Question for Jen

On Sat, 07 Jul 2007 12:04:34 -0700, Larry wrote in :

If you can handle the squirrelly models on the sim, that should improve your chances flying your model.

Dial in some gusty wind to make the sim more realistic. Don't fly in perfect air all the time on the sim--you probably won't have perfect air all the time in the rest of life.

Marty (yes, I know I'm not Jen)

It's usually pretty still here in the morning ( 6:00AM) . If there is wind, it gets pretty gusty. The river bottom near my house has a big sandy spot for belly landing. It's only a few hundred yards walk, so no big deal if I quit at the first sign of gusty conditions.

Larry

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On Sat, 07 Jul 2007 14:34:05 -0700, Larry wrote in :

While training, give yourself a challenge.

It will extend your skills and get you ready for having fun in less-than-ideal conditions.

Forecasts today were for 10-20 mph hour winds with gusts to 30 mph. I flew anyway and only quit because of engine problems. I didn't get out my anemometer, but I'd say it was more like 5-15 with a few 20s here and there.

Marty

Keep in mind that Parkzone transmitters typically support dual rates. On low rates at full throttle, my Stryker does maybe one full roll per second with the stick all the way left/right. On high rates that's probably 3 rolls per sec. Needless to say I tend to fly mostly on low rates and about 60% throttle, unless I need a thrill ride. Plus, not flying at full throttle increases flight time from about 15 minutes to about 25 minutes (using a 2400mAh LiPo). The FW flew approximately the same, but I only flew it once, maybe twice. Has been a while and it wasn't mine so I was a bit more careful. :)

On a sim, I'd start out with the easiest plane you can find. If you feel that you can fly this without crashing, progress to the next-up model. I'm not entirely sure what planes are on that sim, but if it has warbirds, they're probably a reasonably close match to your Spitfire.

As for wind... I'd say, fly without (on the sim as well as with your plane). You're right, there's usually very little wind immediately after sunrise and in my area also very often calm just before sunset. Wind, especially gusty wind, adds variables that just are a bit much for a beginner - in my opinion anyway.

I'll tell you how the first flights for me went: For all practical purposes I had no flight experience, other than a lot of sim time (I started out with FMS using a Saitek Dual Analog gamepad). The sim has a Stryker model, so thats what I flew. The last hours of sim time before taking my Stryker out were dedicated to emergency landing. I'd toss the plane around in the sim and randomly cut throttle trying to recover and land safely. Settings were so that there was no auto-zoom active, i.e. the plane would indeed be just a small bunch of pixels in the distance. The first flight was an adrenaline high, complete with a lot of sweating. The original NiMH battery pack only lasts for about 5 mins, so thats when I brought it back in. Flying was pretty much exactly like the sim, except that I lost orientation a few times. Next flights were increasingly more fun. I stripped a servo on a botched landing, destroyed the plane once because of radio interference (the 27mHz band REALLY sucks), but that's all that ever happened to me on the (pretty much stock) Stryker.

Jen

Thanks Jen! I downloaded FSM and like it better than the sim I was using, CRRCsim. I could not turn off the zoom on CRRC. Plus, I can fly a Spitfire. Still losing it and crashing once in a while, always while trying to set up a slow landing approach.

Larry

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I wouldn't recommend flying a foam airplane in such winds :) I sure as heck don't fly in anything more than 5-7mph. It's not worth it. These lightweight planes get tossed any which way. Landing becomes more or less a game of chance.

Bigger, heavier planes sure. Parkzone foam planes... er... no.

Jen

On Sun, 08 Jul 2007 04:30:19 -0600, Jennifer Smith wrote in :

There was a fellow who flew two fast, small, foam jet-like things. The winds didn't bother him.

OK. But you still have an envelope from no wind to 7 mph to explore. The more skill you have, the more you can fly safe and enjoy flying.

Sometimes, more is more. ;o)

Marty

Awww... There is much fun to be had gliding to a landing in wind heavy enough that the plane is physically moving backwards. Flaring takes on a whole new meaning! About the only part I don't like is when I back into things... Please note I said heavy wind, not gusty wind uncertain of what direction it is blowing because those are just challenging and can be airplane breaking.

Jim Branaum AMA 1428

| > Forecasts today were for 10-20 mph hour winds | > with gusts to 30 mph. I flew anyway and only | > quit because of engine problems. I didn't | > get out my anemometer, but I'd say it was | > more like 5-15 with a few 20s here and there. | | I wouldn't recommend flying a foam airplane in such winds :) I sure as | heck don't fly in anything more than 5-7mph. It's not worth it. These | lightweight planes get tossed any which way. Landing becomes more or | less a game of chance. | | Bigger, heavier planes sure. Parkzone foam planes... er... no.

Parkzone makes many different planes.

For example, the Parkzone F-27C Stryker wouldn't have any problems handling such winds. The pilot might not be able to handle it, but the plane will.

Ultimately, as long as your plane is faster than the top wind speed, it's stiff enough to go that fast, and it is nimble enough to handle turbulence, it can be flown in heavy winds. Now, you might not be ready -- that's another matter entirely.

Actually, lots of slope flying is done in such winds (or more) with foam planes. I think the best time I ever had flying was flying your standard Zagi-type foam flying wing in 40 mph winds with half of my tool box (wrenches, etc.) taped to the bottom for ballast. Wheee!

An I saw worried about too much tape on my Zagi.

mk (who is in need of a good slope in CenTex)

Try the spillway at Canyon Lake Dam...

Or around the lake NW of Austin...

Or up in the hill country off IH 10...

| > Actually, lots of slope flying is done in such winds (or more) with | > foam planes. I think the best time I ever had flying was flying your | > standard Zagi-type foam flying wing in 40 mph winds with half of my | > tool box (wrenches, etc.) taped to the bottom for ballast. Wheee! | | An I saw worried about too much tape on my Zagi.

They do benefit from a tear down and recovering every once in a while, but a little tape doesn't hurt anything.

Usually I'm not much into ballast, but that day it was definitely needed. Usually I've got enough quarters and such in my pocket for adjusting the CoG, but wrenches make nice ballast taped to the bottom of your plane. Just make sure they're taped on good so they don't fall off!

| (who is in need of a good slope in CenTex)

Hmm, as am I. Mansfield dam and Georgetown dam are probably the best in the Austin area.

The flight I was referring to was done at Dave's place, near Mansfield dam, but alas it's been sold.

If you're visiting Austin, here's the places to slope fly --

If you're in Hamilton, Georgetown dam shouldn't be too far from you -- well, about an hour drive. A long drive, but not undoable. (It's probably 45 miles from my house in SW Austin.)

wrote in

Agreed :) As a newbie though... I'm sure I'd have had a puddle between my legs if I had to deal with wind back then. ;)

Jen

Unfortunately, wind at my flying areas invariably means gusty wind and ugly turbulences from trees, houses and whatnot.

Jen

Since I have a F27C... true, they can handle higher wind speeds. The iffy part is more the landing, where you ought to slow down. And with the turbulences near ground... it's... interesting. I've had one day where I flew the F27B and the wind picked up. Flying was not a problem. Landing however was... the plane got slammed into the ground at final, luckily not resulting in any damage other than another scratch in the paint.

I haven't tried soaring yet... somehow not my cup of tea.

Jen

"Doug McLaren" wrote

I have a Lazy Bee, with an OS .15 on it. I regularly fly it at the beach in NC, with all the winds that are usually there. Landing backwards is a "different" experience!

I think the shorter the wing span, the better, for handling gusty winds.

About your "toolbox ballast," I flew my Lazy Bee at the beach with a cheap motor drive 35 mm camera on it, (years ago when they were really heavy) and it did really fly better (although different) with all of that "ballast." I did get some neat pictures, too.