Well guys

The Twister has been steadily improving. I added a little bit of tail weight, 1 ounce, and it did make it turn better. It is at the point of almost making square turns. Loops are as tight as I want to make them, both outside and inside.

One thing I have noticed, now that I can watch the flight characteristics more, is that at the bottom of a loop, as i come out, the outboard wing lifts a little. It is stable thru the loop, no bobble until the very bottom when I come out. I have not noticed it at any other time or in any other maneuver. But it may have something to do with tightening my loops up, I don't know.

But anyway, I got to my last flight and was going to work on outside loops from normal flight and missed the bottom by about a foot. Most of the crashes I hear about are like this, sheared the rudder off, broke the prop and NVA. No damage to wing or anything else. If I had wheels on the top it would have made a touch-and-go.

Repairs can be made in a few hours. I'll be ready for flight again this weekend. I did learn to start my outsides from a little higher altitude.

Hey, kd, if you read this, my LHS that I always dealt with moved your way. Quantum Models moved to Pine River MN. I guess I wasn't giving them enough business.

Does the airplane track well through inside square corners. or does it hinge, with the outside wing coming up where you can see it? You might try a little more wingtip weight. Or it may just be you. First, try some big loops and see if the airplane does the same thing on the pullout.

Glad you are having success--and fun.
Jim

Hello Jim

There is no wobble on large loops. This is the first time I have seen the outboard wing, but it has only happened when I pull a really tight loop. It looks like it is doing 10-12 foot diameter loops, tightest I have ever seen one of my planes do.

The plane is rock steady in every phase of flight. Inverted is just as good as normal. I'm putting in a good 20-25 laps inverted and doing outsides from this position.

A little more tip weight can't hurt anything, I can always take it out. I have a weight box in the last rib, (like you and some others suggested). This plane is adjustable in a lot of ways and it is improving every time I fly. I am really enjoying this. I'll try the tip weight, just a little to see what happens. Moving the CG back a little really helped, so I still have things to try on my next flights.

Morning, RW,
You are really moving along! This roll in tight loops reminds me of the guy who goes to the doctor and says, "When I do this, it hurts." The doc says, "Then don't do it...."

Jim could well be right. One bang-bang way of adjusting tip eight is to add weight until the outboard tip drops on hard square corners. Reallly bang it hard. Then back off a little until the hinging disappears.

But I wonder on this deal if there isn't a tiny warp or misalignment, or maybe it's the radius of the LE that is off just a hair and it's either stalling the inboard tip or driving up the outboard. It sounds like it's happening right at a point where the wing is nearing the stall.

I've been in MN 15 years and I had to hunt for Pine River! Would you believe it's 5 hours north of us? It's in an area that runs off fishing/tourism/snowmobiling and the Mille Lacs casino. I hope he has a good mail order business, cause there isn't an awful lot up there.

Now I know what you'all mean by hingeing. (Hinging?)

This is the first time i have seen the outside wing. I made sure my wing was absolutely straight during building, built it on a granite surface plate. I was careful during covering and checked it afterwards.

But you may have hit on something about the radius of the leading edge. I had to shape the wing LE and I did use a template to check it, but that might be in the ball park. Maybe I'm lazy, but that is why I like the pre-formed LE's in a kit. You get consistency.

I have not had any hinging at all until I really got to banging the turns, and I mean hard. But it only happens at the bottom of my inside loops, not on the outsides. Well, I'm going to get it back together and try to fly some more this weekend. After the check flight I'll try a little more weight in the outboard. I'm wanting to try some different props, too. Currently running a 10-5, and want to try an 11-4.

Oh yeah, since I have to replace the rudder, should I forget the offset and run it straight? Line tension is great and can't I move my leadouts some if I need more? Thanks for the input.

Those preshaped leading edges are nice for not needing sanding. I just can't remember ever seeing a straight one!

Can't remember what motor you're running-OS 40 FP? If so, you may like the 11-4. I run 11-4 Zingers with the LE rounded up a little and the tips rounded and my 40s seem to like it pretty well. Also that APC 11.5-4.

I think I would go to a straight rudder, or the tiniest bit of right-just enough to be certain that it's out not into the circle.

Someone over at SSW came up with a neat tool for sanding leading edges. It's just a piece of angle iron (I use some aluminum angle from Ace Hardware and 3M double sided tape) with a strip of sandpaper taped/glued to the inside of the angle so it bridges across. The paper hangs out in space, suspended by its edges. This thing is used to put the final shape on the LE. The longer it is, the better. Works like a charm. I hope my description makes sense. It's one of those things that one look is all you need to know how it works....

We're finally looking at a chance for good weather this weekend, so we have to high and behind. Can't belielve it's almost June and we can count the decent days on the fingers of one hand.

I'm running th TT GP 40, an RC engine. But it runs great, never misses a beat. The prop I broke was a 10-5, and I have 11-4, 11-5, 11.5-4. I have a good selection to choose from. If my part for my carb doesn't come in I am going to try a KB 42 engine next. It is ready to go. One of these days I'll get a dedicated CL engine. O.S makes good ones for CL, don't they? I have a 91 four stroke O.S. engine and it runs well. I'll play with what I've got for now.

Yep, the TT is a "clone" of the OS FP 40. Most of the things that work on an OS will work on the TT. I'd sure play with the 11 inch props-Zingers and APCs, esp. The OS LA series make good CL engines, especially the 46. You can get the S series with venturis. But the venturis aren't always the same size. OS has sent out 2 or three sizes. So even if you get the S engine, you might end up changing venturis, anyway. If you see a good deal on an RC version, get it and have Len Neumann or Scott Riese make you a venturi and sell the carb on eBay!

The 91 could be really interesting. Windy Urtnowski has been flying a Saito 91 powered stunter. I'd have to go to the gym and bulk up to be able to hold onto one of those beasts, though! I saw a photo of him flying his A-26 Invader twin and he was holding on with both hands.