LHS and all of them do the same. but now you have a new one and thats cool. I dont have the t-28 that claim to be an exellent plane maybe next on my list but I have the Dynam Focus 400ep that came brushless outronner 400, 3 cell lipo, sterable front whell , low wing, ailerons, no diedrhal so perfect simetrical roll can be made is an exellent plane and cost me only $110 RTF including shipping. just an exellent deal.

my Phantom is loosing power. I dont know why but since the last crash (more like a hard landing not a crash but was inverted so I damage the V-tail wing) and I change wings and is like underpowered. it can not do loops. I have to push down the plane then do the loop. is more like a elevator throw problem since it fly very fast forward but dont climb when was new she climb by itself very fast . maybe is the tail wing bad triming.

Fourtykid. how handle the eXtreme. My neighbor gave me the fuselage of an old extreme for take out the tailboom to use it in my Super Stick CUB project. and after see that fuselage I got inpresed on the size of that beast is very huge . is have to be very cool fly the extreme. I just compare in mi mind My phantom in a huge size, if the tiny phantom is very fast the extreme has to be extreme fast. or maybe the other way huge size poor power. any feedback on the extreme will be good.

_____________________________

Sorry you need to play Tetris with my english !!
www.youtube.com/daxfx

(in reply to Fourtypluskid)
       Post #: 736

RE: Official Aerobird Swift Thread - 1/12/2008 2:09:56 AM   
Zeta30



Posts: 230
Joined: 8/17/2007
From: Portland, OR, USA
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Fourtypluskid

A question on the Deans Ultra connector, does the battery get the female connector (it would seem to make sense that way, like a 120V outlet) and the RX connector would be male and then get a Tamiya to Deans Ultra adapter for the charger?



Yes the battery gets the female plug. Be careful not to get the Deans Ultra too hot when soldering or they will be very hard to plug and unplug from each other.

Also be of cold solder joints. Heat the metal tab from the opposite side you are going to solder to draw the solder to the heat source. If you just put the solder tip on the solder and let it drip on the metal you will have whats called a cold joint and it may fail or not have a very good connection.

(in reply to Fourtypluskid)
       Post #: 737

RE: Official Aerobird Swift Thread - 1/12/2008 2:16:26 AM   
Zeta30



Posts: 230
Joined: 8/17/2007
From: Portland, OR, USA
Status: offline 		Hey Dax,

This is way off topic but if I remember correctly you had a panorama photo program to do your Sim Fly