July 2007

So July 2007 was to be even more of a wash out than May or June, with 179 mm’s (7 inches) of rain far surpassing the previous two months. Over half of this total falling during the morning of Friday 20th 90mm’s (3.5inchs) which caused wide spread flash flooding on the day with subsequent mass flooding, power cuts and water shortages later that weekend.

At the end of my last entry I was about to depart for Warsaw (that’s Warsaw in Poland not the one near Wolverhampton), at the time it was raining it had rained on and off since the previous evening but I just didn’t realise just how much rain there had been.

I left home at 2.00pm on Friday to drive to Birmingham airport, gave up at 5.30pm having only just got to the Tewkesbury junction. Finally got to Birmingham at 7.30 am on Saturday. My weekend could not get any worse, well it did but that’s another story. Just to say I made it to Warsaw by 6.00 am on Sunday morning had breakfast and caught a flight home.

Entry week ending Friday 20th July.

Managed to get brief flying session last Saturday (14th), gave a couple of my old I/C heli’s an airing must fly these more often. Both models coped well in the breezy conditions.

Sunday no wind but rained on and off all day.

Monday evening breezy and over cast had a session with my new T.rex 450 must start to set this model up properly. Test flew new autogyro flew well, more on this later in week. Also flew little Jerry flying wing now fitted with twin motors.

Tuesday no flying went shopping only slightly expensive.

Wednesday got several models ready during day made it down the site by 7.00 pm. Test flew revamped Mini Blitz very fast and very small once in the air. Paul got some pics of it definitely not an easy model to photograph. Crashed the autogyro, why I don’t know. Forecast for tomorrow very good.

Mini Blitz, beside standad TX!

Thursday (19th) morning as forecast brilliant blue skies; warm verging on hot and no wind. Various mini domestic crises delayed my morning escape until early afternoon. Paul and Brian were already there, Brian sadly damaged is Raptor after a short hop that got a bit to high for the training undercarriage.

Flew my Blade XL still having problems with dodge servo leads, if it was not for dual servos on all controls this model would be dead by now. Never had problems with leads before always use genuine JR leads and have no problems with all my other models. Why this one? Answers on a post card please.

Autogyro at rest.

Got the little Autogyro flying really well, still having trouble getting the blades balanced, there are three of them which makes it difficult and as they only weigh 11 grams each doing it by weight is not easy either, have ordered a set of very accurate scales and will try again.
The model handles like an old vintage rudder elevator model, it drops it’s nose in a turn only to balloon up when the wings a level. Hard to understand then why some clubs ban these models .Paul got some nice shots of both the Mini Blitz and the Autogyro, as you can see from photos what was a beautiful day slowly became grey and overcast it was raining by six o’clock.

Friday raining, I’m going to Warsaw for the weekend. See you next week.

Launching autogyro note weather

Autogyro in flight, note change in weather.

Back in the UK morning of Friday 13th.

So if the rain has stopped and the wind don’t blow will spend rest of month flying models.

Have several new models and a few repaired old ones to get airborne. So hopefully will see you all down the field.

If it’s windy then I’m going slope soaring give me a ring if interested.

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July Blog

Gloucester Model Flying Club