Sunday 21 April 2013

Big Lift on Pole Hill


After stuffing my Extreme on EL last week I headed for Pole Hill for a change of scenery. I decided it would be a good day to get more stick time on my Ascot and also took along my Spark and Weasel Evo. Getting ready to head up the hill from the car park and putting the Spark wing panels in the bag beside the Ascot
I realised I only had one Ascot wing panel. The other being in the shed at home after painting. Oh bother!!! What a Muppet!

Hugh Barker was already at the top but the increasing wind was getting too much for lis lightweight model. He also had a new Sunbird but it stayed in the bag waiting for a lighter day.

Ian Stewart arrived just after Hugh had headed home. Ian had brought along his ever faithful Tragi and it was going really well in the big air and lots of ballast. Ian also flew his M60 foamie getting in some practice for the foamie competition next week.


Ian's Tragi on landing approach

I flew my Weasel Evo but the 35-40mph wind was a little too much for it but my Spark went like a rocket. After the first flight I had a fairly exciting time landing the Spark because the elevator compensation under crow was way out. A few tweaks on the tx and a few more landings saw it sorted. I found some great lift at one point and the Spark got really, really high and I bottled out and put the brakes out. It still climbed. Yippee!!!

Ali Sutherland joined us with his Strega but only had a very brief flight because an aileron servo began doing its own thing! A careful landing saw Ali heading home early.

Spark Self portrait.

Ian in action

Wet knees!

Sunday 14 April 2013

Extreme bites the dust. Again!


My Extreme is now on 2.4 gHz was going well with full ballast in big wind on East Lomond. Bit bumpy on landing approach but the brakes were just about right and all was looking good until about 2 metres off the ground the left wingtip shot up and the model flipped onto it's back. Bang!!
Broken again but it is the other wing this time and the damage in in the same area as the last time at the dihedral break. The change in angle at the dihedral break must provoke a twisting action when the wing smacks into something solid (hillside) and the drag spar folds and the whole wing bends back snapping the leading edge. Some damage to the rear of the fuselage and one tailplane half too.
The spar initially looks intact this time though. I still have the wing jig I made for the last repair. (Being positive here!!)

 Hacked off? Damn right L

Saturday 6 April 2013

F3F Summer league 1. Cancelled

The forecast was for very light westerly wind swinging south west in the afternoon which is less than ideal for racing so Peter cancelled the first of the 2013 F3F Summer league.

Peter suggested we turn-up at East Lomond with DLGs and Alulas for some fun. East Lomond being a much easier walk than Bishop! I arrived early and found a light westerly wind blowing along the slope so I flew my Longshot DLG on the far end of the slope. By the time some wheeling and dealing had happened in the car park and the rest of the guys turned up the wind had picked up a little and swung west south west and we could fly F3F models as well as DLGs and Alulas.


My Longshot. I took this picture as I was flying it :)

Peter's Stinger

Concentration!



It was quite thermally at times but it was great to get out and have decent fly. Everyone had some good air to make up for the poorer stuff.


Dave's Needle

Nice to see a scale model

Errr..... Don't ask; but if you must try touch and goes in soft snow the model will vanish!!!

A great mixture of models, Stinger, Needle, Ascot, Tomcat, Bannana, a couple Blasters and several more DLGs and Alulas as well as a scaley!