Thanks for the tip! I will be checking that servo closely. It does seem very tiny for the job it does - the specs are impressive but its a really small plastic thingy.

Heck ya I had to save for a car when I was 16 too! Been there done that! But now I am 44 and got a portfolio so as long as the wife doesn't axe my Axe I can squeek some hobby funding past her... heheh My free advice to you is - keep doing good in school - Think CAREER, not just JOB (you can hate your job, but you should love whatever career you choose) - and keep up with your people skills - keep building friends and contacts. Also, never forget the your most valuable asset - your integrity. Loose that and you ain't got squat. And don't worry - do these things and you'll have all the hobby stuff you want. Ok, 'nuff soapboxing...


And now my latest hobby blog news!!


Awesome stick time today!!

A very warm and sunny and surprisingly calm morning came my way today, and I got full wifely clearance to spend the morning at the club field.

I got in 5 excellent runs with the TREX, and an amazing 3 runs with the Son of FrankenAxe!

On the last pre-flight inspection, I found a loose screw in my Axe's new tail pitch mechanism, so I started as usual with a detailed checkup and found everything fine.

I spooled her up into a hover and checked that the tracking was surprisingly dead-on. Woot! So, I just started inputting the same stick movements I give the TREX...

And she responded pretty close!! Like the TREX after a shot of buorbon and a half a quelude. A little wishy-washy, but quite manageable.

In fact, some circuits looked even smoother than what the TREX would do because the Axe doesn't build up speed as suddenly as the TREX, and the slightly sluggish response resulted in some very smooth and clean turns, both upwind and downwind.

The wind was off and on but pretty mellow, so no problems on landings or takeoffs. Very smooth.

I am just tickled pink with the response of the Belt Mod!! I could hardly tell it from the TREX tail response! Very docile - surprising since I am only using a Gy240 Rate Gyro and cheap S3114 servo in the tail. It required very little flight management - pretty much just point and go. Basically the same stick inputs I give the TREX work fine for the Axe. When I let the rudder stick go to center, she pretty much just kept the heading. EXCELLENT!!!

Once I got some confidence, I opened up my pattern and got way up there and way out there!! KEWL!!!


Now then, on to fine tuning:

I noticed when decending into the wind and flaring and decelerating, the main blades (flat bottom plastic trainer blades) would flap terribly, throwing the tracking off by a full inch or so. The flutter would obviously stress the mechanicals, be inefficient, and of course cause loss of lift.

This condition immediately subsides when I level out and apply a slight bit of throttle. This condition does not exist at any other time - only when decending, flaring, and reducing throttle into the wind - which is common for me when I want to slow down and bring her in closer, or on landing approaches.

After dabbling, I have concluded that the headspeed is too low and have begun incrementally lowering the Normal Pitch Curve and upping the Normal Throttle Curve. I am trying to find the lowest headspeed I can get and not have this problem...

Woot!! I got two good flying birds in the bag now!!