Little Gem (Flight Report)

Godsey3.0 wrote:The article for it stated it as combat. I built mine with the offset. It flies nicely. Rather sporty. It loops in an unbelievably small space.

Rolla

Yeah I read that article, I typed in CL trainers on the web and this thing was listed. Darned if I can find the site again though. Either way it looks tough.

It is tough. It was my first scratch build. It turned out fairly nice. Short flights are a bummer though.

Godsey3.0 wrote:It is tough. It was my first scratch build. It turned out fairly nice. Short flights are a bummer though.

Hopefully John Goddard will come through with the extenders. I do have a .020 Ryan mount that uses the external tank if I need to go that route.

Ron

Problem with the Gem is that there is not much space for a tank. I was going to use a metal one but could not fit it in nicely.

Godsey3.0 wrote:Problem with the Gem is that there is not much space for a tank. I was going to use a metal one but could not fit it in nicely.

Yeah. I could see that. I have about a dozen tiny perfect tanks if you should ever need one.

I have one that is about 5cc. I considered making a bladder container in the wing. It would work better with a Tee Dee. If I manage to get a .010 I would definitely take off in 1/4a building.

I am about to receive 2 .010's if it comes to fruition I will give you a shout. You need to have at least one .010. If I were you I would purchase that olympic and whatever else you lay your hands on and then sell em.

I am at a point where I can fund my hobby just through sales.

The problem I have with that is that I get attached to each engine I recieve. I have several I got really cheap (single digit cheap) and they are not lookers but run good. I have a Cipolla 1.5cc that has a unique throttle system. It only cost me $8. I had a G Mark .061 I got for $25. I traded it to my father for his Enya .09 RC with an aftermarket muffler. That is the only engine I have given up. I did that because I absolutely love that Enya. It runs amazing. If you take the carb off it looks like a regular CL engine. It has the flared venturi like most CL engines.. I am gonna try a CL nva on it and see what happens. I have one engine that I do not like. That is my G Mark .03. I have yet to get a decent run with it. Nothing but trouble from that little tin pile. Others love them though.

Rolla

Mr. Cribbs: Sent you a PM

cribbs74 wrote:So...... As usual I am extended on my trip and the balsa demon has taken over once again.

Kim posted this plan a while back but, Rolla shot me the plans in PDF so here it is. Stupid easy build. Took all of 2hrs. I decided to not go with the offset wing mostly because I am giving it to my son and he likes things to be symetrical. He is 6.... I read somewhere this thing is a trainer. All I know is that wing is very strong. Click on the link as my imgur thing always cuts off the pic if I use the forum to host it.

Ron

https://i.imgur.com/MDYyb.jpg

Hi Ron, the forum does not actually cut the pic, it just appears that way to mobile users.

nitroairplane wrote:

cribbs74 wrote:So...... As usual I am extended on my trip and the balsa demon has taken over once again.

Kim posted this plan a while back but, Rolla shot me the plans in PDF so here it is. Stupid easy build. Took all of 2hrs. I decided to not go with the offset wing mostly because I am giving it to my son and he likes things to be symetrical. He is 6.... I read somewhere this thing is a trainer. All I know is that wing is very strong. Click on the link as my imgur thing always cuts off the pic if I use the forum to host it.

Ron

https://i.imgur.com/MDYyb.jpg

Hi Ron, the forum does not actually cut the pic, it just appears that way to mobile users.

Oh well thats good news!

I've finished my little gem, turned out ok except I have a problem. I built it like the plans suggested but, my up line leadout pulls the elevator down and vice versa. I assume it's because the control horn is mounted up top of the elevator. How do I fix this? Does anyone see what I did wrong? Here is a copy of the plans.

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showatt.php?attachmentid=5064604&d=1344262165

cribbs74 wrote:I've finished my little gem, turned out ok except I have a problem. I built it like the plans suggested but, my up line leadout pulls the elevator down and vice versa. I assume it's because the control horn is mounted up top of the elevator. How do I fix this? Does anyone see what I did wrong? Here is a copy of the plans.

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showatt.php?attachmentid=5064604&d=1344262165

I think that's not uncommon in small combat and stunt planes. My Blackhawk Kom-Bat is like that. I just turn the control handle upside down.

I was told it's because the rod flexes worse pulling full up than down. That's malarky to me, it's what guide braces are for. I brace the rods on all of my models. But that was the answer I got when I posted the same question at RCG.

RknRusty wrote:

cribbs74 wrote:I've finished my little gem, turned out ok except I have a problem. I built it like the plans suggested but, my up line leadout pulls the elevator down and vice versa. I assume it's because the control horn is mounted up top of the elevator. How do I fix this? Does anyone see what I did wrong? Here is a copy of the plans.

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showatt.php?attachmentid=5064604&d=1344262165

I think that's not uncommon in small combat and stunt planes. My Blackhawk Kom-Bat is like that. I just turn the control handle upside down.

I was told it's because the rod flexes worse pulling full up than down. That's malarky to me, it's what guide braces are for. I brace the rods on all of my models. But that was the answer I got when I posted the same question at RCG.

So, what you are saying is that you start out with one twist in the lines from the get go? I have no prob with using the handle upside down. I was thinking that I did something wrong.

Ron

cribbs74 wrote:

So, what you are saying is that you start out with one twist in the lines from the get go? I have no prob with using the handle upside down. I was thinking that I did something wrong.

Ron[/quote]Well it's the same quarter twist as if you hold the handle the traditional way. Either way is the same amount of twist, you just have to remember when you pick it up off the ground, that it's the other side of the handle in the up position in your hand.

RknRusty wrote:

cribbs74 wrote:

So, what you are saying is that you start out with one twist in the lines from the get go? I have no prob with using the handle upside down. I was thinking that I did something wrong.

Ron, Well it's the same quarter twist as if you hold the handle the traditional way. Either way is the same amount of twist, you just have to remember when you pick it up off the ground, that it's the other side of the handle in the up position in your hand.

I get it now. Boy I'm slow I had to make a CL handle out of wire real quick so I could picture what you were saying

Here is the finished model. Not much to it really. Hope my son likes it. Should be fun and hopefully rugged.

That will be a fine little buggy. Are you going to put a tanked Bee on it?

RknRusty wrote:That will be a fine little buggy. Are you going to put a tanked Bee on it?

Tanked Pee wee. 10" span

It is said to be a combat model however the article also says it's stable enough to be a trainer. I am hoping for the latter as I am giving it to my 6yr old son.

At RCG I found a better answer to the control horn and bellcrank orientation.

In CL stunt the front line is usually the up line. The reasoning being that when you give up control and the nose pitches up then gyroscopic precession of the prop tends to swing the nose outwards making the model yaw out. With more tension on the front line this tries to swing the nose back in. The reverse of course happens with down control where the nose tries to swing inwards from precession (which reduces line tension) so, having the rear line as down, this tries to swing the nose outwards to keep line tension because there's more load on the down line acting at the rear of the bellcrank.

Interesting. I would have never come up with that answer myself.

RknRusty wrote:At RCG I found a better answer to the control horn and bellcrank orientation.

In CL stunt the front line is usually the up line. The reasoning being that when you give up control and the nose pitches up then gyroscopic precession of the prop tends to swing the nose outwards making the model yaw out. With more tension on the front line this tries to swing the nose back in. The reverse of course happens with down control where the nose tries to swing inwards from precession (which reduces line tension) so, having the rear line as down, this tries to swing the nose outwards to keep line tension because there's more load on the down line acting at the rear of the bellcrank.

Interesting. I would have never come up with that answer myself.

You know, I built it to spec and it was good enough in the early 60's and it's probably good enough now. What that statement says makes sense though. The only way I could have negated this issue is cross the lines inside the wing or..... mounted the bellcrank upside down and then run the rod underneath the elevator. Where is Rolla? He has one maybe he could weigh in. Thanks Rusty

Ron

RknRusty wrote:

cribbs74 wrote:

So, what you are saying is that you start out with one twist in the lines from the get go? I have no prob with using the handle upside down. I was thinking that I did something wrong.

Ron

Well it's the same quarter twist as if you hold the handle the traditional way. Either way is the same amount of twist, you just have to remember when you pick it up off the ground, that it's the other side of the handle in the up position in your hand.[/quote]

I've only just noticed this thread, so I'm probably a bit late contributing, but this "Up line at the front" discussion seems so odd that I have to put my oar in. It makes no difference at all which leadout is "Up", as far as flying goes, you simply connect the "Up" line, that is the top line from your handle, to the "Up" leadout, whichever one it is. Why are we talking about picking up the handle upside down? or am I missing something?

Ivanhoe wrote:I've only just noticed this thread, so I'm probably a bit late contributing, but this "Up line at the front" discussion seems so odd that I have to put my oar in. It makes no difference at all which leadout is "Up", as far as flying goes, you simply connect the "Up" line, that is the top line from your handle, to the "Up" leadout, whichever one it is. Why are we talking about picking up the handle upside down? or am I missing something?

Just because it's opposite from what most people have gotten used to over years of flying conventional models. So when you run out and pick up your handle, if you're used to the up line being on the right and the down line being on the left(as it lays on the ground), you need to remember this one is opposite or you'll be holding it in your fist with the down line on your thumb side. Could happen...

RknRusty wrote:

Ivanhoe wrote:I've only just noticed this thread, so I'm probably a bit late contributing, but this "Up line at the front" discussion seems so odd that I have to put my oar in. It makes no difference at all which leadout is "Up", as far as flying goes, you simply connect the "Up" line, that is the top line from your handle, to the "Up" leadout, whichever one it is. Why are we talking about picking up the handle upside down? or am I missing something?

Just because it's opposite from what most people have gotten used to over years of flying conventional models. So when you run out and pick up your handle, if you're used to the up line being on the right and the down line being on the left(as it lays on the ground), you need to remember this one is opposite or you'll be holding it in your fist with the down line on your thumb side. Could happen...

No, it's not. The "Up" line (Under your thumb) is STILL the "Up" line at the handle end it's just that at the model end it's connected to the front leadout and not the back one as is usual. It does not affect how you pick the handle up, how you hold it, or anything else!
It was often standard practice to put the elevator horn on top of the elevator on models with no landing gear, the only reason for doing it is to stop the horn getting torn off when landing, It does not alter anything at all at the handle end!