Taylorcraft project

Small project I just completed for Dean's giant scale Taylorcraft!  Found a good block font for the numbers on my Font CD.  The Taylorcraft script is off an internet image.  Copied it into Inkscape...made a bitmap image in EDIT, resized it, displayed the outline image in VIEW, then traced the bitmap image in PATH.  Saved the svg file, and opened it in SCAL2.  Then cut it with the Cricut cutter.  Had to learn all over, but it was quick. Weeded out the unwanted vinyl, then applied the transfer tape, and trimmed each.  NICE!

Number is 2"x8", script is 1"x5"

Tied the record of the day before!

Yes, I had another 15 flights today on a day that duplicated yesterday's weather.  I had the same three helis, but today the plane was my Intruder, and it had 4 flights.  Tad was able to fly today, and his repaired Goblin 500 flew great.  Looked just about as good as new, but he sensed a slight backward drift that was not there before, so he'll check that out in the IKON programming.  My helis all flew well except for one weird episode where both 450's would not respond to throttle after plugging in their batteries for flights.  I can only guess I did something different on the transmitter, but soon they were both working again, and off they went for more flights.  The Goblin was sublime again, and I had another 10 or so flips on it.  No cajones to stop it inverted and try to hover yet...Tad did that lots today with his and looked very steady.  The Intruder was still on rails and had many rolls, fast and slow and 4 point.  Good plane.  Good helis.  Good Day!

I'm not even tired!

I think I set a record today of 15 flights!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  4xFBL, 3xDFC, 4x G500, 4x Toledo Special.  Geez it was chilly first, then real decent, whisper of wind, and sunny.  I love the Gobby, flies so much easier than a 450.  Still fun to fly em all though.  I did my first flips with the Gobby...2 right, 2 left, 2 back, 2 forward!  Also did a lot of tight figure 8's with it.  I tell ya, over confidence can take hold like this, haha.  Geez, really do LOVE it!  Did not take the X5, maybe tomorrow.  At this rate I am going to need more 6s packs so that I can fly both the Gobby and the X5 more on the same day.  Oh the FBL with the new Dominator motor worked out fine at first, but then I noticed a funny wallowing in cyclic, like it wants to go right, then left, and back and forth again and again.  Weird.  I need to inspect the head closely for something coming loose.  Flyable, but I notice the behavior and have to get rid of it.

Gaui Wowee!

On Christmas Day 2013 there was a sale on a heli that I have been admiring greatly, ok lusting after!  It is the Gaui X5, similar size to the Goblin 500 and it uses the same battery packs.  That was a huge attraction.  Well, the darn thing came on sale, so I ordered on Dec 25, received it about a week later, and just built it over the last 10 days.  I learned lots on this build due to the different brand of the airframe, and the different electronics from anything I have already.  This uses the Gaui mini Vbar FBL controller, Gaui ESC, and Scorpion motor.  I added a Futaba 6303 SBus receiver and CC Pro BEC, both of which I also have in the Goblin 500.  No sense in going through the many details of setting up the mini Vbar and the ESC since I probably forget many of them already anyhow.  Suffice to say, I got things worked out so far on those elements, as well as programming my Futaba 7ch FASST transmitter for this heli.

It's a beautiful heli due to that sleek so-called "formula" canopy.   I am looking forward to maidening it soon, as everyone who has it on Heli Freak only has positive things to say about it.  Here come the pics!

Dry fitting the frame together.

Frame screwed together with threadlocker.  Motor and servos installed.

Starting on head assembly.

Tail assembly, boom, supports added.

Futaba SBus receiver, mini Vbar, and ESC mounted.

Left side of completed heli.

Antenna support behind frame.

BEC on left side of frame.

Finished beauty!

The fleet of Trex 450's, Goblin 500, and X5.

2x2x2

It was 44F and clearing when I left the house, but down in the lowlands where the field is, it was still foggy.  Not foggy enough however, to stop me from flying the helis!  I stayed in close and practiced orientations, and low slow flying.  The ceiling was low, visibility perhaps 200 yards.  I could not see the cars on 99W at first.  No probs staying in close today though since the wind was just a breath.  I got in 2 packs with the 450 FBL, 2 with the 450 DFC, and 2 with the Goblin.  Saved the Gobby for last, and gosh it is much easier to fly than the 450's.  Did go into IU today and it was no problemo.  I learned that I need to change my normal throttle curve since when I go into IU the Gobby shoots up, and when I go back down to normal mode, it drops too much.  I will raise the midpoints of the curve about 10 units.

One negative issue occurred with the FBL today.  At the end of the second flight, I just sensed some goofiness appearing.  I couldn't believe my eyes when I found the Viper motor loose again, the bearing gone in this the 2nd motor.  I will not be getting another Viper, that is certain.  Ron thinks maybe it is the type of motor that needs oiling for each flight, but I have not found any info online confirming that.  I am going to get a plain old Align motor.  $50 down the drain for that Viper I bought to replace the first one that came on the heli when Anthony sold it to me.  Bah humbug, lol!

Misty Falls

This is painting #81 for me, and my first for 2014.  I am pretty happy with this one.  I painted over an old painting, haha, because I did not like the old one and because I really wanted to just practice without restraint.  I wanted to do these leafy trees better, use a predominantly black gesso canvas, and get the perspective better via painting the background trees much smaller, doing so with smaller brushes and dabs of paint, and conversely the foreground trees with larger brushes and bigger branches of leaves.  Also I have not done a waterfall for a long time, so I tossed one in and played with that and the river.  I think this is my most successful result for leafy trees!  Might have to keep this one till I better it.

Happy Gobby Maiden on my OWN!

Tad maidened my G500 yesterday (THANKS), just a quick up and down checkout flight in normal mode.  Today I flew my 450's first, and was almost going to just go home because I was not seeing them well in the ugly grey skies, and cold air...I think that bugs my eyes, dries them out.  While I never got in trouble, I did question the heli orientation a few times.  It seems the worst situation for me is coming out of right turns at a distance and losing orientation on the blade disc and the landing gear, such that I can't readily tell how tilted the heli is at that point.  I depend on what my last controls were as the heli banked and turned.  I ran 3 packs through the FBL and 2 through the DFC today.  I momentarily flipped the FBL inverted, did not catch it flat, so the situation deteriorated rapidly.  I hit full negative pitch, rolled to upright and held it together, lol.

Anyhow, that made me nervous, but I was there at the field on maybe the last day before rains come again, so I decided that I should at least hover the Gobby!  I did one whole pack just hovering over the mat with a landing and takeoff mid way. It felt touchy just a wee bit, but I quickly got used to that. I felt more confidence after that, so I took her up for a flight on another battery and did 4 minutes.  Very joyous flight...it is nice and predictable and smooth.  I was very pleasantly surprised that I could stay close in doing small full circles at 20' high, much easier than with both of the 450's!  While the 450's feel darty at doing low turns, the Goblin 500 felt stable and fully controllable, never rapidly gaining speed or changing altitude. I stayed in normal mode only, and it was very pleasing.  Nice sound, fairly quiet compared to my 450's.  Will do IU next time!  

Thanks for everyone's help in making this a successful launch!  And oh, on a cruddy day like today, the Pulse green Gobby stood out extremely easily, and that confirms my color scheme choice was right for me.

Maidened!

Pulse Edition Goblin 500 with DORK!

I had the maiden of my Goblin 500 today and it was great!  Only thing is that Tad flew it for me to ensure everything was AOK, and I did not have the cajones to try it myself afterwards.  He says it flies just like his but with a slightly different feel to the sticks due to our different Futaba transmitters.  It was just satisfying and exciting to see the heli perform off the building board with no problems.  Now I can fly it myself from now on.  Oh yeah!

I flew my two Trex 450's with great joy that I did not lose any control since last flying a few weeks ago.  I put in 3 packs on the FBL and 2 on the DFC.  Used 2 other packs on the Star!  I have 7 packs that all three of these aircraft utilize.  I only did one forward flip today, and all the rest of the flying was just nice easy circles in both directions and some stall turns.  I wanted to re-establish my feel for the beasts, lol.

Unfortunately after Tad had two great flights on his Goblin 500, he found that his connectors were not making continuous contact between the battery pack and the ESC.  Jiggling the connection produced some system re-initialization sequences.  He landed fine the first time when the connection was spotty while low, and he got power back intermittently so he could land.  After bending the prongs on the connectors, he took it up again and all seemed well for a minute, then he said "Uh oh" about 60' high over the sod farm.  The power never came back on and the heli pancaked on its tail boom and landing skids.  At the field the only damage looked like a busted canopy and landing skids, fractured side frame, and the nylon bolt holding the tail boom on.  I think the breakaway feature saved the boom and other tail parts.  We'll see what other parts need replacing.  $HUCK$!

Goblin 500 Pulse Edition!

Here it is, my completed Goblin 500 Pulse Edition by SAB.  I got it over a month ago, took my time building it, completed the mechanical build a week ago, and finished the programming of the electronics (BEC, IKON, and ESC) today.  The electronics were more daunting than the mechanical assembly!  I don't know what it is, but these things are just addictive.  I guess it is the challenge of flying the helicopters, the coolness of the mostly high quality machined and manufactured parts, and also the process of learning lots of new things with helis and electronics.  A maiden of the Goblin is in the near future.

These are the 4 Lipo packs I will use in the Goblin....4000mAh, 6s, Turnigy packs with CC 6.5mm connectors.

Trex 450 Pro FBL on left, Goblin 500 on right.

My Goblin on left, Tad's on right.

A bevy of beauties!