Tiger 2 First Flight Squaks
 

Got my Tiger 2 done and got in three flights on a very windy and gusty day. So gusty the airplane would weather-vane into the wind when taxiing downwind or crosswind. Once in the air, the airplane flew beautifully even though the winds were strong. Put an OS .35AX on it and love that new slanted needle valve arrangement. Perfect power for this airplane.

So here is the only flight squak:

Main gear are too far forward so the plane does not sit on the nose gear without fuel in the tank. Difficult to taxi in strong winds.

That's it! Superb flying airplane and I can see it will be a lot of fun. The kit itself was missing the wingtip balsa so I built up my own. Put in a lot of lightening holes in the dense balsa provided in some areas, and the wing is really over-built with those large square basswood spars AND sheer webs. I just got back into the hobby after a long absence and the Tiger 2 is going to see a lot of touch-and-go's and aerobatics. I think the Tiger 2 might be the best wind flyer I've ever had except for a very heavy Stephens Acro design I flew once.

RE: Tiger 2 First Flight Squaks
 

The landing gear is not too far forward, your engine is a bit small, I have this plane with a GMS 47 and the nose stays in the ground just right. Congrats with your Tiger2, is a great airplane.

RE: Tiger 2 First Flight Squaks
 

I have had two of these in ARF form. Both were light on the nose wheel with proper CG. Learn to hold full down when you taxi and enjoy it. I gave one of these to a friend after i let a student crash his trainer. He moved the CG forward to help with this. It will not land as slow as when I had it, but still flys well. BTW both were ST45 powered.

david

RE: Tiger 2 First Flight Squaks
 

You can also bend the main wheels back about 1/4" - that should help

Great airplane!

RE: Tiger 2 First Flight Squaks
 

Hey Thai,
Love your color scheme. It seems to me that thebalance point is the balance point regardless of the weight of your engine. You may want to double check it. Possible it's a tad too far back.

RE: Tiger 2 First Flight Squaks
 

Woops, I guess I sjould read all the post before putting in my 2 cents worth!

RE: Tiger 2 First Flight Squaks
 

Thanks all for the comments.

I love the CG where it is based on how it flew and how well it slowed down for landing. Very stable.

MinnFlyer.... I remember your comments from another thread I believe, and I think my landings should eventually bend the gear back on its own! The gear steel Goldberg is using is really well treated and springy (tough to bend), and all of the angles are 90 degrees or 0 degrees exactly. I think they intended to have the gear swept back about 5 degrees as that would solve the problem. I had a Tiger-like model I flew for years that I called The Scavenger as it scavenged parts and engines from other planes I had. My gear was further back and it could handle engines from .25 to .60 without having a gear balance problem.

Checking the plane over I found a loose wheel collar. And I thought I had tightened them all! Happy building and flying....

RE: Tiger 2 First Flight Squaks
 

Just for the helluvit - try swapping the gear. Move the right to left and vise-versa.

There might be a slight angle to them and maybe they are on backward.

Once you have them out, if you can see that they are obviously straight, go ahead and put them in a vise and tweak them back a little

RE: Tiger 2 First Flight Squaks
 

Don't count on hard landings bending it back. i dead sticked mine hard enough so the tires left black marks on the covering. (no kidding) The tail would still fall as soon as the engine was killed.

david

RE: Tiger 2 First Flight Squaks
 

I flew my Tiger 2 for the first time on Saturday. It flies great, I don't have the problem with the gear. The gear on the wing slant back quite a bit though, I would say about 15 degrees. They were installed per the plans, mine is also kit built. This is my first complete kit build. It feels pretty good to build one from a kit and then have it fly so well.

RE: Tiger 2 First Flight Squaks
 

Mikester, Very nice! My gear has perfect 90 degree and 0 degree angles to it. I tried what MinnFlyer suggested before I covered the ship and the gear do not have that rake angle you have. That 15 degree rake angle would completely resolve my problem so I guess I just got the wrong parts in my kit. That and that fact some balsa was missing must make it a Monday manufactured kit! Congrats on the Tiger 2!

RE: Tiger 2 First Flight Squaks
 

Thanks. The angle comes from the hole in the mounting block in the wings. The instructions show to install the block at an angle. Maybe you could bend your gear, but they are pretty tough to bend. With a good vise and some leverage it could be done. I have an LT40 and the gear on it bends by itself frequently, and it is difficult to tweak. I'm sure you'll figure it out. I couldn't be happier with how good my plane flies, seems easire than my trainer really, flies like it is on rails.

RE: Tiger 2 First Flight Squaks
 

Mikester... I just held the wing up to the plan and my gear lines up exactly with the rake on the plan you mention. My .35AX is about 5 ozs lighter than most .46's that folks are using so that is probably why it ends up light on the nose. If I build another one, that gear attach is moving back a half inch.

For a first complete kit, you certainly did a beautiful job. That is a lot of Monokote work you did and it looks great. I agree with your flight comments as well. I thought with the wind I had on my first flights that I would have a heck of a time controlling it to the runway on landing, but it flew just as you said, as if on rails. Even with the wind, I shot a few touch and go's and it behaved well. Can't wait to get out and wring out the slow flight ability and do some Cuban 8's on a day when the winds aren't gusting to 20!

RE: Tiger 2 First Flight Squaks
 

I have an O.S. 46FX in mine, maybe that is the difference.

RE: Tiger 2 First Flight Squaks
 

Yeah, it's a simple design error. With the CG right over the axles (and in the CG range) with an empty tank and a light engine, it will tip over backwards easily and stay there. Move the gear back a half inch and you don't have a problem, and you put a touch more weight on the nose gear to make taxiing in the wind better. Still a great plane.

With the 46AX you must have some incredible vertical performance. Even with the 35AX, it climbs fantastic.

RE: Tiger 2 First Flight Squaks
 

Which engine you choose should have no effect. After all, you need to balance the plane AFTER the engine is installed.

RE: Tiger 2 First Flight Squaks
 

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Here's the reason moving the CG back a half inch or more would resolve the tipping back problem. (In the stock Tiger 2, the CG moves behind the axles if the nose comes up for any reason.) Of all the models that I have built and flown, the Tiger 2 is the only one with this problem. Easy to fix.

RE: Tiger 2 First Flight Squaks
 

That thing needs the main gear to move further forward and a tail gear.....:D

Bob

RE: Tiger 2 First Flight Squaks
 

thailazer,

Good to hear you are not afraid of wind or questioning designs.

Check this thread out:

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_94...tm.htm#9458568

Nice Tiger!

RE: Tiger 2 First Flight Squaks
 

Bob,

Now THAT is a great solution!

LNE... Thanks for the link. Good discussion there. I think you nail it with your diagram, AND with your comment to know the horizontal/vertical CG point. (It makes the tipping over problem worse in my example as I assume the CG is at the bottom of the plane. It is not... it's "up there" somewhere and even more aft when the nose comes up.)

RE: Tiger 2 First Flight Squaks
 

That is what I did, Ialso took one bay off each wing. flies great!!

RE: Tiger 2 First Flight Squaks
 

Very Nice! What did you cover it with? Looks great with the pin stripe detail.

RE: Tiger 2 First Flight Squaks
 

Thanks
Iused metallic platinum Monokote, and Dark green Metallic Sign vinyl, with metallic silver and orange striping tape.

RE: Tiger 2 First Flight Squaks
 

I have yet to fly the Tiger in calm air. If I just take my trainer, the winds are light, but when the Tiger is in the car the winds really blow. Yesterday was no exception.... Got in one flight in gusty winds, banged a wingtip on a landing, and then the winds starting blowing planes and stands off the work tables. With a thunderstorm east of the field and virga headed my way it was time to pack up. Time to find a witch doctor to cure the Tiger II wind curse!

RE: Tiger 2 First Flight Squaks
 

Found a really easy solution to the gear being too far forward. The gear can actually be bent by hand. I used a pair of pliers and a vice and put in about 30 degrees of angular trail displacement on the gear. Now the Tiger 2 never sits on its tail even with a rear-most CG and no fuel. Taxing in gusty winds is now possible and it tracks much better on the runway at speed as well. It's turning into a superb flyer!

Am thinking about building a new Mooney-style swept forward tail for it. Would fit in the car trunk easier and would look good too.

So for those of you building a Tiger II you need to do two things:

1.) Use dual aileron servos to avoid flutter problems.
2.) Bend the main gear back 25-30 degrees.

Other than that.... a great kit and a great flyer.