mu2driver

My Feedback: (15)

I just wanted to ask if any of you Guys flying the Rookie would be so kind to share your setups and any problems you may have encountered along the way...

Pictures of your installs is greatly appreciated...

I have one coming this Friday and will be putting it together real quick, but could use any tips and tricks from the more experianced people that have been there and done that..

Thanks in advanced...

Darcy Wingo

Airforce7

My Feedback: (31)

Darcy,

The Rookie II is my first jet and I've got 55 flights on mine at the moment. I sustained some damage at CA Jets last month because I could't get out of a inverted flat spin. It sustained minor damage and it's ready to fly again. Turns out I really should have had the thrust vectoring enabled before attempting to do any slow hovering upside down similar to the videos you may have seen with the Kangaroos. So I plan on hooking up the thrust vectoring going forward. If you download the CA Jets video there is a short clip of my jet about four minutes in. All my other video I've got is just to large to add here.

I think this jet has a lot of flexibility given you have at least a 10-12 channel radio. I've only got 9 with my 9303 and had to do a lot of radio programing to get it setup right. More channels the better (easier).

Build the speed brake with the living hinge like the manual calls for. I put my rudder linkages through the tailing edge of the fuselage like on the old Rookies. Don't do this, cut out the slot on top of the fuselage. If you bought the Robart 630 struts, get rid of the trunnions and get stronger ones. I broke two before my 10th flight. Also replace the spring in the nose strut, just to strong and can lead to bouncing across the runway.

And lastly, make elevons. I'm using ailerons and elevators on mine and my landing speeds are much faster than they need to be with this jet. Be very careful flying knife edges, the rudders are very sensitive.

Ken

mu2driver

My Feedback: (15)

Ken first off thanks much for your time on this matter...

I got the Landing gear from Comp-Arf, not to sure yet how it will work but I heard it is pretty good.

You suggest cutting the speed brake as per manual, I will do this.

You also mentioned making the ailerons and elev. one piece, will I have better control if I do this?

How much throw do you have on your canard for landing?

Any way you can send me a video to my email? I can accept 20mb file...

Jeremy_D

I have the rookie mk1 and love it. I fly off grass with it all the time and it is agood all round sunday flier. I have elevons set up but I am using a servo for each surface (4 x servos) with match boxes. Make sure you get the airbrake to extend to a full 90deg, and I'm not sure about the new rookie but with mine it is balanced at the rearwood point that is recommended in the manual, this way I can hold the nose up for as long as I want which also helps slow the model down. As for thrust vectoring I am not using it as I only have a pst600r installed in the model so I can't comment how well that works.

CARBUNCLE

It's best/safer to do the spins counter-clockwise (inverted or upright, as viewed from the top), then power up and fly out level.. A little opposite vector pipe yaw (if you have yaw and pitch vectoring) will help stop the spin. The gyroscopic action of the turbine wants the jet to spin clockwise or to the right and is more difficult to get it stopped that direction. You can combine the gear and speedbrake on 1 channel with a y lead and take off and land with airbrake down, but i made mine go only about 70 degrees to help act as a lifting flap on take off, this will save a channel. Mine still lands very slow and takes off fine too. Also having pipe yaw on at take-off is dangerous, it will snap-spin/flip/crash with the use of rudder/yaw before you can think about it.

CARS II

My Feedback: (7)

I'm using the landing gear from com-Arf. The retracts work OK. but the forks are loose and the struts are always moving sideways, one thing I have noticed after 20+ times of landings that the forks are getting loose as they are opening at the fork part, I believe is because the hard landings, so a change of forks is coming very soon, the struts are too, too soft, they will work OK in the beginning but after some hard landings kiss them good bye and the tires are too soft for a 25 to 30 # airplane they will get wrong out fast, ah the brakes are not that powerful.

So, there you have it.

CARBUNCLE

[link]http://www.digitech-turbines.com/shop/enter.html[/link] <best gear on the planet -JET-1A-.. I upgraded the nose gear to the next heavier one, probably not needed tho.

Dave Wilshere

Darcy

With a JetCat P120 C of G is about right with batteries in the cockpit area. I have a 4 cell 2000 JR Rx and TP 4200 Li-po ECU pack in mine mid canopy opening and the C of G is perfect.
Control travel on canard...as much as you can get-But I fly mine with the canard mixed to the thrust vector, so they only work togther. High Alpha stuff without them in is not a good idea. I fly normal circuit stuff without vector/canard.
Travel on elevons I have each pair working together aileron 20mm each way (3/4" and a bit ;-) and elevators 30 each way.(1 1/4")
Expo softening 20 aileron and 10 elevator-It's soft in pitch.

Air brake has almost no trim change, go with as much as you can get (85 degrees)

Its quite slippery so long approach with AB out, don't fly it onto the ground, wait for it to settle on mains, it will "plane" for a good few yards just off the ground and settle nicely-If it bounces, ease it off again with a little back stick and wait for the speed to die-just means it is going too fast.

Knife edge needs good speed and only 1/4" rudder, its pitchy in knife edge if you are not going fast enough.

Enjoy, its a good fun aeroplane

Dave

eggwhisk

I've just picked up a Kangaroo (Rookie 1) myself as a first jet and was after some advice too... saves me starting a thread!

Can anyone let me know if the airbrake is absolutely necessary? Does it really help the model to slow down or will it land slow enough without? The reason I ask is I am not a big fan of cutting holes in fuselages as I usually mess it up!

I am also after some help with the propane tank. I am fitting a P70, and the Jetcat manual clearly states that the propane tank should be as close to vertical as possible, to prevent liquid propane/butane entering the engine on startup. The instructions for the airframe clearly show the tank on it's side though. Can anyone offer any help on this one? Am I right in assuming that if I dont hold the gas bottle inverted when filling the onboard tank, then I won't get any liquid in there, so the onboard tank can lay horizontal? Please correct me if I'm wrong.

One last thing. Again, the P70 manual says that the glow plug should be at the top of the engine +/- a few degrees. The turbine mounts 'upside down' in the airframe. Is this a problem? Can the glow plug be at the bottom?

Sorry for the questions, but I'm new to turbine models.

CARBUNCLE

I have landed mine without the airbrake but it will be a much safer and easier landing jet with it.. Mount the propane can vertical, then there won't be a question about it.. My glow plug is at about 4 o'clock veiwed from the rear and works fine. Also, I agree with Dave on the control settings, mine are very close to his and like his, my canards and pipe switch on and off together- helps conserve channels. If you put a gyro on the vector pipe yaw (2 axis type) it will hover very easily with a big turbine, 30lbs of thrust and up.

erbroens

I have a question too... does anybody tried to fly the rookie (or similar plane) on coupled canards and inner elevons acting as elevators, and outboard elevons acting as aleirons?

Enrique

JohnVH

My Feedback: (38)

Made the leap huh Darcy? Cool man, have fun!

mu2driver

My Feedback: (15)

Made the leap finaly, its been a very long time since I have flown anything other than a 40% GS plane...

John we just got off the lake...man you need to get out here!!!

Dave Wilshere thanks mate! You have some good experiance and I will set up the canard and pipe to work together..

By the way who is making the best 4 way tail pipe? Tam?

Im now rethinking I might need a Merlin and 4 way pipe.... Just gotta hover this thing on the deck...

Plane is do to arive here Friday...

JohnVH

My Feedback: (38)

Yeah buddy, I do need to get out there again.. you have no idea...... Was a blast!

CARBUNCLE

Reread post #2, next to last sentence, doesn't sound like it works very well that way. I've heard that before about rookies, mostly before the canards were added tho.. someone might could make it work great that way but it works great with elevons.. Would there be an advantage that I'm not seeing to that way Enrique?

erbroens

I read it but it is not clear if they where coupled with canards..that´s why I asked, (I still guess that will be enough pitch response on the Rookie, but I am waiting for input) .. the advantage on doing this is that any elevon airplane has some pitch/roll interaction, and while this is almost imperceptible while flying, this problem shows up on landings... For example: While doing the final flare over the runway, one wing drops slightly caused by turbulence. The obvious pilot reaction is to pick up the low wing, but while doing this on the elevons the pitch control is affected, dropping the nose and usually messing up a otherwise good landing. Most pilots correct this without even notice it, but it is extra workload anyway...


Enrique

CARS II

My Feedback: (7)

Hi Enrique

Tam will be doing some of that programing/testing with his New Rafael soon to be released, probably by next month, what he wants is to set the airplane on landing mode to be able to do slow flying in front of him and landings without having to work to much at it.

If this is what you like to know, I will keep you posted.

PS: the Kangaroo is back in action, I will be posting pictures form the field by next Sunday.

erbroens

That would be great Carlos.. a setup for landing, (perhaps activated by the gear switch) to somehow uncouple the elevon interaction, and a full elevon and canard coupling for wild maneuvers... I am very interested on it.. waiting now for your report and pics.


Best regards, Enrique

mu2driver

My Feedback: (15)

Sorry guys my PC has been on the brink for the past two days...

The Rookie showed up yesterday...

Looks nice and bright in person, should have no prob keeping it in sight

GoeKeli

My Feedback: (18)

Sweet man!!!

joe

mu2driver

My Feedback: (15)

Yes Joe Very Sweet..

Im impressed with the whole plane, all the glue joints are done nice, the paint is neer flawless..

Cant wait for my Flash to show up...