Micro GL #2 - Missouri Model done

[JohnT]

Just finished covering, setting up electronics and balancing for my second Micro GL - thanks Aloft Hobbies. #1 was built with a two-part wing using Carbon Fiber tubes and dowels so it could be transported in a carry-on bag to SoCal, where it now lives. This one was a straight build, with a one piece wing. All other construction is the same.



Gave it a toss in the backyard yesterday and it looks to be a nice flyer. Came in at 61Gm AUW, with the tow hook. Can't wait to put it on my micro bungee and see how it does. I'm pretty limited in slope availability in the midwest, as and slopes tend to be airplane magnet (tree) covered.

Have the directions been updated?
Wing Construction is very detailed, yet stops at Step 16, joining outer panels. Never gets to any instruction on joining Left and Right panels. Just a mention early on that, "There are joined together later to get the proper dihedral and polyhedral angles."
Tail Construction stated, "There only construction is bonding the dorsal to the fin". Never really any guidance on joining the elevator and rudder to the fuselage.
Another Bungee hook option would be a formed piece of paper clip taped on the bottom:



Having some balsa building experience, I just powered through. Somebody new to the hobby might have some completion issues. <grin>

Cheers!

John

 

[Hank GB Z]

Hi John

That looks really good. Did you use a regular spectrum brick? If not what radio gear did you use?

Thanks,

Hank

 

[JohnT]

Thanks Hank. On this one, I used a MXL-RX62H-D+ DSMX DSM2 SPEKTRUM 5 Ch Micro Receiver 5A 1S Brushed ESC Crossover-Rx sold by buzzleproducts. Looks like the model they are selling now has +Telemetry. It was installed in the fuse under the wing, all the way forward. That puts just the battery in the nose and I had to add 1/2oz of weight to make C.G.


Brick is hot glued in place, which caused another problem. The gear that runs the servo 'hangs' down quite a bit on the front of the board and it got into the hot glue, freezing it up. Poor planning on my part! Had to pull it out, clean up the glue and be careful about glue application. The velcro behind the Brick was optimistically for ballast, which is unlikely to fit in there.

Minor oops on my part and I had to cross the streams.

Mounting the Rx with the power wire forward and the antenna back, put the servos on the opposite sides of where I originally planned. I had already run the pushrods and put the Z-bends in them and was not wanting to refish them through the slots!

On my first build, with a two-part wing (They Said It Couldn't Be Done!) I used a micro receiver and separate micro servos. Had to get creative with the servos, laying them on their sides, one with the arm to the left and one to the right.


Buzzard Models Micro Rx
CM410X DSM2 Compatible 4CH 2.4GHz micro receiver (2.1Gm)

Servos from Buzzle Products (which is apparently also Buzzard Models?)
BM5330 1.9g Ultra Micro Nano Digital Servo Molex 1.25mm pitch Micro RC 5330 (1.9-2.1Gm/each)

Battery from Aloft Hobbies
Gens Ace 1S 200mAh 45C Molex 1.25 (4Gm each)

Both gliders came out with an AUW within 1Gm of each other. 60Gms for the first one and 61Gms for the second one.

John

 

[Hank GB Z]

Hi John,

Thanks for the details on your builds. I built a micro GL stock back in 2020. I used a spectrum brick I had on hand. I’ll check out buzzel products I had not heard of them before.

Hank

 

[Wayne]

If you fly with FrSky transmitters I managed to talk FrSky into making proper micro receivers. Should start seeing them in a month or three.

 

[JohnT]

A micro-brick for Spektrum radios seems to be hard to find.

The MXL-RX62H on the store webpage comes in Flysky-A2, DSMX/2-d, Futaba-S, Frysky-F1 and Frysky-F2 Flavors, with options for Gyro, Telemetry and 'Compiler' (?).

John