secured in this way, level the wings and then slowly let go. Ideally
the wings should stay level when you put them there. If one wing
panel drops lower, it means that it is heavier than the other panel.
When flying the model, this imbalance can cause the airplane to
"pull" to the heavy side, especially in loops and up line maneuvers.
To make the airplane track true, the light wing panel needs weight
added so it will balance level with the other panel. Add stick-on
weights or push finishing nails into the light wingtip to achieve
balance. Always make sure the weights cannot come loose.
INCIDENCE & THRUST ANGLES
The MAYHEM 40 was built at the factory with the following specs:
Wing Incidence:
0
O
Stab Incidence:
0
O
Engine - Side View
0
O
down
Engine - Top View
2
O
right
FLYING
If you have carefully followed this assembly manual, test flying your
MAYHEM 40 should be a lot of fun. Try to choose a calm day with
little or no wind for the first flight. Good conditions allow you to
better evaluate and more accurately adjust the trim requirements
for your airplane. As we've mentioned before, a good running,
reliable engine is a must for the ultimate success of your airplane.
Take the time to solve any engine problems before you try to fly.
Always make it part of your pre-flight routine to check each control
on the airplane, making sure the surfaces are moving in the
correct directions. Also check each control linkage to be sure they
are secure and that nothing is loose.
After starting and warming up the engine, taxi the MAYHEM out to
the take-off position on the flying field. Hold up elevator during the
taxi to keep the tailwheel firmly to the ground. For take-off, the
airplane should be lined-up with the center of the field with the
nose pointed directly into the wind. Hold a little up elevator and
smoothly advance the throttle - do not slam the throttle full open all
at once. The airplane should roll forward smoothly, tailwheel on
the ground. As speed builds, back off of the up elevator input and
use the rudder as needed to maintain a straight takeoff run. The
tail will come up as flying speed is reached and a little up elevator
will lift the MAYHEM off the ground.
Maintain a straight outbound flight path, climbing at a shallow angle
until a safe maneuvering altitude is reached. Make your control
inputs smooth and avoid jerking the sticks. Once you achieve a
safe altitude, throttle back slightly to a nice "cruising" speed.
THROTTLE MANAGEMENT: The MAYHEM, and similar designs,
are not designed to fly at high air speeds. The key to their unique
flying characteristics is super light weight construction and extra
large control surfaces. Full throttle is only for takeoff and aerobatic
maneuvers.
For normal level flight, you should throttle back to
cruising speed. Also, never dive the MAYHEM at full throttle (see
CAUTION note about control surface flutter at end of this page).
Once you've settled at cruising altitude and speed, adjust the trims
as needed to achieve hands off straight and level flight. Take it
easy with the MAYHEM for the first flight, gradually getting
acquainted with it as you gain confidence. Take the MAYHEM to a
safe altitude and throttle the engine back to idle. This will give you
a good idea of the glide characteristics. While still at idle, steadily
increase up elevator to get a feel for the stall characteristics. Stalls
tend to be very gentle with the nose dropping straight ahead with
little tendency to drop a wing. This is great information to have
when set up for your first landing.
16
Balance the MAYHEM with everything on board, including the
propeller, spinner, etc. Do not leave anything off the airplane that
will be on it during flight. DO NOT fill the fuel tank - the tank must
be empty during balancing!
BALANCE POINTS REFERENCE CHART
* Percentage of Mean Aerodynamic Chord
% of
distance aft of
MAC*
wing leading edge
29%
4.06"
31%
4.34"
33%
4.62"
34%
4.76"
35%
4.90"
36%
5.04"
37%
5.18"
38%
5.32"
For initial test flying and familiarization purposes, we suggest a
starting balance point of 33% MAC, which is approximately 4-5/6"
behind the leading edge of the wing.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Balanced means the airplane sets perfectly
level when supported at the desired balance point - NOT slightly
nose down or nose up - PERFECTLY FLAT LEVEL!
As your experience with the MAYHEM 40 increases, you can
adjust the balance point to suit yourself. In general, as the balance
point is moved aft, the airplane will become more responsive and
less stable in all axis. Some pilots like their models extremely
reactive, while others like to fly with more smoothness. If you
never get into 3D flying, you will probably like the balance point at
the intial setting of 33%. In the end, the final balance point and
control throws you use will depend on how you like to fly.
The best means of shifting the CG fore or aft is by shifting the
locatoin of the battery pack. If is the heaviest movable component
in the airplane. Wherever you put the battery pack, make sure it
cannot move around in flight. Our MAYHEM 40 prototypes required
no additional nose or tail weight to achieve different balance points.
We shifted the balance point by shifting the battery pack.
If moving your battery pack does not achieve the balance point you
want, and more weight is needed, consider using a larger (and
therefore heavier) battery pack.
Try to avoid adding useless
weight. If you need more weight in the nose, try a heavier spinner
or replace the light wheels with heavier after-market wheels. If
your model is nose heavy and battery shifting does not work, you
can try adding lead stick-on weights in the rear of the fuselage.
After you've determined how much tail weight you need, the
weights can be placed inside the fuselage by simply removing the
elevator servo and placing the weights inside and securing them.
With the elevator servo back in place, the weights are hidden.
Lastly, the aerobatic performance of your MAYHEM 40 will benefit
greatly if you balance the airplane laterally as well as fore and aft
(eliminate the "heavy wingtip" syndrome).
Lateral balancing
requires that the model be suspended upside down, using
substantial chord or fishing line. Hang the model in level flight
attitude from the ceiling or a rafter, with one line looped over the
engine propeller shaft and another line looped over the tailwheel
bracket. The model should hang level in side view. With the model
for
normal
flying
for
3D
flying