Velox On Fire__ Flight Analysis And Video Showcase

Like most people I was really torn on which color Velox to build. I went with the blue simply because it's so pretty, and it's turned out to be an outstanding airplane. Still, the yellow is so outrageous, so on fire, that I had to build one of those too.

As you can see, the yellow/red color combination really jumps out at you. In the air there is simply no mistaking which way it's heading or which side you are looking at. I would almost go so far as to say disorientation would be next to impossible with this plane! The yellow/red on top is so different from the white/black on bottom it almost looks like two different planes. If you need a highly visible plane, this is it.

Click To Enlarge On All Pictures 

 

So far I have not applied any decals, and I may not. I really like t this way, though admittedly the picture on the box looks really good too. Right now I am just enjoying it's looks and letting the covering settle a little. With the weather set to cool off soon, I expect to get a few wrinkles, and it's always easier to iron those out when there are no decals to worry about.

 

 

 

FLYING

This plane is another illustration of just how good today's airframes have gotten. I set the plane up exactly like the manual calls for, and after a click of trim I flew the plane all day without making a single change. All my 52"s flew perfect right out of the box.

Laser cutting and jig building gives us such precisely true airframes that you can hardly go wrong. Add to that the self aligning stabilizer virtually assures a straight build, and we are truly in a golden age of model aviation. I honestly don't know how things can get any better. While the airframes are the tip of the spear, we are also benefitting from super powerful motors and batteries, fabulous electronic stability systems that make the planes fly more securely than ever, and the new breed of super mega magic servos that feature dead perfect ultra precise centering. If there is an improvement that can make the planes assemble or fly better, I don't know what it could possibly be.


You can read more about the Velox' flying characteristics in 3D HobbyShop 52" Velox Flight Test, so I will just touch lightly on what I feel are the most important attributes and what sets the Velox apart from other planes.

3DS Velox__FIRE! from Doc Austin on Vimeo.

Having owned and loved both the original Velox Revolution and Velox VR1, the biggest surprise was how stable and friendly this new Velox really is. Of course, I knew this from experience with my blue, when I dropped her into a harrier and found she gives even the much loved 3DHS Edge a solid run. This was very surprising, and for me, has almost come to define the plane. The Velox simply loves to be yanked into a stall, and she will settle right in with the nose way up high. It's easy to drive her up and down the runway low and slow, spin her around on the rudder and do it all again. It does exactly what you are expecting because it also does exactly what you tell it to do. In short, her harrier manners are remarkable.

You can get some wing rock if the pilot is extremely sloppy, but for the most part she is so stable that all post stall maneuvering seems, well.......... natural.

You can hold the nose way up, and with a sharp blast of throttle and rudder, spin her right around, almost on her own wing tip. Harrier turns are just that easy. You can either enter elevator maneuvers from snaps, spins, parachutes or anything else you can dream up, including a simple smooth, controlled stall, and she drops right in so happily it's almost like that's what she wanted to do anyway. In an elevator the Velox will drop almost perfectly straight down with very little rudder correction. Part of this is just good engineering, but also that self aligned stabilizer makes for a straight flying plane.

So, with previous Velox' being noted for being so wild, you can imagine how surprised I was to find the new Velox to be so friendly and easy to fly. It's still an advanced airplane, but if you want to fly it gently she will respond quite willingly.

3DS Velox__FIRE! II from Doc Austin on Vimeo.

However, let's not forget the Velox is intended to be, and is certainly capable of being a very violent airplane. The best part of her snapping and rumbling ability is the control you have exiting the maneuver. Provided you don't absolutely dead stall the plane, she will stop where you tell her to stop and fly away with a little power. This makes snaps and tumbles look much better and more precise, rather than a big thrash that goes wherever it wants to go. The Velox looks and remains in control.

Now if you snap her really hard and milk every last bit of momentum you can get out of it, you may require a little opposite rudder and some power to stop her where you want, but for the most part the Velox will stop the instant you center the sticks. Occasionally I will get it all wrong and get another half turn than I was expecting, but that's the most rebellious thing I've seen the plane do.

No quite as surprising is that the Velox doesn't require a lot of speed of force to XA (extreme aerobatics) well. This comes in very handy when moving from one series of snaps to another because without the need to have terminal velocity, you can keep the plane in tighter and lower. I'm still playing with the timing, but I can almost hit a medium speed snap with nearly the violence I can get with big speed. In this respect, it is a lot like the 60" slick, which again is no surprise, especially considering her pedigree.

Generally this kind of snapping, tumbling capabilities work against precision flight and the Velox does give up a little here to the Extra and Slick 580. However, this is hardly worth considering because she excels in these other areas. Point and slow rolls, Cuban 8s and double immelmans are still razor sharp and precise, which gives the Velox a really nice overall balance.

SET UP

Slightly different from my blue Velox was the choice of servos. I had to save a few dollars on this project, so instead of ProModeler DS150 servos, I went with the less expensive DS100. I have DS100 in all my 52" planes except my blue Velox and red Extra and I've been exceptionally pleased with them.

I was out of Xessories servo arms and money, but I had ProModeler's very useful  PRS101 arms on hand and put them to good use. I especially like the hole at 7/8" from center for my aileron ball link. This is just the amount of throw I like for the roll rate I am most comfortable with.

For elevator I use the full 1" arm, which gives me 55 degrees of throw. This is a little more than designer Ben Fisher prefers, but we have different flying styles and I like a little more. The Velox offers a lot of flexibility here. I've tried 72 degrees and it was great, if a little hairy, and at 45 is was super sweet and gentle. At 55 it feels just about right to me.

Using the 7/8" hole for the rudder, I get a perfect 45 degrees both directions.

 I always put a lot of effort into getting the cleanest, most tidy radio installation I can manage. With all the extra spaghetti that comes with an ESS, it can be a real mess, but there is so much room in the compartment this was not a big job.

 

From the pylon racing days we learned how crucial a tight spinner gap is to finding speed. This is nowhere near as critical on a sport 3DXA  plane. It just looks cool. This did not take any more effort, just a little more time and patience. The kits are so well engineered that if you take your tome it's hard to get things wrong.