Brrrrrr, winter's here, how much flying are you getting in?

[Masher]

I had three 10 minute flights with my WOT 4 FoamE today and really enjoyed it. Weather was perfect; bright, sunny, calm and dry under feet - just a bit cold by the end. I had forgotten how much fun you can have when the conditions are good!

[Pete B]

Posted by Erfolg on 09/01/2013 16:55:50:

The model no longer flies well, being fast, prone to stalling and twitchy. I guess weight gain, a rearward drift of the CG, are all playing there part,

Nice description of your day, Erfolg - but I don't think you really needed to describe me so accurately......

Pete

[Erfolg]

As most modellers, even those who have retired, there are things to be done. Today, I needed to order that new towel rail, type radiator and valves for the bathroom. Which I unsuccessfully did, out of stock. Then it was a case of phoning my other half, to find out, would she be coming home tonight? No, as my granddaughter is still unwell. Two Doctors for parents and all they know she is ill, with some gastric bug. What can you say?

This left me a degree of freedom I have not enjoyed, since my wife retired.

So I put my park flyer on charge, gave it a once over and continued building my replacement park flyer, a TECHone Pulama 3D-EPP. Hope it flies as well as it sounds. I eventually heard the warble of the finished a charge sound (or is it music to a modellers ear). Put on my coat and hat, grabbed the Tx and model, and went out.

I thought it was cold yesterday, now the air temperature is no more than 3C, the ground felt even more squelchy. Each step leaving a clear track across the ground. I was soon at my favourite location, no dogs today, nobody at all, which ever way I looked.

Before leaving the house my examination had revealed that one aileron was low, which i corrected using pliers on the zig-zag adjuster. So it was a case of powering up, and launching, underarm, having prayed that the trim was not to far out. Fortunately not, other than over elevated, which was adjusted via the trim.

I concentrated on circuits, as I have not had any air time recently. In some ways this was a good policy, as the model is not the nicest handling any more. Tending to tip stall, suddenly and then heading of in the new direction. I think this is due to the narrow tip chord relative to the root, and the appearance of the tip being mauled by a hungry for foam dog. Before landing, one loop was tried, which the model barely flopped around.

In the afternoon after recharging, I went back again. The temperature seemed even colder, that totally matt grey sky was still there, so toneless, it could have been airbrushed or acrylic roller painted using a liquidiser. Everything was even damper than in the morning. Picking the model of the ground, had my hands wet, from the damp that the airframe had picked up from the grass. The transmitter also having become damp. Which I wiped down on my jacket, then realising what I had done, looked around furtively, to see if the wife was there, half expecting her admonishment on what are you doing, do you want to look like a tramp!

The same flight pattern was repeated. I did notice that the model was becoming ever less likely to follow a track, going off, one way, before being straightened up, then repeating the process. It is noticeable, that the model is now never trimmed out, always being flown by the sticks. First applying constant pressure this way, then that. Anyway the battery sagged and I landed, nothing to get excited about, all in all.

Picking the model up, I could feel that the model was not firm, a slight wobble could be felt in the airframe. Looking more carefully, I could see that there were more stress cracks than a week old Bristol Brabazon. The body had a new stress crack, almost across the fuselage, the fin was totally cracked on one side, just the plastic film holding it on. pus there now appears to be some issue across the body and wing, mid junction, which seems strange.

I have now glued the fractures, the model now looks its age.

[Paul Travis]

Been out today, I was the only one at the club flying.

flew my habu 2 with retracts and flaps and also my parkzone p47 same as.

great day ! field to myself got 6 flights in today and 10 on Friday but was very fresh still not warmed up lol.

[Simon B]

Our field is utterly waterlogged

[Alan Randall]

6 of us down the field today. My Parkzone Extra was ok on the bare bits of the runway, but touch the snow and the spats soon clogged up with snow.

[Andy Palmer]

Quite a few of us at the club field today, we are on the south coast so probably luckier than some with the weather. I have now been to the field 7 times so far this year, each time flying my Multiplex Twister and HobbyKing SportJet, both EDF's.

[Pat (rActive) Harbord]

Sunny here in the shires, but still very cold. Managed 3 batteries through my wing before my fingers were beginning to lose feeling.

[John Privett]

There were about 10 present when I arrived this afternoon, though 2 left almost immediately and another shortly afterwards. Don't think it was anything I said... they claimed to have been there since 12:00 (earliest we can fly) and were now frozen solid.

I had 3 flights and stayed for an hour and a half before those of us who were left decided it was getting even colder and therefore time to leave! Nice blue skies most of the time though, but with a few ominous grey clouds as well.

Whilst I was there two other club members turned up - without planes, but with feeble excuses about why they weren't flying today but just happened to be passing. I reckon they were just curious to see exactly which loonies were actually out enduring the chilly breeze!

[Rob Sten]

15 flyers down at our frosty patch today, from 10 until the last few left around 4.30.

We did have to turn the gas fire down to low when everyone was in the club hut though as it got a bit too toasty....

[avtur]

At last first flight for months (since early October!). Flat calm so took the HZ Champ out, 3 batteries, 30 minutes, by which time fingers were begining freeze. Back in one piece and hoping it wont be another 3 months before the next outing !

[Turbycat]

Absolutely beautiful afternoon yesterday. The sun came out and the breeze dropped to almost nothing. I spent the grey morning running in my new Jen 37 on its tuned pipe. I've put it on the front of my homebuilt delta and it goes like a rocket now. I will prop it up a bit more as it is revving away very happily!

Andy

[cymaz]

Rain in the morning 'till lunchtime in PL25. Then overcast but not a breath of wind, superb still air, not a murmer. Needed snorkle and flipper to get onto the strip though

[Flanker .]

Been out a lot. I tend to fly more in winter as the temperature is more agreable. Been about 12 to 18 º sunny, light or no wind. Needed my sun specs. Been trying out the new Twister 400 s and my new Acrowot. Both lovely. You can read about my Twister experiance **LINK** here.

Jan often brings warm clear days. Great. Still cold out of the sun though.

Go well. F

[Erfolg]

As the rest of the country i woke up to a car which was covered in snow. Looking out into the park, revealed a white landscape. Walking to get my newspaper, revealed a slight nip to the air, but not freezing.

I do my weekly shop on Mondays, whilst my wife baby sits/child minds for my daughter. By lunchtime the sky was blue, The white stuff was now slush.

Although still recuperating and avoiding people like the plague. Not being able to bare the thought of further infections, it does not stop me flying (now) in the park and golf course.

Wrapping up my Michelin man body with even more clothes, I trundled of into the park, with my rather fragile, soon to be replaced, i hope parkflyer.

Whilst walking, I was considering what the Temperature Glass was for Depron. Could be 3C, probably a bit lower, I thought. As we all know, polymers do embrittle at temperatures which are not that low. Probably a bit lower than today though.

So how did the flying go. Well I seem to have trimmed the model out better at the moment. Though performance has deteriorated quite a lot as the weight of repairs has piled on. Possibly as much as 50g. Yet seem to make a difference, to a Depron parkflyer.

I was waiting for the lipo to come on song as the internal temperature rose. Sadly, the performance fell away as the flight continued. I am guessing that the lipo is coming towards the end of its life now.

All too soon was the battery sagging, the model just barely climbing on full throttle. Just one more circuit, a bit of a stretch, I can do it, although the model may not.

After scrapping round, I did think, that was an error of judgement, it easily have ended in tears.

Splashing home through the slush, and water logged grass, I thought, yeah, it was worth it. Probably about 20-30 circuits, a loop, that just missed the ground, a roll, so barrel like, that I decided that enough was enough. A cursory examination revealed yet another crack in the Depron. OMG,how much more repairs can I do?

All I need is a female JST connector, to finish my Pulama, I have 10 on order, but when will they come. How long is a piece of string. So many questions, so few answers!

[Jon Laughton]

Three flights last weekend with the MPX Dogfighter is the fields behind the house and thats all since November! Getting withdrawal symptoms from lack of glow fuel combustion products!

[buster prop]

I was at the field on Sunday afternoon, apart from a quick visit just after new year this was first time since well before xmas. Very cold here on Sunday with a light wind. The track into the field is muddy with ruts so my car's tyres got really dirty. On the previous visit the weather was cold calm and sunny and I made the mistake of flying a small fast plane, dark colour all over, too far away and past the sun which was low in the sky. I got disoriented and luckily had the presence of mind to close the throttle and hold in a bit of 'up' as soon as I realised I'd lost it when the plane went behind a hedge. When I trudged into the next field it was ok apart from a broken prop, bent u/c and being muddy. Not really a crash, just a hard landing... On Sunday last it wasn't sunny but I flew my oldest plane (an Ironic, anyone else got one?) which I just kept to near circuits, reversals and loops, only short flights because of cold fingers. The Ironic was built from a GMD laser cut kit about 10 years ago, originally with a geared speed 400 it's now got a Pelikan C2830/12 on 3S, a tough old plane which always flies well so I use it as a 'hack' and sometimes to carry a Flycam.

[Erfolg]

Again today, (Tuesday) on drawing the curtains, i looked out onto a cold looking landscape, grass white with frost, the dawn still taking place at 08:00 hrs.

As usual my wife had left me with a job to do, phone up, to find out when the new bookcase would arrive. I had managed to empty the old one, piled the books up, moved piles of furniture. Anyway, the delivery would take place between 15:30 - 18:30 hrs.

Which meant I just had to change a long life energy efficient bulb in the hall, must have lasted all of 10 hrs running.

Put a box of Christmas decorations into the loft which i had forgotten, some how, when the rest went back!

Write a letter to the council.

Have Breakfast

So 2 hours later (10:00hrs), I was ready to go once more into the park, to the golf course and fly.

Walking across the grass emitted a soft crunching sound, the ground initially firm under foot. In some places my weight, broke through to the soft ground underneath. The sun, was pale and watery, as in a Turner painting, set in a grey syk.

My flights were completely without incident, around I went, then again, and again. i then let my mind wander a little to those who can fly their indoor/parkfyers, inbetween trees, under power lines, then do it all again inverted, to finish of with a truly vertical climb from the hover. So I decided to be reckless and do a loop. It appears my model has had its best days well behind it, after a short dive, feeding in up elevator on full power and the model barely flopped over. Later a roll was equally unimpressive. My thoughts were, I need more basic skills it would seem. Landing was a real greaser, other than I sheared the balanced areas of both sides of the elevator, when I fed in full up to flair the model. It certainly slid and rolled along the frozen ground.

As i walked home, i could not but notice the Sun was shining now, with all its wintry might.

Now to take a few pictures of a couple of models, take the washing of the maidens, move some more furniture, have a bath, all before the boss gets home!

[Masher]

Oh Erfolg, you do have a way with words - I read your post before going out to my local turf field and was hoping to come back and write a story like you - but just don't have the creative streak.

I too am "retired" so enjoy quite a bit of freedom taking advantage of the weather whenever I can (and have an airworthy plane). I'm using up my freedom points before an impending very large DIY project takes priority over flying. Sometimes, just for a nanosecond or two, I feel guilty about this position of freedom.....................then I remind myself that I earned over 40 years of hard graft which I didn't come through unscathed! So, when I was today flying next to a cackle of "forign sounding" workers toiling on the land I didn't feel any guilt being their playing with my toy.

Today was perfect for flying and I enjoyed three batteries worth on my WOT 4 Foam-E - not sure it could be beaten. My only mild concern, as is usual here, was the curious Buzzard which kept enough distance but I'm sure he would have come in if I'd gone deadstick!

This poor thing not only has to put up with freezing temperatures and irratic flying but also intrusive Buzzards - they think they own the place! She's also been stuck back together again more times than some people have had hot dinners (not me unfortuneatly, yes I have been stuck back together a few times but I've had far too many hot dinners)

Am I spoilt or what? The white fleck in the foreground is a Buzzards feather!

If it's like this tomorrow, I will have to bite the bullet and try my HK Hurricane, gulp!

Edited By Masher on 15/01/2013 14:08:48

Edited By Masher on 15/01/2013 14:11:58

[Erfolg]

Masher

I think we see flying in a similar way, a means to getting out and enjoying the world and flying a model.

We could sit in front of the TV with our flight simulator or X box, playing Air Combat6 the fires of liberation. It is not the real thing is it. No real light, the feel of the air, there is just so much to enjoy when out flying.

It is noticeable that you have no frost. In my case, by mid day, where the Sun struck, the green was showing, although anything in shadows remained covered in frost, Even now as I type, I can see the frost advancing again, as the shows lengthen.

I have been considering a Wot4-E as my converted trainer seems a little heavy.

[Masher]

Erfolg

We seem to be lucky with the weather. It was very icy on the early morning dog walk whilst I've just been out again and it's been too hot - mind you I never go out in less than 4 layers these days. As I sit now having just logged my batteries after charging, the sun is coing down fast and we are in for a cold night. I'm in Herefordshire.

I can completely endorse the WOT4-E. I have only recently learnt to fly and it can be used (almost) as a trainer through to serious stunts as demonstrated by the fast boys on YouTube. This is my second one since at £97 including delivery (KLMS) you can't go wrong. Mine has been busted a few times but an hour or so with the Gorilla glue and shes up again - if a little wonky.

I was thinking today that it would be nice to replace it yet again just so that I could have that so far elusive pristine model - but I know what would happen first time out!

Better go, she's just got back with the shopping!

Martin

[CrosstownTee]

Brrrr indeed... -3° was the max temperature today in Belgium but it felt a lot colder with that breeze... and last night we had a fresh new carpet of white delivered all over the country.

Time for the Wild Hawk and it's Wingcam to capture this.

Short flight though... too cold for my fingers, even with gloves!

Greetz!

T.

[bouncebounce crunch]

Fire and brimstone down here in Oz. happy to swap some flames for ice.

[Devcon1]

Pretty cold here in Devon with last Sunday being fine flying weather, a few outings with my trusty Formula 3D Magic were very enjoyable.

I'd love to have an external temperature sensor on my telemetry to see what it was like up there, the first flight was in 1 degrees at ground level.

Snow (or cold rain) forecast at the end of this week so we'll see what this weekend brings

Regards

[Erfolg]

I do like videos, such as the one above inserted by Crosstown Tee, really has a feel of a cold wintry day, drawing to a close.

Wednesday, weather, well just like yesterday.

There was a difference, my ears are still aching, from the bashing I received from the better half. Why is all that packaging in the Hall? How is the book case? You have not put books in yet have you? What is that smell?

Answer, the whole thing came in a bloody big,no, giant cardboard box. Which I had to remove. I only put a few books in, to size the shelf gap. The smell is what ever they have finished in, nothing to do with me.

Where is the old bookcase?

Answer, I managed to get it upstairs by myself, using my furniture trolley.

Have you put books,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Similar to the HK debate, it may be called French Oak Bookcase, but the made in China on the packaging tells a different story. Again the quality is outstanding, not a high priced, substandard, MDF flat pack. Again gives a lie to you only get what you pay for.

Anyway, wife has gone for coffee with her golfing buddies, the course she plays on being closed still. So I was free to go out, to play with my plane.

As is usual, walking to my designated flying site, I took stock of the weather, I could not help but notice there was less obvious frost, but the ground is now frozen. The other thing I was aware of, there is still no wind, I think I felt well enough to go out and fly about 7 days back. Having read that wind turbine companies are getting payed even when not generating, I thought a nice little earner.

I had repaired my elevator yesterday, by attaching the balancing bit on the elevator to to the fixed part.

I launched the model underarm as usual, only to see the model take a dive. After an hours frantic adjustment of the elevator trim with my left hand. First avoiding a dive, then the stall, as I fought the model around the short circuit, avoiding the ground and the trees that were leaping out, every few yards. The model was eventually brought under control, OMG, it was possibly a minute, but felt like hours.

Once settled into flying circuits, it became apparent that the elevator mod, was really good. Previously, there was often a longitudinal twitch, as the model moved up wind or downwind. This had now gone. I think the issue was that this so called balancing area, would be caught by the airstream, and put an additional load on the servo, rather than relieve it, as intended.

It had struck me that a lot of the phenomena we see, is a consequence of the model being flown relative to the modeller, so the model is being accelerated or decelerated, to attain an apparent constant airspeed.

It now appears that the Lipo is in its death throws, as on my final circuit the power died away. I immediately opened the throttle, to get nothing extra. The model just descending, I barely got round, landing about 30 feet short, on a green. I furtively looked around, scurried on to the green, disconnected the lipo and rushed of the green. Not wishing to incur the wrath of a grounds man. Recognising that I am tolerated, as I do obey the signs about keeping of the greens, due to ground conditions.

Walking back home I did reflect that it seems to be getting colder, enough, that I will probably not go out to fly again today.