Winters Here Who's Been Flying ?

[Glenn Philbrick]

Managed a couple of hours flying today. Good to get out again although everywhere is very wet.

[Ben H]

A good six hours flying down south for a couple of us at the strip today. Clear blue sky's but a bit more wind than forecast, 10-15mph... Things are looking up!

[Bravo Delta]

I'm a Southern Softy , temperature still too cold for my fingers !

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

Been good weather this week and daffs are in bloom, weekends looking good as well

John

[Colin Carpenter]

Got my new Sebart up first thing this AM. See my thread. Lovely winter flying weather and same Thursday. All the mud frozen !!! Colin

[cymaz]

UPSIDE : Glorious day

DOWNSIDE : Work

Edited By cymaz on 24/02/2016 18:55:44

Edited By cymaz on 24/02/2016 18:56:07

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

Posted by cymaz on 24/02/2016 18:54:55:

DOWNSIDE : Work

I thought that offensive 4 letter words were banned on this forum?

[cymaz]

I am having to w**k....not wanting to w**k.

Hopefully some of my PAYE keeps the retired folks of the parish in glow fuel and lipos !

[Erfolg]

I got out today, escaping my new found chores.

Unlike many here in the GNPH (Great Northern you can guess the rest) we have had windows of god flying days. I flew last Wednesday, when there was no wind, and today was a repeat.

Parking i a bit of an issue at the field at present, so a short therapeutic walk is the order of the day. To the extent I took the one model.

All I can say, our small mowed strip has increased the precision of the landings, where individuals take pride in hitting the middle.

Not only that, not one model went in, a lucky day.

I did learn (well almost) something about Lipos last week. Last week the wind came from East, which is bad news for the field. This required taking of down wind. Although the wind was very light, my PZ Reliant could not get airborne after two attempts, sustaining some minor damage. What did you learn, other than taking of down wind is not the best of ideas. The lesson being, after recharging, my Lipo was reading 4.2v per cell. Yet seemed to be low on power. I have stuck a watt meter on the lipo and found that undef load that the volts was about 10-11v, the watts being drawn was 160w. I then stuck a brand new Lipo on the meter and found that the motor was pulling +210w. What has surprised me is that the volts seem to be holding up. I have taken the volts to some type of electrical pressure. It is the amps which seem to the problem, there is just not enough of them. Now this is exactly the same that has recently happened with my delta. I am assuming that there are not enough electrons coming down the wires (is that electron ---- something---density)?

I am sure and hope that some one will explain properly what is failing. Also is there a better way in determining that a Lipo is past its best. I am also thinking that perhaps a date written on the battery is useful, that is the first day of use?

Lipos are a mystery to me, essential to my flying., and I decided that there is a problem, after the event, in that my model is not flying well, there must be a better way!

[brfc7]

Got a flight in on the way home from work at 5ish with my Fizza as it's now light until after 5.30

baz

[John Privett]

Posted by Mike Etheridge 1 on 22/02/2016 09:46:39:

Whoops, I meant the A249 above to Detling, then once in the village turn right to Thurnham and then left by Blackhorse pub up Castle Hill to park.

Yes, I guessed you didn't really mean the A240 - that passes within less than a mile of Epsom Downs!

Actually, Thurnham/Detling/Castle Hill was the first slope I flew off, going back 6 years or so. Not too much of a trek I guess, though I usually go no further than my local slope, Colley Hill, when I need a 'slope' fix... I'll get back to Thurnham one day!

[Dave Hopkin]

Posted by Erfolg on 24/02/2016 20:26:41:

I am sure and hope that some one will explain properly what is failing. Also is there a better way in determining that a Lipo is past its best. I am also thinking that perhaps a date written on the battery is useful, that is the first day of use?

Lipos are a mystery to me, essential to my flying., and I decided that there is a problem, after the event, in that my model is not flying well, there must be a better way!

Internal Resistance would seem to be prime suspect there Erfolg - as a lipo gets older its ability to deliver high currents declines slowly - the only way to accurately assess this is to measure the internal resistance when new and record it, then you have a reference later on to see hows its changed - to do this you need a meter, I use the 7 in 1 meters - you need to measure each cell in turn (on the balance lead)

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

Where do you keep your batteries, Erf? If they get very cold, especially when past the first flush of youth, the power delivery can be affected very badly due to the efficiency of the internal chemical reaction being slowed. Warming batteries in cold weather makes a very big difference. Some of my EDFs perform very poorly in cold weather but as the batteries warm up in use, flight performance increases progressively during the flight.

Edited By Martin Harris on 24/02/2016 21:16:38

[Erfolg]

I keep all the Lipos in my modelling room a bedroom.

It could be useful Dave for the RCM&E to do a half page or page on the subject. Accepting that the issue is an internal resistance related, is there not a new universal value, when new, then a range of values related to usefulness etc. Or is life not that simple.

[Dave Hopkin]

Posted by Erfolg on 24/02/2016 22:18:39:

I keep all the Lipos in my modelling room a bedroom.

It could be useful Dave for the RCM&E to do a half page or page on the subject. Accepting that the issue is an internal resistance related, is there not a new universal value, when new, then a range of values related to usefulness etc. Or is life not that simple.

Some manufacturers advertise a value for IR but many dont or use weasel words to hint at low IR but without any legal commitment......

But as I suspect there are not many Lipo factories around the world, therefore a great number of different makes of Lipo are actually just badge engineering then it ought to be possible, just dont think anyone has......

[Shaunie]

Posted by Dave Hopkin on 24/02/2016 22:35:42:

Posted by Erfolg on 24/02/2016 22:18:39:

I keep all the Lipos in my modelling room a bedroom.

It could be useful Dave for the RCM&E to do a half page or page on the subject. Accepting that the issue is an internal resistance related, is there not a new universal value, when new, then a range of values related to usefulness etc. Or is life not that simple.

Some manufacturers advertise a value for IR but many dont or use weasel words to hint at low IR but without any legal commitment......

But as I suspect there are not many Lipo factories around the world, therefore a great number of different makes of Lipo are actually just badge engineering then it ought to be possible, just dont think anyone has......

Badge engineering and grading, those that are prepared to pay a little more get the better cells!

Shaunie.

[Colin Carpenter]

Got 2 more fly's in on my new Sebart this AM early. Lovely morning. Wind free and sun on my back really warm! Was 6deg but hands not too cold at all ! The canaliser makes chandelles really elegant ! Colin

[Erfolg]

I have read the comments, I have used a 2200 3s 20c lipo in both cases. Given that te to current draw is 200w, this is well within the C rating which is approx 400w. As I do not know how old either Lipo is and the delta gets flow a number of times each week. It all could be a simple factor of multiple usage. In a sense, neither Lipo has failed, it is that the capability has dropped to less than 10C max current draw.

The good news is that the rain has at least temporally stopped and many will be out there flying, other than the many wage slaves.

[Mike Etheridge 1]

John,

Thanks for the response, in fact Colley Hill is the first place where I flew slope soarers going back to about 1976 / 77. I used to go with my nephew Nigel who became expert at most aeromodelling issues including slope soaring. I still have the Micro Mold Colt and Sprite we flew in those days and the Flair Heron. Nigel progressed to a Phase 6 plus large sailplanes with ailerons and flaps such as the Inchworm but gave it all up in favour of F2E and F2D control line combat.

Colley Hill I think has better lift than Castle Hill but landing can be tricky. I have been invited to the Minster Cliffs on Sunday as a North Easterly wind will be blowing--very cold,must be daft ?! The nearest slopes to me are at Warlingham. One of the last times I flew planes there with Nigel a full sized Fairy Swordfish flew over us at very low level presumably having taken off at Biggin Hill ?.

Edited By Mike Etheridge 1 on 25/02/2016 20:26:28

Edited By Mike Etheridge 1 on 25/02/2016 20:27:25

[Kim Taylor]

I had my first flights for what must be 31 years today, having recently joined the Brighton Radio Flying Club.

Turned into quite a blustery morning, not ideal for my Eflite Apprentice foamy, but it coped really well, once my brain fade had cleared and I figured out that the trainer switch was in the wrong position. Interestingly (and confusingly) the 'sense' of the switch is reversed from its operation when using the tx with my Phoenix simulator. Sorted it now and reversed the sim to match the real thing, just so I don't confuse myself in the future.

Thanks are due to Allan and the rest of the guys at BRFC for buddying / putting up with my first faltering steps back into the hobby. Today was a good day.

Kim

[Terry Walters]

Just had four hours at the strip flying my WOT4 XL to blow the cobwebs out. Flask of coffee 4 x digestive biccies and a piece of fruit. Had the strip all to myself too until just as I was leaving and another flyer turned up. Only packed up because I ran out of fuel! Brilliant! Waited all week for the rain/wind to stop and it turned out to be a good decision. Felt a bit guilty not being at the bench with my Turby build ( only joking!)

Does you good doesn't it?

Terry

[ken anderson.]

the season is well underway...we had two spit's crash today...one(ripmax) went in dead stick!..the battery came out in the air...ended up a load of dead sticks ...the other a large foam one went in nose first......bad day at black rock...etc...

 

ken anderson...ne.....1......... 2016 season dept.

Edited By ken anderson. on 27/02/2016 18:08:12

[kevin b]

Me, me, me !!!

I actually got some flying in today and no crashes !

Mind you, dead sticks have been a problem today for all of us at the club.

Probably height and wind chill problems. aircraft coming down with only luke warm engines.

Arrived home very cold, but with a grin on my face.

[Steve Colman]

Last weekends typical sunny Spain has this weekend turned into wintry Spain, with snow falling throughout the day and set to continue until at least Monday.

So, I took advantage of being stuck indoors and did a few repairs/mods/upgrades to a couple of models that I'd put off for a while. I also managed to make a fresh start on putting together a Staufenbiel Cheetah hotliner that's been sitting around since early last summer.

Steve.

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

No sport on today so get yourselves wrapped up and go flying, it's a nice day son's bought me a tablet so I can take some video, just got to teach lads the CoC first

John