Help! Sudden or no sufficient power from battery to motor, ESC heat up.
- Thread starter Karthik1130
- Start date
It may be that the linkage stopper is not rotating freely on the servo horn.
Also, disconnect the push rod from the elevator or servo to see if the elevator moves freely.
Karthik1130
Member
I have checked the elevons. it's not freely moving on its own. I used fibreglass tape to reinforce the hinge. Due to that, the elevon can be moved only when pushed manually and the hinge is tight and strong.
I have not applied glue, instead used this fibreglass tape.
Karthik1130
Member
Hello all, please find the CG point balanced with slight touch nose down as shown in the image below.
Is this how everyone balance? and also can anyone please post the layout of parts in the powerpod in FT Delta?
Today gonna try maiden, with the trimming method of up elevator trim.
Is this how everyone balance? and also can anyone please post the layout of parts in the powerpod in FT Delta?
Today gonna try maiden, with the trimming method of up elevator trim.
Attachments
The pushrods need to be supported some way.
Piotrsko
Master member
Karthik1130
Member
Hello all,
Today took the FT Delta with CG balanced as per the Flite test drawing and build video, for the handlaunched glide test in the hard concrete floor of approximately 30ft long.
The following were the modification made to the plane before the glide test:
1) A2212 6T 2200kV motor and 6inch propeller were removed and, replaced with modelling clay inside the front end of the powerpod to balance for the CG.
Glide test:
1)With no trimming of elevons, the plane flew for approximately 6feet and then nose dived.
2) When the elevons were made to move down by pressing up elevator trim a tiny bit, and handlaunched the plane flew just short of 6feet and then nose dived and it was not a smooth landing, and the plane crashed ground first on the front bottom end of powerpod.
3) When the elevons were instead made to move up by pressing down elevator trim a little bit, the plane flew the entire 30ft in a stable glide approach and smoothly landed on the belly of the powerpod.It didn't nose up even a little bit through out the glide path.
Note:
(Before every handlaunching, the CG was checked for same position as per drawing)
Now,I don't understand why this is happening here.This is quite opposite to what, I have seen all the time, during the powered maiden test flights, where the plane pitches up first and crashes to the ground.
I have attached the images of the following :
1)Elevons in upside position, which lead to stable glide and smooth belly landing, covering 30ft.
2) The modelling clay inside the powerpod, without motor and prop.
Can anybody pls help.
Today took the FT Delta with CG balanced as per the Flite test drawing and build video, for the handlaunched glide test in the hard concrete floor of approximately 30ft long.
The following were the modification made to the plane before the glide test:
1) A2212 6T 2200kV motor and 6inch propeller were removed and, replaced with modelling clay inside the front end of the powerpod to balance for the CG.
Glide test:
1)With no trimming of elevons, the plane flew for approximately 6feet and then nose dived.
2) When the elevons were made to move down by pressing up elevator trim a tiny bit, and handlaunched the plane flew just short of 6feet and then nose dived and it was not a smooth landing, and the plane crashed ground first on the front bottom end of powerpod.
3) When the elevons were instead made to move up by pressing down elevator trim a little bit, the plane flew the entire 30ft in a stable glide approach and smoothly landed on the belly of the powerpod.It didn't nose up even a little bit through out the glide path.
Note:
(Before every handlaunching, the CG was checked for same position as per drawing)
Now,I don't understand why this is happening here.This is quite opposite to what, I have seen all the time, during the powered maiden test flights, where the plane pitches up first and crashes to the ground.
I have attached the images of the following :
1)Elevons in upside position, which lead to stable glide and smooth belly landing, covering 30ft.
2) The modelling clay inside the powerpod, without motor and prop.
Can anybody pls help.
Attachments
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Foamforce
Elite member
That’s a small enough amount of up elevator trim that it looks perfectly fine. If it glides like that, go with it. Make sure you’re still balancing on the COG after reinstalling the motor and prop, since those are further forward than your clay, so they will affect the balance more.
At that point, if it glides well without power, but pitches up under power, then it’s probably a problem with trust angle. In other words, your motor is probably tilted upward, which pulls the nose up under power. Tilt it a little downward until it doesn’t pull up under power. To do that, you can either cut a slight down angle into the front of the power pod, or you can install washers under the top screw on the motor. Also, your power pod is so mushed up that you should rebuild it. It might actually be mushed that the firewall pulls forward and up when you give it throttle.
At that point, if it glides well without power, but pitches up under power, then it’s probably a problem with trust angle. In other words, your motor is probably tilted upward, which pulls the nose up under power. Tilt it a little downward until it doesn’t pull up under power. To do that, you can either cut a slight down angle into the front of the power pod, or you can install washers under the top screw on the motor. Also, your power pod is so mushed up that you should rebuild it. It might actually be mushed that the firewall pulls forward and up when you give it throttle.
How hard are you throwing it?
For a glide test, you need to throw it with quite a bit of force, like you were throwing a ball 10 yards or meters or so. Also you need to throw it with a slight downward angle, again, at an imaginary spot 10 yards of meters in front of you.
The last thing you want is to throw it slightly upwards with little to no force. Any plane you throw this way will stall and nose dive to the ground.
Karthik1130
Member
before I try again for a flight session, I have a doubt. In the earlier maiden it was said that I should move the elevons down, so that it doesn't pitch up. But in the unpowered glide test, it's the opposite, when the elevons are moved up only it's possible to get a smooth glide.
So, now I couldn't understand why this is happening?
Foamforce
Elite member
I believe you said that you didn’t have it balanced in the COG points, but then compensated by adding a lot of elevator up. Now it appears that you have it balanced at the original COG points and you have a small amount of up elevator. That’s totally fine.
Piotrsko
Master member
Threw me for a while until I had it sorted out : Yup, up elevator is down stick.
Your new test glide issue is stalling, where it isn't flying fast enough to keep the air attached to the upper side of the wing. A wee bit less commanded UP or lots more altitude so it can fall accelerate back up to flying speed. You don't have altitude or speed increase test gliding, so if it doesnt bury the nose into the dirt, the test glide is sucessful. Add down thrust like mentioned above and it should be behaving. Tis still a delta, so it's gonna misbehave somewhat at low speed.
Your new test glide issue is stalling, where it isn't flying fast enough to keep the air attached to the upper side of the wing. A wee bit less commanded UP or lots more altitude so it can fall accelerate back up to flying speed. You don't have altitude or speed increase test gliding, so if it doesnt bury the nose into the dirt, the test glide is sucessful. Add down thrust like mentioned above and it should be behaving. Tis still a delta, so it's gonna misbehave somewhat at low speed.
Foamforce
Elite member
Note that he said his third glide test went very well. It went 30ft. That seems to indicate that it’s well balanced and was thrown fairly well.
However, to eliminate confusion, a video of the glide test would be very helpful!
@Karthik1130 , there is a lot of confusion here because there are no videos. Please consider posting videos.
Piotrsko
Master member
Actually it indicates it was flying somewhat for that 30ft. At 31ft (to be pendant) it stopped flying, an event generally caused by lack of sufficient airspeed either by stall or contact with ground both of which tend to be inevitable. I don't see ground contact, I suspect airspeed degradation to stall. Nose bobble is not mandatory
Karthik1130
Member
Hello all,
The link for the left elevon pushrod binding, and servo stuttering and making noise is shown below.I don't know how to avoid this binding.
The link for the left elevon pushrod binding, and servo stuttering and making noise is shown below.I don't know how to avoid this binding.
Karthik1130
Member
Hello all,
Today took the FT delta for flight, with CG balanced as shown in the build video. Unfortunately, I don't have camera to take video. Next time will post video here.
The following were the observations:
1) Unpowered glide test went more than 30ft parallel to the ground, into the wind and, then touched smoothly in the ground.
2) Powered flight was having problem, it was pitching nose up, the moment it was handlaunched,even with zero thrust angle in the powerpod.
As mentioned by Foamforce, the problem seems to be thrust angle. Next try is gonna be with down thrust angle.
But in Flitetest video, there is no thrust angle provided,and why it's happening only here? and how much should be the down thrust angle?
Last edited:
quorneng
Master member
Karthik1130
You have to remember that plane in a stable configuration in a glide is travelling at a particular speed.
If you add thrust the plane will speed up and its natural stability will make it climb so it returns to its glide speed.
From your description I suspect your stable glide speed is close to the wing stall speed and as a result the plane will be very susceptible to any speed increase.
How much power did you use? You have shown a successful glide so why not use a little power to give an "extended" glide. Done like this if the thrust line or CG or incidence angles are "out" the effect of the modest thrust will be limited and hopefully give you time to control things.
Take little steps.
I have several planes that very rarely use full power at the launch as things happen too fast to ensure it is successful but once in the air a controlled and sustained near vertical climb is both possible and impressive.
You have to remember that plane in a stable configuration in a glide is travelling at a particular speed.
If you add thrust the plane will speed up and its natural stability will make it climb so it returns to its glide speed.
From your description I suspect your stable glide speed is close to the wing stall speed and as a result the plane will be very susceptible to any speed increase.
How much power did you use? You have shown a successful glide so why not use a little power to give an "extended" glide. Done like this if the thrust line or CG or incidence angles are "out" the effect of the modest thrust will be limited and hopefully give you time to control things.
Take little steps.
I have several planes that very rarely use full power at the launch as things happen too fast to ensure it is successful but once in the air a controlled and sustained near vertical climb is both possible and impressive.
Karthik1130
Member
Hello all, took the FT Delta with down thrust angle of 3°. The nose up tendency was observed to be slightly reduced, but it was found to be not enough.
Karthik1130
Member
How much down thrust angle should be provided?
