Flight Streak warning

Mine was warped a little but I straightened it out by shrinking the monokote. The kit is well built and flies great. Sorry you are having so much trouble, perhaps it is not the kit?

Did your Streak rattle to beat the band? If this is an example of well built, I'd hate to see something you thought was bad. By the way how do boards fly? I suspect that's all you've ever seen.

Richard,
I think your attitude towards other poster's is a little out of line. We don't really need comments like that when the intent is simply to help out.

Here's my advice about what you should have been doing as you assembled the plane. It's what I do whether it is an arf or a kit plane.

1) Before you glue the wing in, sight down the leading and trailing edge--Is it straight (not warped). Since this is a monocoat wing, you need to use heat to get out the warp. This is pretty standard operating procedure. I am not sure about the Flight Streak, but my Arf Nobler recommended to shrink the covering down. This is when you need to check for warps.

2) After you glue up, try and check the wing again.

3) Monocote planes are notorious for sounding like a drum. It's the material.

Although Rich's response to Louis did sound a bit "harsh", I doubt that he meant any harm by it.

I've flown with Rich several times and have come to realize that he is the living definition of the term "demanding consumer". He has VERY high standards, and any product that does not immediately live up to those standards will be labeled (by him) as a "$*!##^ piece of junk". Just ask him his opinion of silkspan, fox engines, 'blue' fuel tubing, Aerogloss, Morgan fuels, or RSM kits. I'm sure he would love to go into great detail about why he thinks all of these products are completely worthless.

Now, as for that warped wing in the ARF Flite Streak. Rich knows that this flaw is not present in all ARF Flite Streaks... he's flown mine before and did not have any gripes about the performance. I can only assume that he was unlucky enough to receive a "lemon". Of course, it can probably be fixed... or even replaced free of cost. Rich only needs to be trusting enough to allow Top Flite the OPPORTUNITY to rectify the problem (if he cannot remove the warp with a heat gun). He has already stated that Brodak and SIG stand behind their products, but I don't think he has given TF the OPPORTUNITY to stand behind their product yet.

The rattling problem is something that I have noticed in my ARF Flite Streak as well. At certain engine RPMs the entire plane emits a horrible rattling sound (much more metallic sounding that the normal noise associated with monokote). I have found that simply raising the RPM of my OS 25LA (the same engine Rich is using) almost completely eliminates the noise. However, I plan to replace the metal pushrod guide with a piece of nylon... I think this noise is simply the pushrod vibrating in the guide. Certainly nothing to get upset about.

Rich, I hope I haven't stepped on your toes with my comments. I'm just stating the facts as I see them (you gotta admit, you are a demanding consumer). We'll go out and fly ARFs all day long next time I'm in PCB. Until then, relax, take deep breaths, and fly every chance you get!

Steve Bryant

>Did your Streak rattle to beat the band? If this is an
>example of well built, I'd hate to see something you thought
>was bad. By the way how do boards fly? I suspect that's all
>you've ever seen.

Hey, take it easy! I haven't seen one, but one of my anal-retentive obsessively perfectionist buddies reports that it's pretty well done. And he's seen and built lots of models that most people can only dream of. In fact, he reported that it was better than most if not all of the novice/beginner/intermediate planes we normally see at local contests.

Tweak the wing whatever way it needs to fly level with a heat gun, just like any other model.

Lifes to short to get that upset about a model airplane. Every FS ARF I have seen is a good flyer and a good value. Get you buddy to hold the wing straight while you hit it with a heat gun.. Problem solved..

I think that defining the model as junk just is way overboard. All the ARF 'Streaks I have seen had a slight warp one way or the other, but all were easily cured by use of an iron or heat gun and opposite twist on the wing.

Mine is now straight as an arrow, and no added tip-weight needed either. I have happily flown it in competition, and will do so again.

As to a rattle in the wing, THAT I haven't come across. Probably some tip weight came loose. Of course such has NEVER happened when a modeler builds his own models.

I am planning to buy a 2nd ARFFS when they become available, and am eagerly awaiting my Nobler. So there!

Hey all FS owners... Come to the Tulsa Stunt Contest the last weekend in September 27th & 28th) and enter your streak in our "Flight Streak Stunt" event.

Richard, if you will bring your streak I will personally fix it for you.

Richard you sound upset. Well, mine had some warps in it also, but having dealt with monocote in the past, I realized as the instructions say, to retighten the covering and remove any actual or potential warps. Considering where the model was assembled and then shipped to the USA and how it was packed, shipped and all the temperature variations it may have gone through, it is no wonder that there will be some minor warps. It is not a perfect model, it is an ARF (ALMOST ready to fly). The assembler still has to make sure it goes together right. My only complaint, read concern, is the too short landing gear wire (easily changed & I did) and the too small tank which I changed out with a Brodaks fat profile tank. I later found that the wheel provided was too wimpy for very much service, especially after I set it on fire!! Let's don't go there. Ha:)

Well at least you have dealth with Monocoat before. My only experience with this stuff comes from some R/C guys I know that refer to this stuff as MONO-CRAP. They really like Ultra-coat, and looking at there planes they seem to know what they are doing. I blasted the living daylights out of this stuff with a 1500 watt heat gun and it was still loose. Yes I did replace both the wheels, and the tank. Sure wish I'd looked good and hard at that thing wing before I assembled it! Maybe my nice shinny big trim tab will cure some of the problem.

Mine had a similar problem but it looks more like the wing tips weren't put on straight instead of an actual warp. Fixed it with a trim tab. Flies great now.

>This morning I called Top-Flight, and thay want the whole
>plane.

What exactly would you have them do?

>control line have had problems due to this shitty piece of
>Top Flight junk

Guess the censor software misfired.

I prefer "piece of poop" or simply the adjective "poopy".

Poopy is a very useful word and can also be used as a noun. As in "I saw his overheads, he definately needs more poopy up top".

<used several times this year at the Nats>

That was great

""""""Did your Streak rattle to beat the band? If this is an example of well built, I'd hate to see something you thought was bad. By the way how do boards fly? I suspect that's all you've ever seen.
Richard Koehler"""""""

Don't worry guys, I am very thicked skinned. And, I have actually built a couple of flying boards. When I was a kid, me and my friends would stick .049s on just about anything and try to make it fly. Here is a picture of my latest flying .020 powered flying board. It will not fly the pattern, but it does loop, eight, and fly fast. It is made out of Coroplast. A kind of plastic cardboard. So, the answer is definetly yes. I have seen many boards fly.

Out at the field the other day a flyer had "the piece a junk" and was having problems. Outside wing was up inverted. I took the plane and fired up the chev 350, got the exhaust good and hot and straighten the wing. “SUPER PIECE OF JUNK” with an LA –25

Scott (I like junk) Riese

Now, that's a novel idea...

The opening posting on this thread was silly beyond description.

These are really well-built models, don't let some whack-job tell any of you otherwise.

Example: The grain of the balsa in vertical fin runs pretty much with the leading edge of fin. But as we all know, should one make the entire fin from one piece of wood, toward the front end it gets a bit dicey with grain direction. Top flite has cut the cutest little finger-joint at front of fin, allowing use of balsa which has the grain aligned with bottom of fin for the pointy end.

(Don't ask why I know this...)

I am flying mine on .012 x 60' lines. Yeh, not "legal," but the model likes them so much better than the relatively heavy .015s.

GRW 3.25-ounce tank, SIG 10% all-castor fuel, APC 9-4 prop. Launch it crackling a bit rich and let it roar in the air. If I fill the tank I can do a full AMA pattern in about 4:30; another 3:00 for the Old Time pattern and then another minute or so for just goofing off.

Great fun.

LAST EDITED ON Aug-12-03 AT 11:32 AM (CDT)
 
>The opening posting on this thread was silly beyond description.
>
>The grain of the balsa in vertical fin runs pretty much with the leading
>edge of fin. But as we all know, should one make the entire fin from one piece
>of wood, toward the front end it gets a bit dicey with grain direction.
>Top flite has cut the cutest little finger-joint at front of fin, allowing
>use of balsa which has the grain aligned with bottom of fin for the pointy end.
>
>(Don't ask why I know this...)
>
While I don't think that there is a complete, original in the box, unbuilt kit of the TF Streak anywhere in any stash here (possible, though not likely), I do have a salvaged fuselage from a wrecked one that surely looks as kit-stock as can be (although with some refinements added that I was never likely to add at any time, so someone else must've built it).

And looking at it makes me remember the actual kit. TF's original kit was more or less as the ARF is described, fin grain parallel to the LE, dorsal grain parallel to the fuselage grain. (Oops! When I wrote "No fancy finger notches on either piece", I just hadn't looked closely enough at the assembly, the uppermost part of which was gone long ago, probably when the wing was destroyed. Closer examination does reveal a notch cut into the vertical fin where the dorsal joins.)

.
Kiwi

Hey Baron, the exhaust idea came from WWWWAAAAYYYY back in the 30's, some kit instructions even mentioned it as a way to remove warps on the field however suggeted steam at home, not really a whole lot new.

I saw the prototype FS at Toledo and talked to Greg Meyer the project manager for both the Streak and Nobler. Both were kept as faithful to the TF plans as possible while making concessions for ARF packaging. Greg is not a CL flyer and was very receptive to input from CLers. In this he and GP did a commendable job with these models and I'm sure they are still interested in constructive criticism and feedback.

Your killing me, I'm laughing so hard I allmost pooped myself...

Hmmm,

I poop, you poop, we poop, they poop...poopo, poopa, poopamos, poopan...you're right versatile word!

The poopster, poopin'!

I guess it could be either an adverb or adjective as well...

Gee, if only english class discussed important things like this, I might have done better.

Poop as a verb. Poop, pooper, poopie. Now splain ta me vas is poop deck on boat??

Da poop deck is ver all da proper pooper's stand! You shud no dis Ty!

LAST EDITED ON Aug-11-03 AT 10:16 PM (CDT)
 
Seems to me that if TF wants the model back, they intend to replace it or make it good for you. Why are you badmouthing them? Doesn't make any sense. Therefore, this is my opinion. Steve

Came across this a while back:

I guess it's all confusing. The poop deck is not named for where you do that, and the head is not in the front of the ship.

We didn't have a poop deck on submarines, but we had a sail...which wasn't used as a sail either.

Port left, starboard right...

>Last weekend I finally got to try my Top-Flight ARF Streak
>in the air. Plane flew with the outside wing way down.
>Having read posts on this board about wingtip weight, I put
>the plane upside down. Now it flew outside wing way up. I
>managed to get the thing down in one piece, and my flying
>partner, whose built lots of ARF R/C planes, noticed the
>wing was way warped.
>
>This morning I called Top-Flight, and thay want the whole
>plane. My warning is before you assemble this piece of
>junk, look very carefully at the wing. Once it's built
>you're stuck with it.
>
>I just wonder how many people wanting to get back into
>control line have had problems due to this ##### piece of
>Top Flight junk, and gave up on control line flying? As for
>me I'll stick with Brodak and Sig, they support there stuff!

By these remarks I have to assume that the writer assumes that when he builds a wing with a warp that Brodak's will come and correct his building error, or supply him with a new kit so he can try again and get it right next time.
It's one thing to be demanding, another to be rediculous.
The Top Flight offerings are well built and good flying models. Certainly they are better then a lot of stuff I've seen on the flightlines over the years.
Really not ranting here, just be reasonable in your demands. Dennis

I think all one has to do is see all the other threads and comments about how well these planes are built and fly, to understand that the comments made by Mr Planenuts are just not very poopular.

No I don't expect Brodak or Sig to correct my problems, however, I know from experience both companys are only to happy to replace missing or bad parts. I would be more than happy to send the wing to Top-Flight, they want the whole plane. I checked and UPS wants 125 bucks to do this because of the size box the plane would need.

My warning stands, check before you assemble, I didn't, my fault!

Dear Richard,

I just built a Nobler ARF, which I received from Tower Hobbies about three or four weeks ago. About half way through I noticed that one of the cap strips was left off the bottom of the out board wing. When I called in another order I told the customer service gal about that oversight. No big deal, I said. It won't affect the flying and I don't want anything. I just wanted to give them a little friendly customer feed back.

I got a new wing in mail one week later. What did I do wrong?

Dee Rice

Amazing, I didn't call TOWER, I called the Top-Flight customer service number in the instruction manual. Could it be I called the wrong people?

Richard,

Could you please edit your first post and replace Shi##y with poopy.. This seems to be more politically correct these days