And Safety

Good things to know to make you life a little easier. Tips, tricks, and helpful hints.
LiPo Battery Caution.  Lithium Polymer batteries are a wonder of science. They can provide tremendous amounts of power at a fraction of the weight of previous batteries such as the NiCad. However, they should be treated with respect. Only charge with an approved LiPo charger that uses a battery balancer. The balancer feature uses that extra little connector attached to the battery which provides equal charging to all cells at the same rate and voltage. LiPo packs for aircraft are very soft as they don't have a hard protective covering. Any crash landing could dent a LiPo pack and cause it to be dangerous. Always charge while you are watching. One of these batteries can, and have let loose and burst into flames. This photo was no joke. Never charge LiPo packs in your vehicle            click picture to enlarge                                  Read the latest safety warning from the LiPo manufacturers. Aerobatics Control Chart.    Have you ever wondered how to do that crazy maneuver, but just couldn't quit get your fingers to move the sticks in the right direction? Well, here is a nifty little chart that shows you how. Aerobatics Pattern flight maneuvers.  List of the AMA maneuvers during sport pattern flight,
Novices Getting Started in Radio Control. EQUIPMENT NEEDED  The following equipment is recommended for Novice flyers: A high wing, trainer type model plane with controls for engine, aileron, elevator, and rudder. A wing span between 55 and 65 inches. Accessories to complete the plane such as wheels, covering material, control linkages, etc. A radio control system with a minimum of four channels. (Six channels 2.4Gig is recommended.) An electric brushless motor is much easier to deal with than a glow engine. Spare propellers, spare batteries, assorted tools, etc. The approximate total cost of the above items is $350-500. However, there are a lot of deals to be found at your local hobby shop, on-line, etc. Ask around, and of course, at the RCACF Club meetings. WHERE TO OBTAIN ASSISTANCE Information and assistance on getting started and flying may be obtained from flyers at the field, magazines and books, local hobby shops, and local radio control flying clubs such as the RCACF. WHY JOIN A LOCAL R/C CLUB To protect your $$$ investment, it is strongly recommended that you work with a qualified builder and flyer who can teach you to build and fly model planes. Don't try to proceed on your own. I must have crashed a dozen aircraft and wasted years 5 years trying to do it on my own. Once I joined the RCACF club, my skill level immediately went up. The helpfulness and guidance of the members was invalualable. As a member of RCACF you can enjoy the following benefits Guidance with choosing and building/ assembling your first plane. Assistance with learning to fly safely and competently from a club recommended instructor assigned to work with you and using a club approved training program. Participation in club activities such as fun flys, picnics, contests, etc. A magnificent paved runway to aid in those learning to land. An opportunity to meet and talk with fellow flyers. Maybe someone might even bring coffee and cake to the monthly meetings? Don't hold you breath on this one. CG Calculator. D.I.Y. PVC Airplane stand An aircraft stand is a must for transporting or while setting on a table outside. While transporting it keeps your model from sliding around in the back of your vehicle. For outside use it keeps your model still during those windy days. It also keeps you from getting flat spotted tires. Here is an easy, inexpensive, and quick way to make the perfect stand. All part can be purchased at your local hardware store such as Lowes or HomeDepot. The PCV is all 1/2" and the black rubber is found in the copper tubing section. It is designed to cover cold air conditioning pipes to keep them from sweating. It has a partial split down the site, but I did not open the split. I just slid it over the PVC. One suggestion is to not use glue, just press them firmly together, as they will hold sufficiently without glue. Then when you crash and get a different model, you can easily expand or adjust to fit.
Click picture to enlarge	Click picture to enlarge
What does that flashing LED on your Spektrum receiver mean? Simply put, it means that the receiver lost communications with your transmitter. It is usually caused by cycling your aircraft power while leaving your transmitter on, hence the receiver looses communications during that period. It can also be caused by a "brownout". Brownouts can be caused by an inadequate power supply (weak battery or regulator), a loose connector, a bad switch, an inadequate BEC when using an Electronic speed controller, etc. There is a false rumor going around that the flashing LED means you have a bad bind and are going to crash. This rumor has no merit. There is no such thing as a bad bind. It is an electronic device, not a person. You either have a bind or not. There are various other instances that can cause you to take a hit on your communications. Spektrum corporation has laid out a list of Best Practices that should be followed regardless of who's 2.4Ghz equipment you have. Take a few minutes and check it out here. It is valuable advice!
Electric Ducted Fan Setup Guidelines: There are many combinations and set ups that will work for EDFs.  Here are some formulas that will make it easy for you to determine what the proper set up will be. To calculate your fan rpm's: Take the voltage of the battery and multiply the KV of the motor.                                                                    11.1v X 3600= 39,960 rpm. (minus 11% due to efficiency loss) To calculate what KV motor you need: Take the desired fan RPM divide it by the battery voltage.                                                                    45,000/ 14.8v=3040kv motor.  To calculate what battery you need: Take desired fan RPM divide it by the motor kv.                                                                    45,000/ 3600kv=12.5v (3 cell). To calculate approximate amps drawn: Take watts divide it by the volts.                                                                    800 watts/ 14.8v=54amps. To calculate volts needed: Take watts divide it by the amps.                                                                    450 watts/ 40amps= 11.25volts. To calculate watts: Take amps multiply it by volts.                                                                    57amps X 14.8v= 843watts. The basic rule of thumb is to calculate your fan to  between 32,000 and 42,000 rpm. You always want to use 3.7volt X cell count to figure your actual running battery voltage. The batteries will charge higher, but drop considerably during high amp loading. You must also subtract 11% for efficiency loss to get your actual rpm. Example: - 90MM Ducted fan unit - 1850KVA motor - 6 cell 5000 lipo battery -(3.7 x 6 = 22volts) -(22volts x 1850kva = 40,700 RPM) -(minus 11% = 36,223 actual RPM)
How To Trim Your Aircraft 1) Trim in calm conditions. 2) Make multiple tests before making adjustments. 3) If changes are made, go over previous steps and verify or readjust as necessary. To Test For Test Procedure Observations Adjustment 1. Control neutrals Fly model straight and level Adjust the transmitter trims for hands off straight and level flight Adjust clevises to center transmitter trims 2. Control throws Fly model and apply full deflection of each control in turn Check the response of each control *Aileron Hi-rate: 3 rolls in 4 seconds.   *Lo-rate: 3 rolls in 6 seconds.   *Elevator Hi-rate: to give smooth square corner.   *Lo-rate: to give a loop of approx. 130' dia..   *Rudder Hi-rate: approx. 30-35 degrees for stall turns.   *Lo-rate to maintain knife edge flight. 3. Decalage Power off vertical dive. Release controls when model is vertical (elevator must be neutral). A. Does the model continue straight down?   B. Does the model start to pull out (nose up) ?   C. Does the model start to tuck in (nose down)? A. No adjustment   B. Reduce incidince   C. Increase incidince 4. Center of gravity Method 1: Roll model into near vertically banked turn.   Method 2: Roll model inverted. A. Nose drops   B. Tail drops   C. Lots of down elevator required to maintain level flight   D. No down elevator required to maintain level flight, or model climbs A. Add weight to tail   B. Add weight to nose   C. Add weight to tail   D. Add weight to nose 5. Tip Weight (course adjustment) Fly model straight and level upright. Check that aileron trim maintains wings level. Roll model inverted, wings level. Release aileron stick A. Model does not drop a wing   B. Left wing drops   C. Right wing drops A. No adjustment required   B. Add weight to right tip   C. Add weight to left tip 6. Side Thrust Fly model away from you into any wind. Pull it into a vertical climb (watch for deviations as it slows down). A. Model continues straight up   B. Model veers left   C. Model veers right A. No adjustment needed   B. Add right thrust   C. Reduce right thrust (move thrust line left) 7. Up/Down Thrust Fly model on a normal path into any wind. Parallel to strip, at a distance of around 100m from you (elevator trim should be neutral as per test No.3). Pull into a vertical climb & neutralize elevator. A. Model continues straight up   B. Model pitches up (goes towards top of model)   C. Model pitches down (goes towards bottom of model) A. No adjustment needed   B. Add down thrust   C. Reduce down thrust 8. Tip Weight (fine adjustment) Method 1: Fly model as per test No.6 and pull it into a reasonably small dia. inside loop (1 loop only).   Method 2: Fly the model as per test No.6 and push it down into an outside loop (1 loop only & fairly tight). A. Model comes out with wings level   B. Model comes out right wing low   C. Model comes out left wing low A. No adjustment needed   B. Add weight to left tip   C. Add weight to right tip 9.(a) Aileron Differential Method 1: Fly the model towards you, before it reaches you, pull it up into a vertical climb. Neutralize controls, then half roll the model A. No heading changes   B. Heading change opposite to direction of roll commands (ie. heading veers to models & your left after right roll).   C. Heading changes in direction of roll command  A. Differential OK   B. Increase differential   C. Reduce differential 9.(b) Aileron Differential Method 2: Fly the model on a normal pass and do 3 or more rolls A. Roll axis on model center line   B. Roll axis off to same side as roll command (ie. right roll, roll axis off right wing tip)   C. Roll axis off to opposite side of model as roll command A. Differential OK   B. Increase differential   C. Reduce differential 10. Dihedral Fly model on normal pass and roll into knife-edge flight, maintain altitude with top rudder (do this test in both left & right knife-edge flight) A. Model has no tendency to roll out of knife-edge flight   B. Model rolls in direction of applied rudder   C. Model rolls in opposite direction in both tests A. Dihedral OK   B. Reduce dihedral   C. Increase dihedral 11. Elevator alignment (for models with independent elevator halves) Fly model as in test #6 and pull it up into an inside loop. Roll inverted and repeat the above by pushing it up into an outside loop A. No rolling tendency when elevator applied   B. Model rolls in same direction in both tests   C. Model rolls in opposite direction in both tests A. Elevators are in correct alignment   B. Elevator halves misaligned. Either raise one half or lower the other half   C. One elevator half has more throw than the other (model rolls to the side with the most throw). Reduce throw on one side or increase throw on the other 12. Pitching in knife-edge flight Fly model as per test no. 10 A. There is no pitching up or down   B. The nose pitches up (the model climbs laterally)   C. Nose pitches down (model dives laterally) A. No adjustment needed   B. Alternate cures:   1. Move the CG aft   2. Increase wing incidence   3. Add down trim to ailerons   C. Reverse the above
How To tell connectors apart

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