...the Canadair's cooking Following my concerns regarding the Canadair 415's prop size, or lack thereof, I conducted a rudimentary thrust test using a scale. First up, the Canadair weighed in at 1.25kg all up including a 2200mAh battery.
The Canadairsounded quite impressive runningup to full power, with the scales indicating it was developing somewhere in the region of 1.6kg thrust, close to the quoted maximum of the Turnigy L2210's and more than adequate for getting the water bomber into the air...
The only minor concern I have regarding the Canadair 415 is whether the props are sufficiently large; I traded in the 8x3.8 slow-fly props for three-bladed 7x4.5's following the methodology of dropping one size going from two blades to three. However, in this case, the original prop is a slow-fly paddle version, so I'm thinking that going for a regular eight-inch three-blade would have been a better equivalency.
Anyway, I might do a power test on a scale just to get a rough idea of how much thrust to expect; the 210W bell motors are rated at a max 880g thrust which, pushing the lightweight Canadair 415, would probably give it unlimited vertical performance...
...at last After a long and tedious episode of head-scratching and problem solving, the Canadair 415 is finally ready to fly, and it looks great!
Hanging in the study it exhibits the nose-down attitude with which I believe it flies, and the metallic spinners finish it off beautifully. Having read some discussions, I finished it off with a clear enamel spray as the foam is a little dry and I'm sure prone to staining, especially as the lake where I fly is actually a stormwater basin...
...get the gliders soaring I have lately been searching for places to get the gliders soaring instead of just cruising around; more what they're supposed to do. However, unfortunately, good soaring sites aren't to be found in suburbia so I've had to do a bit of searching.
I took the Phoenix for a fly to a great slope soaring site, unfortunately having literally zero wind meant it was just a regular flying session, although with a spectacular panoramic view. Hopefully I'll get to return when the breezes are favourable...
Yesterday afternoon I headed off to the lake again with the Trainstar, hoping that finally all the work I'd put into sorting it out would pay dividends and I'd be able to have an enjoyable afternoon punting it around the lake.
As it turned out the flights were really good; nice smooth takeoffs, peaceful and uneventful flights finished off with reasonably good landings. Using full elevator for landings this time, I managed to keep the Trainstar on its floats every time although it was still dropping too fast. The last tweak I need to do then, is to take off the flap mix I've been flying with.
This is good on the gliders when flying slowly however, with the Trainstar having to fly on about three-quarter throttle, the tail doesn't need any lifting. So, by switching the mixing off, it will give me a little extra elevator travel, just what I need to be able to level the Trainstar out on landing, hopefully enough to eliminate the bouncing which has been a characteristic of every landing it's made so far.
Changing the elevator setting will hopefully also give teh Trainstar teh ability to climb a bit better, as at the moment it flies pretty flat, which can be a slight concern given the number of trees lining the lake's edge.
The good landings were, of course, a great assistance ino keeping the servos dry...
...silicone sealer and dielectric grease Having thought the Trainstar floatplane was completely sorted, I've discovered that the wing servos, in particular the aileron servos with their exposed extension join, are prone to water ingress. Due to the smallest waterproof servo available being much too large to fit into the wing, it was necessary to waterproof the existing servos and connectors. I had intended to use dielectric grease however I was concerned about contamination affecting the covering tape over the servo wires and so opted instead to just go with silicone sealer. I sealed the cable entry to the servo housing, which seems like the most likely water entry point, and sealed the servo connector and the extension harness. The joins in the servo housing didn't seem like a problem, and I haven't sealed around the pinion gear due to access problems on the already-installed servos. This is the one area that would require the grease, however I was wondering whether a haphazard application of grease might be worse than none at all, considering that the area most accessible would be on the underside, possibly trapping any splashed water. So I think I'll just try the Trainstar as is and see how it goes...
...don't try too hard Conditions today were idyllic, a beautiful warm afternoon with a light easterly blowing, and the lake deserted as usual except for a flock of moorhens and the odd duck. With the Trainstar now fully sorted, I was looking forward to a leisurely afternoon flying the floatplane around and enjoying the gorgeous weather. With the rudder servo keeping things straight on launch I could concentrate on managing the liftoffs; this takes a little doing as one needs to ease off the up-elevator required during the takeoff run, however the liftoff is quite sudden and tricky to anticipate. Anyhow, the launches were a little better but still need some work.
The landings, however, were atrocious, with the first attempt off an awkward approach being all over the place and ending with the Trainstar nosing into the lake. Fortunately it was close to the shore and the breeze assisted in bringing it back without the need to haul out the dinghy. The flights were otherwise very pleasant, with the 2700mAh battery giving good power on launch and surprising endurance in flight. The controls are still a bit sensitive, and with the weight of the floats the Trainstar is quite sensitive, however I think I just need to dial up teh expo a bit to calm things down. My last landing, by default, was off a nice long approach after my initial botched effort, and I greased the floats in on what I thought to be my best landing so far, when suddenly the float dug in and the Trainstar was suddenly nose-down in the lake, again. I have made lots of bad landings, but never has the the Trainstar actually gone in. I think I was trying to get it too smooth and was lacking up-elevator to keep things on an even keel...
