Viper and its trim

[RC Storick]

After flying the Viper at the NATS I came home discouraged. What had happened is I went there with it completely out of trim. In the frenzy and rush I was willing to try anything. Prop changes and tip weight ,line length, nitro, line rake.

So I returned home to hang it on the wall and started flying the large airplanes I had been use to. After the team trials mishap I decided to get it off the wall and start over in trim. Moved the lines foreword and put the 2 blade prop on ,removed the tip weight and went to a different handle. It zoomed in again.

Yesterday Ron O'tool and I went out and ran a 1/2 gallon through it. Its back on tract and so am I.

I wish now after the NATS I would have come home and played with it and took it to the TT. Moral of the story I will have a fully trimmed airplane at next years NATS.

[Bob Reeves]

I sorta hate new airplanes because there is always something that needs to be worked out. Then when you get the major stuff sorted out the small things start showing up. I believe anyone that says "it flew perfect right off the bench" is fooling themselves or fibbing.

[Randy Powell]

I think I've had one plane (over the past 10 years or so) that actually "flew off the bench". Quite a few that didn't need a lot, a couple that took forever to get trimmed out and a couple that I was never able to get to fly acceptably.

[Bob Reeves]

I think I've had one plane (over the past 10 years or so) that actually "flew off the bench". Quite a few that didn't need a lot, a couple that took forever to get trimmed out and a couple that I was never able to get to fly acceptably.

Closest I've ever came is my last one. It was pretty close but still had to tweak the tip weight, leadouts, add a little tail weight, mess with the fuel tank and adjust the elevator push rod. Sure glad someone figured out how to make all this stuff adjustable as now we no longer have to fly around the little quirks with each new airplane.

[Matt Colan]

I just started fooling around with my profile that I flew beginner with, and it flies pretty good, but it's too sensitive for me  I may bring it to Brodak next year if I can squeeze it in the car.

The one thing I'm always nervous about with a new airplane is if it will fly good.  The Ares took the longest time to trim and figure out, my smoothie was probably the fastest to trim out, with tip weight and a flap tweak made and that was it, also an engine switch.

[Steve Fitton]

Sometimes even a plane that has been "trimmed" and proven many times needs to be looked at again.  After this years Nats, I completely retrimmed both the airframe and powertrain on my Time Machine, which had been in service for five years.  I wish I had had the new setup in Muncie this past July!

[Tom Niebuhr]

Robert,

Please say hello to Ron O'Toole. I've known him for a long time.

Ron was a very good flyer. Does he ever pick up a handle?

Trimming never stops until you retire the airplane. That is when the plane is flying at its best.