Big Fun with the Tiny Trainer 4 Channel Conversion

I'm a pretty advanced modeler I guess.  I've been building and flying for a long time.  I've built and flown some great designs and I've even built a few that wouldn't fly at all. What I am trying to say is.... I've been around the block a few times and I think I have a pretty good feel for the good the bad and the mediocre.  I wanted to take the time to write an article about the Tiny Trainer (4 channel) because it has impressed me in so many ways as a really fun airplane.   This article is intended to be a companion article to my first article about the 3 channel version of the very same airplane. You can find that article   here http://flitetest.com/articles/tiny-trainer-a-little-airplane-to-love  or just click on it at the bottom of the page.

Mainly I want to highlight the differences between flying the model in the two different configurations.  I figure a newbe who has sucessfully flown the 3 channel version might have some reservations about the move to the more advanced model.  So I will at lest share my impressions with you. Then I will share a few details about my setup and some simple mods.

So you have sucessfully built and flown the 3 channel version of the Tiny Trainer.  Maybe you have even already built the 4 channel wing but you are just a little nervous about taking it for a flight?  How do you know it you are ready? When you feel really comfortable with the 3 channel and you arn't crashing  (much) anymore then I would say, "You won't have any problems."  

Before you go blasting off into the wild blue I would suggest that you make sure the top of your airplane contrast with the bottom.  Here I have used packing tape.  This is going to make it much easier to stay oriented as this wing is going to move along just a little faster.

 Launch this one just like you did your 3 channel.  You did check your CG again and you set your ailerons as per the plan right?  PLEASE make sure all of your controls move in the correct direction.  If you have done that then your are ready to launch it straight into any wind just like you did your 3 channel.  Use about half throttle.  If you have done everything mostly right, flying this should be pretty easy.  Go easy on the throttle until you get used to it.  Bet you grin the first time you fly a big ol loop with it in this configuration or pitch the nose up slightly and then move your ailerons all the way to the stop quickly for your very first aileron roll.  You are going to love it!

Old salts reading this.  This airplane is for you too. It can fly like a little pattern ship. (kinda) I mean in a Dollar Tree Foam Board kind of way.  You know what I mean.  It is smooth and stable and can take up a lot of sky if you want to fly it that way.   Or.. it does a pretty nice job low and slow.

I think the TT in both version does exactly what Flite Test wanted it to do.   I can see the 3 channel on 2 cells becoming the standard in trainers.  It should be fairly easy step into the 4 channel version after some time getting to know the 3 channel version.  The 4 channel with 3 cells is a little rocket but it isn't extreme either.

So what is my favorite version?  I guess that depends on which one I flew last.  I like em both!  The good news is, I can have both.  I have both versions programmed into by transmitter with different names.  All I have to do is select the wing and select the approiate version on my transmitter and I'm off having fun.

My airplane is mostly stock.  The only real mod is the location of my 9 gram rudder and elevator servos simply mounted to the outside of the fuselage near the tail.  The model does build quite nose heavy with most batteries.  Moving the servos made mine balance right on CG with an 850mah 3 cell.

I should also mention that I took most of the right thrust angle out of the mini power pod.  The TT doesn't need it.  In fact it will make the Tiny Trainer track to the right.

Okay, here is my setup.

Both of my setups are the same.  It looks like this....

6 channel Orange receiver of some version

9 gram cheapo servos in the tail for elevator and rudder

5 gram cheapo servos in the wings for ailerons. (the little ones fit better)

SunnyskSky X2204S 2300KV motor with and APC 6x4e (lots of motors will work. Had this one laying around)

Cheapo 10amp ESC that I had laying around.

Zippy (compact) 850mah 3 cell  25c

So the Tiny Trainer can be a lot of things. It is really up to you and how you choose to configure it.  It can make a really good 3 channel trainer, a good 4 channel trainer or a great little zoom around machine.  It is a model that in some form will probably exist in my hangar for a long long time.