Flew my mini pizza box today Also My First SPAD
03-04-2004, 04:45 PM
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Flew my mini pizza box today Also My First SPAD
I put a K&B 20 with a 9x4 APC prop.
The CG is at the most rearward point, (according to plans)
I also have 3.75 inches total throw on the ailerons and elevator.
Anyway it flys a whole lot better that it thought it would. The thing will harrier along all day. Lightning fast rolls, you can't count them.
It will go vertical very very slowly with a full tank of full, 4oz. Climbs a bit faster after some fuel burns off. It will hover, hard to control without a rudder. To get it to hover it has to be leaning back about 10 degrees with the elevator almost all the way down. it doesn't what to fall forward out of the hover, it is like there isn't enough down elevator but there should be plenty.
It is also very sensitive in pitch, it has to be landed before the tank gets too low or it becomes nervously unstable. I guess it is slightly too tail heavy. However to get it to trim out for vertical flight it needs the elevator to be slightly upward, which would make me think that it is nose heavy. It also can't maintain level flight inverted, even with full down. Maybe that's the way this plane is.
Well on the 4th flight I ran the fuel tank to low and it became uncontrollable, I cut the throttle and ditched the plane. The front corner of the wing now has a crease on the bottom only. Do I need to replace the wing or will it be fine?
Also I'm going to get another receiver so I can fly this plane with my computer radio, it needs exponential. Right now I have an old Futaba Attack AM radio and receiver. So, you do need to stay on your toes.
It is great, I never flew anything like it.
In the pics you will see that it has a large prop nut on it, I just added it, I'll see if it improves its flight characteristics next time.
Any words of advice??
The CG is at the most rearward point, (according to plans)
I also have 3.75 inches total throw on the ailerons and elevator.
Anyway it flys a whole lot better that it thought it would. The thing will harrier along all day. Lightning fast rolls, you can't count them.
It will go vertical very very slowly with a full tank of full, 4oz. Climbs a bit faster after some fuel burns off. It will hover, hard to control without a rudder. To get it to hover it has to be leaning back about 10 degrees with the elevator almost all the way down. it doesn't what to fall forward out of the hover, it is like there isn't enough down elevator but there should be plenty.
It is also very sensitive in pitch, it has to be landed before the tank gets too low or it becomes nervously unstable. I guess it is slightly too tail heavy. However to get it to trim out for vertical flight it needs the elevator to be slightly upward, which would make me think that it is nose heavy. It also can't maintain level flight inverted, even with full down. Maybe that's the way this plane is.
Well on the 4th flight I ran the fuel tank to low and it became uncontrollable, I cut the throttle and ditched the plane. The front corner of the wing now has a crease on the bottom only. Do I need to replace the wing or will it be fine?
Also I'm going to get another receiver so I can fly this plane with my computer radio, it needs exponential. Right now I have an old Futaba Attack AM radio and receiver. So, you do need to stay on your toes.
It is great, I never flew anything like it.
In the pics you will see that it has a large prop nut on it, I just added it, I'll see if it improves its flight characteristics next time.
Any words of advice??
03-04-2004, 08:04 PM
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RE: Flew my mini pizza box today Also My First SPAD
My CG is 5 1/4 . At a little more than throttle hover It should be able to do four ft. loops upright or inverted. With the computer radio you should be able to do more with it.Your cg could be a little forward, if it takes a lot of up trim to fly level. I would fly it the way it is till you get a handle on the wierd characteristics. The wrinkles just give it character. Mine has three years worth of wrinkles.
