JET LEGEND VIPER BUILD THREAD
06-10-2016, 07:52 PM
#1727
My Feedback: (2)
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Loveland,
CO
Posts: 341
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Scaryxxl,
To the best of my knowledge the JL brake valves are on/off and do not have anti-locking or pulsed mode. I keep my brakes lubricated with Vaseline and I modulate the switch by hand as well.
Greg
To the best of my knowledge the JL brake valves are on/off and do not have anti-locking or pulsed mode. I keep my brakes lubricated with Vaseline and I modulate the switch by hand as well.
Greg
07-15-2016, 06:12 AM
#1729
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Bromsgrove United Kingdom
Posts: 18
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hello Viper flyers,
I am pleased to say that after a year off due to poor health and two months of radiotherapy I am now back flying the
Viper, as noted last year it is fitted with a gyro 3e. This comes into it's own when flying in gusty conditions, highly
recommended. Brakes, this might of some use to SCARYXXL and others, I have a so called pulse or ABS
valve that was just on or off so I decided to have a go at fixing it. On the bench I reduced the air pressure to
30 PSI and with the brake switch on turn the end point up from 0 until you start to hear valve pulse (Futaba)
then you are near, my 18sz this started at around 35 and it all seems to work ok.
I changed from my 14sg to 18sz this year, great radio less than half the price of an mz and almost as good.
Best wishes to all, Mike T.
I am pleased to say that after a year off due to poor health and two months of radiotherapy I am now back flying the
Viper, as noted last year it is fitted with a gyro 3e. This comes into it's own when flying in gusty conditions, highly
recommended. Brakes, this might of some use to SCARYXXL and others, I have a so called pulse or ABS
valve that was just on or off so I decided to have a go at fixing it. On the bench I reduced the air pressure to
30 PSI and with the brake switch on turn the end point up from 0 until you start to hear valve pulse (Futaba)
then you are near, my 18sz this started at around 35 and it all seems to work ok.
I changed from my 14sg to 18sz this year, great radio less than half the price of an mz and almost as good.
Best wishes to all, Mike T.
07-16-2016, 08:27 AM
#1731
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Bromsgrove United Kingdom
Posts: 18
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi Simon,
I got Jason Fletcher to set mine up for me, set the normal mode (not heading hold) on a rotary or slider switch
and turn it up to about 60%, with some help lift the nose up, the elevator should go down a little, on it's wheels
turn model to the right and the rudder should move a little to the left. With the ailerons, hold the model up and
bank it to left and the left aileron should go down a bit and the right one up, check a bank to the right.
This may seem simple but I know of two pilots who have lost models because they did not check and understand.
FLYING turn the slider back to 0 then take off, trim out and move the slider up a little at a time until one or more of the control
surfaces start to oscillate during a fast pass, turn the slider back a bit then land. have a look on the screen and check the
reading, on my 18sz it is set at 30 but I know it could go to 35/40. mine is now set on a two pos switch so that I can knock
it off if I need to. Because it is so important you understand what the gyro is trying to do get another pilot to check with you.
I hope that this is of some use to you, I am going to Long Marston JMA meeting on Sunday.
PS in calm conditions it will not do a lot but when it is windy you will notice how steady it is.
Good luck, Mike.
I got Jason Fletcher to set mine up for me, set the normal mode (not heading hold) on a rotary or slider switch
and turn it up to about 60%, with some help lift the nose up, the elevator should go down a little, on it's wheels
turn model to the right and the rudder should move a little to the left. With the ailerons, hold the model up and
bank it to left and the left aileron should go down a bit and the right one up, check a bank to the right.
This may seem simple but I know of two pilots who have lost models because they did not check and understand.
FLYING turn the slider back to 0 then take off, trim out and move the slider up a little at a time until one or more of the control
surfaces start to oscillate during a fast pass, turn the slider back a bit then land. have a look on the screen and check the
reading, on my 18sz it is set at 30 but I know it could go to 35/40. mine is now set on a two pos switch so that I can knock
it off if I need to. Because it is so important you understand what the gyro is trying to do get another pilot to check with you.
I hope that this is of some use to you, I am going to Long Marston JMA meeting on Sunday.
PS in calm conditions it will not do a lot but when it is windy you will notice how steady it is.
Good luck, Mike.
07-16-2016, 11:44 AM
#1732
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: , , UNITED KINGDOM
Posts: 305
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Cheers Mike,
I'm good with the set up just don't like fiddling with rotary switches when flying so I tend to have two different gain values on a switch. I just tweak these till I find a sweet spot.
Hope you have a good days flying. I can't make this weekend.
Simon
I'm good with the set up just don't like fiddling with rotary switches when flying so I tend to have two different gain values on a switch. I just tweak these till I find a sweet spot.
Hope you have a good days flying. I can't make this weekend.
Simon
09-24-2016, 06:36 AM
#1737
My Feedback: (2)
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Loveland,
CO
Posts: 341
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hey guys,
Some of you may remember that I had a landing in a corn field during the summer of 2015 due to a snap out that recovered too low. I ended up replacing the kit with my current Canadian theme version. Now I have about 35 flights on the new one and I'm having more and more issues with snaps and spins. Just had 2 incidents during our club jet rally last week. The first was in a humpty-bump vertical maneuver where I pulled the plane over the top - gentile and easy to recover since I was probably 300 feet high. The second really scared me and got me in trouble with the CD and president. I was in the standard pattern about 60 feet high and making a left hand turn in preparation for a low pass over the runway. The plane snapped out violently in the middle of the turn and came right at the pits. It was not a sharp turn and I don't have excessive throws. I got it recovered but ended up flying over the pits during the pull out.
A couple of the seasoned expert-type jet guys watching said it looked like my plane was flying tail heavy. I checked this in the air using the standard tests and it seems about right. I checked it on the ground and it is as recommended (at the front corner of the hatch with gear down and UAT full). I am using the smoke tanks for fuel so the actual Cg at take off is much further back than for someone who is using only a front tank setup.
I realize that all planes with conventional flying surfaces can experience accelerated stalls and spins. This last one was totally unexpected and really nasty, though. I plan to move the Cg forward and reduce elevator throw, however this makes me nervous because a few posts have talked about snapping from being too nose heavy. Any thoughts or suggestions on this? I fly at 5000 feet which lowers the air density significantly, especially on a hot day, and would presumably lower the critical angle of attack.
Thanks,
Greg
Some of you may remember that I had a landing in a corn field during the summer of 2015 due to a snap out that recovered too low. I ended up replacing the kit with my current Canadian theme version. Now I have about 35 flights on the new one and I'm having more and more issues with snaps and spins. Just had 2 incidents during our club jet rally last week. The first was in a humpty-bump vertical maneuver where I pulled the plane over the top - gentile and easy to recover since I was probably 300 feet high. The second really scared me and got me in trouble with the CD and president. I was in the standard pattern about 60 feet high and making a left hand turn in preparation for a low pass over the runway. The plane snapped out violently in the middle of the turn and came right at the pits. It was not a sharp turn and I don't have excessive throws. I got it recovered but ended up flying over the pits during the pull out.
A couple of the seasoned expert-type jet guys watching said it looked like my plane was flying tail heavy. I checked this in the air using the standard tests and it seems about right. I checked it on the ground and it is as recommended (at the front corner of the hatch with gear down and UAT full). I am using the smoke tanks for fuel so the actual Cg at take off is much further back than for someone who is using only a front tank setup.
I realize that all planes with conventional flying surfaces can experience accelerated stalls and spins. This last one was totally unexpected and really nasty, though. I plan to move the Cg forward and reduce elevator throw, however this makes me nervous because a few posts have talked about snapping from being too nose heavy. Any thoughts or suggestions on this? I fly at 5000 feet which lowers the air density significantly, especially on a hot day, and would presumably lower the critical angle of attack.
Thanks,
Greg
Last edited by gsmarino2000; 09-24-2016 at 06:42 AM.
09-24-2016, 06:47 AM
#1738
My Feedback: (11)
I just want to say I have 100s of flights on this viper jet. It does not have a high speed stall unless you really crank hard on the elevator and there would never be a reason to do that unless you dont know how to fly jets.
However, it does have a nasty low speed stall. If in a turn, it will snap on you if you slow it down.
This is a good trainer jet. Not a wannabee trainer jet like a boomerang. it flies like a jet. Stalls like a jet. You have to manage energy like a jet. Its stall speed is quite forgiving though.
If you stalled/snapped out either you freaked out and cranked the elevator and ANYTHING would have crashed, or you were just going too slow.
Also check elevator travel, you may have too much. Fly on low rates so you can crank the elevator and it wont snap. I can check my travel if you want. You want wide sweeping turns not tight turns on the viper. If it were a delta wing of some sort then you can get away with it if you know what your doing but not with a swept wing.
However, it does have a nasty low speed stall. If in a turn, it will snap on you if you slow it down.
This is a good trainer jet. Not a wannabee trainer jet like a boomerang. it flies like a jet. Stalls like a jet. You have to manage energy like a jet. Its stall speed is quite forgiving though.
If you stalled/snapped out either you freaked out and cranked the elevator and ANYTHING would have crashed, or you were just going too slow.
Also check elevator travel, you may have too much. Fly on low rates so you can crank the elevator and it wont snap. I can check my travel if you want. You want wide sweeping turns not tight turns on the viper. If it were a delta wing of some sort then you can get away with it if you know what your doing but not with a swept wing.
09-24-2016, 09:47 AM
#1739
My Feedback: (2)
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Loveland,
CO
Posts: 341
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I just want to say I have 100s of flights on this viper jet. It does not have a high speed stall unless you really crank hard on the elevator and there would never be a reason to do that unless you dont know how to fly jets.
However, it does have a nasty low speed stall. If in a turn, it will snap on you if you slow it down.
This is a good trainer jet. Not a wannabee trainer jet like a boomerang. it flies like a jet. Stalls like a jet. You have to manage energy like a jet. Its stall speed is quite forgiving though.
If you stalled/snapped out either you freaked out and cranked the elevator and ANYTHING would have crashed, or you were just going too slow.
Also check elevator travel, you may have too much. Fly on low rates so you can crank the elevator and it wont snap. I can check my travel if you want. You want wide sweeping turns not tight turns on the viper. If it were a delta wing of some sort then you can get away with it if you know what your doing but not with a swept wing.
However, it does have a nasty low speed stall. If in a turn, it will snap on you if you slow it down.
This is a good trainer jet. Not a wannabee trainer jet like a boomerang. it flies like a jet. Stalls like a jet. You have to manage energy like a jet. Its stall speed is quite forgiving though.
If you stalled/snapped out either you freaked out and cranked the elevator and ANYTHING would have crashed, or you were just going too slow.
Also check elevator travel, you may have too much. Fly on low rates so you can crank the elevator and it wont snap. I can check my travel if you want. You want wide sweeping turns not tight turns on the viper. If it were a delta wing of some sort then you can get away with it if you know what your doing but not with a swept wing.
Since I was going fast, obviously I did pull too hard in the turn and I exceeded the critical angle of attack, no question. However I am fully aware that jets are not good for "yank and bank" style of flying and I did not pull full elevator. I believe that my elevator throw is set fairly minimal, but I will check that. I do have expo which can make it touchy when you are off center.
I have been flying swept wing jets for quite a while now. I do have a problem and it is with my eyesight, especially in bad lighting which causes me to try and keep the jet close, hence a bit sharper turns vs. wide sweeping turns. I probably have 200 flights in swept wing turbine jets and 300 in swept wing ducted fans (not counting foamies) and I've not had this problem with the others..
There is one other factor last weekend - I had a crowd watching me, so I was making an effort to execute everything crisply.
BTW, I probably have about 90 flights on the JL Viperjet and I've had no problem with slow speed stalls. I'd consider it a *****cat to land, makes you look like a pro.
Greg
02-25-2017, 10:19 PM
#1741
Good luck with the maiden belb99. I have around 150 flights on my viper and due to this years hot summer i have sent my Kingtech 100 in for its 25 hour service. However i was about 10 to 15 mins short of 30 hours. I am looking forward to getting it back hopefully next week to be ready for an event the following weekend.
Jason
Jason
Last edited by Jason R.; 02-25-2017 at 10:20 PM. Reason: missed a word
03-14-2017, 02:26 AM
#1747
03-27-2017, 07:56 PM
#1749
My Feedback: (2)
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Loveland,
CO
Posts: 341
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
All, I had an incident on landing approach this weekend. Followed my usual pattern for landing to the south, pulled back to about 1/4 throttle on the base leg and found myself too low and slow so put in some throttle and ... nothing. Tried to nurse it back to the runway but it kept starting to stall/snap so I had to let it go down out of sight. It hit plowed dirt at a nearly shallow angle and very slow so not much damage to the fuselage. I did not think to raise the gear, but the flex plates handled it and (other then a bent nose gear pin) the mounting rails and gear hardware are fine. One wing hit something while sliding in the dirt. It put a nasty hole in the LE and the gear partially broke through the top of the wing. All in all not too bad considering it was a blind landing in fresh plowed dirt.
If these were traditional built up wings and coated or even glassed, this would be a pretty minor repair. As it is with the surface made of a foam-backed composite, not sure how to best repair it. Has anyone tried to repair this type of damage to the wings? If so, any advice on how to handle it?
Thanks,
Greg
If these were traditional built up wings and coated or even glassed, this would be a pretty minor repair. As it is with the surface made of a foam-backed composite, not sure how to best repair it. Has anyone tried to repair this type of damage to the wings? If so, any advice on how to handle it?
Thanks,
Greg
04-23-2017, 08:07 AM
#1750
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi guy's
I just picked up a jet legend viper with a k80, I love the look of it
looking for any and all information of what everyone has been using for the
CG
how much travel on elevator's, rudder, aileron & flaps,what they use on the D/R & Expo Just something to get me in the ball park.
it also has smoke tanks,
I haven't started setting it up yet and was wondering with the CG UTI full all the time / kero tank empty & then kero tank full how much will the CG change, should it stay the same because someone once told me CG starts off good when full then after flying CG will become tail heavy.
thank you
Robert
I just picked up a jet legend viper with a k80, I love the look of it
looking for any and all information of what everyone has been using for the
CG
how much travel on elevator's, rudder, aileron & flaps,what they use on the D/R & Expo Just something to get me in the ball park.
it also has smoke tanks,
I haven't started setting it up yet and was wondering with the CG UTI full all the time / kero tank empty & then kero tank full how much will the CG change, should it stay the same because someone once told me CG starts off good when full then after flying CG will become tail heavy.
thank you
Robert