BMFA F3F Round 3. Horcum 13 May

Only Peter Gunning and I were up for the early start and the trip to Horcum on Sunday 13th May for round three of the BMFA F3F league.

The wind was smack on the slope at Levisham and blowing around 30-45mph with lots of variability. It was pretty cold all day too. Summer league? HuH!

Most people got some good air and there was some excellent air to be had if you were lucky. Apart from my first and last round all the air I got was terrible and I lack the ability to do anything with those kinds of conditions. I saw some great flying though. Ronnie Lampe’s sub 31 with his Strega was tremendous as was Tom Foreman’s new PB with his Xenon. EM turns were favoured by many but not by everyone.

The air in the landing area could be rough and several models came to grief. Keith Wood totalled his FS3 when it flicked on turn A and smacked into the ground. The wreckage was then blown up the hill by the wind causing more damage. A Crossfire was picked up in the pits area by the strong winds and blew back and damaged other models.

A chance conversation with Frank Hulton saw me gain a joiner for my Extreme rebuid. Brilliant! Thanks Frank; what a star.

By the end of the completion most of us were pretty exhausted and glad to get back to the cars! Ronnie Lampe flew a ballistic sub- 32 for FTD. Richard Bago had a great day and took first place followed by Mr EM Greg Dakin in second place with Peter in a very well deserved third place. Peter changed to his reliable Cyril early on and flew consistently all day. I think I was last but it was a terrific and challenging day.

A fish supper from the Magpie in Whitby topped off a great day out. Thanks again to Peter for doing all the driving and putting up with me chatting all the way there and all the way back!!

The second round of the BMFA F3F league which was due to be held at Horcum a few weeks ago was cancelled and it looks like the substitute event will be held in South Wales. A long way to travel for the possibility of one days racing. This only leaves the Scottish round in July that I am likely to be able to attend but no possibility of a meaningful score in the UK league. Three rounds are needed for that. I won’t make the Nationals at Horcum. Damn!

Very light winds on Kilspindie

With a forecast of very light winds and variable direction I left my F3F models at home and took my Weasel Evo and old Easy Glider (electric) model up to Kilspindie.

There was a very light northerly blowing at the top of the hill and once my Easy Glider got up to height it was able to drift around from thermal to thermal. The much abused 2300mAh LiPo battery held up and I flew for almost an hour and there was still life in the battery for a couple more climbs but the approaching rain/hail drove me back to the car. The Weasel never got to play!

Roll on summer and some warmer weather.

F3F Practice Day

With the BMFA F3F competition scheduled for the Hole of Horcum cancelled Peter organised a practice day for anyone who could make it. Six of us turned up at Kilspindie and had a great day. Peter, Mike Dave, Robert and Craig.

I arrived early so I could try my Reaper foamie because it must be a year since it flew. A last minute decision on Saturday afternoon saw the 35mHz pulled out from the wing and an Orange FASST compatible stuffed into the space. Radio and model were going well considering the receiver is nestling against carbon wing spars, alloy spar joiner and carbon fuselage longeron and the antenna are just taped flat on the top of the wing.

Everyone had the chance to have a fly before the F3F “competition” started. I am glad we don’t do two fly-throughs in competitions because my first three rounds were flown in awful air. Like flying through treacle!! Others flew in nice thermally stuff!!

Peter flew his new Needle and it looked fast and smooth particularly considering how much ballast the Needle carries!

Mike had his recently acquired Fossa flying well and looking fast and agile.

Dave’s Cyril was looking fast and when it got some good air it was off like a rocket and keeps up the momentum very well.

Robert is getting to grips with his very swift P3 which seems to have a natural pace and turns well.

Craig is getting the hang of his Skorpion and the practice day would be a real benefit to him getting used to the course. Sport flying is fun but here is no substitute for flying the course.

I flew my Vikos. Slowly:(

A leisurely pace, breaks for lunch and much banter left us all with smiles on our faces!! We should do this more often.

Early Sunday morning fly

Frustrated after the weather stopped us having a competition or any proper flying yesterday I was up at the crack of dawn this morning and heading for the North side of East Lomond. My absolute least favourite slope. None of the forecast sunshine and a really light east was blowing about 5-8 mph but my Race M was heaved off and it was soon scraping around in the light lift. The lift was really light but I managed to keep it above the horizon most of the time and flew some slow F3F laps and the Race M was going well since the recent rewiring of the loom in the fuselage. A working back-up model again. Phew! I flew six flights and caught a thermal on flight five and specked out way out over the valley and Falkland village and flew around nicely for nearly and hour. Flight six lasted about 5 minutes and I landed out but only down on the large grassy area below the slope and not down in the valley 500 feet below!! The wind had dropped way completely by 11 o'clock and I headed home for breakfast/lunch!

A picture is worth..............

Saturday morning walk.

A good North-North East wind was forecast and not fancying the back of East Lomond I headed for Craigmead car park and a walk along to the slope on the way to West Lomond. Craigen Gaw? 40 minutes later when I got to the slope the aileron servo in the right wing of my Race M was in the huff and not playing. Bollocks! The group of Air Cadets who came over to watch were dead impressed!! A spare model would have been handy.

Back home the wing wiring seemed fine but I had to take the aileron servo out to confirm that! The fuselage wiring seemed odd with my test meter showing some strange readings. Pulled the entire fuselage wiring out and replaced with new wire and greenies. Oddly, the left wing wiring showed signs of damage like it had been nipped about halfway along.

All working hunky dory now!!

Extreme update

Today was the first time I have had a proper look at the damaged right wing. The tip half isn't too bad but the root to end of the flap section is well mashed. The main spar is repairable but the drag spar is toast. The section of TE that carries the flap hinge has pulled away from the drag spar for the entire length of the flap. Also the top surface which extends back from the drag spar is also delaminated so the whole TE aft of the drag spar is floating. Of course the wiring loom has ripped the bottom skin away from the spar for over a foot.

Conclusion? It is probably beyond repairing to a reasonable standard.
Pictures:-
Extreme