Avistar
06-07-2007, 08:08 PM
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Avistar
Well the wife just brought me home a new avistar today.Wow she is great.It says 20 minutes and ready to fly.Well in 20 minutes it was ready to fly except the batteris need to charge over night.lol.I did start it and man was it rich.Would not run very high at all had to lean it out maybe 1/2 turn to make it even run good at WOT. Anyway thanks to everyone that recomended this I am sure i will love it.Anyone tell me how much asphalt is needed to take this thing off?
06-07-2007, 08:58 PM
#3
RE: Avistar
ORIGINAL: jdkxtreme
Anyone tell me how much asphalt is needed to take this thing off?
Anyone tell me how much asphalt is needed to take this thing off?
Depending on the tuneup, pilot, winds, etc anywhere from 20-50 feet of asphalt will do. Do NOT force it off too soon and stall.
06-07-2007, 09:07 PM
#4
RE: Avistar
ORIGINAL: jdkxtreme
Well the wife just brought me home a new avistar today.Wow she is great.It says 20 minutes and ready to fly.Well in 20 minutes it was ready to fly except the batteris need to charge over night.lol.I did start it and man was it rich.Would not run very high at all had to lean it out maybe 1/2 turn to make it even run good at WOT. Anyway thanks to everyone that recomended this I am sure i will love it.Anyone tell me how much asphalt is needed to take this thing off?
Well the wife just brought me home a new avistar today.Wow she is great.It says 20 minutes and ready to fly.Well in 20 minutes it was ready to fly except the batteris need to charge over night.lol.I did start it and man was it rich.Would not run very high at all had to lean it out maybe 1/2 turn to make it even run good at WOT. Anyway thanks to everyone that recomended this I am sure i will love it.Anyone tell me how much asphalt is needed to take this thing off?
06-07-2007, 10:23 PM
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RE: Avistar
I am currently flying an Avistar, and loving it. I have had a couple issues but nothing that has kept me from flying it, and certainly nothing your instructor won't catch before the maiden flight. In case he doesn't I suggest you double check the CG, mine was kind of tail heavy on the maiden flight. Also I found that the elevator and rudder push rods were not long enough, and flexed too much. I replaced them with thicker/longer rods. I also dumped the E/Z connectors they use in favor of "Z" bends.
The other "mod" I did to mine was epoxy in the tail feathers. I noticed that the horizontal stabilizer would wiggle a little bit. I tried to tighten it down using the bolts/nuts from the rudder, but I nearly broke my fuselage. I did fly it a couple times before I did this so it probably won't be an issue for your maiden. However if you have enough time I would certainly do this.
The next thing I am looking into is getting a better roll rate. I was going to test sealing the hinge gaps this week, but I didn't get to fly my plane. If I get out on Sunday I will test it then.
Ultimately the Avistar is a great plane, you will certainly have good fun with it. Definitely let us know how the maiden goes.
The other "mod" I did to mine was epoxy in the tail feathers. I noticed that the horizontal stabilizer would wiggle a little bit. I tried to tighten it down using the bolts/nuts from the rudder, but I nearly broke my fuselage. I did fly it a couple times before I did this so it probably won't be an issue for your maiden. However if you have enough time I would certainly do this.
The next thing I am looking into is getting a better roll rate. I was going to test sealing the hinge gaps this week, but I didn't get to fly my plane. If I get out on Sunday I will test it then.
Ultimately the Avistar is a great plane, you will certainly have good fun with it. Definitely let us know how the maiden goes.
06-08-2007, 07:15 AM
#7
RE: Avistar
ORIGINAL: felixone
I am currently flying an Avistar, and loving it. I have had a couple issues but nothing that has kept me from flying it, and certainly nothing your instructor won't catch before the maiden flight. In case he doesn't I suggest you double check the CG, mine was kind of tail heavy on the maiden flight. Also I found that the elevator and rudder push rods were not long enough, and flexed too much. I replaced them with thicker/longer rods.
I am currently flying an Avistar, and loving it. I have had a couple issues but nothing that has kept me from flying it, and certainly nothing your instructor won't catch before the maiden flight. In case he doesn't I suggest you double check the CG, mine was kind of tail heavy on the maiden flight. Also I found that the elevator and rudder push rods were not long enough, and flexed too much. I replaced them with thicker/longer rods.
06-08-2007, 07:21 AM
#8
RE: Avistar
ORIGINAL: jdkxtreme
You say less than 50 to take it off....does that mean around 500 to land it? lol
You say less than 50 to take it off....does that mean around 500 to land it? lol
06-08-2007, 07:33 AM
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RE: Avistar
You know, I never even thought of that. Not having the plane in front of me, this could very well have been the issue with at least one of the servos. Since this was my first plane and an RTF I didn't even think to check the orientation of the servos. However this still wouldn't have resolved the flexing of the push rod. I could move the control surface back and forth without the servo moving. Putting in slightly larger push rods resolved this.
Regardless, I like to fiddle with my planes. This was a good learning experience for me. Shoot even after I did it I still learned something (check servo orientation first).
Thanks for the tip, I will definitely remember that one next time I have this problem!
Regardless, I like to fiddle with my planes. This was a good learning experience for me. Shoot even after I did it I still learned something (check servo orientation first).
Thanks for the tip, I will definitely remember that one next time I have this problem!
06-08-2007, 08:00 AM
#10
RE: Avistar
If it was an RTF the pushrods should have been factory connected. How could they have been too short? Maybe too short to put Z-bends in but not for the factory links.
06-08-2007, 08:42 AM
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RE: Avistar
They were factory installed, they were not however connected to the control surface. When I connected them to the control surface, it pulled to one side drastically. It had nylon clevises installed. Once adjusted to allow me to center the control surface, there was less than 1/8" of threads remaining in the clevis. After the first trim flight I needed to adjust further, but couldn't screw out the clevis anymore without risking it popping off under strain (such as in flight). All of this was done with the "factory installed" hardware. It wasn't until I upgraded that hardware that I switched connection techniques (Z bends). This was actually the result of a another newbie mistake. When I bought the larger pushrods, I remembered to get the clevises but failed to purchase any sort of servo side connector.
I don't mean to sound confrontational but I think Bruce's statement that if they were factory installed they couldn't be too short is misleading, and implying bad advice. I may not have years of experience in this hobby, but I am a quick learner. Just because this was an RTF, doesn't mean it was perfect or ready to fly for that matter. Just because they were factory installed didn't stop me from checking that the servo travel was the correct direction, it didn't stop me from tugging on all of my control surfaces to ensure the hinges were properly installed, it didn't stop me from ensuring the covering was sealed properly. As it turns out even after doing all of this it didn't stop my instructors from finding out on my first pre-flight check that my throttle was binding, my front wheel was not straight, and the CG was slightly off (yes I should have caught this sooner). This isn't even accounting for the push rod issue, which as Bruce pointed out might have been easily resolved by changing the servo orientation.
Maybe I was wrong to bring this up here, but I thought I was doing a service to the original poster by sharing experiences I had with the same plane. I wasn't saying he would have the same issues, but they are things to keep an eye out for. At the very least these things deserve a double check.
I don't mean to sound confrontational but I think Bruce's statement that if they were factory installed they couldn't be too short is misleading, and implying bad advice. I may not have years of experience in this hobby, but I am a quick learner. Just because this was an RTF, doesn't mean it was perfect or ready to fly for that matter. Just because they were factory installed didn't stop me from checking that the servo travel was the correct direction, it didn't stop me from tugging on all of my control surfaces to ensure the hinges were properly installed, it didn't stop me from ensuring the covering was sealed properly. As it turns out even after doing all of this it didn't stop my instructors from finding out on my first pre-flight check that my throttle was binding, my front wheel was not straight, and the CG was slightly off (yes I should have caught this sooner). This isn't even accounting for the push rod issue, which as Bruce pointed out might have been easily resolved by changing the servo orientation.
Maybe I was wrong to bring this up here, but I thought I was doing a service to the original poster by sharing experiences I had with the same plane. I wasn't saying he would have the same issues, but they are things to keep an eye out for. At the very least these things deserve a double check.
06-08-2007, 09:14 AM
#12
RE: Avistar
ORIGINAL: felixone
They were factory installed, they were not however connected to the control surface. When I connected them to the control surface, it pulled to one side drastically. It had nylon clevises installed. Once adjusted to allow me to center the control surface, there was less than 1/8" of threads remaining in the clevis. After the first trim flight I needed to adjust further, but couldn't screw out the clevis anymore without risking it popping off under strain (such as in flight). All of this was done with the "factory installed" hardware. It wasn't until I upgraded that hardware that I switched connection techniques (Z bends). This was actually the result of a another newbie mistake. When I bought the larger pushrods, I remembered to get the clevises but failed to purchase any sort of servo side connector.
I don't mean to sound confrontational but I think Bruce's statement that if they were factory installed they couldn't be too short is misleading, and implying bad advice. I may not have years of experience in this hobby, but I am a quick learner. Just because this was an RTF, doesn't mean it was perfect or ready to fly for that matter. Just because they were factory installed didn't stop me from checking that the servo travel was the correct direction, it didn't stop me from tugging on all of my control surfaces to ensure the hinges were properly installed, it didn't stop me from ensuring the covering was sealed properly. As it turns out even after doing all of this it didn't stop my instructors from finding out on my first pre-flight check that my throttle was binding, my front wheel was not straight, and the CG was slightly off (yes I should have caught this sooner). This isn't even accounting for the push rod issue, which as Bruce pointed out might have been easily resolved by changing the servo orientation.
Maybe I was wrong to bring this up here, but I thought I was doing a service to the original poster by sharing experiences I had with the same plane. I wasn't saying he would have the same issues, but they are things to keep an eye out for. At the very least these things deserve a double check.
They were factory installed, they were not however connected to the control surface. When I connected them to the control surface, it pulled to one side drastically. It had nylon clevises installed. Once adjusted to allow me to center the control surface, there was less than 1/8" of threads remaining in the clevis. After the first trim flight I needed to adjust further, but couldn't screw out the clevis anymore without risking it popping off under strain (such as in flight). All of this was done with the "factory installed" hardware. It wasn't until I upgraded that hardware that I switched connection techniques (Z bends). This was actually the result of a another newbie mistake. When I bought the larger pushrods, I remembered to get the clevises but failed to purchase any sort of servo side connector.
I don't mean to sound confrontational but I think Bruce's statement that if they were factory installed they couldn't be too short is misleading, and implying bad advice. I may not have years of experience in this hobby, but I am a quick learner. Just because this was an RTF, doesn't mean it was perfect or ready to fly for that matter. Just because they were factory installed didn't stop me from checking that the servo travel was the correct direction, it didn't stop me from tugging on all of my control surfaces to ensure the hinges were properly installed, it didn't stop me from ensuring the covering was sealed properly. As it turns out even after doing all of this it didn't stop my instructors from finding out on my first pre-flight check that my throttle was binding, my front wheel was not straight, and the CG was slightly off (yes I should have caught this sooner). This isn't even accounting for the push rod issue, which as Bruce pointed out might have been easily resolved by changing the servo orientation.
Maybe I was wrong to bring this up here, but I thought I was doing a service to the original poster by sharing experiences I had with the same plane. I wasn't saying he would have the same issues, but they are things to keep an eye out for. At the very least these things deserve a double check.
And factories DO make mistakes, lots of them. Any and all planes should be thoroughly checked like you did. I've seen non-glued CA hinges before, dis-connected this-n-that's, mis-adjusted and mal-aligned items. Never assume things are correct. And your servos may (and probably are) be mounted correctly. I've had many people bring their new pride and joys to me at the field for a going over that THEY knew was ready to fly and found HORENDOUS errors. Things that many would spot fom accross the room. You just get too complacent or too close to a project at times and look right through it. So for me to say they "couldn't" be too short maybe I should have said they "shouldn't" have been too short. And 1/8" in the clevis is NOT enough. You did right and never meant to imply otherwise if I did.
06-08-2007, 07:20 PM
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RE: Avistar
I have seen this thing fly. For a trainer....a trainer.... - HOLY CRAP! Fast and aerobatic. I would think its a great craft to begin with and be able to grow a bit with aerobatics. I have the Hobbico Electristar. Nice plane but a bit underpowered and not very aerobatic. Not to mention the start up cost of batteries etc. Wish I would have gotten the Avistar instead. I just purchased a GP Super Sportster w/ OS .46 AX. As excited as I might be, im starting to think I might not be ready for its speed and might buy an Avistar to increase my skills a bit over the Electristar before flying the Sportster. You really cant beat a $100 ARF plane where all radio and engine gear can move forward to another great performing model.
06-08-2007, 09:03 PM
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RE: Avistar
Ok so the maiden flight...lol.. I mean the maiden crash..Well I got this thing all put together and went over everything about 50 times..I taxied up and down the run way many many times..I have about 40 or so hours on the simulator.So after I fill this thing back up with fuel.Push on the throttle going down the runway.." I live in the middle of 25 acres" At the end of the runway i slowly pull back and it starts to lift off. "Man this thing looks go so far" I am about 50 or so feet off of the ground..I get a huge smile on my face all is going well...And then it takes a huge and fast nose dive straight into the ground..After I pick up all of the plane and the parts..I take it home and upon inspection I see that the plastic clip that goes from the pushrod to the elavator broke and I went straight to the ground..Had I came home and read the above comments first I would have done something different..So just a note..When it says ARF go over it about a 1000 times..lol
06-08-2007, 10:09 PM
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RE: Avistar
I agree with you.But on the other hand this is a ready to fly kit...or so it says.Guys like me that have spent several hours on the sim and the small electric planes should be able to put together a RTF plane..
06-09-2007, 09:28 AM
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RE: Avistar
Who knows what could have happened. Elevator trim could have been off...the cevis could have broken during the crash. i do agree and am thankful that the maiden flight was done by someone with experience. I am positive I would not have had a good result if I had done it myself.
06-09-2007, 09:36 AM
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RE: Avistar
Being broken after the crash doesn't mean broken before the crash. The nose down could have been caused by pilot error. Dropping the nose could be the result of a stall (pulling up to hard on take off), or simply being out of trim. After the plane was up, you probably just released the elevator. If the plane wasn't trimmed, the nose drops, and your reflexes are not good enough to correct. On a maiden flight, I never quit my climb out or drop the throttle until I've got at least 200 feet of air between the plane and ground. I also prefer to have another person standing with me to help adjust the trim while I keep the plane from crashing. Not normally needed, but their there if I do.
Sorry to hear about the crash. Hope the repairs aren't to difficult.
Brad
Sorry to hear about the crash. Hope the repairs aren't to difficult.
Brad
