CARF Ultra Lightning Red Bull Build
02-28-2014, 06:42 PM
#51
Finally maidened my Composite-ARF Ultra Lightning. First flight was a little eventful due to too much crow on the ailerons! When I deployed full flap the plane wanted to go straight up, so I gave it all the down elevator I had while using flight modes. Even so,it was not enough and the plane still wanted to go up. In addition, the crow mas making the plane very pitchy, so I decided to land half flaps and no crow. It took me two go arounds as it would not slow down, but finally I was able to settle in for a slightly fast, but very smooth landing. The next flight I removed a lot of the crow and moved one of the a123 batteries up front to give the plane a more nose heavy c.g. The second flight went through without a hitch. The pitchy effect went away with the removal of some crow. The best part about the jet is the underside..very visible and cool with orange wings/white fuse. Here are some pics from the maiden...also a pic of Alan's beautiful JMP hustler next to mine..
Last edited by txshan130; 02-28-2014 at 06:45 PM.
03-01-2014, 11:59 AM
#52
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Congrats with the maiden, thanks for the tips. It's nice to know what you could expect when you maiden a plane.
I'm starting to put the valves and electronics in the fuse...not sure where to put everything.
Anyone got pictures of their cockpit setup?
Gr Wim
I'm starting to put the valves and electronics in the fuse...not sure where to put everything.
Anyone got pictures of their cockpit setup?
Gr Wim
03-02-2014, 06:00 PM
#54
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Hi mare
how much crow have you now got. And also where is your cofg. As you may have picked up from other threads I have been struggling to settle into a good landing on the UL. The advise from guys here was crow and to slow it down more.
So I put in crow and that made the thing pitch up even more than before. Now I've got a lot more down trim with full flap. And crow of 10mm at the tip. I also pulled the c of g back a little bit haven't flown to test it out. So it's a little more aft than before.
Not so certain with the effect of moving c of g for this issue. Will post back when I've flown.
But otherwise this bird is awesome in the air.
how much crow have you now got. And also where is your cofg. As you may have picked up from other threads I have been struggling to settle into a good landing on the UL. The advise from guys here was crow and to slow it down more.
So I put in crow and that made the thing pitch up even more than before. Now I've got a lot more down trim with full flap. And crow of 10mm at the tip. I also pulled the c of g back a little bit haven't flown to test it out. So it's a little more aft than before.
Not so certain with the effect of moving c of g for this issue. Will post back when I've flown.
But otherwise this bird is awesome in the air.
03-03-2014, 04:50 AM
#55
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Hello
On my first UL i balanced it per Ray Labonte (leading edge of the wing tube socket with hopper tank full) and the plane flew really well and landed good! When i activated flaps on the maiden the jet balloned but i was able to level it out with 3-5 clicks of down trim. On my second UL i balanced it the same way but with the CG on the trailing edge of the wing socket and when i deployed full flaps i ran out of down elevator trim trying to level the jet out. I had to land without full flaps on the first flight. Also I was using the same amount of crow on both jets. I had to go into my flap menu in the transmitter and preload down elevator so i could nuetralize my elevator trim tab. Second flight i was able to get the jet flying level without running out of down elevator. The setup was identical with a Mammoth for power and 3 batteries in the nose cone. First jet had 4 sticks of weight up front and the second jet had 1.5 sticks up front. I think i'm going to add one more stick of weight on the second jet because i have app. 4-5mm of down elevator throw at present to get it to fly level with full flaps and that seems to much in my opinion. I will post on how it turns out once i fly it again
On my first UL i balanced it per Ray Labonte (leading edge of the wing tube socket with hopper tank full) and the plane flew really well and landed good! When i activated flaps on the maiden the jet balloned but i was able to level it out with 3-5 clicks of down trim. On my second UL i balanced it the same way but with the CG on the trailing edge of the wing socket and when i deployed full flaps i ran out of down elevator trim trying to level the jet out. I had to land without full flaps on the first flight. Also I was using the same amount of crow on both jets. I had to go into my flap menu in the transmitter and preload down elevator so i could nuetralize my elevator trim tab. Second flight i was able to get the jet flying level without running out of down elevator. The setup was identical with a Mammoth for power and 3 batteries in the nose cone. First jet had 4 sticks of weight up front and the second jet had 1.5 sticks up front. I think i'm going to add one more stick of weight on the second jet because i have app. 4-5mm of down elevator throw at present to get it to fly level with full flaps and that seems to much in my opinion. I will post on how it turns out once i fly it again
Last edited by melvin; 03-03-2014 at 04:53 AM.
03-23-2014, 05:35 AM
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A small update:
I glued together the smoketank and installed it in the bottem.
I put in an extra bolt to secure the vertical fin.
Stuffed the airtanks and some batts in the nosecone. Still got 1 2s5000mAh to fit, but that depends on where the CG is.
And i mounted the valves and smokepump, still have to figure out where to put the rest...i always thought jets were messy...now i know why
I glued together the smoketank and installed it in the bottem.
I put in an extra bolt to secure the vertical fin.
Stuffed the airtanks and some batts in the nosecone. Still got 1 2s5000mAh to fit, but that depends on where the CG is.
And i mounted the valves and smokepump, still have to figure out where to put the rest...i always thought jets were messy...now i know why
04-16-2014, 11:41 PM
#59
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Before installing the turbine, i did a testrun on the bench, together with 2 other jetcat 180rx. 2 ran fine, but mine had 3 bad starts out of 4. It would not startup due to "low temp". You could see that the other turbines had a ring of fire on startup, mine would only burn in 1/4, and i guess the temperature sensor being on the other side would cause the "low temp" fault. Still have to contact jetcat about that. Once this problem is solved, the build will continue....
04-19-2014, 12:04 PM
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I watched the movie we made of the testrun and noticed that the battery symbol on the gsu was empty during startup, and 1/4 when the starter motor stopped. I did a new test wtih a fresh battery pack, and the all was ok! I guess testing the 2 other turbines drained the 3s 2100 LiFe-pack too much and the starter motor did not spool the engine up enough. So if you get a "Low Temp" fault, check your battery....
05-24-2014, 06:22 AM
#61
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Has anyone used servo horns that are longer than the 1" SWB arms recommended in the Ultra Lightning manual?
There are two problems with my elevator; 1) the servo does not come close to aligning to the control horns on the stabs so I must use a ball link on the servo arm instead of the clevis shown in the manual, and 2) the plastic ball links that came with the kit are pretty much junk because they have way too much play in them. My only other option is to use different ball links that are high quality aluminum. The are however bigger in diameter so I will need to move the ball out by one hole on the servo arm or make very large holes in he bottom of the stab, which I would prefer not to do. Moving the ball out one hole on the servo arm puts my ratio at less than 1:1 which I know is not correct but I have done this before.
Has anyone else used longer servo arms than those recommended. This will effectively put the control horn at 7/8" from surface to center of hole on control arm and 1" from the center of servo screw to the center of ball mount hole on the the servo arm.
There are two problems with my elevator; 1) the servo does not come close to aligning to the control horns on the stabs so I must use a ball link on the servo arm instead of the clevis shown in the manual, and 2) the plastic ball links that came with the kit are pretty much junk because they have way too much play in them. My only other option is to use different ball links that are high quality aluminum. The are however bigger in diameter so I will need to move the ball out by one hole on the servo arm or make very large holes in he bottom of the stab, which I would prefer not to do. Moving the ball out one hole on the servo arm puts my ratio at less than 1:1 which I know is not correct but I have done this before.
Has anyone else used longer servo arms than those recommended. This will effectively put the control horn at 7/8" from surface to center of hole on control arm and 1" from the center of servo screw to the center of ball mount hole on the the servo arm.
05-26-2014, 05:54 AM
#63
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I would highly recommend replacing the 1/16" aluminumn angles that fasten the by pass with 1/8" material. There is not enough material there for the threads to hold it. I also glued a lite ply block on the backside so i could put a blind nut on the backside of the angle. On my Ultra the threads pulled out and the turbine dropped down and the plane broke in two mid flight due to those thin, decorative aluminumn angle pieces. The one i am building now is how i am doing the install in the afore mentioned sentence.
05-26-2014, 01:40 PM
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I would highly recommend replacing the 1/16" aluminumn angles that fasten the by pass with 1/8" material. There is not enough material there for the threads to hold it. I also glued a lite ply block on the backside so i could put a blind nut on the backside of the angle. On my Ultra the threads pulled out and the turbine dropped down and the plane broke in two mid flight due to those thin, decorative aluminumn angle pieces. The one i am building now is how i am doing the install in the afore mentioned sentence.
I am following this thread with great interest as I am considering the purchase of one of these. The statement you made is rather concerning. Please can you show me a photo of the offending parts?
Thank you,
Jan
05-26-2014, 06:01 PM
#65
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Sorry but it would mean taking my new jet partially apart. You can download the manual on Comp Arf website and you will see the aluminumn angles that i am talking about in the turbine install section.
05-28-2014, 05:11 PM
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Have you done the turbine installation yet? I'm in the process of installing my Rhino and i am going to have to fabricate some plates out of aluminumn for extensions to the bands that encircle the turbine. They are going to go to the split line on the top by-pass which means the bottom by-pass is going to have to be notched for the plates. I'm kinda worried about the turbine being fastened to the top by-pass only. How are you guys doing it on your Ultra's. Any info or pics would be appreciated
Mel
Mel
05-29-2014, 04:41 AM
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Yes i drove to Baton Rouge and picked it up a couple of weeks ago!! Brian have you ever checked your ailerons on your Ultra lately for delaminating? Did you install the turbine in your plane or was it all ready installed when you bought it? Just curious how other builders are fastening their turbine to the by-pass..Also i have a brand new set of Behotec C-50 electric retract with trailing link struts,electric brakes. and Lado E-door actuators for sale that i had to purchase with the Ultra. Decided to go air in mine.
Mel
Mel
02-11-2015, 04:07 PM
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Well, after a year catching dust, the UL is back on the building table.
I took Tassos advice on the main gear doors and installed 2 links to the door, instead of just 1 to the back...and i did some last work on the wings (wires, airlines and gear doors)
I also installed the bypass and test fitted the 180RX, i got some help from my friend
finally i mounted the bottem hatch. I used some aluminium tube to guide the bolts, and to keep the dirt/air out of the fuse.
Next step is installing the wires/airlines from the wings to the fuse....
I took Tassos advice on the main gear doors and installed 2 links to the door, instead of just 1 to the back...and i did some last work on the wings (wires, airlines and gear doors)
I also installed the bypass and test fitted the 180RX, i got some help from my friend
finally i mounted the bottem hatch. I used some aluminium tube to guide the bolts, and to keep the dirt/air out of the fuse.
Next step is installing the wires/airlines from the wings to the fuse....
11-13-2015, 05:15 PM
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We're back! Got the UL on the table once again....
Installed the 180-RX, fuel tanks and tubing.
Wiring....
Rudder servo protection.
Air vent for smoke and fuel tank (Y-splitter)
Glueing the canopy, used rare earth magnets to position and hold the canopy while the canopyglue dries.
Battery tray and programming the powerbox srs.
Painted the tailcone.
The spring from the nosegear looked not stiff enough, so i added a piece of alumunium tube to it...hope it's ok now....
Well i hope i didn't forget anything....if the weather permits and the turbine runs ok: MAIDEN tomorrow!
Fingers crossed....
Installed the 180-RX, fuel tanks and tubing.
Wiring....
Rudder servo protection.
Air vent for smoke and fuel tank (Y-splitter)
Glueing the canopy, used rare earth magnets to position and hold the canopy while the canopyglue dries.
Battery tray and programming the powerbox srs.
Painted the tailcone.
The spring from the nosegear looked not stiff enough, so i added a piece of alumunium tube to it...hope it's ok now....
Well i hope i didn't forget anything....if the weather permits and the turbine runs ok: MAIDEN tomorrow!
Fingers crossed....
11-13-2015, 09:04 PM
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Hey Gaaaz Did you use those aluminum angle to hold your by/pass that Comp/Arf had bolted to the formers? I wouldn't use them.They are made of decorative aluminum and are not thick enough to hold a bolt. Just my personal bad experience
11-13-2015, 11:54 PM
#73
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Nice color scheme Erik, looks like it could be used as a "Bandit" in Top Gun
Melvin, i did use those aluminium angles, but i glued a blind nut to it so it could hold a bolt. For the front ones i glued a piece of hardwood on it to make the triangle to hold the bypass and threaded it. Looks ok to me...we'll see
Don't know about the maiden today, it's like 12-13 knots crosswind, looks like it's going to rain and we have a wet grass runway...but i'll take it to the field anyway to do a engine and range test....
Melvin, i did use those aluminium angles, but i glued a blind nut to it so it could hold a bolt. For the front ones i glued a piece of hardwood on it to make the triangle to hold the bypass and threaded it. Looks ok to me...we'll see
Don't know about the maiden today, it's like 12-13 knots crosswind, looks like it's going to rain and we have a wet grass runway...but i'll take it to the field anyway to do a engine and range test....
11-22-2015, 03:17 PM
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On the field, with the wingbolts tightened, i noticed the flaps were touching the fuse...i forgot to cut them
Getting ready to maiden:
Perfect maiden! Two clicks trim on the ailerons and she flew like on rails!
Only 1 small problem: the front wheel didn't lock and i landed nose in. As i use single action spring retracts, the small geardoor in front of the nosegear created too much force on the gear while flying. The spring in the cilinder wasn't strong enough to get the gear into lock. I removed the small geardoor and now it worked ok.
Did another 2 uneventfull flights...Perfect!!!
Last but not least i want to thank all you guys for helping me getting this thing in the air. Without you setting up this plane would take a lot more time. I used Dave Wilshire's setup (rates, expo, mixing tips, etc...) and i didn't have to change a thing! Thx!!!
Wim
Getting ready to maiden:
Perfect maiden! Two clicks trim on the ailerons and she flew like on rails!
Only 1 small problem: the front wheel didn't lock and i landed nose in
. As i use single action spring retracts, the small geardoor in front of the nosegear created too much force on the gear while flying. The spring in the cilinder wasn't strong enough to get the gear into lock. I removed the small geardoor and now it worked ok.Did another 2 uneventfull flights...Perfect!!!
Last but not least i want to thank all you guys for helping me getting this thing in the air. Without you setting up this plane would take a lot more time. I used Dave Wilshire's setup (rates, expo, mixing tips, etc...) and i didn't have to change a thing! Thx!!!
Wim