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Trying to buy a Durafly Tundra


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No, unless you can extend coaxial cable then extending the aerial is not possible, you can on some receivers buy replacement longer aerials, which plug into the circuit board

 

I use Multiplex M-Link and have several of their single aerial receivers, these have all been excellent, typically used in Kingfisher/Tundra sized models I can fly these to the limit of my eyesight, the only thing I make sure I follow is the MPX recommendation to put the end section vertical.

 

I haver also used many 2.4 systems, from high end to budget sets, with the aerials installed inside the airframe and all have worked flawlessly, the only time to have the aerials outside the fuselage is if it is made of RF blocking material, i.e. carbon-fibre composite.

 

BTW one of our recent new fliers learnt on a Tundra, before he became competent it slowly morphed from a foam model to gorilla glue separated by sections of foam ?

Edited by Frank Skilbeck
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17 minutes ago, Frank Skilbeck said:

BTW one of our recent new fliers learnt on a Tundra, before he became competent it slowly morphed from a foam model to gorilla glue separated by sections of foam ?

After two weeks of flying everyday my first Riot was the same, and for some reason it suddenly hit home that it would not last much longer, and I would soon have nothing to fly so I bought a second one ready and waiting for the inevitable. It lasted six weeks I did well, apparently, as the average for a first model is two weeks and can be a lot shorter, down to seconds which I have witnessed.

 

The LMS always has a stock of Riots which makes them easily replaced, I guess there is a good turnover for him which must apply to any trainer. ?

 

I quickly learned that stick time is essential to learning to fly. Some recent novices have taken this to extremes they have one to fly, a second in the car ready and a third in the workshop under repair. They always have something to fly and can maximise their stick time. 

 

@911hillclimberI am following along as I find your experiences exactly the same as my own the more stick time you have the less you will need to be saved. Keep at it and you will get there and most importantly enjoy the journey. 

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I am not one to give in on any project I do, and some are quite tricky esp if I don't have the skill-set or tools.

This one is much harder.

I'm good with mechanical things, car restoration, motorcycles restos and more, even fixing old guitars, but with this 'challenge' I am not so sure I have the skills to use it, doubt is creeping back in. Old dogs don't learn new tricks etc.

Fully agree to stick time, and has left me wondering.

 

This Kingfisher has the stability unit which is off while on the buddy link. This means i can only reliably (ish) fly with Martin to rescue me. No Martin, no flying.

Martin is mode2 and that suits me being left handed, nobody else on the field is!

I am tempted to simply switch the stab on and get going solo as well as with Martin/buddy link.

 

As to the wires:

I have now glued the plane again back together. Not sure just how much longer the Fuselage will stand up as all 'landings' have been hard, and sometime rips the undercarriage clean out of the belly. The 'carbon' tube that acts as the structural spar was shattered by the last Down to the Ground and now replaced with a quality length of slightly larger dia carbon tube as no spares are in stock in the UK.

The wings are really firmly in place now, and the support struts re-super glued. The hatch to the Rx/wires etc is now a tight fit, the nose section has crushed about 1mm and it shows.

 

I was told to boil a kettle of water and let the steam pass over the creases. Old wives tale?

 

So, the wires to the Rx are tucked together to one side and a fine cable tie used to keep them there.

The Rx is close behind the engine mounting plastic moulding and the short aerial pointing vertically.

The long wire now exits at 90 deg to that and straight out of the cabin, the wire being tacked lightly to the outside face of the fuselage with a dot of super glue.

It is nowhere near the battery now.

My Spektrum DX6 has a fixed vertical aerial on top of the set which rests at about 60 deg from the horizontal when in use.

 

Penn models has a pile of Wot4's in stock.....

Will i ever get to fly crash free my Buccaneer?

Edited by 911hillclimber
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You are an hairs breadth from flying now G, so stick with it.

Hard landings?

Are you aware that you " flair out " at touchdown. And

Check your elevator movement settings for " expo" and remove any softening ( expo ) until you are more adept.

Left hand, right hand has no real effect of advantage, but concentration and focus does.

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15 minutes ago, 911hillclimber said:

I was told to boil a kettle of water and let the steam pass over the creases. Old wives tale?

Not an old wives tale it does work.

 

I have been flying for three years and hardly ever have a problem. But it took me six months before I stopped bending the undercarriage on a regular basis. Two months before I stopped ripping out the undercarriage altogether. It just takes stick time, it's that simple, eventually your reactions will become instinctive and your thumbs move without thinking. The same as when driving you change gear without thinking, I hope, I don't mine is automatic and does all the thinking for me. ?

 

A novice started at my club and like you had regular incidences, as we all do, he was feeling down when he said 'it looks so easy when you fly and you never have a problem' I reassured him everyone crashes and I had written off six models in two years. He broke into a smile and said 'so it's not just me'. It's not unusual for a novice to have doubts, I was in that club as were many other novices I am sure.

 

Keep going. I want you to fly the Buccaneer so keep us informed.

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Thanks for the encouragement!

Martin is skiving-off on holiday for a week, so happens we are too, so silence for a while.

The FMS has more wrinkles than a 110 year old, but will give it a go.

A new fuselage is £72 bare so a day to strip and transfer it all over when the time comes, but only when I'm ready and have run out of glue.

 

My Hard Landings are when I've dumped it into the ground, Martin floats it in and feather's the elevator at just the right time and almost rolls to a halt and taxis it to our feet.

Showing off!

One day in the distant future I will switch the buddy link off.

Champagne that day.

Edited by 911hillclimber
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As above...old dogs can and do learn new tricks, believe me.

 

Went to the pssa event near abersoch, even the foam electric Catalina flies at a slope soarer !

 

When slope soaring you can practise practise practise for as long as your concentration ( and batteries) lasts, then for a rest "park" the model in lift and rest for a few seconds, then practise again.

 

Was a lovely afternoon with lots of subjects, Typhon, kittyhawk, tucano, salamander etc. Etc. Etc., And some very small jets, alpha jet and mig to name a few.

 

Even the seagulls were joining in.

 

For the experience, seek out a soaring club and go watch. I bet you will dump electric powered planes and go slope soaring as much as possible.

 

You will learn a lot quite quickly, and apply that knowledge/experience to flying your electric powered 5 minute wonders.

 

Ps soarers can be fully aerobatic...floaters also.

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11 hours ago, Rich Griff said:

Question, can the modern 2.4 Rx aerials be extended by soldering an extension to the end ?

 

Am I right in saying the aerial is screened for the first part of Thier length with the actual aerial being the bare end of the wire ?

 

I assume it's better to have the aerial end outside the fuz ? Maybe protected by some heat shrink ?

 

Still learning...

 

  1. Yes in theory, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Some Frsky RXs a while back used to be provided with aerials that could be swapped for versions that were longer, but I’m not sure they are available in the latest generation.
  2. There is no need to have it outside the fuselage unless there is a material around that could shield it (I.e metal or carbon). Wood, plastic and foam have no effect.
  3. if they do end up outside the fuselage, yes I would recommend supporting and protecting them in some way (heat shrink is one method).
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2 hours ago, Frank Skilbeck said:

Just remember there are two types of RC aircraft, those that have crashed and those that haven't crashed yet! As you gain experience the time spent in the latter category extends ?

 

There is another variation. Where the ancient joints just fail. And the scrap just falls to earth. (For CAA incident reporters, such airframes fly over dead ground)

 

Hillclimber, we break them when exceeding skill sets. Same as cars. Concentrate on circuits. Broken undercarriages are the result of successful circuits. One skill at a time, unbroken undercarriages are the next step. View all the airframes needed with indifference. 
That is not a joke. Broken airframes are normal. 
Do not treasure the airframes needed to complete the course.
Don’t spend effort or money on flim fan extras. I still shed tears over the airframes broken ignoring that rule. 

All aircraft come with a problem, haul the stick back, it rises. It has to decend. 

If that does not thrill, a boat, or a car calls. 
Patience.

 

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Hillclimber, I live in France and I've recently taught a Belgian clubmate  called Frans to both build and fly. He found the standard ARTF four channel trainers a bit of a handful. He tried flying his friend's Kingfisher with the same result so I gave him a few flights on my double size Tomboy vintage model. We then built a Ben Buckle Junior 60 together. We flew this on the buddy box. He is now at the stage where he can take off, fly and land a Kingfisher with no assistance from me. Frans is seventy years old and had never built or flown a model aeroplane prior to this summer.

 

I'd like to make two points.

 

1. You could consider getting in some stick time with your Buccaneer vintage mode as your primary trainer. The Buccaneer was originally a free flight model and is intrinsically stable. Just get your instructor to take off and land for you until you feel confident enough to do likewise. You'd need to pick calm weather of course.

 

2. Don't discount the possibility of a Mode 1 instructor teaching you. I fly Mode 2 but everybody else in the club flies Mode 1 including Frans.

 

 

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Ripping out undercarriages on landing...

 

If you can land a slope soarer you can land a powered plane.

 

I have landed planes on grass no problem but have to say landing on a smooth beach was a joy.

 

Watch how people land, real and model.

 

If your landing on the verge of a stall your doing it wrong.

 

I found ( and was taught ) to land with good airspeed but not tooo fast, flairing out at about 2 feet then closing the throttle, or, flying the model onto the deck then closing the throttle completely rolling out to a controlled stop.

 

I suppose I was spoiled by the geach, doing touch and goes, one wheel touch and goes, landing and rolling along then open throttle to full power and taking off again.

 

All this was done on a tail dragger wot 4 lookalike IC 40 powered 4 channel, but that was after a hi boy and slope soarers.

 

With slope soarers you can practise landing approach many many many times, even at very low level, like 5 feet, and when ready commit.

 

Accidentally I did a touch and go with a slope soarer. I landed on slightly falling smoothish short grassland, let go of the sticks as it was skidding along, and it took off again...

 

Sailed it out back into full lift area to gain hieght....

 

You owe it to your self to go slope soaring dude.

 

Still trying to get pictures of yesterday on here for you to see.....

 

So, landing, keep good air speed but not too fast, a long approach loosing height with a glide path so plane touches down say 20 feet in front of you ( plane is approaching you but offset to the side, not heading directly towards you, remember "dipping wing" saying you annoyed the wife with some weeks ago ! ) , Flair out and reduce power at say 2 feet and glide gently to touch down and a stop.

 

Practise approaches and landings to say 10 feet hieght, then 8 feet, then 6 feet etc., and eventually you will land properly, a rolling Landing.

 

Slope soarers are great, seek out a club/site, you won't regret it.

Edited by Rich Griff
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And that's great too.

 

Slope soarers do it for me as well as the fuel is free, usually involve some excersice, great views and refreshing air.

 

Flight time is as long as you want, battery, stamina and cold dependant, and they can get fully aerobatic, demanding thought and skill rather than raw power.

 

They are quiet, relaxing and some times a challenge to fly.

Dead stick landings require a right first time technique once you are committed, within reason 

 

Even a Catalina will slope soarer and floaters can be fully aerobatic. You can "do the book" aerobatic ally with the right plane.

 

I also like powered planes but have not been bitten by the "electric" bug, yet.

 

Buzzards used to formate with the skitsue then float off. Red kites would formate and hang around, then float off.

Crows would formate, they tried inverted flight and just fell out of the sky noisely, nearly crashing !

 

Seagulls just zoomed about all over the place.

 

So free fuel, excercise, fresh air, great views, nature and fun model flying, what's not to like ?

Edited by Rich Griff
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3 hours ago, Rich Griff said:

So free fuel, excercise, fresh air, great views, nature and fun model flying, what's not to like ?

Throwing it off a cliff. Paddling out into the sea to retrieve it. The long walk up a hill and the long walk down. Need I go on?

 

Give me a flat field thermal electric powered glider, that's my passion.  Assemble at the back of the car, walk a few paces to the flight line and fly. It's so much easier and equally rewarding.

 

@911hillclimberonce he has got off the buddy lead and can fly solo with confidence will find his own passion, I am sure. 

 

 

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22 minutes ago, EarlyBird said:

Throwing it off a cliff. Paddling out into the sea to retrieve it. The long walk up a hill and the long walk down. Need I go on? 

 

 

If that is what you are doing EarlyBird you are not slope soaring! If you are slope soaring you land back back at the top of the slope. The initial walk to the top of the hill is called exercise! So you are either using the wrong model or flying in the wrong conditions if you are having to retrieve the model from the bottom of the hill. 

 

The thing about this great hobby is each to their own. ?

Edited by Piers Bowlan
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5 minutes ago, Piers Bowlan said:

The thing about this great hobby is each to their own. ?

Absolutely true. 

 

I have never been slope soaring and obviously the idea is to land back at the top but not everyone has the skill to do so. The problem I have is getting up the hill from where the car is parked. Then after flying for a few hours I would not be able to walk down the hill let alone drive home. We are not all fit and healthy. I would love to slope soar but without a miracle it will never happen.? 

 

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Yes, yes and yes, but the right place is a must.

 

Back home where I slope soared it took me  a good 40 mins to walk from home to the site. That was going the long but easy way.

 

After about 5 weeks I was going the short but steep then steeper way taking 14 mins without a breather break.

 

The cilan head land site I visited yesterday ( and used to visit every weekend back in the day of mum in law )takes 5 mins max from car park to slope edge.

 

Yes, sometimes you have to retrieve a model as happened yesterday. It was launched and immediately it was sinking due to lack of wind, but was retrieved with no damage.

 

Years ago I watched a large minimoa, very big wing span and must have taken many hours to make. It was offered to the wind, functions checked and given the ok to launch.

 

Off it sailed peacefully out and out and out...I HAVE NO CONTROL was shouted out with the aircraft just sailing on untill out of sight. He cried ...

 

It probably landed on Bardsey Island some miles away.

 

Does stuff like that happen with powered planes, yes it does....

 

Sometimes slope soarers just do not want to come down.

 

You have to be quite good at flying/controlling a soarer but have time to practise practise practise, the fuel to keep it aloft lasts a long time usually.

 

I also like ic powered planes, 15 mins flight time minimum for me please. The fuel is relatively expensive.

Edited by Rich Griff
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Early bird, I too am challenged health)age wise these days and know what you mean.

 

You know your local area, so as long as it's not Norfolk there will be a South Westerly facing slope or ridge or useable site that is easy to get to somewhere.

 

I have even flown the sas skitsue from sand dunes when the tide was out, now that was not easy but I didn't crash the plane. Great fun and a challenge.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Got to the stinking hot field this morning, all ready to continue on my awkward journey to fly, but Martin could not make it, so was the last to leave at 1.30pm.

However, had chance to chat to one of the very experienced flyer there when i got there (several had been and gone by 12 noon, heat) and he commented, constructively, that i was making far too many mistakes since i had started, and Martin was rescuing me too many times, BUT, he did stress that I should take the plunge and get a simulator. Apparently when he started out 15 years ago his instructor insisted he spent 3 week intensely on a Phoenix sim before he would start to help him!

 

So, packed everything away.

Alone, i was very tempted to set the plane to stabilised and have a go , but resisted...

 

So, to SIMS...

This is a link given on this thread for the Phoenix.

If i get this lot what exactly do i need to get/do?

I was hoping you could get something from my TX to go to a lap top or pc and I can plug-n-play.

Obviously never that simple, but can anyone give me a clear simple guide please?

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/402725677553?_trkparms=ispr%3D1&hash=item5dc45229f1:g:VL0AAOSws09gP03D&amdata=enc%3AAQAFAAACgBaobrjLl8XobRIiIML1V4Imu%2Fn%2BzU5L90Z278x5ickkTboA95HSvGa1O5UmCCGJLu%2FgMSX3u%2BzDY5mrF3tYMzvU0dCbeIyry4qxycpRErNNy%2BgAQdNTn%2FOjob%2BtmMV33TXDPDMEBuYRX%2B%2BhbOUsAECEwQfw6SA4ilSvhKgAiXoP7Mp8JQFVx3jSfRYzzOdAidQotPModv0s3jMr8%2FeRlzXOxnaO%2FDvVf1eSWisdgDpxvD8wwW%2BFViJLnw9Qq6DlzKUG%2FqigIq%2F0r3ArRFZ%2BY95aP%2BQ%2F33qofW%2BSvDhsaaO%2FIEMRej49IF5sJ%2Bvt3FFSmbjwSFpA7vMfKcxtv0Td6vd1jqTy37H7gLP5Xw4LJKsQA%2FMe08kWmfL8mlda46HrxR3QQ347T7ng0UMID0UOafTrgvJxuNufWwutO2L%2BD78rpiIvgLgFzTknHJC27T6kfrRy5JmWw1ssvHN5Nu%2FBDKagdVhm4ZCEfrOauLI8iD%2BIsxDNA3aKi5ieXtzvdcb6Xhs5%2FULqPtaCSOG0BGOOBa4qWvDS5SQd5dZQwSQ8hjMqPT9X%2BEyuVWYesOorV5OXRn1THpSDEAqwvoUfgKvbI%2FfpoW5b5r52lxmxL%2BkT0AYijFudJ99qrpoSaJ%2BlWvF%2B7UJ5wyKH4wQ%2FR8F68hPDNe00c1rIshnCd4gD3Rc7Vi40do0%2Bgz3k7C3bAfX1b00nkStL%2Fdax9LkUjBXpzCyIpUm5M0Ye73gAP8N%2BfjfxhF6%2F6%2BBRluslUJ2Bt%2BI6MQWzkB8oUaIqtQqtme6vHvqmCWGGRWWL5mWeI60v8JszmZH%2BXtYRTJVUwYUDp9sHgA9%2FOk3QMcRtAmatdZzTvbshruU%3D|cksum%3A4027256775538ffad20a77f54e40b450fde3a21ce3cf|ampid%3APL_CLK|clp%3A2334524

Edited by 911hillclimber
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Yes, get that package from Ebay. The dongle plugs into the USB on your laptop. One end of one of the supplied cables plugs into the dongle and the other end into the trainer socket (usually - don't know what TX you've got).

There's a switch on the side of the dongle, set it to Phoenix RC.

Then download the Phoenix simulator program from https://www.rc-thoughts.com/phoenix-sim/

Read about the installion procedure, install the simulator, and then follow the instructions for configuring your TX.

Last thing to do is choose a plane of your fancy and go crash fly!

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