stunthanger.com

General control line discussion => Open Forum => Topic started by: Matt Colan on March 05, 2014, 11:32:26 AM

Title: Ready to get back up in the air
Post by: Matt Colan on March 05, 2014, 11:32:26 AM
Almost two months ago I plowed my Vector ARF into the runway at KOI. Since I didn't have another one ready to fly immediately I had to put together a new ARF at school. I picked up a new Vector ARF from Randy Smith before we left, and spent the last couple months in between class work getting it ready to fly. I'm now nearly ready to fly the new one, just need to apply the decals and bench trim it.

Power is a PA 40UL on a pipe, and the CG looks darn near perfect to begin with. I don't have a scale in my room but it feels lighter than the old Vector too.
Title: Re: Ready to get back up in the air
Post by: Tim Wescott on March 05, 2014, 11:52:14 AM
Start building another if you can, or mooch one from somebody!  You should never be without backup.
Title: Re: Ready to get back up in the air
Post by: Matt Colan on March 05, 2014, 12:24:33 PM
Start building another if you can, or mooch one from somebody!  You should never be without backup.

If everything goes as planned next year, I'll be able to actually build an airplane!

Here's a picture of the bottom

Title: Re: Ready to get back up in the air
Post by: Derek Barry on March 05, 2014, 12:29:59 PM
Sweet!
Title: Re: Ready to get back up in the air
Post by: Tim Wescott on March 05, 2014, 12:32:41 PM
If everything goes as planned next year, I'll be able to actually build an airplane!

You're doing better than I did.  Between work and school, not to mention moving from Oregon to Massachusetts and getting married, I think I managed to get one rubber powered airplane built in all the time I was in college.  Once I crashed my last plane while I was in grad school I stopped flying until my oldest son was seven or so, which was a gap of about ten years.
Title: Re: Ready to get back up in the air
Post by: Paul Walker on March 05, 2014, 01:19:55 PM
Matt,
Nice that you can find time to build a plane while in school!

I never had time for model planes in college. Too many units and too many girls......

Don't they have girls at your school?  I thought they were part of the curriculum!   :)

Title: Re: Ready to get back up in the air
Post by: Alan Buck on March 05, 2014, 02:21:10 PM
THANKS MATT,  now I know were to put my 40 u/l.
  nice looking vector to
Title: Re: Ready to get back up in the air
Post by: FLOYD CARTER on March 05, 2014, 02:59:09 PM
I believe PW attended Cal Poly, as I did.  The campus at San Luis Obispo had a small airport, and I discovered it was perfect for some C/L flying, as long as no full-size planes were nearby!  I'm convinced that some model activity was the only thing that kept me sane during my stay in college!

F.C.
Title: Re: Ready to get back up in the air
Post by: Matt Colan on March 05, 2014, 03:03:29 PM
Matt,
Nice that you can find time to build a plane while in school!

I never had time for model planes in college. Too many units and too many girls......

Don't they have girls at your school?  I thought they were part of the curriculum!   :)



Girls are most certainly a part of the curriculum, but the problem is the guy to girl ratio is 4:1. Got to go off campus to find more girls!  :)

Title: Re: Ready to get back up in the air
Post by: Tim Wescott on March 05, 2014, 03:44:22 PM
Girls are most certainly a part of the curriculum, but the problem is the guy to girl ratio is 4:1. Got to go off campus to find more girls!  :)

There were about 100 young men in my class (1985, I think) taking electrical engineering at Portland State University.  There were four women.  Four very popular women.  Whether they wanted to be or not.

Thank goodness PSU had arts and languages and PE and all that stuff, too!
Title: Re: Ready to get back up in the air
Post by: Richard Walbridge on March 05, 2014, 04:19:57 PM
Almost two months ago I plowed my Vector ARF into the runway at KOI. Since I didn't have another one ready to fly immediately I had to put together a new ARF at school. I picked up a new Vector ARF from Randy Smith before we left, and spent the last couple months in between class work getting it ready to fly. I'm now nearly ready to fly the new one, just need to apply the decals and bench trim it.

Power is a PA 40UL on a pipe, and the CG looks darn near perfect to begin with. I don't have a scale in my room but it feels lighter than the old Vector too.
Matt,
Like I told you before, your class load is too light (or your major is too easy) if you have time for airplane stuff...I certainly didn't while majoring in Architecture at Kansas State University...

Rich Walbridge
Central Valley Stunt Mafia
"Nothing Personal...Strictly Stunt!"
Title: Re: Ready to get back up in the air
Post by: Matt Colan on March 05, 2014, 07:56:37 PM
Matt,
Like I told you before, your class load is too light (or your major is too easy) if you have time for airplane stuff...I certainly didn't while majoring in Architecture at Kansas State University...

Rich Walbridge
Central Valley Stunt Mafia
"Nothing Personal...Strictly Stunt!"

Somehow I wonder how I have time for this stuff, and then I look at my engineering friends and even they find time to build and fly.

And Tim, sadly none of that stuff is here either. It's Aviation, Maintenence, and Engineering essentially. The school is trying to boost the numbers of female students by offering various scholarships and new majors that are coming out to hopefully attract more females ( #^)

Title: Re: Ready to get back up in the air
Post by: Matt Colan on March 06, 2014, 04:30:11 PM
Put the decals on today and got it bench trimmed! The weather looks good this weekend to fly it at some point, and I'm planning to give it a ground run tomorrow.

Title: Re: Ready to get back up in the air
Post by: Randy Cuberly on March 07, 2014, 10:31:43 PM
Girls are most certainly a part of the curriculum, but the problem is the guy to girl ratio is 4:1. Got to go off campus to find more girls!  :)



Matt,
Maybe you could have made a better choice of schools.  My undergad degree is from Florida Atalantic University in Ocean Engineering...There was also a Nursing school on Campus...the ratio there was 5 to 1, girls to boys!!!  No time for model airplanes...I'm surprised I actually learned anything.   n~ n~ #^

Randy Cuberly
Title: Re: Ready to get back up in the air
Post by: john e. holliday on March 08, 2014, 11:26:04 AM
Girls will come later when has started making the big bucks from all this education.   LL~ LL~ LL~ I am surprised he has time for model planes.
Title: Re: Ready to get back up in the air
Post by: Matt Colan on March 08, 2014, 12:24:54 PM
Matt,
Maybe you could have made a better choice of schools.  My undergad degree is from Florida Atalantic University in Ocean Engineering...There was also a Nursing school on Campus...the ratio there was 5 to 1, girls to boys!!!  No time for model airplanes...I'm surprised I actually learned anything.   n~ n~ #^

Randy Cuberly

I very well could have. I heard there weren't that many girls at my school before I came here but didn't realize it was as bad as it actually is! And many of them in the looks department leave much to be desired   ::)
Title: Re: Ready to get back up in the air
Post by: john e. holliday on March 08, 2014, 12:26:10 PM
Remember beauty is only skin deep.   
Title: Re: Ready to get back up in the air
Post by: Matt Colan on March 08, 2014, 12:28:58 PM
Remember beauty is only skin deep.   

True
Title: Re: Ready to get back up in the air
Post by: Dick Pacini on March 08, 2014, 12:41:50 PM
Remember beauty is only skin deep.   

But ugly goes clear through to the bone. ;D
Title: Re: Ready to get back up in the air
Post by: Matt Colan on March 09, 2014, 08:08:06 AM
But ugly goes clear through to the bone. ;D

 LL~ LL~
Title: Re: Ready to get back up in the air
Post by: steven yampolsky on March 09, 2014, 08:19:26 AM
the motor won't know there's something attached to it! Major HP!
Title: Re: Ready to get back up in the air
Post by: Matt Colan on March 09, 2014, 11:27:24 AM
I just got back from putting the first flight on the Vector. It flies AWESOME!!! The power that the 40 was putting out was incredible! I could have very well done the whole pattern on the first flight but I decided to play it safe and fly the tank out after the square 8.

Two minor trim adjustments were needed, a slight trim tab adjustment and a shorter kitty clip on the up line.

If anyone has a spare 40UL laying around and they want to get something together quickly, I would recommend this setup.

Title: Re: Ready to get back up in the air
Post by: Matt Colan on March 09, 2014, 11:30:33 AM
the motor won't know there's something attached to it! Major HP!

Steve, I think your statement is correct. The motor didn't know it was pulling around an airplane, it was moving right along.

One of my friends who has seen me fly a good amount said as I landed that the plane looked like it flew better than the old one, and he liked the motor sound, smoke and power better than the other one too!



Title: Re: Ready to get back up in the air
Post by: Matt Colan on March 10, 2014, 12:24:45 PM
Here is the 2nd flight on the Vector. This was a very high and conservative flight because it was the 2nd flight. The power and controllability of the power is awesome with this airplane!

http://youtu.be/o04FQE1xsG0

Title: Re: Ready to get back up in the air
Post by: Gerald Arana on March 10, 2014, 01:31:26 PM
Nice flight Matt!  y1

Tell your buddy to keep his finger off the lens............ LL~ LL~ LL~ LL~

Jerry
Title: Re: Ready to get back up in the air
Post by: Steve Fitton on March 10, 2014, 01:42:37 PM
Lots of backing up in the square 8....  Wind?  Motor sounds pretty righteous and lap time looks good.
Title: Re: Ready to get back up in the air
Post by: Matt Colan on March 10, 2014, 02:53:54 PM
Lots of backing up in the square 8....  Wind?  Motor sounds pretty righteous and lap time looks good.

Wind was on the dead side during the flight so I was just backing up to avoid possibly hitting my own wake turbulence.

Title: Re: Ready to get back up in the air
Post by: Matt Colan on March 10, 2014, 02:55:16 PM
Nice flight Matt!  y1

Tell your buddy to keep his finger off the lens............ LL~ LL~ LL~ LL~

Jerry

I noticed that too, and I'll mention it to him. My friend did pass his checkride of becoming a certified launch boy for stunt so I can now trust somebody else when I want to go fly.  y1
Title: Re: Ready to get back up in the air
Post by: john e. holliday on March 10, 2014, 07:20:27 PM
Looks like you have a good weapon for the coming season.   
Title: Re: Ready to get back up in the air
Post by: RknRusty on March 10, 2014, 08:02:30 PM
Matt, that was a great run for the first time out. Really good work, thanks for sharing it. I think you've got trophies in your future... and it looks like probably in your past too.
Rusty
Title: Re: Ready to get back up in the air
Post by: Matt Colan on March 10, 2014, 08:56:06 PM
Looks like you have a good weapon for the coming season.   

This is the Embry-Riddle airplane. I'll be flying the Thundergazer when I go home for the summer.
Title: Re: Ready to get back up in the air
Post by: Dennis Adamisin on March 10, 2014, 09:20:35 PM
That pipe hangin out the bottom looks BADDASS!

Title: Re: Ready to get back up in the air
Post by: Steve Hines on March 10, 2014, 10:59:52 PM
Matt what prop do you have on it, and how much fuel does it use. Now that's what plane should sound like.

Steve
Title: Re: Ready to get back up in the air
Post by: Matt Colan on March 10, 2014, 11:17:13 PM
Matt what prop do you have on it, and how much fuel does it use. Now that's what plane should sound like.

Steve

Hi Steve,

I'm running a Bolly 11.8-3.8 pitched to 4.25.  I'm running 10% Powermaster GMA fuel and using 5.5oz for about a 6:50 runtime.

Title: Re: Ready to get back up in the air
Post by: Matt Colan on March 11, 2014, 10:50:10 PM
Got a record two flights in in 20 minutes today (had to squeeze in what I could today). The wing is nearly level now, need to turn it about another turn or two. I also now can see I need to add a little bit of tail weight since I flew it in a bit of a moderate breeze and I had a ton of stick pressure to get it to turn.

I hope I'll be a let to get a couple more flights this weekend and next week since I'll be on...SPRING BREAK!!!
Title: Re: Ready to get back up in the air (weight of the Vector)
Post by: Matt Colan on March 24, 2014, 09:15:07 AM
I ordered a scale last week so I could see out how much the Vector weighs, and also to see how much stuff weighs for my new project I will be starting soon.

The Vector, after weighing it 3 times to make sure I wasn't hallucinating, weighs in at 40 ounces!!!!!!!!! I'm shocked it's actually this light, especially for an ARF. No wonder it flies so well!