Percy the Plane goes flying!
Percy started life as a normal Baby Blender, but he never got to fly due to my slow flight learning curve, lack of a decent power unit, and other projects that were on the go.
When the BB MkII came along I added those mods, dropping the pod alignment and tidying the landing gear. When the motor finally arrived I fitted the new pod only to discover I needed more weight in the nose.
The simplest and neatest way I saw to add weight was to fit it on the the very front where it would have the most effect. I cut two coin-sized holes in a double layer of foamboard and fixed the coin carrier to the nose. I loaded up the holes with coins and glued the cut circles back in place to keep the coins secure.
That's when my son noticed the plane had suddenly got eyes! It wasn't long before those eyes got pupils and then a big grin was added to the fuselage below. Finally Percy's name went on the tail so that there was no doubt about who he was.
This first flight burnt-out the ESC. I hadn't checked the motor clearance to my weight assembly and under power, it rubbed sufficiently to cause an overheat. I've fixed that problem, ready for the next attempt.
The unreal aerobatics were interesting though NOT intentional - hard down elevator had just sorted the problem when the motor failed. I'll adjust the prop angle for some more downthrust, pre-trim the elevator a bit more and go easy on the throttle until I can trim Percy properly in the air. I might dial back some of those throws as well!
Interestingly, my efforts with getting the CG sorted really paid-off when the power failed. That was a very controlled and effortless glide. It was easier to fly without power than with!
Even though this was a very short flight, I am toatally impressed by this design. Percy can't wait to get airborne again!
Cheers,
Alibopo.
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