Hill Hobbit
Very Strong User
Hey JJ, have you flown your Forza yet? If you have, how’d it go for you?
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Forza 2.5
- Thread starter Wayne
- Start date
JJ Colorado
Very Strong User
Unfortunately no. Fair amount of snow around here and most slope sites are either too snowy, or it has been too cold to fly when winds have been strong enough for a test flight. I did have one day when I test flew my Magnus 60 that may have been a good day to fly the Forza, but didn't bring it that day. Might have to wait until April to get a good test flying window for it.
Hill Hobbit
Very Strong User
8 to 10 mph on your slopes and you’ll be on the moon using camber to gain height.
Honest ‘injun.
Honest ‘injun.
Hill Hobbit
Very Strong User
JJ, maidened it yet?
JJ Colorado
Very Strong User
Nope. Long spring camping vacation. Just back and now it looks like rain for a few days. Should be flown pretty soon.
Doc J
Very Strong User
As the Russians say: "Chuckitoff", JJ. Its a little known word used for model glider maidens.
Or the Germans: "Gebungenoff"
Not many people know that.
Doc.
JJ Colorado
Very Strong User
Well, the Forza has flown.
With sufficient wind, it flies like an owl, fast and silent. Crazy how there is no sound even though it is going at quite a good pace.
Unfortunately I think Aloft may have sent me a Super Sport rather than the standard layup that I ordered. That is great in terms of strength and speed, but at a weight of 2150 grams and a 15oz/sq ft wing loading it does not fly well at 10mph on a modest slope. Once winds got to 15+ it started to move, but it wants winds or costal slopes to move. Should be great for racing, stronger days, or costal slopes. More on it later, just got back from Midwest Slope Challenge where unfortunately we didn't have the right conditions for our unlimited class racing. That would have been a good match for the Forza.
With sufficient wind, it flies like an owl, fast and silent. Crazy how there is no sound even though it is going at quite a good pace.
Unfortunately I think Aloft may have sent me a Super Sport rather than the standard layup that I ordered. That is great in terms of strength and speed, but at a weight of 2150 grams and a 15oz/sq ft wing loading it does not fly well at 10mph on a modest slope. Once winds got to 15+ it started to move, but it wants winds or costal slopes to move. Should be great for racing, stronger days, or costal slopes. More on it later, just got back from Midwest Slope Challenge where unfortunately we didn't have the right conditions for our unlimited class racing. That would have been a good match for the Forza.
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Hill Hobbit
Very Strong User
Good that you’ve now flown it. I actually said that it would be quite happy in 8-10 mph on the big slope in the pic with you holding the model many months ago. Our worst slope is not very high at all, is covered in trees but for the top 100 ft or so, but is steeper than the one in your video. Did you use camber to try to gain some height?
JJ Colorado
Very Strong User
Yes, I tried a little camber and it does quite a lot. Just 2 or 3mm gave the plane quite a boost in lift. This is a shallower slope so even with a reasonable breeze we didn't have enough of a lift band for a race. Of course that made it a good time to do some test flying. Unfortunately my camera battery ran out so there were some passes with 15mph winds that didn't get recorded. At 15 the plane gets on step and moves out well. It is obviously very clean and efficient as it makes no sound at all, just cuts through the air.
On Quarry Mesa it probably will fly ok at 10 or 12 mph, but while landing on top there is great, the front side is all rock so it wasn't worth chancing it. At Wilson, you can land anywhere and as long as you avoid the bushes you are in good shape. Excellent place for test flights.
Doc J
Very Strong User
Hello and greetings from England
I’m the proud owner of a Forza kit and am about to start building her. Really love the colour scheme and the build quality looks good so far.
I may need some assistance along the way….
Here she is:
View attachment 21290
Martin
Just fire away with the questions, Martin - lots of folks here to help you.
Instructions are here: https://www.aeroiccomposites.com/manuals
Cheers,
Doc.
Grover100
User
Hi Doc,
Can you recommend a suitable ball link for the elevator connection, as there isn’t one in the accessories bag? I’m going to fit 2x X08H in the fin.
I ordered these MP Jet ones from Neil, but they dont look correct. I could cut the brass ball down and drill out for the 2mm elevator link rod, I guess but if there’s a ready to go option, that would be better.
Cheers,
Martin
Can you recommend a suitable ball link for the elevator connection, as there isn’t one in the accessories bag? I’m going to fit 2x X08H in the fin.
I ordered these MP Jet ones from Neil, but they dont look correct. I could cut the brass ball down and drill out for the 2mm elevator link rod, I guess but if there’s a ready to go option, that would be better.
Cheers,
Martin
If the rod is 2mm, here is the correct animal:
alofthobbies.com
The MPJ part number is: mpj_2332_B (Neil should have this and be faster shipping for you.)
The linkage he supplied you might be OK for the servo end.
You really do want ball links, and you need a way to capture the ball link on the elevator so it can not slide side to side. I'd love to see a better solution provided in thee kits. This is the only annoying part of the build IMHO. Rest is normal.
MP Jet Ball Link V2 / 5mm ball with 2mm hole / M2.5
MP Jet Ball Link V2 has plastic body with a steel nitrocarburized 5mm ball that has a 2mm hole through the center. The ball allows bind free push rod movement at all angles. Recommended for use where the service life has to be dramatically longer. The steel nitrocarburized ball has far greater...
alofthobbies.com
The linkage he supplied you might be OK for the servo end.
You really do want ball links, and you need a way to capture the ball link on the elevator so it can not slide side to side. I'd love to see a better solution provided in thee kits. This is the only annoying part of the build IMHO. Rest is normal.
Grover100
User
Thanks for the part reference Wayne,
I’ve located a supplier in England, so will order these up - would be good if they were included.
I did read somewhere that its a good idea to solder the brass ball to the 2mm elevator actuation rod to stop it from moving from side to side.
Martin
I’ve located a supplier in England, so will order these up - would be good if they were included.
I did read somewhere that its a good idea to solder the brass ball to the 2mm elevator actuation rod to stop it from moving from side to side.
Martin
Yes, I just have not had great success doing that myself, a skill I need to work on. I have used some heat shrink on either side, then a drip of super glue to help lock the heat shrink into place. I think I may try a little 3D print next time I need to do this. A little plastic spacer on either side that is the correct length to hit the elevators, thus nothing can move side to side..?
Didn't mean to make it sound difficult. It is more of a scrounging for the right hardware sort of a mission.
Full flying elevators are simple in terms of function, and ease of disassembly, but the elevator surfaces that hammond uses is much more effective than a full flying, and should be less drag in a high G turn.
Full flying elevators are simple in terms of function, and ease of disassembly, but the elevator surfaces that hammond uses is much more effective than a full flying, and should be less drag in a high G turn.
Doc J
Very Strong User
Sorry, Martin—this is an omission by us. Yes, the ball should have a well-fitting socket and a 2mm hole. It's actually soldered on to the rod, which I normally leave in the model on disassembly. The ones that Wayne has shown will be great.
Cheers, and my apologies,
Doc
Hill Hobbit
Very Strong User
Hi Martin, I don’t know your sloping history, or your experience etc, but I can assure you that you’ve made a great choice going for a Forza. It is a really, really good model!
Regarding the elevator linkage, and the elevator servo installation, it might seem scary and a bit fiddly, but in reality it’s quite easy and really very simple. If you take a look at the pics of my Forza’s tail on page 4, you’ll realise there’s really not much to it.
I will say that, personally, I would stick with the rudder servo at the nose rather than shoehorned into the back end, but that’s just me…
A few little tips if I may:
1) The 2mm wire rod supplied is best sanded at both ends to have a ‘lead in’ taper/radius to allow easy insertion into the tubes in the elevators. Then, give the rod a really light go over with some really fine paper to polish it up.
2)Trial fit the tailplane halves on the carbon joiner rods (minus the elevator rod) to make sure both panels fit snugly up to the fin. Again, make sure the rods have a nice lead in. I dare say they’ll be the right length, but may need shortening just a bit.
3) Remove the tail panels, then insert the elevator rod into one elevator tube, then reassemble that panel to the fuz. Tape the panel in place.
4) Gently slide the other panel on to the 3 rods. You may well find this panel won’t go on all the way, this will be because the elevator rod might be too long, and the elevator rod tubes have internal end stops. Shorten one end of the rod and re radius the end and refit the panel. The idea is to fit the rod with no side to side slop, then when you solder the brass ball exactly in the middle of the rod the ball joint will be in the middle of the fin.
Don’t over shorten the rod…
I’ve done 4 more models since my Forza (Sept 2020) using exactly the same setup. I bought a 1 metre length of 2mm stainless threaded rod from Nexus models which they kindly cut up into shorter lengths to get them into a Jiffy bag. It takes 90 degree bends perfectly.
Have fun!
Cheers
Jonty (I fly at Malvern btw)
Regarding the elevator linkage, and the elevator servo installation, it might seem scary and a bit fiddly, but in reality it’s quite easy and really very simple. If you take a look at the pics of my Forza’s tail on page 4, you’ll realise there’s really not much to it.
I will say that, personally, I would stick with the rudder servo at the nose rather than shoehorned into the back end, but that’s just me…
A few little tips if I may:
1) The 2mm wire rod supplied is best sanded at both ends to have a ‘lead in’ taper/radius to allow easy insertion into the tubes in the elevators. Then, give the rod a really light go over with some really fine paper to polish it up.
2)Trial fit the tailplane halves on the carbon joiner rods (minus the elevator rod) to make sure both panels fit snugly up to the fin. Again, make sure the rods have a nice lead in. I dare say they’ll be the right length, but may need shortening just a bit.
3) Remove the tail panels, then insert the elevator rod into one elevator tube, then reassemble that panel to the fuz. Tape the panel in place.
4) Gently slide the other panel on to the 3 rods. You may well find this panel won’t go on all the way, this will be because the elevator rod might be too long, and the elevator rod tubes have internal end stops. Shorten one end of the rod and re radius the end and refit the panel. The idea is to fit the rod with no side to side slop, then when you solder the brass ball exactly in the middle of the rod the ball joint will be in the middle of the fin.
Don’t over shorten the rod…
I’ve done 4 more models since my Forza (Sept 2020) using exactly the same setup. I bought a 1 metre length of 2mm stainless threaded rod from Nexus models which they kindly cut up into shorter lengths to get them into a Jiffy bag. It takes 90 degree bends perfectly.
Have fun!
Cheers
Jonty (I fly at Malvern btw)
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