General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Stratocaster on December 19, 2015, 07:06:49 PM
Title: Did a test flight of my R/C pusher/puller Komet today
Post by: Stratocaster on December 19, 2015, 07:06:49 PM
As a longtime AMA member the new FAA legislation doesn't scare me. I was the only one brave enough (or dumb enough) to fly at the club flying field today in winds gusting between 20-30mph+
I brought out my twin motor pusher/puller Me-163... It was a test of sorts, & I plan to put some more powerful motors in the next version of this plane. (have 2 bare foam kits to build)
Kind of a Dornier style hack... Prop in the back runs counter clockwise. It is fantastic to fly a plane like this with no torque induced behavior!
It has an electromagnetic dolly release system in it. It jumped into the air so quickly I didn't end up dropping it until I flew back over the runway... I have no idea where it landed!
Who else is an R/C pilot?
Title: Re: Did a test flight of my R/C pusher/puller Komet today
Post by: Meatwad on December 19, 2015, 07:13:14 PM
Thats one speedy aircraft! About as agile as a barn swallow
Title: Re: Did a test flight of my R/C pusher/puller Komet today
Post by: Stratocaster on December 19, 2015, 07:20:24 PM
It really is a great flying plane! It was much more agile on the single motor for sure, though!
Title: Re: Did a test flight of my R/C pusher/puller Komet today
Post by: Meatwad on December 19, 2015, 07:49:47 PM
Something like that I would have crashed in 5 seconds
Title: Re: Did a test flight of my R/C pusher/puller Komet today
Post by: pipz on December 19, 2015, 07:55:06 PM
Huzzah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well done! :aok :aok I was wondering where you were at today! :joystick:
Title: Re: Did a test flight of my R/C pusher/puller Komet today
Post by: Nefarious on December 19, 2015, 08:05:33 PM
Are you going to register it? :D
Title: Re: Did a test flight of my R/C pusher/puller Komet today
Post by: Ripsnort on December 19, 2015, 09:11:27 PM
See Rule #14
Title: Re: Did a test flight of my R/C pusher/puller Komet today
Post by: Stratocaster on December 19, 2015, 09:12:48 PM
Hell no! It's also technically illegal since its goes over 100mph. FAA has no authority to make such laws. I have to register my 2lb foam plane, but you need no registration, pilots license or safety inspection to fly an ultralight? I'm not putting my name and credit card info on a government watch list.
My goal however is to reach 200mph with this airframe. This setup is fairly mild compared to what I'm planning. I know my flying wasn't very smooth, but I now know I have to dial in more expo and reduce control throw a bit more. Pipz I'm coming on TS soooooon
Title: Re: Did a test flight of my R/C pusher/puller Komet today
Post by: Stratocaster on December 19, 2015, 09:18:27 PM
This BS. I agree the idiots who've gone and purchased ready to fly multirotors ("drones" media hype name) & have proceeded to either crash them or do stupid crap in public with them should have to at least register with the Academy of Model Aeronautics and abide by their guidelines, but to classify every R/C flying machine that weighs more than two sticks of butter as a UAS? Give me a break... The AMA has been around LONGER than the FAA! Fix the archaic ATC systems if you want to do something productive! I've been trolling their FB page. It's still legal for me to fly a 10' long range camera equipped R/C blimp! Lol
Title: Re: Did a test flight of my R/C pusher/puller Komet today
Post by: Ratsy on December 20, 2015, 01:40:10 PM
Great model Strat. It would scare the bejabbers outta me, though.
Off Topic - I apologize.
This is a sad day. It might be the height of cynicism when a government agency overreaches and then has the gall to charge a citizen 5 bucks for that overreach.
I remember when the AMA only had to deal with the FCC's sometimes arbitrary frequency changes.
This is outrageous. What's next? Annual airworthiness inspections for model airplanes? That would generate some revenue, probably.
An insipient example of big government doing it's worst.
Handheld lasers pose a greater threat to full-size aviation and they pick on aviation hobbyists? Geez.
All my opinion, of course.
:salute
Title: Re: Did a test flight of my R/C pusher/puller Komet today
Post by: Bodhi on December 20, 2015, 02:25:35 PM
Did ya'll see that those registration lists are going to be publicly available in the future?
Title: Re: Did a test flight of my R/C pusher/puller Komet today
Post by: Sol75 on December 21, 2015, 12:29:32 PM
Its an old video, but I don't have anything else uploaded lol!
One of my Jets, this one is an electric ducted fan, but I also do fly a couple Turbine as well....
Title: Re: Did a test flight of my R/C pusher/puller Komet today
Post by: Curval on December 21, 2015, 02:37:16 PM
Holy smokes, that thing is fast.
Title: Re: Did a test flight of my R/C pusher/puller Komet today
Post by: Randy1 on December 21, 2015, 03:13:04 PM
Thought you might be interested in my R/C beginnings. I started out with a McCoy .35 I bought for $4.95 from a comic book. It flew in a circle flying on wires using a plane called a Voodoo flying wing. Then my first radio. A single channel, single button transmitter made by Orbit. The servo was driven by a wound up rubber band like is used on a dime store rubber band driven plane. If you wanted to go left you pressed the button once. The next press would make it go the rudder go right so if you wanted to go left again, you would press the button twice.
The next radio was a three channel Kraft then a five Channel Kraft. Then Japanese radios hit the market.
I still have a Duelist twin engine kit I never built that would run two .45s
Title: Re: Did a test flight of my R/C pusher/puller Komet today
Post by: Ratsy on December 21, 2015, 05:16:56 PM
Randy - escapements? I remember seeing them when I was about 4 years old at Ellsworth AFB.
The Dave Platt Duelist - you should build it. The one I flew had 2 OS .45 FSRs in it with retracts. It was built super light. I never had a model that I could get to an on-speed final approach at idle. With the Duelist - just one click of back trim over the T and it would settle with perfect sink rate.
You would love it if you built it, man.
:salute
Title: Re: Did a test flight of my R/C pusher/puller Komet today
Post by: SirLoin on December 21, 2015, 07:42:50 PM
I got an FMS 1700mm(wingspan) F4u~4...I have it's maiden flight on video but don't know how to post it..electric brushless power and a 5000ma 6 cell with a scale 4 bladed prop.. :airplane:
Title: Re: Did a test flight of my R/C pusher/puller Komet today
Post by: Stratocaster on December 21, 2015, 08:36:28 PM
Its an old video, but I don't have anything else uploaded lol!
One of my Jets, this one is an electric ducted fan, but I also do fly a couple Turbine as well....
Love that video! I was thinking of putting my FatShark system in the 163! (I actually have two spare white foam kits to put together) My last EDF was the Phase 3 F-16 with an upgraded Don's "Wicked" motor in it. That plane was hoot to fly!
Title: Re: Did a test flight of my R/C pusher/puller Komet today
Post by: Stratocaster on December 21, 2015, 08:37:17 PM
Thought you might be interested in my R/C beginnings. I started out with a McCoy .35 I bought for $4.95 from a comic book. It flew in a circle flying on wires using a plane called a Voodoo flying wing. Then my first radio. A single channel, single button transmitter made by Orbit. The servo was driven by a wound up rubber band like is used on a dime store rubber band driven plane. If you wanted to go left you pressed the button once. The next press would make it go the rudder go right so if you wanted to go left again, you would press the button twice.
The next radio was a three channel Kraft then a five Channel Kraft. Then Japanese radios hit the market.
I still have a Duelist twin engine kit I never built that would run two .45s
I love hearing stories like this Randy! Do you have any pictures from back in the day? I miss my little .15 powered P-51 :D
Title: Re: Did a test flight of my R/C pusher/puller Komet today
Post by: Stratocaster on December 21, 2015, 08:44:16 PM
I got an FMS 1700mm(wingspan) F4u~4...I have it's maiden flight on video but don't know how to post it..electric brushless power and a 5000ma 6 cell with a scale 4 bladed prop.. :airplane:
*drools* The 1700mm birds are beautiful. I assume you upgraded the power system to run 6s... What are you running? I have the old (originally terribly out of scale) 1400mm FMS Spitfire which I converted to a bubble canopy Mk. 16, The FMS 1400mm Bf-109F which I started bashing into a G-10 (going to finish this winter), the FMS 980mm Series P-39 (A hoot to fly but the nose gear retract does not like my grass runway!) & the FMS 980 series P-40B which I repainted. The 980mm series planes are fun, but very heavy for their size.
I'm feeling an old school balsa build soon... I have a 60" wingspan Fokker D.VII & an old Lanier Shrike .049 kit in the basement.
My next foam plane will definitely be the new Durafly Spitfire Mk.1a... For a PNF foamie they have really stepped up in scale detailing & accuracy of the shape...
*drools* The 1700mm birds are beautiful. I assume you upgraded the power system to run 6s... What are you running? I have the old (originally terribly out of scale) 1400mm FMS Spitfire which I converted to a bubble canopy Mk. 16, The FMS 1400mm Bf-109F which I started bashing into a G-10 (going to finish this winter), the FMS 980mm Series P-39 (A hoot to fly but the nose gear retract does not like my grass runway!) & the FMS 980 series P-40B which I repainted. The 980mm series planes are fun, but very heavy for their size.
I'm feeling an old school balsa build soon... I have a 60" wingspan Fokker D.VII & an old Lanier Shrike .049 kit in the basement.
My next foam plane will definitely be the new Durafly Spitfire Mk.1a... For a PNF foamie they have really stepped up in scale detailing & accuracy of the shape...
It's the stock motor and it requires a 6 cell ...I too have been getting the old school balsa build itch..I think I've narrowed it down to a Balsa USA 1/4 se5a or a giant scale top flite F4u ...might even go electric on this as I don't miss the nitro engines that much..the fuss,mess and unreliability...there is an excellent video on youtube by motion r/c on this awesome corsair..search fms 1700 corsair
Title: Re: Did a test flight of my R/C pusher/puller Komet today
Post by: Randy1 on December 22, 2015, 07:05:58 AM
Randy - escapements? I remember seeing them when I was about 4 years old at Ellsworth AFB.
The Dave Platt Duelist - you should build it. The one I flew had 2 OS .45 FSRs in it with retracts. It was built super light. I never had a model that I could get to an on-speed final approach at idle. With the Duelist - just one click of back trim over the T and it would settle with perfect sink rate.
You would love it if you built it, man.
:salute
Yes an escapement. BTW, My kit is signed by Dave Platt and he said it was the last one he would put together.
Title: Re: Did a test flight of my R/C pusher/puller Komet today
Post by: Sol75 on December 22, 2015, 07:26:42 AM
Love that video! I was thinking of putting my FatShark system in the 163! (I actually have two spare white foam kits to put together) My last EDF was the Phase 3 F-16 with an upgraded Don's "Wicked" motor in it. That plane was hoot to fly!
Love the EF-16, I actually used one to do a kinda cool little mod, took the EF16 kit, and used it as a plug to make a fiberglass shell, which I then braced with formers, etc. Then I dissolved the foam out, and was left with a hollow fiberglass plane, with the formers, spars, etc already embedded. Made some ductwork, Slapped a 70MM fan/motor (HET) in it, on a 6S battery, and the thing toejams and gets.. was radar clocked at 165MPH.. wound up tossing some Eflite retracts in it (wasnt easy, had to modify the ductwork to go around the gear, since they retract into the fuselage). That plane is a ton of fun.... But I missed my foam EF16, so I wound up buying another kit, and built it out, with just light glasswork for strength and appearance. Running a Dons Wicked on 4s in that one... one of my favorite "toss around" planes.
Title: Re: Did a test flight of my R/C pusher/puller Komet today
Post by: Sol75 on December 22, 2015, 07:38:49 AM
Thought you might be interested in my R/C beginnings. I started out with a McCoy .35 I bought for $4.95 from a comic book. It flew in a circle flying on wires using a plane called a Voodoo flying wing. Then my first radio. A single channel, single button transmitter made by Orbit. The servo was driven by a wound up rubber band like is used on a dime store rubber band driven plane. If you wanted to go left you pressed the button once. The next press would make it go the rudder go right so if you wanted to go left again, you would press the button twice.
The next radio was a three channel Kraft then a five Channel Kraft. Then Japanese radios hit the market.
I still have a Duelist twin engine kit I never built that would run two .45s
I got into RC a bit later, I was about 6 or 7 years old.. back in 1981/82. My dad had been in RC since the beginning (yep escapements etc) and had done free flight prior to that.. He got me involved in RC. My first plane was a scratch built trainer (dont even remember the name of it) on an OS .40, and a kraft 4 channel. I quickly learned to fly on that thing, and right at the end of the flying season, was doing some.. aggressive (for the time) aerobatics with it, and ripped the wings right off. So, over the winter, my dad and I scratch built a Super Kaos for me to fly.. great plane, and started my love for precision aerobatics.. the next winter we built a Bridi "Dirty Birdy" with retracts, and a tuned pipe, on a supertigre 60 Blue Head! What a beast that thing was! Of course we upgraded to a 5 channel Kraft for me.. and then things just snowballed from there! Now, with a collection of over 30 planes, several helis, and quadrotors, I STILL have the Dirty Birdy! Granted, It probably would not be flyable without a lot of work, but every now and then I look at it and wonder if it would be possible to convert to electric.. Maybe someday I will dig out the plans for it, (which I also still have) make a few mods, and build one for electric....many many fond memories of that plane. Flew it for a LONG time....
Title: Re: Did a test flight of my R/C pusher/puller Komet today
Post by: Ratsy on December 22, 2015, 10:05:04 AM
Love the EF-16, I actually used one to do a kinda cool little mod, took the EF16 kit, and used it as a plug to make a fiberglass shell, which I then braced with formers, etc. Then I dissolved the foam out, and was left with a hollow fiberglass plane, with the formers, spars, etc already embedded. Made some ductwork, Slapped a 70MM fan/motor (HET) in it, on a 6S battery, and the thing toejams and gets.. was radar clocked at 165MPH.. wound up tossing some Eflite retracts in it (wasnt easy, had to modify the ductwork to go around the gear, since they retract into the fuselage). That plane is a ton of fun.... But I missed my foam EF16, so I wound up buying another kit, and built it out, with just light glasswork for strength and appearance. Running a Dons Wicked on 4s in that one... one of my favorite "toss around" planes.
Are you on RCGroups by chance? I'd love to see a build thread on that airplane! Now I want another EF-16!
Title: Re: Did a test flight of my R/C pusher/puller Komet today
Post by: Stratocaster on December 22, 2015, 04:28:05 PM
It's the stock motor and it requires a 6 cell ...I too have been getting the old school balsa build itch..I think I've narrowed it down to a Balsa USA 1/4 se5a or a giant scale top flite F4u ...might even go electric on this as I don't miss the nitro engines that much..the fuss,mess and unreliability...there is an excellent video on youtube by motion r/c on this awesome corsair..search fms 1700 corsair
In hindsight it was a fun/different experience playing with the nitro stuff, but anything I build now will be electric powered! The price is comparable in any given size, & retaining the scale lines of the aircraft is much easier with electric power (no cutting holes in the fuse/ cowling etc...) not to mention no need to clean up any messes or lugging a gigantic flight box along with you.
I vote S.E.5!
I'll have to check on who drew the plans for the D.VII... I believe it's 1/6. The only parts I have that were cut by the original owner are the wing ribs.
Title: Re: Did a test flight of my R/C pusher/puller Komet today
Post by: Sol75 on December 23, 2015, 08:06:27 AM
I am, but I did not do a build thread on this.. I am planing to do another similar build, using a foamie F-104 airframe kit, and the same methodology. I was planning to do a build thread on this one.. the same technique could be used on the F-16..
In hindsight it was a fun/different experience playing with the nitro stuff, but anything I build now will be electric powered! The price is comparable in any given size, & retaining the scale lines of the aircraft is much easier with electric power (no cutting holes in the fuse/ cowling etc...) not to mention no need to clean up any messes or lugging a gigantic flight box along with you.
I vote S.E.5!
I'll have to check on who drew the plans for the D.VII... I believe it's 1/6. The only parts I have that were cut by the original owner are the wing ribs.
For years, all we really HAD was nitro.. electric has been awesome. I have converted over to electric for everything I fly, aside from my Turbines.
Title: Re: Did a test flight of my R/C pusher/puller Komet today
Post by: icepac on December 23, 2015, 09:10:48 PM
Sweet!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Last time I saw a RC comet was at the shuttleworth collection RC event in 1978.
Title: Re: Did a test flight of my R/C pusher/puller Komet today
Post by: Randy1 on December 24, 2015, 07:00:49 AM
I had a case of smoker oil I just got rid of a few months back.