I can't stand it when there are no posts on my favorite group, so I'll just talk to myself for a while to keep the bit count up.
I see that Tower Hobbies has a new (to me) Electrifly model, the good old Big Stik in a traditional .40 size (52" wingspan) powered by an outrunnder motor. It has a nice look to it. Why can't they ever capture that stance and flair for glow models?
I still have an Electrifly .40 sized trainer (electric powered) NIB that hasn't been flown as yet. Winter has snuck up on us down here in northwest GA and has curtailed my flying for 2008, as if I did any flying before this date in 2008.
The older I get, the more I think about flying and the less I do. Frankly, if I didn't have a two car garage full of ARFs, I'd probably contain my flying to just my Real Flight Sim. No mess to clean up. No club politics, etc. Plus, I can fly the sim in the middle of the night if I so choose.
Oh well, guess I'll check the amateur bands and see if anyone wants to talk. Later.
On Thu, 30 Oct 2008 04:15:02 -0400, "Ed Cregger" wrote in :
I can't give a full report on my hangar. I've got to pack for a trip to Chicago and get ready for today's class.
I haven't been building or flying as much as I did during my first decade back in the hobby (1995-2005). Excuses abound. But I enjoy this group, too, and am glad to contribute to threads that fit my interests, such as they are.
I have to admit that I do enjoy building my own designs the best, most of the time. The old noggin' has been dry for ideas, with a few exceptions here and there.
I have this thing about flying a model with the most IC engines. I wonder what the record is, if one exists?
I go through spells. Sometimes the spells last years. I'm sure you know what I mean. I'm beginning to get "the itch" again. Problem is, my shop is full of ARFs and the wife's business inventory. I'm going to work on clearing (selling) that stuff out this weekend. I love each and every ARF I have, but I'll never get around to flying them. Besides, I've got the urge to build again and that is something that doesn't infect me very often.
Electrics at the park are like that too! Gliders too, though the hi-start or winch is even more trouble than dealing with glow fuel. It's better if several people share the hi-start/winch, but then it turns into a club (which isn't a bad thing, but many don't like it.)
| Plus, I can fly the sim in the middle of the night if I so choose.
Electric planes with lots of LEDs ... you haven't really lived until you've had a UFO report filed on your plane!
(Ok, guess I haven't lived yet, not that I'm aware of, but I have had some really strange looks.)
| Oh well, guess I'll check the amateur bands and see if anyone wants to talk.
CQ CQ CQ DE AD5RH ...
Or you could just post to the Usenets. Or get on Bitnet Relay, or IRC (if you're not quite that old-school) ...
If you've never done it before...just build an electric foamie. Your own design or one of hundreds for free on the 'net. All new techniques; All new flying weights and power requirements...
You could probably swap one of your ...."build-me-later"..... ARFs for the motor; ESC; battery etc. Foam is as inexpensive as you can get.
You might even find a local gymnasium that would let you try her out in the dead of Winter.
I bought a foamie several years ago, complete with ESC, servos, motor and low temp glue gun. It's out there in "the pile" as the wife likes to call it. I'm looking forward to experiencing such a model.
Remember the early competition fun fly models of two decades ago? I was one of the early pioneers flying maneuvers that made others run for their cars. They were positive that I'd lose control of it and hit one of them. Never did. Never even came close. One of my first 3D type ships was the Florio Stunt Wagon. I used to get a kick out of flying control line Stunt patterns just a few feet above the ground. That was a lot of fun.
....but......building one yourself from nothing but a pile of Blu-Cor foam and a free plan...( or no plan)... is a lot more satisfying for me ... than building something from a box...no matter if the material in the box is the very same, pre-cut, Blu-Cor foam....
While my present squadron consists of way too many foam ARFs...my goal is to build better planes without using an ARF at all. I've seen enough pix on the 'net to know that it can be done. I just have to increase up my building ( and flying) skills first.
This discussion reminds me of my mother-in-law...some 50 years ago. She would NOT build a "Box-Cake"....she had to use real flour; add the eggs, etc. No "Betty Crocker " for her!
On Thu, 30 Oct 2008 15:38:03 -0400, "Ed Cregger" wrote:
Whatever you do,,, don't do what I just did,,,,
I swore I would never do it, I looked at the ugly noisy things, and shuddered every time. I looked at the cost, and knew they cost WAY too much I looked at the repair costs and KNEW that was WAY too high. I looked at the time spent in maintenance, and knew that I didn't have that much free time. I figured the cost per hour would rival flying the full scale SR-71 but then ,,, alas,,, one day I saw a "good deal" on an electric one and I figured,,, What the heck, it would be a hoot to try at least once. So, I spent $x on one, and waited for the brown toy truck to deliver it. Then I spent my "free" time for the next week doing all the "pre-flight" checks and stuff, and a few hours limbering up my thumbs on the flight simulator,, At last, the day arrived, with only "moderate" breezes (well,,, moderate for THIS part of the country anyway,,,) So I carry the lot out to fly, Plug the battery in, check everything out (again) and,,,, the FIRST thing I learn is that if you prep it according to instructions, it is W A A A A Y nose heavy Kinda reminded me of a line from Blue Thunder (the movie) So after fiddling around for a while, moving the battery etc,, I got it to where is was only slightly nose heavy, and once again attempted "flight" Things actually went pretty well for a while till a honey locust tree took exception to sharing space with it, and smacked it to the ground. So, back to the internet, order $X worth of spare parts, and wait again, got the parts, replaced the broken ones,, and over several evenings managed to get about 16 minutes of "flight" Got brave last saturday, and went out again,,, fresh battery, the wind wasn't TOO unreasonable, and I was having a really good time, UNTIL the wind got it again, and I "landed" sideways which pretty much totally destroyed the landing gear. So,,, Back to the internet AGAIN, order ANOTHER $XX in parts, and wait for the brown truck again.
I'm thinking only bachelors (who don't have any aggravation in their lives) or nerds (who don't have an actual life) should have these things.
A mistress, or another wife, or possibly even an ex-wife would be cheaper. and quite possibly more entertaining ;-)
the preceding was written partially in jest, and partially in fact, I hope somebody gets a giggle out of it.
and if it offends someone, I don't want to hear about it '-)
bob
AMA 569137 IMAA 22586 MIL-TDD-41 Sanity does not run in my family,,,it FLEES
Hey guys, Don't do what Bob did, it really isn't THAT hard! In case you have wondered, I started out where he did but have changed.
I was in west Texas a few weeks ago where the SLOW wind for the weekend was over 20 mph and saw a Parkzone (I think) F4U Corsair and T-28 READY TO FLY electric birds doing touch and goes. I gotta have one!
I also saw some foam hacked F-15 electric park flyers that were awesome IN THAT WIND! I gotta have one!
The F-15 should fly by this time next week since all the little bits and pieces (outrunner, ESC, battery, nano servos, fancy charger and etc) are here now. This thing is a profile ship that IN THE AIR really LOOKS like a F-15 rather than those powered kites most of the older electric stuff is. The F4U is on back order.
Ed, get new stuff because it is several generations better than what it was only 5 years ago. I have been wowed and am a fresh convert. That does not mean I will change to electric, rather I have added electric flight to my repertoire of things to do to have fun.
I don't know of any electric helicopters that do well in the wind. However, I have one of those old 'shock' flyers and its follow on and their hand cut replacements and have never been impressed with them. In fact, your post sounded just like I felt with them. Sorry if I offended you, I just didn't want another to try to have fun with stuff that really wasn't very effective when there is stuff out there today that is wonderful in that medium. Well, I guess not for helicopters. . .
Not counting the charger, the F-15 will be in the air complete for around $75 and that includes batteries for TWO 15 minute flights.
Frankly, I was surprised at how well my .30 sized Raptors tolerated gusty winds. Granted, you need collective pitch. Fixed pitch machines zoom all over the place.
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