ok got 3 more flights in yesterday, i can finally say i'm very comfortable with the airplane and have tried just about ever maneuver with it. I now have about 10 flights in total

Hits:

This thing really does harrier with no wing rock! wow.

It only took me a couple tries to get into some perfectly locked in KE Spins... its never been this easy!

Misses:

My canopy started cracking today, i did Pacer 540 canopy glue on front and back but used screws on the sides of the canopy, and the crack started from one of the screws... already made it 2" up... anyway glue is the best for long term performance i would guess, that glue has never failed me on a model yet....

I still can't seem to find that "spot" where it likes to do the rolling harriers really smoothly... you know how some planes just lock in and roll like butter? Haven't gotten there yet, but i'm sure they'll get better

I've been waiting to report this one, but now after 10 tanks I'm sure... When you apply a lot of elevator, this thing snaps, just like "Caps" do. if you let the airspeed bleed off it will stall straight forward, but i notice pretty much every time i want to pull hard to the vertical, or pull hard out of a dive it'll drop a wing really quick. This really drives me nuts and i always feel like I have to caress the darn thing to come out of dives. It you're doing really big smooth IMAC type flying its no big deal, but it honestly will snap on you at any speed if you pull up too quick. So heres what i'm going to do since no one else has reported this yet- 1) check my lateral balance again. 2) check my elevator halfs to make sure they are perfectly alligned 3) try to get the cg farther forward as I still think this would make the biggest difference. I still have not moved it forward since the first flight because I do not want to add dead weight to the airplane, i think i'm going to take the stock tail wheel system off and do something lighter.

I am really enjoying the plane besides this major point and look forward to getting it worked out.

Yeah, I got mine to do some KE spins and they are breath taking. I gotta fine tune my flat spins though. They just about flatten out unless you put in too much throw or throttle. Mine at full throttle and full deflection will start to do waterfalls.

This is not unique to Caps, as many people know. Any aerobatic plane will snap out with too much control throw.

The reason it happens more easily on a Cap or a Giles is the tail is so high, it's out in clear air and can push the tail farther and increase the angle of attack more than a plane with the elevators in-line with the wing like a Yak.

You just have to learn how to fly this kind of plane, set it up with less throw. Different layouts require different techniques to get the most out of them.

Everything on an airplane is a compromise. More strength requires more weight, better performance requires less weight.

And a more powerfule empennage means it can do things other planes can't do but it reqires a more gentle touch. You can't take a plane with a powerful tail like a Cap and just hammer it around like a trainer. They don't work that way.

TF

yeah well i hope it gets better when i get more weight in the nose, other wise i think i'd be happier with the extra or yak to be honest.

2 more tanks today, got some video! should have something to show pretty soon..... I talked to a guy today that said he could help me check the incidences cause i didn't have a meter, I've noticed that that in a R turn, the wing wants to continue to drop, and in a L turn it slowly wants to come out.. rolls seem axial flying straight and level, but on the vertical line you can tell it does something wierd.... hovered a little lower today, and it seems really easy. I think i've got some things I can work on now to make it better, looking forward to it!

That's exactly why i'm starting out with all the weight I can possibly get forward, then move back to tailor flight characteristics to my style of flying. I have flown full-scale aerobatics and try to fly my models in the same manner. I have never liked the "cartoon character" style of flying.

well i'm glad someone was the guninea pig for ya

Eric you've got a good lookin bird there and I was glad to see it fly at the field. The offer to help you look it over including the incedence is still open just give me a call.

Good luck
Dale

Hey Guys more stuff to report on:

I went over wing incidences with Dale and found that they were pretty close, but that one elevator needed a little adjustment.

I laterally balanced the airplane by adding one ounce of weight to the right wing. Problem is though i cut a hole in the end of the wing and inserted the weight in the foam, but after a flight it came loose and some how lodged itself in the wing somewhere where there is no foam.... so i'll have to do some surgery to get it out so the tip is to glue the weight or stick it to the inside of the balsa at the end of the wing, you can't let it float free in the foam.

Got rid of my blasted elevator joiner thing- that thing just wasn't ever dead on and i think it contributed to the "snappy" feeling cause the elevators weren't going the same speed... got all the mixes worked out fine on the jr 8103, just had to think about it.

5625 hitec servos really do suck! the dont center well just like someone else said on this forum.... i think my elevator will be just right when i get some 5945's... the wing has 5645's and they seem ok, but i'd like to change those eventually too.

I'd like to make the statement that this airplane is not a floater with a 3W-75 up front. I've seen 2 other wildhares fly now and they float... I think this would be a better airplane with the 85" wings and a 50cc... mine lands pretty fast and i don't get that floating sensation... the power is excellent however.

Dale a local guy here helped me do some custom graphics last night, they turned out awesome and i'll post some pics. Almost got a video done as well. I think this airplane has most of the buggs worked out of it now, just some nicer servos and i'll be set. Everyone loves how it looks out at the field.

heres the pics, there are 2 on the wing that look cool too.

Be sure to get the programmer to. I programmed mine this week and all I have to do is make minor corrections with the ailerons if the wind starts blowing. Other than that, it's just hold elevator in, right amount of throttle, and steer with the rudder. This is text book definition of high alpha to. It's probably a good 70-80 degrees in harriers.

yeah the harriers are great, as soon as i can kick my fears i'll have some video of it on the deck.

Erik

I enjoyed watching you fly the cap today, it does look smoother. I think you have a winning combo there with the plane and 3w 75. I think that the white 3w on the tail dosen't stand out enough though. If you want I'll cut you one in black to replace it , no charge.

Good lookin Bird, good luck
Dale

A lot of time I get reports back about a plane misbehaving. I cannot emphasize enough the value of good servos.

The difference between a plane with 5625s or 5645s and 8611as or even 5945s can be night and day, especially on a high performance plane being asked to do radical stuff.

The elevators have to be matched exactly, ailerons need to go where they are commanded every time, and the rudder must do what it's asked to do repeatably.

There is no substitute for good servos except possibly other good servos.

TF

For sure, i'm sure you would get better reviews on your planes if everybody used 8611's... My tail definatley felt better when i got rid of the ele. joiner, i think it'll feel even better when i get better servos... I would be interested to fly this airplane with a DA-50 85" version.

What is an elevator joiner?

TF

I think he means a servo Y harness....

yes i forgot what that thing was called

In all of my experience with aerobatic designs and Caps in particular.....

Moving the balance forward WILL result in a more abrupt and violent departure than having the balance aft will EVERY time. My personal rule of thumb is to set the low rate elevator throws to the maximum throw that will not induce a departure under ANY airspeed/attitude/throttle position condition. This has worked like a charm every time for me and those I have helped to set up their models. High rate set ups are an entirely differnt matter however and require that you be 100% aware of how YOUR model behaves when the switch is flipped into high rate. In general I have noted that in almost ALL cases that you need no more than 8-10 degrees of throw to get the job done safely on any aerobatic model, snaps simply don't happen with this low amount of elevator throw.

One more point is that Caps, above ALL other designs I have flown are the most balance sensitive. IOW a very small change in the balance can have a very pronounced effect on the flight characteristics of the model. IMO anyone that owns a Cap and doesn't experiment with the CG a LOT is really doing themselves a disservice. If you simply set the model up and don't play with the balance you will never know if the plane can fly better than it does. I most often note this by the way the plane lands, if it comes in hot and want's to bounce down the runway move the balance back, even if your at the aft end of the manufacturer's recommended range. If your plane want's to drop it's tail all the time and is overly pitch sensitive then move the balance forward and fly it again. I think you will find that when your getting close a small change can have a big effect on the overall experience of flying your models.

Where does your plane balance, I am working on my........
It seems to be nose heavy but still climbs inverted, it's balanced at about 3 1/2.

mine is past 4" for sure, and i need to work with it.

Scott, I am moving to Omaha in a month, you sound like you would be a great help in setting up my cap. If you've got some time, let me know.

Hey Erik,
When you get here shoot me am PM and we can get together and do some flying! Pretty much all of the large scale crowd flies at a field across the river in council Bluffs IA, if your flying a Hare you'll fit right in.

Well my latest update is that i tried a cg change last week, but it almost ended up being a fatal error as i put the ig. pack too close to the recieiver and got interferance.... lucky for me i detected it before i took off.... you get so stuck on one thing you forget about others.... that was scary. anyway the other thing i did this week is sell all my 5645 servos and just bought all 8611A's with metal arms... this should be sweet and i'll let you know how the difference feels. My question is my orig batt pack is a 1800 mah 6V from servo city... is this battery going to cut it with these new servos? as long as i can get 2 flights thats fine with me.... what do you think?

If you are using a single 1800mah pack you are eventually going to regret it. Get another one and another switch.

TF

I agree with Tom, the vibration that gassers can generate will kill switches and batteries over time. The use of two packs and switches is a really prudent idea in these planes. The big problem is that when your using 5 cell packs the weight can become an issue pretty quickly. I had 2 1400 man Nicads in my edge when I first se her up and they were about 6 ounces each, add in a pair of switches that were about an ounce each and that is 14 oz. or nearly a pound. I decided to go to Lithium Ions with a failsafe switch and that shaved some weight off of the overall set-up. I think it was worth it in my case since I changed a few other items to save weight as well. In the end I took over a pound off of my edge and the effort was well worth it as the plane flies so much better when I get it slowed down.