I took the Alpha Sport 450, the Hacker MX2, and the Pulse XT60 out to my old flying field, Jopa Hill Fields in Bedford, NH.
The grass is nice but too long, so the Alpha and Hacker has issues. Then a cheesy wiring solution converting the Alpha from EC5 connector to EC3 went wonky, so she didn't even get off the ground. Fixed that when I got back, did it proper.
The Hacker could get off the ground with max elevator and gunning the throttle. Flew wonderfully and I flew 6 batteries, just practicing basic airmanship. Landings were a bust due to the the long grass, she would just tuck in and flip.
After that I felt more or less ready to take the pulse XT60 up. She started right up and ran wonderfully. She still is a bit rich in high, manifesting as a step down when the throttle is quickly brought from full to idle, but it's quick and she reduces well to a good steady and reliable idle. Full open she rocks! As expected, the 15 inch prop doesn't provide enough clearance in grass, so the first landing she prop-stoped herself, and in the second she just broke the prop. I ordered the 14x9x3 I should have done before (am adjustment from 14x7x3). This will give me another half an inch which I hope suffices as I can't go lower on the diameter. I also went up to 9 from 7 on pitch. This should be a nice prop.
I still don't have a formal field with a proper grass or geo-tex runway. Hudson hasn't found a new home, Merrimack is a tight hole in the forest and a bit far off. There's a club in Serry, I think, but they are also in a tight niche with high power lines right there. So I will need to deal with the grass at Jopa. At least it's so much smoother and not as clumpy as several years ago when I last flew here.
Good to be back in the air!
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