The model has been set up on my MC20 with the programming as follows:
Flaps move 50% of ailerons
Ailerons move 70% of flaps (coupled flap elevator)
For crow 45 degree down flap 25 degree up aileron
Brake Elevator compensation 26% down
With the wing finished in glass cloth and the fuselage painted, all-up weight ready to fly is 2lb 13oz
In flight the model feels identical to the standard model. Aileron response is good and the roll rate is
as quick. There must be a small gain here as a similar roll rate is being achieved with less surface
deflection. This means less drag and over a pylon course must mean a quicker time.
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The real bonus is an landing the machine. The test flights took place at Bunster Hill on the south -west
slope. Landing here is tight with a dry stone wall immediately behind the pits and a very narrow landing
area on the top of the hill.
Using full crow allowed amazingly steep and short landing approaches to be flown and the model landed
easily on top of the hill. Most approaches were greeted with a chorus of 'too high' or 'you'll never
land that' mostly followed by 'that's unreal, I never thought you would land that there' by all those
present.
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It is early days yet and more comparative tests will be done, however so far even if there is no other
real benefit the improvement in landing approach using crow braking means, in my opinion, that fitting
the extra servos has been worthwhile.
The latest news is that Purbeck sailplanes are now offering this version as a 'professional' option
on the standard kit.
Full review in Silent Flight available 11 September 1998.
The Adrenaline+4 is now finished and has flown. The ailerons and flaps are equal in size and are driven
by two Hitec HS80 and two Futaba S5102 sevos respectively. To help try to keep the weight down to the
same as a conventional Adrenaline the solid rudder of the original has been substituted with a built up
replacement. This has enabled the amount of nose weight to be reduced. The net result is that the four
wing servo variant is the same weight as its two servo partner.
