Slo-V RTF Slow Flyer

[aeajr]

ParkZone has introduced a slow flying plane that is similar to the Slow Stick from GWS. Reports are very good.

Slow-V from Parkzone (I haven't flown this but reports are good.)
http://h1071118.hobbyshopnow.com/products/description.asp?prod=PKZ1300
Discussion Thread
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_2074785/anchors_2089493/mpage_1/key_/anchor/tm.htm#2089493

If you are looking for a slow flyer and want something RTF, this might be a good choice.

[CaveMole]

I have one.
Although I enjoyed it, I was never really thrilled with that V-Tail.
I found it squirreley and not very responsive.

[aeajr]

How long have you been flying the Slo-V? Is this your first RC plane?

The on I flew was fairly responsive, though it was not mine. Have you moved the control lines and gone to high rates?

I know you can shift the CG on this plane. Shifting it forward will make it more stable.

[bigedmustafa]

With radio equipment and accessories for "real" 4-channel electric slow flying ARFs being so expensive, that ParkZone Slow-V looks like a real bargain. You can get a whole ready-to-fly package for about the cost of a Futaba flight pack!

Has anyone here actually flown one indoors? I want a slow flying electric for indoor flight to keep my fingers nimble over the winter. I'm just not certain that the Slow-V can really be contained inside of a gymnasium.

[kingsnake93]

I just gor one for x-mas and I cant wait to try it. It looks like soooo much fun. Here is a video of it flying in a gymnasium after about half the video is done. http://www.hobbyzone.com/rc_planes_parkzone_slo-v.htm

[aeajr]

Kingsnake93,

How are you doing wiht your Slo-V?

[kingsnake93]

Its been too windy fly to the past days. But I think I will be successful for the first flight with my Slow-V. I also bouth the ariel drop module to go with it.

[kingsnake93]

I went to fly my Slow-V 14 successful flight!!!! WOW it is soooooo slow I cant wait till next time I fly it. Sorry for double posting. Oh yeah a few touch and go's

[kingsnake93]

I just got back from flying my Slow-V no crashes. I was flying it and I noticed it was banking of to the left I set the trim tab fully to the right and it still was backing to the left can anybody help me????

[kingsnake93]

Well, Winter is coming soon which means SNOW. Since it will snow soon (at least I hope so) I put skis on my Slow-V. I cut out mini skis out of card board put then on my Slow-V and then covered it with wax paper.

[Rob_1975au]

Kingsnake

Did you make sure the control surfaces were level with the controls centred?
Also ensure that the wing is on square.


I purchased one of these this week but haven't yet had the chance to fly (too windy, too many people at the park). I flew powered planes a few years ago but wanted to get something I could fly without joining a club. Got a good deal too at $100AUD.

Hopefully first flight this afternoon.

[jimw1956]

I just got a Slo-V yesterday. Took it to a local soccer field with mixed results.
One problem I think I had is that I was concerned about possible unexpected winds so I set the wing to it most rearward position. After a few short flights I changed this a couple of notches forward and it seemed more responsive.

I also had problems with short battery life, but I think I found the solution to this...I had been charging the battery at too high of a rate. I cut the rate back and it seemed to take a better charge.

I also have one thing that I think might be a minor "defect". The pre-applied decails on the tail control surfaces seem to be applied in a manner that makes them restrict movement of the surfaces. In other words, they were applied "flatly" and not pushed down into the hinge creases. I am thinking about carefully slicing them along the hinges with an exacto knife to free up the hinges to move fully. Any comments on this would be appreciated.

I noticed that on some directions of movement, the control linkage actually bends trying to move the control surfaces...I'm new to this, but I don't think that is good.

Anyway, I have yet to get a fully successful flight out of it, but it seems to be a fairly tough little bird, having nosed in a few times with no real damage.

I've also found that hand launching works much better than taking off from the ground unless you have a nice smooth paved runway. Anyway, why waste battery power on the ground :) .

[aeajr]

Great post Jim. You learned a lot from those first few attempts.

A nose heavy plane will be very stable but not very responsive.

For your early charges, yes you will do better using a lower rate. Say .9 amps, then you can build up to the 1.2 amps I think they recommend.

Go ahead and cut the decal. Just don't cut the hinge.

No, a flexing rod is not ideal but as long as you seem to be gettng full surface movement you are ok. See if you can add some kind of reinforcement at the center of the flex. Perhaps you can add a guide tube that you can glue or tape to the fuse.

This additional tips may be useful.

SIX KEYS TO SUCCESS
by Ed Anderson
aeajr on the forums

Whether you have a coach or you are trying to learn to fly on your own, you
will need to be mindful of these six areas if you are going to become a
successful RC pilot. After three years of working with new flyers at our
club,
and coaching flyers on the forums, there are a few things I have seen as the
key areas to stress for new pilots. Some get it right away and some have to
work at it. They are in no particular order because they all have to be
learned to be successful.

WIND
Orientation
Speed
Altitude
Over Control
Preflight Check

1) Wind - The single biggest cause of crashes that I have observed has been
the
insistence upon flying in too much wind. If you are under an instructor's
control or on a buddy box, then follow their advice, but if you are starting
out and tying to learn on your own, regardless of the model, I recommend
dead
calm to 3 MPH for the slow stick and tiger moth type planes. Under 5 MPH
for
all others. That includes gusts. An experienced pilot can handle more.
It
is the pilot, more than the plane, that determines how much wind can be
handled.

The wind was around 10 mph steady with gusts to 12. That was strong enough
that some of the experienced pilots flying three and four channel small
electric planes chose not to launch their electrics. This new flyer
insisted
that he wanted to try his two and three channel parkflyers. Crash, Crash,
Crash - Three planes in pieces. He just would not listen. Sometimes you
just
have to let them crash. There is no other way to get them to understand.

Many parkflyers can be flown in higher winds by AN EXPERIENCED PILOT. I
have flown my Aerobird in 18 mph wind (clocked speed) but it is quite
exciting
trying to land it.

Always keep the plane up wind from you. There is no reason for a new flyer
to
have the plane downwind EVER!


2) Orientation - Knowing the orientation of your plane is a real challenge,
even for experienced pilots. You just have to work at it and some adults
have
a real problem with left and right regardless of which way the plane is
going.
Licensed pilots have a lot of trouble with this one as they are accustomed
to
being in the plane.

Here are two suggestions on how to work on orientation when you are not
flying.

Use a flight simulator on your PC. Pick a slow flying model and fly it a
lot.
Forget the jets and fast planes. Pick a slow one. Focus on left and right
coming at you. Keep the plane in front of you. Don't let it fly over your
head.

FMS is a free flight simulator. It is not the best flight sim, but the
price
is right and it works. There are also other free and commercial simulators.

FMS Flight simulator Home Page
Free download
http://n.ethz.ch/student/mmoeller/fms/index_e.html

Parkflyers for FMS
http://gunnerson.homestead.com/files/fms_models.htm

The links below take you to sites that provide cables that work with FMS.
If
your radio has a trainer port, these cables allow you to use the trainer
port
on your radio to "fly" the
simulator. This is an excellent training approach.

http://www.allthingsrc.com/webshop/
http://www.simblaster.com/
http://www.customelectronics.co.uk/

An alternative is to try an RC car that has proportional steering. You
don't
have to worry about lift, stall and wind. Get something with left and right
steering and speed control. Set up an easy course that goes toward and away
from you with lots of turns. Do it very slowly at first until you can make
the turns easily. Then build speed over time. You'll get it! If it has
sticks rather than a steering wheel even better, but not required. Oh, and
little cars are fun too.


3) Too much speed - Speed it the enemy of the new pilot but if you fly
too
slowly the wings can't generate enough lift, so there is a compromise here.
The key message is that you don't have to fly at full throttle all the time.
Most small electrics fly very nicely at 2/3 throttle and some do quite well
at
1/2. That is a much better training speed than full power. Launch at full
power and climb to a good height, say 100 feet as a minimum, so you have
time
to recover from a mistake. At 100 feet, about double the height of the
trees
where I live, go to half throttle and see how the plane handles. If it
holds
altitude on a straight line, this is a good speed. Now work on slow and
easy
turns, work on left and right, flying toward you and maintaining altitude.
Add a little throttle if the plane can't hold altitude.


4) Not enough altitude - New flyers are often afraid of altitude. They
feel
safer close to the ground. Nothing could be more wrong.

Altitude is your friend. Altitude is your safety margin. It gives you a
chance to fix a mistake. If you are flying low and you make a mistake ....
CRUNCH!

As stated above I consider 100 feet, about double tree height where I live,
as
a good flying height and I usually fly much higher than this. I advise my
new
flyers that fifty feet, is minimum flying height. Below that you better be
lining up for landing.


5) Over control - Most of the time the plane does not need input from you.
Once you get to height, a properly trimmed plane flying in calm air will
maintain its height and direction with no help from you. In fact anything
you
do will interfere with the plane.

When teaching new pilots I often do a demo flight of their plane. I get the
plane to 100 feet, then bring the throttle back to a nice cruising speed. I
get it going straight, with plenty of space in front of it, then take my
hand
off the sticks and hold the radio out to the left with my arms spread wide
to
emphasize that I am doing nothing. I let the plane go wherever it wants to
go, as long as it is holding altitude, staying upwind and has enough room.
If
you are flying a high wing trainer and you can't do this, your plane is out
of
trim.

Even in a mild breeze with some gusts, once you reach flying height, you
should be able to take your hand off the stick. Oh the plane will move
around
and the breeze might push it into a turn, but it should continue to fly with
no help from you.

Along this same line of thinking, don't hold your turns for more than a
couple
of seconds after the plane starts to turn. Understand that the plane turns
by
banking or tilting its wings. If you hold a turn too long you will force
the
plane to deepen this bank and it will eventually lose lift and go into a
spiral dive and crash. Give your inputs slowly and gently and watch the
plane. Start your turn then let off then turn some more and let off. Start
your turns long before you need to and you won't need to make sharp turns.

I just watch these guys hold the turn, hold the turn, hold the turn, crash.
Of course they are flying in 10 mph wind, near the ground, coming toward
themselves at full throttle.

6) Preflight check - Before every flight it is the pilot's responsibility to
confirm that the plane, the controls and the conditions are correct and
acceptable for flight.

Plane - Batteries at proper power
Surfaces properly aligned
No damage or breakage on the plane
Everything secure

Radio - Frequency control has been met before you turn on the radio
A full range check before the first flight of the day
All trims and switches in the proper position for this plane
Battery condition is good
Antenna fully extended
For computer radios - proper model is displayed
All surfaces move in the proper direction

Conditions - No one on the field or in any way at risk from your fight
You are launching into the wind
Wind strength is acceptable ( see wind above )
Sunglasses and a hat to protect your eyes
All other area conditions are acceptable.

Then and only then can you consider yourself, your plane, radio and the
conditions right for flight. Based on your plane, your radio and local
conditions you may need to add or change something here, but this is the
bare
minimum. It only takes a couple of minutes at the beginning of the flying
day and only a few seconds to perform before each flight.

If this all seems like too much to remember, do what professional pilots do,
take along a preflight check list. Before every flight they go down
the check list, perform the tests, in sequence, and confirm that all is
right.
If you want your flying experience to be a positive one, you should do the
same. After a short time, it all becomes automatic and just a natural part
of
a fun and rewarding day.

I hope some of this is useful in learning to fly your plane.

Other resources you may find useful:


Books on RC Planes and RC Flying

http://www.stevensaero.com/shop/product.php?productid=16645&cat=262&page=1

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00071VIGC/sr=8-1/qid=1140260256/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-2556298-8424625?%5Fencoding=UTF8

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006PBE2M/sr=8-8/qid=1140260256/ref=sr_1_8/103-2556298-8424625?%5Fencoding=UTF8

[jimw1956]

Thanks aeajr for the reply and suggestions. I worked on the plane last night, actually I was able to gently peel the decals off, and then reapply them into the creases so they don't restrict movement. I see a lot of difference in the movement of the control surfaces now. I am thinking about sending an email to parkzone about this problem...anybody who gets one of these planes with the decals applied like mine were will not be able to fly it successfully. I probably had less than half of the normal movement, and with the switch set to slow rate, this amounted to almost no control at all. I can't wait to give it another try with a fully charged battery and working controls.

[corduroylion]

i need some advice. i fly my slo v at a park that over looks a small decent onto a large field. this place is for r/c planes and helicopters and its the closest one to my house. i love the area and the people are really nice. im a new pilot and i have learned so much from other pilots there. however when you take off you fly over the "cliff/edge". well my slo v seems to loose altatude as i fly over the edge and has a hard time comming back over the top and gaining altatude because of the wind flowing down the hill. there are also mean currents down there as well. i was recomended to upgrade the engine of the slo v to help it have the power to climb back up. i fly on the B mode and im using the 7 cell battery instead of the 6 cell. now i know the 760 engine is the same as the cub and decathlon but isnt it possible to use an 8 cell as well with the 760? and does it matter weather its a decathlon or slo v thats carring the engine? one more question. if it is possible to upgade to a stronger engine, how do i get around the gear box fitting only the 760? and/or mounting it on the front of the fusalauge?

sorry for all miss spellings. i figure if it can be made out then the heck with it.

peace out
cord

[aeajr]

The simplest advice is gain a lot of altitude right away, before you go over that edge.

I am not sure if the Slo-V ESC can take 8 cells or not. But that is an option.

After that I would suggest you consider a new, more powerful plane.

[corduroylion]

thanks so much for the reply. ill have to check out if it will take an 8 cell. more altatude does sound like the best bet though i guess.
peace out
cord