Tiny trainer questions +

[earthquake]

I got the plane it self done today, it is not perfect but I think it should be OK. The horizontal stabilizer is off a couple of degrees so I hope this won't hurt much. I weighed it on a postal scale and it shows a tic under 5 1/2 Ozs [no electronics or push rods], does this sound about right? I am going to have wait to get any electronics for it, I am on disability and my check only goes so far every month.

Casey

 

[FDS]

It’s going to be hard to do the push rods and servos with the top of the fuselage stuck down. You might have to unglue that when your electronics arrive.
Looks great so far on the outside, well done.

 

[Hai-Lee]

It’s going to be hard to do the push rods and servos with the top of the fuselage stuck down. You might have to unglue that when your electronics arrive.
Looks great so far on the outside, well done.

You could always surface mount the servos externally near the wing or the tail depending where the plane balances best! For a long external pushrod it can be run in a bit of plastic tubing taped to the outside of the tail boom!

Works for me!

Have fun!

 

[FDS]

The TT often ends up a bit nose heavy, so being able to pick the spot for the servos might help with that.

 

[earthquake]

Can you put landing gear on a Tiny Trainer? my runway will be a little rough for a while.
I was working on a set of gear made from FB but the might be too heavy. the tires are 5 layers of FB and I smeared hot glue all the way around for tread, it just has a bamboo skewer for a axle and a soda straw to hold the gear apart, I will replace the skewer with a piece of 1/8" alum welding rod. I bent one of the legs so if I use I will put a stiffener on it or just make news ones.
I don't like the way the battery is so close to the front and landing on dirt I don't want to damage it, I thought about a skid for the bottom made out of plastic, maybe I will work on that too. How about a parachute that pops out when you are done flying so it will just float down nice and gentle.

Casey

 

[bracesport]

me like!

 

[Arcfyre]

That's a nice looking gear mod!

That being said, the TT will probably fly best without the added weight. It's really designed to be a floater.

You obviously have a talent for scratch building, may I suggest the simple scout? The full sized one has a wingspan only slightly larger than the TT, and it is one of the best takeoff and landing trainers next to the much larger Storch.

 

[FDS]

I have had gear on the TT for ages. It flies fine. Yours looks great, however I find foamboard legs alone usually get bent or torn fairly quickly.

 

[earthquake]

SO I bent up a set of gear from a coat hanger and used #64's to hold it on. this brought my weight up to 8 1/2ozs with out a battery, with 2s 650 mAh TATTU battery as far back s I can get it it is just a bit nose heavy. The only reason I want landing gear is because where I am flying the ground is a bit rough and I don't want to smash my battery belly landing it. I have a couple of 3s 600 and 850mAh batteries too if the 2s is not enough. I plan on building a Simple Scout or a Old Fogey next.

I scratch built this one out of DTFB, next one I may buy the kit.

Casey

 

[FoamyDM]

Good lookin' Re-starter. Have fun with it!

 

[Arcfyre]

Thats a good looking install, well done. If your main goal is to reduce the damage to the belly on landing, you could also consider a single wheel landing gear as found on most full scale gliders. It would keep the weight down and help with your CG issue.

 

[bracesport]

Thats a good looking install, well done. If your main goal is to reduce the damage to the belly on landing, you could also consider a single wheel landing gear as found on most full-scale gliders. It would keep the weight down and help with your CG issue.

check out @Wildthing 's 1600 glider build, it has a single wheel!

 

[earthquake]

Well, she had her maiden flight tonight with no success, 3 times she tried and gravity won! We normally get calm winds when the sun goes down so I thought I would try to fly my TT, the first try I had the landing gear on it and I think is was to heavy so I took it off, My sister did not get that one on video the second try she went up and I thought it was stalling and did some thing wierd with the sticks, as for the second and third try I tried setting a little down elevator well it came down as fast as it went up, it only broke the prop on the third crash and by the time I had changed it out it was too dark. Well I will do a little patch work and try again tomorrow if the wind is not bad.

 

[FDS]

First crash was a classic stall, too much up Elevator then down she goes. I did the same several times. The trick is not to adjust much if you can get it climbing, don’t turn or try to climb faster, just gently correct any trim, until it’s at least 60ft up. Once you get higher it’s easier to work out the stall speed etc. You can add a tiny bit of up elevator on the trim before you launch to get a steady climb, then take it off later.
Never throttle back below 60 ft, at least to begin with. It also looks a little nose heavy still, double check your CG. If you can, move the motor back as far as it will go in the nose. I would change the power pod after those two nosedives and check the firewall. My TT smashes firewalls every hard landing.
Also a 1mm shim under the wing leading edge helped mine fly better, it adds incidence to the wing.
Well done, you flew! The trim looked very good both times, better than many I have seen. Your hand launch was very good too.

 

[bracesport]

@FDS - great advice - I think I am adjusting in a climb way too much, and certainly flying too low!

 

[earthquake]

Thanks FDS, the power pod was the first thing I checked, the fire wall was a little loose so I put some hot glue in the corners inside and it very strong now. when I built it all I had was a little 10w hobby gun I borrowed from my Sister, I have a 80w gun now.
I smeared some hot glue on the front edge of the fuse where the power pod slips in to toughen it up, it was a little ruffled from both crashes and that was really all it did to it, the wing barely shifted.
I am wondering if I got the horizontal stabilizer tilted down when I built it. When I hold the H stab level it looks a little nose up. I did scratch build it and it was the first lane I have built in 30 years.
I wish I would have a little wind to launch into, it was completely dead which unusual for us.

Casey

 

[FDS]

Yeah, a headwind helps a lot. I actually prefer flying in wind to totally still, it’s easier to launch and you can hover/glide into the wind. It also makes landing much easier.
@bracesport If you watch my TT videos you will see they are shot from relatively far away, because I want to be high up before turning hard or manoeuvring.
@earthquake I would have been very happy with those two hops for my first flight. I flew 6ft then into the ground 4 times before getting airborne.

 

[Merv]

I agree with @FDS, climing too fast, need more power.

 

[earthquake]

OK so I made a stand to help me find out where my balance point is and when my wing is level my horz stab is tilted down in the front about 5-8°? [calibrated eye] Does that sound like to much?
In order to get a slight nose down attitude I have to place a 15.5 gram [240 grains] weight about 3" behind the wing with a 2s 650mAh battery, I thought about Velcro-ing the battery on top just in front of the wing and not add any weight, It would look funny but it would get it away from the rocks during landings, this plane is only for teaching me how to fly so I don't care too much about its looks.
Has any body ever made a pod for the motor that goes on top behind the wing? I would think it would help prevent prop breakage.
You could even go in front of the wing, either way it would probably work best with a smaller diameter 3 bladed prop so it would not have to be too tall, what 3 bladed prop would be the equivalent of a 6x3 two bladed prop?

Casey

 

[quorneng]

My advice would be to avoid using a power pod above the wing at this stage as it will complicate setting up the plane to actually fly right,
Iin fact do not use any power at all and do not add any weight either!
From the videos the adjustment needed to achieve a simple constant glide is actually quite small. I would agree adding 1 mm under the wing leading edge is probably all it needs. If you are worried about breaking the prop simply take it off!
When you have a constant glide with no control input then you can add the power. The fact that you have added a touch of nose weight by putting the prop back on is no bad thing.
If the glide was constant it will fly under power. It may need some small adjustments to fly really nicely but at least you know that it will fly by itself if you switch the power off!

Flying in wind can be a bit of a two edged sword. Yes it can make the launch simpler and the landing slower but only if it is flying directly into the wind at the time. If not then any landing gets untidy and can be considerably faster over the ground with more damage likely.