Stryker F27-Q

[akent]

Well, it has been another month and the Q is still flying!!!!!!

I did install some big velcro battery straps, so I am no longer losing batteries. The stock straps don't work! Put some 'real' ones in, if you plan on pulling million G turns with one of these...

I flew it today as usual through a few batteries, and it's still flying just like it always has!!!

Over the last month, I have pancaked this thing maybe 6 times, all from trying to get too low with a Boomerang or a blender and not being able to pull out. One of those took out an AR600 receiver. I am now running an Orange 6 channel with a remote. That seems to work great! I am also still running the D-MG16 servos on the ailerons that I replaced when the stock ones crapped out. These have held up very well through many pancakes!

Also, here is my hot ticket mod. I don't think I'll do any more than this. The Q doesn't need more speed. It just needed better vertical.
I installed an APC 6.5 x 6 pylon racer prop and a Turnigy plush 60 amp ESC. This prop pulls too many amps for the stock ESC. The motor is fine with it!
Everything else still stock. I'm still running 2200ma 30c 3s. This setup pulls 45 amps on a fresh battery.
I also earlier installed 5mm flat carbon on the elevon trailing edge. This stiffened them up and made 90 mph sudden 90 degree turns much crisper!

This gives the thing nice unlimited vertical with about the same top speed as stock. With a 2200ma 3s 30c battery, you can get about 4 minutes of WOT. More if you do a bunch of boomerangs, or go slow some.

My motor has some noisy bearings now. I had to glue the rudders back on tonight.
Check, glue, thrash, repeat!!

I now have a following at the field here! When I get the Q out, folks go, "Hey, Kent's gunna fly the Stryker!" to "This guy is nuts!" and more. It's really fun to hear these things! I have been unable to convince folks here with Stryker Q's to try some of the moves that I do! Of course, their Q's still look good! Mine is fugly now...
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I have figured out how to do a vertical boomerang. I mean where the plane is spinning like a saw vertically! It is hard to get it out of it (Yeah, this has caused more than one pancake)... If you were to ask me how I get it into that, I couldn't! I just get it into a normal inverted boomerang and do things with the sticks until it transitions! It's really strange looking!

This thing is still unbelievable to me. I keep thinking it will be beyond fixing when I pancake it, but so far, I have been able to keep it in the air! New chunks of foam, new servos here and there, but wow!
Oh, and I even dumb thumbed the thing into the ground last weekend. Straight in. I found out the nose piece is made from two pieces of foam! I straightened out the foam the best I could and glued the pieces together. I then pulled on the fuse to straighten it and it actually is fairly straight now! The thing just needed some trim adjustments! Amazing!

I love this thing!
Kent

[19000rpm]

No fear! I'd love to see some of those flights!

[Gabe]

Yeah Kent - we need some video buddy! I'm dying to see this thing in action!

[akent]

Sorry, I keep forgetting to get video.

The original Stryker Q is STILL FLYING!!! It's amazing!

I have now gone through dozens of props and all the stock servos. It has maybe four bottles of CA in it as well as lots of carved pieces of EPP foam to replace the ripped out sections. It's really fugly, but hey, it still flies fairly well!
The motor is almost toast. It is REALLY NOISY!!

You can no longer do a full pull on the elevons from a WOT dive. It will spiral if you do that. I think one side of the plane is just a little too bent. But if you are easy on it, it can still do most of the other bizarre maneuvers! It turns left much better than right, and it will no longer boomerang as well to the right.

I have decided that when the motor craps out, I'll buy a whole new Stryker. I'm surprised the motor still runs. It sounds like you are rolling rocks around inside a tin can!
I think I'll bite the bullet for a new one soon.

Kent

[19000rpm]

LOL. I've got a motor that sounds like that. It just keeps running.

Sometimes you just wear a plane out. Been there. Done that. When you really like an airframe it's worth replacing it. Go for it!!

[Gabe]

Nice! That's what we call a daily driver!