Another Tuesday evening CL session

TOO COOL !!!! Man ! That looks like fun !

cribbs74 wrote:...Had a chance to fly the rebalanced Ringmaster....

Was it nose heavy when you maidened it? My SS is, about 3/4" forward of the recommended. How much did you have to move the CG and how differently did it fly?

RknRusty wrote:

cribbs74 wrote:...Had a chance to fly the rebalanced Ringmaster....

Was it nose heavy when you maidened it? My SS is, about 3/4" forward of the recommended. How much did you have to move the CG and how differently did it fly?

Yes it was nose heavy for the maiden. I had to add 1/2oz to the tail to get the CG correct. Or at least to what is recommended. What I did notice was that it flew better, but I was now able to stall it with the elevator. Not sure if one had anything to do with the other. Before I added the weight I could give full up and the plane would follow through albeit very slowly. Now when I give it full up I lose responsiveness and speed. I found if I flew it through the loops it did fine. The Ringmaster is known for stalling with that elevator acting as an air brake.

Ron

Ron:

Sounds like too much elevator deviation to me if it stalls.

Suggest no more than 45 degrees. This may be changed either at the belcrank or the elevator horn or a combination of both.

Experiment until you aren't stalling anymore.

SD

Kim wrote:TOO COOL !!!! Man ! That looks like fun !

It was Kim, it was!

SuperDave wrote:Ron:

Sounds like too much elevator deviation to me if it stalls.

Suggest no more than 45 degrees. This may be changed either at the belcrank or the elevator horn or a combination of both.

Experiment until you aren't stalling anymore.

SD

Thanks Dave,

I did use the innermost hole on the Bellcrank and I am running on the middle hole on the horn. I think 30 degrees is what is recommended for the Ringmaster. I will be experimenting for sure.

Ron

If I'm not mistaken, most people use the innermost hole of the bellcrank for a separate flap linkage. I wish I had a good way to measure the elevator throw, but I've always thought 35 should be the absolute maximum. My Satan might have more but none of the others do. The Streaks are less than 30 I think, and probably the SS. I'm going to try and check it. I have a piece of soft aluminum I might be able to hold up to it and bend, then read on a protractor.

I need a full ounce on the tail to hit the plan's CG and I'm hesitant to do that since it did snap loops(what I call jerking full up loops) with no problem. It seemed happy where it was. I know pattern tuning is different from freestyle wildness tuning, but it probably should snap out of wingovers pretty quick as you approach 6 feet. But then I can conceive of tail weight improving that since it's already nose down... gravity and all. So much to learn about making them perform. So much is pilot preference too.

What I would like to know is how you make up and down deflection even when setting things up initially.....

It never fails when I build these these things that I have more deflection one way than another! No matter how straight I keep things or how precise I try to bend the control rod it happens anyway. With my Ringmaster I have more up than down by 10 or so degrees.

I really need to consider using adjustable control rods. Is there a way to fix this? Apart from tearing down the plane?

On a profile it's pretty easy, cut pushrod off at elevator and solder on a threaded rod, overlap appx. 1" and wrap with copper wire. But if your bellcrank is centered and you have appx. 10% more up then down (and horn is on bottom) your pushrod is too long and should be shortend with a slight 'z' bend?

An inexpensive plastic protractor given me by one of our g'kids works well to measure deflection. One, protractor that is , should be available anywhere school supplies are sold.

SD

SuperDave wrote:An inexpensive plastic protractor given me by one of our g'kids works well to measure deflection. One, protractor that is , should be available anywhere school supplies are sold.

SD

I have trouble with the imaginary line extending from the elevator to the scale on the protractor to read it.

I just checked my SS and it's 30 up and 30 down. I have a threaded 2-56 coupling that's made to solder onto the end of the rod. Screw a clevis onto that and it's fully adjustable as long as your bellcrank is free to move far enough in each direction.

A trick I learned from Ken to center the throws is to disconnect the rod from the elevator. then pull all the way down and mark the rod with a sharpie, and mark the fuse in exactly the same place. Then pull up and mark the fuse under the mark on the rod. Now the whole length of the throw is marked on the fuse. When you find the center between the two points, mark it, and that's where the elevator will be neutral. Re-attach the clevis and check for neutral, and screw in or out until you get the center marks lined up.

Just be sure when you build your bellcrank to make sure it moves the same distance in both directions. Sometimes you have to cut a relief in the balsa in front or behind it to adjust the throw.

Thanks guys. plenty of options to choose from now

Thank goodness you guys are here!

Ron