I had planned to do this last year but there was so much snow that the parking lot at the field has, no exaggeration, 5-6 feet of unplowed snow in it, so I flew almost nothing all winter. So far this year not so much.
I put Dubro Park Flier skis on her. The springs don't fit her axle, so I had to McGyver some wire. I also had to make a tail ski from soda bottle plastic. Why one is not included I have no idea. These are thin press formed plastic, maybe even vacu-formed. Not solid at all, but certainly stuff enough to do the job, but if they rip I won't be surprised.
I put some tape over the bottoms to keep snow from filling the space.
I decided to go with a 3-blade prop, a Master Air Screw 13x8x3, with Du-Bro 2-1/2" spinner. I think this will strike the right balance maximizing thrust and speed and can't wait to see if I can get unlimited vertical. Snowed out at the moment, but soon, My Precious,soon!
After having her tail gear roughed up and torn partly off on the crappy clumpy grass, I ordered a replacement carbon fiber laminate one from HK (couldn't find it elsewhere). It arrived yesterday, trimmed it and installed it this evening
Snow and winter weather have arrived, so flying is curtrailed for the near future.
I finished up the repairs on the 10cc and she's as good as new with her main gear back in place. I put a 13x8 prop on, instead of the 14x8. I wonder if it will improve her vertical climb if she gets more RPMs. I doubt it, but until I can get a 14x6 its what I have.
I also took apart the carb on the 30cc. I found that the metering valve gasket, the one with the metal wheel hanging in the middle, was upside down and the metal wheel was on the air side, not the needle side where it pushes the needle valve. It was upside down but worked for months. Huh. Not sure it was the problem because it was working, but I flipped it and cleaned the carb. I didn't find anything stuck, but she started right up when I put her back together, so I fixed something. I ran her to dry tank so she can stay unclogged.
I noticed that the tail wheel on the 30cc has taken a beating with the crappy clumpy grass, and was getting loose in its bracket. The bracket is carbon fiber and its delaminated at the hole where the wheel strut comes through. I just ordered a replacement from Hobby King.
I don't expect to be able to fly for the rest of the week, so, Happy Holidays!
When installing a gyro, always, always, always, walk through each programming step like it matters, or you will blow past NORMAL-REVERSE, and on starting your spin up will instantly experience the 960 degree Spin of Death (less if you have good reflexes and nail the Hold). And if you are testing on knobby asphalt this happens as an extra prize.
It was a weird wind day. It wasn't at all what the weather forecasters thought it would be, other than clear. It was a beautiful cold day, and the winds would be dead for the most part, but then a gust would slam in at 20 mph. They were mostly coming from one direction, but then started shifting. I would take off in one condition, and fly through several others, then land in another. It was mostly calm, so it was a tease.
I haven't flown the 30cc in a couple of months, so it really was no surprise I couldn't get her started. I even tried the electric starter. I have no doubt the carb is clogged... Yay... another project. She would have handled the winds fine.
So, I decided to fly and took my 10cc Sukhoi up! It was fun, a few pucker moments, and in the end I made a mistake and ended up tearing the landing gear off. All of them. Meh, easy repair, and a chance to fix a few things.
Tossed her around a lot despite the winds, which were fast aloft. A couple of times it was all she could do to make any ground speed.
The smaller tail wheel got yanked off. I built up the attachment point, used a bigger wheel, and bigger screws with some epoxy on the base of the mount.
All done up.
As designed the landing gear hard point pulled out. I reinstalled it. The cote in front was torn and a bit worn by gas, so I removed it, gas proofed (using epoxy diluted with alcohol) the wood, and in a few days will recote it, install the landing gear, and get her airborne again!
In a ridiculous move, the FAA today produced a ruling requiring the registration of all remotely piloted aircraft 0.55 lbs to 55 lbs starting on December 21, 2015.
