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- Path: sparky!uunet!portal!cup.portal.com!sbixby
- From: sbixby@cup.portal.com (Steven W Bixby)
- Newsgroups: rec.models.rc
- Subject: Re: A few questions from a beginner.
- Message-ID: <73042@cup.portal.com>
- Date: Wed, 6 Jan 93 16:03:15 PST
- Organization: The Portal System (TM)
- References: <1993Jan6.203502.6862@koko.csustan.edu>
- Lines: 106
-
- I'll bite....:
- >Hi I am new to this hobby. I have a few questions that were not answered
- >by the FAQ.
-
- > 1) When I see a gas plane advertised as 3 channel. Do these
- > include: elevator,rudder&throttle.
-
- Most typically, the trainer planes with 3 channels will be E/R/T
- control.
-
- > 2) If the plane has no aileron control. And very little or
- > no dihedral. Can it still turn?
-
- Airfoil comes into play here. A semi-symetrical wing with little
- dihedral will not turn as easily as a flat-bottom wing with the same
- dihedral. In general, a generous amount of dihedral is needed for rudder
- controlled planes.....
-
- > 3) I have decided on an engine size of .10. How much Nitro
- > should I buy my fuel with?
-
- Go with what the manufacturer recommends. If it's the OS 10FP, which
- is the only .10 I'm aware of these days, about 10 or 15% nitro should
- do the trick. Often, smaller engines like higher nitro content than
- bigger engines.... but not always. It really depends on the design
- of the engine.
-
- > 4) How do these diesel engines get adjusted? You'd have
- > to be VERY steady handed to get near that adjusting "T"
- > with the prop spinning 1" away!!
-
- Most engines are glow, not diesel... Are you confusing the two? If not...
- the compression adjustment screw in the head is a lot farther away from
- the engine than the mixture needle....
-
- I have no diesel experience, sorry.
-
- > 5) Will a diesel engine of a given disp put out more
- > power?
-
- Supposedly a similar or slightly higher amount of power. The diesels
- run at a lower RPM and swing bigger, more efficient props. And use less
- fuel in the process.
-
- > 6) I have seen many ads for radios and have settled on
- > a four channel from airtronics or futaba. What
- > do all the Nbl,nbf and all that stand for. If I
- > buy a radio kit now with 3 servos can I add a 4th later
- > if I put it in a plane with aileron control? WITHOUT
- > buying a new receiver? What is servo reverse? Whats the
- > pros and cons of AM vs FM. Are they disallowed in certain
- > areas? Can the servos be put in a glider?
-
- Good choice. The "NBL", "NBF", etc is just "part number" designations.
- You can always add more servos.
- No new receiver needed.
- Servo reverse is changing the direction of the servo's rotation in respect
- to the control stick's movement, via a switch. Useful for installations
- where the servo's motion would cause the control surface to move in the
- wrong direction for a given best installation.
- AM is cheaper and slightly more prone to interference, in general.
- FM is used in more expensive receivers, less prone to interference.
- (This is based on the fact that AM used to be the basic, and FM was 'deluxe',
- but this is meaningless now. Manufacturers give more attention and effort
- toward making FM systems most reliable and less toward AM. However, AM is
- just fine, for the most part - I have three Futaba 4NBL's, which are AM.
- THey work great!)
- No restrictions on where they are used - if one can be, the other also.
- Servos can be put anywhere they physically fit.
-
-
- > 7) Do ailerons work 180deg out of sync or am I confusing
- > this with flaps.
-
- Ailerons move in opposite directions to induce a rolling movement along
- the direction of flight. ie - one wing goes up, the other down.
- Flaps go in the same direction, usually down, to induce a braking factor,
- by increasing drag and lift at the same time.
-
- > 8) How do those hand held starters work? Do they just
- > interface on the nut/prop or do you have to have a cone
- > there?
-
- Both - the rubber cone in the starter is usually reversible. One side
- fits spinners (cones) and the other side has just one hole that will
- usually provide sufficient grip on the nut/washer/prop to turn the
- engine over. It is much preferred to have a spinner, however - it's just
- simply a lot easier and safer when using starters.
-
- > 9) Is balsa/wood construction the best for someone who contemplates
- > many repairs due to crashes, or is foam/plastic better because
- > its stronger.
-
- It's all debatable. In my opinion, balsa planes are easier to repair,
- and much lighter than foam/plastic bricks. Build to FLY, not to withstand
- crashes. You will avoid crashes more by having a light, well flying plane.
- Utmost of importance, is to find an instructor or a good flyer that can
- help you get started.
-
- > Thats all for now. Thanks. If you want you could reply via
- > email then I will post the q's and a's or mail them
- > to the FAQ man.
-
- I'd rather post... :-)
-
- -swb- (Steve Bixby, sbixby@cup.portal.com)
-