@2:32 you mentioned that the 2.5" CG indicated in the manual would result in a tail heavy plane (as opposed to the corrected 3" back from the leading edge CG). It's actually nose heavy, which won't fly right or efficiently, but shouldn't cause crashes.
@@TweakRacer thanks for your reply. That point he made was very confusing "tail heavy" and didn't make any sense. Surprised he hasn't redone the video or at least edit in some text with the correction.
Not sure if anyone gives a shit but if you are stoned like me atm then you can watch pretty much all the latest series on InstaFlixxer. Been streaming with my brother these days =)
Saw this video when it was made. Just unboxed mine two years later. Remembered this, came back. Now I know why, EXCELLENT TIPS. Must watch if you’re a pilot with this model.
Just received my Radian on back order and decided to try two dots of hot glue on either side of the stabilizer - easy enough to cut free w/ a hobby knife, if needed. The servo extensions recommendation was quite helpful and are must-have items to save your sanity - my big hands just don't fare well w/ little things and this RC business is a real challenge.
This is what brought my radian down! I thought a bad elevator servo was the culprit. That tail issue was the problem. The servo must have gotten stripped after the accident. I just recently got my NR FT back up this week. After fixing this issue it flies smoothly
OMG! I had sooo much trouble with cg while using a 3s/2200. I actually ended up cutting channels in left & right cockpit walls and stuffing heavy threaded rods in each side, duct taping them in place! Haven't flown it yet but hopefully it will do better than my previous one that I crashed. Oh, another problem with my current Night Radian is that I wasn't wearing my measly one power reading glasses & touched balance lead backwards to LED harness. The flash of light was spectacular but now my Night Radian is just a Radian. So not Flight Tested, but rather Jim Destroyed. Live & learn.
Thanks for the correction of the CG from the Manual's 2 1/2" to the new 3" from leading edge on Night Radian 2 Meter. I also use wood dowels inside carbon fiber tube spars with packing tape shims. My Cessna 421 twin has two spars made this way.
The horizontal stab advice is brilliant for those that are starting out in the hobby 👍 the rest is personal preference I think. That carbon fibre spar looks ok to me (and I have one) not maidened yet though! It’s supposed to flex, if you stiffen it too much you will end up with a lawn dart .
Good stuff Dave. Idea.. rig that extra channel to a small servo arm & rod (spring relief) that simply "pokes" the display selector button! Then you can just "diddle" that one about a hundred times each flight and watch the pretty light-show. Hey, it's gettin chilly in central PA! better keep gloves handy and remember tuck them battery packs underarm! (remember the old nicad days?)hee hee
Dude...awesome video! I've been seriously thinking about buying this plane and your video just saved me a couple hundred dollars in smashed plane, just on the CG tip. Thanks for the uploads and keep up the good work. *Liked&Subscribed*
I just picked up mine this week. Considering I haven’t taken it out of the box yet, few of these pointers are good. I was considering laminate the foam too.
I have just finished laminating the wings with 1.7 mil and it added 20 grams per wing. Not bad really! Will also laminate the skinny tail section of the fuse for strength.
One more tip that wasn't in the video is that you might want to change the servos to metal gear servos. Some have reported failures especially on the elevator servo.
I just don't get why they added a switch. It has to be plugged in for the LEDs, an simply unplugging will disable them. Why the extra step? I dunno. On mine, I have an inline remote switch paired with a spare channel on my TX to turn the lights on/off whenever I want.
Good vid got mine a few days ago done the build LIGHTS ARE DEAD NOTHING.....got loads of fix wings done major rebuilds but this thing has me stumped..ideas ?????thanks Brian
Check the 5 volt regulator/UBEC to make sure it is outputting 5 volts. It could be also that the light controller is turned off. You can press the two outer buttons at the same time to turn it on. You can also unplug the light strings from the distribution block underneath and test them individually. You could also have a bad switch.
Thanks, it just seems like they rushed the Night Radian to production on a deadline. In the Horizon video they said they didn't find the right LED system until a few days before the release. That's cutting it close!
It's fits close but no problem. The NR really needs the weight of the 2200 anyway. You may find the Night Radian Facebook group a help too: facebook.com/groups/288203018693228/
Can you clarify the cog comment ? You can balance at 63mm by moving the battery forward or adding weight to the nose . Balancing at 75mm means the aircraft will be harder to fly.
If you have to add weight to the nose when using the stock battery it should be obvious something is wrong. The manual simply has an error based on the CoG for the old Radian which was lighter in the tail than the Night Radian.
@@DaveMerc I think you have it wrong Dave. You are simply moving the cog until the plane balances. Anyone who had trimmed a model knows you add or subtract weight to balance at the correct stated cog for the aircraft .
@@DaveMerc No need to post Dave. As the center of gravity is moved forward the stability if the aircraft increases. If you don't believe me Google it. Your advice us wrong and will lead to a more responsive but less stable aircraft . Not good for beginners. Just do the research .
Steve Panebianco I don’t think it is worth the weight addition. That is the beauty of the Radian. If you have to do something, just use some 3M clear packaging tape on the leading edges of the wings for protection during landings, etc.
Thanks Sir, I just subscribed , so there is no way to change the lights pattern? No even with a servo on a spare channel? Thanks again for any feedback
You have to push the buttons on the light controller to change patterns. However you could solder on a RC switch to activate the buttons remotely. th-cam.com/video/bfAe3eq7PCI/w-d-xo.html
Hi Very useful vid ... just brought myself one for Christmas....I'm toying with the idea of slicing the wings and putting ailerons on. Be good to hear your thoughts or if you know of anybody that's done it Brian London
brian forward The original Park Zone Radian Pro has ailerons and flaps. But it also had flatter wing tips so they were useful there. This wing has a lot of dihedral at the wing tips so when you use the rudder the wing that leads into the direction of travel will lift and the trailing wing will have its wing pushed down by the airflow, so you don’t need ailerons to turn. Also an extra two servos will make it heavier and less of a floater. I had a Radian Pro and ended up converting back to a plain Radian wing and the plane will glide around a lot better and longer flights result. The advantage with the Radian Pro was being able to deploy crow on flaps and ailerons if you want to nail you landing spots. The plain Radian is harder to get onto a spot landing. So the choice of control surfaces you have on the wing depends on what characteristics you are after. A floater or a spot lander.
@@markcummings150 hi Mark BRILLIANT reply. Thanks. Since my message to you I've got quite a few hours on this kite under my belt.... With gliding 60...80 minutes flight not a problem. The only mod I've done is stiffen up the carbon fiber tube strut by incerting dowel rod the wing still flexes but NO FEAR OF SANPING WHEN PULLING TIGHT LOOPS... ITS A BRILLIANT KITE Stay well Brian London
Thanks for your tips! Would u (or anyone) happen to know if the E-flite Radian or Night Radian fuselage would work as replacement for the Old Parkzone Radian (2 meter) PKZ4767? I can't seem to find any replacement fuse for the old PKZ.
Couldn't you just eather tap into the switch wires or remove the switch and add in a remote switch? I believe thats what way I am going. I already have the remote switches. Getting a night radian for my birthday.
Something is backwards. The manual says 2.5" from the leading edge. You say that's wrong because it's "tail heavy" at 2.5" so you want to move the cg BACK another half inch to 3" back from the leading edge of the wing?!? Think about it. 3 inches back is more back than 2.5 inches. If you have your cg 3 inches back from the leading edge, you are saying it flies better when it balances further aft than the book recommended 2.5 inches.....which means they wanted it to fly nose heavy.
7:21... Not if you want to fully control the lights from the ground. I'd go for a 6 channel RX... BTW... how much current is being drawn by the total lights from the light battery ?? Contact me through J.BAUER Electronics and I'll send you something to control your lights through your 4th channel for testing...;-)
Because I will need to remove the tail to pack the plane for travel, instead of glue I'm thinking that I will use a couple small machine screws and lock nuts on each side with holes drilled through the plastic. Comments?
I should say this: What doesn't make sense is putting a bunch of lead in the nose to balance it at 2-1/2 inches when 3 inches is the real sweet spot for the CG. Balances perfect and performs great with 2200mah 3s battery at a CG of 3". Most people have adopted the 3" CG over time rather than try to deal with the 2-1/2" mentioned in the manual. I am proud to be a 3 incher but if you want 2-1/2 go for it.
Exactly right Mark! All they are doing is balancing the plane at a different spot and not adding lead to what they "THINK" is a tail heavy plane when they try to pick the plane up and balance it at the incorrect 2.5'' mark behind the leading edge...
And they still provide tape to the latest Night Radian 2.0. The first thing I did, was to glue the tail wing. I cannot belive they don't update that problem. 4 pieces of tape from a professional company is just a joke.
I've watched the video twice and read all the comments. I understand the 30 second attention span but not when one is seeking wisdom. I'm a drone guy but I had to purchase the newer version of the Night Radian after seeing a video of it. Thanks for the tips. It looks like they are still providing tape which sounds nuts. I've read elsewhere that Fabri-Tac can eat the foam. I'm assuming this is incorrect information as I read that you have logged a lot of time with this plane after your mods. Fabri-Tac is safe, yes?
Crash caused from provided tape not holding horizontal stab. video by Sam Dish
th-cam.com/video/lxApMrWvQgs/w-d-xo.html
@2:32 you mentioned that the 2.5" CG indicated in the manual would result in a tail heavy plane (as opposed to the corrected 3" back from the leading edge CG). It's actually nose heavy, which won't fly right or efficiently, but shouldn't cause crashes.
@@TweakRacer thanks for your reply. That point he made was very confusing "tail heavy" and didn't make any sense. Surprised he hasn't redone the video or at least edit in some text with the correction.
Not sure if anyone gives a shit but if you are stoned like me atm then you can watch pretty much all the latest series on InstaFlixxer. Been streaming with my brother these days =)
@Billy Ellis yup, I have been using InstaFlixxer for months myself :D
Saw this video when it was made. Just unboxed mine two years later. Remembered this, came back. Now I know why, EXCELLENT TIPS. Must watch if you’re a pilot with this model.
I love the ✏ with the little hand on it. Awesome 👌
Just received my Radian on back order and decided to try two dots of hot glue on either side of the stabilizer - easy enough to cut free w/ a hobby knife, if needed. The servo extensions recommendation was quite helpful and are must-have items to save your sanity - my big hands just don't fare well w/ little things and this RC business is a real challenge.
This is what brought my radian down! I thought a bad elevator servo was the culprit. That tail issue was the problem. The servo must have gotten stripped after the accident. I just recently got my NR FT back up this week. After fixing this issue it flies smoothly
I have had my Night Radian in the box for 3 years or so " New " so thanks for the info , One day I will fly it
OMG!
I had sooo much trouble with cg while using a 3s/2200. I actually ended up cutting channels in left & right cockpit walls and stuffing heavy threaded rods in each side, duct taping them in place! Haven't flown it yet but hopefully it will do better than my previous one that I crashed. Oh, another problem with my current Night Radian is that I wasn't wearing my measly one power reading glasses & touched balance lead backwards to LED harness. The flash of light was spectacular but now my Night Radian is just a Radian. So not Flight Tested, but rather Jim Destroyed. Live & learn.
Thanks for the correction of the CG from the Manual's 2 1/2" to the new 3" from leading edge on Night Radian 2 Meter. I also use wood dowels inside carbon fiber tube spars with packing tape shims. My Cessna 421 twin has two spars made this way.
This means you moved the cg back half inch to make its tail heavier
The horizontal stab advice is brilliant for those that are starting out in the hobby 👍 the rest is personal preference I think. That carbon fibre spar looks ok to me (and I have one) not maidened yet though!
It’s supposed to flex, if you stiffen it too much you will end up with a lawn dart .
Not to mention the added weight of the dowl isn't necessary
Good stuff Dave. Idea.. rig that extra channel to a small servo arm & rod (spring relief) that simply "pokes" the display selector button! Then you can just "diddle" that one about a hundred times each flight and watch the pretty light-show. Hey, it's gettin chilly in central PA! better keep gloves handy and remember tuck them battery packs underarm! (remember the old nicad days?)hee hee
Those were the days!
I have some RC Switches on order to try.
A lot of people like the 3" cg for the previous Radians as well. The book cg is for beginners aka nose heavy
Wow I like your pointer !!!! Its cool !!
He he, yeah it's 3D printed.
Dude...awesome video! I've been seriously thinking about buying this plane and your video just saved me a couple hundred dollars in smashed plane, just on the CG tip. Thanks for the uploads and keep up the good work. *Liked&Subscribed*
In Australia the color on the end of balsa indicates the hardness of the timber. May be different in the US. Good Vid Dave.
Here in USA , different colors different diameters.
7mm dowel fits eo perfectly
Good Job Dave!
Did you like the shattering glass sound effect I found on the net to go with the Magix transition :-)
Excellent advice. Ty for sharing.
Great advice got me one on order.
Great video. Great tips. I just got mine. Will follow your leads. Thanks
Thanks for watching and for the comment!
I just picked up mine this week. Considering I haven’t taken it out of the box yet, few of these pointers are good.
I was considering laminate the foam too.
I have just finished laminating the wings with 1.7 mil and it added 20 grams per wing. Not bad really! Will also laminate the skinny tail section of the fuse for strength.
Dave Merc Productions That sounds about right.
The laminate makes surfaces smoother and sleeker.
I need to order more
th-cam.com/video/lxApMrWvQgs/w-d-xo.html
& advice. Should I buy one I will watch again.
Thanks Dave great video !
Great tips. I just need to order one now.
One more tip that wasn't in the video is that you might want to change the servos to metal gear servos. Some have reported failures especially on the elevator servo.
As a courtesy,, Should've referenced my channel / video where you got that horizontal stab data info.
My night raiden is nose heavy. I put a 2200mah in it i see everybody put that in it..... so how do i fix?
Great tips! Thanks for great content
Are you getting one?
Hey buddy I really like your content. Where can I find those extension for the night radian? I am novice and your content is very helpful
I just don't get why they added a switch. It has to be plugged in for the LEDs, an simply unplugging will disable them. Why the extra step? I dunno. On mine, I have an inline remote switch paired with a spare channel on my TX to turn the lights on/off whenever I want.
Did you ever try a different tape (more area or more stickum) to secure the rear stabilizer ?
Good vid got mine a few days ago done the build LIGHTS ARE DEAD NOTHING.....got loads of fix wings done major rebuilds but this thing has me stumped..ideas ?????thanks
Brian
Check the 5 volt regulator/UBEC to make sure it is outputting 5 volts. It could be also that the light controller is turned off. You can press the two outer buttons at the same time to turn it on. You can also unplug the light strings from the distribution block underneath and test them individually. You could also have a bad switch.
Thanks, good info...
Glad it was helpful!
Fantastic tips, how in hell horizon did that horizontal stab that way? wow.
Thanks, it just seems like they rushed the Night Radian to production on a deadline. In the Horizon video they said they didn't find the right LED system until a few days before the release. That's cutting it close!
th-cam.com/video/lxApMrWvQgs/w-d-xo.html
Greatly appreciated....on a different note how tight Di you find the 2200 battery
It's fits close but no problem. The NR really needs the weight of the 2200 anyway.
You may find the Night Radian Facebook group a help too: facebook.com/groups/288203018693228/
Nice plane Dave! Some night flights over the golf course?
But of course :-)
Can you clarify the cog comment ? You can balance at 63mm by moving the battery forward or adding weight to the nose . Balancing at 75mm means the aircraft will be harder to fly.
If you have to add weight to the nose when using the stock battery it should be obvious something is wrong. The manual simply has an error based on the CoG for the old Radian which was lighter in the tail than the Night Radian.
@@DaveMerc I think you have it wrong Dave. You are simply moving the cog until the plane balances. Anyone who had trimmed a model knows you add or subtract weight to balance at the correct stated cog for the aircraft .
You could post the question on the Night Radian group but I find most are in agreement with what I said. The specs are bit off.
@@DaveMerc No need to post Dave. As the center of gravity is moved forward the stability if the aircraft increases. If you don't believe me Google it. Your advice us wrong and will lead to a more responsive but less stable aircraft . Not good for beginners. Just do the research .
I think we just agreed to disagree, lol
do you think laminating the Radian is worth the extra added weight ?
Steve Panebianco I don’t think it is worth the weight addition. That is the beauty of the Radian. If you have to do something, just use some 3M clear packaging tape on the leading edges of the wings for protection during landings, etc.
Thanks Sir, I just subscribed , so there is no way to change the lights pattern? No even with a servo on a spare channel? Thanks again for any feedback
You have to push the buttons on the light controller to change patterns. However you could solder on a RC switch to activate the buttons remotely.
th-cam.com/video/bfAe3eq7PCI/w-d-xo.html
Am I correct that I want female-to-male servo extenders for the LED light extensions?
Yes that would be right.
@@DaveMerc Thanks for the super quick reply. Very helpful.
It’s dependent on how these connectors identify themselves.
@@spongebobscodpiece8693 The male to female works fine.
Bill B 😂🤣 yes it does! How do we spread the word?
Nice.
Thanks!
Hi
Very useful vid ... just brought myself one for Christmas....I'm toying with the idea of slicing the wings and putting ailerons on. Be good to hear your thoughts or if you know of anybody that's done it
Brian
London
I have not tried it but perhaps someone on RCgroups or the Night Radian FB page has tried it.
facebook.com/groups/288203018693228/
brian forward The original Park Zone Radian Pro has ailerons and flaps. But it also had flatter wing tips so they were useful there. This wing has a lot of dihedral at the wing tips so when you use the rudder the wing that leads into the direction of travel will lift and the trailing wing will have its wing pushed down by the airflow, so you don’t need ailerons to turn. Also an extra two servos will make it heavier and less of a floater. I had a Radian Pro and ended up converting back to a plain Radian wing and the plane will glide around a lot better and longer flights result.
The advantage with the Radian Pro was being able to deploy crow on flaps and ailerons if you want to nail you landing spots. The plain Radian is harder to get onto a spot landing.
So the choice of control surfaces you have on the wing depends on what characteristics you are after. A floater or a spot lander.
@@markcummings150 hi Mark
BRILLIANT reply. Thanks.
Since my message to you I've got quite a few hours on this kite under my belt.... With gliding 60...80 minutes flight not a problem. The only mod I've done is stiffen up the carbon fiber tube strut by incerting dowel rod the wing still flexes but NO FEAR OF SANPING WHEN PULLING TIGHT LOOPS...
ITS A BRILLIANT KITE
Stay well
Brian
London
So to a newbie, what does a person do to the Radian to account for the CG being 3 inches?
Move the battery until the plane balances at 3 inches back from the leading edge of the main wing.
GRAT THANKS😂😂😂😂
Thanks for your tips! Would u (or anyone) happen to know if the E-flite Radian or Night Radian fuselage would work as replacement for the Old Parkzone Radian (2 meter) PKZ4767? I can't seem to find any replacement fuse for the old PKZ.
I have a feeling they are too different to be interchangeable but could just get the whole new plane instead.
Uh..I don't think so. This Radian PKZ4767 has been discontinued for a while.
hi whit the receiver your using do you still get save mode working
Now using a Frsky S8R receiver that has stabilization because I use a Taranis radio.
@@DaveMerc thanks for that
Couldn't you just eather tap into the switch wires or remove the switch and add in a remote switch? I believe thats what way I am going. I already have the remote switches. Getting a night radian for my birthday.
control your LED's from your TX!
www.wingnuttech.com/products/night-radian-led-controller
Something is backwards. The manual says 2.5" from the leading edge. You say that's wrong because it's "tail heavy" at 2.5" so you want to move the cg BACK another half inch to 3" back from the leading edge of the wing?!? Think about it. 3 inches back is more back than 2.5 inches.
If you have your cg 3 inches back from the leading edge, you are saying it flies better when it balances further aft than the book recommended 2.5 inches.....which means they wanted it to fly nose heavy.
i have a feeling he said tail heavy by mistake and really meant to say it would be nose heavy at 2.5 "
Just crashed it tonight. Lost connection and it wasn’t even 70 feet high.
7:21... Not if you want to fully control the lights from the ground. I'd go for a 6 channel RX...
BTW... how much current is being drawn by the total lights from the light battery ??
Contact me through J.BAUER Electronics and I'll send you something to control your lights through your 4th channel for testing...;-)
Thanks, I have ordered two types of RC switches to try but I will contact you anyway if you like.
Got your message and I replied.
Because I will need to remove the tail to pack the plane for travel, instead of glue I'm thinking that I will use a couple small machine screws and lock nuts on each side with holes drilled through the plastic. Comments?
That sounds like a good idea to me but you could ask on the Night Radian FB group here: facebook.com/groups/288203018693228/
Huh, at 2:00 you say that balancing the plane at 2-1/2” will make it tail heavy, so set it at 3”. That doesn’t make sense.
I should say this: What doesn't make sense is putting a bunch of lead in the nose to balance it at 2-1/2 inches when 3 inches is the real sweet spot for the CG. Balances perfect and performs great with 2200mah 3s battery at a CG of 3". Most people have adopted the 3" CG over time rather than try to deal with the 2-1/2" mentioned in the manual. I am proud to be a 3 incher but if you want 2-1/2 go for it.
Exactly right Mark! All they are doing is balancing the plane at a different spot and not adding lead to what they "THINK" is a tail heavy plane when they try to pick the plane up and balance it at the incorrect 2.5'' mark behind the leading edge...
And they still provide tape to the latest Night Radian 2.0.
The first thing I did, was to glue the tail wing.
I cannot belive they don't update that problem.
4 pieces of tape from a professional company is just a joke.
Dead right glue it solid
insert gorilla glue
Tape...?...To hold that Tailplane in place..?...seriously?
Ya it's just crazy to think that would work for long.
th-cam.com/video/lxApMrWvQgs/w-d-xo.html
So far one of the worst plane to fly...it does not fly or more like a brick.
Will keep working on it to get it figured out. No help from Horizon.
Short attention span....where..?
30 seconds - analytics show 30% dropout at 30 seconds into a video. 30/30
I've watched the video twice and read all the comments. I understand the 30 second attention span but not when one is seeking wisdom. I'm a drone guy but I had to purchase the newer version of the Night Radian after seeing a video of it. Thanks for the tips. It looks like they are still providing tape which sounds nuts. I've read elsewhere that Fabri-Tac can eat the foam. I'm assuming this is incorrect information as I read that you have logged a lot of time with this plane after your mods. Fabri-Tac is safe, yes?