Tom Foreman

I try out new slopes all the time, I don't haver permission to use the land but normally there is some sort of path and the nature of slope soaring is that people tend to tolerate it. With my DS models a bit of common sense is needed as these things are far more dangerous than a power model and as noisy, but the number of people and places to DS is quite small at the moment so hopefully we won't get banned.   Found a new DS slope tonight near Kendal, called The Helm   Tom @import url(/CuteEditor_Files/public_forums.css);

Voltij   @import url(http://www.modelflying.co.uk/CuteEditor_Files/Style/SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/CuteEditor_Files/public_forums.css);

@import url(http://www.modelflying.co.uk/CuteEditor_Files/Style/SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/CuteEditor_Files/public_forums.css); @import url(http://www.modelflying.co.uk/CuteEditor_Files/Style/SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/CuteEditor_Files/public_forums.css); Catbells II    Edited By Tom Foreman on 07/08/2011 11:07:42

@import url(http://www.modelflying.co.uk/CuteEditor_Files/Style/SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/CuteEditor_Files/public_forums.css); @import url(http://www.modelflying.co.uk/CuteEditor_Files/Style/SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/CuteEditor_Files/public_forums.css); @import url(http://www.modelflying.co.uk/CuteEditor_Files/Style/SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/CuteEditor_Files/public_forums.css); @import url(http://www.modelflying.co.uk/CuteEditor_Files/Style/SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/CuteEditor_Files/public_forums.css);

  Happy days! @import url(http://www.modelflying.co.uk/CuteEditor_Files/Style/SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/CuteEditor_Files/public_forums.css);

Do all your other switches start in the down position or is just your retract switch, e.g. rate switches, mix switches?   Tom

@import url(http://www.modelflying.co.uk/CuteEditor_Files/Style/SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/CuteEditor_Files/public_forums.css); Lots, but editing video and choosing photos will take me a couple of hours to sort out tonight, keep watching   Tom @import url(http://www.modelflying.co.uk/CuteEditor_Files/Style/SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/CuteEditor_Files/public_forums.css);Edited By Tom Foreman on 08/04/2011 09:49:30

@import url(/CuteEditor_Files/public_forums.css); I have all my switches set to up for take off mode, this makes it easier to flick all switches to up position before I switch on without any extra thinking required. In your case your gear would retract on switch down.   Cheers   Tom @import url(http://www.modelflying.co.uk/CuteEditor_Files/Style/SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/CuteEditor_Files/public_forums.css);Edited By Tom Foreman on 08/04/2011 09:47:20

@import url(/CuteEditor_Files/public_forums.css); Wow, what a fantastic day for a maiden, blue skies, strong westerly wind, perfect conditions for a maiden at Catbells in the Lake District.   The D60 was assembled and switched on (small hole in the side of the fuse to poke the internal switch) a quick waggle of the sticks to check everything was moving in the right direction and my friend Paul gave it a big throw into wind.   Lead balloon city, the D60 was wallowing around scratching for lift on account of its heavy wing loading. A little bit tip stalley as well, but the challenge of the experienced slope soarer is, to coin a phrase, "Don't Panic" after a few minutes a strong thermal came to my aid and she started lifting skyward. A couple of clicks of down trim and then she suddenly came alive, it was like the hand brake had been released, as she came on step and started screaming past. Rolls were nice and axial, square loops precise and spectacular the retained energy is amazing. Switched on snap flap and coupled ailerons and on high rates she twinkle rolls nicely and can perform crazy aerobatics only limited by my thumbs.   I took her up high to test the stall, not nice she drops a left wing and starts to spin, easily recovered by releasing up elevator. Tried Crow braking, very nice no ballooning, in fact this is the first model I've ever had that is completely neutral in the crow, she just slows down, I have 90deg on flap, about 5 deg up aileron and 3 deg down elevator compensation.   I have 5 deg of camber flap on a slider, and this is useful for cruising and gaining height, this model loves it. I don't have a full camber trailing edge though as I am mindful of inducing tip stall, but I may try it sometime as the theory is that it induces less drag (less movement for same effect).   Well, I was starting to feel happy with the D60 she was everything I had hoped for and more, cracking front-side maniac big winds model. Still this is not what she was designed for, the darkside is strong with this one and I couldn't put off the inevitable any longer. With Paul egging me on and those butterflys fluttering in my stomach, I checked all my switches, flap off - check, snap flap off -check, DS rates on - check.   I flew parallel to the ridge, and then banked hard left into the abyss of the Dark Side of the slope, she screamed through the shear layer punching through like a hot knife through butter, not a wobble, I pulled back tentatively on the elevator to turn around at the bottom of the slope as she whined with pleasure her sights set on blasting back up the hill, in a blur she whipped past and accelerated even faster into the second circuit, the whine was getting louder and louder, three circuits later I couldn't take the pressure any longer and she punched out as I pointed her upwards and she disappeared into the stratosphere, holy cow the most fantastic glider in all of Christendom - priceless!   Well I needed to compose myself for a few minutes as I was still shaking, feeling drunk from the rush of adrenaline, still I had to land this baby, crow slowed her down, but the LZ is tight and she won't hover in nicely at walking pace. After a few goes, we found that putting crow on early could get her off step and coming around on the Dark Side where there is no lift also bled the speed off as it was converted into lift, she suddenly went mushy and dropped out of sky like a lead balloon onto the soft grass. This thing is built heavy and strong and can shrug off these landings with ease, not pretty but as long as the wings are level no drama.   So there you have it, best model I've ever owned or flown. She needs a good breeze to fly in and she doesn't turn like an F3F racer, she is a DS specialist but also a craking front side high energy aerobatic model. She's no Vector 3 or Wasabi, but she's hard as nails and you wouldn't want to bump into her in a dark alley, not with that pointy nose full of lead.   Need to make up my ballast plates next   Tom @import url(http://www.modelflying.co.uk/CuteEditor_Files/Style/SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/CuteEditor_Files/public_forums.css);Edited By Tom Foreman on 08/04/2011 09:13:02

Just to conclude the build blog, its a very well made model, but don't expect to put it together in a couple of evenings. It is a bit more challenging than the normal mouldie builds and a few new skills need to be learned, mainly grinding and routing with a dremel and doing the ballasting.   The instructions are very good, I would recommend using Gorilla CA to speed up the build (I used 30min epoxy to begin with) and use 24h finishing resin for the ballast. You definitely need a end mill tool for your dremel as well. If you follow the instructions included with the model you will end with a quality machine for either front side antics or speed demon DSing on the darkside.If you want something bigger or smaller there are 80" and 40" versions as well.   Cheers,   Tom    

@import url(http://www.modelflying.co.uk/CuteEditor_Files/Style/SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/CuteEditor_Files/public_forums.css); Well she's finished, had a few problems with the epoxy / lead shot ballast mixture, my radio tray is now non-removable! Lesson learned, don't use 30min epoxy and a heat gun it goes off a lot faster than you would normally expect.   Anyway I've got the afternoon booked off work today, so with a prayer to the wind gods I will get her maidened today, fingers and toes crossed!   Wish me luck   Tom   PS M60 didn't get finished last night as I ran out of time, so I don't have a model to test the DS conditions before committing with the D60, so it might or might not get DS'ed depending on how brave I am   @import url(http://www.modelflying.co.uk/CuteEditor_Files/Style/SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/CuteEditor_Files/public_forums.css);Edited By Tom Foreman on 07/04/2011 09:04:32

Forgot to add, with some ballast temporarily strapped to the nose to get her to balance at the recommended CoG of 63mm, she weighs in at 1600g (56.5 oz) so a nice light build for this model. The guys in the states are ballasting these up to around the 2830g (100 oz) mark, but then they do have giant DS slopes!   Another interesting thing is the recommended throws for this model, on RCG Joe Manor admits that he sets up the throws on the slope to get the feel right, but has not had one last long enough to get it back in the workshop and measure up! LOL   I'll just set her up for max throws for front side aerobatics, high rates, 50% mid rates for speed and 20% for DS rates and go from there.   Still waiting for the lead shot to arrive, but no rest for the wicked, the trusty M60 needs putting back together after nearly surviving being slammed into the rocks in some wicked turbulence last week, she still flew after taping her back together but the two breaks in the fuse had robbed her of some of her accuracy in the turns   Tom @import url(http://www.modelflying.co.uk/CuteEditor_Files/Style/SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/CuteEditor_Files/public_forums.css);

  Added some scrap balsa to the bottom of the ballast tray to support it better on the curved inside of the bottom of the fuse.   Ballast tray glassed in with cloth and epoxy, be careful not to glue the radio tray in.   Back onto the wing a few small jobs still to do, first one solder all the clevises together to eliminate slop.   Tape servo covers in place, this is the aileron servo cover.   Flap servo cover.   Top flap horn fairing, these took a fair bit of fettling to get to fit without fouling the clevis, these were glued in place with Gorilla CA.   This is the radio tray, just got the battery and RX temporarily taped on so I can work out how much ballast she needs to balance. I'm still waiting on the ballast, this model calls for lead shot mixed with epoxy. The end of the radio tray is moulded into the epoxy / lead mix using a release agent so that it can still be removed.   Couldn't resist a couple of glamour shots, she's a beauty   Soon be finished, hopefully maiden at the weekend   Tom @import url(http://www.modelflying.co.uk/CuteEditor_Files/Style/SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/CuteEditor_Files/public_forums.css);

  Ballast and radio tray time   Counter bore the holes ready for the blind nuts.   Looks like the D80 (bigger brother of the D60) hardware will need a little trimming to get it to fit, oh the joys   Blind nuts in.   Other side, the two in the middle are for holding the ballast plates (3x300g lead plates) the two at the end are for bolting on the radio tray.   Radio tray as a little plate glued onto it with the holes to bolt up to the ballast tray. The ballast tray is glued into the fuse, whereas the radio tray is removable to access the radio gear.   The blind nuts stand proud so have to be ground down flush with the trusty Dremel.   There you go, the threaded rods with knurled fasteners will hold the lead plates down (not included you have to make them your self)       @import url(http://www.modelflying.co.uk/CuteEditor_Files/Style/SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/CuteEditor_Files/public_forums.css);