Too Much To Catch Up!

 I can’t believe I haven’t added RC updates to this blog since Dec 2019!  How delinquent is that!?  I have had a good flying season in spite of COVID-19.  We have been flying and trying to maintain distance at the field.  Most guys fail to do so, and I am usually the only one to wear a mask.  None of us in the small group I fly with have got sick, so we continue to fly, trusting that each guy is taking care to stay well.

Wow, I can only summarize the last almost ten months since I sure cannot remember everything that’s happened in my RC world.  

First, I got some new planes!  My Stinson Reliant is completed and flying wonderfully.  It’s been out to the field several times now.  I think it might be a wee nose heavy given the way it seems to lower its nose in tight turns.  It rolls so axial to the right that it reminds me of a pattern plane, lol.  So I am still working on flight trim, might try a little tail weight.  Power is a DLE-35RA that runs great.

I got the Hangar 9 Ultrastick 30cc  from the boys for my birthday!  It is also completed and is a real go to plane because it fits under the tonneau cover so it’s easy to haul, and I love the VVRC 40cc twin in it that sounds great, starts easy, runs solid.  Still working on flight trim too.  I want to get the CG more rearward so it will do KE without so much down elevator mixing.  What a joy to fly even as is.  Spins like the devil.

One more new plane is a refurbished one by Don and I bought it from Cliff.  It is a cute old vintage SIG Kavalier.  I installed the engine and servos, receiver, battery, etc.  After trying to eliminate a fluttering sound by various means, I think the flutter is gone at all but the highest dive speed.  These means included filling the wing/fuse gap with hot glue, replacing the elevator control horn, and finally replacing the very thin ailerons with thicker stiffer stock.

Another new addition is the Robinhood 80 by Old School Model Works.  It’s my first kit in 28 years and is still under construction, but framed up!  It will have a Saito FG-21 gas four stroke engine it.

I’ve been converting all the gas tanks in the gas planes to the clear ones sold for $25 by VVRC.  I just had too many gas tank probs in the season with the white tanks provided in the ARFs.  The clear tanks have nice aluminum fittings , felt clunks, stiff fueling/defueling fittings that eliminate fuel tank issues.  I’ve been using only the 12 ounce tanks since the larger tanks were always too large for my flight times...I always land with more than half a tank left.

I sold several planes to make room for the new ones!  Gone are the Hangar 9 RV-8, the 76” Aerostar, and the small 50” Aerostar (Starstreak in my flight log reports).  It turns out I don’t miss them at all.

And lastly, today I did some small things for next flights on some of the planes.  I added another ounce of lead to the tail of the Ultrastick, as noted earlier for moving the CG back.  I changed the gas tank in my Sbach 342 from the old white tank to the new clear VVRC 12 ounce tank.  And I programmed more exponential into the RV-4.  The plane is sensitive in pitch and roll so that should help both.  If it is still sensitive in pitch, i might actually need more nose weight. 

That’s the best I can do to catch up after the long absence.  Been flying a lot but just too lazy to post!  suffice to say I have flown every plane and heli in the fleet with just a couple exceptions, and I have been enjoying the heck out of them all.

Flight log: 07/23/2019

I finally changed the LG on the Aerostar 76.  The wire gear was long for the thickness, so it was flexible and twangy when taking off and landing.  I found an old aluminum main gear in my junk, formerly on another plane, and drilled four bolt holes to fit the mounting bolt locations.  That worked out easy.  Didn’t have any axles, so I used what I could find in my spare bolts and bolts cabinet....mainly had to have length for the wheels to fit on.  Found some long 1/8” bolts with two matching nuts.  Bolt heads were smaller than the holes on the gear, so I had to find washers to block the bolt head from slipping through the gear.  Got that done, just quite a bit of play between wheel and bolt/axle but it was sufficient today....good in fact.  The stance is narrower but the plane did not tip over easily on turns, so all is well.  Landings were solid, plane flew good too.  Got in three flights on two sets of batteries.

Also flew the RV-8 twice.  It was good too. Nimble lil plane!

Flight log: 07/21/2019

07/20/2019:  Skylars 6th bday!  7HV 2x, Starstreak 5x
07/21/2019:  Goblin 630 4x, Aerostar 76 2x

Eleven!

I got in 11flights at the Keizer field today, and I did it very quickly because not a single soul came to fly today!  So I put up 4 flights on the X5, 4 on the Aerostar 40F, 2 on the Aerostar 76, and one on the lil Ascent electric glider.  Not really liking the Asssent much so I might return it to Jer with a free orange receiver in it so he can fool with it in parks or schools where he lives. It was a ball flying the heli and the planes.  With the X5 I did a whole bunch of flips and rolls, and I put it inverted frequently.  Just gotta keep doing it and hopefully turning will come gradually.

Back home!

I laid off flying while on a week long cruise to Alaska with wife and many family members!  Actually I tried to fly yesterday but I assembled my planes at the dallas field only to find I had not brought the battery packs I had charged for the day!  Dumb dumb dumb.  Today I returned to the field with the batteries  and flew by myself the whole time.  Two flights on the Aerostar 76 and five on the Aerostar 40F.  I just took it easy with many touch and gos from both directions, and many long ascents under full power with flaps deployed, then slow gliding descents with no power.  Fun stuff!

NATIONAL MAD!

Today is National Model Aviation Day!  But we had no special event at the Keizer field.  I flew my Aerostar 76” twice and my SNAFU three or four times in the wind of over 10mph per Don’s wind meter.  It was mostly out of the south, so that made it fun to do very short landings from the north onto our so called north-south runway.

Don flew a few times, Jerry once, Dan none, later Mike came and flew once.  Too windy for most of them.  Will try again tomorrow.

Also sold my Mini Aerostar to Jerry for $100!  This week I sold that plane and the Factor 3D to make a little room in the garage...I hardly ever flew those so why keep em.  Say goodbye forever:

Two more days of flying

I flew yesterday at Dallas.  Got the Toledo Special up for three nice flights.  Still movin and groovin good with Saito 82a and airframe holding up well enough.

Today I took only electrics to be able to fly early and often.  The Aerostar 76 went airborne for two flights while the Aerostar 40F had four in really clear skies and little to no wind.  A good day!

Been flying!

Just been too lazy to blog!  Flew today at Dallas field.  Got the Giles 202 up twice for fine flights.  I even got applause after the second flight, lol.  The plane flew great, and the OS 160 ran strong.  It started by hand for the first flight, but would not do so for the second one, so i borrowed Mike’s strong Align starter and got her going easily.

On Sunday, I flew at the Keizer field, doing four flights on the Aerostar 40F, and two on the Aerostar 76.  Great day for flying after the JB workers completed their harvest for the morning.  Three guys crashed their planes today, totaling all three aircraft.  Ted went first and spun his mini Stick all the way to the ground.  Ryan was next with a nice new MXR, or whatever it is called.  Overpowered and with higher wing loading than his previous planes, he did not fly it well.  It ended in a million little pieces also from a spin, but i believe this one was caused by a stall in a high banked turn...it spun all the way to the ground too.  And finally Mike maidened his new Phoenix Sbach all the way into a full rekit after a nice takeoff with his aileron controls reversed!  Shouldn’t happen to an experienced guy like him.  Oh well, after seeing these three crashes, Don, Dave, and I said we quit for the day, lol.  Oh, i got a lot of exercise walking out to help the pilots retrieve all three planes.

On Saturday it was my birthday!  I flew the Aerostar 40F for five packs and the Starstream low winger for four.

Flight log: 04/28/2018

Logged four flights of the X5 today and two of the Aerostar 76.  Had the 7HV with me but I forgot the battery tray at home, so I used the two packs in the X5.  Still feeling nervous with the heli due to lack of frequency flying them,  been just concentrating on planes with the Dallas guys.  Nonetheless I force myself to make the heli flights or I will lose all muscle memory for sure, lol.  Got in a few back flips when I got comfortable enough.  Never lost orientation.  Good fun anyhow , all alnoe at the KRCA field.

Flight log: 04/25/2018

Logged four flights on the Aerostat 40F and two with the Aerostar 76.  Nice day of relaxful flying with the electric biggish birds.  Just socialized more with the Dallas guys!

Two good flying days in a row!

I flew yesterday...the only one there likely due to slight winds, lol.  Got in three flights with new 3000 packs on the Aerostar 76, and four flights on the Starstreak.  These were the maiden flights for the Starstreak.  Found it to be passable on power with 3s packs, but it could use 4s for more fun.  I do like its stance on take off and landings...reminds me of an F-18.

Today I flew its low wing brother, which i call the Starstream.  Took it up four times and i must say the thing is growing on me the more i fly it.  Very quick, maneuverable, and light on its wings and the landings.

Also flew the Shoestring 60 twice and loved it.  Engine ran good, and it felt like a warbird...i made many low passes at full throttle.  Not super fast but very enjoyable!

Unconfident

Took helis and the Aerostar 76 out to Keizer today.  Flying the Gaui X5, I just felt total lack of confidence in my brain and fingers.  After two flights, I quit flying helis for the day.  I brought the 7HV for three flights but it stayed grounded.  Flew my new to me Aerostar 76 twice and enjoyed the total relaxation of a plane.  It flies great and is a keeper for now!

Sunshiny day!

At some point a couple weeks ago, I flew my Intruder for two flights.  Forgot to report that, then the rain and winds came, etc.  Now it is time to blog what flying I did today!

It was a great day weatherwise with no hand warmers necessary!  I took out my brand new Aerostar 76 which I bought from Dick last week.  As normal for Dick, he scratch built this beauty, then tired of it, and put it up for sale.  I maidened it today after setting it up with my xmitter a couple days ago.  The plane uses two 3s battery packs in parallel, meant for at least 3000 mAh packs to balance the plane properly.  I ordered some early in the week but they have not shipped yet, so I used two 2200 packs, plus a third one just for weight, lol.  Worked out great CG wise, and the maiden flight was uneventful.  The bird has a 76" wingspan, largest of my six (!) Aerostars from Dick.  But it flies crisply even on just 3s packs!  I looped it but the real test is how well planes with big wingspans roll, and this plane rolled quicker than I thought it would.  I am pleased with it.

It flies much like the 60" flap version, and is somewhat duplicative, but I am a real sucker for Aerostars from Dick.  He builds so clean, the planes look nice, they fly well, and I usually get them for a real deal after he tires of them.  He actually advertised this plane to me several months ago for $200 minimum.  I got it last week in a package deal with a 51" version of the Aerostar with symmetrical wings, plus a hybrid wood and foam Slick 55, all for $200.  My thinking is that I can always sell some of the Aerostars with ease because of the low prices I paid for them.

Getting long winded!  In closing, I also flew the Aerostar 40F (flaps) today four times and had a blast with the flaps, climbing high, hitting flaps, floating or diving for the field, doing touch and go's, etc.  And oh, I put a second full flight on the 76 for good measure.