Next...

| Okay. Tomorrow if test flight day!! 4 of us are going to the field | tomorrow. 2 of us are brand new with two slow sticks. I painted mine | silver to differentiate my plane from the other guys. There has been | a lot of talk about one of the experienced RC guys doing the first | test flight. (1 is actually a test pilot for serious R/C planes)

test pilot? We're all test pilots for serious R/C planes! :)

| I am thinking, it's only a slow stick and I want to take the first | flight. So...after a careful preflight, I'm just going to toss it out | myself and hope for the best. YEE HA. I'll let you know how it goes.

Have you flown any R/C planes before?

If yes, then you're probably qualified to fly your plane with no problems.

If no, let somebody else take the first flight. Sure, the Slow Stick is about as easy to fly as they get, but it sounds like there will be a herd of people out there anyways, might as well put them to work.

| I actually thought trying some practice flights alone after work today | to get ready for the audience but...how would I explain a crumpled plane?

The same way the experienced guys explain it ...

-- I got hit! It was interference! -- turbulence! -- The tree reached out and grabbed it! -- It stalled as I turned it down wind ... -- I got hit! It was interference!

(It's almost never pilot error, according to the pilot anyways.)

Seriously though

| Sooo. I am way premature on this but what would you guys recommend | for a flying wing or similar? I was looking at a Zagi Fixx but can't | tell if it is discontinued. There seem to be some around but it isn't | listed on the mfgr's site anymore and they are clearing out the motors | and props. What was wrong with the design? I am also considering the | F-27 but can't find anything but a complete kit with transmitter. I | just want the plane and will put in my own motor servos, etc. I | figure that by the time I get the plane and get it together I should | have some time under my belt.

The Fixx isn't so great.

The Zagi 400x or whatever has replaced it is a good choice. Their best feature is how well they survive crashes ...

Actually, I'm more fond of the flying wings without canopies -- like the Combat Wings XE2. The canopies get destroyed in short order, and batteries go flying. I much prefer having the battery in the foam.

I wouldn't be in too big of a hurry to get a flying wing. The Slow Stick is a great plane, and in many respects it'll fly better than a flying wing.

Good advice. There is always the possibility that something isnt set up correctly on your Slow Stick such as throws, trim, younameit. An experienced pilot has a much better chance of getting the plane back down on the deck in one piece if something turns out wrong. Even with something that flies as slow as a Slow Stick, things can happen pretty fast for a newbie! Also one very important item to have with you. SPARE PROPS. When a Slow Stick goes in or does a less than great landing (DOINK) the prop is what generally goes. They break VERY easily. Bring spares. Enjoy and good luck on your first foray!

A cheap, at aprox US$1, but very wise investment is a GWS prop saver =

in need at many broken EP props.

regards Alan T

Alan's Hobby, Model & RC Web Links

Flight today went well. I agrued with my "instructor" because I wanted to just go for it myself but he was pretty adiment that he make the first flight so I let him.

The wind was blowing pretty hard out of the west south west. (large flags were standing straight out.) And the wind was a bit gusty as well. Take off and climbout was good. Once we had altitude I took over and flying was simple. Holding a westerly heading was difficult, the wind would catch it and turn the plane even with full opposite rudder! The right rudder was a bit weak so I need to check adjustments. Also the CG was a bit aft and my friend suggested that I move the battery pack to in-front of the wing rather than under it. He likes a slow stick to be nose heavy.

Second flight was from grass and it took right off. I was going to shoot some approaches but the gusty wind was going to be a bit challenging. I let my instructor take it and a gust turned the plane

180 and sent it into the parking lot behind some bushes. My friend still landed it perfectly even though it was out of site...luck? I will go out by myself this weekend after making some minor adjustments.

Very fun.

Sigh.

Fathers Day. Went out to the field alone. Attempted a ground launch in some pretty windy conditions. Lift off. Straight out climb to about 5 ft. Wind gust to a 180 right turn to inverted to ground. Total flight time about 5 seconds. Damage:

Broken propeller. Broken reduction drive. Broken vertical stabilizer. Broken horizontal stabilizer. Broken Spirits.

I guess I shouldn't have bothered soldering the speed control to the motor...

Carl

Sorry to hear about your series of unfortunate events.

I know the feeling inside out.

If you really want to exorcise it, you'll have to fix the plane and make it fly right.

"This, too, shall pass."

Marty

Question:

(1) Can I buy replacement reduction drive for slow stick? I don't see them. Is there a way to re-align gears? I can't see it but the gears are just a bit separated, shaft doesn't look bent.

Carl

| > Damage: | > | > Broken propeller.

$2.

| > Broken reduction drive.

$3-$20 depending on how bad it is.

| > Broken vertical stabilizer. | > Broken horizontal stabilizer.

It's just foam. You can buy new ones, or sometimes fashion replacements out of things like take out boxes. Or you may be able to fix what you've got.

| > Broken Spirits.

Fix the other things, and the spirits will improve ...

| (1) Can I buy replacement reduction drive for slow stick? I don't | see them.

Yes. You can buy a new gear box+motor for about $20, or you can buy replacement gears or shafts for less. The local hobby shop may not stock them, however.

| Is there a way to re-align gears? I can't see it but the | gears are just a bit separated, shaft doesn't look bent.

Sounds like the gearbox itself is broken. On the bright side, looks like new ones are $12.50 --

Or $16.63 with the motor --

(go ahead, get the one with the motor. Keep your old one as a spare

-- they do wear out.) You could also buy a new Slow Stick kit entirely, and use it as spare parts. It's not like it's expensive ...

Usually the shaft is the first thing to get bent in a crash. Sometimes you can fly with a little bit of a bent shaft, but it's not suggested.

You'll break a lot of props and a few gearboxes with the prop up front like that. No big deal.

The Slow Sticks come with 180, 280 or 380 motors. (Mine has a 380, for the record.) You don't have to stick with what you originally had.

Tower Hobbies sells gear sets with and without the motors. Many different ratios so you need to count the teeth on the motor pinion if you wish the same ratio. Ya might have to search the site a bit but they are there. I recently bought an "F" set for my brushless Slow Stick. Think it was about $12 or so. Everything but the motor. The plastic driven gear can be shifted back and forth along the shaft to align back up with the pinion. Pull the prop shaft forward to check alignment like if the prop was pulling.

It amazes me how you find these things. I searched the same site and came up empty.

No fear on the foam pieces. I traced them before assembly for future repairs.

A couple of points on the gearbox...

If you don't have a "prop saver", a $2-3 device that allows you to rubber band your prop to the shaft, get one. It will usually save the gearbox, prop, and shaft in a crash. As an alternative to the flimsy GWS gearbox, there are several aftermarket makers. The Cobri is probably the best, is near indestructable, and will fit your motor and slowstick with no modifications. The downside is that it runs about $30.

A great source for all GWS parts is Balsa Products: it looks like an exact replacement for the gearbox is $8.75

Fear not!! FWIW...........I read just about everything I could about flying r/c before my first flight. I am a do-it -yerselfer.....and I was going to teach myself. Cox centurion(before electric). Hand launched the plane(tall tall hayfield) and pulled back on the stick too much, went into a spin ........job done. It happened all too quickly. Epoxy time. The second flight was a kneeknocker but I managed to fly it in circles until it ran out of fuel. That was a fast airplane. I now have 9 airplanes and I can fly all of them at leisure. I think the secret is dont fly a light airplane for the first time in a strong wind.