Where to Next

...contemplating the future

I've been looking at new companions for the Phoenix 2000, craft that compliment the old girl without threatening the role of stately flyer.

I've narrowed down the candidates (for now) to the anomalously-named Radjet 800 pusher-prop and a small fun-fighter, the Rarebear. The latter seems an excellent proposition, capable of 120mph top speed with a 850mAh 4S 45C power pack for a very modest outlay. I must admit though that it is a little daunting, with the capability to fling itself into the ground or disappear from sight in a millisecond.

The reviews of it, however, are enthusiastic and recommend it roundly. Comments that it flies on rail are most encouraging. 

The Radjet is another interesting proposition. Initially I was interested in getting it as a kit to transpose components from the crippled Floater Jet. However, having now located pushrods to replace the cracked and bent originals, I'm going to get the ready-to-roll version and hopefully get the Floater Jet into the air decked out in enough LED's to light up the neighbourhood.

The tailless Radjet looks like a sprightly performer with a ridiculously-high roll rate and  all-round enthusiastic performance.

Looking forward to getting both...

It's been a while

...happily flying the Phoenix

I've ordered what I hope will be a suitable set of replacement pushrods for the battered Floater Jet, along with an LED night-fly system true to my previously-stated ambitions for the craft.

The Phoenix 2000, against the odds, has proved true to it's name and arisen again from shredded foam to fly again, as well as ever. 

Happily, my initial fears over the robustness of the repairs proved groundless; the Phoenix soaring into loops, regularly attempting but never achieving barrel rolls (I get halfway if I'm lucky) and enjoying slow majestic wing-overs.

I've been running the Phoenix almost exclusively with the larger 2200mAh battery quite contentedly, although I've once used the maximum-specified 1800mAh unit which makes the craft very floaty. However I'm quite happy with the nose-taming weight and extra power to extricate oneself from tight spots. 

I'm also waiting on an 11x6 carbon prop for the Phoenix, slightly larger than the standard unit which should compliment the setup quite nicely...

Another Beautiful Morning

...and more airborne therapy

A beautifully fresh morning, sun shining and with the visual contrast of a heavy grey rain cloud illuminated by the warm morning sun...

Finally Some Calm

...and a peaceful flight

The week of wildly turbulent weather, actually the third windiest ever, finally ended in a beautifully calm morning. A perfect excuse to dust off the Phoenix 2000 and get a bit of air time.

Fully enjoying the mild conditions and gorgeous morning I had a few launches, ending up flying for nearly three quarters of an hour. A most therapeutic start to a Friday morning...

Touch and Go

...in a plane with no wheels

The forecast was for a breezy day however the early morning was calm and inviting for a bit of flying. Barely a breath of wind on the ground, the occasional wobbles of the Phoenix 2000's wings indicated the breeze was starting to develop.

I flew the glider in big lazy circuits around the field and over the surrounding farmland, bringing it back in for a few sweeping fly-bys and low-altitude passes.

During one of these low passes I made a late decision to bring the plane in for a landing, but it was going way too fast to stay on the deck. I also misjudged the landing flair, with the combined effect that the Phoenix bumped down then floated back into the air.

With insufficient field left to put it down in, I applied power and took it round again. So a perfect touch and go, nevertheless I don't think I'll be adding that to the standard repertoire...

A Close Shave

...the phoenix almost bought the farm again

I flew again this morning at the local sports field, however this time I had a nasty scare on launch.

Despite dozens of launches without issue, this time the left stick got caught in the sleeve of my jumper as I launched the glider, with the result that the Phoenix 2000 had left rudder and down elevator as I threw it...

Previously this would have spelled disaster, however this time I managed to recover, although it wasn't pretty...

Peaceful Morning Glide

...except for the ninja magpies

I had a very peaceful fly this morning at a local sports field. The weather started off sunny then quickly grew heavily overcast from the East, with dark grey clouds threatening imminent rain.

I launched the Phoenix 2000 with barely any breeze at all, and it glided contentedly into the overcast sky. Due to the major surgery done on the wings, I wasn't wanting to do any high-G manoeuvres in case of catastrophic failure. However I was wanting to assess the performance of the Phoenix with the new 2200mAh battery, the previous flight having been too breezy to really see how it went.

Well I had good opportunity, needing to outrun magpies flying at the glider with intent. I have figured the best method of dealing with these assaults is to maintain or gain altitude. In this endeavour the Phoenix performs well, climbing steeply under full power and rapidly gaining height. While it's long wings mean it's not the most agile, once it's seen off the attentions of the xenophobic avians, it glides with consummate ease and grace.

In calm conditions the flaps are quite useful, slowing the approach down to a comfortable pace. I also did do some flying with the flaps down, allowing slow cruising at very low power - most relaxing experience.

The landing in calm weather can be a little challenging, mainly because it is easy to misjudge the approach because of the good glide characteristics. Additionally, the trees surrounding most of the field necessitate a sharply banked turn onto finals. Nevertheless, I managed bring the Phoenix with two pretty good landings to end an enjoyable morning's flying...

What to Learn to Fly With

...in my experience

AXN Floater Jet
Conventional wisdom suggests that pusher planes are ideal trainers, the mid-mounted motor and propellor being well protected.

However, my experience with this configuration in the Floater Jet has been annoying for two reasons:

• They want to fly into the ground when you launch them
• The flight characteristics vary with speed and acceleration

While the prop and motor are protected, the counterintuitive flight characteristics mean you end up crashing the nose. A lot. My example is now destroyed but the propellor and motor are still immaculate. My feeling is that if this thing flew more predictably you wouldn't end up crashing it so often...


Phoenix 2000
I had read somewhere that an important factor in choosing a training aircraft is to get a large one so that visibility and orientation is easier.

My experience with the Phoenix has been mixed:

• They head straight up if you launch them with too much power
• The flight characteristics vary with speed and acceleration

Completely alarming on takeoff to the inexperienced, it also responds very slowly to turns due to its long wingspan, and is susceptible to gusts for the same reason. Similarly, it's large frontal area and high-lift wings mean it doesn't do well flying into headwinds - it goes up as far as it goes forward.

Although an 1800mAh battery is the largest suggested, I'd definitely put a 2200mAh pack up front to weigh the nose down, especially for beginner pilots. It also gives you more power to manage tight situation easier.


Hobbyking Walrus

Someone made a comment on a forum that the Walrus wouldn't really be a trainer plane. I don't know why not, as this is the most benign of the three aircraft I've flown.

• They launch and fly as you'd expect, whether under power or not
• They're manoeuvrable but are as stable as you could hope

The standard propellor is crappy, but replacer that with a carbon 10x6 along with a 2200mAh battery and you have a nice performing all-rounder.

Lanyu Trainstar
The Trainstar is a fun and engaging plane to fly, however again I don't know that I'd choose this as a beginner's plane unless you are being tutored by an experienced pilot. 

The Trainstar is difficult to keep straight during takeoff, can give you a bend prop adapter if you don't keep the tail down and can be a little challenging to fly, like when it tightens in sharp turns.

Having said that, if you can negotiate it's peculiarities, you'll be rewarded with a fun and characterful plane to fly.

Programmable Transmitter
I've found it very useful to have a programmable transmitter, as this allows you to vary the stick sensitivity (expo), alter the transmitting power and also vary servo travel, none of which can be done with a basic transmitter. 

The expo helps make sensitive aircraft more manageable and the travel setting is great for things like setting flap deployment.

Phoenix Reconstruction Test Flight

...and all was well

This morning I managed to get the Phoenix 2000 out for a test flight. Conditions were not optimal, with a moderate breeze and some gusts. However, after standing in the field for a while assessing the weather, I decided to give it a go.

I'd fitted the Phoenix with the 2200mAh battery to counter it's nose-up characteristic under power and, considering how much lift this craft generates, had no concerns of it being too nose-heavy especially after how well the Walrus performed with the same power pack.

The larger battery also provides more power, making things more manageable when the glider  goes into a climb, as it will hold the climb better giving you time to react.

So, feeling quite confident about the state of the rebuild and the weight, I launched the Phoenix with a bit more than half power and it took to the air quite happily. I had set the controls to full travel (very daring) with about 50% expo, however with the breezy conditions it was difficult to get an accurate feel of the plane's responses. Nevertheless it flew very well, with the lazy and floaty characteristic of its long wingspan.

While the flying went well, getting the Phoenix back on the deck proved more of a challenge, not helped by the fence running across the middle of the field. The problem was that on approach into the wind, the Phoenix doesn't make much headway. However, when it drops within two metres of the ground and the breeze slackens, it  floats on and on. I had a few goes at this, including some emergency power climbs to climb over fences it wasn't going to clear...

Phoenix Ready

...but the weather's not co-operating

I finally managed to get the Phoenix 2000 in flying state last night, installing the wings and setting the control surfaces, expo and travel. Unfortunately the completion of work also coincides with a shift to stormy weather, so there's no opportunity to fly this morning.

One small piece of work which I still need to do is to change one of the flap control horns, as I had over-drilled the attaching hole, with the result that there is a lot of play in the flap. I'd temporarily taped up the flaps to eliminate this in the event of getting into the air this morning.

However, as this did not eventuate, I'll work on the flaps this evening and have the Phoenix sorted for tomorrow...

Short Circuit

...toasting my electrics

I swapped out the Phoenix ESC's only to discover the new unit was overheating as well. During the brief window of functioning, I checked the controls and found no response from the ailerons, pointing to a short circuit of some description.

I thought the most likely potential to be a smashed servo, however it turned out to be stripped wiring on the servo lead as a result of the crash. Foraging around in my packets of spares I found enough extension leads to make up the length, so now everything seems to be going OK.

Unfortunately, having had to strip the propellor, motor and battery tray out and reassemble them, I wasn't able to finish the wing repair on time. However I am hoping that, with no major unforeseen issues (like not being able to get the wing back on), I should be able to finish the reconstruction this evening and hopefully have the Phoenix 2000 ready for its test flight tomorrow...

Phoenix Repair Stage II

...getting close

The wings have been patched, control surfaces reattached and I connected up the servos and receiver yesterday, hoping to give the electrics a workout.

Unfortunately, despite a successful earlier check of the receiver, when I connected everything up there was no response at all. It was only after a few minutes of attempting to get the receiver working that I picked up the Phoenix 2000 and discovered the likely issue - the ESC was burning hot.

Which explains why the receiver wasn't working, as presumably the BEC got fried when the ESC melted down. So now I need to swap ESC'S - I'll have to borrow the one off the Floater Jet, which I am now certain I'm not going to get repaired, so I don't think it'll mind.

That is a bit unfortunate as I've already reinstalled the motor, and the power cables are so hard to push in within the confines of the fuselage. Anyhow, I'll just need to remove the battery tray I think...

The Phoenix Rises...Again

...hardy bird readies for flight

I've started on the delayed, yet hopeful, undertaking of restoring the Phoenix 2000 to flying condition following its cart-wheeling crash into the duck pond some while ago.

The wings, which took the brunt of the crash, looked a bit sad with all four mounting points torn out, and the end section of one of the wings snapped off outboard of the flap servo mount. The flaps and ailerons had the hinge screws ripped out, but these should be  relatively easy to glue these back in place.

The tail section, on the other hand, is in remarkably good shape and somehow escaped the violent impact unscathed.

So the main concern, along with making sure everything is aligned so it flies straight, is to enure that the wing mounts are securely reattached so the wings stay on!

The nose-section of the Phoenix fuselage is a bit battered, although no worse I think than from its previous big smash. The propellor and spinner are ok, just needing a wash to get the grit out and so the blades can fold freely.

So far there has been nothing that looks unrepairable, so we'll just have to see how things go...

Retrovision

...looking back at my happy snaps

Looking out of the skylight at home I could see the tops of the trees heaving about in the wind, so definitely no flying this morning, unfortunately.

I was looking  through the Walrus splurb again last night and saw that it's actually mentions the aircraft's capability to fly extremely slowly with flaps down. Well, seems we both came to the same conclusion, except that I haven't had a chance to give it a go as a flight aid as opposed to just for landing.

As an antidote to lack of flying I have taken to using my flying photos as a background on my work computer. I've currently got this gorgeous image of the Phoenix 2000 cruising in past a burnished sunrise...

Its nice to look back through these photos to relive the exquisite sunrises, misty mornings and serenity of the gliders' flight...

Raven' On

...up with the birds

Had a lovely flight this morning, with just the gentlest of breezes coming through. With my revised control settings with expo now at a more pedestrian forty percent, I managed my first loop in the Walrus and my first ever barrel-roll!

In a repeat of my first flight in the Phoenix 2000 I had a couple of ravens chasing the plane. I was a little too far away to be able to judge the distances well, but I had a little play with the birds which was fun.

On my first approach for landing I deployed the flaps when the Walrus was above the field. The result was the plane rearing nose-high, another repeat of my early Phoenix flights.

Fortunately I managed to recover to put the Walrus down for a landing which was a little rough, but functional. So I think I'll be moderating the flap travel so the effects are a bit muted as we definitely don't want a repeat of that again...

But Some Success with the Camera

...a new perspective on things

The wing camera was a great success, capturing nice footage on its first two outings onboard the Phoenix before its catastrophic crash.

The flying was not spectacular, however it's the wonderful change of perspective it provides that is appealing, totally different from one's experience when flying it.

The apparent ease of taking flight as viewed from on-board shows none of the anxiety ] experienced during the first moments, making sure the aircraft makes the transition to stable flight. And the view, from what was a rather modest height, is really lovely. It was unfortunate that the flying was not more successful, as watching the video is quite captivating, well for me anyway.

The thing to do now is configure it to fit on the Walrus. I could just stick it on the wing again, however I can hear the empty cockpit calling as a perfect spot. It will mean having to make a hole in the canopy, however I could always tape this over when not using it.

But first, getting the Walrus powered up and ready...

The Death of a Phoenix

This morning I totalled my glider. Very annoying.

In the wake of my transmitter issues I hadn't flown for the best part of a week. But, with having the DX6i figured and the windy weather abating, the planets seemed to have aligned in the favour of flying. Sort of. As before, a break from flying didn't make the heart grow fonder. Only a bit nervous and a little uncertain. Not exactly ultimate zen.

Nevertheless, with a cool still morning, conditions were excellent with the sun just rising and the flying field deserted as usual. I attached the wing camera onto the Phoenix, my plans for a sophisticated aero housing scuttled when I discovered people used velcro to attach the miniature device. So, after a quick control check, I lobbed the plane into the air.

Now, I have elaborated before about the importance of a properly trimmed craft. As I recall, on the morning I forgot to check the direction of control movement. Yes, we really have covered all bases here. Well, I thought everything was even and good to go, but for some reason the Phoenix was making big left-hand banks. I'm not sure about other people but I find this very alarming.

You have to hold right aileron and rudder over just to keep it fly straight. I find that alarming. My attempts to keep trim on the go being less than effective, I turned the Phoenix in for a landing. Then decided I could keep going. Then flew into a tree. Yes, the same tree. Thanks for asking.

In the air again the Phoenix was now at least flying fairly straight, although I got the feeling that it still wasn't quite happy. Nevertheless, with it going into a climb I gave it full power then rolled over for a gentle loop and turned back towards the field. Now this is actually the first time I've flown in the morning with the sun above the horizon. As it happened, the Phoenix swooping, turning dive out of the loop put it straight into the sun.

I tried to turn it more but I wasn't really sure what it was doing in the glare, but I did know it was coming down quick. A split-second later the Phoenix cartwheeled at speed into the duck-pond, shedding wings and canopy, leaving a trail of flotsam and a submerged receiver beeping a sad alarm...

Phoenix Ready to Go

...along with the Dx6i

I have finally completed programming of the my Spektrum Dx6i transmitter and am happy to report that all systems on the Phoenix are working well.

I am going to try running the flaps on the Phoenix "back-to-front", that is having them slightly reflexed for powered flight and then set them neutral for gliding flight and landing. This should help to reduce the tendency to climb sharply under power. I can also alter the degree of flap reflex and change elevator trim if required. This should be interesting to try out...

I've also changed the power setting of the transmitter from EU to US, which apparently gives about twice the range, equating to an absolute range of about 500m, in my experience. That should be sufficient to should resolve any signal-loss issue, although that will remain to be confirmed in practice...

Some Progress

...and sanity maintained

Unfortunately trying the radio the next day and the chatter was back again - unfortunately my quick fix had limited remedial abilities. It was too much of a risk as the random movement could put the Phoenix absolutely anywhere and I didn't feel like that sort of a risk!

After having scratched my head and swapped everything in sight I finally bit the bullet and decided I needed to get another transmitter. Not that I really wanted one, in fact I didn't want to have to get another, but as far as I could see there wasn't any other option. Everything pointed to the aileron gimble on my unit as the culprit.

Thinking back, the ailerons on the Phoenix had actually chattered from the very first time I powered it up. Of course I didn't know then that it was actually the radio and not my crappy assembly effort.

So, after doing a little research I bought a programmable Spektrum DX6i 6-channel unit, the same make as my DX5e so as to be compatible with the receivers I already have. Now what I have found very interesting is that the programming abilities address two of the main issues I've experienced.

Firstly, it has two modes, flying and landing, allowing you to customise settings (flaps, elevator) to suit each regime and switch between them. In my case I want to use it for powered flight (reflex the flaps and a maybe a touch of negative elevator) and for gliding with everything neutral.

Secondly it has programmable travel, exactly what I want to make the Phoenix flaps manageable instead the source of mirth they are at the moment.

Anyway I have bound the radio and, after wondering why I was getting weird mixing between elevator and ailerons, switched from helicopter to aircraft mode.

I still need to do the servo-reversing for rudder, program mode settings and flaps. So the manual is getting studied well and truly as i don't want to fail this exam...

Dirty Chatter

...so I tried to blow it away

So the saga of the Phoenix's servos continues. After having ripped off the original servos, I replaced them with a pair of HXT 900's and did a test, with exactly the same result! I was convinced that it was the servos failing, especially after having read a thread topic where someone's plane had crashed after he had failed to replace chattering servos and had lost control... Swapping the aileron leads with the flaps showed the root cause - the oscillating flaps revealed the issue was the signal, not the hardware.

Gazing at the my DX5e transmitter I wondered where to start; if I dismantled it would that be the end of it anyway? A thought crossed my mind and I moved the elevator stick across its maximum travel while blowing at the at the gimble a few times. Trying the controls again it was as smooth as anything with no trace of jitters!

All I need to do now is reconstruct the Phoenix from its needless state of disarray...