Chuck Plains Posted June 24, 2016 Share Posted June 24, 2016 Curses!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My foamy KFm7 delta was flying very nicely this evening, until my thumbs failed me that is! I'd even got the CG sorted to the point where it would "fly itself" and glide reasonably too. But at the end of one glide, when I decided to power back up and turn back outwards from the slope, I must have over banked it or something because it decided to enact a tight spiral in the general direction of the antipodes! My reactions were insufficient to recover before it went down out of sight. It was a certain distance from me, but I have, as yet, no ability to accurately gauge distance by noting the size of the aircraft in my line of sight. I proceeded to grab my folding chair, rucksack and TX and headed to the western end of the strip. Then I trail blazed down the heather/gorse slope and kind of traversed a few times at different levels as much as I could, stopping and checking 360 degrees every few meters. I never saw the delta. It's possible I didn't go far enough. or I suppose, I overlooked it or even went too far before searching. Maybe because it's basically flat with just it's two vertical fins and the fins were underneath once it came to earth (gorse). I was exhausted by the time I decided to quit after about 45 mins. That stuff is like wading through 2ft deep surf with snags and prickles. Ouch! Then I thought, heck! it should be easy to spot from the air. And now I know why I should have something with FPV. So if any kind soul in the Exeter/Teinmouth/Dartmoor area has or has access to a quad copter or other aircraft with FPV and could lend a hand with a bit of a search at the weekend I would be eternally grateful and owe you several pints/coffees/cakes/fivers or whatever. Ironically the electronics only add up to about £40 and the foam £5. But it's the info contained in the dimensions and so on that is more annoying to loose. I was always going to build a clone and definitely will now as I enjoyed flying it so much. Here's thanks in advance to anyone generous enough to give time and effort (and battery charges). If you let me know on this thread and via PM I'll bosh you my mobile number and email, whichever you prefer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Plains Posted June 25, 2016 Author Share Posted June 25, 2016 It looks like this on top and red/white underneath. Edited By Chuck Plains on 25/06/2016 00:22:28 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Plains Posted June 25, 2016 Author Share Posted June 25, 2016 8AM on Saturday morning. I'm going back to have another look around in a little while. Ugh, I hate getting up early on my days off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Plains Posted June 25, 2016 Author Share Posted June 25, 2016 Or if someone finds it in the meantime please drop a reply here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Plains Posted June 25, 2016 Author Share Posted June 25, 2016 Massively disappointed that I couldn't find it!!! I don't give a damn about the thing itself but I can't bear the thought of the possibility of that Lipo going into thermal runaway and causing a fire on the moor!!!!!!!!! I love nature and wildlife far more than I do any of my possessions. I would sell my soul to the devil to prevent a fire caused by my property doing harm to nature! Hell and wossname! I'm looking at drone prices now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete B Posted June 25, 2016 Share Posted June 25, 2016 I'd be quite surprised if that was to happen so don't worry yourself too much - it's much more likely to quietly discharge itself over the next few days. I left a 3S Lipo on a south-facing grass bank, in full sun, for the best part of a SW France summer and it didn't self-combust - faded a bit, though! Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc Posted June 25, 2016 Share Posted June 25, 2016 One of our members found a model lost in crops by attaching a tiny video camera to a fixed wing model. First he put down white marker sheets at certain points in the field. By studying the video on his laptop he located the model by reference to the white sheets. Took an hour or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff 1959 Posted June 25, 2016 Share Posted June 25, 2016 Hi Chuck, I've been up to Little Haldon this evening, (only a half hour drive from Paignton) with a Go-Pro slung underneath my Eager Beaver (!), I'm processing the video now and will post it to YouTube and unload the link here this later this evening. A cursory glance as it was downloading onto my computer didn't reveal anything but you may have the 'trained eye' for your model. Edited By Cliff 1959 on 25/06/2016 22:01:20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff 1959 Posted June 25, 2016 Share Posted June 25, 2016 Hi Chuck, Video now uploaded at: **LINK** Sorry I couldn't get any lower but the setting sun was directly in my eyes and the wind was a tad to strong ... keep us all informed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Plains Posted June 26, 2016 Author Share Posted June 26, 2016 Many thanks again Cliff. Yes. I now see my mistake in some of the area I've searched. Too high up the slope!! Unfortunately that slope hides one's own line of perspective as to the original line of sight when she went down Aargh! More searching and more prickly knees to come I fear! The contrast enhanced triangle was my approximate line of vision and the transparent green ovals represent, hopefully, where the delta WILL be found. Probably. There are loads more trees there, definitely. If it's in a tree, then an aerial search might miss with just an edge on view available. Grabbed a frame from Cliff's video That shows how much more tree there is now. New search area marked in red. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Plains Posted June 26, 2016 Author Share Posted June 26, 2016 Argh! Me legs are killing me today! And I haven't even cut the grass or bathed the cat yet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Plains Posted June 26, 2016 Author Share Posted June 26, 2016 If it's stuck up a tree, a spear gun might be an easy way to get 'er down! No I'm not kidding, this thing has a large area of flat foam to aim for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kettle 1 Posted June 26, 2016 Share Posted June 26, 2016 I hope you find it Chuck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piers Bowlan Posted June 26, 2016 Share Posted June 26, 2016 A model like this can disappear in an instant if it dives into the heather. I used to do some slope soaring in Hong Kong from the hills overlooking Clear Water Bay and from The Dragons Back, above Sheko Beach. I would have lost my glider on several occasions if it wasn't for using one of these simple audible alarms due to the dense vegetation. Here. A bit late now I know. Good luck with the search, I am sure it will turn up. I often found the model was further away than expected. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff 1959 Posted June 26, 2016 Share Posted June 26, 2016 Hi Chuck, back up again this morning at 10am with the Go-Pro (they said rain was on the way), here's a second video in a different light, it might help. As I hadn't seen the search area it's more general. We had a good look around the lower fields just in case it went that far ... easier than searching gorse that's for sure even if it was a bit swampy! **LINK** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Plains Posted June 26, 2016 Author Share Posted June 26, 2016 Good grief!!!!!! Found it near the flipping road!!I'll stick a video up later on.Thanks again for your effort Cliff, you're a hero. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff 1959 Posted June 26, 2016 Share Posted June 26, 2016 That's great news Chuck, is there much damage? Can you see it on the second video I posted? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Plains Posted June 26, 2016 Author Share Posted June 26, 2016 I'm on my mobile at the moment so videos are a bit small to see details, it i,'ll have a butchers when I get home. But she's good enough for me to do a couple of test circuits after this rain and coffee disappears. Edited By Chuck Plains on 26/06/2016 15:40:12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Plains Posted June 26, 2016 Author Share Posted June 26, 2016 Hmpf, there's insufficient signal here a t Haldon services to even play the vid anyhoo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Plains Posted June 26, 2016 Author Share Posted June 26, 2016 Well, she flies, but, as expected, doesn't feel quite right now. Better than hoped to be honest. 2 nights out with rain in at least one of 'em and paper covered foam board, don't really bode well. But, is all I can say, after my malarkey weekend. LoL Vids up later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Fry Posted June 26, 2016 Share Posted June 26, 2016 And may we never critisise a quadropter ever again, wonderful inventions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff 1959 Posted June 26, 2016 Share Posted June 26, 2016 Don, the 'wonderful invention' is the Go Pro camera, the flying machine only has one propeller lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Plains Posted June 26, 2016 Author Share Posted June 26, 2016 Heh, I was thinking about mentioning that myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Miller Posted June 26, 2016 Share Posted June 26, 2016 Great to heart that you found it. One of our club members has a Loc8tor. says it is great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Christy Posted June 27, 2016 Share Posted June 27, 2016 Glad you found it! I've been away in Hastings since Friday, or I would have been up there to give you a hand! I lost one of my single-channel models up there a while back. Luckily Martin got a good line on where it vanished, and I found it undamaged, and sat upright on its undercarriage in the middle of a field! Its a complete mystery how it got in there, as the trees surrounding the field were far too high for it to have made a decent approach! The air-gods were smiling on me that day! -- Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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