Flying the new TEOSAWKI

[Dane Martin]

I ran a few patterns through the new stolen TEOSAWKI. Very first flight, as soon as I popped it into the RWO, I knew it was gonna do the entire pattern. So I did. It was ok. I ended up heat gun adjusting the wing for flight 2. Much gooder.

Now, I may just be flying it too slow, and no I didn't check lap times..... sorry. But my question is; the outside seem tighter than the insides. Especially evident in the square 8's. Could this still be a little wing twist? It seemed to fly pretty level up and inverted.

[Steve Helmick]

It could be pushrod flex, or some misalignment, like downthrust. Take a look at the wing, because if you have both sides of the wing warped the same, it would give a net misalignment. In this case, perhaps "washout" in both sides...I think.
  Steve

[Will Davis]

Dane,

Glad you have the teosawki and flying it, I have three originals built by Clayton Smith, 2 flyable, I doing repair on now ,

The wing being level is usually fixable with the trim tab, tab is usually turned up due to a verticle cg issue , if no big wing warp . Mine right now is up about 20 degrees

The unequal turn is not caused by flex push riod, unless it is tighter on insides , the control horn is on top of stab  in a pull configuration to pitch up,

One item to check is control horn fatigue, Clayton experienced some control horn failures  over time,  I have replaced  all of mine after one failure ,

Usually on miy teosawki models engine alignment is the cause of hunting and unequal turn,

If the model has been repaired or modified , then alignment is the issue  or as Steve suggested check the wings for washout ,

Yours looks like a early Clayton built model with a painted fuselage and different rudder ,

[Brett Buck]

I ran a few patterns through the new stolen TEOSAWKI. Very first flight, as soon as I popped it into the RWO, I knew it was gonna do the entire pattern. So I did. It was ok. I ended up heat gun adjusting the wing for flight 2. Much gooder.

Now, I may just be flying it too slow, and no I didn't check lap times..... sorry. But my question is; the outside seem tighter than the insides. Especially evident in the square 8's. Could this still be a little wing twist? It seemed to fly pretty level up and inverted.

     It's either a small warp, or tail tilt or skew.

     Brett

[Dane Martin]

Ok I'll check for the horizontal planes to be level and I'll check the wing here at home.
I'll verify all the control system stuff, but given who it came from I'm pretty confident that stuff is top notch.

BTW, this is not a criticism of this plane. The first flight I did I was comfortable enough to do the entire pattern. Only my outsides were a little high. On the second flight my outsides bottoms were maybe too low! I love this plane. It's like flying a big slow combat ship, so it's right up my alley.

[Bill Ervin]

Dane, where were you flying this morning?  Steve and I were at the west side of town putting up patterns, got the demons exorcised from my engine.  We should fly tomorrow.  Bring yer monokote gun.

[Dane Martin]

Dane, where were you flying this morning?  Steve and I were at the west side of town putting up patterns, got the demons exorcised from my engine.  We should fly tomorrow.  Bring yer monokote gun.

You betcha. We flew at Bennett in the grass so we could fly some combat stuff also. Dusted off Charles' old nobler and flying fool. Fun day.

[Gerald Arana]

I ran a few patterns through the new stolen TEOSAWKI. Very first flight, as soon as I popped it into the RWO, I knew it was gonna do the entire pattern. So I did. It was ok. I ended up heat gun adjusting the wing for flight 2. Much gooder.

Now, I may just be flying it too slow, and no I didn't check lap times..... sorry. But my question is; the outside seem tighter than the insides. Especially evident in the square 8's. Could this still be a little wing twist? It seemed to fly pretty level up and inverted.

Dane,

Is your handle vertical when flying level? i.e., No bias?

Cheers, Jerry

[Dane Martin]

Dane,

Is your handle vertical when flying level? i.e., No bias?

Cheers, Jerry

Yep. No bias

[Dane Martin]

Reviewing my score sheets from the few contests I've attended.... it seems to me the overhead 8 is my lowest score now. Consistently lowest, I should say. So however incorrectly I'm doing it, it is probably consistently incorrect. I think I need to work on that now!

[john e. holliday]

Would love to be there to see your vertical 8.   Video's distort things a little.  questions: e both loops the same size,  top loo directly over head with the top of the loop,   last is the intersection with the loops just touching with no flat spots?     I know it is hard to tell while flying the maneuver my self, but with a coach in the judges position can help a lot.

[MikeyPratt]

Hi Dane,
The Toesawki fly’s pretty good for what it is.  However, there are a number of things that could help it performe better.  I’ve flown about five or six of them to date with over 25 to 30 flights on each.   It takes great care to make sure it is “STRAIGHT”, and not just close enough!  Make sure the wing is warp free by looking down the trailing edge and make double sure that no warps are present.  Make sure the tail is not skewed and the hinges and control system are super smooth with no binding or rough spots in the lock to lock elevator travels.  Looking at your photo it seems it has a small trim tab on the outboard wing?  This may give you a hint the something is not quite right. 

I won’t go into making a bunch of changes because it is, what it is.  Here is a little suggestion on how to improve the overhead eights.  With the wind directly in your face make the turn to vertical to enter the overheads, at the 50 degree location step back about 1 to two feet with one foot and look straight up and don’t move your head until you are exiting the maneuver.  The intersection is now the tip of your nose and fly the loops to the 45 degree elevation with your perifial vision (a good coach can really help making sure the bottoms are at the 45 degree elevation).  When you fly back to the intersection the model should be close to directly overhead and use the tip of your nose For that intersection.  With a little practice, you can now start to consentrate on your swoosh (the term of “Swoosh”come from talking to many top flyers to discribe the intersections of all eights with out flat spots).  Now fly the other half of the maneuver doing the same thing, again using your nose as the intersection of the loops (also to help keep the flat spots to a minimum, the transition from up to down control must be smooth and quick at the intersection).  When exiting the O H eights let the model fly through the intersection and then pivot your body to make a clean pull out at 5’ feet.  It will seem hard to remember all this but after a little while you will get the hang of it.  The entrance and exit line should be on the same line. 

Because of a rotator cuff injurie I fly it a little differently because I can’t lift my arm up high enough. So I turn my back to the wind at the top of the entrance, the flight of the model is not changed but the position of my bad shoulder is much easier to fly without as much pain.

Later,
Mikey 

[Dane Martin]

Flew again today. The wing feels straight now. More than anything at this point, was I think it was just flying too slow. It had an 11x4 so I went to 11x4.5. I did tweak the needle. I think this setting and this prop is a winner. 5.05-5.10 laps. Now it feels like it pulls thoroughly through maneuvers.

[Bill Ervin]

Good work Dane, now just fly the crap out of it!

[MikeyPratt]

Flew again today. The wing feels straight now. More than anything at this point, was I think it was just flying too slow. It had an 11x4 so I went to 11x4.5. I did tweak the needle. I think this setting and this prop is a winner. 5.05-5.10 laps. Now it feels like it pulls thoroughly through maneuvers.

Hi Dane,
Glad you have it working better, next try 3 blade prop such as a Grisch 10 X 4 and see if that helps.  I found it really helped in the Overhead’s, hour glass, and inverted flight as it felt more locked in.  I agree fly the crap out it and keep trimming it until your really happy with it.

Later,
Mikey