Micro Satellite E-20 Free Flight Airplane Shenanigans!

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[@stanburdick9708]

I could sit here all day and watch you chase those models............ persistance pays off, educational as always, bravo!

[@robohippy]

Back in my days as a hang glider pilot, we went through a whole bunch of Thermic B hand launched balsa gliders. We fine tuned them so they could be hand launched 100 feet or so high. Memory is foggy, but I think we put left rudder, and a little right wing warp up. Hard throw in a right side up spiral, and at the top, it would level out and then circle back down. Lost a bunch to thermals. There was some place up in Washington that made an extruded foam parabolic wing, and a tail with the rudder down rather than up. Could also launch them very high. Both had very low sink rates. You guys in the Pacific North West? I am down in Eugene... Looking at how your plane was flying, I was thinking the wings were a bit too far forward, which would add to the porpoising, even with more weight in the nose. Wing warping is easy with the monocote.

[@MouseSquadron]

The micro satellite looks really good. Trimming that high performance puppy does not look easy to me, well done!

[@PacificAirwave144]

Oh what a pretty little plane! I bought a Ben Buckle 80" Sr. Playboy (very similar) a few years ago and enlarged it to 100". My dad had an original back in the late 40's...I just got to get building it! It'll be electric, with a folding prop when its done. This Winter would've been a great time to work on it...but all your videos and procrastination won :-? Send you pics when its done. Love your channel Josh!

[@joshuawfinn]

Sounds like you have a fun project going. I look forward to seeing it finished!

[@cstatman]

OMG so hilarious--- I was drinking and horked water out my nose and all over my keyboard, I was NOT expecting funny. Hope for the WIN! :) what a beautiful flier, thank you for walking us through the trimming.

[@williamrobinson7435]

Lovely! I always found trimming, especially with smaller planes, a challenge.. Good to get such expert tips! 👍

[@joshuawfinn]

Glad you enjoyed it. They definitely can be tricky!

[@randall4411]

The Josh Finn 1,2,3, beach body workout ? 1- mental preparation build 2- trim and fly plane 3- chase plane for miles It works !

[@joshuawfinn]

Hehe! I like that!

[@petemcquade9740]

This is terrific! Thanks for posting it, Josh and Hope!

[@joshuawfinn]

Thank you! You're welcome!

[@johngillon6969]

I love that you are showing how to tune one of these types of airplanes. I never had much luck with free flight, and i would have perhaps kept at it had i seen your videos or had your help. i think i may give another model airplane kit another try. I must have made four airplanes, and wore them out fixing them, and only got one of mine to fly a beautiful flight, and the next flight it hit the ground with the 049 engine running and there went the compression. thanks i think i'll find another kit and give it a try.

[@joshuawfinn]

There's a real trick to trimming hot freeflight models. Don Deloach wrote an article on the trimming theory for them about 20 years ago. It helps as a foundation to seeing what I'm doing on some of these vids. If course electric is much easier since you can concentrate on trimming without concern for tuning the engine. www.theaerosmith.com/about_1.html

[@sablatnic8030]

Looking good, both the model and the flying! No, they don't trim themselves, not even in a simulator, as I found out when trimming a Hangar Rat in my x-plane sim. I got it in the end too, nice right - right pattern. (One Knight in Boston flies nicely too in sim).

[@BAILEYWOODWORKS]

Very cool video! I am new to free flight... any flight and model airplanes. I love the descriptive video and all of the adjustments. Thank you for showing all of that! I am undertaking a Satellite 1000 build for my KZbin channel and this was excellent information!

[@joshuawfinn]

Sat 1000 is a big undertaking! What engine are you planning?

[@BAILEYWOODWORKS]

@@joshuawfinn not sure. I don't know enough about anything yet. I think the original engine in the BOM is not available. I am going to start with 1/2 scale first and just build the structure. Hopefully learn more about the whole process.

[@joshuawfinn]

@@BAILEYWOODWORKS you may want to try a Satellite 320 GLH to get started. That's a little larger than half size and a proven reliable platform on the TD 049. It'll fly well without being stupid fast and I did a trimming video on it.

[@BAILEYWOODWORKS]

@@joshuawfinn sounds like a good idea! I am considering purchasing the satellite from your website. The little one. To learn and also for content.

[@joshuawfinn]

@@BAILEYWOODWORKS you might also consider the 320 kit from BMJR Models. I've flown one that was built from that kit and it was a heck of a sweet flier. There's video of it on this channel from about 6 months ago. That airplane will break you in fairly easily. I do highly recommend a radio dethermalizer, great for saving the plane from dumb mistakes. ;)

[@jimbo2629]

I suggest a more stepwise approach to trimming. Once you get to reasonable height on lower power. Adjust the glide with rudder and elevator, usually right circle. Then Slowly increase power and control the climb with sidethrust and downthrust. Normal requirement is very slight left thrust. When close to perfect make small adjustments as required. Right tail tilt is normal.

[@joshuawfinn]

The problem with trimming at partial power is that you have to retrim the airplane almost from square one every time you bump the power up. I had a reminder of this following an engine change on a Thunderbird 1100 a while back. Changing from a ST 60 to an OS 61VR which are of almost identical weight caused a total retrim due to the 30% increase in power. Incidence, CG, rudder, wash, all had to be done over. 1 second motor runs, then 1.5, 2, and so on with quick DT, all at maximum power has proven a much safer strategy. The problem in my trimming of the Micro Satellite was my improper understanding of the effect of wing skew. Dan Berry gave me a detailed explanation of this on a couple of occasions as I wrestled with the bizarre nature of wing skew for correcting the glide transition and stall recovery. Now that I've spent about a year and a half working with the effects of that adjustment tool, my power models fly much better.

[@douglasslayback3441]

Another very interesting trimming experience…cute aircraft too 😃

[@jamesmcdaniel2132]

Looks to be very light. If i build it should be easier to trim with some extra weight due to my skill level. I remember those in the 80's FF contests, I flew sport rubber.

[@joshuawfinn]

For its wing area it's a little porky. I find heavier loadings harder to fly to be honest.

[@timothyvanderschultzen9640]

Thank you, very informative.

[@marc_frank]

do you prefer tissue or film for covering?

[@joshuawfinn]

Plastic all the way. This stuff in particular is self adhesive, but also it's waterproof by definition, and it doesn't rot like tissue does either.

[@marc_frank]

@@joshuawfinn have you felt any weight penalty by going for the more durable material? to me it seems to be easier to prevent warping with tissue

[@joshuawfinn]

@@marc_frank minimal weight penalty. Tissue warps change everytime the humidity changes. Plastic you set the warps and they stay until you want them changed.

Very nice model!

[@e-rj8984]

Beautiful Classic Eliptic Wings and Tail Design 👍 Flies well too 😊🌷

[@flymachine]

I’ve been obsessed with aeronautics and model aeronautics from before I could walk but today I am 100% ok not understanding what this rivalry is all about

[@jamesberwick2210]

Buy smaller tree magnets, so they'll find smaller trees to land in.

[@joshuawfinn]

Unfortunately that just makes them wander more!

[@jesseshepherd10]

Right rudder

[@ratride1]

I like you with your hat on backwards.

[@joshuawfinn]

That's how I wear in when chasing planes on a dirt bike. ;)

[@hvanleeuwen4825]

I like your planes they are always lovey and very wel built, even your story about the flight and landing are very good . But from the flight high in the sky I can not anything, with the trees I the background I can see the plane the landings are very good .

[@byronbailey9229]

CG too far aft

[@jeffsligh9818]

I got to quit watching your videos... First it was the GR-6, HAD to have it, then the P-30's, and now you are trying to get me to run E20 class... Shame on you Josh! LOL!