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Cox Engine of The Month
The B.O.T. Tri-Motor's Successful Retirement !!!!!!!!!
Page 1 of 2
Page 1 of 2 • 1, 2
The B.O.T. Tri-Motor's Successful Retirement !!!!!!!!!
Sometimes, you just get a silly idea that won't leave you alone until you at least take a shot at making it happen. My video of the fellow flying his EIGHT-ENGINED .010 powered Hercules at S.M.A.L.L. kept bugging me to become a "Multi Pilot" !!! I didn't want to just hang a bunch of engines on a plane and fly it, though. Like the Hercules Pilot, I wanted the deal to be a little "different".
So, when I acquired two runnable Cox RR-1 engines (boosting my RR-1 inventory to three), I started wondering if a trio of the things would fly my 9 foot Bird of Time. Sailplanes are always deceptive (at least for me) in the power they need to fly. An .049 powerpod looks minuscule when it's strapped to a two-meter glider, and yet it will boost the plane to a pretty good height, even in dead air. I knew that all three engines ran well, but was still a bit intimidated that I'd find myself in the dreaded scenario of piloting a plane that was "flying too slow to fly, and too fast to land" while running out of flying space, altitude, and ideas at the same time. A cartwheel with a long-winged plane is usually fairly traumatic to it's airframe!
My plan was to fly like the Hercules Pilot: go for altitude while all the dogs are pulling, and use the B.O.T.'s gliding time to let the engines run out their fuel. With them mounted as close together as possible on the converted powerpod, and considering the B.O.T.'s large rudder, I wasn't too concerned about asymmetric thrust being a problem...and...turns out, it wasn't.
Getting ALL THREE RR-1's going was (as I'd feared) the REAL challenge!!! Like so many of my whacky endeavors, strange things start happening as if to send a message that I need to drop the deal and go have a Mountain Dew in the shade. Glowheads came loose, backplate screws came loose, and one engine's mounting screws backed out. A lesson in harmonics, I suppose. Add to this building mayhem, the fact that I just HAD to have inflight video, with all the extra attendant fiddling with wiring and ballast, and things weren't looking good for the B.O.T. to have a peaceful retirement on some dusty shelf !
Finally, with everything checked and checked again (need one of you "numbers" guys to do an estimate on just many times I multiplied my chances of crashing this thing), I cranked up the the little monsters and heaved the B.O.T. into the late-morning turbulence (yes, I DID remember to turn on the radio!).
I immediately turned it into the south wind out over the pasture next to my house, and trimmed it for a climb. After a few seconds, I actually started to relax (altitude usually does this for a sailplane pilot!) as the B.O.T. hit some handy lift and started to climb like it still had it's beloved .15 pulling it. I racked it over into the thermal and got an instant fifty feet or so in the first lap. "AWRIGHT !!!"" While this was happening, I was cycling the little Key FOB camera back and forth on it's servo (if the bouncing air wasn't enough to make viewers of the video nauseous THAT ought to do it!).
When the first engine croaked, a little rudder re-trimmed everything, with the B.O.T. still happily climbing in it's thermal. The other two followed quickly, and from there, it was just my old buddy, coming back to land in the front yard. After a couple doses of this, I HAD to have my "Old Guy Nap" and retired 'till later in the day, when I got in one more flight, just ahead of an oncoming storm.
Oh yeah..,the video...I'm still crunching it. The "Curse of the Tri-Motor B.O.T." apparently extended to my computer, which suddenly decided NOT to recognize the little Key FOB camera's files! So...I got ticked off...went to Wal Mart and got me a new laptop !!! Financing my anger is often a very expensive pursuit!
I'll post the video in this thread as soon as I get it boiled down.
Anyway, I'm gonna try a couple more flights before sending Ron his engine, and hopefully get some great footage, and some "Counter Ammunition" for that time when I'm parked in a nursing home, being forced to look at my roommate's photos of drooling grand-kids...
So, when I acquired two runnable Cox RR-1 engines (boosting my RR-1 inventory to three), I started wondering if a trio of the things would fly my 9 foot Bird of Time. Sailplanes are always deceptive (at least for me) in the power they need to fly. An .049 powerpod looks minuscule when it's strapped to a two-meter glider, and yet it will boost the plane to a pretty good height, even in dead air. I knew that all three engines ran well, but was still a bit intimidated that I'd find myself in the dreaded scenario of piloting a plane that was "flying too slow to fly, and too fast to land" while running out of flying space, altitude, and ideas at the same time. A cartwheel with a long-winged plane is usually fairly traumatic to it's airframe!
My plan was to fly like the Hercules Pilot: go for altitude while all the dogs are pulling, and use the B.O.T.'s gliding time to let the engines run out their fuel. With them mounted as close together as possible on the converted powerpod, and considering the B.O.T.'s large rudder, I wasn't too concerned about asymmetric thrust being a problem...and...turns out, it wasn't.
Getting ALL THREE RR-1's going was (as I'd feared) the REAL challenge!!! Like so many of my whacky endeavors, strange things start happening as if to send a message that I need to drop the deal and go have a Mountain Dew in the shade. Glowheads came loose, backplate screws came loose, and one engine's mounting screws backed out. A lesson in harmonics, I suppose. Add to this building mayhem, the fact that I just HAD to have inflight video, with all the extra attendant fiddling with wiring and ballast, and things weren't looking good for the B.O.T. to have a peaceful retirement on some dusty shelf !
Finally, with everything checked and checked again (need one of you "numbers" guys to do an estimate on just many times I multiplied my chances of crashing this thing), I cranked up the the little monsters and heaved the B.O.T. into the late-morning turbulence (yes, I DID remember to turn on the radio!).
I immediately turned it into the south wind out over the pasture next to my house, and trimmed it for a climb. After a few seconds, I actually started to relax (altitude usually does this for a sailplane pilot!) as the B.O.T. hit some handy lift and started to climb like it still had it's beloved .15 pulling it. I racked it over into the thermal and got an instant fifty feet or so in the first lap. "AWRIGHT !!!"" While this was happening, I was cycling the little Key FOB camera back and forth on it's servo (if the bouncing air wasn't enough to make viewers of the video nauseous THAT ought to do it!).
When the first engine croaked, a little rudder re-trimmed everything, with the B.O.T. still happily climbing in it's thermal. The other two followed quickly, and from there, it was just my old buddy, coming back to land in the front yard. After a couple doses of this, I HAD to have my "Old Guy Nap" and retired 'till later in the day, when I got in one more flight, just ahead of an oncoming storm.
Oh yeah..,the video...I'm still crunching it. The "Curse of the Tri-Motor B.O.T." apparently extended to my computer, which suddenly decided NOT to recognize the little Key FOB camera's files! So...I got ticked off...went to Wal Mart and got me a new laptop !!! Financing my anger is often a very expensive pursuit!
I'll post the video in this thread as soon as I get it boiled down.
Anyway, I'm gonna try a couple more flights before sending Ron his engine, and hopefully get some great footage, and some "Counter Ammunition" for that time when I'm parked in a nursing home, being forced to look at my roommate's photos of drooling grand-kids...
Last edited by Kim on Wed Jul 11, 2012 12:59 pm; edited 1 time in total
Kim- Top Poster
-
Posts : 8624
Join date : 2011-09-06
Location : South East Missouri
Re: The B.O.T. Tri-Motor's Successful Retirement !!!!!!!!!
I love it!
Most guys don't think about flying 1 of their RR1s but Kim you managed 3 at once, it's great
Most guys don't think about flying 1 of their RR1s but Kim you managed 3 at once, it's great
Re: The B.O.T. Tri-Motor's Successful Retirement !!!!!!!!!
Boy, Rusty's going to have to fly two planes at once to top this. This ranks pretty high on the Cool Meter.
Re: The B.O.T. Tri-Motor's Successful Retirement !!!!!!!!!
A while back Mud posted a video of that.andrew wrote:Boy, Rusty's going to have to fly two planes at once to top this. This ranks pretty high on the Cool Meter.
Re: The B.O.T. Tri-Motor's Successful Retirement !!!!!!!!!
Thanks Guys! Yep...keeping track of two SEPARATE airplanes is a lot bigger deal than just steering one around with multiple engines!!!
Here's a real blurry un-cut video of my evening flight. Gonna do another one when I get better footage !
Here's a real blurry un-cut video of my evening flight. Gonna do another one when I get better footage !
Last edited by Kim on Mon Jul 09, 2012 4:16 pm; edited 1 time in total
Kim- Top Poster
-
Posts : 8624
Join date : 2011-09-06
Location : South East Missouri
Re: The B.O.T. Tri-Motor's Successful Retirement !!!!!!!!!
Sounds like that time my cousin put his foot into the wasps nest on the hill.Kim wrote:Thanks Guys! No...keeping track of two SEPARATE airplanes is a lot bigger deal than just steering one around with multiple engines!!!
Here's a real blurry un-cut video of my evening flight. Gonna do another one when I get better footage !
John Goddard- Diamond Member
- Posts : 2447
Join date : 2011-11-24
Age : 60
Location : Leyton North East London
Re: The B.O.T. Tri-Motor's Successful Retirement !!!!!!!!!
Man o man! That's triple cool. I think mine cut out second. The one in the middle must be a screamer to suck gas down that quick!
Look's like 3 RR1's have no problem hauling that big bird around.
Keep plugging Kim!
Ron
Look's like 3 RR1's have no problem hauling that big bird around.
Keep plugging Kim!
Ron
Cribbs74- Moderator
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Posts : 11907
Join date : 2011-10-24
Age : 50
Location : Tuttle, OK
Re: The B.O.T. Tri-Motor's Successful Retirement !!!!!!!!!
cribbs74 wrote:Man o man! That's triple cool. I think mine cut out second. The one in the middle must be a screamer to suck gas down that quick!
Look's like 3 RR1's have no problem hauling that big bird around.
Keep plugging Kim!
Ron
Thanks Ron !!! A couple more flights and yours will be on it's way. Thanks for the patience !!!
Kim- Top Poster
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Posts : 8624
Join date : 2011-09-06
Location : South East Missouri
Re: The B.O.T. Tri-Motor's Successful Retirement !!!!!!!!!
Take your time! Have fun with it. I get to live vicariously through your exploits.
Cribbs74- Moderator
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Posts : 11907
Join date : 2011-10-24
Age : 50
Location : Tuttle, OK
Re: The B.O.T. Tri-Motor's Successful Retirement !!!!!!!!!
Kim (as the BOT drifts OOR/OOS): "Aaargh!! The kid's college fund!!!"
ahrma_581- Gold Member
- Posts : 290
Join date : 2012-03-21
Location : Sonoran desert
Re: The B.O.T. Tri-Motor's Successful Retirement !!!!!!!!!
ahrma_581 wrote:Kim (as the BOT drifts OOR/OOS): "Aaargh!! The kid's college fund!!!"
Kim finds out he HAS kids !!! Forgets all about B.O.T. and RR-1's...Locks and Loads AK, and heads for urologist's office to extract refund plus interest for that 1995 vasectomy !!!!!!
Kim- Top Poster
-
Posts : 8624
Join date : 2011-09-06
Location : South East Missouri
Re: The B.O.T. Tri-Motor's Successful Retirement !!!!!!!!!
I think the camera mount/pod/thingy rocks!
lousyflyer- Gold Member
- Posts : 342
Join date : 2012-06-25
Age : 64
Location : Garden City Ga
Re: The B.O.T. Tri-Motor's Successful Retirement !!!!!!!!!
lousyflyer wrote:I think the camera mount/pod/thingy rocks!
Thanks! These tiny Key Fob camera are simply amazing! Mix one with some scrap balsa, a light arrow shaft, one of Bernie's micro servos, and some rubber bands, and it's MOVIE TIME !!!
Kim- Top Poster
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Posts : 8624
Join date : 2011-09-06
Location : South East Missouri
Re: The B.O.T. Tri-Motor's Successful Retirement !!!!!!!!!
Woke a beautiful morning to get a little more footage of my latest Frankenstein Project (had to work yesterday evening or I would have had some video with a spectacular, glowing cumulonimbus for a background in the eastern sky!), and am now ready to shut down the RR-1 part of the B.O.T.'s continuing torture !
Gonna post one last video of it's last flight where I hooked a thermal just past the road on takeoff. It really boosted the sailplane, so I racked over and stayed in it to see how high I could get. My lack of recent thermal flying shows as I continually find and lose the baby boomer, but it did do me some good. I stayed with it after the engines croaked, but finally gave up as it was drawing the plane toward toward the western treeline. I was running the engines fairly rich as I didn't want to burn them up on this last run, but they seemed to lean out a bit as the B.O.T. climbed and I got a good satisfying trip!
Anyway...on to the the next Super Secret Skunk Works Project !!!!!!
Gonna post one last video of it's last flight where I hooked a thermal just past the road on takeoff. It really boosted the sailplane, so I racked over and stayed in it to see how high I could get. My lack of recent thermal flying shows as I continually find and lose the baby boomer, but it did do me some good. I stayed with it after the engines croaked, but finally gave up as it was drawing the plane toward toward the western treeline. I was running the engines fairly rich as I didn't want to burn them up on this last run, but they seemed to lean out a bit as the B.O.T. climbed and I got a good satisfying trip!
Anyway...on to the the next Super Secret Skunk Works Project !!!!!!
Kim- Top Poster
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Posts : 8624
Join date : 2011-09-06
Location : South East Missouri
Re: The B.O.T. Tri-Motor's Successful Retirement !!!!!!!!!
As always Kim, you never fail to impress. Glad to hear the final flight was successful.
Even happier that my RR1 is that much closer to my front door.
Even happier that my RR1 is that much closer to my front door.
Cribbs74- Moderator
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Posts : 11907
Join date : 2011-10-24
Age : 50
Location : Tuttle, OK
Re: The B.O.T. Tri-Motor's Successful Retirement !!!!!!!!!
Seeing a single RR-1 running in the air would be impressive; seeing 3 running at once on one plane is 3 times as impressive -- especially on a Strickland Tri-motor.
The only possible thing that could make this video any better would be if I could see the alien rabbit again.
The only possible thing that could make this video any better would be if I could see the alien rabbit again.
Re: The B.O.T. Tri-Motor's Successful Retirement !!!!!!!!!
What's that key fob camera look like? Is it inexpensive?
lousyflyer- Gold Member
- Posts : 342
Join date : 2012-06-25
Age : 64
Location : Garden City Ga
Re: The B.O.T. Tri-Motor's Successful Retirement !!!!!!!!!
lousyflyer wrote:What's that key fob camera look like? Is it inexpensive?
Here's a link that talks about it. I got mine from a Chinese site on Ebay, and have seen them go for 20 -40 dollars, depending on what's included with them.
They DO produce some startling video for their size! You can search "Key FOB Camera" on Ebay for some of the sites that sell them.
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1556994
Kim- Top Poster
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Posts : 8624
Join date : 2011-09-06
Location : South East Missouri
Re: The B.O.T. Tri-Motor's Successful Retirement !!!!!!!!!
andrew wrote:Seeing a single RR-1 running in the air would be impressive; seeing 3 running at once on one plane is 3 times as impressive -- especially on a Strickland Tri-motor.
The only possible thing that could make this video any better would be if I could see the alien rabbit again.
Didn't have any Alien Rabbit encounters (they've kinda blended in with the rest of the crops!), but once the B.O.T.'s engines had shut down, it WAS buzzed by several of my barn swallow pals...much in the manner of a B-17 being harassed by Me-262 "Swallows" !
Kim- Top Poster
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Posts : 8624
Join date : 2011-09-06
Location : South East Missouri
Re: The B.O.T. Tri-Motor's Successful Retirement !!!!!!!!!
Video from this morning:
Kim- Top Poster
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Posts : 8624
Join date : 2011-09-06
Location : South East Missouri
Re: The B.O.T. Tri-Motor's Successful Retirement !!!!!!!!!
That was awesome Kim! Thanks for sharing it with us.
Bob
Bob
fit90- Diamond Member
- Posts : 1341
Join date : 2011-08-11
Location : Naples, Florida
Re: The B.O.T. Tri-Motor's Successful Retirement !!!!!!!!!
That was a nice long flight, very cool. I do hope you wore earplugs. I am almost deaf sitting here in Utah.
Love the calm wind noise after the last burp of the RR1.
Hat's off to ya!
Love the calm wind noise after the last burp of the RR1.
Hat's off to ya!
Cribbs74- Moderator
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Posts : 11907
Join date : 2011-10-24
Age : 50
Location : Tuttle, OK
Re: The B.O.T. Tri-Motor's Successful Retirement !!!!!!!!!
Was the pass by the tree (1:09) as close as it looked?
lousyflyer- Gold Member
- Posts : 342
Join date : 2012-06-25
Age : 64
Location : Garden City Ga
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