need help with spacewalker 2
 

i just recently got a spacewalker 2 by seagull. today was my first day trying to fly the thing. I an coming from an lt 40 kadet. The problem i had today was for one it hard as **** to keep the thing going straight during take off. second i am not use to the wheel on the tail and when the wheel leaves the ground the plane starts pulling to the left. I was at full speed and tried to give it full up elevator (which is set at 3/8" up/down) the plane started to leave the ground but would not gain altitude and finally landed hard in the grass. Now I am scared to try and take it up again. the manual for the plane says to set the throws as follows.
elevator: 3/8 up/down
ailerons: 2/16 up/down
rudder: 1" right/left


any advice would be greatly appreciated

RE: need help with spacewalker 2
 

Is it balanced well?

RE: need help with spacewalker 2
 

I take it this is your first taildragger. You will need to feed in a little right rudder as you build up speed on your takeoff run. Once you get the hang of it, you will never want to go back to a nose wheeled plane.

2/16" on the ailerons? That's only 1/8 of an inch. I don't own that plane, but still it doesn't sound like enough. Anyone else have this any experience with this plane? I usually set up my servos for as much movement as possible at 100% throws, then tune them down with the radio to just above recommended low rates for the maiden. Maybe you could ask someone at your club to give you a few hands on pointers. It's always a good idea to have a friend at your side for a maiden, that way if you find your hands full they can help with the trims. Good luck!!

RE: need help with spacewalker 2
 

sorry the ailerons are 1/16 . i dont belong to any club i am self taught because i fly a different mode than everyone else. This is my first taildragger. I just thought i would lift off easier.

RE: need help with spacewalker 2
 

I had the same plane, and it was my first taildragger as well. Sorry to have to say this, but IMHO that plane is the WORST taildragger trainer you can get. Or it's the best, because if you can fly it well, you can fly any taildrgger well. I had one of our really experienced guys maiden it for me, and he ground looped it numerous times before we got it flying. The two of us at my local field who have them have both sold them because of the ground handling.

Sorry. Didn't mean to be so negative right off the bat. The plane is beautifull in the air, a great flier, and a good first sport plane after a trainer. Other than the ground handling.

Here's what we found out. First, setup. I found that expo in the rudder didn't help at all. I also had the plane set up for as much rudder throw as I could get. You also want to get as much alieron as you can get, beleive me, it's not touchy at all in roll, so the more the better. I never used low rates on the alierons. 1/16 isn't much at all for the alierons, I would look for more like 3/8 up and down, more if you can get it.

OK, takeoff. Don't be stingy with the throttle! I know, they say come up easy on the throttle, keep the tail straight, etc etc. What worked for us was to go to 3/4 or so throttle immedieately. You want the tail off the ground ASAP. Don't bother with trying to hold down elevator, etc, when you get lined up, release the elevator, nail the throttle, and stand on the rudder. I've made some VERY scary takeoffs, but have also made a couple very nice takeoffs, so the plane can be mastered, but it's not easy. BTW, I fly off asphalt, I never flew mine off grass. I think some of the touchy ground handling is due to the cheezy tailwheel assy.

I flew mine with an AX .46, and can state from experience that it will drag that plane in the air when you think it's too slow to fly, so if worse comes to worse and you're heading for the runway edges, nail the throttle and drag that puppy up. I tore the landing gear out trying to abort a takeoff. So:

More throttle
lots of rudder
Tail off ground asap


I'm assuming that your CG is as stated in the manual, right? And your engine is developing full power, I.E. you're not trying to break it in flying it very sloppy rich, and you do have adequate cooling area in your cowl?

Andy

RE: need help with spacewalker 2
 

I found that adding about 2 degrees of left thrust helped a lot. Also, get rid of the wheel pants, and add bigger wheels to it.

RE: need help with spacewalker 2
 

Thanks for the advice I will give it a try.

RE: need help with spacewalker 2
 

Minn, did you mean right thrust? I agree with ditching the wheel pants and getting bigger wheels.

This procedure will induce some scary takeoffs for sure. I don't own this plane but I do own a GP 1/4 scale SW and all of my planes are tail draggers. As a general rule you never want to do anything extreme on takeoff unless you are very comfortable with how the plane is going to react. Scale or semi scale tail draggers need to be finessed on takeoff. Full up elevator is usually a good idea while taxiing and at the start of the takeoff roll. Roll on the throttle gradually and as the plane picks up ground speed you can start to let off the elevator and apply right rudder as needed to keep it tracking straight. As the plane approaches takeoff speed you should be fully off the elevator so it doesn't jump off the ground prematurely. At this point the plane should almost get airborne on it's own with maybe just a touch of up elevator. Continue with a nice gentle climb out at full throttle to gain some altitude.

spawnxx2k, It sounds to me that even though you were at full throttle, the plane may have been horsed into the air too quickly by applying full elevator. If it didn't have enough airspeed as it lifted off it can't keep flying. Never give it full up elevator when trying to lift off, that usually has a bad ending.

RE: need help with spacewalker 2
 

Oooooops!

Correct - RIGHT thrust.

RE: need help with spacewalker 2
 

Stick Jammer........Finess the throttle... that's what I had been told too. But this plane wants lots of throttle, right away. I've got four taildraggers, a Rascal and three warbirds, and they're all SOOOO much easier on the ground than the Seagull SW II. Don't know what it is about that plane. I added toe-in, tried expo, I didn't try changing the thrust line, though. Another pilot at the field bought one, actually before I did, he's what I would modestly classify as an excellent pilot, and he had trouble with it. Cure? Go nearly full throttle right off the bat and stand on the rudder. Scary? Sure is. Mine was actually my first taildragger, I bought it to learn to fly before I finished my first warbird, a global FW-190. Funny thing was the F-W was an absolute *****cat compared to the spacewalker. I can't every recall ground looping that airplane.

There are a lot of planes out there that would make better first taildraggers. sure does look nice in the air though. I wound up selling mine, but mainly because the Rascal does what I bought it to do, and better.

Andy

RE: need help with spacewalker 2
 

Well today I just taxied around the runway trying to get use to the control. i noticed that the back wheel assembly is weak so i bought a nice heavy duty one with a little bit bigger wheel. I am hoping this will give me more control and i put some bigger wheels on the front. But one question. Should i go by the manual on the control throws for initial and sport flying? which is
ailerons 3/16 up/down
elevator 3/8 up/down
rudder 1" right/left

I was kinda rushed when I chose this plane. Its my first low wing. I have been training on a kadet lt 40 for about a year now. I read a review on the spacewalker 2 in a mag and it got good reviews so thats the one i chose. Wife was rushing me to choose so she could have it ordered in time for my birthday............Anyways here i am trying to fly the damn thing and i cant even get it off the ground. but you guys have been a great help and i really appreciate it.

RE: need help with spacewalker 2
 

a65l,
I'm am by no means trying to down play your experience but if a plane has a very bad tendency to ground loop, it's either not set up correctly or it's pilot error. Bottom line is, there is a reason the plane is ground looping. Jamming the throttle to full with full rudder is not the answer. I'll bet if you would have re-mounted the engine with some right thrust the problem would have subsided. A good tail wheel helps too. The gear needs to be aligned so the plane rolls straight on a hard level surface without the engine running.

spawnxx2k,
Set up your transmitter with dual rates and set them where the manual suggests. Definitely fly with the low rate settings for the first time and if for some reason you need more throw once it is in the air you can simply flip to high rates. Don't be too quick to use high rates though, that plane should fly just fine with low rates as long as you don't do anything drastic. I'm not saying the SG SW is not a good plane but one thing you'll learn about magazine reviews is that they never say any plane is bad.

RE: need help with spacewalker 2
 

Hi,

I have one like it - make sure that the front leading gear is the position - make sure it's not reverse setup.

the 2cm of the wheels from the CG make the diffrent.

RE: need help with spacewalker 2
 

I have the Seagull Spacewalker II and after some teething problems am finally getting to enjoy flying it. I'm using a Magnum 40 with a 10/6 APC prop.

Initially the CG was off and I didn't have the throws set quite right. This resulted in an extremely wild ride and crash landing on my maiden flight. So I moved the CG a bit further forward that suggested in the manual to about 7cm back from the leading edge. Note that as an aesthetic and practical choice I'm not using the cowl (which is gorgeous by itself but would look ugly hacked up, IMHO).

As far as its flight characteristics, I say that once you get the CG and throws (I bought a meter and placed them exactly as stated in the manual: ailerons 3/16, elevator 3/8, rudder 1) set, this plane flies is a suitable second plane after a trainer. It is however faster and heavier. In for, it's probably an ideal second plan for someone hoping to move into Warbirds. It has no unpleasant stall tendencies and is reasonably aerobatic -- certainly as aerobatic as any second plane pilot would want it to be. And its STRONG! Due to my limited piloting abilities, I now have a crash to flight ratio with this plane of 4:7, that is 4 crashes in 7 flights. The first was a crash landing due to misplaced CG and a crosswind which tore out the landing gear. The second was another crash landing after a deadstick which tore off the wing. The third crash was on takeoff with a wingtip caught some tall reeds along the edge of the field - again tearing the wing off. And the last one (yesterday) the plane went down in a stand of bamboo after a deadstick on final approach. What is worth noting here that in each case the model required only minor repairs with the wing and fuse completely undamaged!

Regarding take offs, yes, taildraggers are tougher to get going straight. I converted my trainer to a taildragger early on in my learning and have never looked back. I doubt I'll ever have a model with nose gear again -- what a pain THAT is! What I tend to do is start off fairly slowly until the plane is rolling straight for the first 10 feet or so and then go heavy on the throttle fairly quickly. You do have to stear with the rudder -- and be ready to use ailerons particularly on a field like mine with a light crosswind. With its thick fuse profile I would imagine that the SWII will have a strong tendency to weathervane in the wind.

RE: need help with spacewalker 2
 

Make sure the CG is right where it should be, not "pretty close". Make sure you've got the L.G on right, the wrong way will make it handle like crap-(technical term).
The wheel pants are no good if you're flying from grass. Do everything gently until it's in the sky.
Also, you may have a bit of a trim problem if it wants to sink back down once you've broken ground, try a little back trim on the elevator until you get it flying right.

RE: need help with spacewalker 2
 

I've got the Seagull Sapcewalker also, and I found it was pretty touchy on the ground until you got the tail up.

What helped for me was to hold slight rudder while takeing off and kind of pulsing in more rudder to get corrections while the tailwheel is down. Once the tailwheel is up, it'll go easy down the runway with minor rudder input. I have to add in some up elevator to get it to break ground and it definitely will not climb out at 40 degrees. Go for a gentle 20 or 30 degree climb out until you get some more airspeed.

On the throttle, you need to get rolling first then transition fairly quickly to full trottle. It takes me about 3 to 4 seconds between start rolling to full throttle.

I definitely thing replacing the stock tailwheel is a good idea. I personally like the Sullivan one as the spring arm decouples the wheel from the rudder.

Duke

RE: need help with spacewalker 2
 

I have the same plane,, I love it!!! First let me say that I dont know how you have it set up but I will start with this. Mine came with a engine mount that was an inch short. 4 and 5/8ths and the book says 5 and 5/8ths. 5 and 5/8th's is what you need. Anyway, you'll have lots of probs if you used the same mount they me. I have a 46fx in mine set at 2 degrees right thrust, bigger wheels and stronger tail wheel assembly. That's it!! I still add a little right rudder to it when I smash the gas but if I slowly give her gas to about 3/4 throttle she tracks decent,but not perfect. 4 seconds to reach 3/4 throttle. This is what worked for me, on grass. asphalt seems to make the plane veer harder to the left.
Also, I ignored the directions on setting the control throws. Here is what I used: ELEVATOR:1/2" up and down, AILERONS: 5/16" up and down,RUDDER: 1"left/right.
It sounds to me that you may have a cg problem or the plane isnt trimmed out.
Join a club!!! There are plenty of good people there that would be happy to help you out.
When I 1st started flying, I tried on my own and went through 4 planes before I joined a club.
This is what worked for me on this plane. I love to fly this plane because it is a great flier. and a good looker!!

RE: need help with spacewalker 2
 

While this may have worked for you, as a general rule it's a bad idea. This being the beginner's forum, you shouldn't ignore any directions that came with the plane unless there have been corrections issued by the manufacturer. Always fly any plane for the first time with the recommended throws. If your radio has duel rates, set them up so you have the option to switch to higher rates but fly on low to start out. You can always add more throw after the first flights if you feel it is necessary but having too much for the initial flight can be fatal.

RE: need help with spacewalker 2
 

Apperently you haven't seen the directions for this model...."mount the cow" ect.:eek:

RE: need help with spacewalker 2
 

:DThat's one of the funniest typo's I've seen. But seriously, ignoring the recommended control throws is not the best idea for a beginner.

RE: need help with spacewalker 2
 

Not to argue, but if the directions are as far off as some of the english was for this one, I'd at least consult the good experts at RCU.;)

And yeah, when I read "mounting the cow" I was saying to myself, "Uh, I'm NOT looking forward to this step- AT ALL!"

RE: need help with spacewalker 2
 

BTW, I find it interesting the the Spacewalker in RealFlight G2 is one of the hardest of the taildraggers to keep tracking straight. The Ultimate Bipe, Spitfire, and even DrI in RealFlight are all easier to get going straight down the runway. This suggests that it is indeed something about the actual design of the Spacewalker and not just setup details like toe in.

RE: need help with spacewalker 2
 

The SW in RealFlight G2 is supposed to be the 1/4 scale Great Planes version. I have the real 1/4 scale GP SW and ground tracking is no problem at all. A little right rudder as it picks up speed is all it takes.

RE: need help with spacewalker 2
 

First let me say that I said, "I" ignored the set-up. Not for a beginner to ignore them. Second, this was my advice for making the plane easier to control on the ground. He asked for help and this is what works for this plane. If you contact seagull models they will tell you that their have been problems with the SW2 using their control recomendations. I had contacted them in regards to the mount being an inch short. They offered this control setup that I suggested earlier. Also they are working to update the directions. If you have a SW2 and dont like the way it handles on take-off, try what I said and I'm sure you will find it a much easier plane to handle. I have seen 4 or 5 of these at the club I belong to and watched the guys fight them on take-off. I let a couple of them fly mine to see the difference. They enjoyed it enough to set theirs up this way.
spawnxx2k,,,,try what I said and let me know how you like it