"Go fly", they said, "it'll be fun", they said...

Well, it was, and then it wasn't. I think sometimes my ADHD kicks in during a flight and I fail to be ahead of the aircraft. Today was such a day...

Crosswind.

It was windy, standing wind about 6 mph, gusts to 8-9 mph, pretty much an 80 degree from behind me cross wind. "Meh", I thought, "I have flown in worse". Well, yeah, with a big 30cc plane... Today I took out my beloved 10cc Sukhoi 26. A good predictable flyer, sound engine. As has been the usual lately, she ran fine at home, but up on top of Mt Hudson I had to spend about 10 minutes finding a safe idle. Small problem, adjusted the endpoint on the throttle servo, added a little trim. Sweet.

Took her up, tooled around, some simple basic aerobatics with the stabilization system off, a cross wind landing with it on, very nice. Took her back up tooled around a bit, then put her into a knife edge which put the wind right on her wings all flat and sail like, and she started to descend and act the fool, more rudder, power, nope, she stalled, dropped the nose and I managed to level the wings and apply power as she disappeared behind the edge of the hill in fron of me. I killed the power as she disappeared, she was still going down. I was pretty sure she was toothpicks...

Well, that ended pretty well. Somehow as I walked over and down the hill towards her I kinda knew she would be pretty much alright. I just knew, but I prepared myself. Ah! Just a flesh wound. Lost her gear, as expected, some internal stress cracks, but nothing major. Saved the prop by killing the engine, and all the servos and electronics are intact.

Right horizontal stab took a hit from the gear as they came off. Easy fix.

Not the first time the gear have been forcibly yanked out, likely won't be the last.

Some minor cote and frame damage.

A view of the hill as I drove out. It continues to go up on the left. She landed far away, on the slope at about the middle of the pic. Quite an angle, I am surprised I didn't damge a wing.

Well, off to reset the Crash Clock. I am not in the mood to fix her today.

Spring 2018 Begins

Beautiful mostly cloudy changing to sunny weather, no real winds to contend with, perfect condtions for first flights with the 10cc gasser Stik.

The Hobby King Sbach was never a great flier but she was a good and fun, and she only got more persnickity after a couple of crash rebuilds. I was flying her today and tossing her around. She got a little bit ahead of me and was heading over towards the guy cutting the grass, so I dumped her. Meh... i'll replace her with something similar and as fun.

Poorly framed, pre crash shot.

Flew her right to the scene of the crash.

Folded right in half.

Thats pretty much all this frame can take... its not worth rebuilding. I will strip the electronics, and put them in a nice new airframe. And with that, a reset of the crash timer!

I had spent a few days tuning the RCGF 10cc engine here at home, and she was running perfectly. At the field however nothing was right... and I spent over an hour retuning it. High end was easy, but low end was freakishly unstable.  If her run up to full throttle was smooth, her idle was too high. I had to work the low endpoints and the low needle up and down. I kept working one then the other and finally found a sweet point. I still don't think she is perfect, but she she performed quite well. I did see a bit of air in the fuel line to the carb... I hate to do it but think I need to pull the lines. I would hate to have to pull the tank and replace the clunk line...  Lastly the gas is old, last fall but with Stable. I wonder if that's playing a role? Its almost gone, will mix up some fresh soon.

And yet, still smilin'!

First Gasser Engine Tests

Ran up the 10cc Stik this afternoon. She ran up right away, warmed up she ran fine, idle needed some trim adjustment, transitioned smoothly. Will check out the electronics and wing servos next and snug up the cote. She will be airborne soon!

When I get arou d to it I will be doing the same for the 10cc Sukhoi, the 30cc MSX-R and the 26cc Waco, by far my favorites!

Spring Ops Begin

Ah, spring has sprung! Took my season starters up for a spin today.

First cycled some batteries in the Sbach foamie.

As always the season and the thumbs start with the Eflight Alpha 450. I went out to a local park where the grass is too tall but I can fly off the dirt on the ball field. A storm front was coming through so the winds started picking up.  Flew a pack, was pretty impressed with myself with all the funky winds and how the bowl of trees changed them. Took the Sbach up and had a blast. It too got a bit blown around. It was easier and more fun to control in those conditions, but then the rain came and I had to call it a day. I broke the prop in the tall grass when she tipped over on rol out. Fun, but not enough. 

Need to tune up the 10ccs and take them out next week!

Lazy Winter

I haven't flown anything all winter. I really haven't done much at all, all winter. My second 10cc Spitfire sits in its unopened box, where it has sat for months now, its servos sitting on top of it. I could get so much done, but just not interested. I don't think I am burned out... Its just been a rotten winter and its detaching me from being outdoors and flying. I look at the box almost everyday, and it sparks nothing.

Meh.

My VMU-2 Marine Drone

I decided to paint up a cowl for my HK 500 heli as a Marine VMU-2 Drone. It came out pretty amazing!

I sanded down and repaired an old cowl, and covered it in light gray primer. I printed a set of Marine graphics on waterslide decal, and applied them, then covered the entire thing in clear matte.

VMU-2 is a real United States Marine Unmanned Aircraft Squadron.  The centerline graphic is their logo.

Looking forward to flying her!

New Swash, Tail event

I had noticed that the swash plate on the 500 was loose at the center, so ordered a replacement. I installed it today. It looks and works tight and snug.

I spun the bladeless heli up and there was a vibration, wasn't sure where from and then all hell broke loose. It was the tail. Something went wrong and the end result was that the tail feathering shaft was bent 45 degrees, distorting the stanchion that holds the feathering mechanism that attaches to the tail control rod. It broke the rod, stripped the tail belt power take-off gear at the main gear. I had to replace the tail feathering shaft. I bent the stanchion back and replaced the feathering device (the thing that takes the movement from the control rod to the tail shaft). I had to order a new power take-off gear from Amainhobbies.com. I didn't take pics, sorry, but it was impressive. No damage to the tail boom, but I will replace the tail blades.

New swash in place.

New left, old right.

Closer view.