NM_Mark

My Feedback: (8)

Greetings....

I'm about to put my first Turbine into the air...A Super Reaper with a Jetcat P-80. I bought the plane and engine used from a good friend, so I'm confident on the flight capabilities of the model (in fact, I have flown the thing around a little once it's in the air). I'm using the following control surface movements to start out with:

Canards: + 30mm / - 25mm
Aileron: + / - 20mm
Elevons: + / - 10mm
CG: 540mm from the trailing edge

My question is do I need to add a little up reflex to the elevons and/or canards? I've been flying a Ducted Fan Enforcer with elevons to get myself ready...and it needs just a touch of up in the elevons for level flight.

Any other tips or suggestions would be appreciated!!

Thanks, Mark

turn and burn

i found my reaper would glide on for a long time took a while to get us to the landing .and if you came in abit fast it would bounce that how i lost the frount end of mine.good luck and have fun.

HenryRG

I have flown my Reaper for about 40 flights with a P80. I then changed it for an MW54, which I found much easier.

All your settings look good/correct to me.

You will have an excellent take-off, provided the fuselage is not inclined into the ground. The problem is landing. With the P80 mine actually climbed on idle. The only reliable way of landing was to go dead stick. Snag with that is you can drift and finish up down wind on rough ground.

Best way is to copy the Eurosport instructions and have the canard in slave mode with a 3 position switch on the Tx. You can then set the canards to take off mode, neutral pure elevon mode and landing or aerobatic mode.


For landing set the trims on the canard negative (ie diving) and the trims on the elevons positive ( ie climbing). With the two trims fighting each other, you can shed lift and achieve a reasonble powered landing with a highish alpha landing. If you try to emulate the Eurosport with 20 degrees, she wll probably stall. 5-10 degrees works very nicely. You do not need flaps, airbrakes or divergent rudders. Your elevon servos should have at least 4.5 Kg/cm (each), your canards will be fine on 3Kgcms (each). Obviously do not use this mode to take off. I found flight times between 8 and 12 minutes with a half gallon tank depending on the level of aerobatics. Provided you manage to hit the ground with the main wheels first, you will have no bounce. If you hit with front wheel either the U/c will snap or bend flat, which is good, or you will bounce, which is bad.

Wayne22

My Feedback: (2)

Ditto, the residual thrust will really make landings difficult until you are used to it...or have a reallly long runway. Mick Reeves suggests coming in dead stick, and I would have to agree. If you get too slow, or too nose high on approach, the wings will start wagging back and forth...

NM_Mark

My Feedback: (8)

Thanks...I've been to Mick's website, and I've read other posts on how this things likes to stay in the air. I do have a 3 position switch which I will program in the settings for Take-Off, Nuetral, and Landing. I should have plenty of servo power...I'm using Hitec 5645 Digitals on Canards and Elevons. My Enforcer will do the same thing on landing if I bring the nose in too high...not a pretty sight.

What about a little up reflex on the elevons...will that be needed? I know most Deltas needs that for level flight.

Thanks for all your help!!!

Mark

jetflyer

My Feedback: (5)

Mark,

You need to plan your landing and bleed off air speed 1 lap before you actually want to land. Get use to bumping the power to just barely keep the Reaper flying. I normally go to idle when setting up for my turn to final, make a nice wide turn and as I come out I only add power if needed. The Reaper will float so work that toward your favor.

Landing gear - ditch the wire gear as it is only a big spring. I made some gear for the Reaper that seems to work really well at eliminating the bounce. PM me if interested.

Good luck,

JR Gautreaux

NM_Mark

My Feedback: (8)

Jetflyer...I say the landing gear on your website...they look good. I'm going to try it with what I have first, then go from there.

I've flown with the friend who sold me the plane for quite a while now...and the normal landing routine is to circle to set up your approach...then circle around one more time, bleeding off speed all the way. I'll be shutting the turbine down the first few times till I get the hang of it. Can't wait to try it out!!!

Thanks...Mark

Wayne22

My Feedback: (2)

I forgot to add.....the Enforcer is a lot lighter than the reaper with a much lower wing loading ...I thought it might be a great delta wing trainer, but it is too easy to fly.

The biggest thing as JR alluded to above is planning your approach well in advance..with the throttle lag, even from the best and most responsive turbines, you need to be well ahead of the plane and its "energy state" disappating airspeed, and altifude arriving at the point of touchdown with minimal energy. A headwind down the runway is your very best friend when starting out. Take off and flying are no problem at all.........

We have all flying canards mixed with elevons (waaaaay too much pitch authority). Zero relflex is used.

geneh

Your throws and cg look fine. You will not need any reflex ( Or up in the elevons). Set the plane up so that you can turn both rudders out (if you built it that way) and this plane will land like a trainer! The Reaper will not snap if it gets to slow like some planes, It will just come down.


Good Luck!

B58

My Feedback: (43)

Marks Enforcer is a brick with a DF. He had his first jet turbine flight today, and did very well. Two flights without problems on the Reaper, and his thumbs only shook a little. Welcome to the world of turbines! Bob

jetflyer

My Feedback: (5)

The Reaper is a good bird to fly once you learn how to manage it. That is why I decided to rebuild mine after crashing in Waco due to a radio issue of some sort.

Congratulations!! And welcome to the club!

JR Gautreaux

NM_Mark

My Feedback: (8)

Actually, Bob is being kind...The first landing was great, the 2nd one was quite a bit bouncy (but only 3 times!)).

He's right though...I'm hooked!! Now to find me a rich relative so I can keep going!!!

Thanks...Mark

HenryRG

I was pleased to see your first flight was a success.

Have you any final photos? Did you use any of the various conflicting advise, you recieved, and was it helpful in practice?

Hoping that your following flights are equally successful.

Best wishes.

NM_Mark

My Feedback: (8)

I'll have photo's soon...It's kinda hard to take pictures and fly at the same time

I had flight No. 5 today...and the first with the turbine running (flight's 1 through 4 were all with the motor off). I did overshot just a little, but we have an 800' runway, so I was still good (Thank goodness for brakes!). My landing sequence is such: I make one approach, with just a little throttle (less than 1/4 power)...which is still enough to fly the thing. I then circle around one more time...cutting the power to idle about halfway through my downwind leg. As I'm on final, I bring to nose up a bit to kill off some speed...and bring it straight down. It helped that I had a little headwind to help slow me down.

I get such a rush flying this thing!!! I'm thinking I need a spare..

Mark