Help needed for dlg build thread

[Paul Gleeson]

Looks good. You should be able to see it!

Hopefully have set up the servos so you get maximum aileron up and flap down. This requires the servos to be offset.

Typically with the servos centred you would be 10mm to 15mm down flap. If that’s not the case, keep the servos centred and move the position  of the servo horns.

 Both the rudder and elevator should be neutral, with the servo horn centred. If it’s a little bit off that’s ok. You can trim that out.

What radio do you have? That will help to go through the setup.

Here is  summary...

With the aileron servos centred (remember they should be down 10mm to 15mm). Use the subtrim on one sevruga to get them level. Then adjust the travel of the servos so you see full aileron up a good amount to flap down. Make sure both throws you get are the same. It’s likely the travels will be a little different up and down. Maybe up to 10%. If it’s more than that you need to check the lengths of the pushrods.

Now you have a change the camber setting to bring the ailerons up to be aligned flush to the wing. If you need a more clicks of subtrim that’s ok.

Use subtrim to get the elevator and rudder centred and adjust the travels as per the instructions  Typically you get quite different travels with the rudder, maybe 20% but that’s ok.

After that carefully check centre of gravity is as per the instructions, 

Then you should be ready to a few over arm holds. Aiming to trim the controls to get a nice flat straight glide. Long grass is the best surface for this.

The launch preset, on a momentary button or switch, is moving the elevator up  about 2mm. You let the switch go just after you launch the model.

Don’t try the throw the model up. You risk breaking a wing tip. Launch the glider flat at the horizon. The extra speed and the launch preset will get it to go up. As the glider slows down and before it stalls push the elevator forward to get the glider level for a nice glide.

Since this is your first DLG, get to the point of you being confident with quite hard overhead launches, the start the spin. Launch flat and build up slowly. We all want our DLG to zoom up to 50+ meter, but it takes time. Technique first, then add power gradually.

Please come the Easter weekend event, you will learn tons of stuff and get lots of tips and encouragement.

See you there!

Paul

 

[Wayne young]

Hi Paul I have the Futaba 18sz. I will have a look at  the manual and try to use your comments, I have centred the Alieron servos so I’m not sure if I will get the correct flap coverage. I will be there at the weekend  

[Paul Gleeson]

I don’t use Futaba radios so I can’t help exactly with the layout of the screens..

If you can change the servos that would really be good. Having flaps helps to land on target and on time. 

 

[Wayne young]

Paul, ailerons I have about 10mm movement and the flaps I have 20mm. When you deploy the flaps do you guys go straight to full flaps? I probably can increase but I don’t won’t to go to far. I just need to sort the up elevator now for the launch and check the c of g. The control throws I don’t have any information on so at the moment I will reduce the rudder to 15mm and the elevator I will try to get 10mm up and down. I will be able to get more up than down. Then I need to find some long grass.

[Paul Gleeson]

This amount of movement is ok for the flaps, more an enough for ailerons  

+/-10mm on the elevator is more than enough. So you might want some expo on that.

When you use the flaps you will need to mix in some down elevator about 40% will be a good starting point. Too much is easier to handle than too little

check your cg and go fly

[Tooks]

Thanks for the responses on this thread, and I can see that I’ve made a couple of errors in my recent 1m Light Hawk build a couple of weeks ago!

How critical is it that the rudder horn is on the opposite side to the throwing peg? My own aircraft seems to launch straight enough, but is this because maybe I’m not launching very hard at the moment?

Is it more important on the 1.5m ships? 

[Paul Gleeson]

Having the horn on the wrong side is critical. It will compromise your launch height as you start to add power.

At some point the spring will not be strong enough to keep the rudder aligned, and the model not launch straight anymore, and be unpredictable.

Yes, it's more important on 1.5m DLGs as the forces are increased.

[MikeDLG]

It’s really not the end of the world.  I have had to switch to throwing leftie and have switched the peg to other wing in one of my NXT’s  and not changed the rudder.  It’s ok. Granted, I’m not throwing with my left as hard as I could with my right, but it works.  I do run fairly stiff springs.  You will likely outgrow that model before it becomes an issue, so get it right on the next one!  Just make sure that the linkage can’t disengage if the rudder does blow back. 

[Tooks]

Thanks both. 

I’ve found the 1m a learning experience in both building and flying, which is partly the point I guess.

On the back of this thread, I’ve just reconfigured my aileron rods so that I get the 10mm down flap at servo centre. It’s helped get me more flaperon braking so looking forward to trying that tomorrow. 

[BigT]

Hi all, I hope you guys don’t mind if I jump into this build thread? I’ve just unpacked a new Hawk light kit and I am looking for info before I start to build so as to avoid those newb cock ups. Hopefully there will be generous amounts of advice forthcoming. First I would comment that I am pleasantly surprised at the quality of the model and equally surprised at how fragile it feels. I was expecting some sort of build instructions in the box, but I am now told that there are none, so first the build questions:

1. How do I install and secure the control surface springs so they don’t pop out? I understand the location and positioning from answers earlier in this thread, but my elevator spring in particular wants to remove itself and the short legs of the spring are actually marking the control surface. 
2. Whats the best way to secure the servos to the supplied G10 plate that I assume is to mount the servos on? Servos are Bluebird  BMS 101. 
3. How is the G10 plate fixed into the model? Glued, bolted, double side tape are all options, but I assume the plate may need to be removed if a servo needs changing? So 3 mm bolts could be the answer. 
4. How far from the trailing edge of the wing should the throwing peg be installed?

So so now a general radio question. I have seen set up instructions on the web that suggest putting flap control on the redundant throttle stick, left stick for me as I fly mode 2. Now, although I can see the logic in that how many pilots actually do,that?  

Thanks in advance, I hope members are still watching this thread. 

T

[Paul Gleeson]

I fly mode 2 as well. Almost every pilot will use the throttle stick for brakes/flaps. Not for small movements to change camber 

securing the spring can be done with *small* drop of CA. 

Given the size of the peg and wing tip you need to have enough material around it to be strong enough. Usually 10mm forward of the hinge line is a place to start. 

Make sure you have a good hard point in the wing. Not all models have them pre-made 

Paul

[BigT]

Hi Paul thank you for the prompt reply. What advice on fixing the servo and tray thingy?

Tim

[Paul Gleeson]

Regarding the servo tray. If you can remove the servos, there is little point in making the tray removable as well.

I don't know the layout of the hawk. Are the 4 servos together in one block on their sides?

This is how they are in my Strike 2, and I ended up with the servos glued/heat shrinked to a "tray" with the "tray" screwed to some balsa block glued in the fuselage.

Use CA (or gorilla glue) to secure the balsa blocks. Epoxy does not bond well to cured epoxy. In any case make sure you roughen the surfaces before you glue them.

Given the size of a 1m glider, being able to remove the servos is a must IMHO. To adjust pushrods, pull strings, even change them for digital ones.

Paul

[BigT]

Hi Paul, that’s the issue, I don’t know how the servos are laid out. I don’t know if they are stacked or in line. 

[Paul Gleeson]

https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?2931408-Hawk-DLG

[BigT]

Hi Paul, thanks, I have studied those pictures in great detail but they are not very good quality and the script assumes a lot of knowledge in DLG that I just dont have.

I  have not started to assemble it yet, apart from bolt the horizontal stab on and push the fin onto the boom.  The more I look at it the less I feel like building it.  Access is just too tight and there is not much help on the web regarding a a to b to c build logs. Despite over 50 years of model building,  I really dont have much of a clue how the servos and controls should be installed  and to be honest I  have only ever seen 2 DLG fly in the flesh, and never handled one for close inspection. 

I think I might just give this idea a miss, take the hit and sell the kit as an un started impulse buy.  Rather than start it, cock it up and ruin it.  Its too nice for me to ruin with construction mistakes.

T

[Paul Gleeson]

Well, I have a Strike 2 or a Go Mini I might be pursued to sell....

What brand of radio do you have?

[BigT]

Futaba 14sg and Taranis x9 d plus. 

[tonym]

This Hawk Mini build thread has some useful photos - https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?2952429-Hawk-1m-DLG-from-HQ-models-_-Nikolay-Gorban/page6

I was lucky enough to be given a Hawk Mini as a surprise gift at the 2018 UK F3K Eurotour, here are a few photos of my build. I re-profiled the tail plane mount and put the horizontal plane where it ought to be - my mount wasn't fitted. My fin didn't slide on to the fuz so I had to split it a little, I then knocked it off in a heavy landing so sewed it back on. I used a piece of fishing feeder leader for the rudder line tube. Torsion spring can be seen, I have some very small aluminium tube that I insert in to the surfaces to give the spring a hard point.

It was a fiddle to build but I wanted to do another immediately I'd finished this one

[tonym]

Servo lugs nipped off, servos wrapped in masking tape and epoxied to the tray that was shaped a little and epoxied in to the fuz. It was a matter of 'dry fitting' the battery in (it's big ), the Rx and then the tray and servos so the battery will just slip out. The Blue Bird servos might be smaller than the SD100s I used, other builders have much tidier installs than I do - and my Hawk is a bit of a porker at around 140g.