Update: HobbyKing T-45 Goshawk R/C initial flight test results
Monday we went out for our first flight test on the Hobbyking T-45 Goshawk.
I have several notes.
1. Verify that the Battery compartment is glued in securely. We found that it was not in pre-flight checks. We pulled it out, scraped off the glue, and epoxied it back in permanently.
2. The stock configuration Ailerons and Elevator do not have sufficient throw for acceptable flight. We used an Xacto knife to slot out a portion of the hinges and this helped significantly.
3. My choice of hole for the elevator servo arm position was wrong. You need maximum control of the elevator for this aircraft, so use the very last hole. I also had to cut a small amount (<5mm) of foam for clearance for the aileron and elevator control rods to keep them from rubbing.
4. The plastic Y-shaped tail linkage can come apart in flight, resulting in loss of elevator control. Preempt this by gluing the metal control linkages into the white plastic clip.
5. Flight time is ~4 minutes with the recommended 2200mA battery.
6. The plane is FAST. :)
The good news is that we were able to successfully land and recover the undamaged aircraft, even with the crippled elevator. That's fantastic. The bad news is our charger isn't working properly and we're waiting on a new Li-Po charger before our next flight. I'll post again when we get it back in the air.
One last bit. I seemed to have annoyed at least one person over at Hobbyking with my comments. I'm sorry for that. My goal with this series is to give an honest description of the product, warts and all. Also I want to help you skip the trial-and-error of setting up this plane. If I've failed in either those objectives, I apologize.
Thanks.
I have several notes.
1. Verify that the Battery compartment is glued in securely. We found that it was not in pre-flight checks. We pulled it out, scraped off the glue, and epoxied it back in permanently.
2. The stock configuration Ailerons and Elevator do not have sufficient throw for acceptable flight. We used an Xacto knife to slot out a portion of the hinges and this helped significantly.
3. My choice of hole for the elevator servo arm position was wrong. You need maximum control of the elevator for this aircraft, so use the very last hole. I also had to cut a small amount (<5mm) of foam for clearance for the aileron and elevator control rods to keep them from rubbing.
4. The plastic Y-shaped tail linkage can come apart in flight, resulting in loss of elevator control. Preempt this by gluing the metal control linkages into the white plastic clip.
5. Flight time is ~4 minutes with the recommended 2200mA battery.
6. The plane is FAST. :)
The good news is that we were able to successfully land and recover the undamaged aircraft, even with the crippled elevator. That's fantastic. The bad news is our charger isn't working properly and we're waiting on a new Li-Po charger before our next flight. I'll post again when we get it back in the air.
One last bit. I seemed to have annoyed at least one person over at Hobbyking with my comments. I'm sorry for that. My goal with this series is to give an honest description of the product, warts and all. Also I want to help you skip the trial-and-error of setting up this plane. If I've failed in either those objectives, I apologize.
Thanks.
Comments