Spring is here again - who's been flying?

[aidan mcatamney]

2 hours ago, leccyflyer said:

Didn't have any photos on Sunday, but my pal Steve did take some whilst I was flying, which I received last night, so here's a couple, featuring the remaiden of my wee 18" span VMC Hurricane and Durafly P-51.

 

 

 

 

I particularly like the one of my P-51D Candyman, with John's homebrewed F-82 Twin Mustang in the background. The post processing is very evocative of contemporary grainy colour slide film from the 1940's, so looks like some of the rare colour footage of the time that I have in print.

Really nice photographs. 

[Ron Gray]

Vid of the flight, come back later if the 4K version hasn't yet loaded

 

 

[GrumpyGnome]

Took advantage of a surprisingly nice day - 4 hours of light winds and, for the main part, blue skies and sunshine.

 

Just me and Kev P as normal.  Zipping around with my grubby Hawk that now has some newly acquired glow fuel stains.... Usual half a dozen flights on the Double Trouble, few more flights on the baby FW190, which impresses every time. Usual method now is launch in intermediate mode, then go to full loony mode asap.

 

Kev brought his lovely yellow petrol Chippie, which had a rudder issue so only flew once; his Laser powered P47; and his ic powered Raptor heli. He remembered all the pieces of his models.... but forgot his lunch and coffee!

 

 

Edited April 2 by GrumpyGnome

[Eric Robson]

My Hurricane looks like that after belly landings on our strip. Wall to wall rain again today. 

[Chris Freeman 3]

Took the Blackhorse Stuka which has an electric set up in it and a Phoenix P47 which has a ST3000 and had some great flying. The ST sure knows how to spread the 12% oil in the fuel over the airframe!   

[Erfolg]

Spring will happen here in 2025, at present, how to describe it?

 

I did go to the field on Saturday, the gate at the top of the track was open (unlocked), I am sure I saw somebody at the edge of the field in a blue jacket. My car either bumped or slid down the track, I was forced to drive through a marsh, where once there was a track, I just made it through to the other side. On turning into our field, I was confronted by a closed gate. A real disappointment, I got out of my car to open the gate, only to find that the gate now has a combination lock. Of course I do not know the combination of our new acquisition. So I cannot easily turn around in our car park.

 

Nothing for it but to reverse, into the down going track, so I will be pointing back up the track. Hmm, my traction control cannot cope with the mud and wet grass, the wheels spinning. I do finally accomplish the almost impossible, accelerate the car back through the bog, where it squirms and wriggles, to just mud. 

 

It could be months before the tack dries out. Oh, for a 4*4, that destroyer of the environment, if not the whole world. 

 

Does anyone remember those hill climbs where someone would bounce up and down over the back wheels, is that an environmental solution?

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

Still Quack here, I cannot remember such miserable long lasting weather year after year in all my 70 years. 😟

[Colin Carpenter]

Been out 4 times this year. Only 2 frosts. Normally get out in frosts 3 times a week in Jan-Feb. Rain never stops. Still no end in sight. Field might be dry by May perhaps 🤞🤞🤞🤞Been in RC since 1969 and never known it so bad 😱😱Colin

[Zflyer]

Spring has indeed sprung and the sooner we find the bloody thing and plug it the better!!!

[leccyflyer]

Your Blackhorse Stuka looks ace Chris. What set-up are you using in it?

[PDB]

1 hour ago, john stones 1 - Moderator said:

Still Quack here, I cannot remember such miserable long lasting weather year after year in all my 70 years. 😟

My nearest clubs field has now been waterlogged for 5 months, the farmer has never known a year like it and there’s no sign of the field drying out yet.

[leccyflyer]

It sort of feels like we have been rained off and hardly flying at all this year, but on checking and comparing with last year, I find that  logged my 101st flight of the year on Sunday, compared to 118 flights in the same period last year.

[Paul De Tourtoulon]

A busy afternoon with youngsters from around the area studying Aeronautics, 20 kids, 4 teachers, a couple of parents and 4 planes on buddy boxes,

12 club members 2 demonstrating with a 20cc methanol Chipmunk and a 3 d flyer with an align 700, including an FPV Bixler, in the picture on the left the club President giving a lecture ( he is a Gendarme 🙃) while the others are flying or watching them,. Finished with the club members drinking a beer after that they had all left.

[GrumpyGnome]

On 20/03/2024 at 07:40, GrumpyGnome said:

 

And at Aston Villa, they are watering the pitch!  SMH

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

10 minutes ago, GrumpyGnome said:

And at Aston Villa, they are watering the pitch!  SMH

Aye, but they've got floodlights on. 😉

[Zflyer]

I have watered the pitch at Aston Villa, think its good for the weeds...

[leccyflyer]

Don't think they are at Aston Villa - aren't they at the Emptihad?

[GrumpyGnome]

Indeed they are...... Manchester is even more wet!

[David Davis]

It was a lovely day yesterday in the middle of France. I took both of my Barons, Bertie and Boris, with me to practice low level flight for La Coup Des Barons in June. The wind was a bit stronger than forecast and unfortunately I was too low and too slow when executing a downwind turn with Bertie. The model stalled and hit the deck damaging the fuselage. After thirty-six years of flying these things you'd think that I would have learned something! It's certainly repairable and it will give me a chance to make a better job of an old repair. I may change the elevator actuation while I'm at it. Quite a bit of rain has beeb forecast for the coming week so I should have the time.

 

Both models flew well but the thread in the exhaust port of the Thunder Tiger 54 in the Ukrainian Baron is on its last legs. I have some Liquid Metal which I could use but even if it's a successful repair it will lock the exhaust in one position. If the worst comes to the worst I have at least four OS 52 and 48 Surpasses which would do the job. The Ukrainian Baron is 100 grammes (3.5 ounces) heavier than the other one but I could detect no difference in their flying chacteristics.

 

At full power both models climbed like hell and I was having to hold in some down elevator to achieve level flight. I thought about introducing some down elevator at full chat but don't know how to do it. I use a Spektrum DX9.

 

I also flew my World Models Super Frontier Senior, an ARTF copy of a SIG Kadet Senior but that was so boring that I didn't bother taking a picture of it.

 

Despite the fine conditions only five of us turned up and one of those didn't bring a model with him. All of the others flew electric ARTFs, all but one were foamies.

 

C'est la vie et un signe des temps.

[GrumpyGnome]

There will be an available mix for thr:ele in your DX9.

 

Not had a Spekky for a few years but it's very easy to use. I'd advise putting it on a switch and experimenting with mix %age.

 

YouTube will have a video....

[Tom Gaskin 1]

Just got back from a very blustery session at the Sussex club field. Four of us braved the wind for the morning. I re-maidened my ancient foamy Wot4 but did not bother to get the Cougar 2000 out of the car.

 

Battening down the hatches ready for fifty-mile an hour winds later this afternoon (and for the rest of the week if the forecast is to be believed)

 

Tom 

[Chris Freeman 3]

On 03/04/2024 at 20:10, leccyflyer said:

Your Blackhorse Stuka looks ace Chris. What set-up are you using in it?

 

Sorry for the late reply, I have a Surpass C 6354 200 KV with a Castle Creations 75 amp ESC on 8 cells with a Zinger 18 x 8- 12 propellor. Plenty of power and duration. I tend to use glow props as I have quite a large selection of them so I can test what is needed. I find the information and recommended propellers very poor on many of the motors and ind the amp meter vital when it comes to set up. 

[leccyflyer]

Not the best day of Spring flying yesterday. Took four models to fly and not having hit a tree in thirty years flying managed to hit two different ones within an hour, resulting in a destroyed model in the first case and one model left up there in the tree top, which is a first. Hoping that the strong winds that are forecast will shake the model from the branches and will go back for another look later. Far too high up to be reachable with any form of pole.

[Eric Robson]

Managed 4 flights with the Warbirds Replicas FW190 before tain stopped play. I bought 4 4s 3600 batteries from Hobbyking at a good price and after a few cycles I am getting 7 minutes flights with 35% left, they also fit across the cowl moving the c of g slightly forwards. The elevator is less twitchy now .

[GrumpyGnome]

Weather forecast - heavy rain, strong gusty winds; reality - sunshine, light breeze!