Elecristar on floats (Video Added)
06-27-2008, 10:01 PM
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Elecristar on floats (Video Added)
I built and installed some Great Planes 40 size floats on my Electristar. The plane takes off, flys and lands well but I had to use a fare amount of up elevator to maintain level flight. I set the floats so so the angle between the top of the floats and bottom of the wing is 2 degrees positive. Is it because of the drag from the floats that I need so much up elevator? Should I change the motor from the stock down thrust to neutral or positive to compensate? Thanks.
[link=http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v206/NitroFlash/RC%20Planes/?action=view¤t=ElectristaronFloats.flv]Electristar on Floats[/link]
[link=http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v206/NitroFlash/RC%20Planes/?action=view¤t=ElectristaronFloats.flv]Electristar on Floats[/link]
07-01-2008, 11:37 AM
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RE: Elecristar on floats (Video Added)
Looks good! I think that adjusting the motor thrust angle to neutral would take care of the trim issue. Recheck your balance with the floats on to.
Stick 40
Stick 40
07-01-2008, 06:54 PM
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RE: Elecristar on floats (Video Added)
Thanks Stick, I'm new to this flying buisness. I did balance the the plane with the floats installed before I flew. I also upgraded the motor and ESC as the stock Electristar power system had to fly at almost 100% to take off and fly. The floats added almost 2lbs to the flying weight. I will try changing the thrust angle.
07-01-2008, 07:57 PM
#5
RE: Elecristar on floats (Video Added)
I know I'm a broken record about this, But those floats are HUGE and HEAVY.
Get some nice foam floats.
Lots of links for foam float suppliers on my website. I have no financial interest in any of them. I just link to them because it's the right thing to do.
BTW: Nice job both on the plane and the photography.
Get some nice foam floats.
Lots of links for foam float suppliers on my website. I have no financial interest in any of them. I just link to them because it's the right thing to do.
BTW: Nice job both on the plane and the photography.
07-01-2008, 08:20 PM
#6
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RE: Elecristar on floats (Video Added)
I might have misunderstood your incidence of your floats, but I think it is supposed to be negative incidence between the tops of the floats and the wing. I may have the semantics backward, but the jist of my understanding is that if the float tops are perfectly horizontal, the wing should have a little up incidence (or angle of attack). May want to verify that to make sure that might not be why it is hard to take off with.
Great looking bird,
Curtis
Great looking bird,
Curtis
07-01-2008, 08:39 PM
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RE: Elecristar on floats (Video Added)
ORIGINAL: JimCasey
I know I'm a broken record about this, But those floats are HUGE and HEAVY.
Get some nice foam floats.
Lots of links for foam float suppliers on my website. I have no financial interest in any of them. I just link to them because it's the right thing to do.
BTW: Nice job both on the plane and the photography.
I know I'm a broken record about this, But those floats are HUGE and HEAVY.
Get some nice foam floats.
Lots of links for foam float suppliers on my website. I have no financial interest in any of them. I just link to them because it's the right thing to do.
BTW: Nice job both on the plane and the photography.
07-01-2008, 08:58 PM
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RE: Elecristar on floats (Video Added)
ORIGINAL: beau0090_99
I might have misunderstood your incidence of your floats, but I think it is supposed to be negative incidence between the tops of the floats and the wing. I may have the semantics backward, but the jist of my understanding is that if the float tops are perfectly horizontal, the wing should have a little up incidence (or angle of attack). May want to verify that to make sure that might not be why it is hard to take off with.
Great looking bird,
Curtis
I might have misunderstood your incidence of your floats, but I think it is supposed to be negative incidence between the tops of the floats and the wing. I may have the semantics backward, but the jist of my understanding is that if the float tops are perfectly horizontal, the wing should have a little up incidence (or angle of attack). May want to verify that to make sure that might not be why it is hard to take off with.
Great looking bird,
Curtis
07-02-2008, 07:26 AM
#9
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RE: Elecristar on floats (Video Added)
I am not sure if that is too much, or too little, but if it is within 0-2 degrees, then I would think you would be fine. At least the incidence is in the correct direction. You can measure the wing chord and determine with a little trig what your resultant incidence is. I do believe it needs to be from the chord, and not the wing bottom.
Good luck,
Curtis
Good luck,
Curtis
07-02-2008, 08:45 AM
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RE: Elecristar on floats (Video Added)
Thanks beau0090_99. I looked at the manual a little closer after you mentioned the wing cord. I was measuring from the bottom of the wing instead of the wing cord which makes a huge differance on the Electristar. I believe I now have way too much incidence if you measure from the line drawn through the wing in the picture I attached of a Piper Cub. Is that correct? Thanks.
07-02-2008, 07:16 PM
#11
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RE: Elecristar on floats (Video Added)
Fast Guy.
I think you are on to it now. If you set it with the chord, hopefully it will glide off the water easier. I'd like to hear how it goes if you get a chance to try it out.
all the best,
Curtis
P.S. What stuck out to me when you first wrote is the all incidence meters that I know of use the chord by grabbing the tip of the wing and the trailing edge.
I think you are on to it now. If you set it with the chord, hopefully it will glide off the water easier. I'd like to hear how it goes if you get a chance to try it out.
all the best,
Curtis
P.S. What stuck out to me when you first wrote is the all incidence meters that I know of use the chord by grabbing the tip of the wing and the trailing edge.
07-09-2008, 04:28 PM
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RE: Elecristar on floats (Video Added)
ORIGINAL: beau0090_99
Fast Guy.
I think you are on to it now. If you set it with the chord, hopefully it will glide off the water easier. I'd like to hear how it goes if you get a chance to try it out.
all the best,
Curtis
P.S. What stuck out to me when you first wrote is the all incidence meters that I know of use the chord by grabbing the tip of the wing and the trailing edge.
Fast Guy.
I think you are on to it now. If you set it with the chord, hopefully it will glide off the water easier. I'd like to hear how it goes if you get a chance to try it out.
all the best,
Curtis
P.S. What stuck out to me when you first wrote is the all incidence meters that I know of use the chord by grabbing the tip of the wing and the trailing edge.
07-15-2008, 04:57 PM
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RE: Elecristar on floats (Video Added)
Looks good Brainiax[8D]. How did you set up the incidence on the floats? How do you find it flys compared to wheels? Why did you convert to glow? Enough questions.[X(]
07-15-2008, 07:57 PM
#15
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RE: Elecristar on floats (Video Added)
That's great to hear Fast Guy. Very confidence inspiring too. Here in Minnie, we are surrounded by lakes and I am excited to try putting some floats on my Nexstar. Keep the pics coming in!
All the best,
Curtis
All the best,
Curtis
07-16-2008, 05:32 AM
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RE: Elecristar on floats (Video Added)
ORIGINAL: Fast Guy
Looks good Brainiax[8D]. How did you set up the incidence on the floats? How do you find it flys compared to wheels? Why did you convert to glow? Enough questions.[X(]
Looks good Brainiax[8D]. How did you set up the incidence on the floats? How do you find it flys compared to wheels? Why did you convert to glow? Enough questions.[X(]
2. It never had wheels so I don't know.
3. I bought the plane for $199.00 but didn't have any batteries or charger for it so I took out the electronics (except the servos, battery and receiver) and
sold them along with the radio it came with on E-bay. I had the motor and fuel tank already and figured it would need some extra power for float flying.
What a deal, I got a very nice plane with servos, battery and receiver for well under $100.00.
One other thing I did was eliminate the need for elastics for the wing. I glued a block in the rear of the fuse opening and installed blind nuts. I glued dowels (2) in the front of the wing for the pins and the wing already has a hardwood block in the rear for screw mounting. Worked out beautiful.
This plane is supposedly discontinued but you can find them on the net for $199.00 RTF. E-bay has just the airframes too here and there and they go for between $85.00-$100.00. One of the best quality and flying trainers out there and it makes a great float plane too!
07-16-2008, 07:59 PM
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RE: Elecristar on floats (Video Added)
ORIGINAL: Brainiax
1. I just used two H9 Ultra Stick landing gears and it worked out great.
2. It never had wheels so I don't know.
3. I bought the plane for $199.00 but didn't have any batteries or charger for it so I took out the electronics (except the servos, battery and receiver) and
sold them along with the radio it came with on E-bay. I had the motor and fuel tank already and figured it would need some extra power for float flying.
What a deal, I got a very nice plane with servos, battery and receiver for well under $100.00.
One other thing I did was eliminate the need for elastics for the wing. I glued a block in the rear of the fuse opening and installed blind nuts. I glued dowels (2) in the front of the wing for the pins and the wing already has a hardwood block in the rear for screw mounting. Worked out beautiful.
This plane is supposedly discontinued but you can find them on the net for $199.00 RTF. E-bay has just the airframes too here and there and they go for between $85.00-$100.00. One of the best quality and flying trainers out there and it makes a great float plane too!
ORIGINAL: Fast Guy
Looks good Brainiax[8D]. How did you set up the incidence on the floats? How do you find it flys compared to wheels? Why did you convert to glow? Enough questions.[X(]
Looks good Brainiax[8D]. How did you set up the incidence on the floats? How do you find it flys compared to wheels? Why did you convert to glow? Enough questions.[X(]
2. It never had wheels so I don't know.
3. I bought the plane for $199.00 but didn't have any batteries or charger for it so I took out the electronics (except the servos, battery and receiver) and
sold them along with the radio it came with on E-bay. I had the motor and fuel tank already and figured it would need some extra power for float flying.
What a deal, I got a very nice plane with servos, battery and receiver for well under $100.00.
One other thing I did was eliminate the need for elastics for the wing. I glued a block in the rear of the fuse opening and installed blind nuts. I glued dowels (2) in the front of the wing for the pins and the wing already has a hardwood block in the rear for screw mounting. Worked out beautiful.
This plane is supposedly discontinued but you can find them on the net for $199.00 RTF. E-bay has just the airframes too here and there and they go for between $85.00-$100.00. One of the best quality and flying trainers out there and it makes a great float plane too!
