Stinger 64 EDF. Repair Flight.

...back in the air!

It was months ago when, having too much fun with the Stinger, I inadvertently sent it speeding into the swampy paddock grass, where it half its nose and my near-new nanotech battery disappeared into the mud.

Since then I have agonised over how I was to replicate the tapering form of the nose, which also accommodates the canopy magnet and terminates into the join with the nosecone.

Eventually I used rear sections of the original fuselage (funny how you never crash backwards), although this wasn't quite right and had to be cut, and then added onto, and then filled, and sanded, and painted.

However, after this unnecessarily protracted affair, the Stinger was again airworthy and looking pretty good. However, the proof of the pudding if in how well it flies.

Fortunately, in this case, it flew as well as ever, and I was gifted with a good launch as well. So back to enjoying a few run-filled, adrenalin rushing minutes screeching the Stinger around the paddocks...

Fox Glider At the Beach

...first time back in the air

I just got the Fox glider repaired and reassembled in time to take it for a text flight at the beach, following its nasty spin crash.

Being the first outing after repair, and given the nature of the accident, I was a little nervous flying it. However it was a gorgeous morning, sunny and calm, so conditions wouldn't get  any better.

The launch was fine although the elevator needed trimming, making for a nervous start, however after that the Fox flew beautifully. It's a lovely spot, with yellow cliffs topped with a lighthouse and an expansive beach with a few monolithic rocks dotting the shoreline.

I flew the Fox with the mobius cameras on board, and managed to get some lovely footage of the waves breaking, the cliffs and the nearby lagoon.

The options for landings were limited to the damp sand, being less likely to get sand everywhere, and I managed to get it landed ok although still ended up with sand in the fuselage...

DC-3. OK So Lets Try Again.

...and see if we can get it


Following on from the first flight where the characteristics of the DC-3 were anything but the easy-flying plane I thought it would be, I'm now considering whether it needs to be flown like a real one - take-off with flaps and then high-speed cruising, in order that the plane's developing sufficient lift without having to be constantly on the elevator and throttle.

I had the DC-3 ready yesterday, but unfortunately that coincided with the end of two beautiful sunny and calm days, and the start of the wind; although that cleared the skies it didn't do much for my flying prospects.

Nevertheless I'm hopeful of getting the Dak airborne over the next few days to try out my theory to see if I've "got it"...

Radjet Test Flight Havoc

...but got there eventually

I took the Radjet to the field today for a test flight in its new sleek guise, a beautiful sunny afternoon with clear blue skies and a refreshing southerly breeze.

As well as the new nose, I had reset the Radjet's controls and checked servo throws as well as reducing the elevator trim I usually have as I reckoned the Airbus-like fuselage interface would generate lift in flight.

The first launch was a complete crash, with the Radjet nosing down as of old straight into the ground. I figured this was because of the lack of elevator trim, so dialled it back in again. The second attempt started well, with the Radjet climbing steeply into the sky as I craned my neck to keep track of it.

However, as I levelled the Radjet it suddenly went unstable and ended in a flat spin, the only thing I could do was put full aileron and full elevator which slows the descent of the plane still inescapably spinning.

Collecting the Radjet I reckoned I knew the cause; the plane was balancing on the fingertips but only in the centre of the grips; slide the fingers forward and the Radjet was tilting back. I had hoped this would be OK but proved this wasn't the case.

A solution to this was to re-orientate the receiver so that I could push it further forward in the nose, and shoved in a small stick, the only ballast I could find at hand. So, with the plane now balanced I went back for the third try.

Fortunately this time everything went to plan and the Radjet went careering into the sky. My guess about the new configuration generating lift was right, so I had to dial the elevator trim back to neutral. This levelled the flight, but means I'll have to figure out something for launch next time.

The Radjet seemed faster, and twitchier, the former certainly due to the sleek nose, while the latter I think is related and I've just increased the expo a few percent. So, the Radjet is back in the air at least, although not without some drama, and I'll have to do a little work figuring out the launch next time...

Radical Radjet Repair v2

...ready for more

I'd been flying the Radjet regularly with no launch issues when I somehow crashed it the other day, which was both annoying and disappointing. Looking at the mangled and oft-glued nose I decided to give it a radical repair.

So, on arriving home, I sliced off the mangled front fuselage and then waited for inspiration. Not many options came to mind as the Radjet sat on the desk looking disgruntled. In fact the only viable option was using a caulking tube, except that I could figure how to get it to fit.

Eventually I fitted the round tube around a wooden template to match the fuselage shape and heated it with boiling water, hoping that this would help to set the shape. I cut away the top section of the tube in the fuselage area to provide access for mounting hardware, and hot-melted it into place with a few small bolts through the fuselage to help keep it in place.

The lower section of the fuselage, where it used to meet up with the front, I tapered down as the caulking tube was much thinner than the EPO original.

The result I gave a broad silver stripe from the nose all the way down the fuselage, and bordered it with a black stripe for good measure. The result looks interesting but certainly better than before.

Hopefully I'll get it into the air soon and see how it flies; I'm hoping it'll be well as I've been missing blasting the Radjet around the fields...

Stinger Under Repair

once too often...

Despite the potential for major disaster, the Stinger suffered only minor damage to the front with the fuselage bent a little to one side and the nose snapped off. However, this area being repaired for the third time, it's increasingly difficult to try and get things looking nice again.

However I am endeavouring to be patient and attend to detail to try and get the Stinger nose smooth so that it doesn't suffer from extra drag due to a craggy nose.

The first pass looked reasonable, and I'm now taking time to fill in the dips and grooves as best as possible. Giving the filler and glue time to dry properly, the Stinger should hopefully be in the air within a few days, all going well...

Stinger Reconstruction Test Flight

...the jet's back in the air

After a very long recuperation period, the Stinger 64 is back and flying. It had suffered severe damage after it had refused to pull up coming down from a loop, leaving the nose crumpled and twisted as it plummeted into the ground at full throttle. Ironically, despite all the close shaves I'd had when first flying it, it had crashed when I everything appeared to be well under control.

Despite the massive impact, the Stinger was not completely wrecked, with everything from the wings back having been protected from the impact by the crumpling of the nose section. The only exception was the actual fan unit itself which had shattered, however a direct replacement was fortunately available for a modest sum.

My skill in EPO repair had also improved and, along with an investment in some good super glue and accelerator, I was able to coax the Stinger back into shape. The final piece was the nose cone, so deeply embedded into the ground that I couldn't find it, although fortunately happened to have one on my shelf.



So, with the Stinger literally back in shape, it was just a matter of getting it out to the field. Which took a while, quite a while in fact, as I pondered whether I was ready to handle this speedster in the air, with it's twitchy nature and tendency to drop in turns.

Having given some thought to the latter, I decided that it couldn't be flown like a Radjet or even Rarebear, which will happily sit in steep turns losing little or no height, but that the Stinger needed a positive bank and yank approach, or "turn like you mean it".

So, on a beautifully sunny afternoon with a moderate southerly coming through, I finally summonsed the courage to fly it again . Fortunately I hadn't lost the feel for the Stinger, although you do need to be careful and super-observant, and the launch and flight went well, with the screecher finally running out of battery and gliding in to land...

In the Interim

while the weather is wild...

The extreme tranquility of last week has, unfortunately, been replaced by gusty winds forecast to last for the rest of the week. As such, I haven't ventured out to fly anything, least of all the floatplane.

The larger batteries for the latter are on there way, and I'm looking forward to familiarising myself with the Trainstar floatplane characteristics a bit better. The new batteries should provide significantly longer flight times, but I also think that a more considered flying regime will help keep the chubby floater in the air for longer as well.

Finally in the process of reconstruction, now that I've received the replacement ducted fan, adhesive accelerator and the urge to do it, the Stinger is resuming shape. The pace of the reconstruction is slow as I'm making sure that each rip and crack is properly bonded before proceeding to the next, but also the warnings on the accelerator pack have me evacuating the room after each burst of strawberry-scented aerosol.

The foam should go back into shape reasonably well, and I think I'll smooth out the joins with a bit of filler. The only question marks are against the motor and the servos as to whether those survived the massive impact unscathed. Anyhow, we'll know that when the body has been restored and I get the electrics connected up again...

Rarebear Aileron Repair

...the pocket rocket is fixed

I have resolved the issue of the missing Rarebear aileron using good old balsa, a material I haven't used for years.

The issue was getting something that was light, easily workable and could be attached to the EPO. With EPO sheet not available, as far as I know, balsa was the best option, readily available in a range of sizes.

For the repair I selected for 4mm sheet, which required just a bit of filing to match the profile of the aileron edge. I used a plastic hinge to attach it, as well as taping up the edges of the repaired and original to avoid repeat problems. I also pinned the balsa prosthetic to the EPO aileron using, well, sections of steel pins (ie large sewing needle) which are stiff and thin.

Hitting this lot with a bit of appliance white spray will have the podgy speedster good as new...

EPO Hole Repair

...don't film while you fly

I was flying the Phoenix 1600 over the paddock and, with the glider coming in nice and slowly, I decided to grab the camera and do a little action filming. This, unsurprisingly, turned out to be a bad idea because, as the Phoenix floated lower, I couldn't hit power and add with my spare hand.

The upshot was the Phoenix ploughed through a barbed wire fence. While it was flying slowly, the effect of the barbs on the EPO wing was not pretty, with chunks torn out the leading edge, and ugly scrapes underneath the wing.

Trying to repair this was a puzzle, as I'd actually lost foam, and trying to fill holes and match the leading edge profile was not easy. Having dug through the cupboards, I eventually came across some exterior gap filler. This stuff is waterproof, sandable and doesn't shrink.

I've used this to fill the holes, and have then used a file to sand it flush and copied the shape of the wing. Now I just need to sand it and give it a paint, and the Phoenix should be good to go...

EPO Repair

...in a bucket of water

Due to a recent unscheduled landing, for the first time I have tried EPO repair using hot water. 

This method is surprisingly effective and, after leaving the wings to soak for about twenty minutes, the EPO shape had largely been restored. In fact it appeared that the grain structure had somewhat overdeveloped, so a little smoothing-down is required



This method seems to work a lot better than a hairdryer as the temperature is controlled (no risk of melting the foam) and the heat transfer immersed in liquid is improved.

All in all a low-risk well controlled method to uncrumple your dented EPO parts...

Radical Radjet Repair

...with a classy nosejob

Yesterday the Radjet took a bit of a tumble when I mistook it's orientation whilst diving down for a low flyover. The damage wasn't anything I hadn't repaired before, however a package awaiting my arrival at home afforded the opportunity of turning routine maintenance (crash repairs) into a radical transformation.

The mystic makeover took the form of a custom nose-job, compliments of a replacement nosecone for that lost during it's second coming-together with Mother Earth's formidable presence. This little piece of magic is the replacement nose cone for a Stinger 64 and, despite this being a foam plane, the nosecone is actually moulded plastic. And it fits onto the Radjet with little effort, especially if you take the route of least resistance and sticky-tape in on like I did.

The result is actually pretty good; it doesn't look quite as pretty as the original, in fact the plastic proboscis does make it look a little creepy, however it's a big improvement on the rather bluffly trimmed nose-job I had effected with a Stanley knife...

Radjet Repair Reaction

...a little heavy on the nose

The poor Radjet has had a very hard life, with numerous crashes in its short life. In fact I'd say the number of crashes to successful flights is about 50:50.

A not-unexpected result of this is that the front fuselage has slowly gained weight with layers of fibre tape and super glue to the point, when I flew it this morning, it was flying nose-down again and only barely neutral at full chat. Not a condition I enjoy, so unsurprisingly the landing wasn't the best. So the Radjet it will be subjected to some reconstructive surgery to restore it's flying balance.

On a more positive note, I've finally got a proper prop for the Walrus, the 10x6 carbon unit to replace the rather over-sized 11x6 blades I've been running with on reduced throttle setting. These new blades have a very nice contour to them and seem to run efficiently, so the Walrus was very happy...

Radjet Wingtip Makeover

...sleek and trim

I've been having some great flights with the Radjet. Equally, however, I've been struggling to get the little buzzjet into the air consistently; some mornings I've managed four perfect launches without issue, the next morning my attempts result in death rolls straight into the turf.

This morning was no different, with two attempts ending abruptly. However I did manage to have one successful launch and a great flight - about ten minutes steering the Radjet at speed doing flypasts, rolls loops and some high-g maneuvers.

Flying the Radjet requires a fundamentally different approach to the Walrus or the Floater Jet. While its speed is a quantum leap above the others, it's the direct nature of the Radjet's flight performance that differs most - it flies flat and straight at almost any speed once you've set elevator trim for the cruising speed of your choice. I've it trimmed for about three-quarter throttle so that it has a gradual climb under full power. 

It was also the first flight with modified wingtips, a result of half a pod going walkabout after an unscheduled outlanding into the reed-grass in the paddocks. I had done a bit of research and found people, who had remarkably similar experiences to mine, had trimmed the wingtip pods off completely. I had a suspicion that they might help to reduce tip loss somehow so, instead of cutting them off completely, I left a small trimmed section.

Although I can't really say definitively whether this made things better, I can say the Radjet certainly didn't fly any worse and, perhaps, maybe a little faster. I agree that the pods do make the silhouette in flight more distinctive I can say that, once I had the Jet howling across the paddocks, I really didn't miss them...

Motor Shaft Fixed

...and the Walrus flies again

I wasn't too sure of fixing the Walrus motor, although I had read that replacing bent shafts appeared to be common enough, so re-securing the shaft in the motor shouldn't be too hard. However The circlip really didn't inspire too much confidence.

As it turned out I couldn't get an 3mm external circlip anyway, but what I did get I think is better, although it required a little modification to the motor mount. The external locking ring has almost full engagement around the shaft and I really can't see that coming loose, unlike the sad little circlip (which I found hiding in the fuselage).

The only problem is the outer diameter (10mm) is much larger than the circlip, so the hole in the bulkhead had to be increased from the original 8mm to about 12mm, which I did with a round file.

Having re-assembled the motor and done a brief power test (happily the prop didn't fly off) I checked the weather then dashed off to the field with the Walrus for a fly before the rain came returned...

Radjet on the Mend

...and hopefully flying soon

Well, the routine maintenance on the Radjet is progressing well, with the nose re-attached as well as the wingtip, which got ripped off as well. The nose will need additional work, however it is at least attached and reasonably well aligned, which is a step in the right direction.

It will probably be a couple of days before it gets in the air again, enough time to make sure the glue has fully cured. 

However, I am confident based on the brief flights this morning that the Radjet's balance issues have been resolved and that it is now quite manageable to fly, as well as capable of impressive turns of speed as well as being highly manoeuvrable.

Here's looking forward to the next test flight...

Floater Jet Reconstruction

...break out the superglue

Works to restore the Floater Jet to flying condition have commenced, with encouraging progress having already been made.

The tape holding the nose together has been removed revealing a heavily distorted shape with a multitude of rips and gaps in the foam. Also the pushrods to the tail have been bent to a degree I thought was beyond repair. However, having focussed some attention on these, I have managed to straighten them and repair a split in one of the sleeves.

Testing the servos has shown one of the tail servos appears to have stripped a gear, so that will need to be replaced too, however that is a fairly minor matter.

The main problem I had was the drying of the super glue - without accelerator it would sometimes take a day or two for repairs in some of the heavily damaged areas to dry, making the reconstruction painfully slow. Having repaired most of the nose I abandoned the prospect of a quick return to the skies the project for a few days and was rewarded with a fully cured and reasonably straight fuselage when I next checked.

The repair of the severed tail had similar issues, however patience was rewarded by a nicely bonded fracture, strong enough for the demands of flight.

As before I smoothed over the skin with tape for a cleaner look and additional strength - all ready to give the 

As before I smoothed over the skin with tape for a cleaner look and additional strength - all ready to give the Floater a test flight...

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...

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...