Posted Monday, February 20, 2012 @ 07:02 AM  

I nearly forgot the really big risk.

The wire is taped along the fin's leading-edge, flat, and as nearly central as I can get it.
The tape is 3M long-life masking tape (mostly because it's blue to match HDO!)

The risk?

Changing the aerofoil (airfoil) section could lead to fin stalling at high side-slip angles.
Dunno what effect that will have, so if I don't come back from my test flight tomorrow, you'll know what got me.
And you should have footage of it!

Yours, Bob

Posted Monday, February 20, 2012 @ 08:01 PM  

Yes, that's the great thing about Ray's remote button. I can switch on and off the GoPro when I start and finish, thus 'editing in the air', so I don't have to waste a day (or two, or more) learning an editing program and fiddling about with the computer in the gloom of my study.

The 'long-life' masking tape only lasts for a recommended two weeks, so if it works, I'll have to find a longer term solution -- or replace it every fortnight.

Like you, I've only been able to find blue PVC tape in 12.5mm (half-inch) widths, although I have plenty of two-inch (50mm) white tape, so maybe I'll change to that.

The plug incorporates spring clips, so it locks into place, and even if it did come out, I don't think it could reach the rudder gap, but I'll check. Thanks for mentioning it.

Yours, Bob

Posted Friday, March 2, 2012 @ 11:49 AM  

Where do you put the on button? I figure taping it to a shoulder strap might be a good loacation.

Let me know if you have any suggestions for improvements.

Thats a neat perspective from the tail.

I'm surprised though that oil mist is getting to the top of the rudder on the camera.

Where is your oil overflow coming from?

I thought you routed it to just past your tail wheel?

Well, I should really get one of those in cockpit audio GoPro adapters going and send it too you before your display season starts heating up. I have one almost done and perhaps get a chance to complete one over the next week since the RF4D tweaking is finally complete.

Posted Friday, March 30, 2012 @ 02:10 AM  

I couldn't open that Jell-O clip, YouTube said it was private. Maybe just as good, thanks for the Heads Up about their Roboediting. All these "free"-services on the net invariably deteriorate as they "develop" their market strategy. If you get too frustrated with the Tube you could try "Vimeo", which is an alternative.

Posted Friday, April 6, 2012 @ 10:37 PM  

Well, I found that little red button with its tiny spring on the cockpit floor, but something has broken inside its housing, so I can't properly fix it. Instead, I just have the button held in place in its housing with some transparent tape. Unfortunately this temporary bodged set-up clearly does not like too much 'G', because the camera turns on and off unexpectedly during flight.

Nevertheless, I have managed to upload footage of one complete outside loop. DO NOT TRY THIS YOURSELF WITHOUT TALKING TO ME! http://youtu.be/kl3lNLQbH7Y

Part of a practice of my current solo routine, but the propeller stopped coming down from a half reverse Cuban.
http://youtu.be/Cy0qnm5wo84

and another full practice, although the GoPro turned off and on again during the later stages, so it's in two clips. http://youtu.be/ppVEZ1B4D9Y and http://youtu.be/PvDQ3aYDt28

The missing intermediate manoeuvres are only: a quarter-clover back on to the A-axis and an avalanche that didn't go too well anyway, so you're not missing much.

I hope this is all of some interest.

Yours, Bob

[Edit by Bob Grimstead on Friday, April 6, 2012 @ 10:42 PM]

Posted Tuesday, April 17, 2012 @ 11:21 AM  

Yes, it's interesting that the stall turn kick, at virtually zero airspeed, causes much more fin shudder than the more positive flick-roll kick at 60 knots, when the higher airspeed flow helps to resist the fin's lateral flexing.

Surprisingly (actually, not at all surprisingly when we realise what a genius Rene is) even with full rudder and aileron to suit in that long, slipping, waving pass, the RF4's drag is so little that only half throttle is needed to maintain around 100 mph (1400cc engine).

And of course I have practised stalls in full-power and throttle-closed full-rudder sideslips. So far I have found the stall speed, sideslipping in both directions, is only a couple of knots/mph higher than with no rudder, and every time I have tried it I don't get a flick, just a quick wing-drop to wings-level. It could not be more benign.

So I don't need to look in to the ASI, I can simply concentrate on looking outside and maintaining exactly fifty (in England, thirty) feet.

...and as I expect you will remember, if the trim tab is correctly set, you don't even need to grip the stick too tightly!

Yours, Bob

My only real risk I think would be if the crowd line was a gradual climb uphill, but that's not very likely and I will

Posted Thursday, April 19, 2012 @ 06:52 AM  

Thank you very much for forging ahead with the British harness.

Regrettably (from the piont of view of the busted button on my Australian GoPro remote) I am now back in Britain and cannot give you those details for a while, because the whole thing is now permanently plumbed into my blue Fournier. I'll let you know when I get back there.

Meanwhile, I would be grateful if you could fit a more robust button to this new harness, and perhaps leave a longer separate lead to the LED (just a couple of inches), because that LED ended up hidden behind my instrument panel when the button was installed. I had to fit a mirror to see when the LED was illuminated. ;-)

I also found that, when I tried to separate the two portions of the long remote cable, the soldered or crimped joints on all those little pin connectors came undone, so I had to painstakingly re-do them all.

Maybe it would be useful to us all if you could tell us which wires go into which connectors on the Go Pro plug/socket, so that we can all make repairs individually as and when necessary?

I very much look forward to receiving the new remote system, so that Matt & I can show you all just how much we chatter away to each other when we're flying together.

We hope to start practising this weekend.

I will tell you my British mailing address by e-mail.

Thanks again in anticipation.

Yours, Bob

Posted Thursday, April 19, 2012 @ 12:11 PM  

I now understand that all better.

Yes, an extension that simply plugs into the panel's headset earpiece plug will work fine on this (red) Fournier, because that plug is on the lower left corner of my panel, where I can both push the button and see the LED.
You can see this on a not-entirely-relevant photo on this thread
http://sbeaver.com/cgi-bin/fournier/cutecast.pl?session=HnJtrGKLTmcRrkGqyZICHphwea&forum=11&thread=338

That would not work on my blue airplane, because the headset sockets are behind my left shoulder where I cannot see them.

Yes, heat-shrinking it all together with the headphone jack should work well. I'll leave it all to your ingenuity.
And yes, this GoPro mount is just over my left shoulder, as seen towards the bottom of the first page of this thread, so seven feet of wire should be adequate (although a little more is no problem and might allow some flexibility).

Thanks very much for pushing ahead with this work Ray.

Yours, Bob

Posted Wednesday, June 13, 2012 @ 01:19 PM  

Here is a document with the instructions for wiring up a remote shutter button.
http://elsinorebeachclub.webs.com/gopro_remote_switch.doc

I recommend the 3 wire setup so you have the option for the LED.

After turning the camera on/off a few times you might loose track of its current state so
I would definitely include the LED.

Since I ordered a bunch of all that stuff I have all the parts you need on hand.

-30 pin plugs (1 left)
-Push Buttons (Bigger more robust one this time)
-3mm LED's
-150 Ohm Resistors
-Tiny barrel Connectors
-3 Wire 20'cable (Phone jack extension cable)

If you want I can send a parts KIT to you, or just make another one up and send it by the end of this weekend. It only takes an couple hours.

I am stalled (frustrated) on my other project with the Microphone/headphone setup due to the Audio mic not working properly yet, so I'll
probably continue that one in the winter.

That wire insulation is 1/16" thick to give an idea of the microscopic size of the connectors. I had to use 2 magnifiers stacked to inspect the solder joints.

[Edit by jb92563 on Wednesday, June 13, 2012 @ 03:59 PM]

Posted Thursday, August 2, 2012 @ 12:13 PM  

I have at last suceeded in making a remote on/off button/lead set-up for my British Fournier.

And it sure wasn't easy, although it was quite simple, following the above instructions.

I soon discarded that telephone wire. It was too tiny, too fiddly, and it kept snapping after I had soldered it.

So I got 7 metres (pre-packed in a coil) of twin-core copper doorbell wire, which is much stronger and more resilient.

Unfortunately, because it is thicker, it wants to solder to several terminals at once on those tiny plugs.

So I solved that problem by removing the three pins next to terminals No 12 and 30.

Then it all soldered up fine. A few concentric lengths of heat-shrink strengthened and possibly waterproofed it, and I'm good to go.

But for anybody else who's emulating me, you first need to:

Have a heavy, stable, extremely well-lit work bench (in my case our old kitchen table).
Use a small vise or model-maker's clamp stand.
Something providing a high level of magnification to see what you're doing.
Skip that second cup of morning coffee to prevent those minuscule hand tremors.
Shoo everybody else out of the house.

And set aside at least two whole hours.

I hope to be able to show you some interesting footage some time soon.

Yours, Bob

Posted Saturday, August 4, 2012 @ 09:54 AM  

Yours, Bob