cronesracing

Hello! I recently purchased an aspire arf and put it together a few weeks ago. I have flown several powered 4 ch planes including some hot rods and decided I wanted to try this soring thing for a bit. I was a little upset about having to add 2 oz of weight to the nose of my aspire to start with, but that's what it took for me to ballance it with my current raidio gear. The cg in the plans have a quater inch play. I split the diference to start with. So I am one eighth inch back from the starting point of 3 and 1/2 in from the leading edge. The book alows for 3 3/4 in. but for saftey sake I am forward of that by an eighth. I finaly got time to try out the plane today. I tossed it several times to see how it would glide and made a slight left turn rudder adjustment and one click of up elevator on the trim lever. It glided ok, so I decided to use the high start. Which was a new experience for me. I launched the plane it took a quick right and unhooked itself about 30 to 50 feet up. It continued to turn right and I could not seem to completely right the thing to level flight at the time. You can imagine my first high start launch! Well i got it back on the ground in one peice after doing the merry go round thing trying to control the plane over my head as it turned. After further essesment I cranked in several clicks of left rudder on the trim lever 3 to five. Not sure just how many. I also moved the control linkage in one hole to get a little more response as their was little response the first time to my left turn input, I also moved my dual rates to acomodate about an eight inch more rudder throw than the plans call for. I launched it again a fantastick launch this time with good
altitude but keeping this bird from stalling is a problem with the recomnded elevator throws for me. Maybe I should dual rate them and knock an eighth inch off the throw? but am undecided as I was able to land it in one peice again. Ok I launch it several more times. I had a very light cross wind by now so it wanted to turn into the wind at the end of the launch just before coming off the highstart, not a problem but keeping it in the air for me is a problem. I am open to sugestions from all as a one to two minute flight is not much fun with a three hundred yard walk each time to recover the plane. I did tend to stall off too much speed every fligh which greatly ruduced flight time. I know this takes alot of practice to thermal and I only caught a glimpse of one thermal my first time out. Do you think ruducing my elevator throw would be a good idea to help me keep from stalling off too much? What about the cg and nose wieght I added? Could the rudder correction be causing too much drag? I am open to suggestions from all as I am new to this soaring sceen and have much to learn.

Thanks too all for reading this book! lol
jeff

Bill L

Jeff, I have an Odyssey with a 600 electric motor, and folding prop. I've not had nerve to try to fly it. I've gleaned information from several sail plane pilots, and slow movements seems to be the theme. If you have flown "hot rods" you probably are used to quick movements with the dual rate on.
ALSO, the last plane I inquired about was an expensive "latest design" in which the guy had about $1000 and he was using Hitec servos. He had more "shot" in the nose of that sail plane than it would take to bring down a flock of geese![img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif[/img] I watched him launch it on a bungee chord type launch, an it did not stay up in the air very long either. I and others do not like the idea of weighting a plane down with anything that will not control it or give it lift[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-disgusted.gif[/img] Is there any other way to adjust the configuration of the gear inside to balance it?[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

ballgunner

My Feedback: (1)

My first sailplane experience was from a hi-start. I asked one of the pilots present for some help. When I let it go it got half way up the hi-start and he handed be the Xmitter and that's the last I saw of him. After a few more times I found the ability to make it work and it was great. I found balance to be the most important thing with the possible exception of large rudder surface and plenty of throw. Positioning of the tow hook is one way of changing the angle of departure. Most sailpanes intended for hi-start launch have a tow hook that is adjustable to three or four positions fore and aft. Try repositioning the hook forward for a more gradual ascent and farther aft for a steeper climb. The only real control you have on launch is the position of the hook and the use of the rudder.

AcintSpec

Jeff:

I flew the Aspire for about a year and a half. I was told that using dual rates was like learning to fly the same plane twice. As a consequence, I did have lots of rudder and cut back on the elevator. I too seemed to over control using the elevator stick. Once you get it figured out, it took me several times at the flying field before I was smooth enough to fly around a bit and find a thermal, you should start to enjoy longer flights. The Aspire can do pretty good, a friend flew his for over 27 minutes one fine day. I flew mine in contests against the Unlimited birds and scored accordingly. Not at the bottom of the pile but not in the wood either. Once the plane is trimmed out, you should be able to just hold the Xmtr, using input to change direction or rate of turn. Judicious use of the elevator is key, every time you stall the altitude cannot be regained by power unless you are in a thermal.

Regards,
Gene