Simple Scout Left hand turn

[jmercmon]

Flew my new scout a few times and it always hooks to the left on take off. I have been using launch control with the Arua. After I get it flying it’s controllable but it does still hang left some. Really the only way I feel I am keeping control is I built this one with alerons so I can bank the plane and not just using rudder.

So I started reading here and most talk about making sure the thrust angle is correct. So I pulled the power pod and there seems to be no angle at all when I check it with a square. Either side of the power pod. I did assemble the firewall with the A pointing to the front of the plane.

This was built from a kit, so what gives? Is the thrust angle so slight that I cannot see or measure it with a square (I’m chuckling as I write that statement). So either the kit is bad and not getting cut correctly or the Simple scout has no thrust angle on the power pod.

If it does need thrust angle what is the correct angle for the simple scout?

 

[whackflyer]

First off, you're gonna have some pull to the left on take off from P-factor, or prop torque. Is there any differences in the left wing that would make it heavier or have a different profile? Is your rudder centered and your linkage tight? Have you tried just simply trimming it out? Is the pull in flight yaw or roll? Is your Aura mounted flat and straight? Make sure your whole vertical stab is 90 degrees to the wing. Hope this helps!

 

[jmercmon]

First thanks for your help!

Everything looks square on the plane if I stare at it really long it might have slight (very slight) angle to the left leading to trailing edge on the vertical stabilizer looking from front of plane. I have flown it 4 times less than a minute each on the first 3 and went down after take off on last try and busted prop. No spare with me. This was defiantly me fighting the turn but my brain got lost and as soon as you touch the controls the launch assist stops and the elevator goes back to center and well I guess I backed off and tried to bring it back hard right and it pretty much stalled out and went in the ground.

The in flight turning tendency is defiantly yaw. Same with after take launch. It’s not rolling at all. I imagine the arua is taking care of that issue.

I do have the arua mounted with the little ship pointing foward. I have mine inverted but I connected it to the software on PC and told the Arua it was mounted inverted. I am 100% confident that the arua is mounted and set correctly. I spent a good bit of time testing it and setting the trim on it for all 3 modes and testing controller for correct operation.

So I am going to give this a try, trim as you suggest and see if that helps. I was also wondering if not going 100% throttle on launch might help. Do you normally use full throttle to launch plane?

 

[The Hangar]

Like @whackflyer said I’ll try to roll to the left due to p-factor. You could add a washer to the left side of the motor mount to angle the motor mount right just a little, and that would help. The simple scout doesn’t have any thrust angle built in, but I know that often people will add a little just to help.

 

[whackflyer]

First thanks for your help!

Everything looks square on the plane if I stare at it really long it might have slight (very slight) angle to the left leading to trailing edge on the vertical stabilizer looking from front of plane. I have flown it 4 times less than a minute each on the first 3 and went down after take off on last try and busted prop. No spare with me. This was defiantly me fighting the turn but my brain got lost and as soon as you touch the controls the launch assist stops and the elevator goes back to center and well I guess I backed off and tried to bring it back hard right and it pretty much stalled out and went in the ground.

The in flight turning tendency is defiantly yaw. Same with after take launch. It’s not rolling at all. I imagine the arua is taking care of that issue.

I do have the arua mounted with the little ship pointing foward. I have mine inverted but I connected it to the software on PC and told the Arua it was mounted inverted. I am 100% confident that the arua is mounted and set correctly. I spent a good bit of time testing it and setting the trim on it for all 3 modes and testing controller for correct operation.

So I am going to give this a try, trim as you suggest and see if that helps. I was also wondering if not going 100% throttle on launch might help. Do you normally use full throttle to launch plane?

I do use full throttle on launch, some people don't. You can probably launch with less on the Scout. Like @The Hangar said, you can also put a washer on the left side of the motor to give it a little right thrust angle. You could try using some sub trim on the ground to give the rudder a slight angle to the right before you launch and see if that helps. Don't get discouraged, you'll get it!

 

[jmercmon]

Nope will not get discouraged ..... I can fly the real thing so I figure its just a matter of getting it trimmed out right and it sounds like I have a couple of options. I am first going to try sub trim and see what that does. I will setup my launch position a little better so I have more time to deal with the left turn if it happens.

 

[whackflyer]

Nope will not get discouraged ..... I can fly the real thing so I figure its just a matter of getting it trimmed out right and it sounds like I have a couple of options. I am first going to try sub trim and see what that does. I will setup my launch position a little better so I have more time to deal with the left turn if it happens.

Sounds like a good plan! Keep us posted on what happens.

 

[Piotrsko]

If you have runway to spare, treat it like it really is: a taildragger. You wouldn't slam full throttle on take off in a Piper Pacer or super cub cuz it will ground loop in a heart beat so you add throttle incrementally. A bit of up elevator will keep the tail planted until you have more rudder authority. If you toss it there will be less tendency to turn because you have airspeed.

 

[jmercmon]

Squeezed in a flight this morning, was a little windy. I added subtrim to the rudder and it seemed to help. I stopped using the launch control so that my have helped as well. Plane flies well, due to the wind I was not able to do any in flight trimming. I could defiantly tell when I turned into the wind. The Arua is absolutely helping keep things stable, if I switch it off real quick things start to get out of hand with my experience level quickly but flipping the switch back on brings things right back to stable.

Over all everything is going great, Just need to spend some more time flying.

@Piotrsko .... I don't have my tail wheel endorsement so for me it tri gear and smoothly apply full throttle. Now, I want to get tail wheel so I will defiantly keep that in mind when I go for it .... maybe it will make me look like I know what I'm doing to the CFI ... LOL

 

[jmercmon]

Oh and I am hand tossing, basically just doing an easy underhand toss. Nothing crazy.

 

[Sparky45]

Flew my new scout a few times and it always hooks to the left on take off. I have been using launch control with the Arua. After I get it flying it’s controllable but it does still hang left some. Really the only way I feel I am keeping control is I built this one with alerons so I can bank the plane and not just using rudder.

So I started reading here and most talk about making sure the thrust angle is correct. So I pulled the power pod and there seems to be no angle at all when I check it with a square. Either side of the power pod. I did assemble the firewall with the A pointing to the front of the plane.

This was built from a kit, so what gives? Is the thrust angle so slight that I cannot see or measure it with a square (I’m chuckling as I write that statement). So either the kit is bad and not getting cut correctly or the Simple scout has no thrust angle on the power pod.

If it does need thrust angle what is the correct angle for the simple scout?

Hi I have the same Super Scout and yes it torques to the left on take off but I have to hold full right rudder on the roll out. As others have said just ease into the throttle and as it starts to go left hold full right rudder while you open the throttle.
Hope that helps

 

[jmercmon]

Well I have gotten better at my launch, The FT Arua 5 launch assist helps now that I under stand how it works better once enabled elevator and ailerons will not work unit you get up past a certain throttle but the rudder works the whole time so after a few tries i got use to jumping on a little right rudder after I underhand toss it.

Its really an amazing plane. I crashed it pretty hard yesterday and ended up in 3 pieces ..... a few hours, some hot glue, and some spare pieces of foam board to reinforce a couple of spots and I think it flies better than before .... LOL .. the main lesson for this one was the Arua 6 axis system really helps some one who's new to flying RC (I had the switch in the wrong position).

I now have a Simple Stick kit in hand to build, I think after some more hard landings and other follies that my scout my be done. Maybe by that time I will have the hang of it enough to make the Stick last a few more flights than the scout.

 

[whackflyer]

Well I have gotten better at my launch, The FT Arua 5 launch assist helps now that I under stand how it works better once enabled elevator and ailerons will not work unit you get up past a certain throttle but the rudder works the whole time so after a few tries i got use to jumping on a little right rudder after I underhand toss it.

Its really an amazing plane. I crashed it pretty hard yesterday and ended up in 3 pieces ..... a few hours, some hot glue, and some spare pieces of foam board to reinforce a couple of spots and I think it flies better than before .... LOL .. the main lesson for this one was the Arua 6 axis system really helps some one who's new to flying RC (I had the switch in the wrong position).

I now have a Simple Stick kit in hand to build, I think after some more hard landings and other follies that my scout my be done. Maybe by that time I will have the hang of it enough to make the Stick last a few more flights than the scout.

Cool! Sounds like you got it figured out!

 

[jmercmon]

Yep, Hot glue fixes everything.