Coyote`s X8

[Brod]

looks massive on that hand launch :)

[skyscraper]

Here is a video of yesterdays hand launch:

SCALA FPV: X8 Handlaunch

I'm sorry to say that I wouldnt recommend that. I used to once upon a time, but on one launch the plane pitched up a bit and prop  knicked the back of my index finger.. or so I thought. When I landed Turns out I had cut right through the tendon in several places and the tips of the prop had sheared off and embedded in my finger as they found in an xray (I could feel the blood dripping during the flight but use my thumbs to fly) It was sewn back together by a very skilled guy. Took a year to get nearly right. Its OK now except I cant fully straighten it. I was lucky.

Most of the time its ok, but if the plane pitches up slightly more than usual... If you watch the launch you can see the plane pitch up worryingly just as it leaves your hand. This is a particular isse with wings.. With mine I had been experimenting with c.g, moving it back..

Anyway Know its not what you want to hear but cant stay quiet about it. Dont want it to happen to anyone else!

regards
Andy

[Coyote]

That`s why I bungee mine, from the very first second the prop gets further away not closer to you :)

[skyscraper]

Actually You could try wearing a leather/kevlar glove as a last resort to protect your hand, since you dont need to get to the sticks quickly..

regards
Andy

[markvanhaze]

Yes there is no question, a thick leather glove will add to your safety.

[ThunderstruK]

Here is a video of yesterdays hand launch:

SCALA FPV: X8 Handlaunch

I'm sorry to say that I wouldnt recommend that. I used to once upon a time, but on one launch the plane pitched up a bit and prop  knicked the back of my index finger.. or so I thought. When I landed Turns out I had cut right through the tendon in several places and the tips of the prop had sheared off and embedded in my finger as they found in an xray (I could feel the blood dripping during the flight but use my thumbs to fly) It was sewn back together by a very skilled guy. Took a year to get nearly right. Its OK now except I cant fully straighten it. I was lucky.

Most of the time its ok, but if the plane pitches up slightly more than usual... If you watch the launch you can see the plane pitch up worryingly just as it leaves your hand. This is a particular isse with wings.. With mine I had been experimenting with c.g, moving it back..

Anyway Know its not what you want to hear but cant stay quiet about it. Dont want it to happen to anyone else!

regards
Andy

I had a similar accident launching my fx-61. Luckily it just missed my tendon and the angle of the cut meant I'd didn't just cut the tip of the finger right off. Not pleasant. I'd really recommend doing it like coyote. 

[markvanhaze]

After adding even more weight to the X8 I gave up on my handlaunch and made a bungee catapult:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thl_4OeNd7E

Works nicely.

[Coyote]

Bungees rock :rocks:

[pk-surfing]

the HobbyKing red spoilers are getting sucked open by 6mm or so by lthe look of it on the video and this will mess with performance and glide angle.

I had exactly the same thing happen on my Skywalker when I fitted them, they look closed flush when the plane is on the ground but the negative pressure over the top lifted mine by the same amount, could hear the wind noise from them when doing a flyby.

To get mine holding down flat in flight without having the servo constantly buzzing under load I ended up with a bit of a bodge, I have some of that elastic that looks like string, shirring elastic, tensioning the spoiler down and through the wing to the underside then about 150mm flat across the underside of the wing and the end taped down.

This holds it flat but has enough stretch in the 150mm to let the spoiler raise.

When I built the Cularis I fitted the HK motorised spoilers as couldn't think of a tidy way to hold the flastic ones flat.

PK  :)

[markvanhaze]

Well spotted. I saw that already and did pretty much the same fix - a rubber band that gives just enough tension to hold it down.

[krikey]

Amazing! Im going to have a look for these spoilers myself. Didn't know they existed.

[Rob T]

Just seen the up graded version on the HK website. Just very torn between this and a Cheers on quad.
Probably best to get the X8 as HK have a habit of discontinuing things without warning. About three years ago they had a low winger called a Soar 40 based, well exactly like, a Calmato 40. They pulled the model after a few months which surprised me as they appeared to be very popular.

[BlueFlyer]

I do like the way they've designed the new X8, the way you put it together is a bit more modern than the original. Of course, I havent seen it in the flesh but I've had the X6 which uses a similar orange plastic joining method for the wings.

I'd be definitely tempted if I was in the market for a large FPV wing.