Ft Flyer won't climb.

[zendarva]

I've just finished building an FT flyer, I took it to the local schools soccer field and tried flying.

Well, it flies, but it won't climb even at full throttle and full elevator. The motor gets really hot, and at full throttle the pitch of the motor changes to a painful sound.

I suspect i may have too big of a prop for the motor I wound up with, the relevant parts i bought are:
1x #Park300-1080/19033 Turnigy Park300 Brushless Outrunner 1080kv
1x #329000234-0/55252 Turnigy Slowfly Propeller 8x4.5 White (CW) (2pcs)

I'm running it with a 3s 700mah battery, and a 25 amp ESC, so i know it's getting enough power (obviously, or it wouldn't be so dang hot)

I'm thinking I've got too big a prop, or too small a motor. A new prop isn't that big a deal, but if i go down to a 7 or 6 inch prop, will it be produce enough thrust to fly the plane? If a new motor is the suggestion, I don't really want to wait for shipping, and would thus be limited to what my local RC shop has.

Suppo 2204 2300Kv
Suppo 1806 2260Kv
(Both around 14$)

Cobra 2204/28 2300Kv
Cobra 2204/32 1960kv
(Both around 20$)

If you suggest switching motors, suggested prop sizes would also wonderful.

 

[mrwhiskers]

I'd just go with a 1300kv Blue Wonder motor spinning an 8x4 prop like they say to do. I've had tons of luck with these motors, and they are pretty inexpensive. I think that park 300 you have is a tad too small, so it would probably help to bump up to a bigger motor like the BW.

 

[Capt_Beavis]

The basic questions.

1. Is your prop on correctly? Are the numbers facing forward?

2. Is you motor spinning the proper direction (I assume so it if flies at all)

3. If your prop on tight? I have had my prop squeal like crazy at high RPM when it was loose.

4. If your ESC properly calibrated?


My flies pretty well with a 2S with a 2204 and a 7x4 APC prop. you will need to make some mounting holes for the 2204, they aren't the same distance as the stock swappable motor mount holes.

 

[zendarva]

1. The prop only seems to stay mounted in one direction, the hub of the prop has a deep cup on one side, and if i mount it with that side facing toward the propsaver it seems to want to come off at the slightest tap. I didn't see any printing on the prop to use to orient it.



2. Motor is spinning the correct direction.

3. Prop is mounted with a prop saver, the size the hobby shop told me was correct. It appears to be relatively well mounted, but i don't have the experience to be sure.

4. I think so. I did the turn it on at full throttle, then throttle down bit. The appropriate beeps were emitted.

 

[defhermit]

it looks like its on backward to me. its hard to describe but the "scoop" of the blade should be facing backward, and it looks like it's facing the camera in that picture. imagine the prop is a spoon trying to cut into too-frozen ice cream. are you trying to scoop out the ice cream with the spoon's rounded side?

 

[Capt_Beavis]

I agree, I can't see any numbers, it appears to be on backwards. The numbers have to face in the direction of desired flight.

 

[zendarva]

You were both absolutely correct, the prop was on backwards. I flipped it around (it doesn't have any text on this side either. *Sigh*), and what a difference! It was perfectly flyable, and didn't fight me nearly as bad as my expensive store bought Super Cub.

Three issues left tho. (One's my fault and you might get a laugh)

1. At full throttle the prop saver lets go, and the prop goes flying. (Do i need tighter prop savers? Do prop savers just suck?)

2. The airplane seems to require a fair amount of elevator to stay level, is this normal?

3. Origionally i though the first issues i encountered might have been weight related, so i stripped the paper from the top of the plane, thinking to reduce the weight. Having forgotten how much this weakened the wings, I attempted a loop, and the wings folded, the plane slammed into the ground hard enough to utterly destroy the main wing. Hehe. It's not a proper newbie maiden unless there's a crash.

 

[Capt_Beavis]

on #2 the plane does require some up to have lift since it doesn't have an airfoil. It could be you need to mechanically add more elevator tor you could be a bit nose heavy but the plane gets lift through angle of a attack not from an airfoil.

 

[zendarva]

Would that be why one of the more common mods i see done to the Flyer is to add a KF step to the wing?

 

[Capt_Beavis]

Probably.

 

[defhermit]

I abandoned prop savers very quickly. Props are cheap and its just simpler to keep the prop secured down soundly with a tight fit.

 

[defhermit]

also, if you require a lot of elevator to be level you are probably nose heavy. looking at your picture the battery seems to be pretty far forward. did you notice the center of gravity marks on the plan when you made the plane? There is a little mark on each wing that points out balancing points. you should be able to balance the plane holding two fingers at those points under the wing. move your battery accordingly until the plane is basically horizontal naturally balancing on your fingertips on those points. the speed build kits actually cut a pin-point on those marks so you can feel them with your fingers, it makes it much easier to do...

 

[M2oseMarshall]

Zendarva,
I'm in noway claim to be an expert on FLYERS, But I have built six of them so far out of DTFB, ROSS FB, and Elmers FB! Each one has had modifications to the previous one! The first was just like the FT Flyer from beginning to end! The second out of Ross FB! The third was built out of Elmers FB! In all three I had problems with the push rods bending when the servos were pushing the control surfaces! The CG was alittle different on all three types of FB. I had no problem with lift or flight characteristics!!! They all three flew fine! On the fourth one, instead of zip ties, I made brackets out of three layers of FB and cut out a groove for a coffee stire stick and sanded it down at an angle to match the pitch of the control arms! This worked great to correct the push rod bending problem!!! My students use these plane to learn to fly on our football field! After several flights with these planes the hinges begin to delaminate. I saw a video on You-Tube on how to make alternating tape hinges! The work great and let the control surfaces move with ease but are very very strong!!! I then saw how to make a spring loaded control surface on Andrew Newtons videos on You-Tube. The springs are made out of small diameter paino wire! On this sixth Flyer, I used this method. The spring loads the control surface away from the servo and the servo actually only pulls against the spring. Because of this set up, I use 50 lb braided fishing line to connect the servo to the control line! It works great!! I then added a 1/3 KF step to the wing!!! The last Flyer flys better than them all!!! I use a prop saver in the beginning a also and got tired of hunting for the O ring every time it popped off!!! Good Luck with your flying!!!9