CARPERFECT Posted November 20, 2017 Share Posted November 20, 2017 A number of us at our club have the HK Phoenix 2000 , So i organised a little meeting last Sunday morning. While i was flying we had some Swans flying around. So when they came around our strip for the second time i joined them. I closed the motor down, and just glided along with them. I mate took the photo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Chaddock Posted November 21, 2017 Share Posted November 21, 2017 SARPERFECT Nice picture! Of coarse Swans are the 'heavies' of the bird world as far as wing loading goes so should be no problem staying with them. Now Buzzards are a very different. Good for identifying where the thermals are but keep up with them? Never! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cymaz Posted November 21, 2017 Share Posted November 21, 2017 Great picture. Flying with the professionals. I know that as modellers we think about wing cubic loading and wing loading etc. I wonder what the wing loading is for one of these birds and how it compares to others eg wren or robin? It occurs to me the robins etc fly very fast so would have a high WCL.....an idle thought Edited By cymaz on 21/11/2017 06:20:30 Edited By cymaz on 21/11/2017 06:21:21 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Posted November 21, 2017 Share Posted November 21, 2017 Once, when seeing a group of swans take off, fly a large circuit and alight back on the water at the same spot, I found myself asking similar questions. Given their marginal takeoff performance, I would love to know how many watts/lb they are generating at that point! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Former Member Posted November 21, 2017 Share Posted November 21, 2017 [This posting has been removed] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alistair Scolley Posted November 21, 2017 Share Posted November 21, 2017 I once saw a swan do something that I thought was impossible. The University of Stirling in Scotland has an artificial lake in its grounds. At one end of it is a narrow strip of water with trees on either side. Many years ago the University canoe club stretched wires across the lake and hung poles from them so that they could practice their slalom. Over the years the system fell into disrepair and the poles disappeared, leaving just the wires. One day I was walking beside that part of the lake when I heard the unmistakable flapping and splashing of a swan taking off. One look at where it was starting from told me that its climb-out would take it into the wires. It's bound to know what it's doing, I thought. It must be going under the wires. It carried on with its takeoff and climb out - only to spot the wires at the last instant - it couldn't have been more than 10 feet from them. The swan immediatly turned its body vertical and started flapping like mad, using the wings as giant air brakes. Once it had stopped it flew vertically upwards a distance of at least six feet, turned it's body horizontal again and flew off above the wires. It seems that swans can generate a lot of flaps-per-minute when they need to! Alistair Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Harris - Moderator Posted November 21, 2017 Share Posted November 21, 2017 We've had Red Kites nesting in the woods adjacent to our club field since before they took off (in popularity!) as well as Buzzards. They take a great interest in some models and regularly fly with us - yellow ones seem to be particularly attractive to them, especially if being aerobatted. Often, they will come and join a circling glider, do a couple of turns and after a pitying glance, head off to show us where the decent lift is to be had. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ASH. Posted November 21, 2017 Share Posted November 21, 2017 Nice picture. I love to watch birds fly/glide and land, I suppose it's my fascination with flight and love of nature.Swans are like the heavy bombers of the bird world.. they have a decent wing span and also need a good take-off run.Too many factors involved to determine exact wattage - flight efficiency of a bird, feather density length of primaries etc etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john stones 1 - Moderator Posted November 21, 2017 Share Posted November 21, 2017 We had a pair of Swans nest on our pond, when the Cygnets where ready to fly, they all waddled inline to the end of our runway and took off (no one was flying) very comical but no camera unfortunately....never did get their membership money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cymaz Posted November 21, 2017 Share Posted November 21, 2017 Back to my musings on bird wing loading.....I found this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J D 8 Posted November 21, 2017 Share Posted November 21, 2017 I have an electric micro bee which I just take out the front door on a windless summer evening and launch from the front lawn. Also have five pairs of swallows nesting in various farm buildings and as soon as they hear/see it they are dive bombing the bee and flying rings around it trying to send it out of their airspace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ASH. Posted November 21, 2017 Share Posted November 21, 2017 Posted by cymaz on 21/11/2017 17:33:24: Back to my musings on bird wing loading.....I found this! Interesting read cymaz, thanks. I think someone needs to tell them about Wing Cube Loading.. **LINK** Also, it has to be taken into account whether the subject is a 'tail dragger' or 'feet dragger'.. Each bird is different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiwiKid Posted November 22, 2017 Share Posted November 22, 2017 Posted by john stones 1 on 21/11/2017 15:46:17: We had a pair of Swans nest on our pond, when the Cygnets where ready to fly, they all waddled inline to the end of our runway and took off (no one was flying) very comical but no camera unfortunately....never did get their membership money. We often have ducks nesting near our flying field. As they usually have the place to themselves, they seem to totally ignore us when we are flying and come meandering through the pits and runway. Here's some bird and model pics I have saved recently. In the States - BoT cruising with a hawk When it's nesting season the local Magpies go a bit postal. Here my mate's EPP Eagle is getting monstered by a physco Maggie. This shot was taken in Bali by a guy flying an FPV enabled glider which crept up beside and asian eagle. I think this one was lookin' for luv. From the PSS glider guys - some gulls expressing their displeasure at their airspace being invaded by a PSS Bison. Another glider shot - Falcon doing a dive bombing run on a sloper. Edited By KiwiKid on 22/11/2017 00:17:08 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john stones 1 - Moderator Posted November 22, 2017 Share Posted November 22, 2017 Great pictures Kiwi, we have ducks, sounds like they're laughing at us from the pond, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Harris - Moderator Posted November 22, 2017 Share Posted November 22, 2017 Posted by KiwiKid on 22/11/2017 00:11:21: This shot was taken in Bali by a guy flying an FPV enabled glider which crept up beside and asian eagle. Wow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Former Member Posted November 22, 2017 Share Posted November 22, 2017 [This posting has been removed] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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