First taste of the sky

[MattyB]

3 hours ago, toto said:

As far as discharging goes, I take it leaving a charge on for maybe a week or two would be ok ? I charged all 4 of my batteries for the Beaver and likewise for the Carbon Cub. 

On a very occasional basis, that will probably be ok. You don’t want to do it regularly though, as it’s not the time at elevated SOC in any one instance that is the real issue, but the total % of time spent at elevated SOC overall. This old post I made some time ago should explain it…

 

 

[toto]

Terrific day,

 

The Beaver had its maiden flight ( by my instructor ) and behaved flawlessly. Great start.

 

We had enough batteries for another 3 flights so we used two. My first was pretty good with a little assistance only and the second, even I was impressed with as generally I was doing my own thing. One slightly scary moment due to over compensating on a banking manouvre but it was never really a big threat.

 

A much smoother model and far easier to see as well. I felt more at ease with it.

 

We didn't use the 4th battery as we noticed that the bolt holding one of the wheels on seemed to be bent after both the last two flights. The landings were pretty smooth on soft ground so the concern was that the bolt may not survive another landing so did not take the risk.

 

I was going to change out what look like mild steel threaded bolts for some stainless steel replacements.

 

Just as well the decision was made as when I returned home in the car, the bolt had indeed snapped.

 

Apart from that ..... an excellent day and confidence is running high.

 

Cheers

 

Toto

[paul devereux]

I was hoping you would post today as the weather was better. Looks like you've had a successful day! Well done!

[aidan mcatamney]

Good stuff Toto, keep at it.  I'm flying 37 years and I still enjoy flying my trainer which just happens to be a Boomerang fitted out with a Satio fourstroke.   

[aidan mcatamney]

This is my Beaver Toto.  I've had it 14 years and still flying good.  It's made entirely from abs plastic,  so fairly durable.   The Beaver is a nice plane to fly.  Good luck with yours.  

[toto]

Very nice Aidan,

 

What is powering that then ? And what sort of wing span does it have?

 

Hi Paul,

 

Nothing could have stopped me from posting today. I didn't o er do my first post, it was a quick post just to let folks know that I did get some time in as folks seem to be following my thread. So courtesy would demand a quick update. I appreciate everyone enthusiasm for what I'm doing.

 

My second flight today was definitely the best by far. The first was ok but the second seen some pretty stable flying with some nice turns made u der full control. They were quite graceful even. I was well chuffed. 

 

There are some reasonably good noises co ing from my instructor as well so I am hoping to be seen as to be " on track ". The next couple of weeks will tell if I can keep some sort of consistency and be seen to be ready for some small progressive steps.

 

We are talking about doing patterns that will see me being able to align properly towards la ding approaches etc. The patterns that I have been doing to date are really miscellaneous in terms of being in a certain position relative to the runway. ..... a step at a time and hopefully a little more accurate in terms of overall position.

 

A great day...... delighted.

 

Cheers

 

Toto

[aidan mcatamney]

Hi Toto,  the Beaver has a wingspan of 61 inches and is powered with a 62 fourstroke engine.  It's just the perfect power plant for this plane and sounds good to.    Regards,   Aidan 

[toto]

Excellent, I can imagine the sound it makes. 

 

Mines is very smooth in flight and we were only running on about half throttle which was plenty for me. The increase on size from the boomerang to the Beaver makes a huge difference for getting a feel for the feedback from your model as you feed in changes in direction and altitude etc. 

 

I was relatively happy on the club trainers given I was a complete newbie but I must admit ( and not a biased view ) I feel the benefit of flying the Beaver.

 

I need to swap out the bolts that hold on the wheels ( that came with the model ) for stainless steel versions as on each landing ( which were anything but harsh ) one wheel was bending inwards. The bolt finally snapped on the way home in the car and the wheel separated from the model. Something a little stronger and better quality. I think I have others in my shed.

 

In Summary ...... the day has finished on a high and I cant wait to get airborne again. ..... sweet dreams tonight.

 

Cheers

 

Toto

[aidan mcatamney]

Good stuff Toto, this is a very rewarding hobby and when all goes well at the field it always sends you home with a smile on your face.    Yes I agree,  the stainless steel bolts will make all the difference to hold on your wheels .

[toto]

Well  

 

All looking good for tomorrow. Booked in with my instructor for midday. All ready to go with a fist full of fresh batteries.

 

Fingers crossed the weather holds out

 

Toto

[aidan mcatamney]

Good luck tomorrow Toto with your plane.  I wish you happy landings.   I'm going to my local club tomorrow also, The South Derry with my Cessna 177 for a few flights and a bit of chat with my club members.  

[toto]

Cessna's are one of my favourites. 

 

I have one in the stash for when I get my wings 

 

Enjoy your day at the club and safe flying.

 

Toto

[Peter Jenkins]

Toto, I hope you get to fly on Sunday for the 2nd World Record attempt.  Should be something to put in your log book!

[paul devereux]

8 hours ago, toto said:

Well  

 

All looking good for tomorrow. Booked in with my instructor for midday. All ready to go with a fist full of fresh batteries.

 

Fingers crossed the weather holds out

 

Toto

Hi @toto, it's too windy today for any flying where I am, but tomorrow (Sunday) is supposed to be calm and the same for the next few days.

I have had a first- I managed to trim a 4 channel plane myself and also put in some d/r so it is a bit tamer- I feel I am doing some grown up flying now.

After a knock to my confidence when the plane seemed to be veering off to one side (out of trim), it is now flying straight and level hands-off and going where I point it.

I believe you have a small light trainer, HZ Cub-type plane? You'll be able to get more practise in with that on your own in a park as they are exempt from CAA rules, I have found that near dark and just after dawn there is normally zero wind. One of my local parks has quite a lot of model flying activity- drones of course, but also some electric helis and a few park-flyer foamies. There are also two birds of prey taken for exercise, one interesting day a commercial drone was following a merlin exercising, for a documentary I would guess.

[Learner]

I think the carbon cub toto has is well above the 250 gram limit and would be to big to fly in a park. Just because it says park flyer on the box doesnt mean its suitable for all parks in the uk.

[toto]

I do have a carbon sport .... I think it's called from memory. That falls out with the weight restrictions. I still have to bind it yet which should be no real issue.

 

I have a bit of Parkland literally two minutes from my door although it can be frequently used by dog walkers , including myself with my Golden retriever,  Lulu. So, I'm a little hesitant to use the area at the moment. 

 

Once I am just a little more comfortable with my skills then I could be over there most evenings. I have three batteries which would technically give my a total of circa 45 mins flying time. More than enough to just enable me to practice the basics and build up muscle memory etc. It would act as a means of supporting any proper training that I get in. 

 

We'll see.

 

Toto

[paul devereux]

46 minutes ago, toto said:

I do have a carbon sport .... I think it's called from memory. That falls out with the weight restrictions. I still have to bind it yet which should be no real issue.

 

I have a bit of Parkland literally two minutes from my door although it can be frequently used by dog walkers , including myself with my Golden retriever,  Lulu. So, I'm a little hesitant to use the area at the moment. 

 

Once I am just a little more comfortable with my skills then I could be over there most evenings. I have three batteries which would technically give my a total of circa 45 mins flying time. More than enough to just enable me to practice the basics and build up muscle memory etc. It would act as a means of supporting any proper training that I get in. 

 

We'll see.

 

Toto

This, I expect, you mentioned it before I think: HobbyZone Sport Cub S V2 - RTF With SAFE | Remote Controlled Planes | Wheelspin Models

I also have a Golden, Bella. She is ever so good, she just sits and waits patiently while I play with my plane. I agree with what you say about having some basic skills first, you have to be able to control a plane first. Though they are so light, you can't do any damage with them. If you take the power off, you can't even damage the plane.

Edited May 13, 2023 by paul devereux

[toto]

Good to know Paul. 

 

I had 4 flights today, all about 7 to 8 minutes roughly. Not a bad day.

 

Back up tomorrow but with a different trainer and plane.

 

Absolutely beautiful day for it today. Looking forward to tomorrow for more.

 

The HZ sports cub may get an airing either tomorrow night if I feel up to it or one night through the week.

 

Cheers

 

Toto  

[PatMc]

7 hours ago, paul devereux said:

This, I expect, you mentioned it before I think: HobbyZone Sport Cub S V2 - RTF With SAFE | Remote Controlled Planes | Wheelspin Models

I also have a Golden, Bella. She is ever so good, she just sits and waits patiently while I play with my plane. I agree with what you say about having some basic skills first, you have to be able to control a plane first. Though they are so light, you can't do any damage with them. If you take the power off, you can't even damage the plane.

Oh yes you can !

A mate of mine had to submit an insurance claim, via the BMFA, when his rubber powered indoor model damaged the (expensive)specs of another flier at the event. IIRC my mate had to cough up the initial £50.

BTW he didn't launch the model towards the person or do anything reckless. 

[paul devereux]

1 hour ago, PatMc said:

Oh yes you can !

A mate of mine had to submit an insurance claim, via the BMFA, when his rubber powered indoor model damaged the (expensive)specs of another flier at the event. IIRC my mate had to cough up the initial £50.

BTW he didn't launch the model towards the person or do anything reckless. 

Lol! The damaged spectacles guy should have taken the venue to court for millions in negligence, like McDonalds customers do.

In the parks I go to, people walk dogs, play football, and play cricket, and kids throw frisbees- all of which activities could cause harm to others (hit by a cricket ball or football, or bitten by a dog). People also jog- what if they bumped into someone? It is a potential minefield for negligence claims if you are a personal injury lawyer.

The safest thing people do is fly little model planes.

Edited May 13, 2023 by paul devereux

[PatMc]

Paul, it's actuaĺy not a laughing matter. The point I'm making is that even a sub 250g model can cause damage. Don't forget that flying a model is covered by specific legal legislation.

Whilst there's no need to be anal about it, I think it would be common sense to prioritise consideration to other park users.

In the incident I mentioned the specs were valued at £500 - 600 by the owner, one lens was scratched beyond repair allegedly by the model's plastic prop. Personaly if it had been my model I'd have disputed the claim as there was no proof that the lens wasn't already damaged. IMO everyone taking part in indoor flying knows the risks posed by flying models anyway unlike a public park.

[GrumpyGnome]

I used to fly small planes in the local park - but only very early in the morning before the dog walkers arrived, and traffic increased.

 

I didn't for a moment think my planes would hurt anyone, but was cognisant that I could cause a dog to be injured, or a car crash........... low probability/high impact.

 

Now, I NEVER fly anywhere but my flying field, irrespective of weight, speed, type of craft.

[paul devereux]

 

30 minutes ago, GrumpyGnome said:

I used to fly small planes in the local park - but only very early in the morning before the dog walkers arrived, and traffic increased.

 

I didn't for a moment think my planes would hurt anyone, but was cognisant that I could cause a dog to be injured, or a car crash........... low probability/high impact.

 

Now, I NEVER fly anywhere but my flying field, irrespective of weight, speed, type of craft.

I agree 100% re safety, that's why i said to @toto he needs to be able to fly reasonably competently first. But parks are great places to practise with the little CAA-exempt foamies. And they help keep the hobby alive for future generations- my experience with the public has been 100% positive- plenty of dog walkers have said it is interesting to see them flying, and asked where they can buy one, etc. I was walking my dog this evening and there were two people with a FPV drone, one flying, one spotting. They showed me the screen they used with the goggles- fascinating.

It certainly makes my dog-walking more interesting to see little models being flown.

It would be terribly ironic if we, as aero modellers, tried to stop people enjoying the hobby!

My local parks and rec give these guidelines:

Electrically powered model aircraft 

If flying an electrically powered model aircraft, you must: 

• not fly in our local nature reserves 
• ensure your aircraft does not annoy other people 
• stop flying if we or a member of the police ask you to 
• pay attention to where you’re flying. 

Edited May 13, 2023 by paul devereux

[paul devereux]

2 hours ago, PatMc said:

Paul, it's actuaĺy not a laughing matter. The point I'm making is that even a sub 250g model can cause damage. Don't forget that flying a model is covered by specific legal legislation.

Whilst there's no need to be anal about it, I think it would be common sense to prioritise consideration to other park users.

In the incident I mentioned the specs were valued at £500 - 600 by the owner, one lens was scratched beyond repair allegedly by the model's plastic prop. Personaly if it had been my model I'd have disputed the claim as there was no proof that the lens wasn't already damaged. IMO everyone taking part in indoor flying knows the risks posed by flying models anyway unlike a public park.

Sorry. I 100% agree with consideration to other park users. And I highlighted the sentence I also agree with- sounds like the spectacle wearer was a chancer. I'd rather a tiny foamie or a rubber powered model bounced off my noggin instead of a cricket ball any day.

[aidan mcatamney]

5 hours ago, toto said:

Good to know Paul. 

 

I had 4 flights today, all about 7 to 8 minutes roughly. Not a bad day.

 

Back up tomorrow but with a different trainer and plane.

 

Absolutely beautiful day for it today. Looking forward to tomorrow for more.

 

The HZ sports cub may get an airing either tomorrow night if I feel up to it or one night through the week.

 

Cheers

 

Toto  

Well done Toto, practice makes perfect and the more times you get out with your plane the better.  I had a few flights today with my Cessna.  Next Saturday we are having our annual Scale Day at the club where members from other clubs attend and there is a free barbecue for everyone.   I am going to take my Beaver 61 inch span Scale plane with me.  It's powered with a Saito 62 fourstroke and flys very nice.