If you can fly choppers, you will find fixed wing a doddle 
RC Planes
- Thread starter alexthecheese
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Soldato
If you can fly choppers, you will find fixed wing a doddle
Is this from someone who can fly heli's too?
Soldato
I do indeed. Awesome program. I suck at planes on it, they just fly away and never come back
Yeah i could use the trainer thing my controller has!
As in you're not sure how to control them to bring them back?
We can hook up
on Phoenix if you want for a come fly with me session get a few of us on there!Not sure if serious..If you can fly choppers, you will find fixed wing a doddle
Edit: That reminds me I need help sourcing some Align 450 parts!!
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Soldato
As in you're not sure how to control them to bring them back?
We can hook up
As in, once they get far away i lose my orientation and it never comes back!
Yeah definitely! I haven't used it in ages, i'll have to find it!
So I had a pretty big crash this morning
Was getting a bit cocky so with a completely still day I decided (after 8 flights before today) to start doing some more fun stuff like loops, rolls, inverted etc...
First two batteries went fine, some loops, one or two rolls which aren't great with the floater jet, and a small bit of inverted done nice and high.
Last battery I'm flying around, done a few things, trying some low-ish passes at higher speed which is good fun and for some reason I decided to do some more inverted, so did a half-loop to inverted from a fairly low level. This was mistake number 1
Then whilst inverted I got a bit worried as the altitude was dropping a bit, nothing major really but a bit, so I think I was trying to get back to level flight but instead of rolling, or pushing down to do another half loop upwards (outside loop?) which I'd done earlier I pulled up, straight into the ground at reasonably high speed, ouch...
Lipo battery died as it's in the nose, all scrunched up so currently in a bucket of salt water.
fuselage broke in half, this is a weak point in the floater jet and looks fixable
motor mount broke, should be fine to glue back on
both rudder and elevator servos are toast, stripped gears
one suspect aileron servo (but might be connection, bit awkward to check so going to cut a hatch, if I can save the nose)
The worst bit is the nose, it's all scrunched up and split from the impact,
My understanding is hot but not quite boiling water will help put the nose back somewhere close to stock shape, then just glue and tape, aint gonna be pretty but should work
So yeah, lesson learnt, don't be an idiot
Was getting a bit cocky so with a completely still day I decided (after 8 flights before today) to start doing some more fun stuff like loops, rolls, inverted etc...
First two batteries went fine, some loops, one or two rolls which aren't great with the floater jet, and a small bit of inverted done nice and high.
Last battery I'm flying around, done a few things, trying some low-ish passes at higher speed which is good fun and for some reason I decided to do some more inverted, so did a half-loop to inverted from a fairly low level. This was mistake number 1
Then whilst inverted I got a bit worried as the altitude was dropping a bit, nothing major really but a bit, so I think I was trying to get back to level flight but instead of rolling, or pushing down to do another half loop upwards (outside loop?) which I'd done earlier I pulled up, straight into the ground at reasonably high speed, ouch...
Lipo battery died as it's in the nose, all scrunched up so currently in a bucket of salt water.
fuselage broke in half, this is a weak point in the floater jet and looks fixable
motor mount broke, should be fine to glue back on
both rudder and elevator servos are toast, stripped gears
one suspect aileron servo (but might be connection, bit awkward to check so going to cut a hatch, if I can save the nose)
The worst bit is the nose, it's all scrunched up and split from the impact,
My understanding is hot but not quite boiling water will help put the nose back somewhere close to stock shape, then just glue and tape, aint gonna be pretty but should work
So yeah, lesson learnt, don't be an idiot
Outch lol, all i n the name of some acro flying though
Never heard of this foam in warm water ? Does they help say a nose that's not broken but has a little bit of scruchyness to it? Mine is covered in crossweave so not broken but wondering if it gets scrunchy
Never heard of this foam in warm water ? Does they help say a nose that's not broken but has a little bit of scruchyness to it? Mine is covered in crossweave so not broken but wondering if it gets scrunchy
I'm not sure if it's all foam but the stuff the floater jet is made out of apparently it works well with, we'll see...
Just seen one guy who replaced the nose of his floater jet with the top half of a plastic bottle, so there's that option too
Just seen one guy who replaced the nose of his floater jet with the top half of a plastic bottle, so there's that option too
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I got a plane for Xmas an RTF kit it's a deltaray from hobby zone it's only a twin motor trainer with auto stabilise feature but for some reason I've never flown it
Anyone know anywhere in Staffordshire ideal for flying to learn as the field i usually fly my hexacopter is big enough for a quadcopter but not to big for a plane I don't think
Anyone know anywhere in Staffordshire ideal for flying to learn as the field i usually fly my hexacopter is big enough for a quadcopter but not to big for a plane I don't think
Soldato
yes, polystyrene and the likes, ie EPP foam, if a bit damaged/pushed in etc, you can 'sometimes' bring that back to shape, take out dints/impressions by placing the part in warm water for a while.
Soldato
Can you spec me a learner plane? With running gear except controller. I'm guessing they take normal 3cell lipos like my heli's? Thanks
I can generally recommend the AXN Floater Jet, from Hobbyking it's ~£50 +P&P (wait for the pop up with a cheaper price) for the version with everything except battery and radio gear, takes a 3s lipo 1300-2200mAh (I believe it needs nose weight with 1300's, I use Zippy 2200's). My first 8 flights were in a variety of wind including some gusty bits and doing just general flying I had very few problems, the problems came when I started being silly (but note there are some issues people have had with the motors/esc/servo's, personally I haven't had any and the ESC has been updated since most of the complaints but ymmv)
I believe the Bixler series are very similar planes to the Floater Jet so are likely to be equally as good I guess but no experience of them.
(but note there are some issues people have had with the motors/esc/servo's, personally I haven't had any and the ESC has been updated since most of the complaints but ymmv)I believe the Bixler series are very similar planes to the Floater Jet so are likely to be equally as good I guess but no experience of them.
Yup
Albeit only basics! I used to mess about with electric fixed pitch a few years ago, and have no done much since. However, learning to fly fixed wing is so much easier.People can learn the basics of fixed wing and fly unaided with a little as one or two lessons. Helicopters require much more concentration and understanding to even do circuits.
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Just done the water 'trick' with the nose of my plane, does a pretty good job really, even without actually manipulating it at all it removed the worst of the bends, bit more effort and it's back to a reasonable shape, obviously clear it's been crashed but once it's dry I'll glue up and tape it back together and it'll be ready to fly again I'm sure.
Soldato
The AXN doesn't seem very robust? I want something that'll take some proper 3D action. I can do it with a heli so from what you guys are saying, plane should be a piece of cake Getting my Pheonix flight sim back from my dads this weekend so i'll get some practise on that.
Heli's are bloody hard to fly, i know that much
At the flying field at my dads, loads of people there had EDF planes. What are they like?
Getting my Pheonix flight sim back from my dads this weekend so i'll get some practise on that. Heli's are bloody hard to fly, i know that much
At the flying field at my dads, loads of people there had EDF planes. What are they like?
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I'm only a n00b but my understanding is that planes suitable for 3D stuff aren't really beginners planes
EDF's are generally very fast (with a high stall speed), so again not really suitable for beginners.
The AXN is pretty robust, nose first into the ground at decent speed (with the throttle still on) and she'll be ready to fly again by the weekend, for general flying the only 'issue' is cheap electronics which seems to have been mostly solved by now. But it's no 3D, or even more mild acrobatics plane, it'll do loops nicely enough, and inverted seems pretty decent, but rolls are slow and a bit 'wide' if that makes sense, but it's not meant to be. As a beginners plane it is nice and stable, can handle reasonable winds (~15-20mph gusts on some flights, bit sketchy but ok), and fly nice and slowly to give me time to think, or fast enough to have some small fun
But I guess ultimately it depends on skill, I doubt I could competently fly a 3D plane yet, but not done much with my Heli and no idea if those skills transfer in any meaningful way.
EDF's are generally very fast (with a high stall speed), so again not really suitable for beginners.
The AXN is pretty robust, nose first into the ground at decent speed (with the throttle still on) and she'll be ready to fly again by the weekend, for general flying the only 'issue' is cheap electronics which seems to have been mostly solved by now. But it's no 3D, or even more mild acrobatics plane, it'll do loops nicely enough, and inverted seems pretty decent, but rolls are slow and a bit 'wide' if that makes sense, but it's not meant to be. As a beginners plane it is nice and stable, can handle reasonable winds (~15-20mph gusts on some flights, bit sketchy but ok), and fly nice and slowly to give me time to think, or fast enough to have some small fun
But I guess ultimately it depends on skill, I doubt I could competently fly a 3D plane yet, but not done much with my Heli and no idea if those skills transfer in any meaningful way.
Soldato
Hmm.. I think i'll have to do some serious pheonix time before i decide. I'll probably pick up one of the ones shown above to see if i actually like it!
Wondering if anyone can help me,
I have rates set-up (low - mid - high)
Inputs
Throttle 100
(controlled by 3 way switch SD)
Aileron
Low rates - Weight 50 Expo 40
Mid rates - Weight 75 Expo 40
High Rates - Weight 100 Expo 40
Elevator
Low rates - Weight 50 Expo 40
Mid rates - Weight 75 Expo 40
High Rates - Weight 100 Expo 40
Rudder
Low rates - Weight 50 Expo 40
Mid rates - Weight 75 Expo 40
High Rates - Weight 100 Expo 40
Flaps
not to worry about for this concern.
Mixers
mainly set to 100 on the channels, the dual rates are working for the elevator, rudder, but the ailerons seem to be ignoring the rates and always going on high rates, anyone know what could be causing this?
If i test the control surfaces using low rates, the elevator and rudder have minimal movement, which is what its supposed to do, mid rates it increases, high rates again. But ailerons are ignoring.
EDIT: bah ignore, found the issue, was some mixer problems
I have rates set-up (low - mid - high)
Inputs
Throttle 100
(controlled by 3 way switch SD)
Aileron
Low rates - Weight 50 Expo 40
Mid rates - Weight 75 Expo 40
High Rates - Weight 100 Expo 40
Elevator
Low rates - Weight 50 Expo 40
Mid rates - Weight 75 Expo 40
High Rates - Weight 100 Expo 40
Rudder
Low rates - Weight 50 Expo 40
Mid rates - Weight 75 Expo 40
High Rates - Weight 100 Expo 40
Flaps
not to worry about for this concern.
Mixers
mainly set to 100 on the channels, the dual rates are working for the elevator, rudder, but the ailerons seem to be ignoring the rates and always going on high rates, anyone know what could be causing this?
If i test the control surfaces using low rates, the elevator and rudder have minimal movement, which is what its supposed to do, mid rates it increases, high rates again. But ailerons are ignoring.
EDIT: bah ignore, found the issue, was some mixer problems
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