The New GWS SLOW STICK

[hangingon]

Gary let me know how the Millennium upgrade works if you get it. I was looking at the landing gear I got 3s 1300mah batteries for mine and the weight of the battery caused the front landing gear to spread out just setting on the table. I don't how much it's going to flex on landings. I'm pretty much new to planes and I joined this site around 1yr. ago and the members have been very friendly and helpful to me It's people like them that help keep this hobby going. Like many of us now the LHS are no longer around to get help.

[hayofstacks]

Don't forget to check out radical rc for their lazer cut kits. I have their bipe wing mount. I love it to death, but I have broken several of the pegs that the rubber bands attach to and have had to fabricate replacements. Not too bad, but very time consuming.

Me and my dad are currently making our own battery mounts. After showing a hobby shop owner our setup, he ased us to make some for his store, and they are currently on the shelf. We are planning on making our own similar kits to millenium rc using a rapid prototype machine in the near future.

[road king 97]

Originally Posted by hayofstacks

Don't forget to check out radical rc for their lazer cut kits. I have their bipe wing mount. I love it to death, but I have broken several of the pegs that the rubber bands attach to and have had to fabricate replacements. Not too bad, but very time consuming.

Me and my dad are currently making our own battery mounts. After showing a hobby shop owner our setup, he ased us to make some for his store, and they are currently on the shelf. We are planning on making our own similar kits to millenium rc using a rapid prototype machine in the near future.

Best post i have seen in a while here ,you cant beat building your own stuff when others stuff has failed. I dont own a stick but if i did i would buy one of your mounts. joe

[pizzano]

Hey Gary and hangingon......

Both of these sites have great SS upgrades when you're ready to get unique and more advanced -I noticed Gary was looking at the Millennium on an after market site:

http://www.stevensaero.com/StevensAe...2-p-18450.html

http://www.millenniumrc.com/SlowStickX_XTrainer.html

Particularly the Millennium landing gear and battery mounting aspects.

Here's a simple and flexible battery mount idea:



It's just a foam block, works well for both 2cell and 3cell, adds no weight. Just place the battery against mount and wrap tight with velcro.... it won't vibrate off or slide around and it's easy to adjust the CG since it allows for plenty of for & aft space and prop clearance.



I have used this method on all of the SS I've built to include a Millennium just completed.

Just an idea guys........not meant to be in the running for "the best post" award......lmao.

[road king 97]

Originally Posted by pizzano

Hey Gary and hangingon......

Both of these sites have great SS upgrades when you're ready to get unique and more advanced -I noticed Gary was looking at the Millennium on an after market site:

http://www.stevensaero.com/StevensAe...2-p-18450.html

http://www.millenniumrc.com/SlowStickX_XTrainer.html

Particularly the Millennium landing gear and battery mounting aspects.

Here's a simple and flexible battery mount idea:



It's just a foam block, works well for both 2cell and 3cell, adds no weight. Just place the battery against mount and wrap tight with velcro.... it won't vibrate off or slide around and it's easy to adjust the CG since it allows for plenty of for & aft space and prop clearance.



I have used this method on all of the SS I've built to include a Millennium just completed.

Just an idea guys........not meant to be in the running for "the best post" award......lmao.

LOL iam just happy to see anyone building anything so we dont keep making china rich. joe

[Gary H]

Originally Posted by hangingon

Gary let me know how the Millennium upgrade works if you get it. I was looking at the landing gear I got 3s 1300mah batteries for mine and the weight of the battery caused the front landing gear to spread out just setting on the table. I don't how much it's going to flex on landings. I'm pretty much new to planes and I joined this site around 1yr. ago and the members have been very friendly and helpful to me It's people like them that help keep this hobby going. Like many of us now the LHS are no longer around to get help.

Howdy. I actually used their products before. Built a SS with the built up wings and all. I never got to fly it though. My motorcycle helmet got knocked off the TV and smashed it.

The landing gear was rock solid, but it's heavy. If your looking to keep your SS light, I would just reinforce the landing gear with some fishing line. Also the added weight will add more stress to the stock wings and may cause a possible failure. Ill prolly do mine in two phases. Stock with the brushless set up, and then the full Millennium build up. Or just two planes. That's the beauty of these planes. They are so cheap!

Back in the day I had several Pico Sticks but that was before brushless motors and lipos were popular. Although I have a few other big planes, I have a soft spot for GWS planes. They are cheap, and they are simple.

[Gary H]

Originally Posted by pizzano

Hey Gary and hangingon......

Both of these sites have great SS upgrades when you're ready to get unique and more advanced -I noticed Gary was looking at the Millennium on an after market site:

http://www.stevensaero.com/StevensAe...2-p-18450.html

http://www.millenniumrc.com/SlowStickX_XTrainer.html

Particularly the Millennium landing gear and battery mounting aspects.

Here's a simple and flexible battery mount idea:



It's just a foam block, works well for both 2cell and 3cell, adds no weight. Just place the battery against mount and wrap tight with velcro.... it won't vibrate off or slide around and it's easy to adjust the CG since it allows for plenty of for & aft space and prop clearance.



I have used this method on all of the SS I've built to include a Millennium just completed.

Just an idea guys........not meant to be in the running for "the best post" award......lmao.

I like that idea pizzano. Nice and simple design, thanks. As far as the Stevens Aero kit, that's the one I built before. It's been so long I forgot where I got that kit and your link reminded me. Thanks. Not only that, I built a couple of his Diddle bugs and the laser cutting is excellent. I was so impressed with his products that I e mailed him. It's the little things like great quality, and the free sanding sponges he sent me that made me a fan.

[hangingon]

Quick ? I had two great flights today it seems like I got close to 30mins. flying out of the 3cell 1300mah turnigy battery I just got. Now for the ? my plane tends to fly with the right wing tilted down and I'm flying with some left rudder input to keep it going straight I landed the plane checked that the rudder was trimmed straight and it is. Could this be from the motor thrust. Heres how I ended up mounting my battery it was wider than battery holder tabs were so I flipped the mounts over and mounted the esc on the battery side and used velcro on the esc & receiver side & the battery the added a velcro cable strap to hold the battery good and tight.

[hayofstacks]

Originally Posted by hangingon

Gary let me know how the Millennium upgrade works if you get it. I was looking at the landing gear I got 3s 1300mah batteries for mine and the weight of the battery caused the front landing gear to spread out just setting on the table. I don't how much it's going to flex on landings. I'm pretty much new to planes and I joined this site around 1yr. ago and the members have been very friendly and helpful to me It's people like them that help keep this hobby going. Like many of us now the LHS are no longer around to get help.

Originally Posted by hangingon

Quick ? I had two great flights today it seems like I got close to 30mins. flying out of the 3cell 1300mah turnigy battery I just got. Now for the ? my plane tends to fly with the right wing tilted down and I'm flying with some left rudder input to keep it going straight I landed the plane checked that the rudder was trimmed straight and it is. Could this be from the motor thrust. Heres how I ended up mounting my battery it was wider than battery holder tabs were so I flipped the mounts over and mounted the esc on the battery side and used velcro on the esc & receiver side & the battery the added a velcro cable strap to hold the battery good and tight.

Best way to trim the slow stick, without laughing...

Once you get really good at touch and goes and find the battery you like, just fly it nice and low on a day when there is little to no wind. Or even just a nice and easy taxi with the tail wheel off of the ground. If it pulls right or left at all, slide the main wing over a touch, then do it again. Especially helpful once you damage your wing and its no longer ballanced well.

For cg adjustments, get it way up in the air, throttle off. Put full up elevator into it. Slide stuff around until it lo longer pops the nose up and down. Now you can do a full elevator landing without enough airspeed to spin the prop. You can almost thermal it once you get it right, and is a real thing of beauty to watch a full stall landing.

As far as the battery mount goes, I'll have to find a video of it. Takes a bit to fully realize the benefits, but how does a completely fixed cg and no more velcro sound? It even can be setup to minimize crash damage using only a single rubberband, and will fit almost any 1300-2200 mah 2 or 3 cell. Swap a battery in litterly one second after a bit of practice.

[hangingon]

hayofsticks I don't trust the rubberbands most of the ones that came in the kit for the wings broke. I bought better ones and I put extensions on the plane where the rubberbands hook. I did move the wing 1 time but not too much I did have the plane to where it look like I just parked it in the air on some landings. My cg seems good once I get the right lean out of it it will be great I did pull off a loop today.

[hayofstacks]

Get some #64 rubber bands. I've found them at walmart recently, which I like. I never even used the stock gws rubber bands. They were already deteriorating before I opened the box.

The more you fly your stick, the less you will owrry about using the "right" parts.

[Gary H]

Originally Posted by hangingon

Quick ? I had two great flights today it seems like I got close to 30mins. flying out of the 3cell 1300mah turnigy battery I just got. Now for the ? my plane tends to fly with the right wing tilted down and I'm flying with some left rudder input to keep it going straight I landed the plane checked that the rudder was trimmed straight and it is. Could this be from the motor thrust. Heres how I ended up mounting my battery it was wider than battery holder tabs were so I flipped the mounts over and mounted the esc on the battery side and used velcro on the esc & receiver side & the battery the added a velcro cable strap to hold the battery good and tight.

Your plane might need to be balanced latterly. Use thread or string or something and tie it around the motor shaft as long as are at 0* thrust, if you have right thrust tie it as far forward as you can in the center line. Then you need another thread at the rear of the plane as near to center line as possible. Grab both threads and lift the fully loaded plane. If the plane drops to the right, youll either need to shift some weight to the left, or add some weight to the left wing.

[hangingon]

Gary thats was my plan but I was thinking since the fuse is hollow I would stick a round wood dowel up thru it and lift it up and see if it tilts. hayofstacks thats the ones I bought thick and 7" long. They look like what came in my Mini Titan heli for the battery and I tried them first so thats what I looked for and I got'em from wal-mart tooo!!! I used the blue ones to match the plane.

[Gary H]

Originally Posted by hangingon

Gary thats was my plan but I was thinking since the fuse is hollow I would stick a round wood dowel up thru it and lift it up and see if it tilts. hayofstacks thats the ones I bought thick and 7" long. They look like what came in my Mini Titan heli for the battery and I tried them first so thats what I looked for and I got'em from wal-mart tooo!!! I used the blue ones to match the plane.

That might add friction. I would suggest the method I recommended. I have done it on at least 20 big planes and never had a problem.

[hangingon]

I'm going to do it your way Gary. On my helis I just add layers of tape to balance the blades. Will that work on planes if I find it needs weight added to the wing?

[hayofstacks]

Originally Posted by Gary H

Your plane might need to be balanced latterly. Use thread or string or something and tie it around the motor shaft as long as are at 0* thrust, if you have right thrust tie it as far forward as you can in the center line. Then you need another thread at the rear of the plane as near to center line as possible. Grab both threads and lift the fully loaded plane. If the plane drops to the right, youll either need to shift some weight to the left, or add some weight to the left wing.

I'd just hold the plane by the shaft/motor then balance the end by the bolt on the tail.