Prototype Fei Bao F4 Initial Flight
11-19-2007 | 09:34 PM
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From: Jasper,
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Prototype Fei Bao F4 Initial Flight
I had a chance to put the first flight on the Fei Bao F4 phantom prototype this past weekend.
As this was the first prototype and it had not been flown anywhere, the elevator trim and throws were calculated guesses. I spent most of the first flight working the plane into initial trim and finding proper throws. It started as a fairly exciting flight, but each lap got progressively better and the last circuit felt very solid.
I did not have a chance to fully explore CG, but my sense was that the calculated settings were very close. I had set it to be a bit nose heavy and that is what it felt like in the turns and on landing. Early in the flight, the plane was in some rather radical flight attitudes and airspeeds, and there was no tendency to snap, even at slow speeds.
The prototype weighed in at 35 pounds, and with the Rhino, flight performance was excellent. The gear was left extended during most of the first flight to keep the plane stable so I couldn't find top end speed but my sense is that it will be very good with this engine. Landing approach, even with no flaps, was very predictable.
I also had a chance to get a brief look at a production kit, and it looked like Fei Bao has made most if not all of the improvements uncovered during the prototype build, including carbon fiber reinforcement of the wing, double hinging the outer doors, additional reinforcement of the landing gear plates, main strut improvements and pinning of all hinges.
The plane is back in the shop to incorporate some of the production improvements before its next flight, but I was satisfied with the result from flight number one.
As this was the first prototype and it had not been flown anywhere, the elevator trim and throws were calculated guesses. I spent most of the first flight working the plane into initial trim and finding proper throws. It started as a fairly exciting flight, but each lap got progressively better and the last circuit felt very solid.
I did not have a chance to fully explore CG, but my sense was that the calculated settings were very close. I had set it to be a bit nose heavy and that is what it felt like in the turns and on landing. Early in the flight, the plane was in some rather radical flight attitudes and airspeeds, and there was no tendency to snap, even at slow speeds.
The prototype weighed in at 35 pounds, and with the Rhino, flight performance was excellent. The gear was left extended during most of the first flight to keep the plane stable so I couldn't find top end speed but my sense is that it will be very good with this engine. Landing approach, even with no flaps, was very predictable.
I also had a chance to get a brief look at a production kit, and it looked like Fei Bao has made most if not all of the improvements uncovered during the prototype build, including carbon fiber reinforcement of the wing, double hinging the outer doors, additional reinforcement of the landing gear plates, main strut improvements and pinning of all hinges.
The plane is back in the shop to incorporate some of the production improvements before its next flight, but I was satisfied with the result from flight number one.
11-19-2007 | 11:01 PM
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From: Jasper,
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RE: Prototype Fei Bao F4 Initial Flight
Here is a link to the instruction manual with pics of the installs. There is a later version of the manual that will be posted soon.
http://rcjetmodels.com/index.php?_a=...&productId=287
The F4 is a quick and easy build. I would like to spend a bit more time with a production kit, but the prototype was headed in the right direction.
http://rcjetmodels.com/index.php?_a=...&productId=287
The F4 is a quick and easy build. I would like to spend a bit more time with a production kit, but the prototype was headed in the right direction.
