Spring is here again - who's been flying?

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

On 30/03/2024 at 19:39, Futura57 said:

Maidened my new xfly F22 Raptor EDF today. Two words: Gutless & Disappointing.  Not me, the model 🤣

 

It's nearly 100g heavier than my Strange Quark prototype, has less grunt and speed and only flys for 4 mins versus 4.5 mins on the same 4S 2200 (leaving around 25%). 

 

To be fair, I did have the u/c fitted. It is awkward to hold for a hand launch.

 

Well, I’ve just maidened mine and I don’t recognise your description, Futura.  I didn’t fit the undercarriage though so perhaps it makes a significant difference?

 

I found it very responsive on the recommended first flight high rates and switched to low where it was still quite lively. It got away steadily and as soon as the speed built up performance was excellent with big loops, both positive and negative coupled with benign high alpha flying. 
 

This was with a new GNB 2600 4S (120C claimed) - perhaps your battery is past its best?  I flew for 6 minutes but will probably standardise on 5 minutes to allow a good margin as I landed with 14% remaining. 

[GrumpyGnome]

Not raining - yet.

Not windy - yet.

 

Took advantage and having some quiet fun. Just me, the tractors, sheep and birds. The Buzzards really couldn't care less about my pathetic attempts at flight...

 

 

Not sure about everyone else, but although I really enjoy flying my Parkzone SE5, it always feels like the CofG, incidences and thrust line are fighting each other!

[leccyflyer]

Try climbing out quite steeply then put in a bootful of left rudder and the SE5a will do a remarkable tucked under turn around into a tight spin, all on her own - it would be a brilliant evasive manoeuvre in combat - it's great fun though if you stop it after half a turn and come back towards yourself.

[GrumpyGnome]

Eek!

[David Ashby - Moderator]

Back after a holiday to find the weather hadn't improved greatly, still, there's always the hill and I had plenty of company yesterday. 

 

 

[Adrian Smith 1]

Nice day for flying and although the wind was flyable it would mean having to wrestle with my planes too much. I do actually want to enjoy flying, therefore took the  opportunity to cut the grass strip and fiddle around in the work shop. 

[David Davis]

Temperatures touching 25C in the northern Creuse with light winds. I flew my Big Guff twice, my Ukrainian Baron twice and my British Baron once.  Bertie, my British Baron is just about set up perfectly for La Coupe Des Barons in June.

 

Another club member who used to fly in the Eighties but who has lacked confidence to get back into flying, finally found the confidence to fly his expensive ARTF 3D model powered by a 60cc engine. He managed to take off, fly about and execute some aerobatic manouvres successfully. This will make him more confident in future.

 

My dog was a bit uncomfortable in the heat.

[GrumpyGnome]

Dogs got me up at 5:30 - obviously they were woken by starvation (Labradors)!

 

Calm, clear, warmish, forecast was for moderate breeze and cloud later. Whoohoo! Put a dozen LiPos on charge...... by 7:00 there was a stiff breeze and clouds..... grrr.

 

Consoling myself with coffee and a Lemon Muffin looking over the Market square in Beverley.

[leccyflyer]

Big bad wind and rain yesterday, gusting over 40 kts and with Biblical rain, but while still windy this morning it was just showers and so managed a few enjoyable hours on the slope. Superb lift and just the one short, sharp, shower.  That flying was a bonus, as the main part of the mission was to see if my Wannabee had been dislodged from the grasp of the mighty oak. Thankfully that was the case and damage was limited to a broken wing bolt plate and pretty soaked foam model. Nothing a dab of epoxy and a tickle with the covering iron won't cure. The RX battery was dead flat, so that has had it's leads clipped and gone into the pile for recycling. 

[Paul Geelhoed]

the last few weeks we had some oke weather to go out flying @ our field emcr in Rozenburg Netherlands.

 

after rain comes the sun!

[Erfolg]

Hmmm, I can see Daiseys (in English), see Iso Freight Containers, where are the roses and castle or is it town? I guess you are by the side of a river, the Rhine, perhaps the Amstel,  these are the only rivers I know, as being in the Netherlands. Oh, to be well travelled, I did once take the Rhinegold from Rotterdam to Koln once, does it count, taxied for hours at Skipol (I thought is this how we are getting to Manchester, is the North sea a problem (is there a tunnel, I pondered).

 

Any way, we seem to all be discussing the weather, what has passed, and what is coming😢. Here on the Fylde, the very strong winds, and tide, drove the waves right up to the sand dunes.

 

As for our flying field, I have not gone near it now for two or more weeks, due to the wind and rain. Another good reason, is the last time I was there, the wheel arches of my car were pretty much filled with mud, it took a 120 mile round trip, in appalling rain, for it to be washed away. It did save me getting the hose pipe and jet wash out.

 

The golf course (a links) next to me, had a number of golfers out on it this morning, although bitterly cold, and a strong northly wind. My wife's club still closed for play, as it is on clay, on a flood plane.

 

I will provide further run downs on the weather🙄. In the meantime I am assembling and readying my and launch models, as I am guessing the grass will be rather long, and getting the mower, to do its thing, without leaving furrows could be a long time coming. 😢

[Paul Geelhoed]

Erfolg, our flying field is located in the port of Rotterdam. the largest port in Europe. We are surrounded by water, but our flying field is located in a nature reserve. on a headland. on one side 'de nieuwe waterweg' and on the other side 'het calandkanaal'. it is where the Meuse flows into the North Sea. so we have to cope with a lot of wind.

 

Greetings Paul

[Glenn Philbrick]

Managed to get a quick bit of chaos in before the wind got up. All flown and returned. 

 

[Jake Bullit]

Like it.We had 3 of these flying round the other week .

[GrumpyGnome]

Managed a couple of flights on the aerobat below, before the wind (and cold!) got the better of me.  It's been owned by multiple club members - no idea what it is.... flies well on 3S though.

 

 

Went back to field to mow later - dodging the showers. Much better, albeit still springy from moss and soft soil.

 

[Erfolg]

Hmmm, I can see Daiseys (in English), see Iso Freight Containers, where are the roses and castle or is it town? I guess you are by the side of a river, the Rhine, perhaps the Amstel,  these are the only rivers I know, as being in the Netherlands. Oh, to be well travelled, I did once take the Rhinegold from Rotterdam to Koln once, does it count, taxied for hours at Skipol (I thought is this how we are getting to Manchester, is the North sea a problem (is there a tunnel, I pondered).

 

Any way, we seem to all be discussing the weather, what has passed, and what is coming😢. Here on the Fylde, the very strong winds, and tide, drove the waves right up to the sand dunes.

 

As for our flying field, I have not gone near it now for two or more weeks, due to the wind and rain. Another good reason, is the last time I was there, the wheel arches of my car were pretty much filled with mud, it took a 120 mile round trip, in appalling rain, for it to be washed away. It did save me getting the hose pipe and jet wash out.

 

The golf course (a links) next to me, had a number of golfers out on it this morning, although bitterly cold, and a strong northly wind. My wife's club still closed for play, as it is on clay, on a flood plane.

 

I will provide further run downs on the weather🙄. In the meantime I am assembling and readying my and launch models, as I am guessing the grass will be rather long, and getting the mower, to do its thing, without leaving furrows could be a long time coming. 😢

[Erfolg]

Paul 

 

Snap! Being on the coast (I live almost on the beach), whereas our field is approx, 6 miles inland (10 miles by road) on a slight ridge overlooking the sea, it is almost always windy, from all directions.

 

If the drone issue and consequent restrictions had been imposed, I could have flown of the beach, or sand dunes (except for the holiday and dog walkers). It is arguable that I could fly from the beach if I walked away about 1/2 a mile out, just outside the 5 mile radius of the local airfield and a aircraft manufacturer. I have been tempted to try this option, although it could be fraught with challenges, as I could just pop out for a short flight.

 

Along with many others on this thread, I am being thwarted by the weather and a waterlogged field and farm track. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

 

And the wind still blows at +15-25, hailstone, rain showers and very cold, where is the Global warming?

 

 

[Learner]

Forecast for single figure winds tomorrow at last . Batteries being charged ready to hopefully make the most of it. Probably be on my own as the temps are going to be low with the wind chill.

[Adrian Smith 1]

Yup, I am ready to go for tomorrow. A bit nippy but gotta get out there! 

[Futura57]

Tomorrow I'm driving from Caterham, Surrey to Trowbridge, Wiltshire to meet up with a friend and ex-member of the Epsom Downs MFC. I shall be flying at his local patch and catching up on matters aeronautical.

[aidan mcatamney]

Just home from the aerodrome with my 1944 Tuskegee red tailed P51 fighter plane.  Enemy engaged and mission accomplished.  Squadron returned back to base and all accounted for.