Feels like autumn is approaching, what have you been flying?

[Ian Jones]

Posted by Martyn K on 07/10/2012 11:22:21:
<snip>

What was a bit alarming was on the last flight at about 6pm, I started suffering from double vision. I fell badly last year and broke my back and banged my head - I didn't realise I had actually done any damage for 2 months .

The doulble vison kicks in when light starts to fail and my brain cant consolidate the images so I was trying to land 2 Astro Hogs simulataneously - fortunately, they were both doing the same thing at the same time . The bad news was I picked the wrong one to land and missed the strip (just).

Well that was my excuse and I am sticking to it.

Martyn

Edited By Martyn K on 07/10/2012 11:23:49

Oh Yeah, well you can only get away with that excuse twice, you should know which one is which after that .

Nice repair job on the Asto Hog

You probably know now Martyn but after you left yesterday all the bubbles of air stopped bubbling, the sky cleared of clouds and it was a fantastic evening. T'other Martyn's Gladiator glinted in the sun and I was able to throttle back my SE5a for some reasonably scale like flying. Ended up leaving the field in the dark !

[Martyn K]

Hi Ian

worse than that. When I got back SWMBO/XYL landed just before me so I couldn't even pretend that I had been working hard all day and needed to get out for a fly today. Actually at work at the moment waiting for contractors to finish... I would much rather be flying... there wont be many days like this before next spring..

Martyn

[Stephen Jones]

Well what a fantastic day its been today .

No wind Bright sky warm . Perfect flying weather i flew the trainer with my son Paul and my Flying Legends Mustang and my Sipa 200 was the best as no wind to fight against and clear skys to see it in . I was doing high speed low passes , Rolls Loops the works .

The the Heli Lads came down to our fixed wing site with there Park Zone Spitfires to show us Planks how Its Done , Formation Flying .

Fantastic day

[Dylan Reynolds LaserCraft Services]

yesterday went to the strip, weather was perfect for the shark, but the strip was far from it, so no flights, today went back down with the shark, 3 10min flights, and 3 perfect landings which hasn't happened in a while, so very happy today

[Bob Cotsford]

Took the Skybolt and the Dragon Lady out today, both have 120 four strokes, one OS and one ASP. Both of them needed the idle mixture richening, the pumped OS by 1/4 turn and the exhausr pressurised ASP by 3/4. Same fuel as last time out, Southern Modelcraft 5%, so what caused the change? Has it really got that much colder?

It was a nice day for flying otherwise, lots of fun with the DL doing low speed aerobatics, so graceful with the only thing spoiling it being my lousy coordination.

[Gordon Bushell]

Another lovely day on the sunny island, and I managed to cut the lawn (all dandelions and moss) in time to get to the field.

With the calmer winds today, there were some little seen models out, two Jamara Pitts biplanes looked a real handful.

I flew a pz micro mosquito, and found some of my cells have not survived the lay-off they've had, managed to just sneak the resulting lvc dead-stick into the field. After that, I used up every pack I had available for the Acrowot.

Lovely, feeling nicely relaxed now.

[Andy Ennis]

It was such a nice day today that I shelved the plan to take the Wottie to the field, and took my Parkzone SE5A, the Stinson Reliant and the Wildcat.

Didn't actually get that many flights in as it was really busy, but luckily most had gone by 4:30, so then I had the sky to myself.

Even managed to test fly my brothers Dynam DC3 (which is a really nice model to fly as it turned out)

All that, and a bacon and egg barm at lunchtime too!

[Alan Randall]

Two great days flying with the guys of the Rolls Royce Hucknall MAC down on the Hucknall airfield.

[John Muir]

Had a rare Sunday visit to the field today, here in Dundee, and had a great time flying my Wot 4, Glen's Extra and Formosa. Had the undercarriage come off the Wot 4 when a tyre came off a wheel hub. Turns out the rubber had perished. Can't have been more than twenty years old that wheel! Things just don't last any more. A good turnout of members and fine weather made the day.

[Erfolg]

I left the house, mid morning at the insistence of my wife, driving along lanes with swirling mist. I have not a model flown for some time, I did wonder why I was going to the field. My mood was not lifted by the weather, as the dim light matched my spirits, life is not always easy, I thought.

At the field, the outlines of a local hill, together with the silhouette of a church steeple on the highest ground were visible, as a dark outline against a lighter grey sky, almost merging together. Near to, the green of the field morphed into the general green grey colour of the middle distance, with no discernable shapes. Nearer to water sodden fields were discernable.

None the less, models were already in the sky, surprisingly visible.

Approaching the group of fliers, I was greeted cordially, some mentioning my absence, together with tales of how flying had continued through the month of September, in the face of appalling weather.

The general hubbub turned to talk of the air being quite good, all the models up being electric gliders. As I sat in my chair i could see that colour was slowly appearing all around. what once had been grey shapes now were clearly hedges and trees. The sky also gained a clear blue overhead, still a greyness occupied the horizon.

As the conditions improved, sports models took the air, the mood lightened as the warmth of the sun, warmed the air and brightened the sky, until it could be a summers day.

As for myself I did fly, enjoyed the company, reflected on my own personal mood, thinking nothing remains the same, yet there are many events travails, accomplishments which make up life for each of us.

At mid day all departed for home, many having had a good mornings flying, talking, debating who would fly on Wednesday, who knew the weather forecast for the week ahead..

I returned home, having recognised I would have been far more miserable sat at home, yet!

[Bill_B]

LiPos' definately weren't happy this morning at +5 deg. The performance drop off is quite noticeable on high Amperage installations. Time to dust off my very technical battery box heater (small hot water bottle!).

[Robin Kearney]

Lovely day here in London today, and a good turn out at the flats, probably about 10 of us with various amounts of models.

First flight was with the ARTF Acro Wot, again it flew beautifully, I had a great 15 mins, the problem came when trying to get her down! She kept floating on and missing our small patch, in the end I went round 5 times to avoid the rough. Sadly on the final attempt she rolled gently into the rough breaking the nylon UC bolts, luck dictated that I had no spares, so back in the car she went. No other damage mind, so not bad! I'm now thinking a) carry spares b) try a bigger prop to help slow her down c) maybe flaperons?

 

Then came the Mini Tyro and the Funfighter, both of which gave much enjoyment. The P51 now has a smidgen more down thrust which has made all the difference. Both are now very nicely trimmed, flying beautifully.

 

 

r.

Edited By Robin Kearney on 07/10/2012 21:25:12

Edited By Robin Kearney on 07/10/2012 21:25:21

Edited By Robin Kearney on 07/10/2012 21:25:40

[Tony Bennett]

took my own design out again today.

another good session, getting a bit more adventurous now and have started trying out some harder stunts.

Edited By Tony Bennett on 07/10/2012 21:36:33

[Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator]

Possibly the best day of the year - so far (fingers crossed!). Great sky, quite warm at times and very calm. Lots of flying got done!

BEB

[Jon Laughton]

Stephen - what a fabulous video! I was muttering to myself - " I counted them all out and I counted them all in!"

[Jon Laughton]

Erfoolg - they should sign you up as a new RCME columnist! Great prose...

[David Davis]

Drove the ninety miles to Cocklebarrow Farm in Oxfordshire for the SAM 35 October Festival through beautiful countryside just showing the first colours of autumn. It will be even more beautiful in the next couple of weeks and I found that lots of other people were out enjoying the day on their bicycles and motorbikes. I felt that it was a shame that you can't do all three things at the same time!

Having got to the event there must have been 100 cars there and I had some difficulty in finding a place to park. All of the common vintage models were there as well as a few rare ones. I was impressed by an enlarged David Boddington Tinker which was being expertly flown.

I flew my Super 60 and Super Scorpion to which I had fitted a larger engine. However, I had omitted to fit a larger fuel tank so ran out of fuel down-wind without realising it as there were so many models in the air at the time. I must have become disorientated, put in the wrong signal and the model spun in, fortunately landing in long grass between a wood and a crop of American corn. The only damage was a broken propeller. Lesson learned? If you fit a bigger engine fit a bigger fuel tank!

The Tomboy cometition looked like fun. Lots of identical little models fitted with identical little diesel engines and fuel tanks. These are all launched at once and the last one down is the winner.

I had a good day. Thank you SAM 35.

Edited By David Davis on 08/10/2012 07:01:57

[MikeS]

Weather looks over cast today and tomorrow with winds of 5 knots of so down here in Hampton. With any luck I might even get a chance to get down the club. Now if I can shake this head cold!!!!!!!!!.

[FunnyFlyer]

Probably had the best three flying sessions of the year last Saturday, Sunday and today.

There's something about a calm, sunny Autumn day that is difficult to describe - it just suits flying a model plane - whether free-flight, control-line or RC.

[Turbycat]

Fingers crossed for tomorrow for me!! Sat and Sun were brilliant too. It looked like I'd taken a squadron of planes to the field. Poor car was rammed full even the front passenger seat!!

Andy

[John Hickson]

Went yesterday as I was off work "ill"

Took my mates dad who is getting on a bit and who's goal before he "pops his clogs" (his words not mine) is to fly an RC plane. So I took him along, his foamy Piper Cub and buddy-boxed my DX8 with his DX6, he had a ball, though I had to take control a lot of the time

I flew my Stinger 64 with a Dons Wicked motor in it for the first time, man its fast, I was shaking when I finally brought it down. It really flys well for such a small plane dispite the blustery weather. Ran 6 packs through it and had a whale of a time

Then I decided to maiden my Parkzone Spitfire MkIX, this was a bad idea as the sun was getting low and at my club, you face the sun when flying where we are supposed to. I did a couple of low passes, then lost it against the sun. It nose-dived hard. It is now very broken indeed

But I'm not sad, despite my love of all things Spitfire, apart from the time in fitting an RX and getting the control surfaces trimmed, I have invested no time in the build of this plane. I can imagine how I would feel if it had been something I had invested hours and hours building, only for me to spanner it into the deck and write it off. There's a lot to be said for foamys

[WolstonFlyer]

Just had a lovely hour's (well just a bit more) lunch break flyng my Flying Wings EZ-3D at the field. Only one other flyer there, our chief instructor so had a great chance to get some 1:1 tips and advice and a lot of much needed practice at doing nice circuits and figure eights.

Even though the plane is very small and light it has taught me a lot about flying in slightly blustery conditions with a model that is basically a flying "ceiling tile" and that will try and go wherever the wind pushes it.

I even managed some nice big loops and a little bit of knife edge. Very pleased

 

Edited By WolstonFlyer on 10/10/2012 14:24:52

Edited By WolstonFlyer on 10/10/2012 14:25:33

[Dave Bran]

Today?

91 Powered Panic

Sceadu 50 with OS50 Hyper ("soft" set up for precision aerobatics) 20% nitro

Sceadu 50 with TT Redline 53 ( hooligan setup) 30% nitro

a Dr David Halko "Superflea" modded to prop in slot

FireFly with 3 axis gyro

Two own design deltas for some ground scraping stunting

A 60's high wing cabin I forget the name of (maiden for a friend, went well after I added down and side thrust!)

Simprop "Rabbit" Hotliner (even with flapperon/spoileron you land it from the next county!!)

Yesterday?

Eurocopter "Squirrel" with Shuttle and Irvine 36

Cougar 2000 with Irvine 39 (truly wonderful engine which would idle ultra slowly all day if you left it!)

Sceadu with TT Redline 53

Buzz Lightning

MSComposit Pitts "Bulldog"

FireFly with 3 axis gyro

Only three of us there today, me the longest. Had a low flyover by the local invasion striped Spitfire, today, too!!

[MikeS]

Got out down the club yesterday. I was glad to see another member was already flying. It was overcast but little wind. What wind was blowing was in our favour and straight down the runway. Took the P40 up and did some classic fighter moves such as barrel rolls, some split-s and few victory rolls.

Second flight lent itself to a bent undercarriage leg due to a heavy landing. Pilot error I think so.

While down the club I had planned to run in my new ASP 70 FS. Being my first four stoke I had ever started I had the manual in hand. All went well and I followed the manual for running the engine.

 

 

 

 

Edited By MikeS on 10/10/2012 16:51:40

[Andrew767]

Still as you like on the edge of the pennines today...Dug out an old Overlander Happy Boy Super from the loft. Amazing how much fun can be had with a little 36" span trainer. I think Mowerman might have some photos...............Anyone remember these?.

Andrew