grønnskolling

I currently building my first full house sailplane, a Reichard Proxima II, with motor. I have a Futaba 7C radio. I know its a bit limited how mutch mixes I can use. Witch one do you out there recomend me to use (priority).

evan-RCU

If I have to have anything it's crow. So fun to play with and makes landing a snap.

likeswindinhair

Borrow a carbon art radio dvd if you can. there only 20 bucks if not.The one titled radio clinic whould get you going for sure

john.trim

Try Don Edberg's excellent book on programming the 7c Super. It has everything you need to know and more.
It's located here http://www.dynmodel.com/

John

grønnskolling

Thx for the tip of the book, I will look at it.

I have also just got the Carbon Art film, just havent got the time too look throu it yet.

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

I fly the Futaba 9C Super, big brother to the 7C.

Set up all the same controls as you would use on any airplane. What follows ignores that you have a motor. I will assume you will use this only to launch the plane and get it to height. After that, I assume you will be flying as a glider.

I presume you will have flaps on a Y cable. Either mount your flap servos so they face the same way, or you will need a reversing Y cable so they can move in the same direction.


Aileron-rudder

Many glider pilots like to use the aileron-rudder mix. This adds some rudder to the ailerons for a more coordinated turn. When horsing the plane around with the motor, this may not seem necessary but when you are soaring, a coordinated turn will reduce your drag. Try 25% as a starting point. I have this on a switch so I can turn it on and off. When I am in thermals I prefer to fly the rudder manually.


Flap-elevator,

I would add a flap to elevator mix for a landing mix. As you add flaps to slow down for landing the nose of the plane will tend to ballon up. This mix adds down elevator to compensate for this to keep the plane flying level. Otherwise it can have a tendency to stall. You should have that on your 7C.

Glider pilots typically have the landing mix, flap to elevator, on the "throttle stick" with the throttle moved to a switch. Since the motor is used to climb to height you only really need on and off. Or you can put it on a 3 way and have low and high. You can even put it on a dial, again, since you will basically only use it to climb to height.

I don't recall if the 7C has side sliders, but if it does, and you can assign the flap/elevator mix to it use that so you have variable control. If not then a 3 way switch with a 50% and 100% setting would work OK. At worst you put it on a 2 way switch and only use it when you are final. Set it for 100% for maximum stopping power and just use it in the last couple of seconds, as an air brake.


Aileron Diff

I presume you will have the ailerons on their own channels. You want to add aileron differential. A good starting point is to reduce the down travel of the ailerons to about 60% of the up travel. This will reduce adverse yaw when you are gliding. You can tune this over time but that would be a good start.


Camber Control

See if you have a mix for flaps to ailerons or if you can make one using user mixes. This would allow you to have the ailerons follow the flaps for trailing edge camber control. This is not flapperons. When you are in a thermal you would like to be able to droop the traling edge 2-4 mm depending on the plane and wing profile. You test and tune to get the right amount. Typically you would like to have this on a switch so that you turn it on and off. Off is normal. On droops that trailing edge to a specific loccation/offset. This is your thermaling mix.

Using that same flap to aileron mix, if you can get 1-2 mm of up travel in your flaps, you can set up reflex. This raises the flaps and ailerons slightly. This is your speed setting. This is for running quickly from one location to another, to penetrate into the wind, or to get out of sink.

If you can control that flap to aileron mix on a 3 way switch then you can have one position for thermal, center for normal flying, and the third for reflex. That is how I have it on my Futaba 9C.

Crow is fun, but totally unnecessary. This would be a combination of the flap to elevator and the flap to aileron mixes. I would not bother with it. I have used crow but have now removed it from all my FH gliders. I fly contests and find I can land the plane more accurately using the flaps alone, no need to raise the ailerons.

If you had a 9C or a JR 9303 there could be a a wide range of additional things you could do but frankly they are unnecessary. These are all you need.

grønnskolling

Thx for a verry good answer I will try this mixes and se what working on my plane. I will not use Y cabels for flaps or ailerons.

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

Looking throught the 7C manual I see an airbrake funciton which = Crow. It seems to be switch activated and does not apper to be variable.

Flaps on Y cable ???

Based on this chart I don't see a provision to have the flaps on separate channels, though I guess you could use a "user mix" to set that up. Just make sure that it works well with your other mixes.

Receiver

Aircraft (ACRO)
Output and Channel

1 ailerons/combined right flap & aileron 1 aileron
2 elevator elevator
3 throttle throttle
4 rudder rudder
5 spare/landing gear/combined left flap and aileron 1,2
6 spare/ flap(s)/combined left flap and aileron pitch [b]1,2[/b]
7 spare/combined left flap and aileron spare/governor 1,2

1,2
Flaperon mode. (See p. 43).
Within flaperon, the second aileron servo can be assigned to channel 5, 6 or 7. (See p. 43)

When I was looking for a new sailplane radio I looked at the 7C. This lack of built in support for flaps on separate channels was one reason I went to the 9C. However, this is not a big deal. Having the Flaps on a Y will work fine if that is what you end up having to do.

sailjunky

I am not going to tell you how to set up your plane cause everyone of us does it different but i will tell you that a 7c is not a great radio for setting up a full house glider... I was using a futaba 9c and have recently switched to a 9303 jr tx... And let me tell you this radio is so easy to program compared to my futaba.. But the biggest thing is this buy a radio that has the functions you are looking for... A 9channel radio is a must on a full house bird... Smooth Sailing

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

Interesting statement. Since there are only 6 servos on a full house sailplane, why would a 9 channel radio be a must?

RogerParrett

Probably not so much for the channels but perhaps more for the mixing capabilities... at least that was story for me for my nitro planes.

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

Understood, but there is no direct relationship between # of channels and mixes. That is strictly a brand thing.

There is no reason that you could not have a fully featured sailplane radio that was 7 channel. And there are probably 9 channel radios that may have limited or no sailplane mixing at all.

In my opinion, the focus should be on software and mixing features rather than channels. If the radio has the right software, a 7 channel radio should be able to handle an electric full house quote nicely.

sailjunky

I am talking about the mixing and software... A 9303 is already set up for gliders aerobatics and helicopters. Im not trying to start a huge arguement here. But im going to say that i would never think of putting any of my full house gliders on a 7 channel radio... My sharon pro 3.7 artemis or my onyx. To much money to risk flying with a radio that cant support my needs.... Myself i utilize 4 different switches on my glider that does not inclede daul rates...  Its all up to someones needs and wants but if you are going to take the plunge might as well do it with the right equipement... And by no way am i saying use JR.... There are to many radios out there i was only giving an example..

grønnskolling

I know that the 7C is not an ideal radio for sailplanes, but thats what I got, and I will try to use it. Maybe I will by a new radio some time in the future, but now I dont have mony for it (read my wife dont like it..........)

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

Put a Y cable on the flaps and you will do just fine.

If you mount the servos so they face the same way, then a regular Y is all you need.

If you mount them so they are mirrors, then you need a reversing Y cable.

The 7C will provide you plenty of mixing capability for sport sailplane flying.

Enjoy!

grønnskolling

Yeps, it would probably be ok, and I can use it until I can by a better radio. I dont use a y-cabel.I have managed to set up flaps andbutterfly on my 3-point switch now. one up, and have flaps in the middel position, and flaps + aileron up in the upper posistion. Flaps servos have I put in channel 5 and 7. next step is to mix the elvator in.

For the rest it prset mixes I think. I let you know how it goes :-)

OzMo

My Feedback: (3)

"Wife speak" the real international language
I have the Futaba 7cap as well and will have to use it for now.

grønnskolling

He,he its nice to hear that Im not the only one...........

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

BTW, I am helping a friend set up a Mantis, full house glider, on a Spektrum DX7 and he is going to do just fine with it. Your 7C will do just fine as well.

TRAXXAS829

AEAJR is right. You can use a 7 channel radio, such as the DX7. I'm currently flying a full house Topaz and an Xperience Pro on a DX7. I have flaps on the throttle stick, camber/neutral/reflex on the 3 position switch, dual rates, and my rudder mix on a switch. It can be done.

Andy