Aerbird CHALLENGER with T-Tail Mod!?!

[EDGE]

After Getting turned onto the T-Hawk and Predator through some testimonials and vids, I was wondering if anyone had ever tryed adding a conventional T-Tail mod. to their Aerobird Challenger?? :rolleyes:

This would make it even more aerobatic and athorituve as well as drasticly improve the motor-off controle and athority sence unless your in a nice dive to keep the airspeed up, even in pro-mode with the 'X' tail it still laggs greatly in controle response and athority becasue of the V-Tail aerodymanics.


I know you'd have to add push rods, but that would also improve controle because of the strechy fishing line and rubber band pull-pull system of the stock Challenger! ;)

I'd LOVE to try this with my ol' Challenger! :D

Has anyone tried this!?
And if so, a discription and/or pics would be GREAT! :cool:

[aeajr]

In order to do this you would have to scrap the electronics and replace them with standard electroncis. The Aerobird's controls assume a V tail.

I fly mine as a glider and a slope glider all the time with great success. But everyone has their preferences.

If you want stronger response, try expanding or extending the control surfaces. That would be a lot easier.

The photos illustrate #5 below.

MAKING THE AEROBIRD MORE RESPONSIVE
by Ed Anderson

How you have your Aerobird Challenger or Aerobird Xtreme set-up will determine
how it
behaves. Also, the speed at which you are flying and the position of the
throttle will impact the way the
plane behaves. And finally the wind strength and direction relative to the
plane will either enhanced or resist the turning of the plane. You have to
become aware of all of these things as you fly your Aerobird.

From the factory the Aerobird it is set for very mild behavior because new
pilots tend to over control the plane. You can make the plane more responsive
in several ways.

1) In any mode, if you are flying at reduced throttle and want to make an
aggressive turn, boost the throttle for a moment as you give the rudder input.
The greater flow of air over the tail will make the plane turn faster. A brief
burst is
all it takes.

2) If you have an Aerobird Challenger, start the plane up in pro mode. In
sport when you give a rudder command, one surface moves. In pro mode, two
surfaces move in coordination giving you twice as much surface area to turn
the plane.

The control surfaces on the Aerobird are called ruddervators because they
provide both rudder and elevator controls. By increasing the size of the
ruddervator surface, or the length of the movement, the throw, of the surface
we can make the
plane more responsive.

3) Another way to get more surface movement is to move the control lines
closer to the hole closes to the tail surface. This results in larger surface
movement when you
move the stick. This is called increasing the surface throw. You should do
this and get used to it before you do anything that follows.

4) You can tape something very light but stiff to the control surface to make
it longer. A piece of a business card works well. tape it so that part of
the card extends rearward from the moveable surface. Try it with just a 1/2
inch and see the difference. You can use tape or glue or both. Make sure it
is flat and perfectly aligned with the control surface or it will throw off
your straight flight performance.

5) I taped across the move able part to the outer stationary part of the tail.
Then you cut to the side of the moveable part of the tail and trim away the
excess tape. Leave the tape on the outer stationary part as it is weakened by
having part of it cut away. This makes the control surface wider.

6) You can combine 3 and 4 of course.

7) Lastly, you can drill a new hole in the control horn closer to the surface.
Again, this will give you more throw. However I would caution this one as I
believe it puts some real strain on the servos. I have heard of people burning
out the servos this way.

So, do them one at a time.

The first two are easy and require no modifications to the plane. The third
is outlined in the manual. The next three change the tail. The last one
should only be done if you are willing to risk the electronics. While making
the tail wider and longer also put more stress on the servos, putting a new
hole lower seems to really stress them. Doing 6 and 7 will give you maximum
effect will almost surely burn out the servos.

[EDGE]

Thanks for the Tips, Ed

I did extend them about 2 weeks back by abuot an inch, yet although the performance with power was noticably spunkyer, it was still just as bad with power-off.

The V-tail is naturaly "laggy" adn a tad sluggish from all my expeireances(4-5 V-tail planes) and what all I have read.

I might try my idea for a conventionalt tail after I get these latest progects finished(about 5 going for me at once :p) and see ho wit works out ;)

I could just order the electronis form the T-Hawk and install them in the Challenger! :rolleyes:

Im just trying to improve the controle responce in advers winds as well as power-off flight and trying to gte better aerobatic performance sence a V-tail laggs and doesnt give enough latteral drag while trying to pull up or down to do snaps or T-stalls/hammer heads. Spins are much slower with V's too.

"If your wanting all that conventional tail performance, why not get the T-Hawk or Predator?" :confused:

Why buy a whole new plane when you can make your current one just the same for MUCH less $$?? :rolleyes:

[HottsOne]

See this: www.putfile.com/hottsone

[aeajr]

Edge,

Did you ever change the tail on the Aerobird?