RE: Suitcase Shrike
Kind of an update, here, on how the little Shrike is doing.
It is really FUN to fly, but it is a bear to get a good hand launch that is followed by a flight, rather than a crash.
I think I'm almost there, as it seems there are three things that, taken together, will yield a good launch:
1. Minimum 10mph steady breeze. Without it, airspeed does not come up fast enough for the bird to be controllable.
2. A bit of right alileron trim to counteract the mighty Astro's torque. Otherwise, over we go left into the ground every time.
3. A bit of up trim, to hold the nose up until I can get my fingers on the stick. (Lanier recommends this, I didn't have enough at first.)
I've also discovered, through experimentation, that the following makes her fly really well:
1. Stick with the recomended minimum aileron travel. I had mine a bit over in the beginning, and it made her real twitchy.
2. CG should be just a touch aft of where shown on the plans. I had balanced mine to the plans by using 1/2 oz of lead right behind the spinner. I ended up removing 1/4 oz, and it made a huge difference. I may remove the other weight, eventually, depending on how she does inverted. (Haven't tried any, yet.)
3. Using an Astro 020 on 8 NiMh cells, the ideal prop is an APC 5.5x4.5. This gives a very fast top end, while allowing me to throttle down about 50% and cruise around at a very high speed- high enough for most aerobatics.
With all of this taken together, this airplane grooves really well, and will do anything you're crazy enough to try.