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RE: Official Aerobird Swift Thread - 7/6/2009 9:58 PM   
Swift427



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quote:

ORIGINAL: Dunkelmann

OK I see what you mean.  Find a bit of bendy plastic (file a fine groove in it to make it bendier so it can tuck in).

It just happened to have that particular shape. Don't do any more work than necessary as this hobby is already labor intensive enough. You may even want to use a thin stiff piece of metal and adhere it with adhesive and tiny bolt/screw

quote:

I definitely need a fix for the wings.  What do you think of glueing four ''U'' shapes on the plastic above and below the wings?  Each U would be on its side with the mouth toward the wing tip.  Then I could stretch an elastic band between the U's on the top and one on the bottom.  Not very elegant though.
Half of the fun is coming up with your own modifications. I will say that I can't remember anyone else(besides me) pinning the wings to the spar, but some have tried various versions somewhat similar to what you have in mind. The biggest problem with all these mods is we should be learning on a more forgiving aileron trainer and with the help of an advanced buddy. Then we wouldn't have to bullet proof our Swift.

quote:

By the way what glue do you recommend for the plastic - superglue?


I used a 2-part epoxy, but check with your LHS as there are so many different types of adhesives formulated for different plastics. It was pulled lose once and had to be reglued, but now I don't crash as often or as nasty.

Will try to post some more photos of my mods with commentary.


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RE: Official Aerobird Swift Thread - 7/6/2009 10:10 PM   
Swift427



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Status: offline 		Three Photos of Cockpit/Canopy

Secure an 1/8” nylon bolt through the lower battery cockpit foam area with head & nut extending just enough on each side to attach a rubber band to hold the canopy in place during pre/post flight while battery is resting, being charged or stored away (I removed the hold down rubber band under canopy and crossbar as explained in the next post).

Use electricians tape over canopy and around cockpit to prevent a loose battery from ejecting the canopy during a crash. You’d think the Velcro battery strap would hold the battery down . Put tiny bubble cushioning or a few foam peanuts between the underside of canopy and battery for better protection. Where you run the tape over the canopy depends on personal preference. You may want to run it over the middle of your canopy, around and down under if the protruding tab isn't bullet proof.


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< Message edited by Swift427 -- 7/6/2009 11:21 PM >

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RE: Official Aerobird Swift Thread - 7/6/2009 11:14 PM   
Swift427



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Status: offline 		Photo of Motor Housing/Fuse/Wing Socket Mods

Secure a sturdy tie wrap as tight as possible around the motor and housing. Use a pencil soldering tip to punch/melt 4 little holes and widen each just enough with a small flat blade screw driver to accept the tie wrap. Use a tie wrap gun and tighten almost to the point of breaking the tie wrap-so it’s really snug/tight. The smaller tie wrap holding the ESC/RX runs in a gap just behind the ESC/RXs row of 3-pin circuit board servo connectors.

The nylon bolt just behind the motor also served to secure the canopy on top of the housing with a rubber band to keep the canopy back out of the way for easy cockpit access when the other rubber band was still attached to underside of canopy and fuselage crossbar. Eventually, I got rid of them altogether, completely liberating the canopy. The canopy rubber band didn’t prevent a loose battery from forcing the canopy open during a crash or keeping it closed tight during flight.

Notice how much I’ve enlarged the opening for the wing spar and aileron servo connector in the fuses wing socket. Most all of the wing socket support strength is already molded into the flanged socket/pocket. Also, I shortened the wing spar 3/8” so each wing effectively pushes 3/16” more against the fuselage. There is enough room inside the fuse so the fuse isn’t cramped for space.

You can get an approximate idea just how much I’ve shortened up the fuselage by overlapping/moving the motor housing much closer to the trailing wing edge.
NOTE: Needless to say even one of these mods would nullify any warrantee.

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RE: Official Aerobird Swift Thread - 7/6/2009 11:46 PM   
Swift427



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Status: offline 		Two Photos of Overlapping Fuse/Motor Housing Mod(optional overkill)

The black mark on the top represents the underlying edge where the two overlapping halves were formerly molded together. The motor is almost 2” closer to the trailing wing edge. In the overhead photo you can see where the prop nicked the wing during a rough landing as there's now barely enough clearance between the prop and the wing. So as the wing absorbs some of the impact from a not-so-smooth landing/gentle crash it is forced back toward the prop arc that was still free spinning. At least I've learned to turn off the throttle before its too late .

As mentioned previously I did this mod to move the CG closer to the leading wing edge than the trailing edge. But this bird is still temperamental(or maybe its just me). The wings angle-of-attack, wing load, motor thrust angle, etc, etc, etc provide plenty of challenges and opportunities for advancing our piloting knowledge and skill.

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RE: Official Aerobird Swift Thread - 7/7/2009 12:23 AM   
Swift427



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Status: offline 		Two Photos of Interior ESC/RX and Battery Compartment Mod(experimental)

One of my earlier mods was replacing the low voltage tamiya connectors on my batteries and the ESC/RX with Deans. You can see where the ESC/RX is now located for easier access to the Swift's 3-pin aileron, ruddervator, and X-port board connectors. This also allows more room for experimenting with positioning the battery(further back) now that the heavy pusher motor has been moved almost 2” closer to the trailing wing edge. As previously mentioned I decided to move the CG closer to the leading wing edge than the trailing wing edge without adding or subtracting weight. I wanted to experiment with a more central positioning of the weight of the motor and battery while relocating the planes Center of Gravity more in line with a recognized norm.

The 2000mAh 8C 11.1V Lipo will fit in the cockpit either on its side or bottom. Its a good idea to fill any voids between the battery and the canopy with a few foam peanuts or tiny bubble cushioning. Flying the Swift as an aileron trainer and electric glider(limited aerobatics) barely warms this Lipo with flight times lasting 12-15 minutes. Again, the brushed 480 and the ESC/RXs mosfet will get too hot to handle using a 11.1V Lipo & 6x4 prop when flying too aggressively.

This ESC/RX, motor and battery mod is certainly NOT necessary. Besides it demands a fair amount of intensive surgery by a meticulous tinkerhead. Hopefully, these modifications will inspire you and others along your "electric light bulb" path of flight discovery.

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< Message edited by Swift427 -- 7/7/2009 12:28 AM >

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RE: Official Aerobird Swift Thread - 7/7/2009 2:46 PM   
Swift427



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Status: offline 		Rowdy and others,

Hope my various mod replies provided some insights as you guys takeoff on your own diverse flight paths . Thought one of you guys might contest my use of "ruddervator" on the previous post. It was a senior moment accident. I've tried so many mods(presently setup with traditional FlyZone rudder/elevator for 4-channel flying(yep~actually squeezed another servo in the fuse enlarged the boom opening for two control wires and reinforced the boom).

I got confused with the older Challenger V-tail ruddervator control. Its replacement, the Aerobird 3, now moves it's two V-tail surfaces in opposite directions for turning(V-tail aileron for a more realistic banking turn) plus V-tail elevator control. Anyway, other than sailplanes/gliders(and inexpensive V-tail boom parkflyers) the only real noticeable advantage of a V-tail for minimizing drag is on a slippery 200mph carbon fiber composite pylon racer.

I've been away from this thread for sometime and decided to check it out again. My particular interest seems to be drifting more and more into custom designing/building. Started with inexpensive $25 slow stick kits(brushed and brushless~with an electric combat SPAD coming up on my building schedule. You don't need to go overboard spending too much money in order to enjoy this hobby; while still becoming a proficient enough pilot. The one thing I do know is that I will never ever ever go gas ~ electric all the WAY . Enjoy the summer, have fun flying and remember to keep it as simple as possible(if that's possible).

Happy Trails ~ Swifty

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RE: Official Aerobird Swift Thread - 7/7/2009 9:32 PM   
rowdyjoe


 

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Status: offline 		Swifty,
No offense taken here. I decided to shut up, listen, and learn.
I very much appreciate your advice and tips. The pictures are a large help and have given me more ideas for strengthening my bird, like the zip tie behind the motor. I plan to continue with my motor compartment strengthening method using the film canister because I don't think I'm capable of modifying the fuselage the way you've done. I've also added a fairly large nylon washer on the outside of the motor mounting bulkhead to give it move resistance to cave-in. I hope to leave the bird looking as stock as possible and am still looking for a method to strengthen the wing root to prevent or minimize damage.
I wonder if anyone has tried adding basswood bulkheads to the wing socket area to prevent the spar slots from tearing out? I'm looking at doing that but, figure they must be mounted inside to allow the wings to fully seat in the socket. My idea is to epoxy them inside and add two or three small screws for additional shear strength. I will probably double the thickness of the wood around the spar holes also. I have a crashed fuselage to experiment with so, there's no harm in trying a few things to see how they will work out.
My next project will be one of the Park Zone WWI indoor flyers ....I like the Neuport but, would be happy with the SE5 or the Jenny. The motor and ESC are on their way from China (HobbyCity) now and I will buy the airplane later. I have the servos, receiver and batteries already so I should be able to get it in the air fairly quickly and inexpensively.

Thanks again for sharing your experience with the Swift and good luck with your projects.


< Message edited by rowdyjoe -- 7/7/2009 10:59 PM >

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RE: Official Aerobird Swift Thread - 7/19/2009 1:30 PM   
Flymike001


 

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Status: offline 		Hi guys,
I am looking to purchase a swift. I have a new wing from a LHS going out of business. I also have a t28 and the super cub. So I don't need a radio. Can you suggest a way to pick up a swift? Do I have to purchase it complete or would it be cheaper to part it out?

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RE: Official Aerobird Swift Thread - 7/19/2009 5:55 PM   
rowdyjoe


 

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Status: offline 		Flymke001,
You can shop Hobb-e-mart on ebay for a "parts" airplane(s). They sell defective birds that need some repair and they sometimes sell them in "lots" of 2 or 3 with various parts broken.

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RE: Official Aerobird Swift Thread - 7/19/2009 7:36 PM   
Flymike001


 

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Status: offline 		Thanks for the help rowdyjoe!

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RE: Official Aerobird Swift Thread - 7/27/2009 8:21 AM   
rowdyjoe


 

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Status: offline 		Flymike001,
You're very welcome.

Well guys, I haven't touched my Swift since my last post. I have the parts I need to finish the mods but, I got side-tracdked when I bought an Eflite SE5a WWI biplane. It's very a very nice model but, I haven't flown it yet. It weighs about an once over a half pound with the 2s 800mah 10C LIPO installed and the Williams Bros. vintage wheels. Now that it's finished, I need to buckle down and finish the Swift. It's just too much fun to let sit around.

I did take my Extreme to the park on Friday and wrecked it on approach to landing. I stalled at about 10 ft. off the ground and it dumped in nose first. I think I had too much weight in the nose to compensate for the lighter weight of the LIPO instead of the NIMH. Nothing is damaged beyond repair ...just need a bit of heat on the forward part of the fuselage to straighten out a dent.

Take care and fly, fly, fly ....



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RE: Official Aerobird Swift Thread - 7/28/2009 5:29 AM   
RZielin


 

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Status: offline 		Newbie question alert!
Does anyone know where to get replacement props and decal sheets for the Swift? They seem to have plenty in the UK, but costs are prohibitive. Do other branded props require adaptors? Has anyone used other makes of prop?
Also, how necessary is it to reprogram the ESC when using an 8 cell NiMH battery? I would expect an 8 cell bat to be drained a bit too low before the ESC would cut off if programmed for the standard 7 cell, but it doesn't seem to do that in my experience. Is this bad for the battery?

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RE: Official Aerobird Swift Thread - 7/28/2009 7:26 AM   
rowdyjoe


 

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Status: offline 		RZielin,
The Swift is a Hobby Zone product so, spare parts should be available through them on-line. Any hobby store that sells the Swift should carry basic parts for what they sell. I have not tried any of the mods you ask about. About the battery ....I don't think you'd need to reprogram the ESC for a different NIMH pack however, you might want to change it if you plan to run a 3s LIPO. I can tell you that my Swift flys really well on a 3s 2200mah 20C LIPO ...lot's of power but, most of it is not needed after takeoff.

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RE: Official Aerobird Swift Thread - 7/31/2009 5:06 AM   
Raycamaro



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Status: offline 		I just bought another new Swift on ebay for $33 plus $15 S&H. The deals are out there if you look for them. My original Swift refuses to fly farther than I can throw it. I had just decided to give it away when I won the new one with a bid I thought was to low to win one with. Now I can use the older one for spares and maybe figure out what is wrong with it. The first time out, it flew great with a stiff wind without any problems. Since then, it wants to be a lawn dart. The motor runs, seems to have plenty of thrust, controls all work, who knows?

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RE: Official Aerobird Swift Thread - 7/31/2009 5:20 AM   
rowdyjoe


 

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Status: offline 		Perhaps your transmitter controls are reversed? I've had that happen with no explaantion as to why. Has it sat in the hot sun for any amout of time ...maybe in your car. If so, it could have warped the wing or tail feathers. As you say, who knows but, it's got to be something like that. The slightest twist in a wing or tail can cause it to go out of control.
As far as controls being reversed, I double checked the control directions and amount of travel on a new airplane last night and all looked good. However, the first two attempts at take-off today veered left and crash about 6 inches off the ground. When I did my control check I discovered that the rudder was reversed. How did that happen? Who knows ...maybe I missed it last night (wouldn't be the first time) or maybe there are gremlins in my radio gear (the little devils).
Do a thorough pre-flight before each launch and make sure everything is moving the right direction. Weird things can happen, especially when in a hurry.

By the way ...good catch on that deal. I got one for a similar price about a month ago. Also, my first Swift (factory new in the box) had a twist in one wing and it I fought it every time I launched. I bought new wings for it and everything smoothed ouit and it was a nice flying machine until I turned left when I should have turned right.

Good Luck

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RE: Official Aerobird Swift Thread - 8/6/2009 2:37 AM   
rowdyjoe


 

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Status: offline 		Well guys, I've decided to move up to a 4 channel airplane so my Swift is for sale. It was removed from the box for bench testing but, never assembled or flown. I installed new custom wheels (white spokes) on it but, have done nothing else to it. It's in the box and ready to ship and I've listed it here in the classified section. If you're interested, please take a look. All of the stock equipment is in the box and there are 8 brand new Duracell AA batteries in the transmitter.



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RE: Official Aerobird Swift Thread - 10/27/2009 2:58 PM   
Dunkelmann


 

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From: LIVINGSTONScotland, UNITED KINGDOM
Status: offline 		Well I've been trying out the Swift, with a low degree of success.  I've managed to crash it a few times.  In fact I've only had two flights where I hand launched it, flew it OK and landed it.  I've smashed the wings and tail twice.  I managed to repair the tail (but yesterday's crash has bust it near my repair).  I replaced the broken wings (and yesterday's damage just might be repairable).  The smash was due to a failed hand launch.  The Swift skimmed the grass on the first successful flight so for the second I trimmed the elevator up.  It was all so quick but what I think I remember was it rolling left and hitting the ground at full throttle from about 15 feet.

My first crash was, I think due to flying in too high a wind, together with my poor response in trying to recover from a turn.

I'm thinking of cutting the ailerons in half so only half the control surface is moved by the servo.  My thinking is that this means it will roll slower and hence give me a little window of opportunity to correct when I over control.  The other half will be taped to the wing.  When I am better (if ever!) I can join up the aileron halves to work as the full surface.

I'm now doubting this plane as a good trainer.  It seems to have quirks such as rolling left.  Yes I've checked the tail and it is out a tiny bit not worth worrying about.  I wonder how to determine whether I've got the tail screws adjusted correctly.  I've slightly heavier NiMH batteries so I wonder too where the CoG should be.  All this means is there are too many degrees of freedom to get wrong to be a good trainer.

I've decided to try out another plane - it's Radio Ready and it has ailerons and rudder.  It's also a pusher.  It's called the AXN Clouds Fly (or Floater Jet by Hobby King).  If my Swift isn't repairable, I'll be moving on to that.


< Message edited by Dunkelmann -- 10/27/2009 10:56 PM >

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RE: Official Aerobird Swift Thread - 11/19/2009 7:52 AM   
Chief Redelk


 

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Status: offline 		Yes, I have two fuselages and a complete swift. It just was No fun to fly..Mine is still flyable but it's stored. I moved to a 4 channel Cessna 747. With a LiPo and brushless it's a joy to fly..For full control you need a 4 channel plane.. There are lots of planes out there I recommend almost any of them over the Swift. In my mind it's the worse plane I have ever wasted money on.. Even the radio was not all that good.. I will give it one thing. It's tough..I do not like the way it rolls, loops, does inverts, or even lands if there is a cross wind, with no rudder it's impossible to slip..Don't know what I will do with it now, but I do know I am not spending another dime on it.. if you are a reader and are thinking HZ Swift think about something else..The Phantom is hotter but the servo's are not replaceable. They are built right onto the mother board..Look for a real plane to begin with then you will not be putting money on a bird that goes into the barn before it's time..

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RE: Official Aerobird Swift Thread - 11/19/2009 6:59 PM   
tubamike78


 

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Chief Redelk

Look for a real plane to begin with then you will not be putting money on a bird that goes into the barn before it's time..


funny that you should mention going into the barn. i ended up retiering my swift after this summer since my ni-mh batters were getting pretty weak, so i gave it a well deserved send-off.....directly into the side of an old barn. it was a good little plane, but everying i fly now is on my dx7.

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RE: Official Aerobird Swift Thread - 11/20/2009 12:18 PM   
tam popo


 

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From: glasgow, , UNITED KINGDOM
Status: offline 		Dunkellman - Hiya Pal!!!! You're not far from me I see, good one pal. Maybe meet up for a fly one day??? I was one of the first guys to post on this thread many moons ago with my first plane - the dreaded Swift!!! What you have read previously from (probably) everyone else is that the Swift is the fastest way to loose that 'Spirit to Fly' - its a shocker. Yearh, its tough, but so is a house brick and both break when they crash from 20ft. If you can get the Swift that high, that is!!!
I tried everything, I thought it was me but it was'nt....a change to GWS planes proved that. My hangar is now 7 strong, from SlowSticks to EasyCub etc. Don't lose the faith and if you need ANY help I'm round your corner at Bailliston way.....my sons pal is a well-known ex-Livingston player who now plays for Scotland!!!!
PM me if you want to meet up or just wat advice - at the moment I've just been discharged from hospital and on crutches but should be able to drive in about one week and maybe get flying myself.
See ya guys.......

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