Litestick Performance Report- (was litestick help)

[groo1887]

The wind finally let up this morning and I went out to fly my litestick as soon as I got up. I had made a few changes since the last time I flew it. I added an 8 cell 280mah NiMH battery I got from http://www.balsapr.com/ I also added a 9x7 prop which I received from he same place. The first flight was with a 9V Rayovac. The plane climbed well much like an 8 cell NiCad with a 10X4.7 prop. After a minute I landed and put the 10x4.7 prop on for comparison. The plane would hardly climb. It felt like I had a six cell pack on it. I immediately put the 9x7 prop back on. I attempted a loop and was almost able to get the plane inverted when it wimped out and stalled. The next flight was with the 8 cell 280 mAH NiMH. WOW the plane flew like a rocket! It had endless climbing power. I couldn't get the smile off my face; this was what flying was supposed to be like. I took it up high and tried a few loops but the plane would stall right before it was inverted. I think it was due to the extra weight. I was determined to get the plane to loop. I climbed higher and began to dive perpendicular to the ground for almost 200 feet. The plane was diving so fast I was sure it was going to loop all the way. I yanked the stick up and at about the 30 degree mark SNAP! The wing mount broke and my litestick became a spear! The damage was a broken prop, gearbox, rudder (broke at the hinge), and all of the electronics separated from the stick. I am determined to get a litestick to loop. I am ordering a new stick and prop today and will keep you posted.

-Amir

[Cook]

I'm not a professor of aerodynamics, but I have a few cents to put in:

1.) The elevator may not have enough authority. How about cutting some area off the bottom of the rudder so that the elevator has full deflection? (Mine doesn't, I don't know about yours.) There is not much movement allowed if built stock. I would warn against (instead of trimming the rudder) separating the elevator into two portions, as on a CAP 232, Extra 300, or Edge 540. This would put considerable stress in various locations, depending how you rig it.

This would decrease rudder area, so you might consider adding some elsewhere (tail end or top).

2.) You seem to have enough power on your bird. Maybe that ain't the problem. I know some people have been looping, but without the exact right setup (I don't know what they're using) I think the under-cambered airfoil on the Lite Stik isn't up to the task.

3.) My Lite Stik is running on only six cells, and seems to be very similiar to your description of the stall right before inverted in the loop. So I think it isn't the battery. However, my climb is nowhere near yours.

[pease1]

If you want to loop it (it ain't made to loop BTW) you should reinforce the entire leading edge of the wing with CF rod. Also it helps to chop the outter most 'bay' off each wing.

[Blackhawk]

I use a kingpost with rigging to the upper and lower part of the post to keep the wings from snapping the spar at the wing mount. It really helps.

Pat

[jimwalker]

If you are going to all that trouble, you ought to make the V-tail wingeron version. I watched the video of that Lite-Stik flying and it looked fully aerobatic.

[jimwalker]

Did yours have the wingeron set-up too?

[pease1]

No just a V-tail

Al's Litestik Page (http://pease1.sr.unh.edu/aew/rc/litestik/)

[pease1]

I built a V-tail and it is a little more nimble that a stock version, but I wouldn't call it 'fully aerobatic' by a long shot.

[gjohnson]

Dead calm this evening. On my second battery pack, I broke three of the four bamboo wing mount sticks. I checked in my workshop and had a carbon fiber rod the right diameter. I think that may solve the problem.
--Gordon

[Blackhawk]

Seriously guys, get a popsickle stick or some pine that size and glue it to the fuselage stick and wrap with thread and make a king post--a couple of inches above and below the wing and then rig with monofilament and you can loop the little basta22d all you want. It takes maybe 20 minutes and is not really any trouble. Then you can use the bamboo struts forever.

Pat Daily

[Blackhawk]

Seriously guys, get a popsickle stick or some pine that size and glue it to the fuselage stick and wrap with thread and make a king post--a couple of inches above and below the wing and then rig with monofilament and you can loop the little basta22d all you want. It takes maybe 20 minutes and is not really any trouble. Then you can use the bamboo struts forever.

Pat Daily

[gjohnson]

Pat,
You anticipated my next question. Unfortunately my bamboo sticks are toast. I've got the carbon fiber replacement sticks glued on (using CF because I have it already). I was planning to post and ask you a couple of questions about your rigging. Do you use one or two lines going to the top and bottom for each side (e.g., 4 lines for each side of the wing)? Do you hook the lines on near the leading edge, or more toward the peak of the airfoil? And, did you still pull additional dihedral into the wing by making the rigging extra tight on the top? Do you have any recommendations for rigging line (brands and where to get it, like Walmart). I'm not a fisherman and I haven't done any rigging on a plane yet. Do you have a picture you could post?

I think your approach results in a flex-free wing with the extra dihedral. I'm planning on loops, so between your rigging techniques and the CF rod, I should be golden.

--Gordon

[groo1887]

Pat,

I too would like to see a picture of your set up. I built my own wing mounts with some small piping but am still afraid that the chop sticks will break.

-Amir

[gjohnson]

I'll post a picture when mine is rigged and done. In the meantime, I discovered that crashing with carbon fiber rods instead of bamboo sticks results in shearing off the rods where they come out of the plastic mount on the fuselage. I've gone back to bamboo (bought a package of about 40 keebab skewers for $2). I don't think bamboo shears as easily.
--Gordon