Volantex Ranger 600, reversing servo throws

24 September 2018

It's gone now, so I write.

I bought one from Rotor Hobby. I didn't get used to the self stabilizing modes, it seems more like a hindrance to trimming so I used the 'expert' mode.

One adventure it had was hanging on a low branch of a very tall tree and going through strong wind and rain. I went back in the late afternoon and found that the plane nesting at the foot of the same tree.

It's final adventure was when it was in good lift. I was flying it high and the wind  was apparently very strong up there. It went out of range vertically. The batteries in the transmitter were newly changed, so it is again my fault for forgetting I'm holding on to a 'toy' transmitter and not a regular one.

I had to change all 4 numbers of AA batteries in the transmitter because they were flat. And they got flat because they were accidentally bumped on (I had the plane and transmitter in my car). As the batteries were on low power, it gave out warning beeps which puzzled me when I was driving, until I found the source of the beeps.

On the day of the final adventure, I crashed it immediately on launch because the rudder and elevator throws were reversed. It was puzzling, there being no switches or other buttons on the transmitter or on the receiver. Adrian's 1st suggestion was to remove the back sticker, his 2nd was to remove the front sticker, his 3rd was to keep pressing the trim buttons. I didn't find anything on the manual or the internet.

Finally I discovered that all that was needed to reverse the throws was to move the affected joystick of the transmitter to its extreme position and holding it there until a beep emits. Direction of throws sorted out and trims reset, I found that the elevator servo has very limited range of throw. It was only about half the angle throw of the rudder servo. I don't think it came like that, but regardless, I flew it and it felt fine enough. It was on the 2nd battery that the plane went on its last journey.

The Volantex Ranger 600 was a good sub-$100 RTF with concave airfoils. I know I was in thermal because the plane went up without power. I didn't care about the self-stabilizing switches even though I tried them and they do make the plane fly more smoothly. The disadvantage of having this 6G stabilizing mode is I feel I couldn't see the plane reacting when it crosses any air activities. I want to be alerted especially when the plane come across some thermal activity. It is not important to me whether or not the wings dip this way or that way, because my only reactive tactic is to fly straight towards the wind. I sure have much to learn about thermal gliding.