shroomslayer

Hi,

I was hoping someone might be able to lend some advice here. I have an e-flite F-16 480v EDF jet. I've had a couple successful flights, although I do have a problem when hand launching:

With full throttle I hand launch the model and it quickly goes nose up and into an unstable hover. It takes some pretty serious concentration to get it out of that hover and into a correct flight attitude.

The elevators are flat on launch. Perhaps the CG is too far back? Anyone have any advice or similar problem they've solved.

Thanks for your responses.

FrankWilliams

My Feedback: (13)

Are you throwing it flat? I had an E-flite F-16 and it handlaunched like a dream. A too rearward CG might also be the culprit. How is it flying after a successful launch?

-Frank

shroomslayer

Frank,

Thanks for the reply. I think I solved the problem.I just think my handluanch technique was not sufficient. I found that by taking a few running steps and heaving the model into the air at about 45 degrees as if I was throwing an arching football pass while at full throttle does the trick. So I've had good flights since employing that technique...and I did put the cg slightly more forward.

I notice the past-tense in your having once owned an e-flite f16. What happened, crash and burn? Hope not.

Can you offer any advice on slowing the model down for landings? I've tried spilling off speed by banking a turn while pulling into my approach and employing flaps, but I still feel like the model comes in too hot. Not even really sure how much deflection might be best for flaps. on my DX6i Ithink I dialed it to 40 clicks. The model does angle down slightly but I can compensate with my elevator high rates. Any pointers as to landing technique would be appreciated.

This is my first EDFjet and only other experience has been on my super cub LP and and P51 micro...both of which I feel I have mastered.

Thanks for any help.

FrankWilliams

My Feedback: (13)

Ha ha... yes, past-tense. It happened during a Warbird Fly-In. I was doing low fly bys over the runway and one fly by got too low for too long. You can see what I was doing and the resultant carnage here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Pfp1Gvv5VA

The good stuff starts about 50 seconds in. I didn't really care since it was a "cheap" plane I got in a trade for services rendered (building a friend's ARF).

I landed my F-16 like a jet: A little fast and greased her in. Jets lose a lot of control authority at low airspeeds and they typically come in "hot". I never set up flaps on mine as I never felt it needed them and flaperons tend to kill your aileron authority. If anything I would probably set up spoilerons (reverse of flaperons) to help her loose lift and settle in. So my advice is: line her up with the runway a little further out than you think you need, keep the plane level and the nose from dropping and add/reduce throttle to make it to the runway without overshooting.

I think you might've taken a bit of a leap going to a jet after your two previous planes, but it sounds like you're doing okay.

shroomslayer

Sorry to see the thing come apart like that. Looks like you were having some fun with it though. I should have been more clear in that I don't have flaps, just flaperons. At any rate, I'll probably just work on technique as opposed using flaperons in the future. I suspect honing low speed skills with this model would pay some divends as well. I'm landing in very tall grass, which is forgiving. You are right that I took a big leap to this model; my hands still shake a bit when I fly this jet and Iget quite a rush from flying it. I did train on a simulator quite a bit and the micro P51 definately helped hone my skills. Thinking of selling the super cub and perhaps getting into a bigger P51 or other warbird. Anyway, thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it as I'm not plugged into a true rc flying community here in my local.

thanks again.