Bixler 3 won't climb

[awisniewski]

I've got a Bixler 3 that I've flown last summer and stored over winter. Taking it out of storage this week and trying to fly I've crashed 3 times
because I'm not able to climb. I previously used the large tube spar or the servo wires as my CG point. The elevator appears to have enough travel.
I'm using the Aura flight controller. Since using it last fall it flew without issues. The plane has been in a few crashes so has its share of hot glue holding it together.

Long for any kind of input.

Alex

 

[quorneng]

My guess is the batteries did not like the storage.
Did you charge them to the "storage" level on your charger before you put them away?
Did they 'balance' charge normally when you took them out of storage. After a period of non use a balance charge is essential to ensure each cell get a full charge. The only way you can be sure would be to see if a another newer battery restored the performance.

It is also possible that your repairs have added more weight than the Bix can handle or they have made some difference to its aerodynamics. Not that likely as a Bix in good condition has quite some 'spare' performance.

 

[Merv]

I agree with the @quorneng, the battery needs to be checked out. Sometimes one cell will go bad in storage, it will look like it’s charging, but will not hold the charge.

 

[awisniewski]

Thanks guys.
I'm happy to report the Bixler 3 is working again and climbing like a champ!

I put the batteries into storage over the winter and only charged them this last week maybe that was it.
I did a storage on them to cycle them down and a balance and it looked like all the cells were pretty balanced this time.

I also moved the CG point back a few mm's to the servo wire behind the large aluminum spar.

Not sure which change fixed my problem but I feel like I wasn't balancing it back far enough. Still not sure
why that would have changed as I marked on the underside of my plane that the CG was the aluminum spar.
Maybe I was rushing to balance and didn't get the right spot.

Also happy that my flight times seemed to be longer. 10 mins before to about 14 mins.

 

[quorneng]

awisniewski
Just remember over discharging a LiPo below 3.3V/cell under load will at best shorten its life and at worst wrecked it.
If at the end of a flight you put a LiPo on a storage charge and the charger starts to actually charge it then you have likely discharged it too far.