Author Topic: Which EDF model for a learner?  (Read 62773 times)

JohnPearson

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Which EDF model for a learner?
« Reply #30 on: October 27, 2010, 23:25:13 PM »
Uncle Keith

Go with the hot glue gun, I stuck the big B52 together with it. The trick with this method, is to not let the glue get to hot, therefore, switch off the gun every so often. The only draw back is weight, hot glue can be heavy, so just spot glue the parts at the stress points or spead the glue very quickly over the joint.

I use hot glue all the time with foam models, it's cheap and very strong. Lidl have a great offer on glue sticks starting tomorrow, I got six boxes last year with the same offer, 30 sticks for £5.00, compared with B&Q 5 sticks for £4.75.

Happy Days

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Which EDF model for a learner?
« Reply #31 on: October 28, 2010, 07:07:17 AM »
BINGO! :D

That’s very useful information John. I wouldn’t have thought about turning the gun off every so often. Thank you. :clap:

30 sticks for a fiver, now that’s what I call a bargain. 8)

Thank you for your input guys…………….only goes to show, “Your never too old to learn

(And I’m older than god!) :(  

Keith
Try not to run out of airspeed, altitude and ideas....... all at the same time.

Richard Boyd

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« Reply #32 on: October 28, 2010, 07:44:20 AM »
Hi Keith, hot glue works great on EPS/EPO even depron.
Another wee tip, once you have applied the hot glue and secured your joint, lick your finger and smooth out the excess glue ! it leaves a beautiful smooth finish.

Richard
it's hard to teach old dogs new tricks
Richard Boyd
A bad days flying is better than a good days work.

Happy Days

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Which EDF model for a learner?
« Reply #33 on: October 28, 2010, 07:52:32 AM »
Quote from: "Richard Boyd"

it's hard to teach old dogs new tricks


The 'old' I can agree with, but 'dog' That's a bit harsh isn't it? :lol:  :wink:

I'll remember that tip Richard, thanks. Hopefully she should be finnished today..................well,.....I said  "Hopefully"

K.
Try not to run out of airspeed, altitude and ideas....... all at the same time.

Happy Days

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Which EDF model for a learner?
« Reply #34 on: October 28, 2010, 09:20:34 AM »


Woopeee, the above are selling at my local Lidl........

32 Hot melt sticks 200mm long, 11mm dia for €2.99!

I'm off to do some shopping :D
Try not to run out of airspeed, altitude and ideas....... all at the same time.

Ron

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Which EDF model for a learner?
« Reply #35 on: October 28, 2010, 17:29:34 PM »
Woof  8)

Happy Days

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« Reply #36 on: October 28, 2010, 18:05:55 PM »
Speak for yourself Ron :lol:
Try not to run out of airspeed, altitude and ideas....... all at the same time.

Happy Days

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« Reply #37 on: October 28, 2010, 21:27:32 PM »
Apart from a few obscenities when searching for some servos for the model, and when I found some, I then couldn’t find the correct type of servo arms! :!:  the build went reasonably smoothly.
A most Excellent idea to use hot melt glue, and a great tip of turning the gun off for a couple of minutes every once in a while. Thanks guys. :D

Couple of things surprised me a little about the workings of this EDF. (Having never had one before.)

I hadn’t realized this until I came to fit it, but the motor is an out runner.  The book says it’s a 3400KV, that’s 50000 rpm with a 4 cell battery. Seems a very high speed for an outrunner, phew!





Also inside the air intake, (This next pic. Shows the underside of the plane without the bottom of the air intake fitted, Would that be called a belly pan?) there are a load of servo/motor wires. I’ve taped them down as advised but I would have thought they are going to cause quite a bit of turbulence. :shock:  I’d have expected a “cleaner”/smoother intake area. What do you Jet guys think?


Anyway, here she is, all finished and ready to rock and roll.
Just have to wait for these storms to end. Could be next week I’m told. OH WHAT!  :evil:  
Try not to run out of airspeed, altitude and ideas....... all at the same time.

Happy Days

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« Reply #38 on: October 30, 2010, 17:43:57 PM »
My greatest fear, apart from landing, was that on take off she’d nose dive into the ground. :oops:

Up to the west ridge of Mt. Lienster I went this afternoon. My logic being that provided I could launch the Squall 3 or 4 meters away from me then there would be a fair amount of “air” beneath her wings to gain air speed in. Also, there’s lots of nice soft heather for her to land in if everything went pear shaped. :wink:

All my fears were to no avail, she took to the sky like the proverbial ‘duck to water.’ Climbed steadily and with just a hint of stick movement she turned round for a return fly past! :)  
Much easier to fly than I’d feared, provided I moved the sticks gently.
By the second flight I started to be a little more aggressive with the controls. :evil:

Things learnt;………….Being only small, 26” wingspan, it’s very easy to loose orientation of the plane when it’s much more than a couple of hundred meters away, particularly against a grey sky.

With the control surfaces set to High Rate the planes roll rate is just a blur. :shock:  There’s no way of knowing which way up she’ll be when you let the stick centre itself.

On full throttle the climb rate is breath taking. 8)

Oh, and the landing? Believe it or not, this EDF is one of the easiest plane I’ve ever landed. Looking not unlike a model NASA Shuttle she comes in, nose high up, loosing height and just “plops” onto the floor at little more speed than a fast walk.

Downsides?

Only one,……………..the noise! I’m sure she could be heard howling all around the mountain. Takes a bit of getting used to. But it’s all part of life’s rich experience.

(Won’t be flying this little girl in my local farmers field,………….might cause the cattle to stampede!)

Keith
Try not to run out of airspeed, altitude and ideas....... all at the same time.

JohnPearson

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« Reply #39 on: October 30, 2010, 22:08:09 PM »
Well done keith (sorry I mean IceMan!)you are now a jet pilot, so you need a call sign.

Yes you are right about the little motor, it will get hot, therefore you can slow her down and cruise about at times during the flight, this will let the motor cool down. Don't let the model get to far away, because as you said, it can become  hard to see, keep her in close with low passes and big loops.

I noticed you taped the wires inside the model, make sure that the tape is good heavy tape, as within the air intake, there is a lot of pressure, and the tape could lift off the wires and go into the fan unit and damage the blades.

Anyhow, enjoy flying the jet and we can have a dog fight with my mig15 the next time I am down at big L.

Happy Days

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« Reply #40 on: October 30, 2010, 23:31:13 PM »
IceMan! :shock: ……………conjures up an image of some Hairy Neanderthal, fumbling around with a club in his hand during the last ice age. :(

I’m a Hot Blooded Stud I’ll have you know. 8)  Well,……………..for a couple of nights a year I am. :oops:

Very impressed with that little plane. Tell me, are all Delta winged models so stable at slow speeds? I’d expected them to  be unstable at low speeds and become stable at higher speeds.

I’m looking forward to taking her out again and trying out some high speed aerobatics.  Must remember to keep her in close.

I’ll keep my eye on those pieces of sticky tape in the air duct,….and look forward to a dog fight with you Mr P. :D

Keith
Try not to run out of airspeed, altitude and ideas....... all at the same time.

Happy Days

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« Reply #41 on: November 01, 2010, 13:19:32 PM »
NO,…..its not what your thinking! :lol:

I had to sit out a shower or two today before launching my little delta winged model into the Blue,…sorry that should read ‘Grey’ yonder.

Had a couple of 8-9minute flights and was really beginning to get the “drift” of this little girl. She definitely prefers to have a bit of power on in the turns.
Anyway, here she is………….not that you can see much of her. Flying and photographing at the same time in rather “Challenging” conditions is not easy.






After the second flight I picked up the model and started walking it back to the car to recharge the Li-po.

Slipped on a tuft of wet grass…….. :evil:

Lost my balance……… :shock:

Fell Base-over-Apex, (arse over tit)……. :?

Landed on top of the model!! :!:

Heard several Crack sounds…..!!! :cry:



Oh well, another little job in the workshop..... :cry:  :cry:  :cry:
Try not to run out of airspeed, altitude and ideas....... all at the same time.

Ron

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Which EDF model for a learner?
« Reply #42 on: November 01, 2010, 13:58:14 PM »
Oh NO :shock:
What have you done?
Definitely pilot error then?

And I was just getting interested in that little plane.
Not something I would normally consider, but your description makes it sound so attractive.

Except the falling over bit :roll:  :roll:

Ron

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Which EDF model for a learner?
« Reply #43 on: November 01, 2010, 14:07:53 PM »
Education is important, but flying RC planes and gliders is importanter!

Aidan

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« Reply #44 on: November 01, 2010, 14:48:18 PM »
Quote from: "Happy Days"
.....Tell me, are all Delta winged models so stable at slow speeds? I’d expected them to  be unstable at low speeds and become stable at higher speeds....

Yep, slender delta's are typically pretty well behaved at low speed and can slow down a lot more than non delta planes with similar wing loading.
At high angle of attack the airflow comes around the lead edge and rolls into a vortex over each wing. That gives you a big stable low pressure region over each wing and allows a very high lift coefficient. Drag gets very high when flying it like this but that's helpful for landing.

Sorry to hear about the damage. The occasional crash doesn't bother me too much but it's annoying when a plane gets damaged while you're transporting or storing it!

Aidan