I just got my UCD and need to ask a questions that I'm sure some where on this tread are already answered, but no time to real all.....my PC is at my office:

1.- Does the tail really needs reinforment?

Thanks

Miguel

I moved my CG back to 6-1/8" after about 25 flights. I'm nervous like I'm about to do my first solo. Any tips from you guys that have been flying the CG back for a while? More power on landing approaches? Less power on takeoffs?

mt

Mine has shown no signs or reasons for reinforcements. Not sure about anyone else.

Every time I take the plane out is amazes me. Last weekend I had it doing walls, parachutes/terminators. I'm still working on nice inverted flatspins, doesn't want to lock into a good spin.

My CG is 6" back an when landing on fumes the plane begins to show tail heavyness by having a tendency to climb. 6" is perfect for me.

Most Important!

The UCD really shines when you mix spoilerons with the elevator (up/up and down/down mix). 80% mix seems perfect for me. You have got to try this mix , makes waterfalls MUCH easier, KE spins tighter, and cuts out the wing dropping in Harrier/Elevator. This might be old news to the thread.

I love this plane so much I'm afraid to bring it down low, at least until Tower gets them back in stock

kram,
Takeoffs are not a problem with a ttail heavy plane he he, it wants to take off. Landings are usually done with a little bit of throttle and a little down elevator. With this combination you can get the plane in a nice, slow, level and descending flight. Practice this, and just hold it till it's on the runway, them go to idle. Don't throttle down and don't think about flaring, it's a flareless landing, like on the Carriers, but not at a 600 fpm descent ha ha.
As you become familliar with the procedure, tail heavy becomes the only way to go, and your confidence level skyrockets. Good luck.
DKjens

Depending on where it was 6 1/8 maybe too much too quick...

If you were at 5 3/4" perhaps not... but if you were at 4 1/2 maybe so...

The ole safeway is to gradually increase by maybe 1/4"...

You may find that YOU fly it best at 5 3/4... when it does someything you don't like, go back a 1/4"

Pateince can provide you with insight you would miss otherwise...

I am helping a friend with his UCD and we ran into a problem. When flying straight and level the pane flies fine but when we go inverted the tail starts jumping up and down. It almost looks like a fish trying to swim through the air. Can anyone tell me what could cause this. We also noticed it when the airplane was climbing straight up but it wasn't as bad. He is running the saito 100 with hitech servos. (approx. 60oz.)

Do you get any glitching when you turn the plane upside down on the ground? The long servo leads are loose in the fuselage. Maybe there's a bad connection or interference when they flop to the top of the fuse when inverted. Are the receiver and batttery secure inside the plane? How far back is your CG? Are all the pushrods tight with no slop? Are the servos tight in their mounts? Sorry if some of this seems obvious but I'm just putting out some ideas. Does it occur when doing an outside loop starting from upright (pushing down)?

Chris

Anyone in the Tampa area want to sell theirs?

jasonc1354, Are the Hitec servos digital?
I bet that when the plane is inverted the long servo leads fall near to the antenna, which is probably enclosed in the fus. There may also be more electrical noise from digital servos

As far as spoileron mixing, did you mean to say up elevator mixed with UP ailerons? As in when I apply up elevator the ailerons go UP and become spoilers? I have mine set the other way around for terrific end over end loops. Mine will not, however harrier well at all. Maybe this is why!

He is running hi-tech 625's on the elevators and a hi-tech digital on the rudder. We have flipped it over to check it but nothing moves. I've checked the pushrods and they appear to be tight. I was wondering though if we should try it with the engine running. I know his wires are not secured in the fuse so we will secure those and try it again. Watching him do a loop with this problem was quit an experience. He doesn't want to fly it again until this is fixed.

"As far as spoileron mixing, did you mean to say up elevator mixed with UP ailerons? As in when I apply up elevator the ailerons go UP and become spoilers? I have mine set the other way around for terrific end over end loops. Mine will not, however harrier well at all. Maybe this is why!"
Yes, elevator up and the ailerons become spoilers. This works on my Extreme Lite. I have tried on the UCD, but the wings rock left - right to an alarming degree. I even tried mixing the elevator to ailerons in the conventional way, like yours, and would concure that 'Harrier' performance is dreadful.In fact the 'Elevator' was also a no go.
I was hoping that one of our more advanced flyers would have a theory and fix for the problem. My next attempt will be to increase the ammount of up elevator that I have.

Jasonc1354, did you guys replaced the 1/16" pushrods for 4-40?

Huge improvement in 3D performance with CG back at 6-1/8"

No problems except having to force it down on landings.

mt

mtthomps

Yes up aileron with up elevator (and down with down).

I fly with 35deg aileron (max allowed due to single beveling) and 50 degrees elevator (have to notch out elevator so it misses rudder pushrod). NO high rate just 35% expo, the plane is real docile. I liked 80% for the mix so full up elevator gives 80% of the 35 degrees up aileron.

Elevator is soooo easy with the spoilerons. Just pull in full up and she drops like a rock with only a very little wing rock which is easily damped using aileron.


Tower has them in stock again!! Guess what I ordered last night

Where is your Cof G, mine is at 6.25"? Do you have any side or down thrust, I have 2 washers giving me ~2-3° right and down?
Do you get any wing rocking?
Too many questions I guess. I don't have too many problems with the Elevator, its the transisition into a Harrier that sucks.

Nosram,

Flew my UCD quite a bit on Tuesday. My CG is right at 6". My Elevators are fine like yours until I transition into a Harrier then everything goes bad. I have tried doing this 2 ways. First, by raising the ailerons to a fixed position of about 80% up before I start the Elevator with no coupling to the elevator servo and then increasing the elevator stick. Second, by mixing the ailerons to raise to 80% as a slave to elevator stick up movement. Both ways got similar results with the mixing method being a little more dramatic. Funny thing I noticed tho is that when I fly slow, straight, and level and then go into a Harrier it will do fine until I have to use the rudder. I have elevators and ailerons permanently mixed to rudder movement for knife edge, flat turns, etc. I wonder if this is whats causing me to loose it out of and Elevator as opposed to entering straight, slow, and calm? I'm sure I am subconsciously using the rudder when I try to transition from Elevator to Harrier and maybe this is screwing things up because of the coupling involved? Is yours set up the same way? Maybe I should put my rudder mixes on a switch rather than have them permanently active?

geoharry, how does this spoleron mix affect the normal operation of the elevator? Will the plane still turn tightly with application of up elevator in a banked full speed turn?

Getting to the point to order the batteries for the U Can Do (will pick up the plane at LHS late this week sometime hopefully). I settled on a 6V 1650 NiMh. I am assuming the flat is OK? Or would the square form fit better? Based on the previous posts I may have to mount it in the tail for CG. Engine will be a Saito 100.

Rick

Get the flat pack. Fuse is narrow at the rear where my battery is currently located.

Excellent, yet again you amaze me.
1) The UCD has far more coupling from rudder than any other plane I own. I have pretty much got this mixed out. That is in normal flight when the rudder is moved the elevators and ailerons move automatically to take out any coupling. In a Harrier the plane is not flying.
2) In a Harrier I pretty much used rudder to steer the plane around the field, kind of nervous to ues the ailerons I guess.
Will be interested to hear what happens when the mixes are taken out. For all its good points its a shame that Great Planes couldn't have finished the job, with no rudder cross coupling, and a tank at the correct height

Sounds like I'm in for a disappointment on the Harrier. I only have about 12 flights on it and I'm having too much fun with the KE spins, waterfalls and parachutes etc. Harriers are my biggest weakness, just haven't practiced them yet

The only thing I did notice was when flying out of an elevator the wing will snap (drop) if I don't get off the elevator. My only suggestions from limited experience would be to:
1) really get on the throttle to transition into Harrier
2) or try getting into the Harrier from a Hover.

My CG is 6", I added 2 deg RT and some DT? Tracks really straight on the uplines.

The plane flys fine with the spoileron mix on. I think the turns, walls, parachutes etc. are tighter with the spoilerons OFF.

Just finished it up and will maiden it Saturday weather permitting.
Supertigre .90, 14x6 to start with and may try a 16x4/15x4.
7.1 lbs with a 1800mah nimh and CG at 5.5" to start with.

2nd