Flight Troubles?

[Greg Doe]

Shorti96,
The Freedom Flight props are the Ikara props. Scissors work great. Follow the kit instructions,
and just cut the tips off square to comply with the 20cm. rule. You can play around with different
tip designs, but most of us think you don't want to reduce the blade area, so squared off is a
good place to start. We put a small (about 1/8 inch) radius at each corner after we cut the tips
square. There is another wide blade Ikara prop that can improve performance, but it is not the
standard prop supplied in the kit. That prop requires some more serious rework. It probably
needs to be repitched, and the blade area modified. If you are interested in experimenting
you might consider ordering a few of these props. Good luck.
Greg Doe
Smyrna, TN

[planemaker]

I have a lot of confidence in all of the Freedom Flight products. This years WS airplane is based on
last years nationals winning airplane, with 2010 rules changes incorporated. I have every reason to
believe that this kit will produce 3 minute flights in 30 foot gyms, and close to 4 minutes in 70 foot
venues (such as the Illinois State field house). I coach, but I also fly the same designs that my
students fly, in order to learn the airplanes flight characteristics. All of the kits that are available
are good. Which one is best is hard to determine. Obviously, a good design that is poorly built,
will not fly as well as poor design that is properly built. Read and follow the instructions. Build the airplane as carefully as you can. Trim the airplane for flight, as close to the instructions as you can.
If you are having flight problems ask for help. Try to find someone locally who has indoor free
flight experience, or post your questions here. Good Luck, and let us know how successful you were.
Greg Doe
Smyrna,TN

Thanks A lot Greg it is good to know that i have invested in a solid kit.

[Hamtown009]

We have the new freedom flight models hit Greg. We already rebuilt our plane, and we have improved it by a lot. The motor stick is more stiff now, and the connection between the motor stick and the tail boom is a much stronger connection together. We are going to fly tomorrow. I'll keep you posted. Thanks

[eta150]

I don't actually have a flight trouble, but i figured that this would be the place to ask why my plane under this years rules is going for 40 seconds longer (on average) than my best flight last year?

[jander14indoor]

I don't actually have a flight trouble, but i figured that this would be the place to ask why my plane under this years rules is going for 40 seconds longer (on average) than my best flight last year?

Where do you get 40 seconds longer than last year with the new specs? For same height, I don't expect that much change for same level of trim.

In other words, if you could fly three minutes (nationals winning time, close to limit of capability) in a 'normal' 30 ft high gym I don't see 3:40 with this years specs. If you could fly two minutes last year in the same site, you might get to 3 minutes this year with improved trim, not because of the rules changes.

Now, going from that 30 ft nationals site last year to this years nationals site with its 100 ft ceiling, more time is possible under both the old and the new rules. Guesstimates are around a minute, but little hard data yet.

Side comment, I'm not sure how close last years winning time was to the full capability under the rules, I suspect more time is possible, but its a good chinning point.

Jeff Anderson
Livonia, MI

[eta150]

It was 2:50 in a 22' gym (on my third flight) as compared to last year having a best flight of 2:10 in a 30' gym.

[jander14indoor]

OK, I doubt rule differences caused that. What are the detailed differences in your plane, this year to last. Weight, wing dimensions, tail dimensions, design differences, prop-rubber combinations.

I strongly suspect the difference is not due to rules, but either last years plane was not optimum, or it wasn't well trimmed. Both may have been fixed by what you learned last year. Details as requested above will help sort out what you improved so you can repeat it.

[jcollier]

It was 2:50 in a 22' gym (on my third flight) as compared to last year having a best flight of 2:10 in a 30' gym.

Good time!

As far as the difference between last year and this, the only real rules difference is the larger horizontal stabilizer. It's just a guess but I would think that might be worth 15-20 sec. at most. If your wing last year was not as big as it could be, that might explain some of the difference. The rest is likely better trim, or a better prop/rubber combo.

[Hamtown009]

When we fly our plane, it tends to climb, but not fly consistently at a height of 6-8 feet. It flies for about 10 sec when it is 1 foot above the ground. Why is it consistent at a low elevation and not a higher one? (dimensions are ----- tail boom and motor stick: combined is 60 cm, wing: 37.5 cm, Horizontal Stabilizer: 18.5 cm prop is 20 cm in diameter)

[calgoddard]

I am not sure I understand your question, but maybe this answer will help. When a Wright Stuff plane is flying very near to the ground, if there is still sufficient torque in the rubber motor, the plane my experience ground effect. This is a phenomenon that provides extra lift, so the plane drammatically slows its rate of descent and may fly for a third or a half of a circle only a few inches above the ground.

During the cold war, the Soviets built a number of ground effect vehicles that used a stubby wing configuration very close to the surface of the water to lift massive loads. Enter "Caspian Sea Monster" into the Youtube search window if you want to see some fantastic videos of the largest of these Soviet vehicles in flight.