First
Flight! The first flight of a new R/C model is always frought with
a certain amount of tension. Will it perform as the builder hoped, is there
some undetected flaw that will lead to destruction, will the trim be way
out and the flight be like trying to balance a ball bearing on the head
of a pin?Or in the case of an Ed Hamler-built old timer, even when problems
arise, she flies like a real competitor. Ed flew his recently-completed
Playboy Jr. Class A model on it's first flight behind the Domaine Chandon
winery in Yountville, Ca. on March 16. Engineered by Eddie to be his Class
A ship-both Ignition and Glow by substituting motors with complete front-ends.
After
a successful flight with the Elfin 2.49cc diesel replica motor, Eddie switched
to the hot-running Super Tigre .15 motor. Some moderate dutch-roll tendencies
under power had been observed with the Elfin so when the ST started roaring
at 20K+ RPM he was really trying to be careful when the plane was released.
The plane rolled and dipped while Eddie struggled with the controls, it
climbed and became inverted and Eddie shut down the motor whereupon the
plane settled down and Eddie made a careful landing, mostly without right
rudder. Post-flight inspection disclosed that there were two potentially
disasterous problems (both probably caused by motor vibrations) :1) the
two tiny screws that held the fuel shut-off valve to the mounting plate
that held it in place to the gas tank had backed out so that it was held
on by a single screw...and only a couple of threads at that! 
(had
Eddie waited a split second later to shut off the motor, the screw would
have been gone and the servo would have moved the entire valve instead
of the rotor that opened the fuel shut-off--the plane would have surely
been lost)and 2) the vertical fin post had loosened from inside the fuselage,
rocking backward and causing the rudder to lose clearance and bind against
the rubber bands holding the empennage on the fuselage. Thus the lack of
right rudder. The next two photos show this.(Scott Seronello of SAM 27
holds)
Eddie cleans up after a successful--and eventful first flight of his new Micafilmed Playboy.
Scott Serenello and his friend Fred came along for the flight.
Eddie
lands after successful first flight.
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