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Got myself an easystar which is a 3 channel beginners power glider which is a popular platform for FPV flying - Search for Easystar on youtube and you will quickly find an FPV pilot trying to dodge the blades on a huge wind turbine or chase a truck down a highway with one.
Got the FPV gear, the easystar and a (I think severly overpowered engine) and took it down the field.
I was a bit too keen - chucked the plane into the air and pull the VR goggles over my eyes. Didn't quite go to plan, although the 10 seconds it lasted were pretty impressive. Pulled the goggles off to see the plane nose dive into the next field. Retreived it, and considering how hard it went in the damage was pretty slight - Bit of cyno and an elastic band wrapped around the front and it was off again.
This time didn't bother with the goggles and found the thing was virtually unflyable - no real response to the rudder and the engine was either pretty much full power or off. Not good as the same motor is used on Funjets and this is just a glider. This time landed in the next field. Gave up, had a flight of the 500 and went home.
On Saturday I replaced the tiny foam rudder with a larger balsa one. I also had an incident with the speed controller suddenly going up in smoke, so I borrowed one and today I tried again.
I removed the camera and the transmitter from the plane so I wouldn't be tempted and just focused on learning to fly the thing.
Big difference - the new rudder made it very controllable and the only issue I had was that there was too much up trimmed into the elevator. As the new speed controller allowed the engine to run slowly, I could gently poodle around the sky - perfect for FPV flying.
The most throttle it needed was about a 3rd - More and it would start to climb as the wings have a lot of lift. Opened the throttle to beyound 3/4 and the engine would start to howl like a funjet, but the model becomes uncontrollable as it hasn't got ailerons. Not that I suspect it would matter for long as the wings would probably come off...
So, good days flying plank flying. I'll give it a few more goes and then re-install the FPV gear.
Got the FPV gear, the easystar and a (I think severly overpowered engine) and took it down the field.
I was a bit too keen - chucked the plane into the air and pull the VR goggles over my eyes. Didn't quite go to plan, although the 10 seconds it lasted were pretty impressive. Pulled the goggles off to see the plane nose dive into the next field. Retreived it, and considering how hard it went in the damage was pretty slight - Bit of cyno and an elastic band wrapped around the front and it was off again.
This time didn't bother with the goggles and found the thing was virtually unflyable - no real response to the rudder and the engine was either pretty much full power or off. Not good as the same motor is used on Funjets and this is just a glider. This time landed in the next field. Gave up, had a flight of the 500 and went home.
On Saturday I replaced the tiny foam rudder with a larger balsa one. I also had an incident with the speed controller suddenly going up in smoke, so I borrowed one and today I tried again.
I removed the camera and the transmitter from the plane so I wouldn't be tempted and just focused on learning to fly the thing.
Big difference - the new rudder made it very controllable and the only issue I had was that there was too much up trimmed into the elevator. As the new speed controller allowed the engine to run slowly, I could gently poodle around the sky - perfect for FPV flying.
The most throttle it needed was about a 3rd - More and it would start to climb as the wings have a lot of lift. Opened the throttle to beyound 3/4 and the engine would start to howl like a funjet, but the model becomes uncontrollable as it hasn't got ailerons. Not that I suspect it would matter for long as the wings would probably come off...
So, good days flying plank flying. I'll give it a few more goes and then re-install the FPV gear.
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