DAY .. 31.January 2009
- IGG event
15pilots were to fly this weekend but the
weather forecast was correct and it was deadly
cold. -22C (-7F) in the morning but rising
slightly with the sun. But we still flew and I think I had 30 tug
flights in the weekend and Oddvar had 5 or so. I
think 8 or 9 was in the air and the sun warmed
us for a couple of hours before we crawled
inside for some beers and video in the pub. Nice
turnout anyhow because this is a great bunch of
people. Egil has a writeup at his
grossegler.no.
Look HERE
A quick
and not much edited compilation of video HERE
(46mb .wmv)
DAY .. 30.January 2009
- IGG event
This weekend we will fly big scale sailplanes on
the ice and the first guy came straight to the
ice after a lot of hours in the car. Gudmund
(from Molde) slept in the car as I came on the
ice. LilleThomas (from Ålesund) also flew some
nice flights. We flew some flights (me tugging
with the Extra 300 3meter) and we also got some
flights on Gudmunds 4,4m eagle! Way cool!
Video here
DAY .. 29.January 2009
- Easyglider first video FPV
WOW! Ever lost your video signal flying far away
with FPV? I did today. Had checked so much how
much th evideo tx used but forgot to check how
much the rx used together with the video
screen... Thought I had poor signal but and when
the video became b/w and distorted before I lost
it completely I was sure the tx was gone. Just
managed to set a heading home before we had to
start looking for it. Spotted the model after a
couple of looooong minutes and brought it back
home safely. Heart was beating fast but I could
not stop laughing while we looked. It is off
course only a model plane but it might also go
down in a house or among people. The model
probably flew 5-600m and when we found it in the
sky it has still 500m back home. Looking at the
log it had flown at 1m/s off hands and that was
just what I wanted to see. This is slightly nose
down and covering ground nicely. Lucky day!
Earlier in the day I had flown on another place
and took my first loop while looking at the
screen. Cool. Had changed the motor for today
and have now better climb rate but also uses
more juice so installed a bigger battery.
Video from today HERE
(58mb .wmv)
DAY .. 28.January 2009
- Easyglider
Received some new video equipment and installed
it rather quickly in the Easyglider. -13C but
standing almost inside the car looking at the
screen was ok as it was no wind. Found having
the 9" screen inside the car was better than
hanging it on my neck. Might get some video of
the flights when I get all the gear fixed up.
Range seems good
even with stock antennas. Found that having the
antenna behind the camera and battery was good
but problem appeared when I turned straight home
as the antenna then is in the shadow of the
camera and battery. So will have to rearrange it
a bit. Dont know what range I got but I would
think 1,5-2km with no jitter. Changed to a large
"whip" that I attached to the car and this was
much better. Was probably at 4km or so today.
Difficult to land on the ice as all is white and
approach height is then strange. But with brake
on the ailerons it was easy though broke of the
motor in the last landing. Did 3 flights
on 8-9min and used 7-800mah each time (had a mah-counter
on it). Was going to do some serious altitude on
the last one but battery became empty. Otherwise I dont think it would be easy to land really
close. If I get this thing to perform really
well I think it will go on my electro Perfect.
Maybe even with a vario so I can circle the
thermals. That would be cool!
DAY .. 25.January 2009
- Snow
Snow... lots of snow... But we started at 11:30
and the first was in the air at 13:00.
BTW the 15.jan day is
now ready for reading...
DAY .. 20.January 2009
- Extra
Another day and looking good but it was windy.
My Extra was grounded with a bad soldering on
cannister but the other guys flew a bit.
DAY .. 20.January 2009
- Hangar 9, Carden edition Yak 54
Arild (and a bit me) finished a 2,26m Carden Yak
54 and this is one of the lightest plane to size
I have ever seen. It is maybe a bit too light
some places for rough landings etc. but is
strong enough in the air for sure (we flew it
pretty hard). Arild had mounted a DA-50 that as
always proves to be a very good power source. It
was a bit dry after a long time inside so needed
some help on the first start but after that it
as usual only needs a few flips. I also got to
fly the model a long flight and I must say this
is nice. Almost neutral CG (as on the plans) and
a touch of down elevator needed on the back and
in knife edge. With lots of rudder it tracks to
the wheels but only when you apply a lot and the
rudder grabs a lot of air. Flat spins really
flat and harriers down with a lot of elevator
with no rocking. Differential on ailerons was
not needed at all. A keeper for sure. Should be
cool to put it on the weight. I can surely say
that if you got a spare 40-50cc motor and want a
fairly large and light IMAC or 3D model this is
the one you want. Only downside is no metric
screws and the canopy hatch nuts needs to be
fixed better. Yes the model came with wheel
pants but we dont use those in the winter if we
dont have to. This one was bought at
Smallsize.no in Norway.
DAY .. 16-17.January 2009
- Extra
A little playtime on the ice and some just have
to fly no matter what. I flew my 3m Extra with
cannister and that was great. More power and
less sound.
DAY .. 15.January 2009
- Easyglider
Had fun on the ice driving over 4km flying the
Easyglider. The Easyglider glides at 40km/h and
with a touch of the motor it keeps the altitiude.
If you turn of the motor and come in real close
one can fly slope on the car!!
Real fun but not so fun when I was going to my
mother... Sliding down a ice road and into the
cold water... This is a ice road that is
prepared each winter but I guess the ice had
broken near shore... Car got some heavy damage
while we towed it in but is running again after
draining the water, repairing and drying it.
DAY .. 12.January 2009
- Easyglider
Lennart phoned me from Sweden and told me it was
raining there. Here we had sunshine and +7C yet
was not going to fly... But hey what is better
than to tell Lennart it was a great flying day!!
;) So me and my son circled a lot of thermals
with the Easyglider electric.
DAY .. 11.January 2009
- Extra 300
A bit windy with 12m/s when we arrived on the
ice but after a couple of coffees it died and we
god some nice flying in before it started to
blow again. I flew my 3m Extra 300 a couple of
long flights (first one a bit too long as it
became a dead stick landing in 5-6m/s wind). The
guys from Bagn is full of energy and had a new
guy practice flying today. Incredible how well
he flew after just simulator flying.
DAY .. 10.January 2009
- Joker
Plan was to take out the large Extra today but I
was tired and did not bother. So I flew one
flight with the helicopter and helped out the
other guys instead. -4C and 0-4m/s wind. A bit
moist in the air made it cold today but it was
flyable. Nice first flight by Morten and his
Hurricane. This model is made from only small
balsa pieces. Not for me anymore... But even me
can see this is a cool scale model ;)
DAY .. 9.January 2009
- Predator
+7C today and 4-5m/s wind when I got on the ice.
Took out the Predator and made good use of the
wind until it died and turned 180 degrees. Lots
of thermals around and I could sometimes fly as
long as I wanted. Used a altitude logger today (Zlog)
and got some nice launches. First launches was
250-268m and when it calmed down they were
mostly in the 230-240 range. Line was 1,55mm
speedline and the wings was bending a little in
the best launches (looked as a fairly even bend
all over). Hook is now at apx114mm with 10mm
camber. Nice day out and nice to go up in the
thermals with the Predator.
Knut Arne also came down on the ice after I had
packed up so I continued flying the Joker.
DAY .. 8.January 2009
- Predator
Installed 2.4ghz (AR7000 JR) in the Predator and
today was a nice day to test. -8C and a small
breeze. Range on ground was fairly good but
testing in the air revealed that having the
antennas inside is good enough for F3F but not
F3B. The fuse is "so-called" 2.4 friendly but 4
rovings all the way in front block too much of
the view. So the antennas will come out of the
fuse before I fly more on the winch. I normally
fly the first flights with tx antenna straight
forward as this gives the worst case scenario.
Then I can just tilt it and get more range when
needed. Range with tx antenna straight for the
plane was 5-600m. Lots of range with antenna
tilted (did not fly further than 7-800m away).
So to all the producers out there. If you make
2.4friendly fuses it has to be without carbon in
the area you want antennas.
DAY .. 7.January 2009
- Easyglider FPV
Cold with -12C but I got hold of a new 2.4
antenna for the video download and had to test.
Helped a lot but it seems there is something
else wrong and my camera died before the second
flight. Need to buy some stuff if I am going
further on this I guess.
DAY .. 6.January 2009
- Skymax4
Suddenly the weather changed and we got -2C
today. Took out the Skymax4 and had a great
session on the ice. A speed flight and some nice
duration flights. Wave conditions today so one
side of the valley in turbulent air gives 5min
flights and the other side 12-14minute flights
in lots of thermals passing. A bit windy at
altitude but that is great for practice. Flew
the Easyglider a flight also and have got some
24db large antenna to test by the local wlan
guys and lots of good feedback on solutions for
the video download thing. Might do the trick so
I can fly further. A local new guy came around
also but a bit windy for him
DAY .. 4.January 2009
- FPV
Freezing cold but one got to fly a bit... -16.5C
(2F). The Easyglider was used and I flew about
15min looking at the screen in the valley on the
ice. Pretty cool but I am missing the "real"
sailplanes. About time to get out a winch again!
DAY .. 3.January 2009
- FPV
A few more attempts on FPV before the Easyglider
will be "normal" again. Had two flights today.
One on Klanten airport at 800m above sealevel
and one lower down near Gol in a nearby valley.
A bit cold but both me and Fredrik had a good
time flying. Especially just before night.