Awesome weather - how much flying are you getting in?

[Tim Mackey]

Erfolg....if you had let me know you were coming i would have arranged a welcome party of flyers at the orme for you. I suspect however that you did not even actually visit the part where we fly - nowhere near the summit itself my friend

[Supersooty]

Had a great day flying on the patch yesterday.  Maiden flight of a Cermark Graduate, very nice to fly and lots of 'sorties' with the  E-Flite Sea Fury.  Great weather.

[Simon K 3]

Plenty of great flying over the last few weekends, dispite being a bit windy.

To top it off...

  Last Saturday passed my B-Cert

  Last Sunday Maiden my Electrified 50cc YT International SBach... Awesome!

[Erfolg]

Tim aka Timbo

 

From observation of the various links with respect to flying on the Great Orme, I had assumed that you flew from the circulating low level road (Marine Drive). That is generally over the cliffs. On the day I visited Wednesday, I would have expected near to St Trudnos church.

 

If I had seen, or more importantly if the the better half had seen any models, a put up job would have been suspected, life could have become unpleasant.

 

For me the interesting aspect of the location, is that it is eminently plausible to take a family with you. The architecture of the shops is very different to most UK high streets, being Victorian in concepts, masses of Cast Iron veranda type structures. Also the cloned aspects of the high street is not prevalent, although the chains seem to be apparent, there are many independent traders. Also there is Happy Valley, and all alpine sports. Not withstanding all the traditional slightly tacky UK sea side attractions, slot machine arcades, boat trips etc.

 

It is one place I could if desperate convince my wife or daughter and grandchildren to accompany me on a flying expedition.

 

The Orme is similar to a location I have flown in the now distant past in Cumbria. Sale Fell (there are two Sale Fells, the other is for hikers only) at the end of Bassenthwaite (lake). It is also a jelly mould shape, a little smaller, not to high to carry your model up and is flyable in most wind directions, about 270 degrees.

Also unless you climb to the top about 15 minute gentle hike, landings have to be made onto the slope, not infront the curl over, before the edge.

 

Erfolg

 

 

Edited By Erfolg on 05/08/2010 15:05:56

[enrico]

Good turn out for BVRMC BBQ .Burgers looked after by mr Anderson and McTurk!!!

[Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator]

Funny old weekend.

 

Went flying Friday night - blowy but OK and only two of us there.

 

Went again Saturday - windy again, but sunny-ish - good day really as not many at the field so most flights you had the sky to yourself.

 

Sunday was going to go flying but opted for Woodvale show instead - is it just me or did this year's show seem a bit "down"? There wasn't as many trade stands as in previous years and many of the big names were missing. Planes seemed to "come round" on the showline with greater frequency than before as well - shortage of display items?

 

BEB

[Eck]

A great flying weekend at the DMAC strip. Had some great flights with my E-Flite Pitts model 12

and managed to re-maiden my GWS FW 190, 15 months after it spent a week up a tree!

Fantastic fun!

 

[Phil Claridge]

well i bit the bullet on thursday, took my seagull sea fury down to the new forest site and met up with my mate and chief test pilot. the wind was fairly strong but blowing straight down the runway so we gave it a go. the plane has a 91 sc two stroke up front and this proved well up to the job. terry took it off and trimmed her out and passed me the tranny and did i get a tiger by the tail he is used to flying his planes set up very tight and forgot i am not that good so i quickly gave it back to him in the nick of time and he landed her, he then set 60% expo on every thing and after 3 or 4 calming fags i had another go and that flight was much better but still but clenching for me. i didnt try taking off or landing as it was too windy for me, we had a third flight just before we left and as he brought her down low on finals she caught a gust of wind and pancaked in to bush. not much damage one or two punctures and one retract pulled out now all repaired, but i will sell her now as i dont think she is suitable for our local grass patch and the new forest site is a 100 mile round trip

regards phil

[Erfolg]

I sense winter is approaching here in the NW, it is August, yet the temp down to about 15, steel grey clouds were passing overhead on Sunday.

 

None the less the wind speed was approx 0-6mph.

 

A good day for a test flight. So it was off to the field with one own design and just finished model. A second model re-motored, from a epicycloid gearbox inrunner, which had burnt out, with a direct drive inrunner of much larger diameter. The third model had a larger LIpo, which should be no trouble at all.

 

Arriving at the field, I found car parking at a premium, probably circa 15 vehicles, against the more usual 4 or 5.

 

I had chickened out flying my OD about 3 weeks previously, in part due to poor weather. It was gusty at about 15 mph. Anyway today was pretty still. I decided to have another test fly the model, nerves and an acute personal investment, made this seem a sensible route. Looking round I was finding it hard to locate a pilot who I thought was competent and unfazeable. But one was spotted.

 

A few minutes chat, persuaded the Dude, that it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. A thorough check, indicated a problem with the rudder being off set. Now this should not have been possible the model having being checked a number of times previously. Yet there was an issue. Easily fixed. At this point our intrepid test pilot decided he was Mode 1 and the model Mode 2.

 

A quick scan reveled only one other Mode 2 pilot, who seemed eager to fly it. The trouble was this guy has crashed more models on there maidens than any one I have ever previously met. Many his own. I declined the offer. Does every club have such a member?

 

After much barracking and cajoling, having declined an eager test pilot it was obvious there was no option but become the test pilot. I have test flown many previous models before, normally a little larger, potentially more docile, than this unknown beast. I was also concerned in not being absolutely certain that there was enough power available. Although 200w rated motor, it was propped to produce a modest 120w.

 

The fires were lit, the model launched by the earlier nominated TP. The hand launch by another was a very good decision, as the model rolled gently to the left and had a distinct inclination to climb. Putting it into the circuit, I fought to get the trimming right. Now most magazines talk of a few clicks on the transmitter and it flew a dream. In my case, it was a question of frantic pressing the digital trims with my left hand whilst waggling the stick with my right. It took several circuits to achieve straight and level flight. For operations like this give me mechanical sliders against digital trims which seem to take an age to change for me. Having achieved acceptable trimmed flight, I decided to land, which was a none event.

 

After all the excitement, the indications are that it is  a very docile  model once trimmed. Many of my fellow club mates seemed very disappointed that the circus had left town and went back to their own models.

 

Now going through the trials and tribulations with the other two models would require another couple of thousand words. As they say between bites of pie in Wigan, "Ende gute, alles gute". which is short for a good half day, which was most enjoyable. Not withstanding the ribbing, by my fellow enthusiasts.

[ken anderson.]

we have had Heavy Rain all day here..........ideal if you have webbed feet and a Beak...

 

   ken anderson..ne..1

[David Ashby - Moderator]

Our flying sites both closed this weekend for various reasons but lashing down today so we're not missing anything. The workbench beckons.

[Eck]

Visited the Angus Model Flying Club's Inaugural Fly-in at their beautiful new site at Stracathro on Sunday, with a posse of DMAC members. Fantastic weather, great organisation, loads of cheeky banter and more gorgeous models, both flying and in the pits, than you could shake a stick at! All this and off-the-peg flying too! Why can't all weekends be like that?

[Big Bandit]

Hi All,

 

Just nipped out for a quick flight with the Topic 400, and managed to write the canopy and folding prop off. Not looked how much more damage to the "fus" till tomorrow evening. Far too gusty over here. If it's too bad I  can always build another fuselage.

 

Chris.

[Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator]

Its now rained here for the last 24 hours - with only occassional breaks. Someone told me yesterday that the weather people say its going to rain for the next 2 weeks!!!!

 

BEB

[Simon Chaddock]

Flew both the "Flapped" and "Super Lightweight" versions of my Wing Dragon again today.

 

I really must get some flypast video of the flaps at work showing its 4:1 speed range as well as "landing in its own length".

 

The Super Lightweight on the other hand may lack the penetration of the heavier versions but It still makes me chuckle with a "vertical" performance on just 8 amps.

Throttle management is almost irrelevant as after just 20 seconds at full power you have to shut down or you risk loosing sight of it.

A spiral dive gets down just about as quick and you can then go on repeating this whole extravagant manoeuvre more than 20 times (it takes about 12 minutes!) before the LVC cuts in.

[Stephen Grigg]

Not been able to get as many evening flights as I expected this year.The horses saga seemed to put thingd all out of kilter and cant get back into it.However I have charged the batteries on the Fun Cub and may be able to get down there this evening depending what time I get back from a trip to Bognor Regis

[ken anderson.]

well today we have Rain-so as to keep on the team 'so to speak'...i've been doing some covering...the bathroom ceiling and the bedroom ceiling with good old white silk emulsion............unlike some 'posse' member's who avoid doing anything for their better half's........little do they realise they will end up selling the 'big issue etc.............. 

 

  ken anderson...ne..1. 

[David Ashby - Moderator]

It might be the more attractive option Ken 

[flytilbroke]

Wifey and I went to the Loch Leven Splash-in over the weekend. Two brave lads flew a few times on both the Saturday and Sunday. We quit early afternoon,  who would believe high wind for the whole weekend two years in a row.

 

I was NOT one of the brave lads.

[Stephen Grigg]

Arrived at the site good and early ,and it slowly went down hill from there,did I enjoy the day yes

[Pete B]

Hate to say this, folks, but I haven't flown since Thursday - the past couple of days have been just too darned hot - about 35C - so I've been hiding in the shade. Sorry.......

 

Pete

[Stephen Grigg]

Sorry to here that Pete Sunday  threatened rain but the wind was fine,the rain never came but the light was tricky until I dound some lenses that worked,by which time Id crashed a model

[David Ashby - Moderator]

We really wanted to know that Pete 

Cats and dogs today  

[Chris Bott - Moderator]

Sunday was a great day for flying, many club members there all day.

I managed to get there from 5:00 'till 7:00 when any wind had dropped right off.

Leccyflier's dolly design worked really well. It needs a slight design tweak as our grass is currently short but there are loads of flowers growing. 

YT P51 funfighter got off every time, far more reliable than the hand launches I've been having. 

 

[Erfolg]

Up North, like the rest of England the weather was great, Saturday was good, Sunday even better, as the wind was zephyr like.

 

So on Sunday it was time to give my Ta 152H its maiden. Arriving at the field in the early morning (about 10:30) there was a small number of modellers present. I looked desperately for a volunteer, with greater flying abilities on mode 2 than myself, who could be encouraged to volunteer for first flight. Strangely none could be seen (normaly all claim to be outstanding pilots), I was a lone flyer, it would seem, every one dissapeared to their cars, or worked feverishly on their models. Asking for a volunteer to launch the model was far more successful, almost a queue.

 

Time to plug in the Lipo, everything fired up in a reassuring manner. Although I am not sure what the tune from the ESC was playing. A careful wiggle of the sticks, confirmed correct sense of the stick to surface movement with visually adequate deflection. I was quite relaxed, starting to feel the warm glow of another maiden flight under my belt. My helper held the model into wind, the motor was advanced to full, on my cry (or was it whispered) the model was launched. The model leapt forward in a most convincing manner, slowly turning to the left, whilst dropping slowly. I responded as fast as a frozen snake, putting in some right and I think a little up. The left wing struck the ground approxiamatly 30 m in front of the launch point. Upon inspection, I had apparently torn the left wing of. In the space of 1 second all had turned pear shaped, the sun disappeared I am sure, as I sulked of with my wreakage.

I put the bits in the boot and got out Weisskanninchen 2. Recently I had a little trouble with this model. All had been remedied however. Although as I took the model to the flight line, I did realise, though although charging the Lipo the previous day, I had not charged the Rx Nicad for about 2 weeks. Checking the model prior to launch, I did sense a small degree of hesitancy in the servos. A further wiggle of the sticks confirmed all was well, it was my over sensative imagination. My now trusted launcher dispatched the model. The model climbed out with great verve, I made a 90 degree cross wind turn without incident. I then judged now was the time for another 90 degree turn parallel with the flight line. The model seemed to wobble, but did not turn. I decided to switch the throttle of, put the nose down, and make a turn for the field and land (down wind). Again nothing, know I opened the throttle in a desperate attempt to gain height, to sort things out. Yet another wobble and the model plunged down. I calmly screamed, IT ISSSS GOOOOOOONNNg Innn. Disappearing from sight behind the boundary hwthorn hedge, a loud clump could be heard. Bravely I strolled to the field where even now a herd of cows would be doing plane dance all over it. Thankfully it was there day for some other field.

 

It is most enlightening how all onlookers saw and heard a different event. Some convinced the motor was running etc. although I did consciously switch the motor of when it was apparent that  a crash was inevitable. We had a long fruitless debate about events. That is until a member suggest that the batteries be tested and he had one of these new fangled field measuring systems for both Nicad and Lipos. The test of the Lipo indicated 12V and 99% charged. Plugging in the Nicad indicated 3v and 0% capacity.  That was all of 3v  to drive the Rx and 4, by 9g, servos (2 aileron, two elevator/rudder). Could this be the cause?

 

 

Now I had another model in the boot, did I fly it? No fear, I had run out of luck and each ill judged move and decision was being merciless being punished. But It was a good day none the less

   

Edited By Erfolg on 23/08/2010 17:02:53