CA Eclipse ???
 

For all those of you that are flying the Eclipse what degrees are your wings and stab set to for the best flying performance?:D

RE: CA Eclipse ???
 

I use a digital level to set up my initial incidence. The stab is set up parallel and exactly 7/8" above the wing centerline. I then set the fuselage at 0 - 0 degree to the wing centerling. After the stab is set exactly at 0 - 0 deg., I then adjust the wings for 0.2 deg positive. Be carefull, the canopy flange on the fuselage is not parallel to the reference 0 - 0 centerling. I also set my CG at the wing tube centerling to as much as a 1/4" behind. Good Luck.

Steve

RE: CA Eclipse ???
 

I have some suggestions on the Eclipse as I have one. These are my opinions and worth what you are paying for them. Others will argue and this is not a slam on the plane or designer. The plane seems to fly well. I really do not have loads of time on it...But soon it will get my undivided attention and it WILL get changed and setup to my liking.

Move the wing back 3/8" to is to eliminate the Tail heavy condition. This moves the wing back to the location where the CG seems to be ending up.....With the wing in its stock location forward it will make the plane act like it has an AFT CG. I'm sure it has to do with center of pressure stuff and all the Aerodynamics stuff. This aft CG of the stock location requires so much lead to get the CG correct the wing needs to move. It becomes flighty, snaps become tougher to hit consistently and so on........By moving the wing it puts the wing in a better location....I had flown a couple Eclipse models before I built mine and moved the wing back on it before I finished it. It helped!

Then put the CG on the center of the tube like they suggest. Anything more rear and I found the snaps and wind were not the models strong suit. Since it is based on the Smaragd and to this day the Smaragd is one of the best snapping models I have ever flown.....I just moved the wing to fix the problem. It did help the situation.

Next the Stab is too high in the fuse. It needs to be lower. Like 1/4" to 3/8" lower....Maybe even 1/2" I don't know how much. I have not moved mine...But it has some coupling issues that would be solved with a lower stab.

Next item I would change is the thrust line. It has too much Down thrust. If you get the the wing set so the fuse is flying really well horizontally and looks like its not dragging its behind. Then on the uplines the model pushes to the belly hard near the tops, after upline snaps and during throttle ups at slower speeds.

The Smaragd originally had this too not as bad as the Eclipse but the Smaragd Z that Quique started to change went to zero or near zero down thrust....this tendency to push to the belly on uplines then goes away.

I'm still trimming my Eclipse but it seems to fly well. Knowing what I know now I would change some things if building another. The plane is good. Just I see things that I think could improve it.

Troy Newman