gunradd

My Feedback: (9)

Yea mine had big time cracks in it. Right through the middle splitter and all around it. The only thing saving the plane was the double wall. For me I would not trust this plane to the yellow pipe with the thrust vectoring. If you do inspect it often and you might be ok. But the pipe it self is flawed in that the double wall ends before the back of the pipe.

gunradd

My Feedback: (9)

Topgun update!

Had a great time! The raptor did great with some small issues....

On the first day during my flight I lost my canopy on takeoff because the bumps in the runway caused my nose to flex enough that the BVM air switch that closes the locking air cylinder was not hitting. So the canopy flew back and shatterd into peices along with the rest of the frame staying on the plane backwards and flapping around. So got her around the pattern and landed. So only got a 20 on the first flight.

A good friend of mine Hank who is building a raptor over nighted me his canopy so I had one the next day. Man we have some great people in this hobby. Thanks Hank!

So I just 5 min epoxied the canopy down for the rest of the week and will re engineer the canopy function to work on grass strips.

Rest of the flights went well. I got pretty good scores but I suffered from flying to dam fast. I tried to slow down and all week I did better but was still to fast for the judges taste. So this next year I will practice big time at slower scale flight. Its just so fun to open it up and fly balls out.

Got many great comments about the performance of it while doing practice and ringing it out. Everyone loved the sound of it. I ended up getting 13th in my class. Not to bad for my first trip to TG and we had about 40 people in our class. But I feel like I have room for improvement and need to practice more.

For maneuvers I got a pretty simple routine for it but I got the thrust vectoring loop approved for one of them. On days with a heavy crosswind I did not do it because the plane would yaw to bad. But on 2 of the flights I did and got good scores for it. The judges like seeing something different.

So now its time to get back to work on the plane. I need to get it ready for Jets over Kentucky! My favorite event!.

My 8711 stab servos are getting some play so its time to send them out. Also need to get the canopy working better again. Also have some small cracks around the bottom of the inlets from the grass. So back to wrenching..

smchale

My Feedback: (67)

Congrats Kris, that's a great result for your first top gun!! It's nice that you get feedback on your performance so you know what areas to work on. I know you've put a lot of time on the model flying it and tweaking it making it more and more scale. It's nice to have a model with such a wide flight envelope that you can work on the scale 'pace' and yet still have fun and crank it up when you feel like just boring holes in the sky.

Top marks to your buddy Hank, that's great support, and epitomizes what this great community should be all about!

Can't wait to see this rocket at KY! [8D]

tp777fo

My Feedback: (28)

Guess the TG judges have never seen a Raptor do a real takeoff not associated with an airshow. Looks like something from starwars, I have never seen anything accelerate like that...jaw dropping. Grass real hard on heavy scale jets..I'm going more to sport jets and warhorse.

George

My Feedback: (57)

Tom,
Sorry to hear that!

I bought Dave's and got one flight at FJ and 4-5 at MAB this weekend. I'm in the process of exploring it's capabilities, but would really like thrust-vectoring to fully enjoy it!


Kris,
Regarding slow flight, pull the left back!
I think I'm on the end of the spectrum and tend to fly it slow most of the time and only full blow very little.

It's interesting you mention the "yaw" as your precursor to pipe failure. As you know, I don't have a vector pipe, but I was doing quite a bit of high alpha this weekend and the plane tended to yaw to the right when in that attitude EVERY time. It did from both directions, and I'm fairly certain the wind conditions were different when we were flying the different traffic patterns. I think I'm going to pull my pipe today/tomorrow and see what it looks like. I may just go ahead and get a thrust-vector from Tam.

gunradd

My Feedback: (9)

George it was a hard yaw when the pipe was failing. It was uncontrollable until the plane picked its speed back up.

But the plane for some reason does yaw some when you get it real slow and open up the throttle to full. Not sure why. Thats why I mixed aileron with the thrust vectoring but it still takes full throw aileron to get the plane to stop turning right after real hard thrust vectoring. Only thing I can think of is the direction of rotation of the turbine makes more thrust come out one side then the other. I have checked the alignment over and over and cant figure it out.

Mine also heads to the right George. Like it gets more thrust out of the left side of the pipe.

basimpsn

My Feedback: (5)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZdvPheV00U

That's the best F-22 fligh I've ever seen..

Tp777fo sorry for your lost [&o] ...I also have a f-18 going 5 year now..did notice a weird yawing tendency on vertical.

George

My Feedback: (57)

Well, I got the pipe out and took a look. I found two metal pieces that were obviously spot welded somewhere at sometime. They were in between the inner and outer walls just loose rattling around. It appears that the normal discoloring on the top and bottom of the inlet is fairly consistent and the "V" looks good.

This pipe was used with a P-160/Titan before I got it, now it has a K-180; the pipe looks to be in good shape, I just wish I knew what those two pieces were/are. I have a call into Tam about making a vector pipe for it before FIF.

Thoughts?

Dieselman1220

My Feedback: (25)

George those pieces go right at the Actual y of the pipe, on the crotch per se lol. I'll try to get pics of mine tomorrow so you can see

tamjets

My Feedback: (2)

George
That isn't look like my pipe at all.
Are you sure is one of my.
I had no idea what that two metal is. Never had it done that way.
Could your pipe is from YA?

Dieselman1220

My Feedback: (25)

Tam yes he is using a Yellow Pipe, he said he was going to call you to get one of your pipes. I need to do the same thing as well, I feel like im on borrowed time with my YA pipe.

tamjets

My Feedback: (2)

Ok... Been out the sun too long cleaning my new toy.
I

Dieselman1220

My Feedback: (25)

I think it was to many Heines

gunradd

My Feedback: (9)

George my pipe cracked right at the split. It was a large crack but was hard to see with the pipe installed. But after I removed it you could poke right into it and the only thing holding it was the outer wall. The yellow Pipe has that sharp edge at the split. That is a great place for cracks to start. I was only a few flights from a smoking hole in the ground.

Tams pipe inside has rounded edges. Its also smaller in dia and lighter. I had to move my ECU battery from the nose to right in front of the engine just from changing pipes to get my CG back.

First pic is the yellow Pipe.

2nd is Tams pipe. Last pic is inside tams pipe.

George

My Feedback: (57)

Thanks Joe!

I want to see what you're talking about and location.

George

My Feedback: (57)

Kris,

Your Y/A pipe looks different than mine.

You are correct, the V is very sharp, but I don't see any cracking yet. I'll poke around in there today. I was trying to get the pipe sent off to Tam today too.

gunradd

My Feedback: (9)

yea mine was the special vector pipe. Yellow had 2 different pipes for this plane.

George

My Feedback: (57)

Oh yeah, that's why, I forgot you had the T-V.

ddennison

My Feedback: (15)

George - that is the Yellow pipe. ORiginal with plane 2008. Probabaly 40-50 flights before you got it.

George

My Feedback: (57)

Thanks Dave.

Looks to be okay, just wondering about those two stray pieces, they have to do something and they are "colored" from heat, so...

Tom's pipe lasted many flights, and compared to his, this one is still "new", just not 1000% comfortable now.

cycross

I think that sharp split of the YA pipe in evident in George's earlier photos. A sharp edge tends to be a better(?) heat spot, I seem to have read somewhere. Thermal expansion/contraction might then have fatigued the area. Any justification of lowering engine power in order to prolong longevity?

Back to the TP777's crash, I have a question: Was the melted stab arm in the area of burning during the post-crash, or it was thrown out of way?
Somehow it intrigues me how fast the stab arm could have melted without smoke during flight. Servo leads will have been toast long before that and then the servo stops.

Definitely I feel unsure of my pristine YA VT pipe, even though I most probably be a low-mileage flyer.

George

My Feedback: (57)

Okay, NOW I know what those pieces are and where they go!

Joe was correct, but I couldn't picture it in my head until I saw where they actually were after getting a good look in some light. They go on the outside of the inner pipe and are supposed the cover the "small" holes created at the top and bottom of the V. The reason I found it is because I can see "daylight" at the top and bottom of the V when looking in the pipe. If I can see daylight, then heat is escaping from the inner pipe and will eventually burn a bigger hole.

I guess this was a good exercise and I would suggest everyone do an inspection.

George

My Feedback: (57)

Tam,

My pipe is on the way to you!

gunradd

My Feedback: (9)

Well take it for what its worth but IMO the stock thrust vectoring pipe is a flawed design and should not be used. You might get 50 to 100 flights on it but it will fail and needs to be inspected often. My damage was hard to see installed so remove the pipe and inspect it if you stay with the yellow pipe.

The aircraft is only as good as the pipe. If that pipe fails then you have nothing. I will not save money on the pipe.

George you want the thrust vectoring anyway so just change the pipe. This plane is sooooo much more fun with the vectoring. I would not have one without it. I am sure you could take Tams thrust vectoring and make it move the nozzles like the yellow does. Would not be very hard to do.

Dieselman1220

My Feedback: (25)

Yup that's exactly where they go George sorry I didn't explain it a little more clearly. Just curious you mentioned your sending your yellow pipe to Tam? What is he going to do with it? Use it for measurements? You can PM me if nesecerry.
Gunradd is Tams thrust vector pipe different in design from the YA? How much work is involved to make it work?