Radio Control Flying - What not to do #1

Here is a great example of what not to do when getting into rc planes (now this assumes it is genuine - and it appears it is). This guy has a IC powered 50 size model which he tries to fly in a semi rural area with houses and people around. Not a good idea especially when a model like that goes out of control. You can cause quite a bit of damage to people and property.

He has another where he attempts to fly a Piper Cub foamie which is much better although he puts that into a tree!

Winter Flying in New Zealand

This greeted us this morning at the flying field... fog/mist. The temperature was 6 degrees C and it wasn't until about 10am did the fog clear enough to fly. However it was calm. So it was 2 flights of the ASW28 before I had no batteries left. Then home to take me mum up north.

Servo Failure

I have purchased a number of servos from HobbyKing and had a good run except for one I put in my glider. Its a HXT 5010 standard size servo. I was flying one day and was in a thermal and the glider stopped responding. It went into a gentle spiral dive and came down in some bush, luckily by a road which goes through the bush. So I got it back in one piece. I thought the ESC (electric glider) had failed. But it was actually the rudder servo which had failed. And if you look at the picture, one of the surface mount transistors has got really hot and burned a hole in the servo case!! Goodness knows why; I'm not an electronics expert. Anyway the glider is flying again.

HobbyKing Foam ASW28 2 metre wingspan

This arrived about 3 weeks ago. Its stock except I cut the elevator off as it was too stiff and used a tape hinge instead. Test flew it and there is too much up once it was trimmed. I put some 2mm packing under the trailing edge of the tailplane. The elevator is pretty flat now. It flys pretty well really. The glide it not the best but thats offset as it looks really good in the air. Given the long wings I thought I might need some rudder for turns but its not required. I haven't managed to thermal it yet. I use a 1300mAH lipo and its rather tight in the cockpit area. Overall a nice model. I wouldn't recommend it for a beginner though. You tend to have to fly it all the time (it has no dihedral).

Oh and the prop doesn't fold. I am tempted to replace it with a better ESC but the motor is wired permanently to the ESC. It appears you can't program the esc. People have asked but there is no responses.

Excuse the photo. Its a phone which thinks it might be a camera.

I flew it today (6/6/2011). I really am disappointed with the glide. Well at least in comparison to my Great Planes Spirit 2 meter glider.

I got this from a viewer when I tried to sell it on Trademe... re- programming the ESC is easy turn on your radio with the throtle full forward then turn the model on and wait for 5 seconds this will turn on the engine brake - I found this out the hard way cheers spinner1972 (43 ) 1:14 pm, Tue 5 Jul

Control line Manual by Ron Moulton

Here is my recently purchased book, Control Line Manual printed in 1965. Its an excellent source of control line information from the 1950's and 1960's. I regularly got this book out of the library when I was at school. My wife laughed when I told her it was published in 1965.

Al Rabe rudder

Well my Sig stunter (can't remember which model but its in the same range of the Super Chipmunk) was never a great flyer in outsides. So I was reading up about the Rabe rubber which I have on a stunter I purchased and decided to try it. So it works as designed i.e. right rudder on down and slightly less on up. Still have to try it. I have also put a OS46LA up from as well. Hopefully that will help line tension.

Last night at Te Whiti park for summer 2010/2011

Another Summer Series comes to an end. Drat... another cold winter to look forward to.