mgw flyer

Hi all. I just wanted to post some pictures of my new Tiny-X from Todds Models. This is my first model. The covering job could have been a little better, but I guess that will come with experience. I've still got to put the electronics in, but all the building is complete. Let me know what you think! Thanks

Pix are here:
http://www.shaneandmichele.com/plane/plane.html

Maudib

My Feedback: (51)

Nice work... I started flying with electrics and really got alot of enjoyment from them.. still do for that matter.

Have you flown before?

mgw flyer

I've never flown before. This will be my first. Any tips? I'm sure you're going to say get with someone who's flown before. I'm considering that, but kinda like the idea of going it alone. I'm willing to accept the risk of first flight crashes. However, I've seen the tiny-x fly and it's pretty slow, so I think I won't be too bad. Any ti[s are still appreciated.

Maudib

My Feedback: (51)

To be honest... that isn't a good first plane... it will be quite squirrely, and unless you have spent time on an RC simulator, you will most likely destroy it within the first few seconds.

Not being sarcastic, but REALLY. Trimming alone on these little aerobats can cause more advanced pilots to lose it.

A PERFECT first E-Plane is the inexpensive GWS Slow-Stick... Like $50 or so... it's the one with an aluminum square fuse stick...

More wing area and stable. AND will withstand a bit more beating up than the TinyX...

Now the other option would be to do a buddy box with an experienced flier... let him trim it out, then let you take over til yo get into trouble... still I'd go the slow stick route...

So again.. feel free to do as you wish, but TRULY within a few seconds your new baby would be toast.

Jason Beach

My Feedback: (4)

I agree, you would be much better off starting with the Slow stick.

It is a great looking plane, but you may want to consider changing the covering scheme a bit. Having a plane that's the same colors on top and bottom can lead to disorientation and crashes. Especially with a plane as manueverable as this.

Good luck

Jason

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I have to agree with Jason. Get yourself a Slow Stick for $35 and practice crashing on it then move up to the Tiny X. I think you will be much less frustrated in the short term and long term doing so. The foam plane will take much more abuse than the balsa. Don't get me weong though I have a Mountain Models Dandy that is a Balsa plane and I love it. I also have a MM Cessna 180 that I have been working on. The Tiny has always been one of my favorite looking planes but I wanted to get my flying skills up to where I could handle it first.

The one thing that I think makes the Slow Stick a little better to start out with is the reaction time you have to corect yourself while flying. If you do A, then you need to respond by doing B or C to corect the mistake. With the Slow Stick it gives you a second for it to go from your eyes to the brain to the fingers to do conteractive manuvers. With a faster plane like the Tiny you must react without thinking about it. That is usualy not a skill to many new pilots have. If you do great. If not and you decide to try the Tiny first, get a big bottle of CA-lol.

Godd luck with the new plane.

Merlin1205

My Feedback: (2)

I too echo shelving the Tiny for a while, I know its hard to do but it only take's a second to get into a situation that requires instinct to get out of. Plain and simple you just run out of time very quickly. Ill tell you a little story......I belonged to the NASA R/c club years ago. We used to fly at the radar range at the Johnson space center. One fine Saturday morning a famous shuttle pilot
( I won't mention his name to avoid embarassing him) shows up at the field with a brand new F-16 ducted fan model. Now keep in mind at that time Jets were really new and this one was a beauty.
All painted up in the thunderbirds color scheme,retracts,obviously professionally built. Problem was we had never seen him at the field before and didn't know if he could even fly. A couple of us approached him and offered to give him a hand. He quite courteously declined and proceded to start her up. He lined her up on the runway and poured the coals to her. She screamed down the runway and lifted off in a 60 or 70 degree climb.
Approxmatley 2 or 3 seconds later she was in a 60 degree screaming dive and picking up speed fast. Then she disappeared from sight as she punched through the roof of the radar testing facility. He quietly loaded up his equipment without uttering a word. As he was driving away I remember thinking at the time "I'll bet he wished he had brought an ugly stick"

Regards,

Tim Hudson
If I ain't flyin, I must be dyin

evlwevl-RCU

A slow stick is the way to start off. A guy at my club has one and this little plane is soo slow and light he takes it up about 15 feet and thermals it around over the blacktop believe it or not. I think the key to learning and making the most of those first few minutes (sometimes seconds) of stick time is choosing plane you will not plow into the ground 5 seconds after launching. Please by all means, get assistance. the knowledge you will gain will pay you back tenfold and you will actually be able to account for training time with your first plane.

Here is what happens when you do things the WRONG WAY.

I remember my first plane. I plopped down 180 bucks for an ARF piper cub trainer with radio that was supposed to be the easiest thing to fly. It was foam, light and very forgiving according to the guy that sold it to me. I even had told him I only had experience with surface R/C like my boats and cars. He said this was an easy plane to train on and I shouldnt have any trouble. I decided to go it alone, I mean how hard could it be? you want to go left? you push left, you want up, you push up.

I headed out a large open soccer field and was excited that I was going to fly my first plane. After going over and over the set up instructions and following all the preflight procedures in my head, I was standing there, knees shaking, prop screaming and ready for first throw out into the calm air. It was literally over in about 5 seconds after leaving my hands. I dont know what happend but it veered up and to the right and then straight down and no matter how much I pulled up......Wham!! I broke the fuse, the wings, the tail and the batterylid. I was thinking to myself, ok, I guess thats my last attempt at planes.....back to the cars and boats again. I only wish I had found someone to train me back then. Only through wrecking 3 more planes and becoming completely frustrated with the hobby, did I finally get help from an experienced flyer.

Now that I know how to fly and have stable of many expensive gliders and electrics, It would have been nice to still have that little cub around for those non thermal days. Even now when I build a cheap 2 meter glider for the thermalling, I consult with instructors just to make sure everything is right, CG is on target and the model has a nice smooth glide path without any suprises.

Please do yourself the favor and put that plane on the shelf for a while and learn with something that you will feel good about as your walk away with in one piece.

mgw flyer

I understand everyone's point about not going it alone. I've been really thinking about it since reading everyone's posts. However, I simply started this post to see what everyone thought of my first build/covering job. NOT to get a lecture on how, when, and where to fly my first plane. If that would have been the case, I would have started the thread that way. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a cocky guy thinking I can do anything by myself and I may not go through with it that way, but please don't expect that my first flying experience will go the way your first flying experience did. By the way, I do have lots of experience on a simulator. I know that's not the real thing, but I believe it's a start.

Maudib

My Feedback: (51)

Sorry you feel offended by any of the very helpful posts.

Your second posts asked for tips.... and you got several that said the exact same thing. There wasn't ANY criticism in any posts, just knowledgable people OFFERING advice... you don't have to accept it (and apparently won't).

The plane is too much for ANY beginner, but based on your attitude, it wouldn't matter what anyone said. I suspect you'll be one of those guys that buries his first couple planes, and then quits the hobby because it's "stupid".

By all means fly your Tiny... just take plenty of pictures of it first and make sure to take a little bag with you.

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Hey- I hope you take your Tiny out for the maiden take off have a perfect 15 minute flight and a perfect landing. Just a word from someone who has been self teaching. A simulator does not tell you how a battery a 1/2 to far back will effect the CG of the plane with an 8 mile an hour cross wind or if your 20 feet off the deck and you find yourself in a tipstall. I don't know how many times I have reapired my Pico stick. I think there is more weight in epoxy than in foam. It is a completly diffrent feeling waching a plane go down on the simulator verses walking across the field with 20 pieces of what used to be plane in your hand (no reset button-lol).

Like I said I love the looks of the Tiny and hope one day soon to have one but I know I am not ready for one just yet. Heck It has taken me 4 months to finally find the sweet spot on balancing my Dandy. So Good luck and post some pics of your Tiny for us.

Mike Taylor

My Feedback: (1)

Good luck with your Tiny-X. I have one with lots of flights on it, but it now needs repairs after losing its orientation in the sun and pulling it into, instead of away from, a tree. Minor repirs required, but that means uncovering, repairing, and recovering part of the wing and tail.

It flies nice and slow, but use VERY conservative control throws for your first flights. Do not use more than the minimum throws recommended or you will have a real handfull.

mgw flyer

Mordib-
Yes, my second post did ask for tips. Tips on how to fly the Tiny. Not tips on why I should or shouldn't fly it, when or where I should fly it or who I should fly it with. I was looking for tips like the one Mike Taylor gave me. Thanks Mike. As I stated in my third post I was starting to consider what everyone was saying and even said I may not go through with it.

Since we're suspecting what other people are like here, I suspect you're one of those guys who can't stand it when someone else accomplishes something you can't (such as solo successfully on the very fist flight)! I'm not saying I'm going to have a perfect flight right off the bat, but at least you could wish me good luck.

About the hobby, I don't think it is stupid. And I don't believe I'll feel that way even if I crash 50 planes either. It's actually quite amazing.

I'm sorry things started off this way for me on this forum. I guess I'll just have to think about whether or not I want to do this first flight solo with the Tiny or get a Slow Stick as recommended. Thanks for all the advice everyone.

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Tip # 1: No matter how bad you want to fly wait until there is little or no wind to try your maiden ( and even the next 10 plus flights until you get a handle on the plane)

Tip #2: Double check all things on the plane before you leave the house and once at the field. i.e.- control throws corect, prop on corect ( a backwards props has killed many a plane), batteries peaked, Radio charged, and any thing else you can think of.

Tip # 3: Once all the things are checked do a range check to make sure radio is working properly.

Tip #4: Survey the field and make note of locations of trees and any other obstacles. You can become so focused on the plane you can forget to look for the plane magnets. Pic a landing point in advance as well. If you can find a field with nice 2 foot tal grass for the maiden- softens the blow of the crash landings a bit.

Tip #5: Don't fly with the sun in front of you. Seems pretty common sense but a blinding sun is a killer if your tyring to concentrate on flying.

Tip #6 HAVE FUN and fly baby!!!!!!!!!!!

Mike Taylor

My Feedback: (1)

We do wish you good luck. We also have had the experience of destroying a lot of planes under our belts (and after lots of successful flights, too), and I think the guys here really do want you to succeed. That's why they are trying to be helpful; they're not telling you to do things because they are afraid of being upstaged, but they are afraid of you getting discouraged on your first attempts. I have a pilot's license, lots of previous experience in FF, C/L and R/C, and I still get in over my head and often hand off my new planes to a better pilot than myself for a check ride...

Maudib

My Feedback: (51)

I had a long reply and somehow lost it...

Anyways the gist is... everyone, including me meant well...we didn't wish to hold you back or prevent you from succeeding... quite the contray... we DID NOT want to see you fail.

Your reply sounded pretty unappreciative and deinitely sounded like you thought we were being "snubby"... of course text messages can lose their original meaning and take on a whole different tone.

I started flying only 18 months ago... I started with a little foam aerobat that I dumped alot.... fortuantely it WAS foam... I then built a BLT small 280 size trainer. And after flying it alot for a few weeks was able to handle just about anything I could get my hands on.

Since then I've built 30+ ARFS, close to 10 kits and half a dozen scratch builds. I now custom build planes on the side professionally. I am a reviewer for RCU here (see Modeltech Excite 90, Extreme 330, Funky Chicken and more)

In that same 18 months I've went from that little BLT to a 33% Edge 540T with an 88cc engine. I have a DA-100 and Wild Hare 35% Extra sitting here beggin' me to start on it. And am learning everyday... I'm a 3D pilot and love all flying... including slope gliding.

I owe A LOT of my success and speed of learning to the great guys here on RCU.

So NO... I wasn't jealous of you, I was EXCITED for you and just wanted to see you succeed. You may very well handle the Tiny, but odds are you're gonna dump it a few times and you did such a nice job on it, I'd hate to see you have to patch it up (sometimes that isn't even possible with built up wings). It certainly wouldn't hurt anything to start with a foam model till you are confident of your abilites.

It would please me to know end to see you win the TOC and I could say I knew you when.

Just remember... the VAST majority of people here are friendly and helpful and genuinely benevolent.

Best of luck with your experiences in the hobby.

TripleFlipOut

I had a succesful maiden flight, all by myself, with no instructor...just me and my...slow stick! Now I'm in the process of building my first gas trainer by GP and I also bought a Super Decathlon .40 kit to build on the side. However, as comfortable as I may be with the slow stick, I feel that I still have a way to go before I'm ready to get the gas planes in the air. I've been racing R/C gas cars (80mph+) and I feel extremely comfortable with my orientation, hand/eye co-ordination, judgement, distance, etc but flying R/C aircraft is different.

I second the posts that echo the intention here is to help keep the TinyX in its present condition until you may feel comfortable flying it. Some stick time on something cheap and foam like a GWS slow stick is valuable advice in my opinion. I didn't buy one and start out with it because someone told me to, it just seemed like the logical choice. I, like you, want to learn to fly with no instructor. I have played on the sims quite a bit, and they are fun to play on, but it is just that, play. There are no trims, there are no winds (on FMS at least), there are no control arms that pop off in flight. The sims are good for learning orientation, but as far as how the plane behaves in real life situations they are mediocre at best. Fun, no doubt!

I *will* teach myself how to become a *good* r/c pilot without formal instruction from a club. But I know better than to risk a balsa plane that I've spent a lot of time building to start that journey with.

If you want to do it, go for it! I agree, set the controls at the bare minimum throws, and cut the throttle back a bit once you get the bird up to a safe altitude to set the trims. No wind and tall grass is a good idea as well.

For me though, I took my slow stick out to a parking lot and let 'er rip. It's half grass field, half paved. It was a nerve jangling experience, those first few flights, but I knew if something catastrophic happened I could just go buy a new stick for $39. Now the slow stick is highly modified, and can handle 10-15 MPH winds and the things I am comfortable doing with it are extremely fun. Now, when my balsa planes are done I'll have the confidence and know-how to handle what may or may not happen on that first flight.

Great looking plane! Oh, and please don't take the comment about reconsidering your cover scheme as a put down either, that guy meant well! It's easy to get disoriented with the slow stick too, and its red on top, white on bottom. I've had it flying inverted over traffic, before I realized the wind had flipped me around and I was flying away from me and not towards me.

Best of luck,

Wes

Merlin1205

My Feedback: (2)

NOT to get a lecture on how, when, and where to fly my first plane.


Lecture? Its becoming quite obvious by your imature posts
that your a kid. And a rather rude one at that. So I change my recommendation....Charge it up and throw it, I mean heck Mommy and Daddy will always buy you another one I'm sure.

Tim Hudson
If I aint flyin, I must be dyin

mgw flyer

I'm not a kid. I'm a very successful 25 year old if you must know. I've earned everything I have without the help of anyone.

Anyway, I've been doing a lot of thinking. I think you all have me convinced that the Tiny is not the way to go for the first flight. Maybe it should wait. The Slow Stick must be the way to go. So now, my question is which one to get? I'm leaning toward the 100C. Is that my best choice? Smaller motor, right?

How does this sound for the flight pack?
GWS Pico rx
GWS ICS 100 ESC
2 GWS Naro servos
7.2v 350mAh battery

Does the slow stick come with a prop? If not, what size do I need?

If this flight pack will work, I can swap it out and into the Tiny when I'm ready. Same components needed there except for the servos which I already have for the Tiny.
Let me know if this sounds OK.

And now my final question: Where's the best place to buy the Slow Stick!?

Thanks.

Maudib

My Feedback: (51)

You want the Slow Stick not the Pico Stick.... The PICO is about worthless in anything but the calmest of winds... The slowstick can actually fly in a few mph...

Either the EPS100C or EPS300C motor system would be fine, the 300 having a bit more power, the 100 having a little longer flying time...

You can get them here:

http://horizon.hobbyshopnow.com/prod...p?prod=GWS1040

It's likely you can use you receiver, and servos inteneded for your Tiny...

Probably a GWS 4 channel and a couple HiTec HS-55 servos? Or maybe the GWS Pico Servos...

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I think you would be a little happier if you got the Eps-300 Slow stick rather than the 100 just for the fact that you will:
a. Have a little better control of it in any wind.
b. Once you get the hang of it be able to do much more with the plane like loops, rolls, and my son's favorite as he calls the switllies ( controled spin).

If you go with the 300 you would probably want the ICS 300 or 400 which would still work on your Tiny.

You will also want a bigger batterry pack. The 350 mah will only give you 3 or 4 minute flights. Get either some 700 mah AAA's or even better some 1800 mah AA's. That is what we are using on the slow stick and getting 20 plus minute flights. Another good battery choice are Kan 1050's.

The Slow Stick should be available at any Hobby Store around you for around $35.00. Lot of threads on the SS on setting it up and flying it so good luck. By the way saw your pics of the Tiny. Great job on the covering. Like was said in another post you may want to add some graphics or a bit more red to one side of the wing so orietation is easier.

mgw flyer

Yes, I will be adding some red striping to the wing. Not sure how that will go though, since I've already shrunk it. We'll see I guess.

Thanks to everyone for the Slow Stick info. I've found several threads about it and think I've decided what I'll go with.

Maudib

My Feedback: (51)

Good deal then... best of luck with your first flights and entry into the hobby... you're gonna love it.

(no hard feelings, eh?)

flyinrog

My Feedback: (1)

I started with the pico and in 5 mph winds it would hover, but I did all/most of my flying early morning with no winds and it was very stable...I have no experience with the slow stick, but I hear the tigermoth is also very easy to learn on but will not handle any wind...since you have no flight experience there is one element missing,,fear,, you havent built ,flown, and crashed yet (hopefully you wont) but if it happens ....as soon as you finish building the next model, or in your case the Tiny-x.. you start to think,,can I fly this one?...wait til a few years of flying with 100% success when all of a sudden , wham servo failure,,nothin in the world you can do but hope you'll be able to find all the pieces after it hits...but I'd sure hate to discourage you........Rog

Epoxy Cup

MGW

Just read some of the posts and saw a lot of very good advice. Your Tiny looks great, just bought one today and hope it comes out as nice.
Anyway MG I have been flying for about 12 years, not the greatest but I do some 3D funfly stuff. Currently I have a Pizzaz, a Freestyle, and a 1/4 Giles 202 all glow that I fly a lot. In the electrics I have a Slow Stick, Zagi, mini wing, and brushless flashcat.
I kid you not the electrics are a little harder than the glows to fly. Its your plane and you built it, so you will decide but I will bet you will crash that pretty little thing. Go the slow stick and get used to flying it around, experiment with CG etc. The SS is very forgiving and after your done learning and flying your Tiny, you will still pull the SS out for a cruise around the ball diamond or wherever. By the way I have a couple of gliders and the SS is one of the finest thermal gliders I have. Just turn the power off and ride the thermals.