Tiny Trainer new wing gave me some troubles!

flyinsparky

Member
I made a Baby Baron that I couldn't ever really get flying like I wanted, so I pulled out the mini servos and put them into a sport wing for my Tiny Trainer. This was my first try using a 4 channel plane so I was excited. The build was pretty straightforward, I put in a new model into my transmitter and set it up for 4ch, made sure all the servos were going the right way. Went to fly it with the new wing and it pulled a HARD left and dove right into the ground. Bummer... she had been flying so amazingly. Patched her up a bit and tried again... Same thing! Then I realized the ailerons weren't going the direction I thought... weird. Reversed them and got it up in the air but it was really touchy and also the rudder was reversed, I hadn't noticed that before. Brought it down and reversed that servo. Once I got it back up in the air, I realized that I hadn't selected the correct model on my transmitter, which was why everything was wonky. Well that's a mistake I won't be making again.

So after a couple hard crashes the plane now flies really well, but it has started acting really strange. After getting it up in the air it flies for a minute, then the motor cuts out (still have servo control) and I get a lot of beeping. Tried throttle up/down, no motor response. Unplug and replug battery and everything seems fine for a minute of flying and then same thing. On the bench, I got some beeps while just using the servos... maybe not enough juice coming through the esc? It's a mt1806 motor with a BLHeli 12a esc. Anybody have ideas? I'll try soldering up a different esc and see if that helps.

Finally, I am wondering about the aileron servos... should I use a y-harness or extensions to my receiver and separate channels? I'm not planning on doing any differential, or flaps... (unless there is a good argument to try it.) Thanks!
 

Ratcheeroo

Legendary member
I made a Baby Baron that I couldn't ever really get flying like I wanted, so I pulled out the mini servos and put them into a sport wing for my Tiny Trainer. This was my first try using a 4 channel plane so I was excited. The build was pretty straightforward, I put in a new model into my transmitter and set it up for 4ch, made sure all the servos were going the right way. Went to fly it with the new wing and it pulled a HARD left and dove right into the ground. Bummer... she had been flying so amazingly. Patched her up a bit and tried again... Same thing! Then I realized the ailerons weren't going the direction I thought... weird. Reversed them and got it up in the air but it was really touchy and also the rudder was reversed, I hadn't noticed that before. Brought it down and reversed that servo. Once I got it back up in the air, I realized that I hadn't selected the correct model on my transmitter, which was why everything was wonky. Well that's a mistake I won't be making again.

So after a couple hard crashes the plane now flies really well, but it has started acting really strange. After getting it up in the air it flies for a minute, then the motor cuts out (still have servo control) and I get a lot of beeping. Tried throttle up/down, no motor response. Unplug and replug battery and everything seems fine for a minute of flying and then same thing. On the bench, I got some beeps while just using the servos... maybe not enough juice coming through the esc? It's a mt1806 motor with a BLHeli 12a esc. Anybody have ideas? I'll try soldering up a different esc and see if that helps.

Finally, I am wondering about the aileron servos... should I use a y-harness or extensions to my receiver and separate channels? I'm not planning on doing any differential, or flaps... (unless there is a good argument to try it.) Thanks!
I would first check that all your present esc connections are good, if so then maybe try a 20a esc . Y-harness is fine, no issues there. If you are finding that your controls are a little touchy you could set up dual rates on your transmitter and set the low rates with say 30% expo , and adjust the throws on your control surfaces(ailerons, elevator and rudder) as well. Wouldn't hurt to calibrate your esc as well. Hope this helps you out a bit.
 

Merv

Site Moderator
Staff member
...I realized that I hadn't selected the correct model on my transmitter...
That is easy to do, I try to build my planes so that all of the controls go the same direction. Control horns always on the same side and servos facing the same way. That way, if you have the wrong plane on your Tx, the plane is still flyable. If you flip a servo over or install a control horn on the wrong side, you will be reversed. If you do both you will be OK.
...then the motor cuts out (still have servo control)...
You might have a bad solder joint on a bullet plug. Try gently pulling on each plug, a bad one will just fall off, only held in place by the heat shrink.
...On the bench, I got some beeps while just using the servos...
The ESC could have a bad servo plug. Sounds like the Rx is cutting out and rebooting.
...should I use a y-harness or extensions to my receiver and separate channels...
That's personal choice. Whatever you choose be consistent from plane to plane. I put my ailerons on a separate channel. I seldom use flaperons but if I want them, they are there.

When every plane is setup the same. Setting up a new model is easy, just copy the settings from an existing plane to a new one, set the trims and go fly.
 

flyinsparky

Member
I tried a new esc and it worked flawlessly today. I can't see what would have caused a problem, but it is fixed now! It's tough to trust a dodgy esc in another plane again.