magyarbacsi

I ordered a Readyfly Cessna and want to split the ailerons to use the inboard sections as flaps only and the outboard as ailerons. I will cut a recess for the servos for each aileron and will thread the leads through the wing's foam.

Has anyone tried to do similar and will regular flaps make that much difference as opposed to flaperons?

jtiller

My Feedback: (21)

I have the Cessna on floats with flaperons. I do use them for landing. They help slow it down quite a bit on landing. I have them set at about 25-30 at full deflection.

magyarbacsi

Jim, do you keep them down the entire time while landing to touch down or do you use them as brakes and retract them as you reach landing speed. I heard that ailerons, when used as flaps, will cause tip stall after a certain point. That is why I want to split the ailerons so that only the inboard sections droop, as real flaps, and the tips will be in neutral position to assist wing stability.

jtiller

My Feedback: (21)

I have found my Cessna to be a really sweet flyer. I have not had any problems at all with tip stall, but, as I said, I limited the flaps to about 25 degrees. The fear of causing the problems that you address was the reason that I choose to limit the travel. I have not found any bad habits in this airplane.

I leave the flaps on all the way to the water. On a splash and go, I take out the flaps before I lift off again. The airplane is pretty sleek, even with the floats, and it carries quite a bit of speed on final. The flaps are not tremendously effective and don't cause much in the way of pitch change. But the little reduction in speed does seem to make the landings go a little better.

The split flaps would probably work really well and you could dial in a quite a bit more flap to get some speed reduction. You will have a real challenge running the ailerons through that plastic wing, I think. I'd like to see a picture when you get it done.

magyarbacsi

So far, all this is in my head and need the wings for final drawing. A long 3/8 "brass tube, similar to what I use as shaft tubes for my boats, sharpened at the end will be used to hollow out the path for the wires. I will post pictures of project when done. Plane is due to arrive next Tue. But first I have to let my fingers heal. Dont know how as it happened so fast, but on the 8th, my Seamaster attacked my fingers while on the ground, getting ready for another flight, just sitting there and warming up. Next thing I know, I got four of my fingers cut. After 10 stitches and a glass of wine, it felt better. First time in 15 yrs and hope to be the last. The plane and APC prop is ok. The motor never even slowed.

Turbobeaver

When you say that you are using flaperons,is this being used in conjunction with any type of mixing such as flaperon/elevator?The mixing function for flaperon/elevator makes all the difference in the world as opposed to just using flaperons by themselves.Since this setup is proportional(elevator function is directly proportional to the flaperon function),you don't have to be concerned all the time with air speed verses number of degrees of flaperon deflection(too much,not enough) and the required amount of elevator deflection.This is what gets a lot of float flyers in trouble real quick when these 3 key factors are engaged inproportionately.By using the mixing setup,you also don't have to be distracted by having to look down at your radio while flying to figure out where the switch or dial is positioned and whether it's in the appropriate position for landing or takeoff.I have been using flaperon/elevator mixing on my float planes for the last 11 years and I haven't had one single issue with regards to controllablity or tip stalling using this setup.The takeoffs are a lot quicker(still have to watch your airspeed-too quick is bad news on any aircraft) and the landings are much more controlled and slower.It is amazing how much slower you can fly and still have full control of the aircraft.A simple flick of a switch turns it off or on as need be.Me.....I just leave it on all the time because it makes the flying a hell of a lot more fun.

P.S-Landing slower and gentler on the water(less bounces and skips due to reduced speed)will prolong the lifespan of your airframe and float gear.

jrf

My Feedback: (551)

That tip stall caution applies to barn door ailerons. When the ailerons are lowered as flaperons, the wing incidence is increased. If this happens only at or near the tips, that is known as wash-in and the tips will stall first.

With full span ailerons, the change in wing incidence occurs over the whole wing and the stall characteristics will not change. Full span flaperons are used on a number of successful full-scale aircraft.

The Falcon Cessna has full span ailerons and they are pretty flexible over their length as well. When you drop them as flaperons, the pressure of the airflow flexes the tip portion back up a small amount, in essence creating wash-out (relative to the center section) and helping to prevent tip stall.

I used maximum down aileron travel for the flapperons on mine, and found it to be very stable and fully controllable with full flap on landing. I used 50% flap for takeoff.

Jim

jtiller

My Feedback: (21)

I do not have the flaperons coupled to the elevator. That is an interesting idea and I will try it. Also, thanks for the tip on the amount of throw. I will increase mine and see what happens.

That's the good thing about these things. I always seem to learn something. Thanks for the input.

JT

SKYPILOT

My Feedback: (9)

My Father and i both have the Falcon Trading Cessna, my Fathers has been flying since last year, and mine's done but not flown yet. His is set up with 2 Ail. servos, and has about 25deg. flaperon set up on a switch. We found that using flaps for takeoff and landing is ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL with this aircraft!!

The 2 times he forgot to deploy flaps, (once landing, once taking off) it snaprolled and went in the drink upsidedown!! That said, We found that with the flaperons down for takeoff and landing, the Cessna is as dossle as they get slowed WAY down, with no hint of tipstall whatsoever.

It is our favorite floater in our fleet and the best thing about the plane is it's almost industructable!! My Fathers has been upsidedown bobbing in the water no less than 10 times, as witnessed by many, and has allways flown again the same day.

Gotta love that

jtiller

My Feedback: (21)

I turned mine over once by catching a wing tip during a takeoff on a choppy lake. (As you might imagine, we do have some windy days here in South Dakota). It was about 10 minutes on its back in the water and when I took the wing off, I found absolutely no water inside the fuselage. I was truly amazed. There are some small opening where the gear struts leave the fuse and, fortunately, these were above water.

I took the glow plug out of the O.S. .90 four stroke, turned it over with the starter a little, reassembled it and flew again several times the same day.

I smear some vasoline on the wing saddle when I put on the wing. That is the only precaution I take to keep out the water.

I had a Modelfly Ready and sold it to another floater when I bought the Cessna. It is a great float airplane too. I completed one of the new Beaver float planes last fall, but as yet, have not flown it off the water. A picture of it is in this month's R/C Report. So far, the Beaver has not been as good a flier as the Ready. It has the same wing but the fuselage is quite a bit shorter coupled. I'm still experimenting a little with the CG.

red head

I have been flying the Cessna since it came to the States and very seldom use the flaps. This plane doesn't have to have flaps, it flies great without them, but can be fun with them if you like. Sounds like Skypilot may have something out of kilter. Check your balance and float alignment. The only time I've seen one snap was pilot error. ME !!!