Autumn is here!!.....Who's been flying??

[David Holland 2]

Quick check this morning shows the fried ESC has shorted out the +, - and signal wires from the Rx, hence the loss of power to the receiver in spite of the UBEC still working. Presumably the ESC only needs signal and negative to work, so would disconnecting the positive be an additional safeguard?

David

[Chris Freeman 3]

I am South African and we had the opposite problem this weekend as the temperatures were around 34 degrees. Our Altitude in Johannesburg is 5000 feet above sea level so with the heat density it was around 8000 feet so not the weather for heavy wing loadings.

[Steve Houghton 1]

I met up with a friend yesterday who came to S Wales for a weeks holiday from southern Germany, just to fly the slopes at Rhossili and the Bwlch.

Unfortunately yesterdays conditions weren't the best with only an 8-9 mph easterly wind, so we flew a slope at the Bwlch known as the Crest, a huge crescent shaped, almost vertical cliff of over 400' high. The lift this little speed of wind gave us was fine but it also brought in very low cloud which enveloped us from time to time. At one point I could hear my friends glider but couldn't see it. Fortunately it popped out of the clouds and he managed to land it ok.

Here's some video of my friend flying his 3 metre Rotmilan.

Edited By Steve Houghton 1 on 31/10/2016 14:54:02

[J D 8]

Lovely rare still day on the west coast. Flew my Mercury Matador radio assist and very few control inputs were needed. Lovely to watch as it did it's thing.

[Erfolg]

This has been a good time for me, although my luck may be running out, having two close shaves.

I must admit I am having difficulties in understanding that pheasants have avoided extinction. Arriving at the field on Sunday there were 10 of them at the very beginning of the farm track, leading to our patch. It seemed 5 males and therefore 5 female making 10. Who said that state educated adults from the 50s could not count or write as the youths of today. Even as i trundled towards them, they just scuttled in front of the car. When I stopped so did they. I moved forward and so on. There were even more of them partially hidden in the hedgerow, i could not count them all, state education only took you so far.

At the patch my newly found test pilot was already there. my luck was in, I am not sure what he thought. I had brought my TH CS, which had been re-kitted by me on my test flight previously, after anther incident. My new pilot has all the necessary skills for such tasks. Firstly nerves f steel. Secondly recognising that model builders are often incompetent and that assurances that everything has been thoroughly checked taken with a pinch of salt. The third component is incredible flying skills, and I mean incredible. The fourth attribute is to take the flight testing, step by step, no yanking into the air and rolls as the model climbs out. Firstly a circuit, then a trim out for no input flight. Then checks for elevator effectiveness, followed by aileron, a loop, inverted flight. an approach for landing, then a go round and landing. After having switched everything of, I am told one by one, each of the attributes, this is then followed by suggested fixes. This time the model was passed with flying colours.

I had brought my PZ Albatross. A pre flight check had a broken cabane strut. I found this whilst checking the wing rigidity, feeling that it was somewhat wobbly (a technical term of us ex engineers for lacking expected rigidity). Whilst discussing why i was not flying it, I picked up the model, where upon another two promptly broke. If this had happened in the air, the whole thing would have disintegrated, as the wing lacked any apparent structural integrity.

Attempts to find replacements have so far been unsuccessful. I have flown this model for 4 years now it seems. I am at a loss of how to fix or make replacement items at present. So far the search goes on.

As is usual i flew my delta and my Nobler. As for the other models present, quite boring, a TN Jet trainer thundering through the sky. Our hot shot pilot undertaking a prop hang, with the rudder parked on the ground, it must be dead easy, as he does this sort of thing all the time. Then some guy turns up, with a Wot 4?, doing inverted figure of 8s at zero inches. Just one did not return to the patch, a Ripmax Spitfire, crashed on approach for a touch and go, without a UC.

My final outing was to the Black hill of Workington. This is a reclaimed slag heap of over a hundred years of steel production. It is built where the beach once was, once upon a time. It stretches for something like 3/4 of a mile to a mile in length. Probably 50 to a 100 foot in height. It looks ot onto the Irish Sea in a westerly direction. A favourite for dog walkers at week end and evenings. Non the less mid week, prior to lunch, deserted. I was allowed this indulgence after agreeing to spend a few days in North cumbria. I launched my trusty 2m Sagitta into the icy blast, to see it climb away most reassuringly. A few figures of eight passes along the front face, a loop or two. I then decided to consider landing. I have been used to there being a flat area to rear, onto which one can alight. In this case, the slop falls away as a mirror image of the front face. I know I thought, I will approach fro the back and just land on the back face. Unfortunately diving down seemed to have the model going much faster. No chance of landing that way. If anything, it was going faster than when out front. How about flying parallel to the face i thought, this was tried on both sides. How I needed a flyer who knew how to deal with these things, I was thinking. Being a rudder, elevator control, it lacks the precision of a aileron model. I can sense my wives impatience, to be off, by my battered ears. I finally decided that i would go down to the flat area of the car park and remaining beach and try and land there. After much stumbling, i made it on both accounts.

It was then off to Oily Johnies for lunch, which was truly great, worth going to Lillyhall and Cumbria just for such a great meal, with a tremendous view back towards the hills of Cumbria.

As you can see i have been lucky and pushed my luck to the limits.

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

Good to see your debriefs back on Erf

I hit a Pheasant whilst doing 60mph (the car not the bird) covered my windscreen in blood, luckily i was on a straight road and no damage, not pleasant/pheasant cleaning the car though

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[John Privett]

First outing of the autumn for my hat and gloves today. After last weekend's calm and mild conditions, today was a bit of a contrast.

8°C and an 11 knot NW(ish) breeze meant there were only two of us flying and we only had three flights between us before retreating to thaw out. I guess in coming weeks we'll get used to these chillier conditions again - and probably dress more suitably for them! Tomorrow looks like being somewhat breezier and cooler - xcweather is predicting 7°C and 14mph winds gusting to 28mph. How long is it until next spring?

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

Aye lad....waited ages to do this

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

Posted by John Privett on 05/11/2016 18:12:22:

First outing of the autumn for my hat and gloves today. After last weekend's calm and mild conditions, today was a bit of a contrast.

I didn't go to extreme measures such as hat and gloves (we do have the luxury of a heated clubhouse to retreat to if required) but I did notice some lack of dexterity in my thumbs this afternoon. Not too many flying today though.

[Pete B]

Thread now re-opened after a bit of tidying up - we don't need off-forum spats aired here. The relevant members can expect PM's soon.

Thanks, folks....

Pete

[Erfolg]

My experiences today mirror to some degree Martins.

The weather forecast seemed to be predicting a 15 mph wind. Standing on my patio listening and observing a flock of Geese passing overhead, all line astern there seemed to be no wind at all.

Indeed at the field there was the slightest breath, of somewhere near to 3 mph. There was just me and a rabbit, that was totally indifferent to me. All the pheasants a memory only, non to be seen. Boy, was it cold. I put on my faux fur flying hat, winter jacket and walking boots. The ground is sodden now, on Sunday my feet felt as they were in a paddling pool, that was not going to happen today.

Now my stalwart HK Albatross and Reliant are out of commission, awaiting renovations, I had taken my Delta and Canard (Ente).

In both cases they went away in lack lustre manner, as if the batteries were not fully charged. I confirmed to myself, I am as happy just doing circuits, as rolling, looping or inverted flight etc. As I did both, and circuits were far more pleasurable to me.

I did ponder the sky briefly, the contrails of jets heading out probably to the USA, just hung there. Yet the clouds were dragged out akin to mares tails. Although bright, the models were not as distinct as in the summer, Above all I was aware of the biting cold. My hands feeling like blocks of ice after just 16 minutes of flying.

Climbing back into the car I became aware I had been at the field for 45 minutes only. Yet in summer on such a windless day, probably 2-3 hours would not be unreasonable.

[Old Geezer]

Well, I only had Tuesday available for flying this week, c-o-l-d but only a light breeze so I pottered off to the field. Instead of the usual dozen or so Tuesday regulars the place was deserted. Well, I'd driven 25 minutes to get there, so nothing ventured - - - . Funjet-time, with the strip to myself and no turbulence to worry about it was playtime, although the FJ is great fun at full chat it's also very stable and won't bite when flown slowly and with no other planes in the circuit ( or anywhere else ) I was able to indulge myself with near enough 10 minutes of low and slow and (very) close in with the odd flat out beat up followed by a vertical climb out rolling almost to fast too count until nearly OOS. Which is why I have a Funjet. By then my aging paws were sooo cold that the FJ went back in the boot and I went home. Like most things in life, quality not quantity, and that was quality time.

[ken anderson.]

yes....its that time of the year when the binmen start speaking to us.... and as usual the timely warning of course " not ................ to eat the yellow snow" ..

ken Anderson...ne...1 ............winter advice /etc dept.

[cymaz]

Saturday afternoon cleared up lovely in PL26.. So after work went and took the Wot4 XL out for an airing.

After a series of GENTLE T&G's decided to land. The one of the wheels in a rabbit divet, ( that's a scrape in the ground and not part of the rabbits' anatomy- though I wish it was...there's hundreds of the damn things), took the U/C plate straight out.

There was only a couple spots of glue that the factory had put onto the surface joints.

Still ,as I write this, almost repaired. Anyone got a recipe for rabbit stew??

[Erfolg]

Hmmm Rabbit Stew.

PL26?

[John Privett]

A wet and dismal morning here gave way to a damp and dismal afternoon, so no flying for me today.

Tomorrow's forecast looks more favourable, a bit chilly but bright(ish) with a fresh breeze straight down the strip. Hopefully reality will not be too different.

[cymaz]

Posted by Erfolg on 12/11/2016 22:05:03:

Hmmm Rabbit Stew.

PL26?

PL26 .......postcode area for the flying site

[onetenor]

Get a good .22 rifle , Soon have the stew LOL

[John Privett]

A decent afternoon here today - as per the forecast, so I had a few flights. I returned home not quite in time for the scheduled 4pm start of the Brazilian GP, but it turns out they're having the weather we had yesterday so they'd delayed the start until after I got home...

[cymaz]

After fixing the Wot U/C last night, decided to go and see my brethren over at Truro Club

Lovely afternoons' flyin..( no G )

[Robert Parker]

Hi All,

Maidened my 12 year old TN Lancaster finally, flew as if it were a trainer. took a while for my grin to wear off 

Plenty of power, using the setup from 4max.

Had a problem with an air leak with the retracts so they had to remain down, pity only had to alter the elevator trim. After two circuits I was confident to do some low passes. I'm going to enjoy flying here. colour scheme is from the Revell kit "Grog's the Shot".

Back to earth again, thanks to Richard our club chairman for taking the photos.

What a plane to fly, it felt fitting to fly here today

Regards

Robert

Edited By Robert Parker on 13/11/2016 18:21:52