Frank- trying to make an 80 year-old retired pilot smile- a 50" span Tiger Moth

[GuyOReilly]

Unfortunately, a business engagement prevents my attending this momentous event.
@Andy Hoffer your linguistic prowess are impressive; even morse code, although Google translate can do that automatically.  But the French!! I am mesmerized. 
I am looking forward to pictures and videos of the maiden flight.
@Frank v B weather looks good and may the Wind Gods be with you!
Guy

[Frank v B]

Final preparations:

The power package is a Turnigy 3548 800 kv, a 40 amp ESC,. 4 cell 2200 mah, 13 x 7 wood prop.
The readings are 30 amps, 430 watts. (post-Hoffer correction.  The 330 watts was on 3 cell...too marginal)

I have put in a 2.4 gig Orange receiver so I can adjust the throws.

Tomorrow I will secure everything and charge the battery and be ready for Thursday's 1 pm test flight.

Fingers crossed.

Frank

[Andy Hoffer]

Final preparations:

The power package is a Turnigy 3548 800 kv, a 40 amp ESC,. 4 cell 2200 mah, 13 x 7 wood prop.
The readings are 30 amps, 330 watts.

I have put in a 2.4 gig Orange receiver so I can adjust the throws.

Tomorrow I will secure everything and charge the battery and be ready for Thursday's 1 pm test flight.

Fingers crossed.

Frank

Good morning @Frank v B,

How am I supposed to get any sleep when you keep leaving aromatic bait all over the place on a nice cool night with the windows open?

Oh well.....  I am intrigued by your electrical data.  4S (nominal 14.8 volts) x 30 amps = 330 watts   Could that be 3S (nominal 11.1 volts) x 30 amps = 330 watts?  Or 4S (nominal 14.8 volts) x 30 amps = 444 watts?  Oh sagely CFI, please help a lowly neophyte understand. 

Humbly yours,

Andy

[Frank v B]

Oh, Andy,

That was not bait.  That was just a mistake.  I know you never make one so it must feel like reading a Trump report.  

You were correct.  The 330 was the 3 cell reading which I thought was too marginal.  At 4 cells it was 430 watts which was just fine*.

You have been given credit for the correction in the original post.

You can go to sleep now.  Your photographic talents are required tomorrow at the field.

Frank

* there was a prop change as well.  I reduced the pitch from 8" to 7" because of the higher cell count.  Both props were wood.  An APC on a Tiger Moth just doesn't cut it.

[Andy Hoffer]

Oh, Andy,

That was not bait.  That was just a mistake.  I know you never make one so it must feel like reading a Trump report.  

You were correct.  The 330 was the 3 cell reading which I thought was too marginal.  At 4 cells it was 430 watts which was just fine.

You have been given credit for the correction in the original post.

You can go to sleep now.  Your photographic talents are required tomorrow at the field.

Frank

Hmmm....  4S, 430 watts, 30 amps = 3.6 volts/cell under load.  OK.  Now I can sleep.  (Whew!)

Andy

[Frank v B]

Success!!!!!

The plane flew about 6-7 circuits of the field in perfect weather conditions.  Before Andy stopped me to take photos at the taxiway it was a cross-wind from the east.  Andy did his stuff taking beauty shots of the plane.  When it came time to take off, the wind had switched to the south for a perfect line-up down the runway.

The plane took off quickly at scale speed and it took about two circuits to trim it out hands-free.  A lot of "down" elevator trim (max) and a lot of "right" trim (almost max).  All flying was done at full power.  A couple of passes for the camera and then a landing.  Nothing fancy.  Just tried to make it home in one piece.  When the plane landed and rolled out (weather-vaned) it hit the grass edge of the runway and flipped.  No damage other than another one-bladed prop for my collection.

Present as witnesses and support were:
Graham- came out off semi-retirement to cheer me on.
Bruce- in charge of weather.  Fine job.
Mark- video and in charge of carnage sweep-up (luckily no work).
David- on video until he had an SLR mirror incident.
Andy- bothering me and photography.
Allan Biggerstaff came all the way from Guelph to cheer me on (he happened to be in town).
Michael- final checklist coach.

It has been a long road but well worth the time.

Ray, the plane and all electronics, motor and radio are yours courtesy of TEMAC.  It flies.  Mission accomplished.
We will have you over when the Covid restrictions (no visitors allowed) end.

Andy, David and Mark will post some of the photos.  Thank you for your help.

A big 

Frank

[sihinch]

Well done Frank! An accomplishment and wonderful gift. Bravo.

[Andy Hoffer]

@Frank v B was stellar today!  He was cool, collected, and remarkably resistant to my incessant stage direction.  But he finally realized that you have to suffer for art.

The photos below are self-explanatory, but a couple merit some interpretive discussion.

#3797 - @bweaver was not about to be upstaged by 4 pounds of balsa and glue.  He was the essence of artistic "RC modelling" at TEMAC.

#3795 - MAAC centrefold version of 3797

Bravo Frank!  Ray will be one happy guy!

Andy

[davidk]

Nicely done today Frank!

[davidk]

More...

[Michael]

Tiger Moth maidens are often notorious for nose-up and rolling oscillations immediately after take off.

Over the first two circuits, Frank engineered some tricky trim adjustments, but by the third circuit, he had the model flying straight and level.

Well done, Frank!

[Andy Hoffer]

Re Dave K's photo #9247 above (http://temac.ca/smf/index.php/topic,7272.msg50689.html#msg50689):

@Frank v B neglected to mention his covert installation of a jet-assist takeoff device to ensure prompt climb-out to a safe elevation. The man is brilliant!!

Andy

[msatin]

Awesome Afternoon!!

[Frank v B]

Thank you for the Thank You's.

Interesting comment by Michael.

Notice in photo 9247, which Andy called the "Jet assist" photo, the elevator is neutral, yet it jumped in the air.  Then once it was fully trimmed out and I did an Andy-requested low flyby with wings tipped towards him at level flight (photo 3810) the amount of "down" elevator trim for level flight.  The low photo passes did not start until the 3rd pass when it was fully trimmed out for "hands off" flying.

Frank

[GuyOReilly]

Bravo @Frank v B !!  Looks amazing in the air. 
Tiger Moth is one of my all-time favourite.
Glad to read that you had it all under skillful control at all times, even during the rocket -assisted takeoff. 
Guy