Guillow's Zero RC Maiden Flight

Guillow's Zero RC conversion maiden flight, crash, repair, flight, crash, repair and flight.

[@supergreg72]

OMG watching this was painful. You put so much care during the build, watching it spin out of control made me sad. Such a gorgeous plane!!! Black n white added drama! Flight #3 was good 👍🏻 awesome work

[@punkworkschannel]

Yes maiden flights can be a bit scary. Fortunately she didn't get too damaged and I was able to get that 3rd flight in.

[@nagktmr]

As a Japanese, I am very happy for the safe landing. And your outstanding piloting skills are also excellent!

[@punkworkschannel]

私はいつも零戦はとても美しくエレガントな飛行機だと思っていました。このモデルはノーズに多くの重量を必要としました。私の操縦技術はそれほど優れているわけではありません。優れているのは航空機のデザインです。私のチャンネルに興味をお持ちいただきありがとうございます!

[@funscalemodels9782]

Looks like she did fine after the cg update! Since you covered in film, you might be able to add a little washout at the tips- that might help with the stall/snap 😀

[@punkworkschannel]

Thanks for the "tip" (bad pun).

[@airplanyguy68]

Agreed! I had a little .049 plane that went from being a handful to a complete pussycat with a little washout. Twisted the tip and used the heat gun to remove the wrinkles. 5 minutes of work and what a difference!

[@jgme627]

It's an beautiful balsa plane👍👍👍, I love your efforts to build and fly, crash repair crash repair and fly again!

[@punkworkschannel]

Thanks, aways a bit nerve-wracking on that first flight!

[@jirihamersky6152]

Absolute top. Excellent work.

[@punkworkschannel]

Thanks again!

[@kenrobba5831]

Banzai ! BANZAI !!! That’s a true SAMURAI !!!

[@punkworkschannel]

Thanks for watching!

[@pietroseven8228]

Very adventuring maiden, built and repairs excelent!

[@punkworkschannel]

It was hard to get this model balanced, it need a lot of nose weight. Thanks for watching!

[@M5guitar1]

I did the same with a P51. Two seconds into the flight told me the cg was aft.

[@punkworkschannel]

Ya, had to add a lot of weight in the cowling to make it flyable.

[@tvideo1189]

Gotta give you an A+ for perseverance. :)

[@punkworkschannel]

I was surprised myself when it actually flew on the 3rd attempt. Thanks for watching!

[@diklongley01]

3:30 to 3:38 (played at 0.25 speed) is just like a cut scene from Studio Ghibli's "The Wind Rises". Glad you persevered after the initial crashes 👏

[@punkworkschannel]

Thank You! A rare compliment. "Airplanes are beautiful dreams".

[@mikeschiavoni5973]

Nice zero and video editing. Couple of flying tips.... Always start nose heavy for maidens. Try not to fly non stop full throttle. It may fly better at less throttle with less torque acting on the airframe from the prop. Land before battery craps out.

[@punkworkschannel]

Will do! Thanks for watching!

[@deathstrike]

I think that if you could get a PASS system installed, it might overcome some of the inherent instability issues of the Mitsubishi Type Zero. I have a T-28 Trojan that due to the front wheel being very slightly more weight than the wing wheels, it was causing a decent amount of "nose down" and I was having problems trimming it. I forgot I had a PASS system in the airplane and I just flipped the switch and the gyroscope and GPS started to level the plane. I know I know, if your a seasoned pilot it feels like cheating. But it can really come in handy especially during initial testing and first flights. It's not a full time system, you can turn it off. Now I did finally adjust the CG very slightly back (about 2mm or so) and put a small washer a little more weight than the fwd gear and with PASS it finally stabilized and flew really well. Turned it off to gain all functions and remove the travel limiters on the control surfaces (PASS in beginner limits travel on ailerons/elevators/rudder) so you don't overdo it until you feel more proficient. Wonderful build on that Zero!! I love the classic balsa and monokote airplanes. That is more to me an authentic build!!

[@punkworkschannel]

Thanks for all the info, I'll take that into consideration.

[@slavedriver394]

Looks like it needs some washout in the wingtips - would help a lot with the rather violent wing drop tendencies.

[@punkworkschannel]

Possibly, thanks!

[@airplanyguy68]

I have heard that the CG for the FF models is MUCH further back than for RC. What %MAC did you start at and where did you wind up?

[@RobertCookcx]

Gorgeous plane. That first flight looked tail heavy. Painful to watch.

[@punkworkschannel]

I set the CG initially to what the plans called for but it needed to be far forward of that to finally get it to fly. Thanks for watching!

[@danielburgess7785]

Good bird.

[@punkworkschannel]

Thanks!

[@captainaxle438]

I knew before I watched it it would be tail heavy. The real zero was very lightweight frame and a heavy engine. A model zero requires a lot of nose weight. Excellent flyer when balanced properly

[@punkworkschannel]

Yes, and that's what happened here. I was surprised at how much weight I had to add to the nose, and I think it could use a bit more.

[@windsurfer3329]

Since the wing loading is high the airplane has a high stall speed, which prevents a nice belly landing. Check to make sure CG is at MAC/4 from the leading edge. I also think that the wings may have a counterclockwise pitching moment. Does it have a tendency to nose down when it is cruising (at least that is what I saw before it landed)? If it does then the horizontal stab needs negative incidence. I also second the washout on the wings to get rid of nasty tip stalls before landing. Good luck.

[@punkworkschannel]

Yes I agree, the wing loading did get high due to how much weight I had to add to the nose and it increased the stall speed. I think I brought her in too slow, I'll need to keep the power on for landings. The Zero is such a stubby plane, the tapered leading edge of the wing and the position of the horizontal stabilizer (closer to the front) makes it really maneuverable but maybe harder to control at slower speeds. I do find the design aesthetics of the zero some how very pleasing. Anyway, thanks for the comments, I'm always trying to learn new things here.

[@windsurfer3329]

@@punkworkschannel Try 4-5 degree washout (twisting the wing tips clockwise). But, this requires to take the covering off, and perhaps using some balsa sheeting as you employ the washout. Zero was originally designed to be unstable and highly maneuverable to evade American planes ;-)) That is why it has short tail moment. Designers also relied on the horizontal stab area to offset the counterclockwise nose pitch characteristics of the plane. Anyways, when you are building a new one make sure to keep it light. It is a lovely plane but hard to fly.

[@punkworkschannel]

@@windsurfer3329 If I crash it again and it needs repairs I will try that. Thanks!

[@windsurfer3329]

@@punkworkschannel I hope not :-)) You are a good pilot!

[@billg7205]

Washout isn't the problem, although a bit can help. CG is the critical thing. The problem is when we cringe over the lead necessary to set the CG and try to fly a bit aft. Been there done that. I recently put up a video of my old tank Guillow's Spitfire that I built back in my heavy build days, which lands fine. Relocated the tail servos right behind the firewall, which helped. The Zero was the first 400 series I built with Microlite covering, contest 1/32" fuse sheeting, and the receiver/tail servos/battery all in the bay right behind the cowl, with a small access door on the bottom. Cram everything up front to reduce the weight and set the CG. Lighten the weight and I haven't got a 2.5 gram servo to fail as of yet, as well as 1.9 gram jobs for the ailerons. I've mounted the tail servos in front of the firewall next to the motor when possible also. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jGaqp4OdrLx2ma8 In more recent days the Spitfire was flown much harder than the Zero was back when I flew it, although the Zero is far lighter and could be flown better than the Spitfire: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hmjYqYammZeoms0

[@mosesacerdoti]

Could i know the electronic parts?? Excellent video i loved this flight!!

[@punkworkschannel]

Yes there is a list of electronics in the description of the build video for this plane. You can find that video on the Punk Works home page. I did have to add a lot of weight to the nose of this plane to finally get the CG in the right place, so if you build one try to keep the tail as light as possible. Thanks for your interest!

[@punkworkschannel]

Oh, and I found most of those parts on amazon.

[@retireditguy9493]

Your flight experience is similar to the development of the real zero. Jiro Horikoshi, the chief designer of the real zero, wrote a book on the development of the aircraft. Two prototypes crashed before they got it right.

[@punkworkschannel]

I'd like to read that book. The issue with my model was the CG not far enough forward. I just kept adding weight to the nose thinking it would be too heavy to fly. I still think it could use a bit more. The stubby design and tapered wings makes it tricky to balance.

[@retireditguy9493]

@@punkworkschannel You can probably still find a copy at a reasonable price if you stay away from the big book sellers like Amazon, etc. In 1970 Horikoshi published his book in Japanese and it was titled ”Zerosen”. In the early 1980s it was translated into English and sold in the U.S. as a hard cover book. That is the version I have. It was later reprinted in a soft cover version. I have read it at least a half dozen times over the years and am not tired of reading it yet.

[@punkworkschannel]

@@retireditguy9493 Thanks for the info! That will definitely go on my reading list.

[@retireditguy9493]

@@punkworkschannel I forgot to mention that the English title is “Eagles of Mitsubishi, The Story of the Zero Fighter”

[@punkworkschannel]

@@retireditguy9493 Thanks!

[@rlr50]

It's the Akutan Zero

[@punkworkschannel]

Ya! Interesting story of that plane. Thanks for watching!

[@user-lh6kc6hk2l]

Please calculate the CG before throwing these beautiful models! My heart breaks when they hit the ground!

[@punkworkschannel]

I thought I had it right but this plane needs a lot of weight up front. Thanks for watching!

[@g.graves8939]

What's the wingspan!

[@punkworkschannel]

This is the 27 3/4 inch Guillow's kit. It will need a lot of weight in the nose to get the right CG because there's not much of the airframe in front of the wing.

[@Philc40]

You are a very wiseman but you must put in more time for landing.

[@markfrench8892]

BANZAI!!

[@punkworkschannel]

Thanks!

[@Glicksman1]

Very nice build, but it's not your fault that these small, scale models do not fly well for many good reasons. Best to put it on a shelf and build the next one three or four times larger. That'll fly much better.

[@punkworkschannel]

Yes the margin for error on the CG is very small especially on the Zero as there is not much airframe in front to f the wings. Thanks for watching.

[@Glicksman1]

@@punkworkschannel One way to increase the distance between the CG and the and the net aerodynamic centre -AC, keeping the CG well forward but not too far forward of the AC grants good longitudinal stability while maintaining good (but not excessive) authority for the horizontal stabilizer, is to enlarge the area of the horizontal stabilizer (more span does this best), thus increasing its net lift. This moves the AC rearward for a slight increase of rear CG. As you know, when the CG is too far aft, that is, too close to the AC, longitudinal stability is reduced. In such a condition in a small aircraft model, a small gust might upset the aircraft in either direction causing it to lose pitch equilibrium and become unable to right itself to level flight. Also, when in this condition the horizontal stabilizer becomes very sensitive to even a slight deflection, making pitch control very difficult. CG too far forward increases longitudinal stability, possibly to the point that the horizontal stabilizer has insufficient authority to perform its duty of righting the aircraft towards level when it pitches up or down. Another problem with longitudinal stability arises when decalage is insufficient. When the mean alpha of the wing and of the horizonal stabilizer are the same or very close, the horizontal stabilizer will not be able to automatically correct a change in pitch towards neutral (level) flight. In models as small as your Zero, the slightest, virtually imperceptible misalignment of the wing and stabilizer alpha can be fatal to good flight. The same holds true regarding the position of the CG relative to the AC. Even a quarter of an inch or less either way can make a tremendous difference. This is why smaller models are so difficult to trim are so twitchy in pitch.

[@punkworkschannel]

Some of the small free flight models I've seen fly on youtube are amazing and those guys are wizards at trimming them. Thanks for all the info here!

[@Glicksman1]

@@punkworkschannel Your welcome. Yes, some get the small ones to fly relatively well, either by skill or luck or both. They are the vast exception, but those models still flit around way too fast for me.

[@williamr3840]

How were you going to land it anyway -- it's got no wheels? Or is it... kamikaze! BANZAI ! :0)

[@punkworkschannel]

This bird is a belly lander!

[@ManuandFuci]

what is the overall weight of the plane with batteriy?

[@SteveBull-tg8mi]

Looks like its tail heavy

[@punkworkschannel]

Yes, it took lot of weight upfront to get it to fly.

[@SteveBull-tg8mi]

@@punkworkschannel And finally it did. Wonderful project, nice flight.

[@raphael150]

Kamikaze zero!

[@punkworkschannel]

Ya!

[@hfdennycheng9010]

THE FIRST BATTLE OF THE JAPANESE ZERO FIGHTER WAS OVER 重慶, CHINA, 1940. 15 CHINESE I-15 AND I-16 WERE SHOT DOWN AND NO JAPANESE LOST. THEN A LOT OF JAPANESE BOMBERS DESTROYED THIS CHINESE CITY, 重慶. A LOT OF CHINESE COMMON PEOPLE WERE KILLED

[@punkworkschannel]

This is just a fun hobby, but sometimes it can open doors to the past that you might otherwise not be aware of. Learning about history is all ways a good think as it can help us not make the same mistakes of the past. Thanks for your comment.

[@hfdennycheng9010]

@@punkworkschannel OUR OWN LESSON, WE MUCH HAVE OUR OWN HIGH TECHNOLOGY AND HEAVY INDUSTRY. OUR OWN EDUCATION MUCH MAINLY IN SCIENCE

[@zioeddy3338]

E' tutto sbilanciato!

[@punkworkschannel]

Sì, aveva bisogno di molto più peso davanti!

[@zioeddy3338]

Vero ok ,controlla anche il bilanciamento laterale: se una semiala è più pesante dell' altra , il modello vira in quella direzione! 👍

[@dintexas2095]

DUDE ! You know you have a throttle. 😢

[@punkworkschannel]

I think my bad piloting skills here are amplified by the CG in not quite the right location to start with and a day with too much wind. Thanks for watching!

[@jimsmalleimb7709]

Nice model but way overbuilt. All that sheet cladding adds a lot of weight. Has to fly very fast to stay in the air. In my experience flying electric RC, you need to look at ways to reduce weight during the build in any way possible. If you can save a few grams by using less wood, you do it.

[@punkworkschannel]

Yes, you might be right on this. I did have fun building this model. Thanks for watching and taking the time to write a comment.

[@svenyonson27]

I second this - One thing to remember is how important it is to reduce weight in the tail - a gram saved in the tail is equivalent to something like 3 grams in the nose. So by making the fin/stab a lot lighter and maybe only sheeting to the rear of the canopy, you can eliminate lots of nose weight.

[@JonSauter]

Your maidens are hair raising.

[@punkworkschannel]

Yes, yes they are.

[@frankeichorn8546]

tail heavy as usual

[@punkworkschannel]

Ya, the Zero is stubby and needs a lot of weight up front to get the right CG.