The Lockdown Restrictions Have Been Relaxed. Who's Been Flying?

[Peter Christy]

During the lockdown, I've been busy converting old helicopters to electric. Had a good session yesterday (Monday). First up a Micro-Mold Lark Mk2:

That one is pretty much sorted!

Next up, a Schluter DS-22 (circa 1974)

That one needs a bit more work yet. The headspeed is still a bit low.

I have a feeling its the model that was featured in the May 1974 issue of Radio Modeller:

The colour scheme is very similar, and the previous owner to me bought it from Dave Nieman's shop in Wembley. I believe the reviewer was a friend of Dave Nieman's, so it could well be that model, though it has had some upgrades down the years!

--

Pete

[martin collins 1]

Flew my Speedy Bee and got the maiden plus a second flight on my Pou De Ceil Flying Flea. Bit of a handful on the first flight as it turns out the pitch control, which is by means of a tilting front wing (max 1/8" deflection each way) works the opposite way to what you would think! All at the flying site assumed that the wing lowered at the rear edge would make the Flea climb.........wrong, i spent most of the first flight holding in full down and then put in full down trim. I experimented and centralised the stick and lo and behold it flew better. A bit more stick twiddling showed that the stick was acting in reverse, the second flight was much better with it working in the right direction and i got a round of applause from the other guys after a nice landing. Not the most relaxing plane to fly but it does look great on a slow fly past.

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

About a dozen there today, only one fly for me, spent most of the day, talking a new member through various issues with a model/engine he bought. All pretty simple issues and easily sorted, good to see the smile on his face.

[GrumpyGnome]

Bit of a mixed day for me yesterday........out at 6:15

Maidened my SFM SE5 - flew really nicely and needed just one click of trim. Not fully sorted though - needs a touch of downthrust, a little nose weight and a tweak to the throttle curve. But, all in all, lovely. Flies nicer than their Fokker. Think I may regret covering it in tissue though!

Re-maidened the refurbished (repaired!) EFlite Viking 180. Flew nicely until I wacked open the throttle and the motor pulled loose. Finally time for the bin I think.

Checked out the Blade 150 having changed the main shaft. Beautiful.

Put a dozen LiPos through the Wots Wot foamy. Approaching 400 flights now.

Home by 9:00 (field is a 3 minute drive or so), breakfast in garden in sunshine. Loving retirement now lockdown is easing.

Today very different - cold and raining

Stay safe.

GG

[Nigel R]

That Oodalallay looks great Tim. Nice long, lean model. Very classy.

Myself I put another few flights on my twin Double Trouble in the evening. Despite being finished November last year she is still has only 20 flights on her.

[Tim Ballinger]

Thanks Nigel, major credit to to the designer .

Tim

[Graham Davies 3]

Lovely calm evening here in Suffolk yesterday. Got another flight with my 'return to modelling after 20 years' Aerobipe. 36" span modified from the SIG minibipe plan. Just enough power with 150W. It flies great!

[Doctor Chinnery]

Only 4 of us out - 3 Wrinklies and the Club Sec' - he was rather showing us up with his mouldie thermalling nearly out of sight and precision landings and then flying a fast small leccy sport plane like he stole it. I'd taken the Junior60 and my FunCub and as there was little wind was able to indulge myself with lots of low and slow and close-in flying - definitely a number of extended Condor Moments. I was also tempted to get a some height under the J60's wings and try to thermal the old lady for a bit, but having nearly lost her doing just that last year, discretion outweighed valour and I confined myself to L&S&C/I which is where she excels.

[Cathereen Blairmaine]

Though our state started reopening I'm still staying home since it is still too risky to go outside.

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

15ish today, weather beautiful.

[David Davis]

Went flying yesterday morning. Arranged to meet another expat Englishman, Andy, an "advanced novice" pilot at 11.00. He had a "We Can Fly" electric foamy trainer and I took my specimen with me.

He is capable of flying circuits and eights but has not learned to take off or land yet. I felt that it was about time he learned to take off. It was quite windy but I explained that take offs were a relatively simple manouevre where it was necessary to have adequate speed and to steer the model with the left stick. Then I asked whether he wanted me to bind my transmitter to his model so that we could fly with coupled transmitters. He said that he'd have a go himself. The model rolled along our paved runway and lifted off. I thought he'd succeeded but the wind tipped the model onto its starboard wing and it crashed to the ground breaking the fuselage. If he'd been flying faster he would have had more height and control response and may have prevented the crash but I think that he froze at the controls. We were all learners once and with hindsight we should have waited for a calmer day.

We had two more flights on the buddy box with my model then went back to my place for tea and sandwiches. I loaded three more models into the van. In the afternoon we had two more flights with the We Can Fly. I have a five minute timer on my transmitter and by the last flight Andy was flying for the whole five minutes without me having to intervene except for the landing and take off.

Six of my French colleagues turned up in the afternoon, the hours between 12.00 and 14,00 being sacred here in France, but only three of them attempted even one flight, such was the strength of the wind. I decided that I was not going to fly any of the other models which I'd bought with me. I can fly in a strong wind but did not want to risk damaging a model on landing. I've got enough models to repair! Wish I'd flown the WOT 4 XL now. That's such a heavy model it shrugs off any wind!

So we all stood around waiting for the wind to diminish but it didn't so we went home.

The weather forecast for the next week is for more wind and rain. Plenty of time for building then!

[Erfolg]

I expect that all of the UK had a really good weekend?

In my case I decided that Wednesday would be the start of my week-end flying. Trundling along to the field, rising up the road to the Fracking site and the rain came down, I pressed on, to the field, only to find I was almost certainly Billy no-mates. The gate to the dirt track was locked so was the gate to our field.

I waited some time, the, rain eased, I decided that I would not go home defeated, particularly as the wife was playing Golf at her club. Just the one flight though, as I treasure my Tx and do not want to have to buy a replacement. Drove home, only ther to find it had not rained at all. Just down the coast, the other half, seemed surprised that I was home before her, she had a light smattering of rain. Just goes to show how local weather can be, and the fracking site is cursed.

I am geared up for Saturday, this is one of the most popular days at the field. Perhaps slightly superstitious, I take the coast road to our field, avoiding the ex-fracking site, in return for a super corrugated road, double vision is guaranteed. Yet again at the field, the gate is locked, again in hope I trundle down to the field, yet again I am disappointed. As has now become the norm, the beach road was full of parked cars, no pubs or shops are open, the beach may be busy, no money is being made by the community. I had taken the precaution of telling no-one that I intended to go, even my wife was surprised, when i said i was going. No golf for her though. The weather was superb, an light east wind was blowing, the sun blazed down, a few fluffy clouds. I flew three of my models, rather surprisingly on occasion, they were a handful. Yet with my skills, they did survive, as my luck was in. At this point I decided to get my anemometer out. by the flight line a zephyr light 10-12 mph wind. Walking to the far side of the field, it was 15-20 mph. Seriously different. In winter I would have scurried of home, but on that day, really, really nice. I walked the field, looking for wild life, much to my surprise I saw nothing, no other modeller came. Reluctantly I went home, to a nice glass or two on the patio.

Returning on Sunday, yep there were two cars present, later to grow substantially to four. Is no one desperate to get flying their models? This time the wind was much lower, I flew four models. Perhaps more importantly, my test pilot worked out a way to safely undertake the first flights of two of my models and a major re-trimming flight with the Delta. I now think I know the problem I am currently seeing, which is the push fit gear onto the potentiometer shaft is prone to some slippage on the last batch of 9g servos I have. The next question is confirming the suspicion, if then confirmed, how to identify which models could be affected, then switching out to metal geared 9g. Those of us who were there at the time I was present, had a good time, flying thermal semi-scale model and a 4 stroke trainer type. On Sunday I went home pretty pleased, as a zoomed past the fracking site speed camera (sorry safety camera).

Now I am undertaking more model maintenance and ensuring my models for testing, are truly ready.

[Stephen Jones]

I managed to RE- Re Maiden my KK Gyron today.

Not the best of days but still managed to get it airborne

Steve

[David Davis]

Your Humble Servant trying to adjust the slow running of his engine on the BE2e Saturday afternoon 20th June 2020, by using the programming on his Spektrum DX9 transmitter, Lourdouiex St Pierre, France. In the end he gave up, took the model back to his workshop and moved the throttle pushrod on the servo output arm!

Picture of the year?

[Trevor]

Gave up? From the look of the picture, ‘nodded off’ might be more accurate!

[David Davis]

Posted by Trevor on 22/06/2020 11:46:59:

Gave up? From the look of the picture, ‘nodded off’ might be more accurate!

Not with that racket going on!

[Ron Gray]

I thought that was the barbecue going!

[Erfolg]

It now seems that the Lockdown is well and truly over. Everything has returned to normality, the three practical routes to our flying field all have road works on each, complete with traffic lights. Holes dug, barriers erected, all coned as per regulation. The one thing missing, is anybody doing any work, or any one to be seen (one has been like that for months now).

There is one small change, and that is the massive ques of traffic heading either to, or from the beach areas. Fortunately I travel against the flows, although in awe of their lengths, a mile or two. I am not surprised at the Bournemouth news item, when I got home last night. I guess it is not safe to go back to work though? I guess it is just like being retired. Although we do not now walk to the beach for a walk, due to the crowds, even on the pavement areas.

On that score I have manged a few visits to the field, with mixed results. I lost a fin on my delta, which flat spun to a landing. I managed to spin my Nobler in, trying to avoid a mid air, apparently we no where near each other. I had a tense 15 minutes with my Profile Basic model, as a new 2200 Lipo, replacing a 1800, ended with me putting the CG to far back..

Was there a plus side, well yes, my +30 year old trainer flew with no histrionics. Then over the three days i have gone to the field this week, other members have turned up, producing a core of flyers.

Ther were a few hiccups that other members suffered, all taken stoically, in no way diminishing their pleasure..

I have replaced the fin on my errant delta, which has now flown again successfully by test pilot (who appears to be an occasional contributor to our mag and one of the now diseased mags, from what I have seen in this months mag). The Nobler is ready for another flight, I have nudged the Lipo forward on my Profile model.

If it was not for the wind here, at about 14mph (always windy here, so it seems), all would be well with modern world. Oh, that is other than the hordes, swilling beer, eating take aways on the green (adjacent to the beach). You should see them run when a sudden down pour occurs, like lemmings into the main road. I know what you are thinking, thank God, that Erfolg is not one of those moaners.

Edited By Erfolg on 26/06/2020 15:40:12

[Stephen Jones]

Managed to Re, re maiden my Keil Kraft Gyron.

I stuffed it in on it`s 1st flight as it was so tail heavy although i balanced it where it stated on the plan.

There is no way i could of flown this had i used the Ic engine and signal channel radio.

I weighed a 0.49 ic engine and tank and i weighed my brushless motor, Esc and battery .

Yes the modern power set up is a lot heavier.

After making repairs i moved the battery forward added extra weight to the nose and added down thrust although it clearly says that no down thrust is needed.

So i guess i will have to add even more weight to the front end.

I was only able to control the model by reducing the power to the motor and holding down elevator in.

I controlled height with power.

Steve

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

Posted by Erfolg on 26/06/2020 15:38:27:

one of the now diseased mags,

Oh no! Has Covid 19 spread to magazines now?