My quest to get the super cub flying continues. I attempted another test flight a few weeks back. The plane barely got 10 feet high with a hand launch when it dove sharply to the right and did a cartwheel. This caused the entire tail to snap off!
After this I realized I needed to go back to the drawing board. I removed the repairs I added a few months back that consisted of large cable ties and dowel rods to secure the battery box. Even without the supports the battery box and landing gear are still secure with CA glue. By looking at other posts on the Internet I determined my electronics problems were probably related to the battery connectors. I snipped off the old connectors and replaced them with new connectors from the electronics store. This seems to have solved the electronics intermittently cutting in and out.
Test Flight:
With the new battery connectors and previous modifications removed, I set out to the park for a test flight. I gave her a solid hand launch and she quickly gained altitude. I was prepared this time for the plane to pull one way or another. Sure enough the plane pulled hard to the right so I countered with left rudder and eventually found that full left rudder barely held the plane straight. A few test flights resulted in the same results. The good news is I was able to keep the plane under control and land safely. After doing some more research I believe the problem is the thrust angle. This super cub is designed with a down and right angle built into the firewall to counter the centrifugal force of the propeller. A few crashes ago I decided to not replace the cracked firewall and just re-glue it. Bad idea! I replaced the firewall and now all I need is some time to give it a test flight!
Sunday, December 2, 2007
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