Kaos and Stinger II

Wow we had a gorgeous morning with full on sunshine but mild temps...the kind where you start with a vest on, then end with a t-shirt.  Flew my Kaos once .  Made a perfect landing.  Gonna jinx it by saying I am learning to land it better so that I don’t nose it over in the grass after too fast an approach and touchdown.   Great fun doing the aerobatics and low passes.

Flew the  Stinger II twice...that sucker is a great plane.   Just wish it was bigger! Love how it still howls on fast passes powered by that YS63!  It can do all the pattern aerobatics like the Kaos but in a different, sport airframe.

Flight log: 06/21/2019

My yellow Shoestring on left, powered by SAITO 100 four stroke.
Cliff's white Shoestring on right, powered by RCGF 20cc gas two stroke.

Note slimmer fuselage on white one because Don rebuilt it
and trimmed about 3/4" of the bottom of the stock fuselage off!

Both are beauties!

We flew together twice.  It was no contest, Cliff's is much faster. 
He had to throttle back often to keep from chewing off my tail!
I cut corners to make my route shorter, plus did a lot of diving,
and still came out looking like a snail.  I can only say I landed better, lol!

THE WINNER!

I also flew my Stinger II three times today to satisfy the need for speed!  It flew well.  The YS63 is singing sweetly!

Pau MAD

Hahaha, the title is just a salute to pidgin spoken in Hawaii!  It is the day after MAD, so all pau MAD!  Flew again at Keizer today.  Got the helis in action again...2 flights each on the G500 and X5.  Also put up three flights on the Stinger II plane.  The YS63 ran sweet and made the plane whistle by. Great fun doing high speed low flybys over the flat dirt plain which is the sod farm with no sod on it at this time.  It has been seeded but not netted or irrigated yet so absolutely no grass is on it. More guys came out today with the much lighter winds than yesterday.

Aloha T-28, boo hoo

Flew on Sept 26.  Had two flights almost.  First flight of the T-28 was nice and uneventful, just the same old reliable plane.  On the second flight, I was on the downwind leg for landing and lost all controls.  At the time, I had flaps deployed and was just puttering back with throttle for landing.  The plane just stopped responding, rolled slightly left and dove into the field.  Totaled in my book.  It lasted 8 years, a good life!  So at the crash site, I found the switch off on the plane because the crash took out the fuselage side and popped my switch to the off position.  This plane had the wire extension to the switch with pull off and push on.  Fuse side forced outwards took the switch to off.  I turned it back on and all controls responded.  I suspected battery but the servos were instantaneous and lively.  At home I ran the controls for a full seven minute flight with not a single weak or incorrect or lack of response.  No idea what happened.  My only guess is that usually crashes are pilot error and just maybe I did not realize the plane was going so slow at 200 yards out.  In the two seconds perhaps, before impact, I tried elevator, aileron, and throttle up.  I did not hear the engine sound increase nor see any responses to my inputs.   Well these planes all have an expiration date that is unknown when we build them.  I now know it for the T-28.  I don't feel so bad because it was old and fuel soaked.  I need a new warbird anyway!

Today is Sept 28.  I flew the Stinger II three times and the Intruder twice.  All good flights.  FAST!  Both planes like to whistle due to their speed, and maybe they just are dirty airframes, lol.  Had to fly today with rain forecasted for the next five days at least!  CRAP!

THE NEED FOR SPEED!

Flight log for week passed

Geez, getting so bad about posting the flight reports!  I know i flew on Sept 16 because that was the picnic fly in day at the krca field. i recall flyignonce with the Goblin 500 because some folks never saw a heli fly before.  I also flew the Yak 54 a few times .  It flew well and pleased the fams of the newb member pilots Dave and Jon.

After that i dont recall exact days because i have been under the weather.  I know i flew the Sbach a few times one day.  The engine ran well with the reattached clunk filter in the fuel tank.  And another day i flew the Bravata three times because we had a big bird day...might have been Saturday Sept 23. That flew fine too.  Both mufflers on those gassers seem to be staying attached well with the red liquid gasket and red thread lock.

I will report in advance that i am taking the T-28 and Stinger II to Dallas today!  Gotta fly if feeling well during the last good days of Summer.  Rain is already breaking up good weather several days in a row at times now.  Fall and Old Man Winter are on the horizon.

Awesome Thursday Flying

Gorgeous morning for flying!  Flew my Toledo Special twice, as well as my Stinger II twice.  Both engines ran flawlessly and the planes were a joy to fly all over the sky, especially low and fast strafing passes over the runway and field.  I was surprised the YS 63 in the Stinger ran so well and steady because it ran pretty good at home the other day, but it never keeps a good tune from day to day.  Hope it retains this for the next time!

Warbird Saturday

After flying my Goblin 500 four times, I flew these guys in honor of  Memorial Day and those who gave their lives so that we may enjoy our freedoms today.  Took both up twice, in perfect weather conditions...cool and calm and sunny!  Enjoyed both immensely due to smooth engine runs and no issues with either whatsoever.

Mike brought out three warbirds...his Spitfire, Focke Wulf 190, and September Fury.  He broke the retract landing gear on the Spitfire then the FW190.  I heard a crack on the landing of the SF, as he avoided the fence by hitting left rudder and/or left aileron, and the plane stalled into the left wingtip.  I think he broke the LG on that one too.   I don't know if he realizes or not that each time he now lands, he comes in at an angle such that any long landing requires left turn to avoid hitting the fence.  He has been doing this the last few months.  I am not understanding why he keeps doing it...does he not realize what he is doing?

Jerry came out with a couple foam electric warbirds, but I left before he flew.  And finally Sam came out again...the same guy that comes year after year, never joins, has a zillion questions about dues and flying conditions during the winter, etc.  I ignored him today.

Flight Log: 05/18/2016

Oo lah lah it was gorgeous today with little to no wind, partly sunny, and best of all....no workers in sight!  That is so rare.  So I flew my Goblin 500 for 4 flights, then the 7HV for 5 flights, and finally the Stinger II for 2.  All went well.  The 500 has been making a weird echo sound in the  air  and I have been trying to find the cause with no success.  I have found where the servos or a wire or a corner of the frame touches the canopy, and then padded those locations with velcro.  No difference.  Have tried different belt tensions to see if that makes a difference...nope.  My next try is to simply remove some play I found in the main shaft today.  Maybe it will make a diff but I am doubtful.  Still there is nothing else amiss that I can find.

Had a blast with the Stinger.  The YS63 ran like a top today with power and nice smoke trail.  No deadsticks, no issues, just lots of hot passes!  Great fun.

Just one other pilot at the field today...Bud.  Nearly hit me with this Cub foam plane twice.  I was standing by my truck tailgate.  Doggone!  Told him to take out the right thrust from the motor, but I doubt he will listen.

Long time no fly...

...the Stinger II!  I checked this blog, and the last time the Stinger flew was in Sept 2013!  Holy Moly that is a long time ago, but I left it alone due to my growing interest in helis and my worsening long distance vision due to cataracts, which have since been removed. In addition the YS 63 was not running real great.

Over the past few days, I took the engine off the plane and was going to replace it with either a OS40 two-stroke or a OS70 four-stroke.  After seeing how much work that is to mount different engines on the mounts, I said humbug and looked at how to fix the YS 63 instead, lol.  So I reset needle valves to factory settings, both high, and idle.  I opened the regulator and found small debris in it, which can plug the fine holes in there and make it run inconsistently...I was happy to find that and remove it.  Also checked the fuel lines in the tank but they looked ok.  I replaced some external fuel lines that looked loose or worn.  Next up was the engine had no compression from laying unused so long.  Turns out the valves were ok, but the push rods were not moving.  Upon further dismantling, I found the little pushrod sleeves that contact the cams were stuck in place from not running for about 2.5 years!  I was able to force them out.  Used the Dremel and some polishing compound to shine the sleeves up, then they slipped in and out of the engine block real smooth again.  Since I had the pushrods out and they were looking stained, I polished them too.  Next I reset the gaps at the rockers.  I don't know how much 0.1mm is, but for the OS engines I just use a slip of paper as the gap feeler gauge, so I did the same on the YS.  And finally, the flight battery pack was dead so I put a new 6V 2000mAh pack into the plane.

 I took the Stinger to the field today, and after flying the X5 four times and the Logo 690SX three times, I went to work on the Stinger.  The factory settings were decent as starting points, but my xmitter throttle was set too low to maintain idle.  Changed the control rod length at the servo connection, and that helped.  Next I ran up the engine and she held high idle and I took a flight with a rich high needle setting.  She ran the whole time but was weak, so for the next flight I leaned it out half a turn and also opened the low end, which is also equivalent to leaning the low end so that the idle was smoother, lower, and did not die.  Seemed to do the trick as the engine really pulled the plane fast, with a slight smoke trail.  Felt like a new plane and engine...lots of speed and authority.  Gonna be fun flying this bugger again!  Feeling satisfaction that I got that engine to run well again.

The Logo spooled up much better with the main blades loosened a little.  The shaking is less, but still there.  My throttle curve adjustment did not do the trick...the heli still jumps up when switching to IU mode, and it drops when I go from IU to normal, so that is not good.  It must be pitch curve differences, so I am going to adjust those to get a smooth transition between IU and normal mode.  Other than this, the Logo 690SX really is amazing for how smooth and quiet it runs and flies!  It is light on its toes like the X5, very spritely performance.

Forgeting the Flight Log!

I flew on Sat Sept 21, and Th Sept 19.  On Th, I think I flew the Stinger II, 130X and MCPX.  On Sat, I flew only the 130X and MCPX, all 9 packs, before it began to rain.  I assembled the SNAFU to fly, but heard the tune of the slowly increasing pitter patter twack on the covering of the wings.  At that point, I put the assembled SNAFU into the truck bed and headed home.  On Th, all went well with a couple flights of the Stinger II.  On both days, the small helis were great, no crashes  and it is getting to be more and more fun, still very challenging, and requiring full and constant attention while in the air.

Stinger has a Stinger Again

Last time out the Stinger II stinked due to YS 63 problems.  I thought about it a lot...the first YS 63 had the same prob as the replacement I installed.  So that meant a tank or fuel line issue, or a check valve issue.  When I had the tank out for the engine switch, all the lines and stopper looked good.   I decided to switch the check valve with the one that came with my used YS 110.  I did this the other day and ran the engine yesterday at home, and it ran well.  Took the Stinger to the field today, and it was awesome.  It ran so well that I could again hear the plane whistle on low flyby's...music to my ears!  I was able to take 4 flights with great enjoyment.  After the first flight, I moved the elevator control rod one hole closer on the control horn to get a little more responsiveness.  Also reduced the expo from 70% to 40%.  Feels more reactive and positive now.

Before flying the Stinger, I got in all 5 batt packs on the MCPX and all 4 packs on the 130X.  Both flew well.  I dumped the 130X a few times due to disorientation, and knocked off most of one tooth on the beveled gear on the main rotor.  Still flies fine, and I will get a replacement, or ask Jer to get one for me.  It hardly sounds different with most of that tooth missing, lol.  I was able to do many circles, figure 8's, and much flying towards myself.  Pretty much a quantum step forward today.  Some circles were the tiny level ones and others were the fast forward  and banked big ones!

Dean came today and flew his Star MkII with great delight.  We both enjoy our purchases from Dick!

UPDATE: Found genuine YS check valves online so I ordered a couple.  Geesh it works out to about $10.50 each, including the shipping!  Talk about a ripoff.

Imagine and Stinger II

With the YS63 replaced in the Stinger II,  I had high hopes it would fly well.  Well, I couldn't get the engine to run well.  I tried all manner of high and low needle valve settings and nothing worked.  At least the engine started, but most often as I applied throttle, the engine would just overload, sputter, and die at about the half throttle point.  I even tried a different glow plug that seemed hotter.  No dice!  I gave up after fiddling with it too many times.  On the other hand the Imagine 50 ran and flew well, and I am glad nobody bought it when I had it up for sale, haha!  Still grooves well, but comes in hotter than I remember.  It can snap if too much elevator is applied at low speed. I witnessed it once today when high enough to recover.  Re the the Stinger, I might switch to an OS 70 Surpass II or an OS 46LA , both of which I have.  I am not so impressed with the two YS 63 engines that I have tried in the Stinger.  Interestingly, the first one ran well and made the Stinger a missle at first, but it has gradually become a dud and I have no idea why.

Stinger II and Star and MCPX

Nobody was there and the wind was calm so I ran most of batts through the MCPX first.  Not as good as yesterday, but no damage was incurred.  I did manage a few circles and some zoomy flying without crashing, so it's all good.  Later, Ken and Dave W arrived.  Then I tried the Stinger II today and after fighting the engine tuning, I remembered why I have not been flying it much.  First off it sounds like a tractor, so I think bearings are shot, and secondly it won't lean out nor idle well anymore.  Needs an overhaul, which for me is to remove it and stick the other YS63 that I have into the plane, haha.  Hmmm, I kinda wonder if my OS46LA would fit into this plane?  Also flew my Star for 4 packs and it did well.  I still cannot get the hop and stop down pat, so I think I shall give up and let whatever happens happen on Sat.  Too much depends on wind conditions and luck!

Stinger Time

Got in three flights with the Stinger II today in absolutely perfect weather...55F, calm, sunny with broken clouds.  Can't get better except if my sons were there too.  Stinger flew well, but I think the YS63 might be getting tired.  It does not zip along like it used to, and the lack of whistling in a shallow dive attests to the lack of speed.  Also, it does not have unlimited climb like I thought it did...it runs out and stalls in a long vertical.  Nevertheless it still flies nice but it's just not as exciting as it used to be!  Time to retire it?  :)

Flight Log: 02/02/2013

Wow it was nice again, so I got to fly for the 3rd day in a row.  No handwarmer needed at all!  Flew my Stinger II three times, and the 60 size Shoestring twice.  Both engines ran well and the planes flew nicely.  At least today more guys showed up...Bob R, Mike, Ken, and Dave.  Dick came by to say hi.  Wilfredo showed up late to fly his chopper.  The grass was short since Bob B mowed yesterday.

Windyish but Great Flying

The winds were out of the South this AM, and fairly healthy at 5mph+, but the flying was great.  Tad had fun with his Kaos Two, and was happy it made it through its second flying day.  Alex did great with four solo flights.  Tad and I did not touch his transmitter at all!  Al had all good takeoffs, avoiding the fence and the pipes laid along the south edge of the runway.  He also made 3 outstanding landings, better than Tad or I have ever landed that plane. They were straight down the runway, with no hops, fairly greased on!  The other landing was decent, but snaked around the final moments before touch down due to the crosswind, but had no hops.  Alex'es flying progress is phenomenally fast!  He was looping more today, as well as doing many rolls, and inverted flight, and all of it seems to be getting lower and faster.  He IS learning throttle management though, witness throttling back on the back side of loops, and making low approaches in practice for landings.  He knows to be at full throttle with that flat bottomed wing inverted.  Very enjoyable to watch his improvement each time out.

I flew my Stinger II a few times, twice with Tad.  His Kaos and my Stinger are fairly evenly matched in speed so we had fun making passes together, but he did try to keep lots of air between us so that he went home with the Kaos intact.  :)  Another fun day.  Too bad Alex will head back to college very soon.

Sunday Flying

Forgot to log my flight activity for yesterday/Sunday.  I flew my T-28 Trojan and Stinger II.  Both flew well, and I had 3 or 4 flights on each.  Notable was probably my best landing ever with the T-28, diving for the end of the runway with full flaps and low throttle, and pulling up just at the right time, but keeping down elevator pressure for a greased on landing with no hops at all.  I don't think it can ever be bettered, equaled maybe.  The YS63 in the Stinger operated well the first three flights but on the fourth it was easy to start but would die after idling a little bit.  After I fiddled with the low idle mixture to no avail, Joe suggested just running the engine up with the glow starter still on to burn off any excess fuel that loaded up the engine.  Seemed to work.  The plane idled fine to taxi out and after landing.  I will have to remember that for future similar occurrences with this engine.

Talk About Quick Study!

Tad and I took Alex out to fly the Alpha 40 trainer today.  He took off for several flights, but get this...he did more loops, his first rolls, some were even two point rolls with controlled inverted flight, AND he had his first landing.  The landing was entirely on the runway at that!  I mean it would be great to accomplish just one of those things in a day at the field, but he had multiple accomplishments.  Yup, I AM proud, lol!  We had Spencer along, his roommate, because Spencer wanted to see Alex fly, and he enjoyed the experience.  (Later in the day they played with my Real Flight simulator at home.)  Rudy was another witness to the awesome events and progress.  CONGRATS ALEX!!!

I had my Stinger II along, and got two flights with it.  The engine was hard to idle, and it seems the idle mixture screw got loose and vibrated downwards.  I just guessed at how far to bring it out, and the YS 63 ran pretty good after that.  I need to find a way to get the screw to stay where it is set.

Update on YS 63:  I got the idle mixture screw out with the cowl still on (could not remove it due to stubborn muffler that would not come off engine).  It needs a new O ring.  Hard to find those...I cleaned the screw and added a very small drop of blue thread locker on the threads.  Re-inserted.  Hope that holds.  My next idea is a small bit of plumbers tape.  If that fails too, then I will try ACE, and next ordering an official O ring, lol.

Planes on Rails

I took two of my fastest planes out today, the INTRUDER and Stinger II.  Both make a cool whistle as they whiz by on low passes over the runway.  Made two flights with the Intruder and three with the Stinger II.  Engines in both ran great.  Winds were fairly brisk approaching 10mph at times and varied out of the north and west.

Flight Log: 08/01/12

Took the SNAFU and Stinger II out today, a very sunny and slightly breezy day.  Got in 4 flights with the SNAFU in prep for Valley Challenge on Saturday, and 3 flights with the Stinger II.  The durn OS 52 in the SNAFU died several times, so I kept raising the idle trim and also opened the needle a click.  Hope it stays running on Saturday, or I will get no score for some flights, argh.  Tuning on the high end seems pretty good and strong, so I don't want to fiddle with it much at all.  Oh well, I will have the Imagine for backup if needed, but that would be after the SNAFU fails and results in probably no score on a flight, too late in other words.  Might have to reconsider and just fly the Imagine?  The Stinger flew well today with speed and good engine reliability.

Update on 08/02/12:  I put a new OS Type F plug on the engine.  Also put new tubes from tank to carb, and tank to muffler, left fill line as is.  Replaced the three fuel tubes (to klunk, muffler, and fill line) inside the tank as a maintenance precaution.  Tightened up the rubber plug on the tank real snug.  The engine flameouts should not be due to cracked fuel line anywhere.