This thread is for flight reports from Vectorflight ARF owners. Let us hear about your inflight experiences with this awesome plane. For build and setup tips on the 66" Edge 540 see ez2bgman's thread at:

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/Vect...2480377/tm.htm

For the 66" Extra 300, see Bumstead's thread at:

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_16...tm.htm#1675634

Enjoy![8D]

I'll open it up with my original maiden flight report. Ahhh, the memories!

"10\24\2004

I took my recently completed VF Edge 540 out for it's maiden flight yesterday afternoon. The weather was absolutely perfect and the wind was an easy 5-10mph straight down the runway from the south. After solving a minor problem on the ground involving the fuel lines, I was able to get the Saito 120 started, and minor adjustments to the mix had it purring like a kitten (only it had that funny little blurble that a rich 4 stroke is famous for). Vertical test showed no hesitation, and transition in both axis was flawless.

Takeoff - Easing into the throttle the tail lifted easily and a smidge of right rudder had her tracking straight and true. The grass runway was no problem for the supplied 2.5" foam wheels during this phase of the flight. Liftoff was within 100' at 3/4 throttle using the 15x8MAS prop. The aileron trims were a bit further out of line than one would like, but it was manageable and under control in no time. Elevator trim was a mere two clicks down from neutral. All in all, an easy takeoff and trim session. Most of the flight was kept at 3/4 throttle or less due to the power of the 120. All throws were set to recommended, and low rates were used for all but a short period (more on that in a moment).

Flight - After the trim session was completed I remained on low rates and tried a few simple maneuvers. Loops were a bit large but stable on the recommended low rate throws. Elevator sensitivity was noted in all maneuvers. Rolls were very axial, even on low rates and very little altitude was lost during the 3-roll run. High rates were tested as well on the same tricks. On high, the loops got very tight, btu the elevator is extremely snappy. Rolls were awesome and stable throughout. No altitude loss was noted on high rates during the 3-roll run. At this time, I tried my first Cuban-8. WOW! Easy as pie! Both sides were completed in the same manner and right on target for entry and exit altitude. Back to low rates now, as my heart needs a break from the excitement. Satisfied with my first sortie, I decided it was time to bring her in.

Landing - Hmmm....Where to start? My first approach proved unusable and was aborted. Glide path was extremely long as the Large Edge floated by at a blisteringly high speed, even at idle. Second attempt proved much better than the first. I extended the final approach, and cut the power sooner in the landing pattern (about halfway through the downwind leg). The turn onto final was completed at a lower altitude as well. And, although the landing still felt a bit hot, it settled down on the grass runway and eased to a stop before reaching the end of the 300' strip. No tendency to tip was noted as I used full up elevator (low rates) to taxi back to myself through the 1-2" grass.

Conclusion - I am impressed! Vectorflight has done thier homework, and produced a spectacular airplane. For those of you who don't like ARF's, I challenge you to try a VF plane. For the unheard of low price, the supplied equipment is very usable, and the kit is extremely well constructed. After only a few flights now, I am convinced in the quality of the VF products and will be saving for another ASAP! "

Another flight experience. I have about 8 flights on it total now. Next time I fly it I will post a more recent update on performace. Since this report was written I have changed to a 14x7 3-blade and haven't flown it yet.

Third flight report - - - 10\27\2004

Let me start by saying a few changes were made since maiden flight and its immediate follow-up flight. Prop has been changed from a 15x8MAS to a 16x6APC, this helps slow the plane on landings to a nice respectable crawl. Also, it allows the plane to hold a more scale line with the extra power of the 120. Minor adjustments were made to the linkages to account for trim settings from the first flight being a bit further out of line than I am comfortable with.

Takeoff - The Saito 120 started just as easily as ever and with a quick test of the control surfaces I went straight into the takeoff roll. It didn't take much power or space to get the tail up and then shortly after the plane took to the air. Throttle management is vital to keeping the torque of the motor from pulling the plane off centrline. However, with proper throttle control, little rudder correction is needed to keep it on heading. Climb out was strong but graceful. This plane seems to have a larger prescence in the air than it does on the ground, without feeling heavy at the controls.

Flight performance - After making a few passes to reset and adjust trims once more, I proceeded into some of the moves I have been studying online. Cuban 8's, immelmans, Split S's, Hammerheads, Loops, Rolls, and one failed attempt at a flat spin. (failed only due to my lack of experience and courage) Let me add here, high rates were switched on immediately after takeoff. Loops were kept tight, some snap tendancy is noted, but only when large amounts of elevator are applied at once. Proper stick control seems to be mandatory, something you might expect from this type of aircraft. (Meaning it does exactly what you tell it to with out hesitation, so be ready for it ) It was during this flight that I began to notice a bit of push out of my loops. I attributed this to the elevators being slightly out of alignment. (a check at home later proved this to be correct) Rolls stayed close to axial, although they are not as fast as I would have expected on high rates. I will be adjusting throws to compensate, more on this below. Vertical performance is out of sight with the prop change and power of the 120. It doesn't even seem to slow down going straight up as long as I will let it.

Landing - As with the maiden flight I started my approach by cutting to idle (which is still a bit high during the continued break in period). The Edge floats nicely through the crosswind leg and then turns on to final with plenty of airspeed to spare. Touch down was smooth and simple on the mains with no tendency to tip stall. I feel it could have landed slower as the idle speed is lowered and I work on my flare a bit with this larger bird.


Adjustments to be made for future flights - I have increased high rate throws to maximum deflection for all surfaces. Expo remains in effect on both rates to help minimize the likelyhood of overcorrection. Larger, 3" foam wheels will replace the supplied for flying off the grass field. All in all, for what little flight time I have on it, the VF Edge 540 seems to be holding it's own.

Luke,

Could you throw in the Date as to when these flights happened? It can give a better picture.

Thanks.

Well guys here is my first flight report.

Date: 1/12/05

Before I get into the flight report let me add my $0.02 about VF. Yes I was a litlle agitated for the delay in my order. But Chuck at VF answered every question that I asked about my order. He was always upfront and honest. He did not have to volunteer the info that my order was pushed back in order to satisfy the last-minute Chrsitmas shoppers. He could just as well as continued to tell me there was a backorder. His honesty is proof in the principles that VF stands for. They are the only company that I have dealt with in the R/C industry that is as straight forward as they are. Now that I know that they produce such a high quality aircraft, I would wait 2 or 3 months for another plane. I would rather wait and have a near bulletproof plane, than get one in 1 week that can't even stand up to your average hangar rash. The product that they produce is second to none. The price is a bargain compared to other companies. Look at Seagull Models Edge 540. They are almost identical in dimensions to VF, yet they cost $20 more and I guarantee that their quality is nowhere near the level that VF is at. I am 100% satisfied with my plane and I know that 99.9% of flyers that decide to purchase one will be too.

Ok enough of that, now on the meat and potatoes of this thread...

I packed up and headed to the field immediately after my last post. I was half way there (about 20 minutes into the drive) when I realized that I left the belly pan on my workbench. As you can imagine, I was cursing myself out with just about every word I know. I turned around and made it home in half the time it took me to get there. Yes I drive really fast, that's one of the perks to being in law enforcement (and no, I didn't run with lights on... ).

I got to the field at about 4:30 pm and unlocked the gate. The road to the pit area was still water logged and I got stuck in the mud. After several tense minutes I was able to get out. I reached the pit area and setup my table and stand. I was running out of daylight and quickly assembled the plane, only to realize that I forgot to connect the aileron leads. Maybe all this was a sign that I shouldn't have went out there today. Anyway I quickly attached the aileron leads and placed the plane back behind my safety stakes. Can you tell that the anticipation to get her up was causing me to make several mistakes?

I fueled her up and she cranked on the first blip of the starter. I let the engine warm up for a couple of minutes and then range checked my radio. Just as I was getting ready to taxi out, the wind picked up considerably (I told you mother nature doesn't like me ). I looked at the wind sock and it was blowing straight out at about a 35-45 degree angle to the field. Oh great, a strong crosswind on my first flight . The wind was approximately 15-20 mph and gusting, but I had flown in higher winds. I really wanted to get her up in the air.

I taxied out and positioned her in the middle of the field into the wind. I checked the surfaces once more and made sure that low rates were on for the ailerons and elevator. Now or never..... I slowly advanced the throttle and she leaped into the air at about 1/3 throttle with only a 40-50 foot rollout. I added more throttle and brought her to altitude (about 150 ft. for this flight). I turned her around and noticed that she kept wanting to climb. I leveled her out and began adding down trim. I turned around again and she was still trying to climb. By the time I got her to fly level, I had used up almost 3/4 of the down trim. I attribute this to a few things that I changed (like the wing-fuselage gap mod) and didn't rebalance her.

Due to the strong winds it was impossible to check the rudder trim because she kept weathervaning with the wind. Aileron trim seemed dead on, but again it may need minor adjustment. Trying to trim in high winds is not the smartest idea. I made a few circuits on low rates. I did a couple of rolls on low rate and she lost a bit of altitude.

I clicked the high rates on and her response to my inputs was immediate. Rolls were very crisp and axial. I almost dumb thumbed her in. I forgot that she was on high rates and made a climbing turn. Everything was fine until I realized I pulled too hard on the elevator and was now heading straight down. I pulled her out and throttled down (phew that kinda scared me) at about 50 ft. I made another circuit and heard the engine sputter for a second. This, combined with the hig winds, was a sign that it was time to land.

I flew around and entered the landing pattern. On the downwind leg, I throttled back to about 1/4 just before I made the final turn. As I made the final turn to line up, I continued to reduce the throttle. Just as I reached the beginning of the field, I chopped the throttle. I had to add considerable right rudder to counter the crosswind. She floated in nice and gentle and touched on the mains, with no hop, almost right in front of me. 10 feet later the tail wheel came down. I turned her toward me and taxied back. I was losing sunlight rapidly and knew that I would not be able to put her up again. I parked her between the safety stakes and continued to let the motor run at about half throttle.

Man were my knees and hands shaking the entire time. She is extremely responsive. Be prepared because she will go where you point her. As stated in many other posts, these planes are very pitch sensitive. It seems that the recommended elevator throws wouldn't be enough. Trust me when I tell you that there is plenty of authority with the elevator on hig rates. On low rates, she flies very gently. I cannot wait to really wring her out.

The first flight, although brief (about 6 minutes total), was a complete success. The onyl thing that happened occurred while breaking down the plane. After I unscrewed the belly pan, I turned to put something in my trunk and a gust of wind caught the rudder and blew the plane out of the stand on my table and onto the ground. She hit the rudder and landed on the wheels. The rudder broke off at the hinges due to the impact, but nothing else happened. I have already rehinged the rudder with Robart Hinge Points .

I hope I provided enough detail on my first flight. I promise that the next one will be much more beneficial and longer. Until next time.... Happy flying.

Flight Report #2:

Date: 1/16/05

I talked my mom into watching my three girls while my two sons and I loaded the car. My boys were still a little grumpy as we headed out to the field. We didn't get home from the Monster Jam show in the Superdome until after midnight. Man was that a blast.

We arrived at the field at about 9:10 am. It was an awesome day for flying down here. The temp was in the low 60's with a nice 7-10 mph head wind straight down the runway. This time I had plenty of time to prep the plane.

After I got her together, I carried her to the flight line and fueld her up. There were already three other members up in the air, so I decided to wait. Once it was clear, I gave my buddy the camera to get a few shots of the Edge in the air.

I attached the glow starter and a couple of seconds of the starter and big Saito jumped to life. A quick range check and I was ready. Another buddy of mine had just taken off with his 63" span Aeroworks Edge 540, so I was eager to get mine up to complare the two.

I taxied out and did one last control check. I eased into the throttle and once again, she leaped into the air at just passed 1/3 throttle. I added throttle and maintained a nice climb out to about 100 ft., followed by an easy banking turn to the left. After I leveled the wings, I noticed that now she needed up trim. I made a couple of changes from the last flight. If you guys remember, I needed quite a bit of down trim. Well I adjusted the elevator clevises after that first flight and now I need uptrim to get her to fly level.

Aileron trim was almost dead on with only one click of right trim. Once she was trimmed, I proceeded to fly a few circuits to ensure the motor was running well. I brought her around on the downwind leg and tested the roll rate (I kept everything on high rates during both flights). The rolls, although very axial, were not quite up to my liking. While the roll rate would be fine for most people, I like my planes to roll just a bit faster. She was rolling about 3/4 roll/sec. I had set my aileron throws at 7/8" up and 5/8" down. I will be upping these a bit more.

I made another nice turn and wanted to check out how she handled a loop. Still at about 100 ft. high, I pulled back and made a nice loop. The elevator response was immediate. Although I have 40% expo on the elevators, she was still very predictable and responsive without being twitchy/senstive. I did notice however, that on full hard back on the elevator she had a tendency to snap to the right. I can attribute this to my elevator halves not being perfectly aligned. I noticed this once I landed and checked them out, that the right elevator half was a tiny, tiny bit higher than the left (less than 1/16" .

Now it was time to see how she could handle a snap roll. I pulled her around and did a right/up snap roll. She excuted the maneuver with ease and stopped rotating as soon as the sticks were returned to nuetral. I then did two in a row followed by three in a roll. She handled these high stress manuevers with ease. These planes are definitely well constructed and can take a lot of stress.

Since I forgot to activate my timer, I felt it was time to bring her in. I made a couple of low and slow passes to get a feel for her slow speed handling. Once satisfied, I assumed the pattern. I lowered the throttle to about half on the downwind leg. As I made the final turn to line up, I lowered the throttle to 1/4. I lined her up on final and eased her down. Just befoer touching down, I chopped the throttle from high idle to idle and she just floated in for a perfect, no bounce landing. I taxied in and parked her. It was time to catch my breath before the next flight.

After about 30 minutes of socializing with the club members, I thought it was time to take her up again. My buddy with the Aeroworks Edge had the same idea. It was ironic how we both flew at the same time and were the only two planes in the air during both flights. I can honestly see no performance difference between the two Edge's. I feel that both planes are very capable of just about every aerobatic manuever thrown at them, except the wild 3-d stuff.

I fueled her up and once again she cranked right up. This time it was time to see how she handled inverted and knife edge. I taxied out and eased into the throttle and she was up again in no time. I brought her to about 50-75 ft. I went through the normal stuff first: rolls, loops, and snaps. Now it was time to see how much down elevator it would take to hold inverted flight. I lined her up and rolled her inverted. To my surprise, it took hardly any down elevator to hold it. Two click of down elevator and she would fly inverted with hands off. Impressive.

After I made a couple of circuits inverted, it was time for knife edge. I rolled upright and got a little altitude. I leveled off at about 100-150 ft. I lined her up and rolled right 90 degrees. I started adding left rudder. I noticed next to no pitch coupling, but some slight roll coupling. Nothing major. It was very easy to fly the manuever through. After the first one, I brought her down some and performed another knife edge the length of the field. I really enjoy the nuetral characteristics this plane exhibits.

I also tested the vertical performance. This engine will pull it out of sight at a little more than half throttle.

The timer indicated that the fun was over and it was time to land. I made the same approach as earlier. Everything was fine until on final. The winds had picked up slightly and she did not want to come down. She floated on by on two passes. Finally on the third pass, I chopped the throttle a little earlier and put in just enough down elevator to bring her down. She touched down right in front of me and came to a stop in about 30 ft.

I must say that this Edge far surpasses my expectations. After reading all the great things about VF and their planes, I was expecting quite a bit from this plane. She lived up to those expectations and then some. She performed all the basice manuevers with ease and kept asking for more. I was a little worried that I would have too much motor, but this combination proved to be perfect. With the proper throttle management, this plane can easily handle this big motor.

There is something that I noticed. The Aeroworks Edge sat a couple of inches higher than the VF Edge. It is like this because their main landing gear is straight and has a steeper angle. While taxing my Edge, I had only about 1-1.5" of ground clearance for the prop. After I got back home, I unbolted the mains and put them in the vice. I then bent them in and also straighted both legs quite a bit. The results of this was an increase in ground clearance from 1.5" to 4". There is still over 14" between wheels, so stability will not be an issue. I will post pics of this tomorrow.

Does anyone else have a flight report from a Vectorflight aircraft that they would like to share? Any info would be much appreciated. Hopefully the info provided may be able to assist another VF flyer in some way.

Thanks.

Here's Flight Report #3:

Date: 1/29/05

Went to the field closest to my house where my best friend has a membership. The field is absolutely gorgeous with an concrete runway, running east-west, (surrounded by grass strips on each side large enough to land and takeoff from) and enough covered pit area for 20 pilots and equipment, but the $200.00/year membership fees keep me from joining. We got a late start today and didn't get out there 'til about 2:05 pm. It worked out justfine though. Earlier in the day, it was foggy. By the time we got out there, there was still a haze and it was overcast. But after my first flight, mother nature finally smiled at me and lifted the haze, clouds and wind and left us with perfect flying weather. The temparature was a very comfortable low-mid 60's.

Flight 1:
Got her together and fueled her up. The big Saito jumped to life with a bump of the starter. I revved her up to mid throttle to get the Saito warmed up. Then I taxied out to the runway and took one final look at the weather vane and windsock. There was a slight head wind coming from the east, about 5-7 mph. I taxied around a few times to get used to the concrete runway. The Edge proved to be a bit "on the edge" while taxiing on the concrete runway. I lined up and added power. She was airborne in about 40-50 ft.

I climbed out to about 50 ft. and made a left turn. I made another left turn and lined back up over the runway to check the trim. Since my last flight, I had switched over to Jr. I was pleased that all that was need for hands free flight was 2 clicks of right aileron. Once trimmed, I got some altitude to try a few things out. I started by performing a few snap rolls. As expected, they were very quick and stopped as soon as I centered the sticks. With the aileron throws up to 1" up and 3/4" down, the rolls were at the perfect speed and extremely axial. I noticed that on full elevator deflection, she has a tendency to snap to the right. I know that my elevator halves move in unison and my lateral balance is right on the money. I believe that it is just the nature of this plane to snap on full elevator deflection. I am currently using 40% expo on the elevator and it helps smooth it out. This plane is very pitch sensitive. I also noticed some roll coupling on knife edge this time around. I think this is due to the maximum deflection that I have it setup for. When I performed knife edge with about half the rudder travel, the coupling was almost nothing. Sice I again forgot to set the timer, I wanted to play it safe and bring her in. I made my approach and lined her up on the concrete runway. She floated gently down and touched down just to the right of me. She immediately veered right and went into the grass. I remained in control and straightened her out. I taxied back to the pit area. That was the last time I was going to land on the concrete runway. She is just too squirrely on the concrete for my taste.

Flight 2:
After assisting my best friend with the maiden flight of his new Venus 40, I fueled her up again. I decided that I wanted to try a scale like takeoff. I lined up and gently rolled into the throttle. At about half throttle, the tailwheel came up. After a slight pull on the elevator, she was airborne again. This time I had my timer set for 8 minutes to be safe.

The sun had broken through the clouds and the haze was almost gone. I made an aggresive climg out to about 150 ft. I leveled out and turned around. I slowly reduced the throttle while increasing up elevator. When she stalled, she just dropped her nose and the right wing dipped slightly. I added throttle and resumed flight with no problem. I brought her around again, but this time I wanted to try a flat spin. Just as she stalled, I kicked in full right rudder and held full up elevator. She went a beautiful and slow flat spin. After about 8 revolutions, I centered the stick, added power and pulled up for straight and level flight. Now it was time to "buzz" the runway. I climbed to about 100 ft. and lined up. I made a slight dive under power and leveled her out about 10 feet above the deck. She screamed by us perfectly level and really hauling *****. At the end of the runway, I pulled vertical and she rocketed skyward. It seemed like she didn't want to slow down. After several hundred feet, I cut power and performed a beautiful stall turn. I made another approach for a low and slow pass (camera shots). Once again I pulled vertical after she passed by. This time I did three vertical snap rolls. She still had power to climb after the snap rolls. This engine is a monster. By now the timer was getting close to the end. This time I decided to land in the grass on the other side of the runway. On my first attempt, I waited too late to cut the throttle and she foated by. I made another approach and dropped her down right in front of me.

Flight #3:
Nothing new on this flight. Just more of the same plus quite a bit of inverted flying. This is the most nuetral plane that I have flown. She will fly inverted with hands off with only 2-3 clicks of down elevator trim. My best friend took his Venus 40 up while I was flying. I had so much fun flying circles around him. Although these planes are in 2 different classes and sizes, I had a blast pulling away from him while going vertical. On this flight I set the timer for 10 minutes. This seemed almost perfect. After I landed and taxied back to the pits, I emptied the tank. She had about 1/4 of a tank of fuel left.

I am truly impressed with this plane. She has been able to handle everything that I threw at her. As the motor continues breaking in and gaining power, she just keeps on taking it in stride.

On a side note. I bought a digital fish scale today and weighed the plane after I set her up at the field. She weighed in at 9 lbs. 12 oz. About where I expected the weight to be considering that a Saito 120 sits up front, therefore requiring tail weight. Even at this weight, she is a real floater and handles slow speed flight very well.