Aftermath of a Newbe's first FT-22 Flight

[Desert.Rat]

As Josh Bixler likes to say, we want to create father / son memories. Well we did, This is my first RC plane - flew wire plane with my dad (same result) - and wanted to do something fun with my 14 year old during spring break. We ordered all the parts, bought the speed kit, put it all together, and went to the park.

My son did great for his first time, he made it around the park 3 times. Then he wanted me to fly it.

Lets just say my flight, was not so well executed. My wife caught it on her camera, which I am still trying to get uploaded just so others know that they should not try to fly thru chain link fence, this is the AFTERMATH

After some tape and hot glue, we were up and flying again. After DAD broke the nose off again, we replaced the nose with some new foam, charged up the batteries and went out the next day. This time I made it around the park, with only a bent up nose, my son did even better, flying it over our heads several times and figuring out the controls. Dad eventually broke the nose off again. Let’s just say, I have gotten good at cutting foam. And thank you Flite Test for giving us plans so we can.

We are on the third iteration and I am cutting out another trainer plane I found on the site and hopefully we will have a little more success.

I have found the FT-22 to be a very fast plane. It might be that I bought the wrong motor; it’s an 1800 Kv motor with a 9” x 8 prop. I have limited the throttle to 50% and I have the rates on the elevon’s dialed down to 70%. We, meaning me, am just to jerky on the sticks and the plane ends up doing a roll, then I find myself upside down and heading to the ground, nose first.

 

[ViperTech]

Cool flight, doing a good job, just keep a little more altitude, this plane likes to drop the nose and do it fast! Some Hot Glue and your back up! keep going!

If you want a slower trainer try the Old Fogey it is fun!

 

[hursto75]

I would go with a slower motors like a 1000kv and a slower prop. I am running a 1200kv and a 9 x 4.7 prop. With a 3s 1800 it flies nice and still has power.

Brad

 

[Desert.Rat]

With an 1800kv motor, can I go down to a 9 x 4.7? And how will the plane respond? Do I Ned to worry about the motor over.reving? Right now, if I push the throttle on to fast, it starts squealing till I pull the power off, then slowly bring it up.

 

[hursto75]

I would go with a smaller motor. The one you have seems a little fast. I run a 9x 4.7 prop on my 1200kv and it flies great. If. Sometimes if you put power to the motor to fast, with cheap speed controls, you will get a squeal. I get that on mine when I throttle up to fast. When you apply power smoothly I get full throttle with no issues. I will add a video this morning. With the squeal.

Thanks,
Brad

 

[NewZee]

D-Rat....Do you have "Expo" set on your transmitter? may help with the "jerkiness" of your movements? Keep at it , you're doing great!

 

[hursto75]

You can hear the squeal at the beginning (and my wife snicker), this is cause from the power curve going up to sharply for the motor to handle. Some speed controls you can program for a slower ramp up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8IMbZy6I7g

 

[Desert.Rat]

I just found out how to get it set on my transmitter. I don’t know how high to set it, I was playing around with it while it was raining and found that if I set it at 70% along with the rate at 70% the movement seems to be fairly smooth, but I have never done this so I don’t know what is good and what is bad. I did find during one tragic flight into the ground, that setting the expo to a negative number is bad. I quickly set it back to zero and thought I would play with it at a later time. Now the sun is out, so I will try it again. Suggestions on settings??

 

[Desert.Rat]

Yep, that’s the same sound mine makes. If it’s how fast the power goes on, maybe I can play with the throttle curve and see if I can tune it out. I don’t want to be flying and have the motor crap out, I already have enough troubles keeping it from hitting the ground at a high rate of speed. I’m on my third nose / canopy assembly. I have gotten really good at cutting it out and forming it. I find the wings are holding up really good. One of my crashes ripped the motor housing off the plan, but other than that, I’m still on the original plane. Flite Test did a great job re-designing this plane. I know Josh Bixler says this is not really a trainer plan, but it is easy to build. Just seems to be a little fast for me.

 

[ViperTech]

Try the setting at 50% rate and 30% expo for low rate and 70% rate and 20% expo high rate. That is a good starting point. NEVER go negative!

 

[NewZee]

I just found out how to get it set on my transmitter. I don’t know how high to set it, I was playing around with it while it was raining and found that if I set it at 70% along with the rate at 70% the movement seems to be fairly smooth, but I have never done this so I don’t know what is good and what is bad. I did find during one tragic flight into the ground, that setting the expo to a negative number is bad. I quickly set it back to zero and thought I would play with it at a later time. Now the sun is out, so I will try it again. Suggestions on settings??

As a noobie you could go with 40-50% expo at low rates, and 30-40% on high rate, FT did a nice tutorial on expos really made it clear to understand just what it does!