mikeweber3

If you have read any of my previous threads you will see I recently converted an old TMS to electric. It flys great, the rudder and ailerons trim out to center, but on taxi it turns sharp right and even with full left rudder I can't go straight.

Any suggestions or questions?

Thanks

Mike

JetPlaneFlyer

Check that the right hand wheel turns freely and all wheels are pointing straight.

fhhuber

Wheel alignment and freely turning wheels.

And apply throttle more slowly.

Rodneh

Telemasters could be built as either trike gear or tail draggers, which is yours?

solentlife

Usually a sticky wheel ....

I get it quite often from the grass areas I fly. Grass gets caught in the gap between wheel and
leg, result : ground loop !

Nigel

JetPlaneFlyer

Good point, i thought they were all tail draggers.

If it's a trike, and if it's got a steerable front wheel, then double check that the wheel turn left when the rudder turns left

mikeweber3

Thanks guys. It is a tail dragger. I'll check wheels

Rodneh

For tail draggers, make sure that you have a bit of toe-in on the wheels. Any toe-out will almost guarantee a bad taxi experience.

solentlife

Given my usual landings - toe in or out doesn't last more than one take-off !!

Nigel

Tepid Pilot

The late Bill Skipper, full-scale air show pilot, RC enthusiast, and RC Report magazine columnist strongly advocated toe-out on conventional gear planes.

I have had toe out on my taildraggers since about the mid-nineties and have no problem taxiing.

A flyin' buddy had a Great Planes .20 size J-3 cub that was a ground looping fool until I bent in a smidge of toe-out. Toe-in usually works too, but on that airplane the toe-out cured the ground looping tendency.

TP

solentlife

My models have whatever the design dictates ... To be honest to try and keep Toe In or Out with landings, rough fields, etc. is pretty impossible.

Nigel

mikeweber3

I checked and wheels are good. I might have gotten too much right incidence in motor offset. I think I'll try adding two washers to the right side.

Thanks

Mike

fhhuber

Thrust line should be set based on how the airplane flies, not how it taxis.

Be careful playing with the thrust line you can make the aircraft very unpleasant to fly.

JetPlaneFlyer

It would take a shed load of right thrust to make a plane turn right even when applying full left rudder.

On a plane like the Telemaster you should have around 3 degrees of right thrust, give or take. Unless you have MUCH more than that I dont think it could explain your issues as described.

mikeweber3

Another theory I have is that my little 46 oz/in servo is stalling out not able to overcome the tail wheel. I ordered a 130 oz in that fits the same footprint.

I'll let you know.

Thanks
Mike