FT Flyer - keeps crashing

[Mostly Harmless]

That seems backward to me. Have I always been doing it wrong?

When the right transmitter stick is pushed up, the elevator should move down.
When the right transmitter stick is pushed down, the elevator should move up.

Don't think of it as pushing the stick up or down. Think like you're sitting in an aircraft cockpit with the stick in front of you. If you lean back, you're looking up. If you lean forward, you're looking down. Thus, when you pull the stick back, the plane goes up. And when you push the stick forward, the plane goes down. (Remember all the WWII movies where a plane is spinning out of control and all of the pilot's comrades are shouting, "Pull up!" )

 

[JimCR120]

That seems backward to me. Have I always been doing it wrong?

If you have been pushing the stick forward to make it pitch up, then yes that was wrong and wouild explain why everyone was thinking the movement was reversed.

You could just reverse the elevator but then you would be the one in a milliion that operates it backwards and no one could just pass their tx from their hands to yours.

What you really need to do now is retrain your brain to think pulling back pitches up and pushing forward pitches down. Then go enjoy what might is likely a well built airplane.

 

[kdobson83]

What that big yellow thing under the wing servo? I hope it's not the battery.
In your first post @ .17sec
Whater it is Seems to be center wingtip to wingtip but what I am curious about is its placement so far away from the motor

Aggreed, if that's your battery you have cg issues. If I remember my flier, I had a 500mah battery pushed all the way forward to get CG right. Everything sounds like a CG/Trim issue.

 

[DauntlessDave]

Not to revive an old thread, but I had some problems keeping the FT flyer in the air as well, so I figured I'd put my two cents in. In a nutshell, lightweight, slowfly, 3-channel planes with a large wing area hate turning into the wind. With less than 3 knots wind the Flyer is fun and easy. But flying in higher winds, downwind the plane will fly very fast and lose altitude. Turning it back into the wind exposes the big wing, at an angle, robbing the plane of lift and forcing it toward the ground quickly. With ailerons, one can roll a plane level and use elevator to counteract this. With three channel, you need to rely on elevator alone and if you are too close to the ground in too much wind, sometimes thats not enough and the wind will jam the plane into the ground.

 

[baronbernie]

Battery

After giving your equipment list a second looking over, I see you are using a much larger battery than what is needed. The video shows a 500mAh battery being used and you are using an 800mAh battery. Also You are using a much larger ESC than called for, again, the equipment list for this plane is an 18-20 amp Esc and you seem to be using a 30 amp Esc. I am no wizard in this area (actually still learning), but is it possible that the weight and placement of the battery be part of your problem?

 

[lleemon]

ok, will give that a try, thanks.

 

[bazsound]

Has the CG been addressed> had a look back trhought he posts and could see if the cg was confirmed to be where it should be.

planes can become very pitch sensitive if tail heavy, although with a heavier battery id expect it to be nose heavy *ubnless the battery is in the rear.

What abot control throws, rates and expo. could it possibly be far to omuch through or not enough expo.

Have you flown planes before? might be going to far out on a limb but are you over controlling....

 

[lleemon]

... Have you flown planes before? might be going to far out on a limb but are you over controlling....

Thanks for the thoughts, as for have a flown plane comment, probably not a expert but have a few minutes on the sticks, yeah, I document all my flights.

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