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Old 11-15-2003 | 03:38 AM
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RS2K
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From: Wichita, KS
Default Tumbles, Snaps, and Spins with Sig Cap

I have a bone stock 11.25 lbs 1/4 scale Sig Cap 231EX with an OS 1.60 and a 18X8 zinger prop. I have 3 digital servos on the tail and two analogs on the ailerons. My current rates are 100% of low on elevator and ailerons and about 130% of high on rudder. The CG is right in the middle of what the recommend (I'm at about 30% MAC) and the fuel tank is a tad bit aft of the CG (1-2 inches).

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I've been doing some SNAPS and SPINS with it and on low rates it does them VERY slow and graceful. It does them both beautifully with rudder and elevator only while going fast. If I add aileron while snapping at high speeds it doesn't look very nice, but at low speeds with ailerons it makes it look good after about half a barrel roll. Either because of my CG location or lack of elevator and aileron, I cannot get the plane to flatten out while spinning. I'm ready to move to high rates and move the CG back but I'm afraid that I'm going to rip the wings off the plane. What am I safe doing with this plane? I've though about replacing the nylon wing bolts with steel bolts, and beefing up the fuse right where the wing bolts bolt into. I have 1 wing retaining down glued back to the spar (about 6 inches), and the other one is glued up front where the dirrections recomend (about 2 inches).

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I just tried doing lomcovaks my last flight and was able to perform a couple (I think) I started a 45 degree up line at full throttle and did a positive snap using full left rudder, full left aileron, and full up elevator. After about 1/2 - 3/4 through the snap I gave it full down elevator while keeping rudder, elevator, and full throttle then 1 of 3 things happened:

1. When I timed it right I was able to get it to tumble end over end once then the airplane stopped tumbling and did a a pronounced inverted harrier for about a second (a clear stop at the inverted harrier position) and then fell out of the maneuver.
2. When I timed it right the airplane kept tumbling end over end while falling strait down (isn't this a waterfall?). (If I remember right it may have gyrated a bit also)
3. when I did the maneuver too early, or if I let off the aileron, it didn't tumble at all and instead did an ugly sort of snap roll.

I'm thinking more throw and more rearward CG will help. I've tried this maneuver without using aileron at all and while the beginning snap looked really nice, the rest of the maneuver looked ugly.
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This is my first airplane that has a tendencies to lower a wing when stalling I can feel it coming on and when it happens it does it very slowly and I can correct with aileron and elevator very quickly. When it begins to stall the airplane starts to mush along, after a seconds or two it slowly drops a wing. As I move the CG back will I have a chance of snapping it into the ground? Or will it just drop a wing faster?