New Plane . . .

After the crash, I resorted to flying an old trainer. It alas succumbed to many fixes and lost part of its elevator on take off. It circled around and flew into a tree. It was spectacular crash but a pile of trash at the end. I had foresaw this event and had ordered another Great Plaines (GP) Big Stik - 60 sized air plane. That means .60 cubic inch sized engine in the two cycle configuration.

So along with reconstruction of the Ultra Stik I had this humugus box in my way - the new GP Stik. I had finished the fuselage and was doing wing repair. At first the wing looked very superficial damage but as I got into it more, there was more damage. So I elected to build the GP 60 Stik for something decent to fly.

That led to a flurry of buying activity. I purchased a transmitter off RCUniverse (much better and reliable than eBay), it was similar but not exactly the same as my present version of the same transmitter. It is a 8UAP and my other similar one is an 8UAPs - the last in that series. They are eight channel transmitters but more importantly in their heyday, they were the top of the line transmitters. That meant they had many features and included an internal chip that could be programmed. This allows a lot of configuration changes and all kinds of whizz bang things that a cheapo transmitter can not do. In their heyday, they were a $500 machine, I acquired this one for $115.00 that included shipping and buddy cord (buddy cord worth about $10.00 or so). In my mind it was a good deal.

This transmitter also includes a Radio Frequency module in the rear that can be changed from channel to channel or even have one special module that allows all the 72 megahertz channels to be dialed in one at a time. This allows one to use whatever frequency that is open provide one has a matching receiver. It has a extended memory chip called a Compaq. The normal transmitter can store up to 8 different models, the Compaq allows an additional 8 configurations models to be stored.

I removed the channel 31 module that came with the 8UAP, and it is sort of a paper weight on my computer station now, and installed a Spektrum 2.4 Gigahertz module in the slot. This allows me to step up to the latest and greatest Radio Frequency operation. Now I can operate without restraint of worrying about getting on someone else's frequency (or then on mine). There are so many channels at 2.4 Gigahertz it is mathematically impossible to end up on some one else's exact frequency. And the new receivers have tiny little antenna that remain inside the airplane eliminating unsightly long wire 72 Megahertz antennas hanging out the airplane. So for about $300.00 I have stepped up to the latest and greatest operational systems for the new Stik.

The new receiver is strange little device. It is about half the size of a usually Futaba 72 Megahertz receiver. And it has a little slave receiver too. The slave has to be oriented in a different plane, normally 90 degrees off and facing a different direction. So the primary sits on the floor of the model with its antennas facing the sides of the model. The slave is affixed to one side and its antenna are facing the front/aft of the airplane. This assures that the highly directional 2.4 signal to be acquired at all times.

I elected to use Spektrum technology rather than Futaba technology because Futaba has experienced a few problems with theirs. They use a high speed step system the essentially does frequency hopping in the 2.4 Gigahertz range. That is okay but a bit more complex. Futaba also makes a 2.4 Gigahertz module that will retrofit in the 8UAP series transmitters. They loudly say it is illegal to use somebody else's module but that is really hog wash. There is no compromise of FCC regulations, or other manufacturers could not make anything compatible like they are indeed doing.

The new stuff is bit more expensive but coupled with the technology of the 8UAP, makes the set up awesome. There are at least one book written on the 8UAP by the same man that wrote their basic manual. The book is an additional 90 pages on how to program the transmitter.

I installed my Magnum .91 cubic inch four stroke engine in the Big Stik. I named it the "Redstik" in the menu. After doing the assembly, getting to know the Spektrum and programming the model, I took her up Tuesday at the Onion. No more hits from errant signals. The engine did not run to well at first but loosened up and ran better as time went on. It had a lot of after run oil in it and I had liberally added oil up on top on the rocker arms and down the push rod tubes to the cam area. On the second flight it expelled a lot of blackoil and began running a lot better. I am sure next trip out it will hum along without missing.

I converted the Big Stik to "tail dragger" from the typical nose wheel tricycle configuration. That meant I had to add lead to the back end to balance the airplane because of the forward center of gravity. I also customized things a bit by painting the landing gear red and I took the valve cover off the engine and painted it red. I baked the valve cover in the oven for 20 minutes at 250 degrees to harden the paint on the valve cover. I also installed the plastic red spinner on the engine. I don't expect the spinner to last to long.

I also added a surface patch on the bottom of the wing - about 3 square inches of fiber glass reinforcement. The bottom of the wing is in tension during normal flight, so that is a minor weight gain for a lot of improved strength for doing high G maneuvers. The top of the wing is in compression during normal flight so does not need any additional strength. Of course, when one is up side down, then things reverse but one does normal flight 90% of the time.

I set it up with two servos in the wings, one for left side and one for the right side ailerons. And I selected "flaperons" configuration. This allows me to dial in flaps for landing. I have not as yet set flaps up but using two channels for normal flight. I visually trimmed up the airplane it flew perfectly. I may never set up the flaps, it is only a marginal improvement for landing when there is no wind at all.

The throttle is a little off and I will adjust that for the next series flights. Not a big deal to fix and fine tune with "end point adjustment" or as Futaba calls it "ATV."

Any rate I will continue to work on the Ultra Stik wing and get her going again.

Mean time keep'em flying.