Half Scale Nieuport 11
07-17-2017, 01:20 PM
#1076
Mike P - Thanks. Be safe . See you Thursday.
Greg - I'm enjoying the build again, too. All along I have been putting off work which would hasten the build - I suppose subconsciously I am a still a bit intimidated with the thought of managing such a large project ,..... and the flying part of it, too..... an original design, not sure if it will fly or hold together or "Is the balance correct?" and a million other things......and for some reason the money part of this project is looming large in my mind. Normally the cost part of a project is agonized over at the very beginning and then never shows up again.........
If you don't do anything, nothing ever gets done! A simple profundity for sure.
The 2 receivers were an attempt to overcome any battery charging issues with a redundant battery set up. But having 2 rxs negates the dual battery requirement of AMA's LMA regulations since each rx would have only one battery......and incidentally, each receiver controlled only half of the plane with the rudder and throttle arbitrarily assigned to one rx or the other. Basically I was making the radio set up confusing and statistically less secure, doubling the chances for failure.
Long story short, I will go back to 1 receiver and use a truly redundant battery system.
TURTLE REPORT: The turtle has won again and I am not quite ready to commit aviation with the half scale .... looks like the DVII will be put into service again this year.
Cheers,
Art
Greg - I'm enjoying the build again, too. All along I have been putting off work which would hasten the build - I suppose subconsciously I am a still a bit intimidated with the thought of managing such a large project ,..... and the flying part of it, too..... an original design, not sure if it will fly or hold together or "Is the balance correct?" and a million other things......and for some reason the money part of this project is looming large in my mind. Normally the cost part of a project is agonized over at the very beginning and then never shows up again.........
If you don't do anything, nothing ever gets done! A simple profundity for sure.
The 2 receivers were an attempt to overcome any battery charging issues with a redundant battery set up. But having 2 rxs negates the dual battery requirement of AMA's LMA regulations since each rx would have only one battery......and incidentally, each receiver controlled only half of the plane with the rudder and throttle arbitrarily assigned to one rx or the other. Basically I was making the radio set up confusing and statistically less secure, doubling the chances for failure.
Long story short, I will go back to 1 receiver and use a truly redundant battery system.
TURTLE REPORT: The turtle has won again and I am not quite ready to commit aviation with the half scale .... looks like the DVII will be put into service again this year.
Cheers,
Art
07-17-2017, 02:55 PM
#1077
Hey Art,
Yeah I'm with you I think I would stick with 1 receiver. I hear switches & the batteries themselves are much more likely to fail than the receiver itself so that's where I think it makes sense to put the redundancy. What battery charging issue were you trying to overcome? I suppose there could be an issue with trying to charge both simultaneously if they are wired in parallel. I run the parallel setup in all my planes & just charge them one at a time. Its never been an issue since topping them off can be done quickly.
Don't add up the cost of this beast, you'll never launch it! Just keep telling yourself it's the same cost as your 1/3 scale planes.
Greg
Yeah I'm with you I think I would stick with 1 receiver. I hear switches & the batteries themselves are much more likely to fail than the receiver itself so that's where I think it makes sense to put the redundancy. What battery charging issue were you trying to overcome? I suppose there could be an issue with trying to charge both simultaneously if they are wired in parallel. I run the parallel setup in all my planes & just charge them one at a time. Its never been an issue since topping them off can be done quickly.
Don't add up the cost of this beast, you'll never launch it! Just keep telling yourself it's the same cost as your 1/3 scale planes.
Greg
07-17-2017, 03:16 PM
#1078
I agree with the 1 receiver idea. I use A132 (LiFe) batteries, 2 1800mah using 2 switches plugged into 2 ports on the receiver. In some cases I use a Y cord into the throttle or rudder. I position the batteries where easy access to the balancing plug for charging.
08-01-2017, 07:19 PM
#1081
Turtle Report:
Hinging is now complete on the rudder and the elevators. Next step maybe is to make the control cables ...... or fuel proof the firewall ..... or, or ... still a lot of stuff to complete to make if flyable.
Looks like the site posted a couple of older photos, too ..... oh well.
Hinging is now complete on the rudder and the elevators. Next step maybe is to make the control cables ...... or fuel proof the firewall ..... or, or ... still a lot of stuff to complete to make if flyable.
Looks like the site posted a couple of older photos, too ..... oh well.
Last edited by R/C Art; 08-01-2017 at 07:22 PM.
08-02-2017, 06:19 AM
#1082
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Hey Art !
Keep on keeping on!
We need to see that bad boy at Muncie at the warbird campaign!
Samie and I have a joining big tents and we can squeeze you in!
I am bringing DH1 and a big Panther Jet...
HPA
Great seeing you and Rhonda at ODP
Keep on keeping on!
We need to see that bad boy at Muncie at the warbird campaign!
Samie and I have a joining big tents and we can squeeze you in!
I am bringing DH1 and a big Panther Jet...
HPA
Great seeing you and Rhonda at ODP
10-02-2017, 04:56 PM
#1085
Turtle Report:
The airplane has been completely assembled and the last of the flying wires were added.
The engine, an Aviomac MaMinerelli 125, was mounted to the model and test run. It ran started and ran fine.
The plan is to mount the cowl and balance tomorrow.
Drum roll please .......... and then see if it will fly this weekend. I am taking it to Muncie for the NASA Scale Classic this weekend. If I can get it maidened and certified early Friday, then I will enter it in the contest. If not, then I will at least get it flown and try to get the certification paperwork for AMA's LMA 1 program.
That's all for now, Folks!
The airplane has been completely assembled and the last of the flying wires were added.
The engine, an Aviomac MaMinerelli 125, was mounted to the model and test run. It ran started and ran fine.
The plan is to mount the cowl and balance tomorrow.
Drum roll please .......... and then see if it will fly this weekend. I am taking it to Muncie for the NASA Scale Classic this weekend. If I can get it maidened and certified early Friday, then I will enter it in the contest. If not, then I will at least get it flown and try to get the certification paperwork for AMA's LMA 1 program.
That's all for now, Folks!
10-02-2017, 08:50 PM
#1087
Helen and I will be driving down on Thursday for the Scale Classic - hoping we get in town in time for the test flights.
And (as I mentioned when we last talked), with ALL the model and replica Nieu.11's flying around today (not to mention the originals a hundred years ago), and none of them having anything but a good reputation for flight, I can't envision yours flying anything but really really good!!!
See you this week!!!
Helen and Lee McD
And (as I mentioned when we last talked), with ALL the model and replica Nieu.11's flying around today (not to mention the originals a hundred years ago), and none of them having anything but a good reputation for flight, I can't envision yours flying anything but really really good!!!
See you this week!!!
Helen and Lee McD
10-03-2017, 12:25 PM
#1090
Rich, I hear the drums and will try to keep it in one piece for Dayton 2018. Thanks!
Lee, thanks. I don't think there is any way that it will fly on Thursday evening. I am hoping for a nice day on Friday.
Thanks Paul. Will have plenty of pictures for sure and hope to have some video, too.
Doc, I am hoping to accomplish a weight and balance this evening. When I know, you will know.
Lee, thanks. I don't think there is any way that it will fly on Thursday evening. I am hoping for a nice day on Friday.
Thanks Paul. Will have plenty of pictures for sure and hope to have some video, too.
Doc, I am hoping to accomplish a weight and balance this evening. When I know, you will know.
10-09-2017, 06:33 AM
#1093
Turtle Report:
The half scale flies! At home in the shop I added 14 pounds to the firewall after a preliminary check indicated that 10.5 lbs wasn't enough. On Friday morning everything was loaded into the minivan and camper and we headed to Muncie for the NASA Scale Classic. Rain was in the area and there weren't any large tents to provide protection for the model, so I figured the maiden would have to be Saturday (bad weather was forecast) or Sunday after the contest.
Then Lee McDuffee offered the use of his 10 x 15 canopy for assembly and protection for the N-11. Thank you Lee! The assembly process was put into motion. Another balance test was performed and my thought was the balance was within acceptable limits. I waited a while for my expert consultant (Gregory Hahn) to arrive. He would have kicked my butt had I maidened without him present. We again went through the balance process with Greg adding his perspective, knowledge and considerable experience. He thought that it was somewhat nose heavy and I thought it wasn't necessarily tail heavy but might still need more nose weight. So I made the decision that it was safe to fly.
I fueled it up, gave the controls another check and Steve Eagle walked it out to the runway. I though maybe a short taxi test before flying --- ok, throttle up....seemed slow - right rudder didn't seem to be effective......I reduce throttle a little bit.....then shoved the stick forward and the ship continued down the runway.......seems really slow....did I have enough power......is the rudder going to work.......after a seemingly long time the tail lifted, the rudder was effective and I let the beast run down the strip......seems like it was going really slow and then finally broke ground......again I thought , oh no, do I have enough power to fly this thing.....Greg's comment about nose heavy ran through my mind......on my 1/3 scale N-11 I had an episode of flying nose heavy and it would stall and fall heavy to which ever side it was turning........again, do I have enough power ........altitude was gained slowly and a gentle turn away from the pits was started.......it came around fine.....still climbing, I flew the back side of the circuit.......seemed stable, seemed solid......made a lap or 2 and somewhere along the way rocked the ailerons back and forth and was given a quick, solid response......hey, this plane really flies. After a couple of circuits, I commented that the engine torque was yawing the model left ( the engine was mounted with no right or down thrust at all)......I added some right rudder, a few clicks, a couple of clicks, 6 or 8 clicks - I don't remember and still don't know it if is correct or needs more or needs right thrust.......what I know is that the plane flies great......ailerons were right on with no trim required .........oh, I'm still climbing - add a few clicks of down, again don't know haw many and don't know if it is ok now, or needs more......what I know is the airplane flies great....ok, set up for a fly by......cool......ok set up for a landing - wow, this thing just floats along ...... I say very buoyant (from the crowd, "Hey dummy, that's a boat term!") ok, whatever, did I mention the plane flies great.....ok time to set up for a landing .....comes in great....land nearly flawlessly.
Have I mentioned yet that I had a great Friday!
The half scale flies! At home in the shop I added 14 pounds to the firewall after a preliminary check indicated that 10.5 lbs wasn't enough. On Friday morning everything was loaded into the minivan and camper and we headed to Muncie for the NASA Scale Classic. Rain was in the area and there weren't any large tents to provide protection for the model, so I figured the maiden would have to be Saturday (bad weather was forecast) or Sunday after the contest.
Then Lee McDuffee offered the use of his 10 x 15 canopy for assembly and protection for the N-11. Thank you Lee! The assembly process was put into motion. Another balance test was performed and my thought was the balance was within acceptable limits. I waited a while for my expert consultant (Gregory Hahn) to arrive. He would have kicked my butt had I maidened without him present. We again went through the balance process with Greg adding his perspective, knowledge and considerable experience. He thought that it was somewhat nose heavy and I thought it wasn't necessarily tail heavy but might still need more nose weight. So I made the decision that it was safe to fly.
I fueled it up, gave the controls another check and Steve Eagle walked it out to the runway. I though maybe a short taxi test before flying --- ok, throttle up....seemed slow - right rudder didn't seem to be effective......I reduce throttle a little bit.....then shoved the stick forward and the ship continued down the runway.......seems really slow....did I have enough power......is the rudder going to work.......after a seemingly long time the tail lifted, the rudder was effective and I let the beast run down the strip......seems like it was going really slow and then finally broke ground......again I thought , oh no, do I have enough power to fly this thing.....Greg's comment about nose heavy ran through my mind......on my 1/3 scale N-11 I had an episode of flying nose heavy and it would stall and fall heavy to which ever side it was turning........again, do I have enough power ........altitude was gained slowly and a gentle turn away from the pits was started.......it came around fine.....still climbing, I flew the back side of the circuit.......seemed stable, seemed solid......made a lap or 2 and somewhere along the way rocked the ailerons back and forth and was given a quick, solid response......hey, this plane really flies. After a couple of circuits, I commented that the engine torque was yawing the model left ( the engine was mounted with no right or down thrust at all)......I added some right rudder, a few clicks, a couple of clicks, 6 or 8 clicks - I don't remember and still don't know it if is correct or needs more or needs right thrust.......what I know is that the plane flies great......ailerons were right on with no trim required .........oh, I'm still climbing - add a few clicks of down, again don't know haw many and don't know if it is ok now, or needs more......what I know is the airplane flies great....ok, set up for a fly by......cool......ok set up for a landing - wow, this thing just floats along ...... I say very buoyant (from the crowd, "Hey dummy, that's a boat term!") ok, whatever, did I mention the plane flies great.....ok time to set up for a landing .....comes in great....land nearly flawlessly.
Have I mentioned yet that I had a great Friday!
Last edited by R/C Art; 10-09-2017 at 06:37 AM.
10-09-2017, 09:26 AM
#1096
Turtle Report:
Weight of the model when deemed ready for flight (still lots of scale stuff missing but flyable) was 65 pounds. I added 14 pounds to balance it. So the weight for the test flight, minus fuel and a full load of electrons was about 79 pounds (providing the bathroom scales were correct).
On the second flight, I had a longer flight and flew the plane a bit more aggressively. It stall turns nicely and turns quickly both to the left and the right. It will not loop from level flight, but with a bit of a dive it goes around the top quite well. The first loop was a shallow dive, building little momentum, and flew a small loop almost looping around itself (or so it seemed). The second loop was proceeded by a longer dive and flew around the top, scribing a larger circle (maybe make that an egg shape). It stalls straight ahead with a small wing waggle and a soft mush forward.
I attempted a split ess and the roll was very , very slow, but a split ess was completed never the less. It will be a couple of flights down the road before I try an aileron roll.
Very stable flight - and nicely agile at the same time.
Scale flying at it's best!
Did I mention that I had a great Friday!
Weight of the model when deemed ready for flight (still lots of scale stuff missing but flyable) was 65 pounds. I added 14 pounds to balance it. So the weight for the test flight, minus fuel and a full load of electrons was about 79 pounds (providing the bathroom scales were correct).
On the second flight, I had a longer flight and flew the plane a bit more aggressively. It stall turns nicely and turns quickly both to the left and the right. It will not loop from level flight, but with a bit of a dive it goes around the top quite well. The first loop was a shallow dive, building little momentum, and flew a small loop almost looping around itself (or so it seemed). The second loop was proceeded by a longer dive and flew around the top, scribing a larger circle (maybe make that an egg shape). It stalls straight ahead with a small wing waggle and a soft mush forward.
I attempted a split ess and the roll was very , very slow, but a split ess was completed never the less. It will be a couple of flights down the road before I try an aileron roll.
Very stable flight - and nicely agile at the same time.
Scale flying at it's best!
Did I mention that I had a great Friday!
Last edited by R/C Art; 10-09-2017 at 09:28 AM.
10-09-2017, 09:34 AM
#1097
Thanks Paul. We'll have to talk more about the camp 'n fly. My busy season coming up at work and the weather might be a bit chilly - but yes, if we can work it in - would absolutely love to.
You're right, I can't see me going anywhere to fly and taking anything but the half scale!
Cheers,
Art
You're right, I can't see me going anywhere to fly and taking anything but the half scale!
Cheers,
Art
Congrats