Winter is here....who's been flying?

[leccyflyer]

Perfect flying conditions this morning, so put plenty of flights in with the wee 400mm FW190 from TOPRC and she flies beautifully, no drama, super stable hands off and looks superb flying in formation with the wee Spitfire or Bf109E. Lots of fun chucking these tiny models around the sky and their smaller size makes them look so real flying past - great duration on their 1s1p 400mah lipos too.

[GrumpyGnome]

Got up this morning to a crispy crunchy frost.  Hopefully, the worm casts will have defrosted by mid morning.......

[GrumpyGnome]

Yup, worm casts defrosted.  Strangely busy with 5 pilots in attendance - never more than 3 in the air though... was going to maiden my Thunderbolt but the wind was in completely the worst direction!

 

[leccyflyer]

Gorgeous spring day yesterday, sunny and warm, didn't even need to wear a wooly hat for the first time this year. The wind was fairly brisk, but lovely warm, sunny with blue skies and fluffy clouds. Only took the wee 400mm warbirds and dashed to get a battery charged for the GWS Tiger Moth, which was a mistake. My pal Bob was flying his latest Flite Test Spitfire Cabriolet, which was superb, but I also gave him a go with the wee FW190, so I could snap some piccies -brilliant. it's definitely quicker than the other models, but that tailwheel has to go. Also flew the Volantex Bf109E and Zero, in formation, which is always great fun.

The Tiger Moth was a disaster - hand launched into wind it didn't have enough power to get out of it's own way and just sank to the ground. A second attempt fared worse, the resultant arrival snapped upper and lower wings at the root. It was only after picking up the bits that the cause became apparent. You could possibly guess at it from the picture.

[Masher]

Has someone snuck into the hangar and put the prop on backwards for an April fool joke 🤔 

[leccyflyer]

Unfortunately no, this April Fool fitted the GWS prop on backwards and never noticed, despite carefully checking the control movements. Naturally the available thrust from the wee Feigo brushless motor replacement for the original GWS brushed unit couldn't have blown the skin off a rice pudden. It's a shame, because the Tiggie hadn't suffered any damage before that and will now have a visible repaid on the top wing. 😞

[GrumpyGnome]

Absolutely glorious day on NE coast today.

 

Snuck out early to distribute grass clippings from yesterdays mow.... looking  good...

 

Indoors this afternoon but may pop something noisy in the car for after that..... happy landings everyone

[David Davis]

Err... isn't Spring supposed to start on 21st March?

[GrumpyGnome]

My Tiggie ended up like that - the paint scheme. I too foolishly launched in too much wind - immediate loop and hit wife on head! No damage to either party..

[leccyflyer]

Indeed it's now Spring - should start posting to the Spring is Here thread instead. However was greeted this morning by freezing fog at home and forecast 12-16mph winds at the club field later, so scrubbed my flying trip for the day. Very light winds and beautifully clear now a couple of hours later.

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

Time to put the winter woolies away until the days get much shorter!  Thread locked...

 

Spring thread is here.

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

As it seems to be rather winterish and we’re into December, it’s time to use this thread again!

[cymaz]

No flying as yet this winter. Car issues, family commitments etc. However, this has given time to 4 little jobs/ maintenance.

 

[David Davis 2]

The weather forecast predicts a temperature of only 1C today so I don't think I'll bother going flying. I need to saw up some logs! It's forecast to reach 6C tomorrow. We have a club meeting in the morning. I might have a go afterwards.

[Futura57]

Indoor flying today near Biggin Hill for the Sevenoaks and District Model Aero Club. It's also our AGM. A chance to show off my Top Quark model (I'm not flying it indoors) to many members who have not seen it at the field this last six months. And to point out my RCM&E article this month 😁

 

Edited December 2, 2023 by Futura57

[cymaz]

57 minutes ago, Futura57 said:

Indoor flying today near Biggin Hill for the Sevenoaks and District Model Aero Club. It's also our AGM. A chance to show off my Top Quark model (I'm not flying it indoors) to many members who have not seen it at the field this last six months. And to point out my RCM&E article this month 😁

 

You’re going to struggle getting up under all those cats 😴

Well done on the article 

Edited December 2, 2023 by cymaz

[GrumpyGnome]

Planning on a sub zero session this morning - LiPos toasting near a radiator........

[Adrian Smith 1]

Too much cold for my digits this morning sad to say, GG. 🥶

[Andy Gates]

Weather was just too good not to fly this morning.

 

I have flown in fog and I have flown in icy conditions - today was both!

 

Very strange having to de-ice leading edges and propellers after a flight, and full and free movement checks took on a whole new light as we could hear ice cracking off during testing.

So the exercise for today was closer in accurate short circuits - great fun and sharpened the mind.

[leccyflyer]

Fantastic day today, air was like wine but sooooooo cold.  Minus 8 degrees at the field and greeted by a frosty kalaidoscope of crystalline twinkling highlights. Zero wind,  touch sapping cold on the fingertips but beautiful flying conditions. Half a dozen members on site and lots of good flying to be had. Brilliant fun. 😎

[GrumpyGnome]

Weather was great - blue skies, very gentle breeze. Four turned up to fly. Half wishing I'd stayed at home tbh.

 

The little petrol engine in my Wotty had been behaving strangely, with all sorts of misfires at high throttle. General consensus was a CDI issue, so I stole the unit from my P51. Spent 20 mins trying to start it unsuccessfully. Decided it was too cold to fiddle so put it in the car.

 

"I'll fly the Riot - that's reliable" I thought. Couldn't get rear wing bolt in (I'd added some glue and forgot to check it). 10 minutes of cursing later, it was assembled. Grabbed a LiPo, and realised the XT/bullet adapter was in my SE5. At home. Drive home to collect it - only a mile or so.

 

Flew the little Parkzone SE5 - with the missing adapter - for a couple of flights. Beautiful.

 

Flew the Riot a few times with no issues. On third flight, I had no control after about 3 mins, and it piled in from about 50 feet, causing extensive wing and fuselage damage.  Battery was disconnected when I reached the breakage. Reconnected but just heard a steady beep beep with no control response at all (can't see the rx to check the lights..). Back to pits and range check the SE5 - no issues, so don't suspect tx at the moment.

 

Put stuff in car to investigate issues tomorrow.

 

A nice glass of red wine us helping me calm down.....

[Simon Chaddock]

As above. Clear blue, very little wind but biting cold, even the muddy field wasn't being just frozen solid foot prints in the grass.

With this in mind I flew the sub 250g Depron Super Cub, happy that into what little wind there was the landing speed was low enough that even an instant nose over would do no damage.

Picture taken summer 3 years ago on my lawn not the rougher flying field. 😉

It still flies well managing nearly 9 minutes before my fingers, even with thin gloves, cried enough.

It did indeed nose over as soon as the wheels touched the ground but no damage.

Even if I had continued I was worried about the effect of the cold on the LiPo. Although warm when installed straight from the car it was actually cold to the touch of even my chilled fingers when removed immediately after the flight. Say no more.

Edited December 2, 2023 by Simon Chaddock

[leccyflyer]

13 minutes ago, GrumpyGnome said:

Weather was great - blue skies, very gentle breeze. Four turned up to fly. Half wishing I'd stayed at home tbh.

 

The little petrol engine in my Wotty had been behaving strangely, with all sorts of misfires at high throttle. General consensus was a CDI issue, so I stole the unit from my P51. Spent 20 mins trying to start it unsuccessfully. Decided it was too cold to fiddle so put it in the car.

 

"I'll fly the Riot - that's reliable" I thought. Couldn't get rear wing bolt in (I'd added some glue and forgot to check it). 10 minutes of cursing later, it was assembled. Grabbed a LiPo, and realised the XT/bullet adapter was in my SE5. At home. Drive home to collect it - only a mile or so.

 

Flew the little Parkzone SE5 - with the missing adapter - for a couple of flights. Beautiful.

 

Flew the Riot a few times with no issues. On third flight, I had no control after about 3 mins, and it piled in from about 50 feet, causing extensive wing and fuselage damage.  Battery was disconnected when I reached the breakage. Reconnected but just heard a steady beep beep with no control response at all (can't see the rx to check the lights..). Back to pits and range check the SE5 - no issues, so don't suspect tx at the moment.

 

Put stuff in car to investigate issues tomorrow.

 

A nice glass of red wine us helping me calm down.....

Bad luck man. Lose the adaptor - they are the work of the devil. Add the appropriate connector in the wiring loom and chuck the adaptor in the bin. You know it makes sense.

[Erfolg]

I set out this morning thinking that once upon a time, having retired I would fly virtually every day, whatever the weather. Today I set of for the field having the first flight in a week. What has changed, well, i am certainly older. Perhaps the main change  is that the flying field is now 10 miles away, not a mile down the road. A major difference in that the journey is no longer a mere 3 minutes away, rather a good 40 minutes. When i moved I thought, 10 miles would be no longer than15 minutes  along mostly country lanes, rather than 30 mph roads on the edge of suburbia.

 

Relaxed all went well, until more road works, non during the week, now the County council have yet again 4 way traffic temporary lights. While waiting a warning light comes on the dash board, tyre pressure low, stop, correct problem. I an now accustomed to to these lights, warm weather, cold weather, the message comes on, I real problem with so called run flat tyres, I ignore the message, a dam nuisance. . Over an hour later I arrive at the field. The padlock on the gate is off, well, at least others are here. I trundle down the dirt road, turn into our car park. I find the gate closed, no one in sight.

 

It is  a blessing in disguise, I have two models that I want to test fly having modified them.

 

One model pitched up on power, I hopefully have cured it with down thrust. I launch the model, unfortunately it is more unruly than previously. I decide to land the model,  I braek the tips at the dihedral breaks, on both tips. My hand are now hurting, especially my fingers, due to the cold. The ground is ice solid.

 

Not completely discouraged, I now fly a model (another glider, 2m) that I had not flown for a good 10+ YEARS. The model is launched, into the southern wind, into the sun (since my cataract operations, I never look anywhere near the sun), surprisingly it actually flies OK. My fingers really hurt, it is bearably painful, the model is landed.

 

I remember the dashboard message, and decided to inflate the erring tyre, unfortunately the electric pump is buried in a covered well in the boot. The boot iis emptied wiof all the models, plus all the other stuff. My hands are now so painful, I stuff them into my pockets of my old ski jacket, after 10 or so minutes the pain almost abates, I deal with the errant tyre.

 

Eventually everything is back in the car, gates opened and closed and I make my way home, via the coast road, the temperature gauge indicates 0 deg, C. Much to my amazement, people are still visiting, many hundreds of cars are parked every where. I then think, is this cold an age thing, perhaps not just a journey time problem, although the CC reject of the Governments self governing offer, wanting more powers fills me with dread, they are incompetent. 

 

I have now retreated to my model room to deal with the wing tips, although the thrust line issue, it needs resolving, as the model is not a pleasure to fly as it is.

[Futura57]

17 minutes ago, Erfolg said:

I set out this morning thinking that once upon a time, having retired I would fly virtually every day, whatever the weather. Today I set of for the field having the first flight in a week. What has changed, well, i am certainly older. Perhaps the main change  is that the flying field is now 10 miles away, not a mile down the road. A major difference in that the journey is no longer a mere 3 minutes away, rather a good 40 minutes. When i moved I thought, 10 miles would be no longer than15 minutes  along mostly country lanes, rather than 30 mph roads on the edge of suburbia.

 

Relaxed all went well, until more road works, non during the week, now the County council have yet again 4 way traffic temporary lights. While waiting a warning light comes on the dash board, tyre pressure low, stop, correct problem. I an now accustomed to to these lights, warm weather, cold weather, the message comes on, I real problem with so called run flat tyres, I ignore the message, a dam nuisance. . Over an hour later I arrive at the field. The padlock on the gate is off, well, at least others are here. I trundle down the dirt road, turn into our car park. I find the gate closed, no one in sight.

 

It is  a blessing in disguise, I have two models that I want to test fly having modified them.

 

One model pitched up on power, I hopefully have cured it with down thrust. I launch the model, unfortunately it is more unruly than previously. I decide to land the model,  I braek the tips at the dihedral breaks, on both tips. My hand are now hurting, especially my fingers, due to the cold. The ground is ice solid.

 

Not completely discouraged, I now fly a model (another glider, 2m) that I had not flown for a good 10+ YEARS. The model is launched, into the southern wind, into the sun (since my cataract operations, I never look anywhere near the sun), surprisingly it actually flies OK. My fingers really hurt, it is bearably painful, the model is landed.

 

I remember the dashboard message, and decided to inflate the erring tyre, unfortunately the electric pump is buried in a covered well in the boot. The boot iis emptied wiof all the models, plus all the other stuff. My hands are now so painful, I stuff them into my pockets of my old ski jacket, after 10 or so minutes the pain almost abates, I deal with the errant tyre.

 

Eventually everything is back in the car, gates opened and closed and I make my way home, via the coast road, the temperature gauge indicates 0 deg, C. Much to my amazement, people are still visiting, many hundreds of cars are parked every where. I then think, is this cold an age thing, perhaps not just a journey time problem, although the CC reject of the Governments self governing offer, wanting more powers fills me with dread, they are incompetent. 

 

I have now retreated to my model room to deal with the wing tips, although the thrust line issue, it needs resolving, as the model is not a pleasure to fly as it is.

Pour yourself a stiff drink 🥃 It's been a trying day 😉