Success With the Spitfire
08-19-2007 | 12:15 AM
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From: Elyria,
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Success With the Spitfire
I just started flying this year in May. I started with the Super Cub. I had to teach my self do to my work schedual, but I flew every weekend and every chance I got. From there I moved on to the Aerobird 3. This lasted 2 days and I flew it very well. Unfortunaly while flying on the second day the plane dropped out of the sky. No motor, no controls. Called the store I bought it from and they said to bring it in. They could not figure out the problem but said because there was a small ding in the plane they needed to send it back to the manufacture and see what they said.
Well that was the first week in June and they finally sent me a new plane this past week. Never said what caused the reciever to fail.
In the mean time I bought a Mini Slinger and radio. While I had several adventures with it (and my fair share of crashes) I mastered the plane. So I looked into moving into a war bird. While looking, Parkzone released the Centurion. Love flying it and it flies extremely well.
I decided to try the Parkzone T-28 Trojan and knew it would be the end of August before my local HS would get it. Got a call at work this week from my wife. She asked if there was any plane I would like to have. I told her about the Trojan. She said seeing it would not be out until the end of August, what would be my next choice. Told her the Spitfire and low and behold, came home from work Thursday and there it was. She said she just wanted to do something nice for me. Still waiting to see what she wants.
So I put it together that night and put it on the CG machine Friday night. Found it to be way nose heavy. Managed to balance it with .75cents. Taped two quaters near the tail and one just aft of the wing. Seemed to balance it out nicely.
Tonight she wanted to see it fly. Held my breath and into the air it went. The plane flew great. It was still a little nose heavy but found out later that it may have been due to how I placed the battery in it. I'll fly it once more before making any adjustments. Besides listening to her saying how cool the plane looked in the air over and over, I loved the sound of the geared engine. While I should have loved every minute of it, in the back of my mind I felt landing it would be my biggest challenge. Finally noticed the power dropping off so I knew one way or another I was going to find out where my skill level had come. The landing was perfect and I felt like all the work this summer is finally paying off. I only wish I started this hobby earlier in life, but better late than never. I'm completely hooked and look forward to flying for many years to come. Thanks to all of you that have taken the time to answer my questions.
Well that was the first week in June and they finally sent me a new plane this past week. Never said what caused the reciever to fail.
In the mean time I bought a Mini Slinger and radio. While I had several adventures with it (and my fair share of crashes) I mastered the plane. So I looked into moving into a war bird. While looking, Parkzone released the Centurion. Love flying it and it flies extremely well.
I decided to try the Parkzone T-28 Trojan and knew it would be the end of August before my local HS would get it. Got a call at work this week from my wife. She asked if there was any plane I would like to have. I told her about the Trojan. She said seeing it would not be out until the end of August, what would be my next choice. Told her the Spitfire and low and behold, came home from work Thursday and there it was. She said she just wanted to do something nice for me. Still waiting to see what she wants.
So I put it together that night and put it on the CG machine Friday night. Found it to be way nose heavy. Managed to balance it with .75cents. Taped two quaters near the tail and one just aft of the wing. Seemed to balance it out nicely.
Tonight she wanted to see it fly. Held my breath and into the air it went. The plane flew great. It was still a little nose heavy but found out later that it may have been due to how I placed the battery in it. I'll fly it once more before making any adjustments. Besides listening to her saying how cool the plane looked in the air over and over, I loved the sound of the geared engine. While I should have loved every minute of it, in the back of my mind I felt landing it would be my biggest challenge. Finally noticed the power dropping off so I knew one way or another I was going to find out where my skill level had come. The landing was perfect and I felt like all the work this summer is finally paying off. I only wish I started this hobby earlier in life, but better late than never. I'm completely hooked and look forward to flying for many years to come. Thanks to all of you that have taken the time to answer my questions.
08-19-2007 | 04:20 AM
#3
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RE: Success With the Spitfire
ORIGINAL: Learning2Fly
It was still a little nose heavy but found out later that it may have been due to how I placed the battery in it. I'll fly it once more before making any adjustments.
It was still a little nose heavy but found out later that it may have been due to how I placed the battery in it. I'll fly it once more before making any adjustments.
BTW, 3 quarters weight .6 of an ounce. That's a lot of weight for a parkflyer to lug around. Move the battery and save lugging that weight.
AND, 6 pennies also weigh .6 of an ounce.
08-19-2007 | 08:52 PM
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From: Elyria,
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RE: Success With the Spitfire
It's so nose heavy that I would really have to modify the plane to move the battery back. The only other option is to go to the optional LiPo pack. I can probaly save enough weight there to balance the plane. For now it flies great and I'm willing to carry the extra weight. With out it I would be grounded or more like nosed into the ground.
