DAVE MATTHEWS 2 Posted December 18, 2018 Share Posted December 18, 2018 Cheers Phil, I'll keep you posted. Might be a while, nothing but rain and inconsistent winds here at the moment. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Elliott 1 Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 Hi Dave, I have been thinking about your build. I am wishing you all the best for your maiden. Having said this I think you could have already trimmed the hammer out, and are flying it happily I have been out flying a lot, because it is Summer here in Tasmania. We are often plagued by big Wedge Tailed Eagles, but for the time being they are leaving most of us alone. I am glad for that, because they have hammered many of my blejzyks and others too. I have a beautiful Graupner Discus 2b that I love to fly. It has an 11' span and weighs a bit over 9lb. I took it out a week ago and flew the agile and graceful bird, until it became disoriented. That was not a problem, because I was in control! Or, so I thought, after two hours in the air, when my arms and shoulders were aching and my face and arms were sun-burned, I made a spectacular landing. The big bird came down nicely but the wind which was gusting to 28kts picked one tip up, the other tip dragged along the dry grass until the wind caught the old girl and flipped her upside down. She looked like a happless turtle on her back! I couldn't save the pilot who went through the canopy and face planted himself into the hard dirt. A sad story really, but the model survived... With a few repairs Discus will rise again. So, the Hammer went for a spin today. It is an incredible plane to fly, and in it's turn, took a hard landing in a strong wind. Broke two nylon bolts and sustained a little break on the leading edge. Hammer is fixed and ready to go again. Today I went to one of the mother-hills to fly Hammer. The location is on the crest of a wooded ridge, which follows the Forth Rv. (in Forth Tasmania) out to the sea. The ridge is 400' asl and when the wind is right (as it was today) The two mile ridge generates enough lift for my Hammer to climb at sixty degrees for ten seconds or more at a time, before the model dipps the nose, recovers, and does another climb. It generates so much lift that elderly people or the feint hearted refuse to fly there. This is the home of the model wrecking Wedge Tails I mentioned earlier. Today was such a day. With endless lift-pistons punching the model upwards. Rapid ascents took the model up until the heat haze made the model barely visable, followed by vertical decents which made me wonder about how strong my wings really are. I kid you not. I can not lie. I have been back into gliding for five or six years now and I am slowly coming around to the concept of using heavier models for such occasions. These heavier models need to be stronger too - for the vertical dives and recovery from those dives. Landings, I hope, will be better controlled. The only thing that has held me back is the knowledge that heavy models hit hard when we (or 'i' get it wrong. All the best. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Elliott 1 Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 Here is a picture of mother hill https://www.google.com/maps/@-41.1757391,146.2612258,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m8!1e2!3m6!1sAF1QipPRBtX13JapuhpuqcvTEhxV2aHnEjMXY0PruBTk!2e10!3e12!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipPRBtX13JapuhpuqcvTEhxV2aHnEjMXY0PruBTk%3Dw203-h114-k-no!7i4135!8i2326!5m1!1e4 Edited By Phil Elliott 1 on 05/01/2019 17:58:38 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVE MATTHEWS 2 Posted January 6, 2019 Share Posted January 6, 2019 Looks a cracking spot mate. We're are in winter now 2 degrees today and next to no wind. Still haven't flown her, let you know when I do tho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVE MATTHEWS 2 Posted February 21, 2019 Share Posted February 21, 2019 FINALLY got the Hammer maidened, 15mph, no ballast. Flew straight as an arrow, two clicks down and that was that. Beautiful bit of kit, try it with a bit of ballast next time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Elliott 1 Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 Good news Dave, Congratulations on a successful build. It is still my go to model after several years. I took mine out to the Mother Hill yesterday and specked it out several times. It is a great spot and the wind was about 25-30kt's yesterday and very gusty. I found booming thermal lift under the big black thunder-clouds that were flashing with electricity every now and again. The model did at least three vertical descents from the clouds to (almost) ground-level and she pulled out promptly on command. No cf wing-spars or ballast. Speed; at least 60mph! A better value plane is not available in my humble opinion. I know you are going to love this plane. I will pray for you to keep it in one piece. Amen Cheers, Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVE MATTHEWS 2 Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 Sadly my local hill doesn't produce lift like you're used to but soon I hope to launch her off better hills and get some weight onboard (only a little, don't want to ruin her). All in all, more than pleased Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeQ Posted April 17, 2019 Share Posted April 17, 2019 Hello is the Hammer still available in the UK? Cheers mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Elliott 1 Posted April 17, 2019 Share Posted April 17, 2019 Hi Mike, I hope I am not intruding! Unsure about the UK but I have been buying mine from the blejzyk.pl site and artur packs them well and will send them to you at a reasonable price. I live in australia and the postage is about Au$100. This is an amazing plane and if built to the instructions it will fly like an angel from the get go. I have been flying mine for about 2-3 years and although it will fly placidly it can also rip. Very gentle stall and no bad habbits what so ever. Cheers, Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeQ Posted April 17, 2019 Share Posted April 17, 2019 Hi Phil thanks ... I'm a bit of a slope newbie and am building a couple of other models including a PSS Canberra! I've googled it again and a company called MyHobby in the UK pops up ... https://www.arserviceuk.com/the-models ill check them out. cheers mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVE MATTHEWS 2 Posted April 18, 2019 Share Posted April 18, 2019 E-BAY.... I think it's arservices that are the sellers. That's how got mine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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