Friday 24 May 2013

Extremely pleased

A day off work gave me a chance to re-re-maiden my recently repaired (again) Extreme. Goes as well as ever :) The model is looking a little battle weary but still sound and a great flying model.
25mph ne wind was ideal for a test flight on the left end of the east slope at Kilspindie.


Monday 20 May 2013

After work session at Kilspindie

With no flying last weekend because of the poor weather yet again, when I realised my other half was going out straight from work I chucked my Longshot and Weasel Evo in the back of the car for an after work session. The forecast was for light nw but it turned out easterly and although it was pouring rain at work at 4 o'clock it turned out that Kilspindie had missed the rain and I had a dry walk up the hill.

It was a bit gloomy on top and a couple of texts from my wife confirmed it was still wet to the east but it remained dry on the hill. I alternated between my two models and had a great time in the 10mph wind, bang on the east slope. I should have made the effort and taken an F3F model!
 

Weasel Evo


Which way is up?
 

Longshot whizzes over the farm.
I had fun flying and trying to take pictures! I took about 50 in total and got 4 usable!
 

The air was quite thermally (and occasionally quite sinky) and my Longshot got pretty high at times. I haven't flown my Longshot in lightish slope lift before and it is quite aerobatic. Sailing along with the sound of skylarks in the background was very pleasant. Summer at last. Hope it lasts! Two and a half hours flying is a great way to relax after work!!

Monday 13 May 2013

Pole Hill in the rain.

Windmap suggested that Sunday would be the best day with dry breezy wsw conditions predicted compared to the sunny day on Saturday with heavy rain showers. Windmap was spot on about Saturday but wrong (again) about Sunday.

I arrived about 11 to find overcast skies and light rain getting heavier. Full of confidence in the forecast I grabbed my models and headed up the hill. I got as far as the gate before I went back for my mini sport-brella because it was starting to rain and some dark overcast sky was heading my way! I met Hugh Barker heading back to the car with his unflown Sunbird under his arm. Rain and stiff wind are not the best for test flights of lightweight models.

With a steady light rain falling my first job when I got to the top of the hill was to assemble my mini sport-brella and take shelter. Time to get the flask out! I was soon joined by Peter and we huddled out of the rain and compared our weather today with that of the south of France. We decided that from Peter’s recent experience it was much the same only it was probably warmer in Scotland!!
The rain relented somewhat so we quickly put our models together and I heaved off my Ascot and Peter his Stinger. That Stinger goes well and “EM” turns on a sixpence (very tightly!!) We speculated that it should be possible to get a 100 metre course setup on this slope so that may be worth considering it in the future if East Lomond is ever clouded in. (As if!!)
At one point we ended up flying in the rain with water steaming off our goggles. We must be mad!! The rain did ease for a while later so we had some practice in reasonable conditions.
I must have been a little slow getting the flaps away or I was unlucky and caught a tussock of grass when I landed my Ascot because I knocked a flap servo loose which put paid to any more flights with the Ascot.  My trusty Spark was pulled out of the bag to let me get some more stick time. We had to hide from the rain again but it did clear once more.
Peter switched to his FS3 hoping to compare it with his Stinger which had being going well in some good air but the approaching “weather” saw the wind drop and the conditions deteriorate so we packed up and headed home.
No pictures today although Peter did post one on Facebook. Today was his birthday :) Many happy returns. I remember when I used to fly a loop for ever year of my age on my birthday. That could take a while these days!!

Monday 6 May 2013

Star Wars day on Kilspindie


May the Forth be with you!!
Star Wars day saw me heading for Kilspindie with my newly painted Ascot and my trusty Spark.
The Spark got heaved off first and it was going well in the big lift. The wind was bang on the south-west slope and blowing about 30-40mph and the tweaks I have made to settings on the Spark have improved the way it goes. I wish I had had this model when I first started flying F3F because it is such a great flying model and still no slouch. The wind freshened a bit at times and the 50mph wind was proving a little too much for it to make decent headway. It still flew really well but I would be happier to see it heavier. When Dave Watson built my Spark he did incorporate a ballast tube and I really must make up some lead slugs because it is a great standby model. The poor model tends to get chucked off any new hill first!

Ascot and Spark show a family resemblance!
 
My repaired Ascot has now been painted and looks more presentable and it flew well with the addition of ballast although I found the elevator a little too touchy and I have backed it off a bit. I got it really high at one point and dived vertically all the way down for a rapid low pass along the slope. Weeeeeeee!!! Yippee!!
I had to repaint one of the red sunburst panels on the Ascot and I found a company on Ebay who make up an aerosol of paint if you know the REL number. VV Models website has a list. The colour match is excellent and I am well please with the result. The actual paint finish could be better but I am sure the wing surface and the paint were a little too cold on the day to take the paint well. Halford’s “Appliance white” is a great match for the white surfaces.
I am ready for some F3F fun again although I would be happier if my Extreme was flyable but it is still very much a work in progress. Matching paint colours is the least of my worries at the moment!!