Westbury Hunter Build Thread
12-31-2006, 06:16 PM
#54
RE: Westbury Hunter Build Thread
ORIGINAL: JSF-TC
The Hunter has now finished paint and detailing, ready for systems installations.
Happy New Year to all.
Paul
The Hunter has now finished paint and detailing, ready for systems installations.
Happy New Year to all.
Paul
Good things take time don't they? Excellent job and a thumbs up for the sticktoitiveness.
08-19-2007, 01:21 AM
#57
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Preston, UNITED KINGDOM
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RE: Westbury Hunter Build Thread
Paul,
Steve sent me the link to the build thread. The hunter looks amazing in terms of scale and detail. Any news on first flight?
Jez
Steve sent me the link to the build thread. The hunter looks amazing in terms of scale and detail. Any news on first flight?
Jez
08-19-2007, 10:30 AM
#58
RE: Westbury Hunter Build Thread
Hey Jez,
How you doing? Heard that your'e getting pretty good with those heli's.
Haven't really touched the Hunter recently, what with moving house and a trip back to the UK last month. Have got the landing gear refurbished by Unitracts, and they're ready to re-fit, and that is about all that I have left to do. Just have to empty the garage of moving boxes to get started again.
Paul
How you doing? Heard that your'e getting pretty good with those heli's.
Haven't really touched the Hunter recently, what with moving house and a trip back to the UK last month. Have got the landing gear refurbished by Unitracts, and they're ready to re-fit, and that is about all that I have left to do. Just have to empty the garage of moving boxes to get started again.
Paul
02-23-2008, 01:33 PM
#61
RE: Westbury Hunter Build Thread
After 3.5 years of building, the Hunter finally flew yesterday.
After getting the main landing gear redesigned by Sierra Precision, as the original Unitracts units were far to weak, and resolving the last few issues, Ron S. and I took the Hunter and his F106 down to a private airfield (Texas Soaring Association) to make use of their 2500ft runway. Weather was perfect, with a 10kt wind almost straight down the runway. I'd already range checked and taxy tested the jet down at the local model field, so a brief taxy check, refuel and we were ready to go.
Take off was fine, albeit I drifted of the runway onto the grass. Plenty of power and a good climb out, whilst sorting out the excessive nose up trim. Ended up with nearly full down trim. Roll trim was nearly perfect. Flew around gently with the gear and flaps up trimming out and getting the feel of it. Then tried gear and flaps down for landing. Take-off flap was fine, but with full flap, the plane started wing rocking. I partially reduced the flap, but it didn't stop until I went to mid flap setting, about 15deg. I had preset about 1/4 inch of aileron reflex with full flap, so I'll have to look into the wing rock further.
Tried one landing approach which seemed fine, and then set up to land, with the 7 minute timer showing about 1 minute remaining. Total fuel should have given me over 9 minutes, so I was still safe. Looking good until the last few seconds where I started to over-control, and it pitched up when I tried to correct a nose down attitude close to the ground. It reared up and I caught it, but the ensuing landing was heavy. I'm amazed that more damage wasn't done, although I stil have to fully check it over. Just the nose gear pin connecting the strut to the steering arm which snapped, and the 2 main gear half forks which bent slightly. Some minor cosmetic scrapes as well which I'll fix once the test flying is over.
I think the plane was balanced with the c.g. too far aft. The instructions gave the position which was stated should have been safely nose heavy, so I'll move it forward maybe 1/2 inch before the next flight. That should help the nose down trim as well.
No pictures, but I have video thanks to Ron, but I can't seem to load it onto RCU at the moment. I'll keep trying. Watching the landing, I'm amazed at the angle of attack I got to and with no sign of it really stalling or dropping a wing. That's a good sign.
We'll try again after the repairs.
Paul
After getting the main landing gear redesigned by Sierra Precision, as the original Unitracts units were far to weak, and resolving the last few issues, Ron S. and I took the Hunter and his F106 down to a private airfield (Texas Soaring Association) to make use of their 2500ft runway. Weather was perfect, with a 10kt wind almost straight down the runway. I'd already range checked and taxy tested the jet down at the local model field, so a brief taxy check, refuel and we were ready to go.
Take off was fine, albeit I drifted of the runway onto the grass. Plenty of power and a good climb out, whilst sorting out the excessive nose up trim. Ended up with nearly full down trim. Roll trim was nearly perfect. Flew around gently with the gear and flaps up trimming out and getting the feel of it. Then tried gear and flaps down for landing. Take-off flap was fine, but with full flap, the plane started wing rocking. I partially reduced the flap, but it didn't stop until I went to mid flap setting, about 15deg. I had preset about 1/4 inch of aileron reflex with full flap, so I'll have to look into the wing rock further.
Tried one landing approach which seemed fine, and then set up to land, with the 7 minute timer showing about 1 minute remaining. Total fuel should have given me over 9 minutes, so I was still safe. Looking good until the last few seconds where I started to over-control, and it pitched up when I tried to correct a nose down attitude close to the ground. It reared up and I caught it, but the ensuing landing was heavy. I'm amazed that more damage wasn't done, although I stil have to fully check it over. Just the nose gear pin connecting the strut to the steering arm which snapped, and the 2 main gear half forks which bent slightly. Some minor cosmetic scrapes as well which I'll fix once the test flying is over.
I think the plane was balanced with the c.g. too far aft. The instructions gave the position which was stated should have been safely nose heavy, so I'll move it forward maybe 1/2 inch before the next flight. That should help the nose down trim as well.
No pictures, but I have video thanks to Ron, but I can't seem to load it onto RCU at the moment. I'll keep trying. Watching the landing, I'm amazed at the angle of attack I got to and with no sign of it really stalling or dropping a wing. That's a good sign.
We'll try again after the repairs.
Paul
02-23-2008, 05:50 PM
#62
RE: Westbury Hunter Build Thread
Well, I took a couple pics. In the pit area, then taxiing out. I was intentionally standing behind your model so I could WARM UP! [8D]
Nice looking model, and it had plenty o' power with the Wren turbine. Cool color scheme. You may want to move the CG in a smaller increment, say 1/4" fwd from where you are. You can't be too far off. Plus you need to get a pilot in the cockpit!
Let me know when you go out there again!
Nice looking model, and it had plenty o' power with the Wren turbine. Cool color scheme. You may want to move the CG in a smaller increment, say 1/4" fwd from where you are. You can't be too far off. Plus you need to get a pilot in the cockpit!
Let me know when you go out there again!
06-13-2009, 09:21 AM
#63
RE: Westbury Hunter Build Thread
RIP
Ilost my Hunter yesterday. Went flying at my gliding club, and had two good flights. The first time with a gyro on the ailerons, and it totally cured the dutch roll and smoothed out the whole flight.
On the last (third) flight, Iclipped the grass at the side of the runway just before rotation. Ihauled it airborne, but the right main leg was ripped out of the wing and was dangling beneath the model hanging on by the airlines. It wan't flying well at all and Inursed it around the circuit. The other gear wouldn't come up either so I my plan was to burn off some fuel and try to land it. Wasn't sureat that timeif I'd try the grass of the runway - either way Iwas going to do damage.
Something, maybe the flap was damaged because it was a handful to fly, and on the second circuit it bit me and dropped a wing hard. Managed to recover and startclimbing awayand pointing it back overopen country when it flicked and spun again. Obviously it wasn't going to recover so Ishut the engine down a few secondsbefpore impact. It was going starigt down in a spin. No smoke or signs of a fire after impact.
Ithought Ihad a good bearing on where it went down but after an hourand a half searching it is still missing. I grid searched the short grass inside the airfield boundary andalso walked some of the scrub outside the boundary ofthefield (knee length grass and trees) without a sign. There is also some thick woodland further out. I'll try today to get a tow-plane to do an airborne search, but right now it is totally MIA.
Obviously my pilot error to allow it to drift of the centerline of the runway, and maybe Igot it a bit slow causing it to flick and spin. Can't blame it on anything else, although the gliding club doesn't have a full size runway. It is only 20ft wide, half the width of my model club runway,so fairly narrow but Ishould have been able to do better though.
A sad day as it was a sweet flying model, scale power and looked good in the air.
Paul
Ilost my Hunter yesterday. Went flying at my gliding club, and had two good flights. The first time with a gyro on the ailerons, and it totally cured the dutch roll and smoothed out the whole flight.
On the last (third) flight, Iclipped the grass at the side of the runway just before rotation. Ihauled it airborne, but the right main leg was ripped out of the wing and was dangling beneath the model hanging on by the airlines. It wan't flying well at all and Inursed it around the circuit. The other gear wouldn't come up either so I my plan was to burn off some fuel and try to land it. Wasn't sureat that timeif I'd try the grass of the runway - either way Iwas going to do damage.
Something, maybe the flap was damaged because it was a handful to fly, and on the second circuit it bit me and dropped a wing hard. Managed to recover and startclimbing awayand pointing it back overopen country when it flicked and spun again. Obviously it wasn't going to recover so Ishut the engine down a few secondsbefpore impact. It was going starigt down in a spin. No smoke or signs of a fire after impact.
Ithought Ihad a good bearing on where it went down but after an hourand a half searching it is still missing. I grid searched the short grass inside the airfield boundary andalso walked some of the scrub outside the boundary ofthefield (knee length grass and trees) without a sign. There is also some thick woodland further out. I'll try today to get a tow-plane to do an airborne search, but right now it is totally MIA.
Obviously my pilot error to allow it to drift of the centerline of the runway, and maybe Igot it a bit slow causing it to flick and spin. Can't blame it on anything else, although the gliding club doesn't have a full size runway. It is only 20ft wide, half the width of my model club runway,so fairly narrow but Ishould have been able to do better though.
A sad day as it was a sweet flying model, scale power and looked good in the air.
Paul
06-13-2009, 02:36 PM
#66
RE: Westbury Hunter Build Thread
Search and Rescue Update.
After a short airborne search by one of my friends at the gliding club in a Champ, the crash site was located in a clearing NE of the field. Luckily it was in the open; 10ft north or south and it would have been in thick woods.
Driving across a field, we managed to get access to the site and collect the wreckage. As expected the airframe is destroyed, but the engine looks undamaged inside the wreckage.The kevlar fuel tankwas still intact and3/4 full of fuel.Some of the electronics also looks damaged, including the FADEC and gyro.
Iwill strip all useful parts and send them off for check/ repair, including the engine.
Sorry for the poor pictures, all Ihad on me was my phone. According to Google, the crash site was 0.4 miles from where Iwas flying, further than Iwould have imagined it.
Paul
After a short airborne search by one of my friends at the gliding club in a Champ, the crash site was located in a clearing NE of the field. Luckily it was in the open; 10ft north or south and it would have been in thick woods.
Driving across a field, we managed to get access to the site and collect the wreckage. As expected the airframe is destroyed, but the engine looks undamaged inside the wreckage.The kevlar fuel tankwas still intact and3/4 full of fuel.Some of the electronics also looks damaged, including the FADEC and gyro.
Iwill strip all useful parts and send them off for check/ repair, including the engine.
Sorry for the poor pictures, all Ihad on me was my phone. According to Google, the crash site was 0.4 miles from where Iwas flying, further than Iwould have imagined it.
Paul
I think you should build another one. And a bit bigger, too. 
