FW-190 Flying Tips Please!

[Jimbo88]

Hi all,

don't know if anyone out there can give me some tips on getting my butcher bird airborne for slightly more than 20 seconds. Every time I launch it it tips to the left which usually results in a nice bit of nose damage. It seems there is nothing I can do to stop this happening. Why always left? It's all trimmed up nicely.

I'm confused.

[rleed]

There are 4 reasons why your aircraft is turning left. 1. Tourqe. As the propeller spins it will exert a force in the opposite direction of rotation. (When viewed from behind) The prop spins clockwise and the tourqe effect is counter-clockwise. An example is when you the chuck on a drill and start it up. The handle wants to go he other way. (Newtons 3rd law I believe). 2. Gyroscopic presection. This is a force applied to any spinning object. As a mass spins it will exhert a force 90 degrees and to the right reference the plane of rotaion. (Example: Hold an axle and spin a bicycle wheel, it will want to twist in your hand). 3. Asymetrical propeller thrust. This is caused by the right side of the propeller (descending blade) having a greater angle of attack (bite of air)than the ascending blade. With the right side producing more thrust this results in a left turning force on the aircraft. This condition is more pronunced when the nose is at a high pitch angle. 4. Spiraling propeller slip stream. As the propeller spins it sets up an airflow pattern around the fuselage that "spins" around and strikes the vertical tail plane on the left side and pushes the tail to the right causing the airplane to yaw left.
All of these forces are most pronounced at high power settings and low foward airspeed. The vertical tail plane counter acts the left turning tendencies but its effect is reduced when airspeed is insufficient such as during a hand launch. The FW-190 requires a very "FIRM' throw to get it up to a flying speed where it can be controlled. Be carefull not to throw it at too steep an angle. 15 to 20 degrees pitch up from the horizon seems to work well for me. Extend you arm all the way out and throw with your shoulder much as if you were throwing a baseball really hard. Give the aircraft a bit of nose up trim and after you launch allow it to build a little speed before climbing to a safe manuvering altitude. I hope this helps, Good Luck!!!:)

[Jimbo88]

:)Thanks Rleed - Possibly the most technically proficient reply ever and all the way from Iowa! I will certainly take on your advise and see how things go.

Someone said to me the FW-190 could do with a little more nose weight to slow and stablise it. Is this advise a load of baloney or is their some truth in it?

Cheers
J

[rleed]

The center of gravity, (C.G.) of the FW is 5 3/4 in. foward from the trailing edge of the wing at the center of the fuselage. If you put your finger tips at the wing tips at this point you can determine if you need to add weight. The aircraft should tip nose foward. Be sure to do this with the battery installed with the plane inverted. There should have been an extra weight that threads onto the existing propeller nut. I have flown mine with and without and it does have a stabilizing effect. However, it will not have a noticable effect on speed.

[Dizzee Rascal]

don't know if anyone out there can give me some tips on getting my butcher bird airborne for slightly more than 20 seconds. Every time I launch it it tips to the left which usually results in a nice bit of nose damage. It seems there is nothing I can do to stop this happening. Why always left? It's all trimmed up nicely.

I'm confused.

Jimbo, are your crashes anything like what happened in this (http://www.squadronleader.co.uk/article/show/34) video?

If so, when you launch, don't launch up so steeply, basically what has happened in this video is the aircraft has stalled (not enough forward airspeed to keep the aircraft flying), try reducing the angle at which you launch it and perhaps launch with a bit more force.

[Jimbo88]

No! I’m happy to say that I haven't been throwing it like the guy in that video. That is possibly the worst launch I've seen. With the exception of the one where my dad ran, tripped and threw my brothers Spit directly at the ground and then stepped on it. :eek:

I think I'm getting the hang of it now. I can get at least one batteries worth of flight without too much damage. Still very twitchy though but great fun.

[Rahal]

Don't throw with just your hand but with your whole body as if you're throwing a javelin. To get max airspeed use max travel of your arm and don't throw too steep, i find that 10 degrees up from horizon works fine for me.. and ofcourse, into the wind.

[ralphp]

The FW190 had issues as a real bird with torq...and if you check photos you will see she had four trim tabs!