Hurrah! Spring's finally here, how much flying are you getting in?

[Bernie]

UM! how do you turn a transmiter on ? yes it's been a long time. trying to get my BV215 ready so i can use the field at back of my house .

Edited By Bernie on 26/06/2013 20:19:33

[Adrian Smith 1]

Yup two long sessions in two days running - so nice to get out of the workshop at last. Hoping to maiden my 50cc Slipstream Sbach 342 gasser in the next few days if weather holds. As that well known knight of the realm quoted as saying, ie Sir Alex Ferguson, it will be Squeaky B-m time for me! Sorry Mods!

[ben goodfellow 1]

5 flights last night and 5 the night on the beach near home , now the tide is wrong so thats the end of that till net week.

[Concorde Speedbird]

I had a great Domino flying session. Brilliant flyer and great fun. Engine as always started and ran perfectly, you can start it with a little backwards flick of the wrist holding the spinner, easy, and it gives the plane a ton of character. Excellent!

CS

[Mike Etheridge 1]

Got out yesterday for only the second time this year to the club flying field at Bartons Point. Took the Super 60 with 50 year old Junior 60 wings, the Twinstar 2 and Weston Cougar. Had the usual engine trouble with glow plug issues and dead stick landings. But what a lovely day!

Pictures taken by club mate Peter Bruce.

MJE

[Erfolg]

They say things happen in threes.

This saying was not on my mind when I was on my way to the field. For a Sunday morning i was quite early, at about 09:45. The roads were quite, no more yellow from the oil seed rape plants, to make things pretty. I did spy a rather large bird of pray sitting on top of a local power supply pole, looking for breakfast.

At the field there was no one, well it was quite early. I parked up, unlocked the gate to the field. I decided that the first model would have to be my workhorse, as I would have to launch it myself. Walking to the pit area I reflected that I had not seen any hares in the last two years. Not since lampers had been decimating all the hares in the district. All the farmers responding by placing concrete filled tractor tyres in the gate ways to prevent vehicular access. In many ways not a typical summers day of previous years, no swallows, even the number of crows, and buzzards seem to missing in the numbers of previous years.

Flying the old work horse, I contented myself in doing my mild acrobatics. It was obvious to me that all my focus being on gaining my "A" test, has had a detrimental effect on the rest of my limited repertoire. I did not have anywhere near the control in inverted flight, loops OK, but stall turns were abysmal. As is usual I landed the model when the ESC reduced power. The light 10 mph wind causing no problems, just helping.

Two other members had now arrived, no more Billy no mates.

Next model up was my GWS Texan, at long last, I had dealt with side thrust issue, shimming the motor to prevent the left turn on launch. It was now a pleasure to fly from the start. The model being so easy, that i let my mind wander, to what was probably a buzzard that I caught sight of, out of the corner of my eye. The model in the mean time had taken the model some distance up wind. Not wanting to let it get further away, I banged in the aileron, pulled in the elevator. I immediately stalled, the model plummeting down, not responding in any positive way from some 60 feet. At the last second i cut the throttle, to late lessen the impact. A slow walk to the scene to pick up the bits, and plenty time to reflect on the catalogue of errors.

Next up was my Dornier 335. During the preflight inspection I spotted that the front motor was not firmly fixed. After some consideration, I decided that the issue was enough to prevent flight. Particularly as the wind was at least 10 mph, and I am not sure that the rear motor would be enough. Hmmm, that is problem No..2.

This left my tried and tested Sagitta, which was duly readied, checked and launched. At the moment, I am not really into gliders (electric). The launch, was as usual, the model climbing vertically, tending to go overhead due to the wind vector. A quick dab of down had the model moving out in front. I took it to about 200 foot, levelled out, let my mind wander. Suddenly my attention was grabbed, as the model was now travelling really fast in the level. The trouble is this is a twenty year old model and design. To some extent this is its weakest aspect, being rudder elevator, using a balanced rudder. It was not designed for very high speed. I cut the throttle, almost simultaneously there was a load bang. Something had come of the model and could be seen to be slowly fluttering down. One member said I will watch where the bits come down, you try and save the plane. I now knew I had a tiger by the tail, as I brought the model round with rudder. Or had it tuned upwind by itself. I desperately tried some control of pitch, which seemed to be working after some fashion. By now I was thinking, either the model is taking care of itself, or I have control and if so, it seems as normal. Tentatively i brought the model down, slowly, carefully. A modeller next to me said, your rudder seems to be there. I said, have i lost a tailplane. Defiantly not, was the reply. Maybe it is the top of the rudder, do you think? I eventually landed at my feet, most un IC club like I thought. But it was completely intact. I then could see that some of the Solar film was missing. The balsa sheeting being clearly visible.

It is strange though why I really thought the model was in danger in of tumbling out of the sky at any second. As suggestions were made that a wing tip had come of, or the rudder had gone. All the time thinking, do I turn tightly towards the intact wing, to to keep the model level. How can i control direction with no rudder. All the time convinced, control is marginal. Yet it was unchanged, all inputs being slight, not to upset the apparent equilibrium.

After switching of, I set of to bring the other member back, as he was now about 2-3 fields away. All covered in high crops, of Barley and similar things.

Now I am thinking all things happen in threes. But do they, as a Hay Fever sufferer, my eyes were itching like mad and streaming in tears. Do things happen in fours?

[David Ashby - Moderator]

Continuation thread here.