Night flying

[Bosh]

A few years ago we were on holiday in Singapore. While out and about one evening we saw a few models being flown in a park (couldn't find the pilots)

The models looked fantastic in the air though and brightened the evening with their bright LEDs. Does anyone fly these here in good old blighty?

[Phil 9]

Can you buy an ARTF already fitted out with lights for night flying?

[Allan Bowker]

I don't know of one other than the Night Vapor (an indoor flyer) and can only be flown outside in zero wind conditions.

My local model shop will build and sell planes BNF with lights for night flying, I'm sure yours would too.

[stu knowles]

I flew a LimboDancer type fun fly model with glow sticks banded to each wingtip, one between the wheels and one under the fus at the back. I started at dusk and kept flying into the pitch darkness. I was amazed at how easy it was, easy to keep a reference on the model, easy to aerobat and when landing, the glow from the sticks, though dim, was enough to illuminate the ground just before touchdown.

What was difficult was refueling and finding all your stuff in the dark!! I guess a torch would have been sensible but ruined your night vision.

Fitting a few LEDs would work on any model and be so much more visible than a glow stick.

There's only one way to find out for yourself....

stu k

[Phil 9]

Posted by stu knowles on 18/11/2012 11:13:12:

What was difficult was refueling and finding all your stuff in the dark!! I guess a torch would have been sensible but ruined your night vision.

Using a dull red light would enable you to see enough and protect your night vision

[stu knowles]

That would involve planning ahead! Honestly, I didn't think that I would have still been there in the pitch dark.

stu k

[Engine Doctor]

Hello Bosh . We started doing this at our club some years ago for a bonfire night fly-in. Limited planes to slower flying and electric ,Zaggy is excellent . We used to buy the led's off of ebay and wire them our selves but you can now buy stips of led's from giant Shark at VERY reasonable prices. Give it a try as its good fun but do start at dusk and get into the really dark flying gradually and your orientation will come really easily. Good fun in the summer but the cold winter evenings do take some getting used too .

E.D

ps . take a really good torch as if you do come a cropper the battery almost certainly disconnects and gets ejected and finding all the bits can be tricky

[Carl Muff]

my first go was with a gws slow stick and now i,m using a old parkie plane ,the video is the slow stick

 

 

 

Edited By Steve Hargreaves - Moderator on 21/11/2012 08:50:33

[Simon Chambers]

Posted by Carl Muff on 19/11/2012 12:49:49:

my first go was with a gws slow stick and now i,m using a old parkie plane ,the video is the slow stick

 

Did you get any reports of alien UFOs in the local papers?

Edited By Simon Chambers on 19/11/2012 13:45:08

[Carl Muff]

fun you should say that i did do over work once ,just as the shift changed over and one lad tried to stop some of the next shift cos he had seen a ufo

[Carl Muff]

check out this one looks very good

Edited By Steve Hargreaves - Moderator on 21/11/2012 08:51:13

[David perry 1]

When I was flying helis a few years back there was a craze for illuminated night blades...do heli pilots still use these things?

David

[Richard Harris]

This was my feeble attempt ,the first with an autogyro

 

 

 

And the second with a para mtor which was never flown again after this

 

 

Rich

 

Edited By Richard Harris on 02/12/2012 12:44:54