February 2008

Sunday 24^th February Grey overcast day I didn’t actually make it to the field. Started to rain while loading car so chickened out. Thanks to Phil for brief report and a few pics.

A quite afternoon at the field with only 6 fliers. The southerly breeze was a little too strong for Paul to fly his control line models. I had a short exchange of insults with Clive, this was resolved when I found out his model was a Pylon Racing Advanced Trainer, a model designed by guy allergic to ribs, making this model with a flat sheet of balsa for a wing. The England team worked to get a 40 sized trainer in the air, but failed. The ASP engine suffering from fuel starvation. Paul's Radio Queen landed on the strip for change with a perfect landing. My 60 inch low wing trainer went OK with a little help from Paul Gurr, the OS 40 started OK and ticked over nicely." Phil

Saturday 23rd February evening Chosen Hill
good turnout again with about 50/50 mix of fixed wing/helicopters. Kind of sorted into slots of fixed wing and then heli’s, needs a bit of planning to make this work as you can easily end up with just one or two flying during a slot, which is a bit of a waste with the limited time we have

Fortunately there were no collisions of fixed wing and a helicopter this week. The same cannot be said of the fixed wing models, with many coming together. Including my Min Bye Yak (3) which didn’t come off well in this under hand top side attack while flying inverted. Phil got the moment just before impact, bit out of focus but still a great shot.

Brian tried this CAP 10? indoors looks quite a solid model but is very light, managed half a lap before flying into wall.

couple of the new J Perkins Twister 3D Storm were both flying during the evening. Steve Parker made the maiden flight with his, while Darren’s was making its second visit. I had a fly of Darren’s and for a model that complete except Transmitter and Receiver but includes all servos, speed controller, heading hold gyro, 1800 mahr Lipo and charger all for under £150.00 flew beautifully. It had a rock steady feel to it and the handling was very crisp, it did build up speed very quickly in forward flight like a T.rex. Only time will tell how the parts wear, as my experience of the cheaper heli’s is that they wear out quickly and become difficult to fly accurately. However as very few beginners reach this stage, so as long as spares are cheap and easy to obtain we will be seeing more of these heli’s outside this summer.

	Had a fly of Richard Cockrams little Walkera. I flew this model a few weeks ago before he started to improve it. I found it very hard to fly it was stable until you tried to control it when over controlling became a big problem. Being a fixed pitch helicopter to make it go up and down the rotor speed has to increase or decrease, this gives strange handling qualities.
Richard has upped the battery count and added Spektrum 2.4 Ghz radio gear. This is now a very different model still fixed pitch but running with very high head speed. The model is very stable but very controllable if a bit touchy. The only draw back is the motor gets rather hot, and doesn’t last very long, but a superb example of tiny engineering.
Saturday 23rd February The day was quite warm for time of year grey and overcast but a brisk southwesterly made it feel colder. No reports of any flying during day. Sunny bright day just spoilt by a cold northerly breeze. With no rain for 10 days Clive was out in the morning and cut the grass for the first time this year.
Again very good turnout with twenty cars parked along the hedge. A few new faces, I do try and get to talk to all new members as I like to try and put names to faces and models. Unfortunately my brain/memory sometimes isn’t involved in this simple plan (must get note book).
All four Panic Biplanes were on the field, and a group hug supplied an ideal photo opportunity. I had spent the morning changing the power unit in my electric version (see details).

have been experimenting with contra-rotating propellers/motors to produce a torque less set up for prop hanging. I assembled this twin Hacker based unit last year. It was tested in another airframe which proved too small for the weight of Lipos used. I have since been looking for a suitable airframe; which I found up in my attic the "Panic".
	The set up use two times (Hacker A30-M 16 with a X-40 OPTO-Pro controllers with power from Litestorm 3700 3S1P Lipos). The motors are running on a single shaft with the rear motor turning the front prop and the rear prop attached directly to the outer case of the front motor.

he new power set up worked fine with ample power but does need a bit of tuning as does the model. The sound it makes is very distinctive, and a bit of a contrast from the IC versions. I really must send more time flying this model and see if I can get over my previously expressed dislike of the Panic Bipe
Saturday 16th Evening at Chosen Hill School. Yet another very good turnout, just one off the record. A “football party” was in full swing when we turned up and many of the children and parents stayed on to watch a “professional polished” display of how not to control a model aircraft.
Paul G. had yet another attempt at indoor electric control using this time a standard shocky type model, the first flight was a bit erratic due a somewhat rearward C of G.


The second flight went well until he tried a loop and just like last week the girders in the ceiling got in the way as he had still not changed the line length!!
	rian Boucher had a new OD ducted fan model sadly the motor screamed away but the model slowly descended to the floor. Managed to grab a snap of his other creation which flew for most of the evening.


Phils “depron” IFO and Brians GWS Piper Cub in flight.
Clive captured the pair of Pogo’s taking off in formation. No pictures of formation landing no reflection on Clives photographic skills just lack of pilot skills.
	Richard Cockram (actually in focus) against wall concentrating on flying his little Walkera Dragonfly fails to notice the superb formation take off the Pogos.

Lots of models in the air at once, Clive managed to capture them on film all we need to do know is work out how to get the pictures in focus!
Afternoon Saturday 16th February An area of high pressure over the country continues to give very cold nights, with a frosty start to the morning. The rest of the day being sunny with a cold easterly wind. A few fliers out during the afternoon thanks to Phil for pictures. Mark Ealeys "original" Panic Bipe and an unkown ECO 8? electric helicopter.

Sunday 10th February What a glorious day after the previous weekend. No real wind just a light northwesterly drift, with warm sunshine nearly all day. About half the membership where out flying at sometime during the day, with many visitors and several new members
	The temporary control line circle was very busy all afternoon. With all three flyable Phantoms taking to the air during the afternoon, though there was no take up on my suggestion to fly more than one at a time. Something about not enough assistants to start, tune motors and launch them!
Several new models where flown but I was too busy to get many pictures.

Adrian England seems to have started to master inverted flight with his T.rex 450. Mark Ealey who has defiantly mastered inverted flight gave his usual display with his new IC T.rex 600, although he seemed far from happy with the set up of the model. I did hear the engine “cough” a couple of times with only the energy in the head and Marks quick reactions saving the day.
	Afternoon Saturday 9th. The spell of good weather during week continues, getting even better with the loss of the cold northerly wind. The few out flying had a good afternoon.
	Evening Saturday 9th. Another good turnout at Chosen Hill School. Fixed wing models outnumbering helicopters for a change. A few new faces and again a spate of new models.
Phil the Fridge had a new Pogo model from a free plan that was in Quiet & Electric Flight International a while back. Phil got the vertical take off straight away but took a few attempts to get a perfect landing. Hard to tell this is one of Phil’s models as it’s not in his usual colour scheme.
Phil has a supply of 3mm Depron sheet (1000mm X 700mm) that he is selling for £1.75 per sheet. You can get two shockies from a sheet (depends on size of shocky)?
	Brian Rawnsley made his first visit to our indoor meetings. Brian was a longstanding member of the club (would be nice to see him rejoin) who was one of the first fliers in the area to venture into electric flight.
He brought along a GWS Piper Cub and demonstrated just how to fly a bigger model indoors. Very slow and gracefull in flight.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" ?>

	The E-flite Divo. A little underpowered using only two cells, flies quite nicely although not as good as the Bye Yak series of models. Great colour scheme and very quick to build. Had thought it would make a good indoor model but is still a little large for the sports hall at Chosen Hill. ?>

	A rare picture of the Mini Bye Yak IV, the model has survived four evenings unscathed until Paul took a chunk out of it. This version features air brakes between the ailerons to slow the model down they work very well but prevent the model from stabilising in a spin
Think this was Brian Bouchers new own design, must get static picture.
	Attempt at high-speed indoor control line, powered by a Mega (what else did you expect). Gave short but great entertainment then reduced it's span on the girders. Need to remeasure those lines Paul.
Following the example of dad younger David comes up with plausible excuse for damage to his control-liner. He does feel it’s time he had a new model hopefully with a “Mega” in it as dad now has one to spare?
	Paul's other model was constructed from parts retrieved from the Chairman’s “dustbin”. I started to build this as an alternative more bounce able alternative to Depron. Didn’t finish it as I couldn’t make it rigid enough despite the carbon lattice. Paul took it home and finished it off, as his “Mega” was employed elsewhere he has actually sensibly powered it and I must say it flies rather well.

Sunday 3rd February Cold, windy with rain late afternoon. I stayed at home got on with some building. Have a feeling everybody else did to, except Phil he was probably on the slope somewhere. Can't wait to see the pictures? Saturday 2nd February Cold day with moderate southwesterly wind. Doubt if anybody flying during the day. Saturday 2nd evening. Very good turnout, a few regulars missing but new faces taking their place. Equal mix of fixed wing and heli’s. Unlike previous weekend the numbers of mid airs was to equal things out. Including our first mid air of “fixed wing” and helicopter coming together, and what’s more I have it on video.

Stuart Greenes "Citabria".	Kyosho Minium "Citabria" in flight.
Stuart Green made his first visit, he normally flies with the Forest Radio Control Club near Lydney. He had the new indoor model from Kyosho. Using the same radio and mechanics from the “Minium Cessna 210” they have a new airframe in the Minium Citabria. To me it seems a little bigger than the Cessna but no longer having an example I was unable to make a comparison. It flew very well and looked right in the air. It’s available in this country from Robotbirds. Unfortunately you have to buy the whole set up even if you already have a transmitter. Following the demise of my Cessna 210 I set about using the parts to make a new “Minium” model. Two in fact, as I had bought a spare fuselage/mechanics, sadly I had pulled the gear out just to see how it worked not thinking "we" would right mine off.
	Using a “very” small amount of 3mm Depron I constructed a BMFA Dart. Adding the Minium electrics gave a all up weight of.17 grams (.60 oz). For comparison the Kyosho Minium Cessna 210 is 18 grams. The second more conventional model is from a Peanut plan that Paul Gurr supplied (because it didn’t seem suitable for a “Mega”) for the P.W.S. 4.
The P.W.S. 4. I think was a pre war Polish single seat ultra light. The plan has a reference to the Polskie Konstrukcje Lotnicze and the scale reference is accredited to Andrzej Glass. Putting Polskie Konstrukcje Lotnicze into “Google” gives over 42,000 results all it seems in Polish. ?> At this point I fell asleep on the keyboard, so if you are still awake I will return to the plot. The P.W.S. 4.model is in a mixture of 3, 2 & 1mm Depron and tips the scales at 20.3 grams (.71 oz)



The Dart flew very well and can be seen on Phil’s video hurtling around at high speed. The P.W.S. 4 flew but seemed to have a maximum ceiling of one foot except if hand launched and provided Clives head didn’t get in the way could manage two circuits of the hall. Like it’s owner it could do with loosing some weight.
	Adrian also had a new model a Hobby Lobby Yak 55 flew very well until it merged with the floor quite spectacularly which Phil caught on film.
The England team had converted one of the own designs to twin engines, this also demonstrated very limited performance. It had flown quite well before so quite what the reason for the mod is unclear.

Phils latest model, in his standard colour scheme.	Mike Brinkworths latest "shocky" model repaired after the chairman stepped on it!

And Mikes model in flight.	I must say I am very encouraged at the number of fliers having a go at designing their own models. Of all the fixed wing models flown only one was a kit, one I think from and Internet

plan, the rest OD’s	have to mention Richard Cockrams little Walkera 4#3 Dragonfly. This has flown before; even I had a go and found it very hard to fly. However Richard seems to have the hang of it. ?> He actually has two models, one he has converted from the original 35 MHz to 2.4 Ghz. Using the new Spektrum AR6300 receiver (6 channels 2 grams!) he is now able to take full advantage of a computer transmitter Both models flew consistently all evening but Richard is still trying to source some more suitable Lipo’s.
another newcomer Raymond?. Hang glider type model using differential thrust for control. Paul had a go flying it and found it a bit lacking in manoeuvrability for indoor use, although the wing seems to work well.

February Blog

Evening Saturday 9th.

Saturday 2nd February

Gloucester model Flying Club

Gordon’s newly acquired Hirobo Freya bought along for the budding helicopter pilots to admire. Phil got the invisible man to holds it aloft for a photo opportunity.
hanks to all who contributed to the above pictures, while they were all taken with Phil’s or my camera I have no idea who was behind it at the time. For video of this evenings and past evenings “flying” (you have to use that word loosely) go to; PhilSCSA’S Videos. For low resolution on “You tube” or alternatively: