SNAFU and Star again!

Got in more practice for the VC by flying the SNAFU and Star again today.  3 packs through the Star and several flights with the SNAFU.  Should be fun on Saturday, but I am not expecting much on the short hop up and down flight because my planes just don't leave the ground quickly and then float back down slowly.  That task as well as a couple others do favor electric planes a lot, to me, because fast lift offs and short rollouts on landings are needed for those tasks.  Those criteria are not common to glow planes.

SNAFU and Star

I took the Star out to see if it would do the hop and stop task that will be in the VC this Saturday.  Definitely works better than the SNAFU, but a little wind down the runway sure helps.  I will use the Star for that one task only, and the SNAFU for all others.  Practiced flying around and landing with the SNAFU and it seems to be running/flying fine.

SNAFU

Lost count on how many flights I had, perhaps 6 or 7 with the SNAFU.  I practiced takeoff with immediate landing to be able to hop over the balloons that will be across the runway for the VC in 7 days.  Sounds simple, but it is not, at least not with the SNAFU.  Perhaps I have to use the Star for this task only.  The OS 52 ran fine till the 2nd to last flight when it had a flameout.  Perhaps the increasing heat detuned it.  I richened it slightly and it ran ok, but not as strong.  Very nice day of flying with N wind of under 5MPH.

Flight Log: 07/25/2013

Another fine day that is going to be HOT later so I went early again for my flying fix.  Got there by 8:30, outta there by 10:20.  Flew my Sbach thrice and the Star twice.   Wind was light but approaching 5mph and of course from the North for nice krosswind landings.  My landings sucked with the Sbach.  I am just not getting that one down pat every time like my other planes.  It floats with low idle and automatically pitches up at real low speeds.  I feather in some throttle and some down elevator but still need lots of work to land this plane properly.  I fear for the LG in the meantime.  The Star was flawless fun again.  Oh, the Sbach was awesome at all other times besides the landings, lol. No troubles whatsoever with the DLE-30.

Early Bird

Went to the field just past 8 with the CG Ultimate and electric Star.  I got in 3 flights with the Ultimate and two with the Star in very nice sunny conditions with very light NE breezes.  Not a soul was there and I was done by 10AM!  Both planes flew nicely.  No issues whatever.

Intruder

Finally got to fly again after Skylar's birth!  Just got in two flights with the Intruder which is flying like a champ again, whistle and all as she sails by low and fast.  It's a confidence inspiring blast to fly.  Off to see Skylar again in an hour or so!

Build Log: AW Bravata

I completed the Bravata finally after about 6 long months.  It could have taken 6 days or 6 weeks, but I took my sweet time as usual!  I made a bunch of vinyl graphics for the plane with my Cricut and applied them: Coca Cola, Hawaiian Airlines gal, and KRCA Krosswinds.  I also made Pennzoil and SHELL graphics for the Bravata but decided against applying them because it introduced too much yellow and made the plane a little busy, but I could change my mind and add them later!  A few pics follow.  Better ones will be added when I get the plane out on maiden day.

My original selection for graphics.

Good Switch!

I fixed the Intruder last night by switching the entire cylinder head, with the valve springs, etc, from a spare engine to the OS 91 Surpass II on this plane.  While at it, I gapped the valves, and put in a new OS Type F glow plug.  The repaired engine ran MOST EXCELLENTLY today, and the Intruder even had its familiar whistle back, from whence it was brand new!  YES!!!  I had one short test hop, then a full flight, and it is back on fast rails again.  I decided to not fly it anymore and save it for this Saturday's event.

Instead I flew the Star for my 3 packs, and also flew the MCPX Blade for 3 flights.  I tried my first full circle with the MCPX and crashed...too much bank, not enough rudder, full throttle into the grass, but there was NO damage.  Gotta love it.  Took off again immediately and I executed a full turn, but it was 50' away so too hard to even tell.  I did another with smaller diameter and just 25' away, most pleasing to do so!

Early on, Ashton and I hammered in at least a hundred 6" staples to hold edges and overlaps of the new mat down and to prevent tripping hazards.  Looks good and I am surprised we were able to do it in about an hour.  It was just the two of us till Dean arrived and helped for perhaps 10 minutes.

BTW Ashton totaled his Uproar out on the sod farm grass today.  Something happened to aileron control and he went in full bore.  He thinks maybe it was mechanical failure of the control rod keepers on the servo arm...in other words the allen screw might not have been tight enough.  Rudy had a couple flights then tore up his LG on landing the big Osiris...came in too slow.  He says it should be an easy repair.  Dean  flew his Corby Starlet with great success today, finally.  Mike brought his Pawnee to practice for Sat.

It was a great day at the field, having fun and accomplishing needed maintenance.

Practice day for WOK

Practiced with Tad for our duet demo on Saturday.  Flew my Intruder twice but came in deadstick on the 2nd flight.  Checking at the field, it looked like either a sticky lifter or a broken valve spring in the OS 91 Surpass II.  At home with a flashlight, I confirmed the latter.  Too bad I don't have extra springs, but I do have extra engines, haha.  I practiced the duet with my RV-8 after the Intruder came up lame.  We did ok, but not great.  Hopefully the spectators will still be entertained by the flight.  I think I got about 5 flights in with the RV-8.  Tad's Kaos Two ran and flew well.

Breezy but Doable

Made just one flight with the RV-8 today.  Was attempting another but the  brisk N crosswind tipped the tail up on the runway, so I just parked it the rest of the day and instead had 5 flights or so with the SNAFU.  That plane loves the wind, and I played with it on the N/S runway, and over that West end of the field.  When windy, the SNAFU is the best plane in my air force to fly.

Unperfect Day!

It started nicely enough with winds under 5mph when I got to the field, so I put the Star up right away and it flew well.  Next I put the Yak 54 up as the wind started to build.  Got her down fine.  Started to think it might be time to quit since Bob and Al already had, and Ron decided not to bring his plane out of the truck.  Harvey showed up and used his wind meter...7mph min with 14mph gusts, haha.  I flew the Yak once more and had a landing where the wind was really trying to flip the wing tips!  Got her down safe and sound and called it a day, haha.  Glad to escape any damage.

Perfect Day

It was just a perfecto day for flying today with light winds mostly from the West and North, mild temps in the 60's, and partly cloudy skies.  Got in 3 flights each on the Star and the Yak 54.  Both flew well, all is well.  Saw Dean fly his Corby Starlet after difficulty getting it started, but then it ran and flew really nicely.  Ashton was there early but left quickly due to a damaged fin.  Ken came later with his foam Cub and little electric Sportster...he flew the latter surprisingly well, good for him!  Enjoyed the time at the field from about 9 till noon.

Sunny Skies

What a nice day with mostly sunny skies, light winds from the North, and cool temps at first, then very mild warmth.  I flew my RV-8 and Tad flew his Kaos in prep for doing a duet at the WOK in two weeks.  We intend to just make a lot of passes together, and do some mild aerobatics on  the downwind leg that is a hundred yards out, such as slow rolls and loops.  It should be entertaining enough for the spectators.  Both planes flew well, the engines ran perfect and started easy, and we incurred no damage today.  Lots of fun.  I took my Blade 400 and Tad and Quang tried to get it trimmed and tuned in, with various fixes, but in the end the engine decided to die and we all gave up on it.  I think it might be ready for the boneyard, and if so I will just pull out the new servos I installed just yesterday!  Bummers.  Quang and Anthony flew their Goblins very well.  Roberto trained Teo via buddy cord.  Ashton flew his Uproar.  Al flew his Twist and Escapade.  Mike came to socialize and did not even bring a plane out of his van.  Joe came late and flew his new used Stinger 60 and BalsaNova, a pair of good looking acquistions!

For the first time since last Fall, I flew my Apache for a handful of launches but found dead air only.  It did catch one huge thermal while it was turned off and laying under a flight table!  The thermal picked it up, rattled it over the RV-8 and dumped it back on the ground 10 feet away near the grass taxiway.  Luckily no damages were incurred by either plane, except a very small tear in the covering on the wing of the Apache.  Whew!  :)

Aw rats!

Jer and I took the Extra 300 Soucy and my Giles 202 out today for practice in prep for the Wings Over Keizer event in two weeks.  We are supposed to fly duet in the noon demo flights.  Alas, Jer could not find a sweet needle valve setting for the Extra,  and ended up doing a very lean run that overheated the engine.  From then on he could get decent power out of the engine after a cool off period, but once it warmed up again in the air, it would lose power.  He is ready to give up on this plane and sell it at Tammies.  I think it's time to let it go too since it has run well at times but not consistently all the time.  Knock on wood, my Giles has the same engine and seems to still be healthy.  Anyway it is disappointing he won't be able to fly the duet with me.  It now looks like I will team with Tad by switching to the RV-8 that will match up decently with his Kaos Two.  We might just fly lots of low passes rather than a set pattern sequence that Jer and I intended to fly.  I am going to run it by the club prez first.  If he is not amenable to the change, I don't mind not flying the demo at all.  Anyhoo, I got in 3 decent flights with the Giles today, but wow the North wind was creating lots of turbulence South of the big trees that are on final approach.  Sure had to stay on the sticks really closely to  make the runway.  Hope it's better tomorrow!

5th of July

I flew my Toledo Special today after mowing the field.  The weather was great, with light winds mostly from the NE.  I got in 3 flights.  The Saito 82a was running sweet so the TS grooved around the sky very nicely.  Anthony and Quang got in some early chopper flying with the Goblins.  The only other person there was Ashton who flew his Uproar successfully.  Harvey showed up when I was about to leave.