Spring is here!!! Who has been out flying??

[Reno Racer]

Typically, now I'm on leave the weather is rubbish- what happened to all those sunny low wind days watched drift by through the window at work!

I did manage 3 visits to the field in the last week, before the wind and rain started. Had a few good trimming flights with the Escapade MX, ran in the engine for the funfighter and put a fair few lipos through the EFlite Advance, PK spitfire, Habu and Wildcat, although the PK wildcat has been sold to a fellow club member.

I wish the weather would clear, I have maidens to do on my HET F-20 Tigershark, Cambrian ME109 and new LX models 47" span F4F Wildcat. The engine on my H9 Denight Special also needs a good run, it's not flown since last year.

I suspect the day I go back to work it will be 12+ degrees and the wind will be less than 5 mph!

[Dave Hopkin]

Posted by Reno Racer on 31/03/2015 21:30:26:

I suspect the day I go back to work it will be 12+ degrees and the wind will be less than 5 mph!

Hurry back to work then

[Reno Racer]

Thanks Dave, that helps particularly because I know you'll then enjoy the nice weather I'm looking at through the window!

[Steve T]

Looks great here too....bright sunshine....5c!......25mph slight breeze.....hello April, looks like I will fly as much as I didn't in Jan, Feb and t'other month....how many times and how loud do I need to sigh?

[Dave Hopkin]

Looks promising tommorow....... dry and almost no wind.........

No-one eat sprouts for tea please.....

[Erfolg]

Hallelujah, spring has at last reached here, the Northern Power House.

Thursday is not a flying day for either of my two clubs, but hey, this is the first half decent day this year, nay, possibly 6 whole months!

A difficult decision though, is it club No.2 where I have been flying mostly, as I can use models with a UC, yet the rate of attrition as the trees continue to reach out and entrap models, and all crashes are across the river. Or No1, where the field is tussocked , but wide open clear vistas, where all crashes can be walked to with ease? Yet there still the issue of cows, ah, they will still be in the sheds. So club No1. it was.

I took my Delta, Nobler and Pushy cat.

I parked up, as expected i was Billy no mates. Looking round i immediately had confirmation of spring may be summer is here. A Buzzard in the adjacent field, was slowly circling. I watched for many minutes, as it slowly rose to a dot in the sky. I could not help but notice that on the down wind cross leg, the wings would twitch as it momentarily stalled, before continuing to circle and rise remorselessly. At height, it suddenly broke out of the circle and flew in a straight line, some half mile upwind to join two more at the same height. Where they continued to circle, looking momentarily away and then returning my gaze, I found that all three had gone, as if they were never there.

Anyway, back to flying, I noted that my Tx is low, having messed with several models in the workshop. i made a mental note to recharge on getting home.

Rather than bore you with a blow by blow of my achievements, i will save you by stating everything went very well. I have noted that perhaps I need to modify the Nobler, as its roll rate is very low and also very barrely. Also stall turns are hit and miss due to the very small rudder and fin. I have been debating if it is worth while, as modifying my VS Tomboy to a all weather RC model, much of the character went, a far better model, which can be flown up to about 12 mph, undertake some basic aerobatics. No longer a floater, just for the evening though. Turning the Nobler from a one plane CL model to a multi axis aerobatic model, could turn it visually into something else. The ailerons, which were just flaps in the original, do not function well in their new role. The same with the fin and rudder, all they had to do previously was keep the model from turning into the circle, now i want more Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

The good news was a successful 1.5 hours of playing. Winter blues in retreat.

Roll on Summer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Edited By Erfolg on 02/04/2015 16:17:19

Edited By Erfolg on 02/04/2015 16:18:10

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

Cracking day in Herts/Beds - perfect flying conditions and, like in Erfolg's neck of the woods, shared with several exuberant and curious local birds (feathered variety) buzzards, red kites, gulls and sundry others, all celebrating the joys of spring in the air.

Shame as many club members couldn't make it but the 10 or so that did were rewarded with smooth air, sunshine and blue skies to leave smoke trails on (if flying proper models!)

[ken anderson.]

luckily we went out flying yesterday in ne..1 land...today is crepe..rain all day and cold..title needs changing back to winter....

ken Anderson...ne..1 .....weather dept.

[Jon Laughton]

Long overdue maiden of this Tucan (with retracts) yesterday; flies very nicely - four uneventful flights and also maidened a friends ST Discovery without any complications.

[John Privett]

The forecast didn't look too promising for this afternoon down here in NE Surrey - a mixture of 'Light Rain', 'Dark Clouds' and 'Heavy Rain' was forecast by the Beeb. We can't fly before noon, and by 2pm we'd only seen the 'Dark Clouds'. I was pondering a trip to go flying but thinking the rain was bound to arrive just as I did. A clubmate rang and mentioned that the xcweather forecast didn't mention rain at all so we decided it was worth a try.

We had a couple of hours of almost flat calm, but dull conditions with a couple of brief spells of very light drizzle. A third club member turned up shortly after we arrived, and later on a fourth turned up too - but without any planes. On seeing that we were flying and intending to stay a bit longer he disappeared to get a plane. As he returned with his model the rain arrived...

Three more days of the long bank holiday weekend - I wonder how many will be flyable?

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

I don't know about the eclipse and spring etc, but they sky's sprung a leak and I've not seen the sun all day

c,mon Cymas it's not good enough

John

[cymaz]

Saturday afternoon and then for the next 7-10 days,

[Erfolg]

Great Day in the Northern what ever we are.

At club No.2, flew HZ Albatross, HK Arcus and OD Canard (re Ente).

Large Vulcan is now flying well, everything is apparently pushed to the limit, but it really is impressive. I do debate Could I build a TN Version?

Time after Time a HK autogyro, a pretty fancy one at that, really flew well, when turning that Whop, whop sound I had only associated with Helicopters could be heard.

For once the trees or the siren of the river did not claim a single model. The site does show up my limitations, in that many of the manoeuvres I do at club No.1 cannot be replicated by me, not here!

A really good afternoon.

[ken anderson.]

overcast and cold today in ne..1 land...still a few of the old crowd attended ....one complete write off and another mid air....the usual wrecking crew were the guilty parties ... keeps the LMS in business I suppose....photo's to follow...........here are the two villains,,,Top gun Tredd and ccc Carr. 

 

 

 

ken Anderson...ne..1.... wrecking dept.

Edited By ken anderson. on 04/04/2015 18:03:21

Edited By ken anderson. on 04/04/2015 18:05:34

[Don Fry]

Does the wind never stop in France, fed up.

[Paul Marsh]

Took 4 models - 3 IC. All old, but sort or re-maidens, as they had new 2.4 rx's put in them and using the new Hitec A9 which I bought last week. One model hadn't flown for over 10 years and was built by me in the 90's The engine went straightaway and all have now been trimmed on the new radios.

no wind here.

[Erfolg]

Donald, stop eating the beans

Paul, how about a bit more data on the Hitec, what does it do, and how have you used it?

Ken, I do wish i was a better or even half good photographer, your pictures really do add life to a session.

I am busy charging batteries for tomorrow at club no1, a great field, great set of guys, other than no landing strip.

Apparently we have an issue with our BMFA insurance so need to go there, this does mean a different set of models.

[Chris Barlow]

Our strip was surprisingly very wet & muddy!

Not cleaning that till Monday after I've finished!

[Jez Harris 1]

2 lots of good stuff today..

I was the succesful re-maiden of my newly repaired 1/4 scale cub..

And then a successful maiden of a 1/4 scale Balsa USA Fokker Dviii..

A totally ace day!

Jez

[Kevin Fairgrieve]

Just took a couple of foamies to maiden today.

First.

Second.

Both flew really well. The Radjet just needing a tweak to the aileron throws.

Also put a couple of batteries through the Quad.

And remaidened the old E-flite P-40 after eventually managing to source a new motor for it.

Kev

[cymaz]

A cracking day in St. Austell. The wind dropped and the sun came out

Most of us flew Wots.....Perfect

[Chris Barlow]

Also flew my Tucano again although it was a bit lumpy up there for something so light!

Filmed by Paul.

[Mowerman]

First time since November at the field yesterday. Two short flights then motor mount cracked up, horrible noise so quick landing

Ground still soggy, £30,000 Jaguar got bogged down an had to be towed out by £12,000 Skoda .

[Erfolg]

It is strange how you can become addicted to UC on your models. This is the primary reason i fly at club No.2, because there you can use them.

Due to club duties i am of to club No.1, in my gauche white leather trainers, that my wife hates so much, they are relegated to flying duties. I am reminded of the pleasant drive to the field, on this rather dull day, with a mist in the air, seemingly denser at modest height than at ground level.

I took four models to fly, a Pushy cat, Canard (Ente), Dornier 335 and my work horse Delta. Plus my trainer, just if things go wrong.

Walking across the field to the members already there and flying, I became aware that my feet were getting wet. Just a few days earlier, the grass had been dry, all this wet just seems to be from the damp air. By the time I reach all present, my trainers were like swimming pools, with water squelching around inside. By the time I leave, my jeans will be wet to mid thigh.

Most were initially flying gliders, which were limited in height due to the mist and them disappearing if allowed any real height. But this had no problems for my models. In fact provide an excuse, if any was needed to undertake multiple low passes, rolling as I pulled up, returning by pulling 3/4 loop and then rolling horizontal.

As the mist cleared, i was able to undertake inverted circles. Plus anything else the models could do.

The only model to provide any slight issue was the 335, as the elevator was overly sensitive and when inverted, there was a tendency to climb. Make mental note, check CG and be prepared to move slightly forward.

The most notable other models present was a Ripmax Spitfire, probably on e of the last remaining in the country. Although these are fine flyers, they are flown hard. All to frequently I have seen one after the other reduced to a rough ball of splintered ply and film. The other was a VS Garmine, it did strike me, it was not much better, if any, when compared to my VS Tomboy. Rather limited in performance, and that in still air.

All to soon, as the sun finally broke through to create a warm beautiful day, one by one the modellers made their good byes and departed. With all my lipos used and my models in one piece, I also left one member to shut the gate and lock up.

All in all, possibly the best day I have had for some time

[brfc7]

Took half of my squadron to field today as a few of them needed setting up on new Tx.

Was there for a good 5 hours so flew them all except the old Nexus. Bit of a poor turn out for a club with 100+ members as was only about 10 their. I was on my own from 10.15 - 11.

Good day had

baz