Firstar 2000 V2. Launch with Flaps.

...easy does it


The Firstar's high-mounted pusher endows it with characteristics familiar of the breed; it's not nice to launch.

True, the V2 mount is angled to eliminate torque which rotates the nose, however the high-moun configuration cannot escape from a downward thrust component. As well as gobbling up battery capacity in cruise mode, it also makes launches tricky.

Having lived through AXN and Radjet, I'm over launch stress, which is why I like using flaps with the Firstar.

Now I know this is contentious but, in this case at least, it works. Usually I'm fumbling to get my launch hand on the radio before the Firstar hits the turf. And I'm not the only one, I've seen several unsuccessful attempts at getting a Firstar into the air.

Considering that this plane sports high-aspect glider wings, launch really shouldn't be an issue. Which is where the flaps come in; dialing in about 20 degrees of flap transforms the launch from a nail biting affair into a floaty cruise, with the big big hanging in the air patiently while you get your hands into position.

Nice and easy, just like it should be...

Stinger Inverted Crash

...and clouds

Of the times I've flown the Stinger I've had a number of bad launches, primarily due to it rolling, and several times where it's ended up inverted half a second after launch. Every time I have managed to successfully extricate it from such precarious positions and gone onto enjoy the flight.

This time, unfortunately, was different. With the Stinger inverted I panicked and killed the power, so that it nosed towards the turn in an inverted swan dive.

Fortunately the damage was very minor to the degree that I was able to straighten the nose sufficiently to give it another go. The second launch was perfect with a lovely flight to follow, against a backdrop of fresh clouds and beautiful blue sky...

Canadair Flips on Takeoff...and Survives!

bad and good...

The other day, after a long hiatus, I finally got the Canadair back to the big lake to have a bit of a fly. The big lake is good for its large expanse of water, meaning less issues with dodging trees or having to constantly turn.

Being a large expanse of water does however mean that it does pick up more of a breeze though, due to the large expanse of open water. Nevertheless, on the afternoon, there was a moderate westerly blowing in, noticeable but not sufficient to unduly affect the water.

So I got the Canadair ready to fly and, at the last minute, decided to shift the battery back a little to help with the landings, where I kept on finding I didn't have enough elevator to float it in for gentle touch-downs.

All ready then, and I hit power with full elevator to get the Canadair on the plane. Unfortunately, the combination of the fresh westerly and th enow nose-light Canadair meant that, as soon as it begun to rotate it just kept on lifting and, quickly reaching a stall, the left wing dropped and dipped into the lake.

So, within a second of hitting the throttle, the Canadair was floating upside down, both motors immersed in the water. I didn't feel like getting the inflatable out, so I waited for the breeze to transport the Canadair to the far side of the lake.

Finally fishing it out of the lake a leisurely quarter of an hour later, the Canadair had shipped just a smidgen of water, and the receiver and ESC's were all dry and safe, ready to go again...

Canadair Hand Launch

...just so easy

I took the Canadair to the field again this morning, cool and calm before a warming and windy afternoon. I'd previously flown the Canadair off the field however, being of a fairly delicate EPS construction, one launch and landing off the grass had already managed to remove the paint from the sea-plane's hull. So I decided to give hand launching a go.

Although a large and somewhat awkward to hold plane, the Canadair is quite light and generates an abundance of lift in addition to possessing an excess of thrust. Still, not quite sure how it was going to behave being launched in this manner, I set it at at a little over half throttle and gave it a moderate throw.

To my surprise, the Canadair took to the air seamlessly, its broad wings and plenty of prop wash setting it off as if it hadn't been stationary in my hand a second before. The more I fly this plane the more I am enjoying it; it's very relaxed to fly, can turn on a ticky and possesses a lovely presence as it heads towards you, its dark nose dipped down a little...

Stinger Launch Good Again

...no more inverted launches

After a frustrating few days, this morning finally turned out to be a decent flying opportunity; almost still, the low cloud created an inverted mist and shadowed the just-risen sun to a ghostly orb. The benefit of this was that it abated the sunshine enough to risk flying the Stinger without losing it it the sun, but still allowing enough light through to be able to track the fast planes.

Breaking with tradition, I decided to go with the Stinger first up, usually giving the gliders a go before the breeze has a chance to pick up. Having finally had the courage to fly it again, I have been enjoying getting it out, although one can never take success for granted with something this twitchy. The last few launches have been OK, however the Stinger has been three-quarters inverted at the top of the launch. While the jet thrust makes it quite stable during launch, giving enough time to correct it, this was something that needed to be resolved before becoming a problem.

Happily, this was fixed by simply adjusting my throw, I must have been dragging it over a little, and with a straighter throw it went up nice and evenly. I launched with high rates by mistake, changing to more sedate settings in time. However, trying the high-travel ailerons while in a climb amazed me at just how fast the Stinger can roll...

Trainstar Launch

...getting the taildragger airborne

Launching the Trainstar is always entertaining; it's such a characterful aircraft that it's always fun to fly. It does, however, does take a little experience to get it right, and I still can't get it to launch perfectly straight.

The battery location is excellent, housed under a clip-off cover under the nose. The battery is held in place, inverted, by the provided velcro as well as a velcro strap. So connecting power is easy, although you do have to flip the old girl for a second!

I fly with the 3S 2200mAh battery; being a big heavy plane I certainly wouldn't recommend anything less, and I think a few people fly with larger power packs than this. Having said that, the 2200mAh will drag the Trainstar out of most awkward spots and gives reasonable flight times.

The Trainstar will launch off grass fields, as long as the growth is not too thick. If you're picturing launching from a wildflower meadow, it's not going to happen. The best advice is to have full elevator during the takeoff run. This keeps the tail planted on the ground until the wings are airborne, preventing ungainly, and potentially disastrous, nose-plants into the ground.

I find, for whatever reason, the Trainstar tends first to the right then, after it builds up some speed, to go veering off to the left. Anyway, I'd recommend getting it off the ground sooner rather than later; you can always hit max power if necessary to drag it up. That way you've got less chance of running into anything, or running off the runway, or disappearing down a rabbit hole...

How to Launch a Radjet Part II

...celebrating a dozen happy launches

I have, on several occasions in the past, sworn I wouldn't fly the  Radjet again after suffering another abject failure. Yet, a few days later, I'd glued and taped the tough jet back into flying shape and was trying again. And again. And again.



So, having finally mastered the art of getting this flighty craft into the air, this is an opportunity to share the experiences I've had in the hope that I save other aspirant Radjet pilots some of the anguish I've experienced.

So I've done another video on launching a Radjet so you could see the launch trajectory a bit better. This was something of a masterclass, a celebration of long-overdue success with the often-exasperating little plane...

How to Launch a Radjet!

...I think I've finally got it

The last half-dozen launches I've had with the  Radjet have been virtually flawless, so I think I've finally succeeded in developing a robust technique that will get the touchy buzz-jet launched consistently.

Tip 1 - Opposite Aileron
I've been launching at about two-thirds throttle and about the same right aileron. This keeps the  Radjet almost perfectly straight on the launch and with sufficient power to maintain its trajectory. Don't worry about putting in a little too much right aileron as, if this is the case, all you need to do is back off a little and the plane will follow, as it wants to roll to the left.

Tip 2 - Trajectory
You need to launch it upwards at about thirty to forty degrees, so that you'll be well clear of the ground - no more snapped props or crumpled nose cones. In conjunction with power as above, this will have the  Radjet climbing smoothly.

Tip 3 - Power Transition
Once the  Radjet is stable and flying, perhaps a second or so after launch, all you need to do is ease up to full power and back off the aileron correction. If this transition is a little ugly is doesn't matter, as the plane will be high enough off the ground to give you plenty of space to correct orientation or direction...

Radjet Launch Success

...I'm getting the hang of this

This morning I had a good launch with the Radjet - I had it on about two-thirds power and perhaps the same on the right aileron. With an inclined throw, the Radjet continued climbing flat until I flipped up the power.

This is a critical transition as it means your aileron correction goes a bit out of whack. However, by getting in a decent launch, you have a decent height buffer to comfortably manage any  movement - no more snapped props or mowing the grass.

When I fly it again I'll try launching with a bit more power as more power means more height and less transition to full power, if you can control it...

Radjet Launch Progress

...some success but still annoying

My endeavours to get the Radjet consistently launching under power have been chequered but are now showing signs of success. However, in terms of achieving a bullet-proof launching method there is still some way to go.

My first launch this morning started ok, but I was too slow to climb it out with the result that the  Radjet grounded with the power with the prop still spinning which caused it to snap - two out of two launches with the same result. Annoying, but I now carry spare props with me...

The second attempt was successful with the  Radjet launching strongly, although transition to full power still unsettled and rather awkward.

So some success but still some way to go...

Taming the Torque II

...and getting a bit carried away

This morning was my second attempt at Radjet launch with correction, this time with a little more power, perhaps around fifty percent, and again it launched just beautifully. With the extra power there was no concern of it hitting the ground, just a nicely controlled launch with a gradual climb, making the transition to full power and fun flying a real breeze.

The Radjet, as I said previously, is flying amazingly well despite it's battered appearance and lack of canopy. One does need to be a little careful, as now high-g maneuvers result in a spin to the right, and the speed is a little down on its heyday, whether that's the airframe drag or the battery getting a little tired I don't know.

Nevertheless flying the radjet this morning was a real treat - a perfect launch followed by a series of relaxed swoops and climbs over the field, with the odd roll thrown in. And, when the power tailed off, it glided in for a nice slow easy landing.

It would have been great if things had stayed on that high note. I had taken some footage of the launch to make a video however, apparently due to the cold, only some of the the camera's array worked, giving a streaked picture in something like inverse-colour. More annoyingly, about five seconds after the Radjet landed, the video came to life showing the gorgeous morning..

Radjet Secrets

Secret the First - Keep the Nose Light
The Radjet is extremely sensitive to mass balance. Make sure the centre of gravity is centred on the hand-hold grips, otherwise it'll fly like a brick...

*****

Secret the Second - Launch with Control
The Radjet will roll to the left on launch - the more power, the faster it will roll this way. Launch with proportionate right aileron - two-thirds power, two-thirds aileron...

*****

The Taming of the Torque

...finally getting Radjet launches under control

This morning was exquisite, starting out misty across the fields as I flew the Phoenix in lazy loops and low passes, before clearing almost imperceptibly so that, by the time I headed back with two depleted batteries, the morning was clear and crisp as you could possibly imagine.

Today I scored a major victory of the small-step variety - I launched the Radjet without crashing. However it wasn't just the fact that it launched it successfully, but more how I launched it that was significant: it was the first successful launch with opposite aileron.

And it was very successful, launching on about one third power with about the same degree of opposite lock, the Radjet buzzed off happily, in an almost perfectly straight line. I was that flabbergasted that I left it for a bit long, then flipped onto full power causing it to jink left.

These, however, were minor issues and, managing to quickly correct the attitude, the Radjet soared into the crisp morning air, relishing the novelty of an outing without incurring structural damage.

The little buzzy jet flew beautifully, the latest restoration being sufficiently rejuvenating that I could actually reduce the amount of elevator trim with which I usually fly. However, having suffered through multiple impacts, the Radjet is now not without vices; pulling a little too much G will cause a high-speed stall, and I suspect more than that may result in an irrecoverable spin...

Radjet Launch Methodology

...and others of a similar nature

I've been having idle thoughts of procuring a Stinger 64 Jet for my flying pleasure and, as such, have been watching some footage of its flight and launch.One thing which has struck me watching launches of this creature is a twitch to the left a few seconds after it's in the air.

Now, knowing the characteristics of the Radjet (the familiar snap-roll to the left), and imagining similar behaviour from the diminutive Stinger, I surmise this crafty has been launched with right aileron which input, once flight is stabilised, is released, explaining the hint of roll to the left.

This, in turn, suggests to me that I should attempt to employ a similar device on the launch of a Radjet . Now, thus far, my guiding principle has been to minimise the torque reaction from the propellor and therefore circumvent any need for loading up the wings during this critical phase.

However, considering the chequered results of this philosophy, I think I'll conduct an explorative regime of roll-corrected launches to test the effect of said input, as well as any potential deleterious reactions...

Tip Tossing

...and high aspirations

Yesterday I had a rush of blood to the head and decided to try tip tossing the Radjet in the hope of finding a better, and more consistent, way of launching the little beast. The result was miserable yet epic failures captured on camera for your light entertainment.

Subsequently I've seen bungee mechanisms for launching aircraft off small ramps. However I'm not sure that the effort of setting this mechanism up and pegging the bungee cord etc is worth it. I think it may just be best just fine-tuning the low-powered hand launches instead.

And, when I eventually succeeded in getting it into the air, the flight ended in a crash when a high-speed banking turn over my head ended up, well, in the bank behind me...

Hot & Low

...summer has settled in

Yes, the hot weather has well and truly arrived, with sweltering episodes thankfully interspersed with the occasional cool day. Rain, of any significant nature, has been long absent and the garden is parched.

The mornings lately have, however, been idyllic for flying - cool and calm and either clear or with a few scattered clouds around. I'd previously taken the Radjet a few days ago and enjoyed putting it through it's paces.

The poor thing is well and truly battered however, with the balance now sorted and me having a better understanding of its launch characteristics (although I'm still not a hundred percent confident with launch, although I haven't had a failure for a while), it's an entertaining little beast to fly. Don't let it get too far away though, as it's orientation can be hard to distinguish.

This morning, though, I took the Floater Jet out for a spin. Not the most dynamically inspiring beat ever to grace the skies, but it does do one thing well - flying slowly. So that's what I did, floating the Jet low over the paddocks, skimming the grass tufts and flying slalom around the trees and bushes.

Wildly exciting; no, not really. Very peaceful and enjoyable; most certainly...

Flight of the Phoenix

there’s always something...

My first thought when I arrived at the field with the Phoenix 2000 was to make sure everything was properly trimmed. With the Floater I’d had a nasty experience launching it and having it head steadily into a right hand turn. This is very off-putting and alarming. I had managed to put the Floater down and reset the trims on that occasion, but I certainly didn't want to risk it with the Phoenix.

So with the surfaces set flush and the tail tweaked to level the elevators I launched the Phoenix fairly flat with moderate throttle. Banking a little to the right I quickly corrected but with little effect. Cutting power, the plane continued its bank into an unceremonious landing. No apparent damage, so a quick control check and we were ready to go again. The second launch, very similar to the first, saw similar behaviour except this time the left turn was more severe, ending in an uncomfortably severe thump into the ground and a bit of a ground loop. Not exactly an auspicious return for the poor aircraft!

Nothing critically wrong, although the wing root had torn a little at one of the rear mounts (bad thoughts) but still flyable. A thought suddenly occurred to me while I was checking the controls - all the reversing switches were down because that was how the Floater was set up. Hang on a minute...Checking again showed the ailerons and rudder to be reversed, which explained why my attempts at correction had ended up in a terminal spiral. Yes, more bad thoughts.

Nevertheless, few seconds later all the controls were trimmed and in the right orientation. I set the power for launch although noticed the motor sounded a little rough - the shaft must have bent. Anyway, determined to get it into the air I set about a third power and lobbed the Phoenix off.

With a small bank quickly corrected, the craft climbed gradually and displayed the elegant shape of its high-aspect wings. The flight was serene, just was I needed to give myself a bit of confidence, then I brought it in for landing. Being very stable it’s actually really easy to land. Not knowing its response to elevator I over-flared it a little, but it settled down without issue to a perfectly smooth and level landing.

It was only on the when carrying the Phoenix back to the car that I noticed about two centimetres had been sheared off one of the propellor blades. Yes, that would certainly explain the propellor running a bit roughly...

Untoward Characteristics

...a most alarming propensity to climb

The modest success of the initial flight of the Phoenix 2000 was followed by a brief flight, ending sadly in an abrupt near-vertical collision with the sports oval. Why? Well, it turns out the Phoenix, with its conventional propellor-in-front layout has a very (and I mean very) high climb rate when the power exceeds a modest threshold. With the first flight having followed a very flat circuit of the field, I had thought a little more power would provide a more comfortably elevated flight path. Wrong.

With more than a whiff of throttle, the Phoenix rises like a veritable Saturn rocket. On video clips this seems behaviour seems most impressive however, for a novice's second flight, having a large aircraft suddenly head for the heavens is absolutely alarming. One doesn't know exactly what will happen - will it suddenly stall and crash onto the lady with the maltese poodle, or will it suffer incipient spin and veer off into the clubhouse?

Without an answer to either of these questions, the safest option is to cut power. Unfortunately, the response from the moderately-heavy Phoenix to a sudden loss of power is ugly. A sudden stall followed by an inelegant descent nose-first into the turf. Not cool...

The Problem with Simulators

...I sought knowledge on the path of virtual learning

My theory was that a simulator package would give me the opportunity to learn to fly whenever I wanted. For those not familiar, an RC simulator consists of PC software along with a radio (in my case I bought the package deal). You simply install the software on your computer, plug your RC radio to your computer with the buddy lead supplied and start flying.

It is a lovely thing - a choice of airfields and a long list of aircraft to fly, equalling hours of entertainment for RC fans and aircraft nuts generally. Having only two powered gliders, my choice of vehicle, seemed a trifling detail as I set about familiarising myself with the radio unit and the characteristics of the aircraft I flew.

Being a pilot of sorts, in a previous era, I was reasonable confident of a smooth transition to RC as I knew how to fly. True. Except that what I had learned to fly had weighed several hundred kilograms, and had very large wings. And no engines. The significance of this obvious difference, however, is not immediately apparent when flying non-representative aircraft on a computer, despite the entertainment undoubted value of these wonderful devices.

The downfall, as I discovered more than once, is the individual characteristics of the model aircraft themselves. These characteristics represent themselves most prominently during transitions, notably launch (as you throw the gliders to get them airborne) and acceleration (being powered by electric motors). The achilles heal of the Phoenix 2000 for novice fliers is during acceleration and, in the case of the Floater Jet, the notorious dip on launch...