New

[N4088K]

Working on my first scale project, would like to do another. First time doing this, be nice to find some local assistance, I’m not sure what questions to ask, never done this before.

[Tom]

Maybe tell us where you are so we know what kind of “local assistance” may be offered?

[N4088K]

Sorry, in Connecticut

[mlachow]

What is your prior R/C experience? Which radio do you use? There is a big difference between new to R/C and a power pilot who wants to step up to sailplanes and learn about soaring.

[N4088K]

I started in rc 46 years ago. I built my first radio from a HealthKit and my first glider was a gentle lady that I built the 3 piece wing so I could take it to the field on my bicycle.
I currently have a Futaba 12z on 2.4. I was a factory pilot for Hirobo and flew scale.

Never spent much time with power airplanes.

I own a Hall Cherokee II and Jumbak J2, both 1:1 scale.
I fly a Grob 103 out of Blairstown NJ.

[N4088K]

What is your prior R/C experience? Which radio do you use? There is a big difference between new to R/C and a power pilot who wants to step up to sailplanes and learn about soaring.

What is the step up from 2.5 to 3m RES gliders to scale? I’m not new to RC or sailplanes, just large scale sailplanes.

[hello82]

The Baudis Diana 2 is worth seriously considering. 5 m, sleek, great with a motor for self take off, good for GPS, and many of them around here in NE now if you have questions on it. What's your name?

Matt

[N4088K]

John, nice to meet you Matt.
I’m currently working on a Grob 4.5m for a special project, but I would like to explore others.

[N4088K]

I’m getting ready to install the horizontal stabilizer and rudder, never having done one of these kits or a fiberglass fuselage T tail. Does the tail usually require some type of reinforcements other then the rudder post and on the full size we have access panels to reach the linkages and push rods. I haven’t seen that type of thing on the larger scale models. Are the control surfaces primarily fixed in place and not removed for maintenance?

[mlachow]

You can make the rudder removable by using a single wire through all the hinges. Pull the wire to remove the rudder. Access through rudder post to elevator servo if it is in the fin. Some of the newer small servos like mks 6120 make it possible to put the elevator servo in the stab even in the smaller models and older models like the one you have.

[N4088K]

Thanks, I was considering tail mounting the elevator servo. A trick I learned with removable wire hinge pins, solder the wire to a modified brass machine screw, and you can secure the wire with the screw. When I make hinges for removable control surfaces, I leave extra material for the screw to set into.

[mlachow]

What is the step up from 2.5 to 3m RES gliders to scale? I’m not new to RC or sailplanes, just large scale sailplanes.

The thermal flying is a bit different than a smaller RES. With the smaller RES, you can work light, low level, down to ground level lift. So that is nice earlier in the morning when there might be some low level stuff bubbling but not really going high. Thermal turns can be quite tight. The scale ships you picked up will be thermalling at a higher altitude. They will be flying faster, and require stronger lift. Plus they are scale ships and they are probably not designed as well for handling. The large size does make it more comfortable to see the model at higher altitudes and at greater distances.

The small sailplane, you can usually feel the thermals you fly as they go by through temperature changes, wind shifts, bugs, small birds, etc. So you can often fly what you can also feel. The larger model at a greater distance, you still can get some general information from wind shifts but you are more likely to use visual queues like the airspeed, fuselage angle, control response, larger soaring birds, passing clouds.

The one new thing on aerotow is flying during the tow. Flight modes are you friend and use one to get a good trim setting for the tow. The other thing is use of the rudder and ailerons. Someone who has just done RES might not make use of the rudder stick. With your experience, I suspect you know how to use both sticks. Landing mixes aren't much different. With modern airfoils you should ignore the old ways of using lots of differential..

[N4088K]

Thanks for all the information.
The “plan” is to knock some of the rust off the fingers ( I had to learn to how to do a lot of things over again after the spinal surgery ) and upgrade to modern telemetry equipment. “Someone” I bought an airplane kit from mentioned something about the gps triangle racing and I think that’s where I’m ultimately headed.

[N4088K]

Any CT locals care to show off your building skills. I could use some ideas installing servos and such, multi receiver set ups and redundant power supplies are on the new side for me. Thanks

[N4088K]

I’ll teach your clubs AHA First Aid and CPR in exchange for help with my plane.