ktaylor

hmm, can't get images to upload.

SkylarkNZ

Hi All

I know you all like to see videos, so here's my first contribution. The file size is a bit bulky as I can't export in .wmv format, so it'll probably take a few minutes to load - (probably not worth bothering if you don't have broadband). Be sure to have your sound turned up as without it, the first flights with my first plane might seem a bit boring.

[link]http://media.putfile.com/Learning-to-Fly---HaHa[/link]

Airbourne in Japan

My Feedback: (3)

typical. it happened last weekend. everyday during the week when i can go flying, it's been raining and/or windy. today, it's t shirt weather, blue skies and light wind. aaagh !!! still may onwards should be good weather nearly all the time. also, in the five years we've lived in our house, every single neighbouring house has been knocked down. they built 2 9 story blocks of flats on one side and now the ground behind they are building a house. they've just marked it out today and it looks like it will be 12" from our back wall. this is what they do here, build a house right in your face.

SkylarkNZ

I'm having problems uploading my avatar. The file is smaller than the 7k limit but just comes up with an error message "unable to save to disk" or something similar. What am I doing wrong?

Loubud

Sky,
I can't pull up your Video. Now and then Putfile gives me a headache.
Brent might be able to help as a bunch of other guys with the avatar.

afineman

SkylarkNZ

That was a GREAT video. who are you kidding

Quality was on of the best I seen, effects were perfect and the music matched too (what camera are you using?)[sm=thumbup.gif][sm=thumbup.gif].

One thing i did notice, the speed of the AB, you have too much down trim.

I bet that when you go full power and throw it, it wants to nose up, and you added a lot of down trim to over come it.

If this is the case, launch the plane, get it up about 100 meters, kill the power and and trim it for a gentle glide. you will find trimming it with no power to be the best time to trim it.

by doing this, the speed will be reduced, the plane will float better, except when you go full power you'll have to use a little down so it doesn't stall.

Hope it make sense, and GREAT video

Brent

EDIT: Sky the icon must be smaller than 86 X 86 PIX, AND less than 7 K

nyflyer56

Sky,
video was great, and it looked like you were having fun, that's what counts. Keep flying!
Phil

Airbourne in Japan

My Feedback: (3)

nice vid Chris, please keep 'em coming. that's also a nice park you've got to fly in. there's only one small park in the city of 300,000 were i live, no good for flying. wish i was there haha

SkylarkNZ

Brent - thanks for the praise of the vid (praise from the expert is praise indeed) - it'll certainly encourage me to make more. I'll try and find a way to convert to .wmv as the quicktime file was probably 4 x larger (18MB). I'll check out the trim in the way you suggested - she does tend to try and climb all the time - maybe the balance still isn't quite right, another dollar in the nose maybe.
My avatar is 4kb and 85x79 pix - I tried both .jpg and .gif formats to no avail. The picture I loaded into my profile worked perfectly 1st time!

Lou - I thought I was having problems loading my video but after a loooooong wait it started to play.

SkylarkNZ

Phil/Doug

Thanks for the kind comments. Doug, the park where I fly is especially good for a beginner like me because most of the time it's deserted. Like you I hate to have an audience - whilst I am still an incompetent flyer, I'd rather not give someone a serious injury!

Loubud

Sky,
I'm still trying to see that vid of yours. Got the music but no picture.
I'll give it a go later.

Loubud

Yikes! and Gadzooks!!
In the May edition of "Quiet Flyer" there is an article about the new LI Ion bats. The batteries were pulled from a battery cell for the power tool Milwaukee brand. A must read and a good excuse to visit the LHS.The article is written By Steve Neu, the guy that makes 2,000 watt electric motors and right here in the USA. The cells won't be available by themselves for a year due to a commitment made to Milwaukee tools. But... there are 2 more makers of this type of power house bat. The story is too long for me to post so go get the mag. It is also a mag worth subscribing to. Well, I think it is.
Lou

nyflyer56

Hey Guys,
during discussions here and on the AMA thread there have been some talk about Craftsmanship and innovation on new disiplines, ie: electric guys winding their own motors. I just came across some pics in the gallery that show a bunch of pioneers of Giant scale. As a poor young student at Saint Bonaventure university, I discovered that one of the administrators, was a member of an R/C club The Southern Tier Aero Radio Club (STARS). these guys at that time were inventing Giant scale. During a few years I was there 74-78, they built a whole fleet of beautiful planes, mostly ww1 vintage stuff. they built 5 Bristol scout Bi planes and flew them in formation. Imagine, Scratch built, no kits, wood was spruce cut up on someones tablesaw. Motors were conversions of an industrial engine, the Roper. No giant scale servos or Hardware was available, they made everything. They just recieved a prestigious award from the AMA, and much to my surprise, all 5 original Scouts are still intact! Check out the many pics posted by Jim Messer, who was a prolific designer of these early giants.
I feel honored to have been there to witness some of this as a wide eyed kid just getting my first radio at the time.

Almost forgot! There was another group who flew out of an old gravel pit, not far from the school. I heard the engines one day and followed the sound. They considered themselves an Outlaw club (their words).
It was with these guys that I got my first stick time on a Debolt Champ with a Veco .19, and on an original (then New) Senior Telemaster which was an amzingly large plane 8' span that flew on a .60.
You know I might have some pics....

Do yourself a favor and check these pics of the STARS in the gallery.

SkylarkNZ

Lou

Sorry you're having problems - do you have the latest version of Quicktime Movie player plugin loaded? I'm just rendering another vid (better than the first as it's not me flying it - I'm the cameraman)

Brent

The camera is a Sony PC-101 mini DV - editing done using iMovie.

ktaylor

Chris, if your badius is climbing when you give it full power, then try to loosen the motor screws, then see if you canadd a small shim between the firewall and the upper part of the motor face so that it has a small amount of down angle. My badius was so crashed up that the nose was a little flexible and when I would take it to full throttle, it would flex the nose down a little and the plane wouldn't climb on it's own like it did when it was new.

nyflyer56

After posting, I went and found the pics.
Next to the Telemaster is my Sterling Mini-Fledgling overweight and underpowered with its little .o49.
It's 40 something inch wing is still smaller than the stab on the Telemaster.
also have some pics of the Stars club , but these are very close to the pics posted in the gallery by Mr. Messer.
by the way these were taken in 1976 or 77

Almost forgot, these guys thought they were outlaws, cause they didn't belong to the 'Big" club (STARS), not cause they were not AMA. They were as the number on the telemaster wing shows

carlf

My Feedback: (1)

Hi All,

Welcome New Guys!!!

The Badius Brotherhood will always be with you!!! Go Forth, Have Fun and Assist Others in Need, and Reap the Rewards and Honor that Being Part of it Carries!!!

GREAT Discussions.....WoW!
I've been keeping up with all the post as best I can.... Will have more time on my hands in about a month!

I have to say to Paula!, Our hearts are with you and your family today!!!
Today would have been Rogers 54th birthday.

BTW...I hope to have weflyelectric.com back online soon.... I'll keep you posted!

Hope everyone can get in some stick time this weekend!!!

ktaylor

Chris, I just finally got to watch your video. I really liked the fast forward effect. Good picture quality. Ok, your flying left to be desired. BUT, the nice thing about video, I can critique what you're doing. First off, you're making the same mistake I used to make with my badius. I always thought it was fragile. THROW THAT MOTHER! Don't toss it. Alos, not somuch of an upward agnle. Think of it like throwing a two pound dart at an eye level bullseye. That's how you want to throw it. Play baseball in New Zealand? If so, think of how hard it takes to throw from second base to home plate. Throw it just a little harder than that. One other thing, Do the water break in. You don't need special connectors, to hook the motor back up. Just use a soldering iron to disconnect the mwires from the tabs onthe motor and to reattach them. If you haven't soldered before, it's not hard, just make sure that when you go to re-solder that you have some flux handy to get a good solid connection. Otherwise, you're almost there.

SkylarkNZ

Ken - Thanks, I'll try out your suggestions and let you know how I get on.

Meanwhile, here's the other vid I've put together. A little taste of how the CS Eraser flys.

[link]http://media.putfile.com/Eraser-foamie-slopie[/link]

afineman

Chris

ANOTHER GREAT video. you and I are going to get along rather well

I see you like Pink Floyd and RC video, here was my rendition of flight video to PF http://media.putfile.com/skis

Hope U like

Brent

Loubud

Blisters and Sky,
I use the esc for the water break in. Just use the lowest setting to run the motor. I've done it this way over a dozen times and also to clean out the dirt from my particular way of landing.

SkylarkNZ

Brent - Thanks for the skiing badius vid - a very graceful performance, made me "Wish I were there" all that lovely snow. Nice to see an AB ROS (is that the right terminology?). Great camera work too.

Lou - breaking in using the ESC would be a lot simpler. Do I really need to do this? What does it buy me? A bit more power, a few more revs? I'm not sure I need that just yet. TerryE recently posted this in RCG forum:

"The water is an excellent lube, and removes the junk from the motor.
Don't use an ESC to do this; an ESC works by turning the motor on/off rapidly and will not seat the brushes properly."

Loubud

Sky,
I am not sure to what Terry was referring to but a brushed motor only works one way. Electricity and motor. But like I've said, and no offense to Terry but I break in all my brushed motors with the esc. The rest of what terry said is correct as far as I know. One thing I do after the break in (you can tell that the brushes are set when the rpm takes a sudden rise) is to run the motor for a moment and then blast it with WD40. I also put a drop of very light oil on both ends of the motor shaft. I give it a little juice and install it. I haven't had a problem yet and when I was learning to fly I went through a dozen motors. While using a "D" cell battery no doubt works fine, I have found that some motors are a bit more stubborn. I've had some brushes take 15 minutes to set. I don't no how long a "D"cell lasts but it must be sufficient. I also use clothes pins to hold the motor off the bottom of the container. Works well for me.
Shoot. Forgot one point. With the brushes set, the motor runs better and flight times are longer.

SkylarkNZ

Lou
Thanks for the detailed explanation. The benefit of a smoother running motor and longer flight times is appealing - I'll get on to it later tonight.

ktaylor

Chris,
Nice video. Must be a really good updraft right there. Is that you piloting or your friend? Good fllying either way. I haven't tried slope flying yet, only powered. But where I live there really aren't enough places to catch ridge currents like that, plenty of wind it seems, but I can't think of any places wehre I could try that. I do remember with the Badius, threre were a few times that the sun would have a parking lot nice & warm & there would be a pretty good updraft over that. As far as I know the esc only does the switching on brushless motors ( goes from positive to negative to create an AC cycle) , but the ones for brushed motors, I'm not sure what it does. Brent would know. Probably just varies the voltage, or amperage. Dunno. Brent?