Adjusting throws of new FT Explorer build

[Thighzen]

I just finished building an FT Explorer that I got for Christmas. Its my first build. When I finished and was checking the throws using the piece of foamboard from the speed-build kit, I noticed that it doesn't look like the tail goes up high enough. I've adjusted the travel end point on my transmitter as far as it will go and it still won't meet the throw gauge. Is this close enough or do I need to make some adjustments to the build somehow?

 

[JimCR120]

My guess it that will be plenty. However, there might be ways to adjust it more. Could you attach photos of the linkages (both ends)?

 

[ttprigg]

looks like a nice clean build!

 

[Thighzen]

My guess it that will be plenty. However, there might be ways to adjust it more. Could you attach photos of the linkages (both ends)?

One end of the linkage is inside the boom of the explorer and not accessible. I followed the build video so I put the wire into the middle hole on the servo and the hole furthest from the foam for the elevator. I think I could probably move that to the middle hole which should increase the movement. I'm worried about doing that because I think I would have to bend the wire at the end beside the control horn. It would be difficult to do this and then be able to bend it back very well.

Since you thought it would be plenty I decided to try flying it without adjusting it. It didn't go that well but that probably has more to do with me forgetting to set the expos on my transmitter.

 

[JimCR120]

What did the flight that didn't go well look like? There's quite a bit to flying and along with controling the aircraft is making the aircraft flyable. Did it nose in? Did it pitch up and then nose down? Could you flight it straight and level at all? There is a tendency to initially overreact with controls and to pitch up too much.

 

[Thighzen]

What did the flight that didn't go well look like? There's quite a bit to flying and along with controling the aircraft is making the aircraft flyable. Did it nose in? Did it pitch up and then nose down? Could you flight it straight and level at all? There is a tendency to initially overreact with controls and to pitch up too much.

I think I was mostly overreacting on the controls. With no expo it was twitchier than it should have been as well. I was also a little timid on the takeoff throttle. The first few times were nose dives that revealed I needed a little more glue on the nose good times.

 

[JimCR120]

That can be softened with either reduced rates or expo dialed in, which ever is eaiser. The difference in the two is expo will soften the beginning while making the end even more dramatic. Dialing down the rates while limiting contril servo throws also increases resolution.

If the nose was pitching down dramatically you might be nose heavy. Any weight added forward of the CG point will increase nose heaviness. The battery is often a heavy object that can be istalled a bit mre forward or aft to adjust CG.