FliteTest in Phoenix RC (Model Index)

CavRecon

Member
Guys, just a word of thanks for this. You have probably doubled my joy in using Phoenix with just these. Keep them coming!
 

smithhayward

Large Child
Ok so I just took the Storch for a spin for a while and here's my feedback.

1. It's got way more power than mine did on a 1380kv 3s motor (8x6prop). This is fine, and fun, but mine flew at full throttle what this one does at about 40%

2. Out of the box up elevator is crazy high. I can at one point get it to do loops on its own at full-throttle (if I don't trim it out).

3. Roll rate seems dead-on

4. Crashes all seem dead-on.

I'll play more in the coming weeks and see where else I can help - AWESOME JOB!
 

rockyboy

Skill Collector
Mentor
Got'em all installed! I love the Barons - I haven't flown them in real life yet, but being able to practice before I take the little bank-and-yank rocket out is very cool. The Sportster flys way better than mine ever did - mine was very sluggish to respond to rudder commands. Not sure if that was typical or not, but the simulator version is a lot of fun to fly. If my Sportster acted like that, I would've kept it. :)
 

JohnRambozo

Posted a thousand or more times
Ok so I just took the Storch for a spin for a while and here's my feedback.

1. It's got way more power than mine did on a 1380kv 3s motor (8x6prop). This is fine, and fun, but mine flew at full throttle what this one does at about 40%

2. Out of the box up elevator is crazy high. I can at one point get it to do loops on its own at full-throttle (if I don't trim it out).

3. Roll rate seems dead-on

4. Crashes all seem dead-on.

I'll play more in the coming weeks and see where else I can help - AWESOME JOB!

Thanks for the feedback, smithhayward. Its always interesting to see how different people's experiences are and I'd like that to be an aspect of what we're doing. I could add a variant with your power and prop setup and tune it to fly the way yours did. The model in the sim is spinning the recommended 10x4.7 prop. That's a very different experience from an 8x6 prop. Much more power and probably a lower top speed.

It would be cool to let people select your 1380kv 3s / 8x6 prop setup and see what that's like, then switch over to the 10x4.7 prop and see how different it is before buying what they want for their real plane. Even a 9x6 which I've seen flies very nicely on the Storch, too.

Would you be interested in evaluating an approximation of your setup?

As for the elevator throw. That's easy to change. That's always something tricky to gauge because everyone sets their planes up differently. I can tone it down if you think its too crazy.

And crashes dead on? Awesome. ;)
 

JohnRambozo

Posted a thousand or more times
Got'em all installed! I love the Barons - I haven't flown them in real life yet, but being able to practice before I take the little bank-and-yank rocket out is very cool. The Sportster flys way better than mine ever did - mine was very sluggish to respond to rudder commands. Not sure if that was typical or not, but the simulator version is a lot of fun to fly. If my Sportster acted like that, I would've kept it. :)

I did the baron first because I have first hand experience. They are a handful for sure. And tons of fun.

I am always disappointed in rudder performance in real life, too. I'd like to hear if anyone else thinks the rudder is too responsive.

Rockboy, did you try to maximize the deflection on your rudder or just go with the default prescribed by Flite Test? (on the real one)
 
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localfiend

I like 3D printers...
Mentor
Just ordered Phoenix. After having already bought realflight I've spent more money on simulators than 10 FT aircraft. Oh well. I've crashed way more money value inside simulators than that.
 

Rasterize

Maker of skins and decals for foam board RC planes
Moderator
Mentor
My Phoenix is supposed to arrive today, a day early! At least that's what the USPS website says...
 

Rasterize

Maker of skins and decals for foam board RC planes
Moderator
Mentor
Phoenix is up and running and I have already ran into Chads house with a Storch many times over.
Then I laugh and laugh! My wife keeps looking at me funny. No idea why....

Soooo the thought then comes to me. Who/when will we organize an online multiplayer "Flite Test Forum Phoenix Friend Fly"...or something like that. Any interest?
 

JohnRambozo

Posted a thousand or more times
Phoenix is up and running and I have already ran into Chads house with a Storch many times over.
Then I laugh and laugh! My wife keeps looking at me funny. No idea why....

Soooo the thought then comes to me. Who/when will we organize an online multiplayer "Flite Test Forum Phoenix Friend Fly"...or something like that. Any interest?

Awesome! On my to-do list is to revise the Kapper Residence site so you can fly under the trampoline and through the swingset. Its tricky to get the placement right in the site editor but its do-able.

We should do a session ASAP. If you're like me and think sitting at your computer on a Friday night is a good time, then let's do it tonight. I'll have the session open, working on planes until people show up, then I'll take a break to fly and chat.

Session: Flite Test Fans
Password: flitetest
Time: 8pm Eastern - ??
 

JohnRambozo

Posted a thousand or more times
Rasterize, your Baby Brit (and Baron) schemes are great. I will update this post with instructions to create additional schemes. I also updated the model description (after these screen shots were taken) to credit you. Let me know if you'd prefer to go by your real name or by Rasterize.


SopWithScheme.png

PakRatScheme.png

Steps to Creating a Scheme in Phoenix Builder from Scratch:

  1. Launch Phoenix Builder
  2. Select File > New > Scheme...
  3. In the far right panel, Click Scheme
  4. In the lower right, Click in the blank space to the right of Model
  5. Locate the model file for which the scheme will be created
    (Documents\PhoenixRC\Downloaded\Models\User-made\Airplanes)
  6. Select the model file (.mod) and Click Open. Plane with current paint is displayed in Phoenix Builder.
  7. In the far right panel, Expand Scheme by clicking the small arrow beside Scheme
  8. Expand Textures if not already expanded
  9. Click on the Texture (e.g. FT_Airplane.png)
  10. In the lower right, Click on "Click to Export"
  11. Choose a folder for the files to be exported. Select or create a folder that is not within the PhoenixRC folders. (e.g. Documents\PhoenixModels\FT_Baby_Brit\Scheme)
  12. Click OK
  13. Minimize Phoenix Builder, no need to close it
  14. Open the folder location of the exported files in Windows File Explorer
  15. There will be 2 files for each texture: (e.g. FT_Airplane_New scheme_exported.bmp, FT_Airplane_New scheme_exported_uvs.bmp) Do not edit the file ending uvs.bmp.
  16. Open the image files in any image editor.
  17. Paint, or overlay the existing paint. Its important to be precise. The individual shapes are mapped very specifically to the geometry of the model.
  18. When satisfied with the new scheme, Save as 32 bit BMP. If using Gimp, Export as BMP and select ARGB not XRBG. If ARGB is grayed out, right click the layer in the layers list and Add Alpha channel.
  19. Return to Phoenix Builder
  20. Select the Material to update in the upper right panel if not already selected
  21. In the lower right click the filename beside New.
  22. Navigate to the location of your newly painted files (e.g. Documents\PhoenixModels\FT_Baby_Brit\Scheme)
  23. Select the corresponding image to be replaced (for FT_Airplane.png, select FT_Airplane_New scheme_exported.bmp) This should update on the model immediately in Phoenix Builder
  24. Click File > Save As... and name the Scheme.
  25. Click File > Test... then Click OK in the dialogue box that pops up.

    The following steps are IMPORTANT and are NOT documented in Phoenix Builder.

  26. In Windows File Explorer navigate to Documents\PhoenixBuilder\Test\Schemes
  27. The Texture file must remain the same, so rename each Texture file as follows:
    Texture#My_Scheme.png (e.g. FT_Airplane#PakRat.png)
  28. To make the scheme show up in Phoenix RC as a selectable Scheme, create a very small .bmp file in any image editor. 1x1 pixel is fine. This is a dummy file simply for naming the Scheme in Phoenix RC.
  29. Save as BMP named as follows: folder-name of the model followed by the name of the scheme separated by a #.

    For Example: If the model folder is called FT_Baby_Brit and the scheme is PakRat, name the dummy BMP file FT_Baby_Brit#PakRat.bmp
  30. Copy or Move all Texture files and the bmp file into the specific Model folder (e.g. Documents\PhoenixRC\Downloaded\Models\User-made\Airplanes\FT_Baby_Brit)

    Easy as that. ;)
 
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rockyboy

Skill Collector
Mentor
I did the baron first because I have first hand experience. They are a handful for sure. And tons of fun.

I am always disappointed in rudder performance in real life, too. I'd like to hear if anyone else thinks the rudder is too responsive.

Rockboy, did you try to maximize the deflection on your rudder or just go with the default prescribed by Flite Test? (on the real one)

I messed around with control throws, CoG, and a couple different props on the Mini Sportster. Never did get a flying experience I liked. It pitched around like crazy in any breeze, didn't respond well to (very sluggish) to controls, and generally wasn't much fun. So far it's been the only Flite Test design that I just couldn't get to fly like the videos.
 

Rasterize

Maker of skins and decals for foam board RC planes
Moderator
Mentor
We should do a session ASAP. If you're like me and think sitting at your computer on a Friday night is a good time, then let's do it tonight. I'll have the session open, working on planes until people show up, then I'll take a break to fly and chat.Session: Flite Test Fans
Password: flitetest
Time: 8pm Eastern - ??

We so need to get the word out on this. I'll be there with my "naked" Storch. lol! 8PM EST.
Is the chat audio or text only?

We can call it "Gaggle Practice". I'll post it on that thread as well.
 

JohnRambozo

Posted a thousand or more times
I messed around with control throws, CoG, and a couple different props on the Mini Sportster. Never did get a flying experience I liked. It pitched around like crazy in any breeze, didn't respond well to (very sluggish) to controls, and generally wasn't much fun. So far it's been the only Flite Test design that I just couldn't get to fly like the videos.

That stinks. I wonder what was wrong. Bixler said the Sportster is his favorite FT plane.
 

JohnRambozo

Posted a thousand or more times
We so need to get the word out on this. I'll be there with my "naked" Storch. lol! 8PM EST.
Is the chat audio or text only?

We can call it "Gaggle Practice". I'll post it on that thread as well.

Feel free to make a post on Facebook in Flite Test Fans, too. I'll have the Baby Baron with at least one skin by then. Gaggle Practice, I like it! And there is voice chat. I haven't really tried it... We're probably better off using something like team speak than the sim for voice.
 

Rasterize

Maker of skins and decals for foam board RC planes
Moderator
Mentor
Rasterize, your Baby Brit (and Baron) schemes are great. I will update this post with instructions to create additional schemes....Let me know if you'd prefer to go by your real name or by Rasterize.

Either is fine. My real name is Stephen Rosema. Rasterize is shorter.
When you made the Camel and pakrats Navy trainer schemes did you use the PDF's I sent out or the proofs I posted on the thread?

Steps to Creating a Scheme in Phoenix Builder from Scratch

Dude! Thanks so much for this!
 

JohnRambozo

Posted a thousand or more times
Either is fine. My real name is Stephen Rosema. Rasterize is shorter.
When you made the Camel and pakrats Navy trainer schemes did you use the PDF's I sent out or the proofs I posted on the thread?

I just used your proofs and created two .png files at 1024x1024 each. You're wasting memory if you're using image files larger than that. You'll see when you export a texture to create a new scheme. Just paste in, line up and scale your new graphics right on top of the existing ones. They need to match size and position exactly.

You're very welcome. I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with it.
 

smithhayward

Large Child
Awesome! On my to-do list is to revise the Kapper Residence site so you can fly under the trampoline and through the swingset. Its tricky to get the placement right in the site editor but its do-able.

We should do a session ASAP. If you're like me and think sitting at your computer on a Friday night is a good time, then let's do it tonight. I'll have the session open, working on planes until people show up, then I'll take a break to fly and chat.

Session: Flite Test Fans
Password: flitetest
Time: 8pm Eastern - ??

I'll try to join. I'm in Pacific time and could actually get on a little before that (I work from home! :D)