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General control line discussion => Open Forum => Topic started by: Rusty on March 28, 2015, 05:38:48 PM
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Tail heavy.
Add nose or move the motor forward.
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Where does it balance? Wherever it is, it's got to be too far back for you, regardless. I'd probably start flying it with the CG at or in front of the back edge of the leading edge sheeting.
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Hi Rusty,
You can easily put a taller control horn on the elevator. That will also help slow down the controls, but I agree with the others, it must be too tail heavy. y1 (I would still install a taller horn)
Bill
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Like Bill says put a taller horn on it. You`ll find it doesn`t need a lot of elevator travel. The Balance sounds about right to me.
Gordy
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It balances about 1.5 inches back from the LE.
My old Combat Kittens, Baby Flite Streak, Lil Satan liked to be balanced about 1/2" back from the leading edge...
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Try one of the long tank engines like the golden bee or black widow.---I just checked, you already have that. You must have too much elevator throw.
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if worst comes to worst u can shorten the booms
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Good idea about shortening the tail.
A tall control horn does not cure tail-heaviness.
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I wouldn't shorten the tail, just limit and slow the elevator travel with a longer horn but, you need the face of the motor mount about 3/4" maybe more ahead of the leading edge on a wing that big. Mock up the engine with a wooden block behind it until you find the right balance point then re-build the front end. You want it to balance half way between the high point of the air foil and the leading edge or farther forward. Also, the controls on a 1/2a need to be super loose.
MM
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decrease line spacing at the handle
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Good idea about shortening the tail.
A tall control horn does not cure tail-heaviness.
That's just likely to make it worse - making it even more short-coupled will exacerbate the problem. Making it *longer* would hardly effect the CG but would make it more tolerable.
Nose weight and some combination of changes to get slower control rates (longer horn or narrower handle spacing) is the way to go.
Brett
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Like Brett says: Shortening the tail will make it have more "snap" (response) which is exactly what you're not wanting.
That's why combat planes evolved toward longer tail booms as the speeds and performance went up: To reduce the response and therefore make the plane more stable for eyes-off flying.
The c/g needs to be farther forward and a longer control horn will help, too.
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Like Brett says: Shortening the tail will make it have more "snap" (response) which is exactly what you're not wanting.
That's why combat planes evolved toward longer tail booms as the speeds and performance went up: To reduce the response and therefore make the plane more stable for eyes-off flying.
The c/g needs to be farther forward and a longer control horn will help, too.
Like everyone else is saying, make sure it's balanced right and slow the controls down (longer horn, narrower handle spacing)
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Brett, getting the balance right is more important than where the elevator is . the 1/2 Fast, Wow, Greased Lightning, Nobody will all fly smooth and level with a hot rock handle when balanced right ,closing the handle spacing more than that is only masking the problem.
either lengthen the nose or shorten the tail
if it is tail heavy will slow the controls but once u give it control it will jump and be gone
back in the day i built an FAI combat ship with a long boom and couldnt control it ,kept cutting it down until the stab was mounted on the trailing edge of the winglike todays FAI's ( i was ahead of my time LL~ ) and it flew great
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1.5 inches it is crazy tail heavy.
remove the spring stater and wrap thick plumbers solder in its place as a trial to move the CG forward.
Also my handle spacing only about 2 inches. My index and pinky finger are outside the flying lines. that is the secrete to getting a 1/2a to calm down. Slow the controls.
you only need about +- 10 deg of deflection to start ( 20 total) for a plane like that. If you have more use a longer horn till the controls are slowed down enough.