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Building Tips and technical articles. => ARF'S => Topic started by: Allen Eshleman on April 27, 2009, 12:53:55 PM
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Yesterday, I flew my Top Flite ARF Flite Streak for the first time. The controls were very touchy - up and down. I moved the placement of the control wire in the control horn from second notch to third. It was a little better. I am considering moving it to the furthest one. Could it be that I have it a bit tail heavy and need to move the CG a bit forward? Has anyone else had this problem?
It has a Fox 35 and Hayes 3 oz. tank mounted inboard with muffler pressure. Not much room for a tank here.
Allen Eshleman
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Allen,
where did you balance it at? I have read that the instructions for the ARF show the CG rather far back
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Allen, The majority of people I've seen using the Flite Streak including myself typically use the FP-.20-.25 or La .25. I believe these engines are a bit heavier than the Fox .35. especially when using the stock muffler. I know mine is tail heavy and this sounds like your condition. I believe what was stated in the directions for that planes cg was incorrect anyhow. I prefer tail heavy and just tamed it a bit by using smaller line spacing on my handle with a slightly larger control horn on the tail. I didn't care for the stock horn and used my own which was twice the size offered. You could put a heavier wheel up front which could help. My stock wheel gave up after approx 50 flights. A spinner could also help as well. You always have the option of using a Harry Higley heavy hub either brass or aluminum. I would keep an eye on the nose of your airplane. The nose is hollow inside that plane and sometimes the good ole Fox likes to shake a bit more than some of the others. I've witnessed one nose rip off of one. I'm not sure if it was a defect or just the engine but it did happen. I wouldn't lose sleep over it but they're a great bargain and a lot of fun to fly.
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Thanks for the advice. Actually, I added tail weight to get to the recommended cg. I've taken some of it off. It balances on the the front line now. I haven't tried it yet. I might add a heavier wheel later.
Also, there isn't much line tension. However, it stays out there. Does wing tip weight help at all with that? The motor is offset a bit and the rudder/stab just a bit.
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I have 2 ARF FlightStreaks,both with Fox 35's on them. I also have tongue mufflers on both. My kids have flown the daylights out of them. One has a standard fuse(rebuilt after a crash) one stock. Both fly great. I never added any weight anywhere on them except for about an ounce in the tip. These planes turn very well and never gave me any balance problems. Just make sure you keep the nose secure and props balanced as vibration will kill them.The one with the stiffer fuse is defiantly a better flier. If I ever get around to it I am going to convert the one with the stock fuse to electric power. That will be better for the weaker fuse.
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William, try drilling a couple of holes into the hollow part of the nose. Squirt in some Gorilla glue and let it foam up. I fixed a broken nosed scratch built Streak that way. It sure isn't very pretty, but I think it flies better than before the crash. Of course, I don't fly too great.
S
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Allen, one thing to check is the straightness of the flaps. On my particular model my son was always telling me that there was little line tension. One night I was looking it over I noticed that my inboard flap was twisted slightly upwards. This would definitely push the inboard wing down in upright flight resulting in light line tension. The outboard flap wasn't in the best of shape either. This could surely cause problems. You should put your plane in front of you nose down on the floor, then sighting from the rear the stab to wing and flap lines. Check for proper alignment and make sure the wing is not twisted. In the event it is a heat gun and twisting in the opposite direction should fix it. I would then hold the plane out in front of you one finger on the crankshaft and one finger on the tail and check to see if it falls outboard. More tip weight may help but it could also hurt performance if its actually a warp or improperly installed flap. Ken
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I have taken weight off but the back but I won't have time to fly until at least next weekend as I'm going out of town for a wedding, leaving Friday.
I am curious if there would be any merit in drilling into the nose and putting in epoxy or something like that.
Where would one drill? right out where the motor connects or between the motor and leading edge where the tanks is?
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Allen,
you can do that when you make repairs later when and if needed. I dont know that I would do it just as a matter of course. added weight, and it could really complicate a repair later too...
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I used a 1/4 (12") extension drill. Drilled two holes from the front under both beam mounts that angled slightly so that they went past the LE of the wing, then worked in epoxy coated CF arrow shafts. Stiffened the nose considerably. A figure 9 was the demise of the airplane, but the nose broke off in one piece, destroying the fwd center of the wing!
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Yesterday, I flew my Top Flite ARF Flite Streak for the first time. The controls were very touchy - up and down. I moved the placement of the control wire in the control horn from second notch to third. It was a little better. I am considering moving it to the furthest one. Could it be that I have it a bit tail heavy and need to move the CG a bit forward? Has anyone else had this problem?
Yes, just about everybody who tried it at that CG found the same thing. Move the CG to about 1.25-1.375" from the leading edge, and I think it will be a lot more in control. Note that even changing it a little makes a big difference on the Flite Streak, and it can easily be unstable with the CG too far back.
Brett
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I had an ARF Streak a number of years back. Flew with an LA25 and a stock muffler. It was a mild, controllable, flier. Never checked the cg. Probably the combination weighed more than the Fox. Does the Fox have a muffler? Stick one on, if not. Probably not enough weight in the nose. Just a thought. Is the push rod flexing at all? Must use the guide to keep it rigid. One nice thing about Streaks, is that they can fly well fairly slow. I'd put an LA25 in the nose of your next one. (Or if you can find it, an equivalent FP). The stock nose is weak, eventually they break off. I imagine the extra vibes of the Fox 35 would quicken the process. ARF Streaks can be no muss no fuss. A great way into comp stunt. I've seen lots of them in Beginner. Flew myself out of Beginner using one. Even when the fues is rebuilt to overcome the inherent weakness of the nose construction (not much wood there, hollow) it's easy to get them in the air.
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Hi Guys,
I finally got a chance to try out the Flite Streak with the modifications - all the weight off the back and a half ounce of weight in the outside wing tip. I had three safe flights. The plane is now stable! It doesn't jump up and down. I can do perfectly level flight - of course - there was no wind. It also pulled some. I wouldn't mind a bit more but there was no hint of it coming in at me. I will soon begin to do maneuvers. However, I haven't gotten the needle valve set right yet. It's still running too rich, not cutting into two cycle. Each flight tonight I turned it in a little. It probably needs just a tad more. This engine only has about thirty flights on it so it might not be entirely broken in. Also, it's my first attempt with a clunk tank and muffler pressure with a Fox 35. Also the tank is mounted inboard. I'm still flying with 52 ft. lines till I feel more confident.
Stooge Tangle On my second flight, I got my feet tangled in the stooge string. It actually wrapped around my feet and pulled the board with the stooge on it toward me. It was almost to me by the time the tank ran dry. I'm glad it's not a large tank. I tripped as the engine cut out but brought it in to an almost perfect landing. I will be careful never to do that again.
Thanks so much all of you.
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Allen, one of my F Streak ARF's is stock except for the nose being rebuilt with maple inserts and gorilla glue with an FP 20 and the other is the original arf wing with a new fuselage 1 inch long in the nose and 3 inches long on the tail with a la25. They both use 3 oz hayes clunk tanks with muffler pressure and both fly very well. My friend just finished a scratch build with a McCoy 35 and it flies great. They are great trainers,, hope you have a lot of fun with yours.
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Having Fun - I am now at 14 flights. During the twelfth flight I finally got from loops to figure eights. It's been a long time. I used to do them. I didn't do a lot of inverted flying - just a little and rather high - and it's a good thing. Now I have to rework the wheel bracket. It needs bolts in place of the screws. I hope to build a new fuselage and probably all the other parts too - some time and use this wing. Thanks for the great suggestions. It's a new world compared to that first wobbly flight on this plane. I have been a sport flier for years.