GWS a10 EDF 50 problems...
04-09-2004, 09:47 PM
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GWS a10 EDF 50 problems...
Hi,
I'm fairly new to setting CG, etc. I tried my new A10 with a ROTG takeoff. It started to veer off course, so I cut the power. It rolled 15-20 feet, then bumped into some mud and debris. When I went to retrieve the plane, I noticed the wing had swung back and the fuse was almost cracked in half by the trailing edge of the wing. I glued it, and tried a non-powered glide. It cracked next to the old crack. As well, I can't seem to get the CG down, no matter how much I put in the back, it seems to want to nose in. Can someone help with some advice please? I don't want this plane to turn into a hanger rat, I'd actually like to fly it.[&o]
I'm fairly new to setting CG, etc. I tried my new A10 with a ROTG takeoff. It started to veer off course, so I cut the power. It rolled 15-20 feet, then bumped into some mud and debris. When I went to retrieve the plane, I noticed the wing had swung back and the fuse was almost cracked in half by the trailing edge of the wing. I glued it, and tried a non-powered glide. It cracked next to the old crack. As well, I can't seem to get the CG down, no matter how much I put in the back, it seems to want to nose in. Can someone help with some advice please? I don't want this plane to turn into a hanger rat, I'd actually like to fly it.[&o]
04-10-2004, 11:05 PM
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RE: GWS a10 EDF 50 problems...
I think just about everyone that has been successful with the GWS A-10 has found that it flies best with the cg at 57mm behind the L.E. .
They have also discovered that they had to add almost full up trim to the elevator to get the plane to fly level. My elevator has a permanent 5/16" deflection up trim. I am not sure why the elevator has to have so much up deflection for the plane to fly level, even when the cg is set correctly. I am thinking that the GWS designer(s) goofed on this one. Either the horizontal stab incidence is wrong or the wing incidence is wrong. Since the horizontal stab and wing incidence appear to "look" correct, my theory is that the rear (or last) 1/3 of the trailing edge of the wing is deflected down creating a permanent "down-flaps" configuration. You can easily see this by examining the airfoil shape of the wing. This is not simple under-cambering of a wing airfoil. You don't design a wing that is practically symmetrical for the first 2/3 of its chord and under-camber and extend down the last 1/3 and expect it to be aerodynamically efficient and clean. Any conventional fixed-wing aircraft will immediately experience increased drag and assume a nose-down pitch attitude when wing flaps are extended down. It also increases pitch sensitivity when slowing down for final landing approach. I see no easy way to correct this problem in the wing.
The fuselage is very weak and apt to break or crack at the L.E. and T.E. of the wing. Mine cracked at the L.E. just from taxiing (ok, so it did hit a small bump). I glassed the entire wing saddle area of the fuse with 0.5 oz./yd cloth which really added alot of strength to that area. In the last thirty landings I have had no problems with fuse failure. I did alot of other mods to my A-10 also. I made new heavier duty landing gear (.078" thick music wire from LHS) both main and nose, after the stock gear wire broke on first landing. Made the gear longer by 1" so plane sits higher on its gear and added 2-turn spring loops for shock absorption. Added a wire tail skid to protect the bottom of vertical stabs. Switched to pusher prop power using speed 400 motors. 10 minute flights with two 6 cell 900mah Nimh batteries in parallel. She flies much improved and faster compared to stock but is still no rocket. Loops and rolls and inverted flight are no problem. Hope my .02 cents in here will be of some help to others who want to make their GWS A-10 just a little bit better.
-------
Carl
They have also discovered that they had to add almost full up trim to the elevator to get the plane to fly level. My elevator has a permanent 5/16" deflection up trim. I am not sure why the elevator has to have so much up deflection for the plane to fly level, even when the cg is set correctly. I am thinking that the GWS designer(s) goofed on this one. Either the horizontal stab incidence is wrong or the wing incidence is wrong. Since the horizontal stab and wing incidence appear to "look" correct, my theory is that the rear (or last) 1/3 of the trailing edge of the wing is deflected down creating a permanent "down-flaps" configuration. You can easily see this by examining the airfoil shape of the wing. This is not simple under-cambering of a wing airfoil. You don't design a wing that is practically symmetrical for the first 2/3 of its chord and under-camber and extend down the last 1/3 and expect it to be aerodynamically efficient and clean. Any conventional fixed-wing aircraft will immediately experience increased drag and assume a nose-down pitch attitude when wing flaps are extended down. It also increases pitch sensitivity when slowing down for final landing approach. I see no easy way to correct this problem in the wing.
The fuselage is very weak and apt to break or crack at the L.E. and T.E. of the wing. Mine cracked at the L.E. just from taxiing (ok, so it did hit a small bump). I glassed the entire wing saddle area of the fuse with 0.5 oz./yd cloth which really added alot of strength to that area. In the last thirty landings I have had no problems with fuse failure. I did alot of other mods to my A-10 also. I made new heavier duty landing gear (.078" thick music wire from LHS) both main and nose, after the stock gear wire broke on first landing. Made the gear longer by 1" so plane sits higher on its gear and added 2-turn spring loops for shock absorption. Added a wire tail skid to protect the bottom of vertical stabs. Switched to pusher prop power using speed 400 motors. 10 minute flights with two 6 cell 900mah Nimh batteries in parallel. She flies much improved and faster compared to stock but is still no rocket. Loops and rolls and inverted flight are no problem. Hope my .02 cents in here will be of some help to others who want to make their GWS A-10 just a little bit better.
-------
Carl
04-11-2004, 12:27 AM
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RE: GWS a10 EDF 50 problems...
Upgrade it with the new EDF 55 fan kit (which includes new Nacelles) and ditch the EDF50's.
Also ditch the undercart (remove the nose wheel servo as well) and hand launch it.
The power increase and the weight savings will make this a far better model to fly. It even loops with the upgraded fans.
Also ditch the undercart (remove the nose wheel servo as well) and hand launch it.
The power increase and the weight savings will make this a far better model to fly. It even loops with the upgraded fans.
