Typhoon race Korea 2012

Back from Typhoon race Korea 2012 held at Jeju island, flying in the cold/snow was indeed a great experience. Nice meeting up with friends from TW, HK, KR again. Individual 4th place, Team 1st place and finished off this fantastic trip up Mt Halla with some great friends.

Full trip report http://teamf3fsingapore.blogspot.sg/2012/12/typhoon-race-2012-korea-race-report.html

Maiden flights general tips

General tips for maiden.

 - check control direction is correct, left,right,rudder,elevator.

- ensure correct throws in control surface. A lot of times I see planes setup with too much throws, pilots cannot control. For gliders, less is more.  

-dial in some expo for all control surface. Ard 20-30%. So it's not too sensitive at start.

Needle 115 in the making

Thuro , designer of the needle series 100, 124 is now working on a new size 115. The needle 100 currently holds the world record for F3F, it performs well mostly in heavy tubulant cross wind conditions like lung pung in taiwan. Its slick profile, and smaller size allows it to have lesser drag compared to the bigger ships in cross wind and the shorter wingspan allows it to maintain wing torsional stiffness, the wings hardly flexes.

FAI F3B world cup 2012 review

Ralf Decker summerises the 2012 F3B world cup contests. FAI-World Cup 2012 Report

Excellent work by the organisers, coordinators , helpers , they are the ones that make competitions happen.

Full report http://www.f3b.de/homepage/Startseite

Unwrapping Aeromod

Very well packed this time round from Aeromod, each pc individually labelled. Lets see what we have.

Ballasts for Prodij

Vtail for prodij with big brother Alliaj's

Unboxing Aeromod

I usually dont have the luxury of doing so many unboxings, most of the time only once a year and around this period. So pretty excited when i got a call, even though the call is to tell me i have to pay GST.

I m sure many of you love to see big well packed boxes

Kenting F3F 2012 Race report

Just returned from Kenting F3F race.

New PB 30.49s on my Cyril.  race report at http://teamf3fsingapore.blogspot.com/2012/10/kenting-f3f-2012-race-report.html

Cyril, Needle 100 setup

Getting my gliders ready for Kenting F3F 2012

Cyril settings oct 2012
weight 2350g
cg103

elevator  -5/5
rudder -7/7
ailerons -15/9 measure at A/F break
flaps -7/4.5 measure at A/F break

snapflaps
flaps 5 , ailerons flush

butterfly
alierons -10 measure at A/F break
flaps from ailerons 56
elevator 4

needle settings oct 2012
CG 85

ele -5/5
rud -10/10
aileron -18/9
Flaps -9/4.5

snapflap
flaps 3.5 , ailerons flush

butterfly
ailerons -14
flaps from ailerons at A/F break 43
elevator 4

thermal mode
flaps 3 , ailerons 2

weight
tail gp - 58
fuselage -605
joiner - 51
wings 542+535
total = 1791

Easel by Joe yap

Joe Yap's Easel, a 28inch Electric flying wing inspired by the weasel that he created for indoor pylon racing. He won the recent ISAC indoor pylon race with it. Hotwired cut from white EPS foam, setup was 2000kv mini outrunner motor, 5x3 inch prop, 2s 350mah, 2x 5g servo.

I had a chance to try it out today, very agile, maneuverable in tight spaces, super fun.

This is how he trains for the pylon race.

1st FAI - F3F World Championships Oct 2012

The 1st FAI F3F World Championships starts in 2 days in Rugen , Germany. 19 countries , 58 pilots.

For the first time there will be live-streaming HD-quality video of the Aeromodelling World Championship. The video will be transmitted live via satellite from the competition site and then be broadcast to up to 20,000 viewers online. The F3F class is almost predestined for this new medium, due to the fact that the competition flights occur in a very limited airspace. The images will be captured by three cameras set up on the slope, then composited in broadcasting vehicle with ongoing information before being broadcast over the internet. Naturally, the opening ceremony and awards ceremonies will be broadcast as well.

Official website : http://www.f3f.de/index.php?id=151
Live webcast : http://www.f3f.de/index.php?id=150

Its a pity, we couldnt form a team to go this time, we aim for the next one! meanwhile I will be rooting for the Taiwan and HK team in front of the comp, hope they do Asia proud. Team Austria and Germany are strong favourites, but it can be anyone's game as they are all top class pilots.

Team websites:
France - http://f3fteamfrance2012.blogspot.com
USA - http://www.teamusaf3f.com/
Swiss - http://www.facebook.com/F3FteamSwitzerland
Germany - http://www.facebook.com/F3fTeamGermany
Austria - http://www.f3fchallenge2012.at/
Czech republic - http://www.f3f.cz/
UK - http://f3fteamuk.blogspot.co.uk/
Holland - http://www.f3f.nl/

Catch the action live

Apachobby E-wasp plug and fly review

Apachobby E-wasp plug and fly review

Introduction

Apachobby offers the E-Wasp as a mini-hot liner that is capable of blistering speeds. It is powered by a MVVS 2,5/1480 electric motor and will definitely turn a few heads as the plane dive towards the ground for that famous “Swoosh”. Its bound to keep your heart pumping at full adrenalin during your entire flight duration!

Specs:

Wingspan : 51.9 in (1320mm)

Length : 28.3 in (720mm)

Airfoil : MH43

Servos : Ailerons -Savox 0257MG x2 , Elevator – Savox 0257MG x1

Motor : MVVS 2,5/1480

ESC : Castle Creations ICE Lite 50

Prop : Aeronaut 9x5

Kit contents :

Wing is one piece with both ailerons servos installed. Horizontal stab comes separate from fuselage so just need to screw it on to complete. Fuselage comes with elevator servo, motor, esc, spinner installed. Prop is separate for user to install for safety.

Kit includes :

-          one piece wing with 2 x Savox 0257 installed

-          fuselage with MVVS 2,5/1480 , CC 50 ice lite, turbo spinner, Aeronaut 9x5, Savox 0257 as elevator servo.

-          Horizontal stablizer

-          User manual

Assembly and setup:

Its plug & fly so majority of the work is done. I just added a piece of Velcro for the battery.

Ease of setup : setup at field takes about 5mins, only 2 plugs to connect for the wings, 1 screw to screw down the wing and good to go.

 

Fuselage : ample space in fuse for batteries, RXs goes to the back of fuselage

 

C.G : recommended CG was 45-55mm, as manufacturers normally recommend conservative CG, I went with 48/49 mm for maiden.

Throws : went with recommended throws, 10/5 ailerons, 4/4 for elevator. I added about 30% expo to both. Felt very comfortable on these settings.

Maiden flight

Launch : I gave 50% of throttle and a light toss and off she went. Once it left my hand, I gave it full throttle, it accelerates steadily into the sky. Maiden was close to perfect, just 1,2 click of up trim on elevator.

Size/Presence in sky : 1.3m for me was a very comfortable size, its very compact, easy to carry around , fits nicely in the glider bag, in car seat. I took bus from office, then walked 20mins to the field, no problem at all. Yet its big enough and visible in the sky. Its targeted at pilots that are new to composites, bigger planes maybe too over bearing for them.

Speed/Climb rate: I haven’t flown powered gliders for awhile so I m not sure what to expect. When I maiden it , it felt very comfortable, at full throttle, it gave a nice climb that I felt was always under control. At stock power system with 3s, climb rate was ok. From the altitude logger, I was flying with average climb rate of about 10-16m/s , For the experienced hotliner pilots may find the climb rate a little lacking on 3s, for me was adequate for now.

On unpowered dives coming from heights of about 80-100m, the E-wasp kept on accelerating on the way down. The thin wings, MH43 profile really helps in its speed, energy retention is pretty good for this size.

Handling : Plane tracks well and goes to where you point it,  very well behaved and agile at the same time. Basically I felt very comfortable flying this guy as I know it goes where I want it to and the size it not too intimidating. No bad habits.

Power system: On stock setup using 3s 2200mah, after flying for 8 mins, the motor come down just slightly warm to touch, suggesting that it could be pushed further. I did about 25 climbs, energy consumed was 1176mah, so there is plenty of reserve left to go for more rounds. Will update with amp draw after i retrive the castle esc logs.

Acrobatics : On only my 2^nd flight on this plane, I felt comfortable enough to push it through some acrobatics. Rolls, loops were straight and through. 4 points rolls need to be slightly faster as this is a small plane so it does not carries enough momentum for hanging. Low passes were awesome. Very agile , tight turns no problem. On inverted flight , it needed a touch of up to hold inverted. I may move it back in future for more acrobatic performance.

Landing : with spoilerons (both ailerons go up) , needed a slight mix of down elevator to keep the plane from pitching up during landing. It was able to come down at a comfortable speed, even though it has no flaps.

Is this for beginner?

Not for pure beginners to RC,Apachobby's E-wasp Plug & Fly is meant more for pilots who wish to step up from foamies and balsa to a platform that offers a higher performance. 

Conclusion :

+Plug & Fly , no building required

+Good size comfortable plane

+Easy to transport

+Good handling and tracking yet agile

- the recommended 3s is suitable for pilots new to composites, for experienced hotliner pilots may prefer it on 4s.
- a little more colour on the wings will be nice.

A good mini-hotliner that can leave in the car everyday for those stress free flights, perfect for those who wants to upgrade from  say, MPX blizzard. The buiding/assembly is already done, good for those who don't have the knowledge or time to build up a composite glider. The power system selection has been tried and tested, so you can just focus on the flying.

On 4s.

With the same setup, 4s 1800 was used and flown by my co-pilot. This plane really came alive with 4s. The climb rate, punch was more powerful and put a grin to his face. I hope to be able to try 4s soon and capture a better video showing 4s flights. 

Video of E-wasp on 3s.
 

Erwin XL ultralight maiden

Was at OHR to help out Jyheli to maiden his Erwin xl ultralight. Good, strong, light, with nice finish and PCM's quality as usual. She floats forever in the wind and is pretty agile too for a 3m. Will make a good F5J bird in those super calm conditions.

3150s

Some 3150s for my new gliders. Their specs are not too fast, but so far they have been reliable , low amp consumption, even when i m running them on 2s LiFe. I ordered them from FXmodelrc. Good price and customer service, Robin @ fxmodel has been very good to deal with.

Alula piggyback

The Alula is such a fun plane, be it at the slope or flat field. It is a light and buoyant flier. The unique and refined bird-inspired wing design facilitates the sidearm launch method and maintains maneuverability, even at very low airspeeds. Available from Apachobby. One of the weekdays at OHR, we tried out another method to bring the Alula up in the air, Alula piggy back on easyglider pro! Using just 2 piece of storch tape folded backwards as doublesided tape, it was attached to the top of an easyglider pro. Launch was smooth and up it went, shakes hard to detached. Fun

Inaugural Aeromodelling Carnival 2012

The Inaugural Aeromodelling Carnival 2012 orgnaised by AFS at the ACE Aeromodelling Club field in woodlands was held over the weekend. It had many exciting and fun competitions like precision take-offs/landings, quad rotor obstacle race, indoor pylon race, electric pylon race, Discus-launched Gliders , Control Line stunt/race. It was a fun event and great turn out, looking forward to next year's.

JR 9xII stick calibration, service menu

My JR 9xII has been serving me well and is almost 6 years old. I found that the elevator channel now has a little offset at neutral so i needed a way to recalibrate the sticks. A search online found that 9xII has a service menu that allows stick calibration.

** FOLLOW THE FOLLOWING PROCEDURE AT YOUR OWN RISK **

1. Pull & Hold the spring loaded trainer switch into the forward position.
2. Pull AILE D/R switch up.
3. Power the set on while keeping ENT button on front panel pressed.
4. Rotate roller activator until Trim Step is highlighted.
5. Press roller activator on Trim Step, rotate to AILE.
6. Switch AILE D/R down, press roller activator, switch AILE D/R up, press roller activator.
7. Repeat Step 6 four more times and on the 5th (total) time access should be granted to the Service Menu.

Once in service menu, goto Stick Nut , center all sticks and sliders then click [STO]. Voila, no more elevator offset.

Some other functions of service menu can refer to here.

Kulmbach F3B

Kulmbach is one of the stop of the FAI-World Cup F3B 2012, a series of competitions where top pilots slug it out to be the top F3B pilot. (What is F3B?)

Over close to 100 competitiors came from all over europe to compete. It was great seeing my friends as well as other top pilots in action. I saw how dedicated these people were, driving hundreds of kilometers carrying so much logistics from all over , camping over 3 days, imagine no shower in summer weather for 3 days. Eat, sleep, fly F3B requires lots of passion , my salute to you guys.

Czech Heaven

A visit to Czech Heaven , one of the best airfields in Czech Republic.

Located about 30mins from Brno, Czech Heaven is a RC modelling club with superb views and excellent facilities. Large hangers for aircrafts, cabins where members can rent to stay,eat, sleep and fly, club house with cooking facilities and even a swimming pool, it is indeed a heaven for RC modellers.

F3F - simple yet captivating

Interesting post on F3F from Taiwan slope forum , i thought will be good to translate for non-chinese audience.

"F3F simple yet captivating

100meters, 10 laps, 9 corners

Exactly how many variables are there? Been involve for so many years yet unable to fully master..  yet its the same reason why its so captivating.

The following is a personal view :

1. Aircraft Selection
Find a aircraft that can perform in all wind conditions
In any wind conditions, it can take a corner strong, accelerate in the straights, unaffected by turbulence, sensitive to thermals, explosive with power.
Able to find any? Afraid there is no such thing

2. Remote Control Setting
Aileron Differential, mixing, control surface movement, more or less is better?
How much setting to go fast yet remains controllable?

3.Center of gravity
Some guys fly at 98mm, some at 95mm, some at 92mm. Which CG position is best?
This depends on each person's own flying style

4. Ballast
Some guys use 6 pieces, some use 4 pieces, some use 2 pieces, some never use. What is the optimum amount to use? This also depends on each flying style.

5. 30 seconds climb
Some use pendulum/swing method, some climb slowly. How to maximise the climb/energy in 30seconds so that the entry dive down will be ferocious.

6. Optimal Flight path
Is it better to fly close to slope edge, fly higher or fly outside?

7. Precise cornering
Pulling up before the turn, when to pull? How high to pull?
Rolling before the turn, when to start rolling?How much to roll? Split S or side turn?
Turn further out to capture more airflow or to do a tight corner and pull back immediately after the turn?
After taking a corner, when to start pulling elevator? Is it single pull through or 2 stage pull?
Steal a turn and risk a cut or stay conservative and fly further?

8. Wind conditions, buoyancy, competition venue
Adaptability of different wind conditions,buoyancy, venue
In unfamiliar grounds, yet able to perform to high standards.

F3F is a race against time.
Time = Distance / Speed
So the shorter the flight path, the faster the speed are guarantees for a good timing
For a short flight path, turning on the point is a necessary skill for the "master thief"
Since Speed is king, how to accelerate fast after a corner is the goal to pursuit.
Continuously spend money on a new machine or to keep the old aircraft and continue to cultivate feelings.

In addition to the above, the confidence is very important, how to build confidence is itself a profound knowledge

Looks like have to spend a life time to slowly learn."

Hobby Expo China Beijing May 2012

I have the privilege to attend the Hobby Expo China 2012 held in Beijing this week.

There were about 200 exhibitors :
-The bigger brands like Futaba, JR, Hitec were represented by their China Distributors or office. Mostly showing their latest transmitters, Futaba 18mz, JR transformer lookalike DMSS series of TX, Hitec/Multiplex with their profi line.
-Big Distributors from China, Hongkong , they showcased the many brands they carry.
-The bigger Chinese brands, like Nine Eagles, SkyRC, Esky,Arttech,etc.
-Smaller companies offering OEM/ODM from servos, escs to micro helis.
-A few companies offering raw materials, magnets, carbon fiber products, etc

Products
- The main product line up were foamies, micro helis, RTR cars, Toy planes/helis. Many companies offering about the same things, however not much new innovative designs.
- Of course the hot trending multi-rotors, lots of emphasis on multi rotor stuff, AP/AV, with products customised and designed specially for multi-rotor use, e.g. high-freq ESCs, motors with extra long leads. Many companies with their own frame, board, gimbals.


Enjoy the pictures