Son's First Flight - Flight Report

Good to see your family out flying and having some fun !! Eric

Yeah that would be FANTASTIC if I could get my father flying with my boy. And yes Bandit I did just finish my Skyray I just have to work out some dang engine troubles I'm having with 2 engines.

Nicholas actually just asked me after the last flying trip if he could build another plane! I sure don't want to stifle his enthusiasm or skills but I say we learn to fly what we have, loop, etc. then we let him build and fly a built-up wing and let him go crazy learning his stunting skills. I'll keep y'all posted.

Thanks! Greg

Cribbs74 wrote:
The Wiz will loop, but not well. It needs to be taken almost overhead to do it. If the boy wants to loop a new plane is probably in order.

The other option is to take some of the nose off.

Ron, by saying taken almost overhead are you meaning it would be a giant loop but started at normal altitude or would you be starting really high and basically looping overhead, or something else?  I'd like to understand.

The nose blocks are touching the LE as we did shorten the nose 3/4" and that was after whacking off the beam mount nose too.  The plane weighs 6.2 oz with engine, dry.  My deweybird weighs 8oz but has a lot more wing area.  Not sure how 6 oz is relatively and if that would allow for some tail weight.

I'm not set on having the Wiz loop, it would be fun if I could get it to then teach Nicholas how but we have other planes that will, once I learn how first.

Greg
Here's the nose of his Wizard:

Sig Skyray wrote:Yeah that would be FANTASTIC if I could get my father flying with my boy.  And yes Bandit I did just finish my Skyray I just have to work out some dang engine troubles I'm having with 2 engines.

Nicholas actually just asked me after the last flying trip if he could build another plane!  I sure don't want to stifle his enthusiasm or skills but I say we learn to fly what we have, loop, etc. then we let him build and fly a built-up wing and let him go crazy learning his stunting skills.  I'll keep y'all posted.

Thanks!  Greg

What sort of engine problems are ya having?
Also another thing while on engines, when you do get the Ray going make sure the engine you choose has the screen over the venturi. If it don't have the scree and since it doesn't have a landing gear the engine is very susceptible to picking up debris through the venturi and sticking the reed open. I learned this right quick with the EX Red Arrow .049 (equivalent to a hot BW) that powers mine which doesn't come with a venturi screen and picks up dirt after every landing and gets in the reed requiring me to pull it apart to clean it. I'm trying to come up with an Air Filter design to help with this problem in fact which will sandwich between the firewall and backplate with the filter located at the bottom intake side. Hope this helps. (Bandit)

TDbandit wrote:
What sort of engine problems are ya having?
Also another thing while on engines, when you do get the Ray going make sure the engine you choose has the screen over the venturi. If it don't have the scree and since it doesn't have a landing gear the engine is very susceptible to picking up debris through the venturi and sticking the reed open. I learned this right quick with the EX Red Arrow .049 (equivalent to a hot BW) that powers mine which doesn't come with a venturi screen and picks up dirt after every landing and gets in the reed requiring me to pull it apart to clean it. I'm trying to come up with an Air Filter design to help with this problem in fact which will sandwich between the firewall and backplate with the filter located at the bottom intake side. Hope this helps. (Bandit)

I missed your post Bandit! I solved the engine issue. Apparently I was sucking air at the tank-to-backplate seal so wrapped that with teflon tape on the outside like I saw in a Gibeault article. Runs good now... was hard to start and ran inconsistently.

Great point on the venturi screen because when she lands she always has sand on the nose. I wonder if a small piece of lawnmower-type filter foam over the air opening at the firewall at the edge of the backplate would restrict air too much. Worth a shot.

Greg where is your balance point at the wing tips , I find that 3/4" back from LE is a good usually for 1/2a , less will start getting squirrely , that's where the fun begins but too much is unflyable  , I start my trainer loops (outside) at about 6' if your not sure here are some patterns just for fun copy save print  

That's perfect Eric! Thanks for the stunt guide.
The CG on the wizard is about an inch back and on the Skyray 3/4". The Skyray flies very smoothly but is very responsive to input too. Nicholas urged me to go for my first loop last weekend and I went for it. Felt great!! Actually did 3 (not consecutive) and on the 3rd collided with the earth somehow. No damage.

Next... have to figure out the sequence to getting Nicholas doing loops... not with his wizard but I think with the deweybird.

I just came across this post.Thanks what a great post.He is a natural.Great job.

yea I don't know what happen to them haven't heard in a while , hope all is Ok and there still flying and having fun . getback

Great job Nick, keep up the great flying.