RCP Mig 29 v3 videos.

An advert just because I got bored.

 

 

Dialling in the control throws (Elevon + Aileron)

 





 

Regards,

 

Grey.



RCpowers Mig 29 v3



Sorry about the low quality video but I was flying the plane to fly rather than video it and with the amount of zoom needed there was no point in making it a higher resolution.

Not one for the beginners and I'd wager it's also not one for basic radios. At the speeds this is capable of reaching, easily I might add, expos or the ability to tone down or turn off the ailerons is almost a must. Expo doesn't quite cut it on the stock throws (after my first flight I increased elevon throws, decreased aileron throws and added a mix to turn ailerons off altogether).

As soon as I put on the KF2 airfoil the ailerons became VERY responsive at anything over half throttle. Beginners should probably side with the Mig 29 v2 instead. Alternatively a Microjet V3 or 2208 2600kv and a 1600mAh battery with no ailerons is about as complicated as it would be wise to go for this one. This will keep the weight down a little and take some of the responsiveness out of it.

This plane is very responsive and ailerons have the potential to cause issues for beginner builders too. Even slightly out they will give the plane some pretty hefty roll as soon as you hit about 20 mph.

It's a small plane so the stall speed will also be quite high for heavier setups (feels like launching a v1 sized plane on a 3s).

Still, it flies well at half throttle on my setup and will inside loop and roll well (doesn't like an outside loop at 1/2 throttle though). At under 1/2 throttle it does start to want to tail drag though... It's simply happier at higher speeds even though it remains fun and precise at lower speeds too.

The surprise is it still does everything at WOT without complaint though, as below, I have an odd feeling I'm going to snap my elevons sooner or later if I push it that hard when that fast.

Speed guys are going to love this one. It's deceptively quick on even this middle-of-the-road setup so I see bright things in it's future for the megajet/2836/NTM Propdrive 2700kv crowd.

It's also surprisingly precise at just about any speed until you get going fast enough for the ailerons to make it rather twitchy (turn them off and it stays precise on elevon only too). I imagine it's less than the F-18 V3 but it's still good enough to be impressed with.

So what did I think while I was on the sticks?

Well, fast isn't really my thing as many can tell by my previous videos.  I like slower with lots of throw on the elevons so the basic thrust vectoring of these planes bosses them around.  It's why I just don't fly my T-50 Version 1 anymore.  It's a great plane and I loved it while it lasted but it's now only flown really to blow the dust off every once in a while.

Despite this the Mig 29 v3 has captured me.  It still maneuvers well at high speeds which was more than enough to keep a smile on my face.  It's happy just eating up the sky in any serpentine pattern you choose to drive it in.  I don't think I'll ever make any decent videos of it because, simply put, flying this plane in a way that's conducive to video would just feel wrong.  Low and slow just isn't really it's thing with this much power at it's disposal.  Perhaps if I'd built simpler and with a lighter power plane... shoulda, woulda, coulda, didn't.

It's a great plane and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens to the guys who decide to dump in a Megajet or NTM Propdrive 2836.

Regards,

Grey.

Mig 29 - Grey's Winter Project - 2012.

Ok, so I'm opening it up a little early.  There's a new page up top there, "Mig 29 v2 Project".

It's how I've kept myself busy over winter during the terrible weather!

http://greyaero.blogspot.com.au/p/mig-29-v2-project.html

It's not quite finished yet but I'll get there ;).

Mig 29 v2 project.

Recently many will have noticed a bit of a difference in what I've done.  I started making a few "how to" videos where I'd only done flight videos before hand.  They are a bit rought in spots but they achieve what I wanted them to achieve.

I'm not a pro or anything, I'm just a guy.  I'm not looking to start a business either.  I just wanted to complete a project that maybe would help a few people along in their quest for a Scratchbuilt Parkjet.

This is coming to a close and soon a new page will appear about the project.

I hope it turns out worth the effort ;).

"Near enough is good enough".

I see so many new guys in forums worried that their plane isn't "perfect".  So I thought I'd take a little time to say "don't stress"!

There are a few things that need attention to detail up front to be sure.  Your power system needs to be well balanced to prevent you burning anything up, your servos and control rods need to be capable of the job and your hinges for control surfaces need some extra love.  After that?

"A little bit out" isn't going to kill you.  It might change the way your plane behaves in a minor way with some things but on the whole most well-designed scratchbuilt "disposable' foamies will put up with you being on the learning curve.  If your cuts along a join aren't quite straight and it leaves gaps?  Fill the gaps with glue or cover them with tape.  Your throws aren't quite even?  You'll learn to live with it. 

 

I see a lot of people get really fussy about their weight too.  Don't.  A really light and floaty plane is a lot of fun of course but an ounce or two over the listed maximum weight isn't going to stop your plane from flying!  It might suck some of the low-speed performance out of it but it's not going to stop you getting into the air.

While it can be advisable to do things like bevel or round the leading edges of your wings, horiz and vert stabilizers etc it's not mission critical either.

Of course, as with all things, there's limits.  You can't go ridiculously out of whack without creating some major issues but little bits here and there simply aren't going to stop you from flying and having fun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Worried about weight?



Sometimes things just don't turn out "right".  You're too heavy and your vertical performance is poor, something is warped and you need a lot of trim, who knows.

As long as it flies?  Don't scrap it, make use of it!  Next time is soon enough to get it right ;).

What a great time to live in!

I was in my local hobby store the other day picking up a few bits and bobs, readying myself for when I get off my butt and order a new case of foam.  The guy was out the back for a couple of minutes so I looked around the RC section and it hit me really really hard...  We live in a really great time to get into RC planes. 

I remember being younger and dreaming of being able to afford to fly but even a basic trainer was 100's of dollars before you even looked at a radio gear, a motor, servos and whatnot.  Window shopping in hobby stores and parking outside of club fields to watch the fun used to be a couple of my favourite passtimes.  I'm not talking as a child here, this was in my 20's and 30's. 

These are passtimes that I haven't indulged in lately and haven't really thought about either, I'm now flying after all.  It gave me a trip down memory lane though.

"Back in the day" I ended up taking the cheaper option which was getting into RC cars.  It was still 100's of dollars but fewer hundreds.  They were fun days too but of course I was always dreaming of flight while I was zooming around tracks or over obstacles in offroad courses.

Then I looked at the price tags on the cars and had another flashback;  Monty Python.



How great is it that building a foam parkjet, with such high aerobatic performance in comparison to the old "cheap" 3 channel trainers, can be done for about $120?  While I truly think my experience should be envied in many ways, fond memories and wistful dreams just don't have a price tag, there are times that I would have sold a kidney to get here if I knew these days were coming.

You live in a truly great time to get into RC planes, to get your kids into RC planes.  A time when you can take an afternoon or two around a table and build a parkjet, alone or with the yard monkeys, watching it take form out of a flat sheet of 6mm foam.

Revel in the age of technological wonders you live in.  It's kind of awesome ;).