partmangr

GOt my second plane in the mail today HURAAH, Well my plane # 1 or hot rod as it will now be called as I now have a 2nd "stocker"....... Has many mods. I found out today that you CANNOT recharge your lipo on the transmitter after the big batt (12 volt nmh) mod without frying it!!!! Im very lucky I noticed it was getting VERY hot very fast, I cooled it in the freezer and no damage was done. SO I use the stocker to recharge my three batts and then just fly, yes I read you can fly while charging. As you need every amp to power the transmitter as it is I cannot see taking volts away for charging, you would lose range. The airframe on #1 has been widdled away in the rear with a sharp razer blade to loose the tail heaviness. It still is not much of a glider so I see a new airframe in the future for it. I want the stocker as it is just so cool even stock.

Dan

Gravityisnotmyfriend

My Feedback: (2)

Last weekend I saw an ad for the micro flyer in MAN. I told my girlfriend that it looked like alot of fun. This weekend, when I went to see her, she had one there waiting for me. Since she doesn't know the difference between a glow plug and a servo, I was kinda surprised that she found it. It turns out that she had ripped a page out of my magazine and took it to the LHS. Anyway, I got a chance to fly it last night after the winds died down. What a fun little plane! I was giggling like a little girl. I have sport planes that do over 100 mph, planes with multiple channels for flaps and retracts, and this little 2 channel was as much fun as any of them. Definintly worth the $40. Pengineer, I like the idea of a virtual funfly. Sounds like some of the guys already have successfully done some aerobatics with it. I'd really like to see some video. My first big accomplishment was that I got it to ROG from pavement. I even got one touch and go. Maybe I just got lucky and got a good one, but I'd recommend this plane to anyone.

Pengineer1

Hey Gravity NMF!

It sounds like you are missing half the fun- you didn't mention if your girlfriend flew it or not!?! Hey, you better take care of her- she sounds like a good one if she bought you the RCMF- think about it- she bought you an entire RC outfit- TX, plane, motor, battery, charger!!

I'm glad you like the idea of a funfly contest for the RCMFs. So you did a touch and go?!? I bet Chip Hyde would be hard pressed to do that on these buggers! Was it mostly a bounce or what? Get your gfriend to video doing it again and I'd say you are in the running for our first prize!

Bill

Gravityisnotmyfriend

My Feedback: (2)

Was it mostly a bounce? Well, it was mostly luck. I had been landing it on grass, which pretty much means it hits the grass and flips and rolls until it comes to a stop. I was flying over pavement because I was taking off from the ground. I came in for a landing and it was actually coming in at a good angle with the wings level. So, just before it landed, I hit the motor button. Then, as you guessed, it hit the ground and bounced back in the air. It certainly wasn't a pretty touch and go, but it was the best I could hope for. As for my girlfriend, she has some time logged on my G2, and I offered, but she didn't want to try to fly it. I'll have to convice her how much fun she's missing out on. If I can get her hooked, I won't have to make excuses to go to the field.

Gravityisnotmyfriend

My Feedback: (2)

Is there any kind of trick to getting the prop off of one of these? I broke the prop, and when I tried to get it off, it seemed like I would rip the motor out off the plane before it came off the shaft. Does it just pull off?
I ordered some new props for it, but I couldn't wait for them. I know the manual says not to, but I used a little CA and put the prop back together. I don't think there's much danger of injury if it came apart in use. I flew it like this, and it worked, but I hit hard and it came apart again. The CA is drying again right now...

Pengineer1

No trick. My prop actually fell off on the 3rd flight, so I ground some grooves on the metal shaft with my Dremel and glued the prop back on the shaft. Once you get your new props you can just cut the old prop hub off. I've had my gearbox come apart as well, so I took the opportunity to lube and oil it for hi performance and I glued it back together. It lasted a couple flights so just this morning rather than glue the box together I bound it shut with kevlar thread. That oughta hold her. I guess it is just that awesome horsepower abusing the prop and motor!!

Gravityisnotmyfriend

My Feedback: (2)

Awesome horsepower! That's gotta be it. I flew again with the freshly CA'd prop and it came apart again on the first "landing". This time I'm going with epoxy. I guess I should just wait for the new props, but this thing is too much fun. When I do get them, do they just push on or should I put some epoxy on the prop shaft first?

partmangr

Well I got the original prop off no prob and replaced it with a high performance prop from GWS (its the small orange ones that are used for mini zagis) you can get em at any decent hobby shop. YOu get more power and a louder more course sounding motor as you are really rapping it to the limit as the prop is lighter and revs higher.

Dan

oh yea broke (cut actually) the wires to the tail on my modded flyer (stock one is still ok). So Im in the process of re soldering them.

Gravityisnotmyfriend

My Feedback: (2)

Epoxy seems to be the way to go. The prop held up through some pretty rough landings. Hey Partmangr, you've been doing some mods, have you thought about a bigger wing? I was thinking along the lines of a sailplanes. Maybe half the chord and about twice the span. I wanted to slow the thing down for indoor flight. I'm not going to hack into it unless I break the wing, but its just a thought.

I don't see how you can solder those actuator wires, I can barely even see them!

Pengineer1

Partmangr,

Could you tell us the diameter of that orange gws prop? What's the real name of the the mini Zagi you mentioned?

I was able to solder my actuator wires back together by scraping the paint stuff off the ends with an exacto, fluxing, then heating and hitting with solder. No, I can't see the wires either, you just have to solder by faith. Took me a couple tries, but finally when I hit the buttons my rudder was wagging again like the eager puppy that it is.

Yes, I'm flying my MF as "exuberantly" as I can so that I'll have to try building a different airframe as soon as possible, though I have to admit one of the funnest part of this little bugger is watching it hit the turf- rolls itself into a ball, end over end...

Bill

partmangr

plane #1 is now totally stripped down to the bare mechanicals. Plane 2 will stay stock. I tryed a larger main wing and the plane flew like poo poo. Truthfully the only mod Ive done that has had positive results were the transmitter 12 volt conversion and the new prop http://www.aeromicro.com/Catalog/pro...5_products.htm (prop page) Soldering the wires is easy once you go strait to the reciever board. Ive decided to give up on the original airframe for plane #1 due to the lack of glide charictoristics. Soooooo Im getting a nice little glider and will fit the electronics to it.

happy flying Ill give updates as I find em. I still love the original plane, which is why plane 2 will remain stock except I use the stronger transitter with it.

dan

Mike Taylor

My Feedback: (1)

That still doesn't answer the question of which prop you are using. There are 2 2.5" and 2 3" props that are in the approximate range...

partmangr

ep 0320

Id try something a little bigger though as it seems to act as a power prop and really revs out the motor, I think there is a lot more thrust available if we want it. Trouble is that with the way the throttle is an on off switch and the plane does not really glide well, so the extra thrust just gives you more up and then you try to glide so its kinda a choppy deal.

Dan

Ben Lanterman

I found an old styrofoam fuselage that went to a rubber band powered model. I added some wings and tail surfaces and transferred the equipment into it. I had to make a new coil as I managed to break off a wire close in the old one and could never find the end! I made it like the little actuators that have a arm coming out to be a pushrod setup. I gained several grams of weight but it does make it across the living room/dining room pretty nicely.

Of course the wind has blown in the gale force range ever since. I have a bunch of foamys that I converted to brushless/Lipoly over the last few days that are waiting to fly. It calls up the wind every time.

partmangr

cool. I feel that this reciever setup will start a great resurgance in micro aircraft. The wind here has also started its blowing trend. I am unsure as to the exact free flight frame (FFF?) I wish to use. Im kinda tempted to make one from scratch or building a penut scale guilows plane model. Problem is I am in the middle of recovering (refitting) my very well used (9 years old!!) large lazy bee. And Im also building a flying doghouse. So my aiplane building time is limited. Nonetheless Ill get a new airframe soon enough. Meanwile I still have airplane 2 the stocker that I intend to enjoy as soon as the wind dies down.

Dan

Rc Matt

If anyone needs an extra Micro Flyer or parts you can get [link=http://www.redrockethobbies.com/product.asp?ProductID=9616]WattAge Micro Flyer Parts[/link] here.

I liked the airplane, but it seems to me that the flight time is a bit short. It takes about 40 minutes to charge a battery and then you get maybe 5 minutes in the air. Better stock up on extra batteries! Its a fun plane though and its pretty easy to fly.

Pengineer1

Hey RC Matt,

You should make sure to run your battery through 2 or 3 charge cycles before giving up- I've found mine got MUCH longer after the 3rd charge. I'm getting an easy 8 minutes, maybe more.

This thing's cool.

Bill

crites

Can anyone tell me the length of the antenna wire on a 49 Mhz Micro Flyer plane (from where it comes out of the fuz)? My antenna broke off AGAIN! :-(
Thanks,
Tom

Greg Covey

Well, I wouldn't have thought it would fly so good indoors but Matt Kirsch flew his Micro Flyer in a basketball court size gym last Sunday. In fact, it flew so well that i'll bring mine next month to give it a try. Without the wind and thermal heat effects to contend with, it flew nicely in a small area.

I'll look for some photos that we may have taken of it flying indoors.

Patrnflier

My Feedback: (1)

This is one cool plane! I have a backyard boardered by trees on two sides and I can fly this thing in between them which is about 75 feet. It did take a while to get use to the buttons but after 4 or 5 long flights it was pretty natural. After my Husky tried to fetch the plane after landing I had to repair the elevator........must of thought it was a bird....anyway.... with a little epoxy on the tail it would actually glide after a climb without bobbing and allows for extra long filights with climbs and glides. So playing with the CG may be in order. I have two batteries and it isnt a bad wait as you charge while you fly. Anyone have any idea how long the AA's last? It is interesting that reception seems to vary widely. I have found that just like our 72 MHZ transmitters if you point the antenna at the model, the range is less. Actually level or to the side usually gives me the best range. Great little product.......

partmangr

Rc science for the dau

Yes..... when you point an antenna at something it will actually hurt the reception as the antenna transmitts in an invisable reverse cone. If it is pointed right at the model it is kinda in the eye of a storm....

That being said, add two cells to the transmitter and it rivals a real transmitter for strength. But you need to take the two extra cells out to recharge the batt, hence the convinience of two transmitters.

Dan

budzo

what are the aerobatic capabilities

Patrnflier

My Feedback: (1)

Whatever you can do with throttle and rudder.....its almost like flying an old escapement. I have performed so many unintentional maneuvers it would be hard to catalog all of them. It does a great barrel roll that migrates into the spin of death! Really though, once you get the hang of two channels you can roll, loop, lazy eight......and the hardest maneuver of all.....flying straight and level! [8D]

budzo

is it hard to get the micro flyer, as small as it is, to those aerobatics

Mark0

Hello,
Does the Micro Flyer enter to the EU ?I am thinking of ordering one but my worry is that in Malta they wont let me import.