RCU Forums - View Single Post - SE5a alignment problems
View Single Post
Old 01-29-2014 | 05:29 PM
  #149  
abufletcher's Avatar
abufletcher
 
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 15,019
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
From: Zentsuji, JAPAN
Default

Originally Posted by jack steward350
It is very important that you know for certain where the CG point is supposed to be and best not be guessing where it should be.
As Shakespeare would say: "Aye, there's the rub!" This kit is definitely still at the prototype stage. I'm only aware of one other CDScaleDesigns SE5a that has flown (Teus' model) and I don't think more that a dozen were ever sold. The plans show the CG at 12cm back from the leading edge and that's where it was for the maiden flight...which was a disaster as the model was absolutely uncontrollable and I have no idea how I managed to get it back on the ground more or less in one piece.

Using the calculation shown on the RC Groups page above, I came up with the new position of 9cm back from the LE. I then held a dowel spanwise at that location (to avoid the influence of my fingertips) and added weight to the dummy radiator. See the first of the balance photos above. Technically this is slightly "nose down" since with the fuselage center line would be perpendicular to the TE of the rudder (and the stab is actually a +3 relative to the centerline).

Last edited by abufletcher; 01-29-2014 at 05:32 PM.