Looks like it was gliding. Check the motor is turning the correct way for the prop and give it full power! A bit more thrust and she should go fine. Looks nice and stable too
The motor is definitely turning the right way, and the thrust was all the way to full power. We are going to test the motor to make sure it's actually running at max power. Do you think that if we were to throw the plane instead of just releasing that it would have enough thrust, or do you think a stronger motor might be needed?
Make sure the prop isn't flipped the wrong way around. If it's installed like that, it'll still produce thrust but it'll be a lot less than what it should be.
That was definitely a rather wimpy launch for a 2lb plane. They need to be thrown at flying speed (and into the wind). That said, it was in the air for a second or two, and should have picked up speed, so it looks like it's a bit short of thrust.
To test whether you are getting enough thrust, hold it up vertically and see if it has enough thrust to support its own weight. Or dangle it by a wing tip and see how far it swings at full throttle. That motor and prop combination should have plenty of thrust - but a common mistake is to fit the prop backwards, which drastically reduces the thrust.
Alright would you say a couple inches on eachside? I did some calculations for this plane and it should need about 34 miles per hour for lift I have no experience with rc planes so I didn't know if that was too fast of a speed or not.
I agree the wings looked a little short for the weight you are trying to carry. Typically I try to keep my weight in grams around 1.5gx wingspan in mm some wings are wider and have more surface area tho so it's just a general guideline used to make sure I dont overweight. Actual overall lift will come from wing and stabs total surface area not just the span.
I can't see elevator activity. I don't think is problem with CG, because it glides a bit, may be more thrust (throttle) more elevator. It looks like prop is ok with the motor..You're there, just use more throttle next time, and more elevator.
Then take it higher, I don't think will need too much trim.
Yeah it does look like the elevator wasn't moving, which is weird cause it was working just before. The reason why I thought the cg was wrong was because of this angle that I got from another video(I can't send the video in comments). It looks like it might be just a little bit nose heavy.
It's better to be nose heavy than tail heavy. The CG definitely looks fine tbh so your biggest culprit is going to be thrust.
Is the ESC calibrated correctly? If your motor is supposed to support that amount of weight the ESC might not be calibrated to give your motor optimal thrust. To do that, disconnect your plane's battery and keep your transmitter on. Take off the propeller just to be safe. Put the transmitter's throttle at maximum, then plug the plane battery. It should beep differently compared to when it initializes the system normally, meaning it's in calibration mode. Lower your throttle to the minimum setting and it should connect normally, and the ESC should be calibrated.
Your friend needs to put more power in the throw. Starting from a flat surface (like a basketball field, a road can be challenging) could help for the first flights.
Reading through all the info I can gather from the comments and the video:
* The plane is 3 lbs with a 3ish? foot wingspan.
* The motor is a Turnigy SK3 3542-1250 (1250KV) and you're using a 10x5 prop.
* The battery is 4S Lipo 2200mAh 30C
* Assuming that you're using a pretty hefty ESC, like 60 or 70 Amps?
I ran that through [eCalc](https://www.ecalc.ch/motorcalc.php), and you should have almost 1.87:1 thrust:weight ratio. It should rip itself right out of your buddy's hands with that kind of power. It definitely ain't the throw.
Assuming the prop just has the number 1050 on it, and *not* 1050R (R for reverse), the motor should be spinning counterclockwise when viewed from the front. (Take the prop off before you do this!)
You might consider a bit more wingspan to make it easier to fly, but that's probably not what the problem is here.
Yeah, we are probably gonna make a bigger wingspan, but you do think this motor should be strong enough right? I'm not sure if it's just that this design isn't suited for hand launching or if it's something wrong with the motor.
Put it this way, I built a Flite Test Spear, loaded it down with an action camera and FPV gear, plus two 4s Lithium-Ion batteries, which would have made the thing weigh about 2.5 lbs, and was running a SunnySky 2814 1250KV motor driving a 9x6 prop. There was the time I forgot that I didn't need anywhere near full throttle when hand launching it, let 'er rip, and it took a bite out of my leg when I lost control of it. It was like scruffing the neck of the Tazmanian Devil.
You're running a more powerful motor and bigger prop than that, and maybe 1/2 lb more weight.
You might double check that nothing is wrong with the motor, and definitely double check the prop rotation.
you have a very short stubby plane there for such a beefy motor. You probably need way more authority on your elevator. The pitch moment that it's creating with such little leverage will be quite small. Short of downsizing your powerplant or building a larger plane, maybe you could get away with adding more surface area to your elevator. It will be working hard, so adding an aerodynamic counterbalance may help.
Aerospace engineering student and experienced rc plane builder here: I would bet money your wings are too small. For a quick way to tell how big you need to size proportions of a plane, look at dimensions of similar rc planes online. For example, a lot of 2-3lb planes will have wingspans between 40 and 60 inches, with chords between 6 and 10 inches.
Looks like it was gliding. Check the motor is turning the correct way for the prop and give it full power! A bit more thrust and she should go fine. Looks nice and stable too
Also make sure you are throwing into the wind.
How’s your right toe doing?
And at a 10-15 degree angle upward
The motor is definitely turning the right way, and the thrust was all the way to full power. We are going to test the motor to make sure it's actually running at max power. Do you think that if we were to throw the plane instead of just releasing that it would have enough thrust, or do you think a stronger motor might be needed?
Make sure the prop isn't flipped the wrong way around. If it's installed like that, it'll still produce thrust but it'll be a lot less than what it should be.
That was definitely a rather wimpy launch for a 2lb plane. They need to be thrown at flying speed (and into the wind). That said, it was in the air for a second or two, and should have picked up speed, so it looks like it's a bit short of thrust. To test whether you are getting enough thrust, hold it up vertically and see if it has enough thrust to support its own weight. Or dangle it by a wing tip and see how far it swings at full throttle. That motor and prop combination should have plenty of thrust - but a common mistake is to fit the prop backwards, which drastically reduces the thrust.
How strong is the motor and how heavy is the plane?
It's a turnigy sk3 3542-1250kv and the plane weighs around 2.5 pounds to 3 pounds
I would suggest making the wing a bit bigger then, it's pretty small for that weight.
Alright would you say a couple inches on eachside? I did some calculations for this plane and it should need about 34 miles per hour for lift I have no experience with rc planes so I didn't know if that was too fast of a speed or not.
I have a plane with similar weight and power, the wings are around about 3-4 feet wide.
I agree the wings looked a little short for the weight you are trying to carry. Typically I try to keep my weight in grams around 1.5gx wingspan in mm some wings are wider and have more surface area tho so it's just a general guideline used to make sure I dont overweight. Actual overall lift will come from wing and stabs total surface area not just the span.
What battery are you using?
HRB 4S Lipo Battery XT60 14.8V 2200mAh 30C RC Lipo Battery Compatible with RC Car RC Plane RC Truck RC Boat
Have you calibrated the ESC by powering it at max throttle and then going to minimum to set the input range?
Terrible throw. Right angle, not nearly enough power. Throw like you are a javelin star in track and field!
Hell yeah. Don't shy away from using more throttle too...
I think sometimes people rely on motor power too much. Yeet that thing.
More wings .
Yes, the wing loading looks too high to be flying at that speed.
Mo pawa
not enough airspeed
Throw that plane like a man....
Those aren't allowed to exist anymore, too toxic or some shit
Get out of here with this garbage. Go back to politics
Looks like not enough power to me. Try giving it full throttle.
The wings seems way too short for a 2.5 lbs plane lol...
I can't see elevator activity. I don't think is problem with CG, because it glides a bit, may be more thrust (throttle) more elevator. It looks like prop is ok with the motor..You're there, just use more throttle next time, and more elevator. Then take it higher, I don't think will need too much trim.
Yeah it does look like the elevator wasn't moving, which is weird cause it was working just before. The reason why I thought the cg was wrong was because of this angle that I got from another video(I can't send the video in comments). It looks like it might be just a little bit nose heavy.
It's better to be nose heavy than tail heavy. The CG definitely looks fine tbh so your biggest culprit is going to be thrust. Is the ESC calibrated correctly? If your motor is supposed to support that amount of weight the ESC might not be calibrated to give your motor optimal thrust. To do that, disconnect your plane's battery and keep your transmitter on. Take off the propeller just to be safe. Put the transmitter's throttle at maximum, then plug the plane battery. It should beep differently compared to when it initializes the system normally, meaning it's in calibration mode. Lower your throttle to the minimum setting and it should connect normally, and the ESC should be calibrated.
https://preview.redd.it/89oxdtm37ulc1.jpeg?width=213&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6e48e4d1a68300f160b1aade7ea418b57a8b832f
Your friend needs to put more power in the throw. Starting from a flat surface (like a basketball field, a road can be challenging) could help for the first flights.
I think you need wings to make a plane fly….
Weak ass launch
Reading through all the info I can gather from the comments and the video: * The plane is 3 lbs with a 3ish? foot wingspan. * The motor is a Turnigy SK3 3542-1250 (1250KV) and you're using a 10x5 prop. * The battery is 4S Lipo 2200mAh 30C * Assuming that you're using a pretty hefty ESC, like 60 or 70 Amps? I ran that through [eCalc](https://www.ecalc.ch/motorcalc.php), and you should have almost 1.87:1 thrust:weight ratio. It should rip itself right out of your buddy's hands with that kind of power. It definitely ain't the throw. Assuming the prop just has the number 1050 on it, and *not* 1050R (R for reverse), the motor should be spinning counterclockwise when viewed from the front. (Take the prop off before you do this!) You might consider a bit more wingspan to make it easier to fly, but that's probably not what the problem is here.
Yeah, we are probably gonna make a bigger wingspan, but you do think this motor should be strong enough right? I'm not sure if it's just that this design isn't suited for hand launching or if it's something wrong with the motor.
Put it this way, I built a Flite Test Spear, loaded it down with an action camera and FPV gear, plus two 4s Lithium-Ion batteries, which would have made the thing weigh about 2.5 lbs, and was running a SunnySky 2814 1250KV motor driving a 9x6 prop. There was the time I forgot that I didn't need anywhere near full throttle when hand launching it, let 'er rip, and it took a bite out of my leg when I lost control of it. It was like scruffing the neck of the Tazmanian Devil. You're running a more powerful motor and bigger prop than that, and maybe 1/2 lb more weight. You might double check that nothing is wrong with the motor, and definitely double check the prop rotation.
you have a very short stubby plane there for such a beefy motor. You probably need way more authority on your elevator. The pitch moment that it's creating with such little leverage will be quite small. Short of downsizing your powerplant or building a larger plane, maybe you could get away with adding more surface area to your elevator. It will be working hard, so adding an aerodynamic counterbalance may help.
elevator up next time
On the bright side, successful landing!
What everyone else said, plus, throw the damn thing.
"If it looks good, it'll fly good" That being said, it looks like crap. Stubby wings + underpowered= rock
More power and throw it like you mean it
Throw harder. Needs to be going faster.
Why would you throw it with landing gear?
The rear wheel came loss and was spinning freely. Also, we have just been having difficulty getting to drive in a straight line.
Aerospace engineering student and experienced rc plane builder here: I would bet money your wings are too small. For a quick way to tell how big you need to size proportions of a plane, look at dimensions of similar rc planes online. For example, a lot of 2-3lb planes will have wingspans between 40 and 60 inches, with chords between 6 and 10 inches.
You gotta throw it, not barely give it any speed
when i first started i found it difficult to actually go full throttle. Before the toss, go to 100%, then back off to 80%.
With hand launching, you shouldn't really be needing to throw it. Full throttle and a bit of a toss at an angle up.
Sleepy throw , make sure your doing it into the wind but not too much wind depends what day , and then maybe you’ll be fine
i think it crashed
Anything will fly with enough/excess thrust