Can't get plane off ground
 

Hi all, I'm new to rc flying and am having a problem with getting my plane off the ground. I bought a plane from nitroplanes.com, it is a cap 232 and supposed to use a .40 - .46 size engine, which I'm using an os40la. I tuned the engine wide open throttle till the rpm's dropped then richened it up a bit. The props I've tried are 10X6 11x4 and 11.5x4. I must be missing something but can't figure out what it is. Too bad Realflight G4.5 can't have these variables to learn from.

RE: Can't get plane off ground
 

one of those thing we'd have to see. otherwise

What your flight experiance?

what do you mean your having trouble getting it off the ground, is it ground looping on you, you just don't have enough runway. you not keep it stright on take off?

is the CG right, is the weight right.

is the motor fully broken in and the low end set right.

is the thrust angle right, is he wing incedence right.

Are you letting it build enough speed,

are the throws right

RE: Can't get plane off ground
 

If you are new to RC flying, put the Cap on the back burner and get a good trainer. You'll be able to use the .40-LA that you already have in one. for a good list, go here: http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_4537845/tm.htm

Also, find an RC club in your area. You'll find a lot of people there ready and willing to help you out. You an locate a club here: http://www.maac.ca/

Another good resource is this web site: www.gettingairborne.com

I'm not trying to be discouraging, just trying to steer you in a direction that will give the best chance of success.

RE: Can't get plane off ground
 

  I know you have probably heard this a hundred times but here goes again::   It sounds like you are new at this game and if you can you should find someone local that knows planes / engines to help you. Not only for your safety but also your pocket book.</p>

  To start with here, you need to write more information about what's happening and what you are doing.  Does it run OK, is it going the right direction. are yoiu able to taxi, are the controls going the right direction  etc.etc..

   A 10 x 6 prop should pull the plane if it calls for a 40 - 46 eng. and it's adjusted right.  </p>

   Now if it will taxi but won't lift off, are your controls gouing the right way?  If the elevator is backwards, you won't get off and probably if you did there is a good chance your ailerons are backwards and that means a sure crash..</p>

  I don't mean to sound mean but it does sound like you should get some assistance before you waste your money by crashing. If you crash you may give up and we want you to stick around.  By the way if you are new, that plane is not for beginners..</p>

                                                                                                                                               ENJOY   !!!   RED </p>

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RE: Can't get plane off ground
 

I don't know how heavy Nitro planes are but an LA40 is only just powerful enough and would struggle. These are entry level motors designed for trainer aircraft like the Phoenix Classic.</p>

Don't know who told you you could learn with a Cap 232 but as suggested earlier put it in the cupboard until you learn to fly or all you will end up with is a bag of toothpicks. This has been said a million times in these forums but find a club or at the very least someone who knows what they are doing and get some help. It may take a little longer but it sure saves a lot of grief, lots of repairs and you will learn plenty. If you take short cuts with this hobby it becomes very expensive.</p>

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RE: Can't get plane off ground
 

Thats the wrong plane to train with, but check the elevator.  You may have to reverse the servo.  Push up on the elevator stick and the elevator should go up.</p>

RE: Can't get plane off ground
 

you push up on the stick the elevator should go down. you pull down on the stick the elavator should go up.

RE: Can't get plane off ground
 

Your right, sorry! Too much Wildcat 10% and 92 degree heat today. Oops!

RE: Can't get plane off ground
 

You have been given good advice above.  Get a light weight trainer and go for it.   However,   one thing to check on this or any other plane is whether or not the prop is on facing frontwards.  The little engraved letters should be facing towards the front.   Reversing it will produce a serious loss of power.  Rich

RE: Can't get plane off ground
 

Thanks guys
The CG is something I haven't checked. The elevator servo is correct. As I go down the field, I tried pushing up to see if I had the servo reversed but it did a hard nose dive. I was wondering about the prop if I had it backwards or not but it seems that it was correct with the letters facing out.
I don't know what the rpms are at so I'm not sure if the prop is spinning fast enough. The field is pretty big so I don't think that should be an issue. There were a couple of times when the plane came a couple of feet off the ground but that was it. I checked all the controls against the simmulator and see they are going the right direction. I suspect the problem has to be poor tuning or to weak a motor for the plane size even though the plane manual states that a .40 or .46 is the right size for theplane. I'll head down the the hobby store this week with the plane and see what they say.
As far as flight experience, there isn't a lot other than realflight g4.5
Cheers</p>

RE: Can't get plane off ground
 

STOP!!!!!First find a club, and have an Instructor bubby box with you. If you are having trouble with takeoff landings are harder. The flight sim is good pratice BUTISNOREPLACEMENTFORANINSTRUCTOR!!!!!!!!!!!! use the sim to pratice crosswind takeoffs and landing, flying a left to right pattern, right to left pattern. dead sticks. and level flight.


Also this is right off the NitroPlanes site: <font face="arial, helvetica" size="2"><font face="arial, helvetica" size="2">This is a Brand New In Box, nitro gas powered, radio controlled, Almost-Ready-to-Fly .40 -.63 Cap 232 50 Airplane. It is designed for <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">intermediate or advanced</span> modeler. </font></font>

I would say get a good high wing trainer like this one. http://www.hobbico.com/airplanes/hcaa2020.html

RE: Can't get plane off ground
 

i wouldnt use that cap as a first plane and heres why. </p>

that la is seriously underpowering it. caps/yaks/extras/ect they love to snap. aka if they dont have enough power they will stall, and start spinning. </p>

if you dont know how to correct this your going to end up with a pile of sticks. everyone here gives the same advice FOR A REASON. we have seen people like you come in, ask for help (good thing), but then dont take it, and end up crashing your plane and giving up the hobby. we hate to see that happen, please listen to us and get a trainer. that super tiger engine is 70 bucks (i think). you can get a arf tower trainer that cost 65 dollars that will work with your os 40 la. then pull all of your servo's and reciever from the cap and put it in the trainer. </p>

that cap is a good 3rd plane</p>

realflight is a good tool to learn the basics of how to fly. however takeoff's/landings/ground handleing are nothing like real life. even in the air, the simulator is close but its not close enough. you can learn how to fly from a simulator however 97% of the people that jump from a sim to a cap (or even a trainer) like you have will crash on their first flight. </p>

my cousin wanted to learn to fly. so i put him on the sim. he was good at it. but when i let him fly my electrics he couldnt fly worth a darn. </p>

i learnt to fly by myself with little electric planes. from all my mistakes i wasted around $300. that was before i even got off the ground. i did not buy the right equiptment (plane under powered) then the plane i bought was very hard for a beginner to learn on (i had the wrong setup that didnt help) </p>

long story short i wasted about $200 before i even had something flyable. i wasted about $100 more crashing (props, motor shafts,ect at least the plane flew slow enough that i didnt damage the foam to bad when i crashed) </p>

all of that could have been prevented had i gone to a club and got an instructor. thats what i would seguest. however if you want to learn to fly by yourself start with little electrics. that way you have something to fix when you crash, not a pile of sticks.</p>

learn from my mistakes, get a trainer, then have fun with your cap</p>

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RE: Can't get plane off ground
 

Aside from the other good suggestions.... and that this is a bad first plane...

You are using the WRONG engine for that plane.

The plane needs a .40 to .46 engine ( or larger ).

This specification is for standard AX type engines that produce about 1.6-1.8bHP of power.

The LA 40 engine is about the equivalent of a standard .25 engine in terms of power, which leaves the plane GROSSLY UNDERPOWERED.

I fly a .32 sized plane with an OS LA .46, which is just about right. Even with the larger OS LA .46, that CAP would not do well.

RE: Can't get plane off ground
 

This may be your problem. You're supposed to lean it out until the RPM's max out, and then RICHEN it up a bit which will reduce the RPM. In other words turn the needle to the right to close it until you hear the engine running at it's fastest RPM, and then back it out to the left just a bit. If you are tuning it rich, and then richer, it won't make much power.

Also agree with what everyone else says, get a trainer and someone to show you how to fly if you can.

RE: Can't get plane off ground
 

Nope, it's not a RICH / LEAN problem...

It is this:

"The LA 40 engine is about the equivalent of a standard .25 engine in terms of power, which leaves the plane GROSSLY UNDERPOWERED. "

RE: Can't get plane off ground
 

The best thing you can do is leave the 40LA on the plane. This way the plane will never get off the ground and crash. You NEED to get a proper trainer, an instructor and join a club. We don't tell you these things because we enjoy typing. We do it because we enjoy seeing people succeed at this hobby. You are doomed on your present path.

Sorry if this hurts but it IS the truth.

RE: Can't get plane off ground
 

WOW - 3 years ago he tried a Midwest Zero. No mention if that ever flew. http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4609680

RE: Can't get plane off ground
 

I have to chime in here.  If you didn't know that pushing up on the elevator was going to cause the nose to go down, you are not ready to fly this plane nor any other ritght now.  You are taking an awful chance of hurting yourself and/or someone else.  AND you haven't checked the CG yet?  PLEASE go no further... </p>

Take our suggestions and stop now and get a trainer aircraft PLUS someone to help you out.  DO NOT rely on the G4.5 to learn to fly especially with trying to fly a  CAP 232.  Flying that plane on the sim is not the same thing as flying it for real.</p>

CGr</p>

RE: Can't get plane off ground
 

I had to modify CG's comments a bit.

RE: Can't get plane off ground
 

Boy, there are times that I wish my plane didn't get off the ground.:D:D

RE: Can't get plane off ground
 

Yeah, but they get back to the ground too quick sometimes don't they? :D

RE: Can't get plane off ground
 

we were duped again by a dope

First and formost stop what your goind and leave your ego, ur go I can do this alone; at the door, your going to hurt someone

Dude get in a club and get some help. Put in you zip code. Yes you'll have to pay dues and by insurance. If you have the money to buy a glow model and try destroying it yourself you can aford dues and insurance. Even if you have to drive an hour, join the club and get help. After you learn what your doing then you can risk going to a local hole and fly.

Get a real trainer. Yes these planes look lame, they are not meant to be pretty, they are meant to help you learn to fly and learn with an instructor.

RE: Can't get plane off ground
 

Why ask for help if your not going to lissen? Go and find a large field, takeoff! we will help you in the Crash and Rebuild forums!

RE: Can't get plane off ground
 

The find an instructor/club is sound advise.

One thing you guys have missed though is something I ran into with a Phoenix Fun Star. It wouldn't lift off. Full throttle down the paved runway. About 200 ft into the take off roll, it was still hugging they runway. I kept pulling back on the stick and when it finally had enough speed for the elevator to over come the sping in the tail wheel It did a 90 up turn and went vertical. The tail wheel set the wings and horzontal stab at zero incidence. You had to get enought speed up to push down on the tail wheel and then as soon as the wings finly started flying, it was a rocket. A big bend in the tail wheel wire about cured the problem. It is still a little slugish lifting off, but it always has the air speed it needs.

Don

RE: Can't get plane off ground
 

That was me. I blame the adrenalin and the adult beverages after getting home.</p>