Chuck Plains Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 Shut up about them kites! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Austin Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 Hi Wayne I did of course mean 1000ft plus! Lost a digit somewhere! Mind you, flying just above freezing point, almost losing a digit is hardly surprising!!! Ha Ha Ha! Go With the Flow Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne drinkwater Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 Bixlers are so much fun arent they?? a 40 minute flight is easily achievable on a single 2200 3 cell, they just float around on almost zero power in the right conditions, I am on my 3rd one now this has full lights setup with rotating beacons , anti collision lights I have cut a huge hole in the bottom and fitted a 2" wheel just under the c of g and now rolling touch and go's are easy also take offs from the beach are a doddle. here is a film of myself and club mate Scott flying on the beach where we live although my model rolls to one side due to a dodgy aileron servo (probably too much sand and salt water ) now replaced **LINK** the sharp eyed of you will see Scotts bixler flying around below me there is a clear shot of it around 2 minutes 47 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jolliffee Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 I love my Bixy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Austin Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 Hi there Wayne Nice video along the beach. What camera were you using? Go With the Flow Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne drinkwater Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 this one just from a local electrical chain store nothing flash fraction of the cost of a Go Pro **LINK** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichFR Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 Well I got my Bixler 2 today everything looks ok but my 35mhz TX-RX don't want to work so I cant really test anything. I had hoped to use this for a while until I upgraded to an Aurora 9 but will have to get one before I can fly. Maybe next month Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne drinkwater Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Here is my latest camera outing with my bixler filmed last Saturday over one of our beaches **LINK** The Bixler is such a pleasant model to fly I never get bored of it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mart49 Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Posted by wayne drinkwater on 21/01/2014 06:38:02: Here is my latest camera outing with my bixler filmed last Saturday over one of our beaches **LINK** The Bixler is such a pleasant model to fly I never get bored of it Wayne, thanks for the vid. Lovely place to fly. A couple of questions; Whats the red bit sticking out from the nose? And, Why is there no-one in the sea? It looks fab. Mart Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jolliffee Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Hi Wayne. What a beautiful location it must be great to fly there! Was the video taken with a camera mounted where the cockpit normally goes - the reason I ask is I've just got a GoPro and want to try it on my Bixler so any help would most useful - thanks. David Edited By jolliffee on 21/01/2014 16:24:12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne drinkwater Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Mart 49 The red bit sticking out of the nose is the tip of the 2.4 gig receiver, and the reason no one was in the sea that was the tide was out and you would have to wade out miles to get up to your knees, there were a few kids paddling but its too shallow a beach for swimming Hope that helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne drinkwater Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 David I have mounted the camera on a simple balsa platform that fits in place of the cockpit, the camera I use is a inexpensive version of a Go Pro as I cannot justify putting a $500 camera on a $100 model and flying out over the ocean, in case the inevitable happens!!I have added a couple of photos you will see I have also set the servo Y lead plugs into the wing sockets as this speeds up rigging and de-rigging the model which I carry in a backpack type model bag this means I can sling it over my shoulder jump on the old Harley and ride out to various locations. I title all my films 400 feet above.. because this way Youtube groups them together and makes them easier to find,My family back in the UK always want to see where we live now so this is my way of sharing. The camera plat form is not a good fit as I made it for my Bixler 2 and as you can see the Bixler 1 has a different shape cockpit area, but it works I have also added a wheel which is great for rolling touch and goes, and a set of L,E,D,s as I quite often fly at dusk chasing sunsets etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne drinkwater Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 had quite an adventure today I was hooning around with my bixler at the club paddock and when my WCP advised me I had reached 400 ft I thought I would go up a wee bit more when the WCP told me I had exceeded 600ft i chopped the throttle and started just gliding around rolling etc within a few minutes the alarm told me I had exceeded 725 ft?? and sure enough the model was getting smaller and in no time at all I flicked the switch to be tols 812ft!!! Now panic set in I was up to our club ceiling and about 1/2km down wind frantically i tried to lose height diving down but when i leveled out the model was aging gaining height I dove down almost 150 feet only to gain 100ft again !! by now a small crowd gatherd round me all shouting out what to do before I lost range and sight of it. a few of the fliers were frantically rigging their models to take advantage of this incredible lift, eventually I managed to fight the winds to get the Bixler over the boundries of our paddock, rolled it on its bac and set it in a vicious spin down to about 250 feet before settling it in for a landing! I landed with less than 30% battery left and sweaty hands and a dry mouth and a feeling I hadnt felt since learning to fly models Whew!! it was AWESOME but quite panicky wouldnt want to do it again too soon though Edited By wayne drinkwater on 25/01/2014 05:30:22 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Austin Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 Hi Bix Guys and Wayne Bruce here. Wow Wayne that was a bit of good fortune with your recovery, and a good warning to us all, not to get too far out! Had a great hour with the plane last Monday. Gentle breeze and gliding around at plus 1000ft Doing wide circuit for landing. Seemed to hook up a bit of turbulence and I lost orientation just on line of sight with some nearby trees. Oh Oh Ooooh where's it ? Close throttle couple of full elevator sharp turns can't be high now, and maybe crashed???? Maybe quarter of a mile away???? Long story short lost it! Hunted around in trees, along hedge rows. Getting dark! Day Two Notices of lost plane at the various pathways. Search high and low with binoculars, absolutely nothing! So It's lost!!! I took my second Bix 2 out yesterday, bit windy, and just could not get it trimmed out to get a decent glide. Funny, how two identical models behave just that bit differently. All part of the learning curve. I had a heavy ish landing, (not a crash) but I noted that I had damaged one of the fuselage mounted servo gears. I have notice this type of problem before on the fuselage servos. I am going to try out the metal gear servos to see if this can reduce the risk of rough landing damage. So now I am in a quandary about a second model. Get another Bix 2, or maybe go for a Phoenix 2000 with it's two metere wingspan for a bit more gliding? Budgets budgets budgets Ho humm. Any thoughts out there? Go with the Flow Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Plains Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 Posted by Bruce Austin on 25/01/2014 15:37:07: Long story short lost it! Hunted around in trees, along hedge rows. Getting dark! Day Two Notices of lost plane at the various pathways. Search high and low with binoculars, absolutely nothing! So It's lost!!! I took my second Bix 2 out yesterday, Any thoughts out there? Go with the Flow Bruce Dang, sad to hear you lost one Bruce I lost my Bix for an hour last year, and exhausted myself wading through gorse bushes etc to eventually find it. How about setting up a camera on this one to scan the ground/trees while flying the same landing approach as the one that's lost, then checking the video? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Plains Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 Posted by wayne drinkwater on 25/01/2014 05:29:15: had quite an adventure today I was hooning around with my bixler at the club paddock and when my WCP advised me I had reached 400 ft I thought I would go up a wee bit more when the WCP told me I had exceeded 600ft i chopped the throttle and started just gliding around rolling etc within a few minutes the alarm told me I had exceeded 725 ft?? and sure enough the model was getting smaller and in no time at all I flicked the switch to be tols 812ft!!! Now panic set in I was up to our club ceiling and about 1/2km down wind frantically i tried to lose height diving down but when i leveled out the model was aging gaining height I dove down almost 150 feet only to gain 100ft again !! by now a small crowd gatherd round me all shouting out what to do before I lost range and sight of it. a few of the fliers were frantically rigging their models to take advantage of this incredible lift, eventually I managed to fight the winds to get the Bixler over the boundries of our paddock, rolled it on its bac and set it in a vicious spin down to about 250 feet before settling it in for a landing! I landed with less than 30% battery left and sweaty hands and a dry mouth and a feeling I hadnt felt since learning to fly models Whew!! it was AWESOME but quite panicky wouldnt want to do it again too soon though Edited By wayne drinkwater on 25/01/2014 05:30:22 Teehee, I sort of know that feeling. I was enjoying flying into a warm summer sunset last year, and then realised that the plane was so small and just a black slihouette. I had no idea which way it was going. I was still a rank beginner at the time, but managed to think, "Aileron waggle will tell me which way it's pointing!" Sure enough it was going away! So a panic quick turn, then another waggle suggested it was probably coming back. Waited for a while, (30s +) it seems to be getting bigger, another waggle confirmed. Brought 'er in to land, checked pack capacity, sent back up for another 5 mins. No problem, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne drinkwater Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 Ha ha its like finding a self help group Iam not along in hi jinks and stupidity great fun though isn it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Plains Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 Yeap! And now we have the best flying day in weeks available, but I hurt my leg riding my mountain bike so can't even walk from the car to the flying site! DOH!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jolliffee Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 Posted by Chuck Plains on 16/02/2014 13:25:12: Yeap! And now we have the best flying day in weeks available, but I hurt my leg riding my mountain bike so can't even walk from the car to the flying site! DOH!! Yes that is tedious I hope your leg gets better soon. For me I'm trying to get my fence sorted after the gales on Friday night took out 4 of my 6x6 panels - even then the flying field is still under water so I've had it either way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichFR Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 Got mine finished today all electrics sorted, balanced flap/elevator mix setup just waiting for a nice day and the ground to dry a little would need floats around here at the moment and I can get in the air for the first time hope it ends with a smile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne drinkwater Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 you will have a blast I,m sure just remember when you snap the throttle wide open the nose will dip momentarily so easy smooth throttle is the order of the day until you get used to it. And if you do get into difficulty close the throttle and easy on the sticks and it will sort itself out if you have enough height. A guy at our club learned to fly his using just the trim controls Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne drinkwater Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Here is another "Bixler " camera platform film flown from my mate Scott's Bix flown on our local beach you can see my Bixler flitting past here and there Scott uses a Go-Pro 3 camera for his filming http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9214ce0lyM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Clifton-Smith Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 Hi, I have assembled my Bixler 2 but the ailerons work the wrong way around, ie when I press the stick to the right (to make it bank right), the right aileron goes down and the left goes up. It should be the reverse of this. I tried switching the wires in the Y piece but it makes no difference. How do I reverse the current setup? regards David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WolstonFlyer Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 Hi David, you need to reverse the servo direction for the aileron channel on your transmitter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Plains Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 Posted by wayne drinkwater on 25/01/2014 05:29:15: had quite an adventure today I was hooning around with my bixler at the club paddock and when my WCP advised me I had reached 400 ft I thought I would go up a wee bit more when the WCP told me I had exceeded 600ft i chopped the throttle and started just gliding around rolling etc within a few minutes the alarm told me I had exceeded 725 ft?? and sure enough the model was getting smaller and in no time at all I flicked the switch to be tols 812ft!!! Now panic set in I was up to our club ceiling and about 1/2km down wind frantically i tried to lose height diving down but when i leveled out the model was aging gaining height I dove down almost 150 feet only to gain 100ft again !! by now a small crowd gatherd round me all shouting out what to do before I lost range and sight of it. a few of the fliers were frantically rigging their models to take advantage of this incredible lift, eventually I managed to fight the winds to get the Bixler over the boundries of our paddock, rolled it on its bac and set it in a vicious spin down to about 250 feet before settling it in for a landing! I landed with less than 30% battery left and sweaty hands and a dry mouth and a feeling I hadnt felt since learning to fly models Whew!! it was AWESOME but quite panicky wouldnt want to do it again too soon though Edited By wayne drinkwater on 25/01/2014 05:30:22 Hahahaah! :D I'm laughing with you Wayne, not at you. I'm sure most of us have been there and done that. I was flying into a lovely sunset last year , my first year of teaching myself to fly, and suddenly realized that Bix was no more than a tiny, flat, two millimetre silhouette against the bright orange sky!!! Holy *%&$£!! Wait! I waggled the wings and worked out which way Bix was pointing, then made what vaguely looked like a 180 degree turn. I waggled the wings again and they went the opposite way compared to the previous heading. Then I just had to wait and ascertain that my little punctuation mark was actually getting bigger. Phew!!! Success!!! I was on my own at the time as it was already around 9pm, but that adrenaline certainly gives you a boost doesn't it? Edited By Chuck Plains on 10/06/2014 08:54:55 Edited By Chuck Plains on 10/06/2014 08:55:18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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