hey there that was a pretty good first flight i'm also gonna buy the bix 3 in a few months ( i hope) there will be some videos on my channel from the bix 3. do you have any tips for me?
Even though you say the CG was good, I got the feeling the plane was tail heavy. It's designed to glide and at no time did it look as if that was possible. It certainly didn't behave the way I expected it to. Rather hard to use the "left foot" when there's no rudder. Obviously some people don't listen. Why no rudder anyway? Everything is supplied for a rudder, was there a reason for leaving it out?
You may be right. It just seemed a reasonable balance point to me. I'm pretty sure the battery moved rearwards after the unwanted touchdown, because the handling was evil after that. As for gliding .. I guess I simply didn't know how slowly it could go without stalling. I did try to find out on one fairly high run and though I got a stall wing drop. I built it with rudder, also attached to the tail wheel. The mechanism was quite stiff and it seemed like I burned out the servo during taxi tests, so I just disconnected it.
I'm a total novice as well and have been flying my Bix 3 for a month. You are very brave flying low I find it much easier and less nerve racking to fly high up. Take off full blast then head I also like getting as much altitude as possible and then cutting the throttle and gliding down. Thoroughly enjoyed the video and hope you are still enjoying the plane.
As you may have heard me explain in the audio, the rudder servo was not happy so I unplugged it and flew without rudder rather than risk having it go hard over in flight. Can you point to a time where there was significant adverse yaw, because I didn't notice it?
Bruce Hoult Bruce, didn't hear that comment, but I read somewhere that you have a background in 1:1 gliders, and being a 1:1 motor pilot myself, I have noticed how much more focus the glider pilots have on turn co-ordination. I didn't check the entire video, but a little "left foot" wouldn't have harmed anybody at 5:28, I think? Personally, I mix in aileron to my rudder channel and leave the left stick alone (or switch it to camera pan). Amount varies a lot from plane to plane, but from 20-50% does make my turns look better :-)
mike o yes, that was one of the times I got really really slow (which was deliberate, to see how it handled then), and adverse yaw did show up. And another time it mushed wings level into the ground. Lesson: fly it just a *little* faster :-) The problem with mixing controls in the transmitter is that the proportion needs to vary with speed. This plane is just to learn and crash a little. The next one will be a better glider (perhaps Radian Pro?) and definitely need proper ruder use.
Yes people can turn up at the most inconvenient times, but I really wish more young kids would get into the hobby. Too many seem to be stuck in the iPad craze and can't be bothered getting off their bums ! Can't wait to teach my grandkids to fly when they're old enough ! Pat
Coon -goola yes, we have the same kind of problem in the full-size glider community. When I started flying in 1985 at 22 I reckon I was about 20 - 25 years younger than the average in the club. Today at 51 I'm probably still 10 - 15 years younger than average! I got into computers (and games/sims) in 1980, but I've still always liked to do real things too!
Excellent maiden (RC) flight! Very smooth and controlled. I have a friend that is also a pilot (a good one too, 20 years experience) but does not seem to have been able to transfer his actual piloting skills into the RC plane quite as easily has you have, What is your secret? Do you have a good way of thinking about it or it just came to you?
That was amazing, i also fly real gliders and im still trying to get it right! i can't. Fly as well as you can and ive had 20to 30 flight's. . very well done my friend. Keep it up!!!!
As mentioned, I did start with one of those little $20 indoor helicopters first, to get used to making the right control inputs with the model flying towards me, left to right or right to left etc. I'm sure that helped massively.
***** hi. I have no idea who that person was, certainly have never seen them again. Just turned up as I was preparing... Unfortunately no flying recently as I've since started a job on the other side of the world, and taken almost nothing with me.
Yeah, you should do more videos DIRECTLY into the sun. Beautiful!
Your maiden flight , well done ...you will have a jet in no time.....
hey there that was a pretty good first flight i'm also gonna buy the bix 3 in a few months ( i hope) there will be some videos on my channel from the bix 3. do you have any tips for me?
Even though you say the CG was good, I got the feeling the plane was tail heavy. It's designed to glide and at no time did it look as if that was possible. It certainly didn't behave the way I expected it to. Rather hard to use the "left foot" when there's no rudder. Obviously some people don't listen. Why no rudder anyway? Everything is supplied for a rudder, was there a reason for leaving it out?
You may be right. It just seemed a reasonable balance point to me. I'm pretty sure the battery moved rearwards after the unwanted touchdown, because the handling was evil after that. As for gliding .. I guess I simply didn't know how slowly it could go without stalling. I did try to find out on one fairly high run and though I got a stall wing drop. I built it with rudder, also attached to the tail wheel. The mechanism was quite stiff and it seemed like I burned out the servo during taxi tests, so I just disconnected it.
I'm a total novice as well and have been flying my Bix 3 for a month. You are very brave flying low I find it much easier and less nerve racking to fly high up. Take off full blast then head I also like getting as much altitude as possible and then cutting the throttle and gliding down. Thoroughly enjoyed the video and hope you are still enjoying the plane.
Nice debute, Bruce. Well done. Did I see you neglect adding rudder in the turns ? ;-)
As you may have heard me explain in the audio, the rudder servo was not happy so I unplugged it and flew without rudder rather than risk having it go hard over in flight. Can you point to a time where there was significant adverse yaw, because I didn't notice it?
Bruce Hoult
Bruce, didn't hear that comment, but I read somewhere that you have a background in 1:1 gliders, and being a 1:1 motor pilot myself, I have noticed how much more focus the glider pilots have on turn co-ordination. I didn't check the entire video, but a little "left foot" wouldn't have harmed anybody at 5:28, I think? Personally, I mix in aileron to my rudder channel and leave the left stick alone (or switch it to camera pan). Amount varies a lot from plane to plane, but from 20-50% does make my turns look better :-)
mike o yes, that was one of the times I got really really slow (which was deliberate, to see how it handled then), and adverse yaw did show up. And another time it mushed wings level into the ground. Lesson: fly it just a *little* faster :-) The problem with mixing controls in the transmitter is that the proportion needs to vary with speed. This plane is just to learn and crash a little. The next one will be a better glider (perhaps Radian Pro?) and definitely need proper ruder use.
I thought that was quite a good maiden Bruce. Well done there mate !
Pat in Oz
Cheers. I probably could have done without a random kid coming over to see what I'm doing. But it worked out ok.
Yes people can turn up at the most inconvenient times, but I really wish more young kids would get into the hobby. Too many seem to be stuck in the iPad craze and can't be bothered getting off their bums ! Can't wait to teach my grandkids to fly when they're old enough !
Pat
Coon -goola yes, we have the same kind of problem in the full-size glider community. When I started flying in 1985 at 22 I reckon I was about 20 - 25 years younger than the average in the club. Today at 51 I'm probably still 10 - 15 years younger than average! I got into computers (and games/sims) in 1980, but I've still always liked to do real things too!
I know it's an old video but nicely flown sir.
Excellent maiden (RC) flight! Very smooth and controlled. I have a friend that is also a pilot (a good one too, 20 years experience) but does not seem to have been able to transfer his actual piloting skills into the RC plane quite as easily has you have, What is your secret? Do you have a good way of thinking about it or it just came to you?
Just playing with and crashing a $20 indoor chopper a lot of times until I got the hang of it.
That was amazing, i also fly real gliders and im still trying to get it right! i can't. Fly as well as you can and ive had 20to 30 flight's. . very well done my friend. Keep it up!!!!
As mentioned, I did start with one of those little $20 indoor helicopters first, to get used to making the right control inputs with the model flying towards me, left to right or right to left etc. I'm sure that helped massively.
That's a forgiving plane.
Hi Bruce, Love the video. Perhaps talk to the person you were with and ask them to let you concentrate on flying
***** hi. I have no idea who that person was, certainly have never seen them again. Just turned up as I was preparing... Unfortunately no flying recently as I've since started a job on the other side of the world, and taken almost nothing with me.
Nice landing.