Radian binding problem

coolwings

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

... but a small plane that you can carry round in the boot of your car for a quick impromptu fly has it's place too.

I'm totally with you there!
My 1 metre fixed wing, or 1.5 metre take apart wing planes are always the ones I get most flights out of.
Bigger is nice, but requires more setup and pack away time.

Ilyushin76

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

Its a bit of a lottery with Hobbyking when it comes to delivery. I've gotten stuff inside two weeks but have waited up to five weeks for an order.

The DX6i is a far superior tx to the DX5e and I'd heartily recommend that it be your next investment if you stay with this hobby.

You might be interested to know that Hobbyking have just released a new range of warbirds that sit between the micro planes like your Trojan and the Parkzone range of "full size" warbirds. They are getting great reviews, they look very nice and they are very cheap, around €46 (plus delivery but if you're ordering velcro anyway.....?;):D)
Me109
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__17945__Messerschmitt_BF109E_w_Stand_650mm_PNF_.html

Spitfire
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__17946__Spitfire_MkIXC_w_Stand_650mm_PNF_.html

Focke Wolf 190
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__18081__FW190D_Focke_Wulf_650mm_w_Stand_PNF.html

And there's a Ju87 Stuka on the way soon.

Have to admit that I'm tempted to buy one as I'll be ordering some new batteries anyways:D

They look tempting alright think I will wait awhile before I buy another plane.The dx6i will probably be my next investment.
I flew the radian and had a much better time flying it after I had flown the trojan.Only problem was it turned left alot quicker than it turned right,I moved the rudder trims and it helped but it still was still not great.The fuselage seems to be a small bit bend after I crashing it and glueing it back together.I thought this might be causing the problem but I am not sure.I think I will try and get a new fuselage (which seem to be quiet hard to locate) and see if it fixes the problem.

Kashkai

Ilyushin76 wrote: »

They look tempting alright think I will wait awhile before I buy another plane.The dx6i will probably be my next investment.
I flew the radian and had a much better time flying it after I had flown the trojan.Only problem was it turned left alot quicker than it turned right,I moved the rudder trims and it helped but it still was still not great.The fuselage seems to be a small bit bend after I crashing it and glueing it back together.I thought this might be causing the problem but I am not sure.I think I will try and get a new fuselage (which seem to be quiet hard to locate) and see if it fixes the problem.

The DX6i would be a great investment as its a big step up from your DX5e and will let you do so much more with regard to setting up your planes. My problem is that I now have 8 planes and one heli which leaves me with just spare slot on my DX6i for another plane and after that, I'll either have to delete a plane (which is a pain as I'll lose all the programming) or buy a new tx.

With regard to the Radian, is the rudder dead straight when its on the ground? If not, then manually adjust it by opening the clevis and straighten the rudder. If it is straight, then yes your plane is out of true, but it could be the wings as well as the fuze. You could try balancing it on the recommended centre of gravity to see if it tips one way or the other and then add a little weight to the opposite side to counteract this. These planes are finely balanced and it doesn't take much to throw them out of true. However if she's not turning herself when in flight, then just use the trim tab on the rudder to get her straight again.

I put a few links to shops that have Radian fuzes in stock on another thread but you might want to move quick as the Radian has now been discontinued:(

Ilyushin76

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

The DX6i would be a great investment as its a big step up from your DX5e and will let you do so much more with regard to setting up your planes. My problem is that I now have 8 planes and one heli which leaves me with just spare slot on my DX6i for another plane and after that, I'll either have to delete a plane (which is a pain as I'll lose all the programming) or buy a new tx.

With regard to the Radian, is the rudder dead straight when its on the ground? If not, then manually adjust it by opening the clevis and straighten the rudder. If it is straight, then yes your plane is out of true, but it could be the wings as well as the fuze. You could try balancing it on the recommended centre of gravity to see if it tips one way or the other and then add a little weight to the opposite side to counteract this. These planes are finely balanced and it doesn't take much to throw them out of true. However if she's not turning herself when in flight, then just use the trim tab on the rudder to get her straight again.

I put a few links to shops that have Radian fuzes in stock on another thread but you might want to move quick as the Radian has now been discontinued:(

The rudder is straight when its on the ground but needs a bit of trim to straighten it.I brought it up for another flight awhile ago and after about 5 minitues I seen a piece falling from the radian :eek:which turned out to be the propeller.I was quiet high and managed to land it.I attached a picture of t what is left.I am not sure why it happened.I had a look at the links might get the one from ebay.I will get the propeller set first anyways and see if it still flies.

Bruthal

That looks like it was caused by the nut coming loose on the fromt of the prop holder. I usualy use a little superglue on the threads of that.

Ilyushin76

robbie7730 wrote: »

That looks like it was caused by the nut coming loose on the fromt of the prop holder. I usualy use a little superglue on the threads of that.

Thanks Robbie, is there any-point looking for it or would I be better off just ordering another one?

Bruthal

Ilyushin76 wrote: »

Thanks Robbie, is there any-point looking for it or would I be better off just ordering another one?

It depends where is was, as in what type of ground, but it would be very hard to find, you really would of had to have someone watch it right till is came to the ground and then walk directly to it.

Once you left the area it would be very hard to go back and find it.

Ilyushin76

robbie7730 wrote: »

It depends where is was, as in what type of ground, but it would be very hard to find, you really would of had to have someone watch it right till is came to the ground and then walk directly to it.

Once you left the area it would be very hard to go back and find it.

I have a general idea where it landed.I seen it falling but had to watch the plane so didn't see it hit the ground.I had a look after it fell off but couldn't find it.Are these the parts I need to get 1 and 2 ?

Kashkai

Ilyushin76 wrote: »

I have a general idea where it landed.I seen it falling but had to watch the plane so didn't see it hit the ground.I had a look after it fell off but couldn't find it.Are these the parts I need to get 1 and 2 ?

Yup, they're the parts you need. I'd suggest buying them from RCPitstop.co.uk as he has them for in and around the same price and his service is excellent, e.g. I bought a micro Sukhoi XP, MSR heli and a new motor for my Me109 last Wednesday and I received them Friday.

That tiny black screw in picture two is the cause of you losing the prop and spinner. That is the grub screw which holds the prop and spinner assembley onto the motor shaft. The vibration of the prop coupled with the high rpms causes it to loosen over time and you know now what happens then;). As Robbie suggested, a drop of Uhu glue (commonly known as threadlock) on the grub screw prior to insertion will hold it in place in future.

Saying that, you might be lucky finding the prop and spinner as I'd say they probably windmilled to the ground like a mini heli when it came loose. It has low mass and so the impact with the ground wouldn't have been great, unless it came down on a rock or concrete.

You're really not having much luck with your Rad lately are you? Good job you have a nice micro Trojan to fall back on;):D

I'll be heading down your way next week for a holiday. Where is a good place to fly in west Clare? Or are the landowners as protective of their fields as they are in Kildare where I live:rolleyes:

Bruthal

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

That tiny black screw in picture two is the cause of you losing the prop and spinner. That is the grub screw which holds the prop and spinner assembley onto the motor shaft.

I doesnt look like that was the cause here, the front nut came off the hex spinner holder by the look of it in his photo. The hex bit thats held with the grub screw is still on the shaft. Superglue any screws in is the way alright.

i usually use bits of insulating tape folded around the prop leading edges to perfectly balance the blades also, which reduces vibration, which improves performance and reduces the chance of parts working loose.

The improvement can be felt by running full throttle with the plane in hand, and trial and error fitting of small squares of tape around the prop leading edge and re testing.

The original blades on the early radians used to snap in flight, due to a flaw in them, so the sons radian has an aeronaut prop and spinner setup on it. The collet clamp for fitting to the shaft is far better than the grub screw setup of the stock one.

Kashkai

Where did you buy the aeronaut prop? My Rad's prop is looking a little ragged round the edges. Its one of the original Parkzone props - the ones that are known to snap off :eek: - and I should replace it before something nasty happens.

Bruthal

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

Where did you buy the aeronaut prop? My Rad's prop is looking a little ragged round the edges. Its one of the original Parkzone props - the ones that are known to snap off :eek: - and I should replace it before something nasty happens.

here are the actual parts i used. Radian has great climbing performance with this, as the prop is a bit bigger.

prop blades
http://www.gliders.uk.com/prodinfo.asp?number=AERO7234%2E31

hub yoke
http://www.gliders.uk.com/prodinfo.asp?number=AERO7242%2E24

spinner (white)
http://www.gliders.uk.com/prodinfo.asp?number=AERO7251%2E50

collet adaptor (motor shaft clamp 4mm)
http://www.gliders.uk.com/prodinfo.asp?number=AERO7124%2E04


The above is far better than the stock setup, and are the actual parts suitable for the radian. I had 3 prop breakages in flight on the original props. It is more serious than the loss of the complete prop, as it will quickly wreck the front of the radian with one blade missing if it was high enough that you dont hear the problem.

The radian props now are fine, but the above aeronaut system is better, eliminating that grub screw setup with the far better collet setup.

Ilyushin76

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

Yup, they're the parts you need. I'd suggest buying them from RCPitstop.co.uk as he has them for in and around the same price and his service is excellent, e.g. I bought a micro Sukhoi XP, MSR heli and a new motor for my Me109 last Wednesday and I received them Friday.

That tiny black screw in picture two is the cause of you losing the prop and spinner. That is the grub screw which holds the prop and spinner assembley onto the motor shaft. The vibration of the prop coupled with the high rpms causes it to loosen over time and you know now what happens then;). As Robbie suggested, a drop of Uhu glue (commonly known as threadlock) on the grub screw prior to insertion will hold it in place in future.

Saying that, you might be lucky finding the prop and spinner as I'd say they probably windmilled to the ground like a mini heli when it came loose. It has low mass and so the impact with the ground wouldn't have been great, unless it came down on a rock or concrete.

You're really not having much luck with your Rad lately are you? Good job you have a nice micro Trojan to fall back on;):D

I'll be heading down your way next week for a holiday. Where is a good place to fly in west Clare? Or are the landowners as protective of their fields as they are in Kildare where I live:rolleyes:

Thanks Dave I ordered them from rcpitstop.Will put glue on the screws when I put it together.I was actually looking at the sukhoi on ebay but decided not to get it.How does it fly compared to the micro trojan?

I'm lucky I have the trojan alright,it hasn't caused me any problems and has survived a few bad landing attempts with the landing gear on .I got the velcro for the batteries today from hobbyking but it doesn't have tape on the back.I used super glue to stick it to the batteries but it wasn't very strong.I used gorilla glue now which I hope will be better.

I'm surprised though that the nut came lose as this was only my second real flight with it.Is it a complicated job to transfer the parts over to another fuselage?

There is not too many places to fly in west Clare that I know of.I just go to a field near my house to fly.

Kashkai

Ilyushin76 wrote: »

Thanks Dave I ordered them from rcpitstop.Will put glue on the screws when I put it together.I was actually looking at the sukhoi on ebay but decided not to get it.How does it fly compared to the micro trojan?

I'm lucky I have the trojan alright,it hasn't caused me any problems and has survived a few bad landing attempts with the landing gear on .I got the velcro for the batteries today from hobbyking but it doesn't have tape on the back.I used super glue to stick it to the batteries but it wasn't very strong.I used gorilla glue now which I hope will be better.

I'm surprised though that the nut came lose as this was only my second real flight with it.Is it a complicated job to transfer the parts over to another fuselage?

There is not too many places to fly in west Clare that I know of.I just go to a field near my house to fly.

Hi Eoghan

The Sukhoi is a mental little plane that has made me look quite foolish trying to master it:o. Good job there was no one around to see me fighting to get control of it:D. She is definitely the hardest plane I have to fly so perhaps you should leave it a while longer before you get one;). I'd leave the landing gear off the Trojan. It'll not only save weight and thus extend flight time, but she looks better and you'll land better with a gentle belly flop.

The velcro I ordered from Hobbyking comes with backing paper that you peel off and then you stick the velcro to the plane/battery. This is the one I bought:http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=9374. Its super strong and doesn't budge when peeling the battery out of the plane.

Its very easy to transfer parts over to a new fuselage. I can talk you through it via pm if you get a new fuse. I had to do it last year after I crashed my Radian following a silly attempt at a loop too close to the ground. It only took about 20 minutes from start to finish to get the new fuse kitted out.

How are you getting on with the flying? Hope the little mishaps aren't putting you off. Remember, there are two types of rc flyers, those who have suffered mishaps and those who soon will:D

Ilyushin76

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

Hi Eoghan

The Sukhoi is a mental little plane that has made me look quite foolish trying to master it:o. Good job there was no one around to see me fighting to get control of it:D. She is definitely the hardest plane I have to fly so perhaps you should leave it a while longer before you get one;). I'd leave the landing gear off the Trojan. It'll not only save weight and thus extend flight time, but she looks better and you'll land better with a gentle belly flop.

The velcro I ordered from Hobbyking comes with backing paper that you peel off and then you stick the velcro to the plane/battery. This is the one I bought:http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=9374. Its super strong and doesn't budge when peeling the battery out of the plane.

Its very easy to transfer parts over to a new fuselage. I can talk you through it via pm if you get a new fuse. I had to do it last year after I crashed my Radian following a silly attempt at a loop too close to the ground. It only took about 20 minutes from start to finish to get the new fuse kitted out.

How are you getting on with the flying? Hope the little mishaps aren't putting you off. Remember, there are two types of rc flyers, those who have suffered mishaps and those who soon will:D

Thanks for the help Dave.Unfortunately I ordered the wrong velcro which has no sticky side.I used gorilla glue and it worked perfectly.

I am going to order the radian fuselage from the US tomorrow and will sent you a pm when I get it for help putting it together.Do I need to order any other parts or can I get the rest of the parts from my original radian?

I am getting on good now flying the trojan with no crashes when flying without the gear.I put on the gear and done a few takeoffs and landings on my driveway .It was quiet hard landing it has there is trees at one end and telephone lines on the other.I aborted some of the landings and had a few crashes into trees but no damage done to the trojan.I think I will stick to belly landings in the field anymore:D.

It was only my second real flight with the radian when the propeller fell off.I was doing well flying it but had as I was saying previously I had problems with the rudder controls.I was amazed at how slow it could fly and it must have took me over ten attempts before I managed to land it as it kept gliding.:D

Kashkai

Ilyushin76 wrote: »

Thanks for the help Dave.Unfortunately I ordered the wrong velcro which has no sticky side.I used gorilla glue and it worked perfectly.

I am going to order the radian fuselage from the US tomorrow and will sent you a pm when I get it for help putting it together.Do I need to order any other parts or can I get the rest of the parts from my original radian?

I am getting on good now flying the trojan with no crashes when flying without the gear.I put on the gear and done a few takeoffs and landings on my driveway .It was quiet hard landing it has there is trees at one end and telephone lines on the other.I aborted some of the landings and had a few crashes into trees but no damage done to the trojan.I think I will stick to belly landings in the field anymore:D.

It was only my second real flight with the radian when the propeller fell off.I was doing well flying it but had as I was saying previously I had problems with the rudder controls.I was amazed at how slow it could fly and it must have took me over ten attempts before I managed to land it as it kept gliding.:D

You'll just need the fuse Eoghan. The new fuse should come with the control rods for the elevator and rudder pre-installed. Then its just a case of fitting the horizontal stab (or elevator if you want to call it that) to the tail and taping in place. I'd also invest in some blenderm 3M surgical tape to reinforce the rudder and elevator control surfaces as the rudder on my new Radian fuse was almost detached when I bought it. The blenderm tape is designed to hold fast to human skin even when its moving and flexing and so won't come loose from the Radian foam. My tape is still in place 16 months later. Here it is http://www.brchobbies.com/?page=search&sort=priceDesc&resultPage=0&search=blenderm

Remove the servos from the old fuse and stick them in the new fuse by using some silicone (the stuff you'd use to seal round sinks, showers etc). This is better than gluing the servos in because if you need to replace a servo in the future, it'll be easier to remove than if it was glued in place. Connect up the control rods to the correct servo. You might find it easier to unscrew the servo arm to fit it on the control rod 'z' bend.

Remove the rx from the old fuse and use velcro to stick into the new fuse. Run the antennae lead up into the cockpit and stick in place with some tape. Insert the esc in its bay using some velcro but not too much as it needs to have airflow over it to keep it cool. Too much velcro and it will overheat, the rx will lose power and shut down and bye bye plane:(.

Then put the motor in, connect up the prop and spinner and route all your leads to the rx and insert therein.

Once this is done, connect up the battery to let the servos centre themselves (make sure you've reset the trim tabs on your DX5e to neutral) and then connect the control rods at the tail.

Then check to see if the control surfaces are operating correctly and do a test run on the motor.

Job done. Simples;):D

The Rad does fly slowly but she can glide for what seems an age and she can be hard to get down to the ground sometimes. I've had to abort lots of landings where I was quickly running out of room to land.

The micro Trojans wheels are really designed for smooth surfaces like an indoor sports hall. Any kind of rough surface will trip it up. Thats why I hand launched her and belly landed her. She's so light though that she can flop down without damage. My new Sukhoi XP is the same which is a good job as some of my "landings" were actually controlled crashes where I knew I was losing her so I just chopped the throttle and let her land in long grass which cushioned the fall. If I can master her, I'll have earned my wings:D

Ilyushin76

Thanks for the very informative post Dave.Can I just pull out the servos from the old fuselage ?

Bruthal

You can catch the radian out of the air to shorten landings. I nearly always catch them. Not the cularis though.

Bruthal

Ilyushin76 wrote: »

Thanks for the very informative post Dave.Can I just pull out the servos from the old fuselage ?

Yea you can, then clear away any residue from them. You should keep the old fuselage because pieces can be cut out of it to fix any dents or damage you may get on the new one. Im repairing one now, and could so with a piece of the foam.

Ilyushin76

robbie7730 wrote: »

Yea you can, then clear away any residue from them. You should keep the old fuselage because pieces can be cut out of it to fix any dents or damage you may get on the new one. Im repairing one now, and could so with a piece of the foam.

Thanks Robbie.It seems strange they stopped making the radian and supplying the parts for it when there seems to be a big demand for it

Bruthal

Ilyushin76 wrote: »

Thanks Robbie.It seems strange they stopped making the radian and supplying the parts for it when there seems to be a big demand for it

I think it might be back, someone i fly with emailed horizon hobby, and they said it will be back within 2 months. Hopefully it will. It was a great aircraft.

Kashkai

robbie7730 wrote: »

I think it might be back, someone i fly with emailed horizon hobby, and they said it will be back within 2 months. Hopefully it will. It was a great aircraft.

Would that be a guy called Sean from Cork by any chance? He emailed Horizon Hobby and was given a spiel about supply problems. However several suppliers told me that the Radian has been discontinued and they won't be receiving any more stock. It wouldn't be the first time HH have suddenly stopped making a model and parts and left rc flyers high and dry, eg Focke Wulf 190, Spitfire.

I'm down in Clare on my hols but not much chance to fly as it's raining non stop.

Bruthal

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

Would that be a guy called Sean from Cork by any chance? He emailed Horizon Hobby and was given a spiel about supply problems. However several suppliers told me that the Radian has been discontinued and they won't be receiving any more stock. It wouldn't be the first time HH have suddenly stopped making a model and parts and left rc flyers high and dry, eg Focke Wulf 190, Spitfire.

It was an email from horizon hobby which i seen myself, claiming it would be back. That does not mean it will be of course.

I'm down in Clare on my hols but not much chance to fly as it's raining non stop.

No better here. Fairly windy too, although that makes little difference, wind is rarely a problem for the radian or cularis, although its nicer flying on calm days though. But rain is not great, although i flew the nitro ones in lashing rain before.