Anybody flying today

Miamiheat

Cant wait for my first plane to arrive but in the meantime would love to see some plane/helis flying today in Dublin or close.
if you plan to fly just throw me the coordinates or address for satnav and maybe i'll see you there.
Thanks

Kashkai

Ah nuts Miami. I was flying my Radian and Kinetic hotliner in the Curragh today for about 90 minutes and would have loved some company. I could have brought my DX5 and let you have a go at the Rad. Wish I'd checked the Boards site earlier this morning. Opportunity missed:(

When your plane does show up, please don't attempt to fly her yourself as there are so many things to get right before your new plane gets some air. The pre-flight checks are vital to make sure all is working correctly. Your new DX6i radio, while a great choice, takes some time to set your plane up right the first time (the DX5e doesn't have as many set up options which is why it is the "starter radio"). The pre-flight checks will become second nature to you soon enough but its so easy to miss something simple and your flight might be over in seconds and you'll be picking bits of plane up. I'm not trying to put you off but a few pointers from someone experienced, Robbie or myself will make all the difference between and :mad:.

I got my first lesson almost two years ago to this day from Robbie and while I was cocky before the flight, I soon had sweaty palms and a dry mouth when she was up in the air, and that was with an experienced pilot like Robbie standing beside me using a buudy box:o. Trust me, you'll soon be wishing you had someone to tell you what to do when your investment is a hundred feet in the air and you then think, "Oh sh1t, how to I get this down in one piece?:eek:".

Your Rad will show up this week I'm sure. First things first, charge the battery. Then get to know your plane by going over each part to see how they all work together as a single plane. Read the DX6i manual cover to cover. Watch a few youtube vids of Radian flights to get some sense of her flying abilities. Assemble your plane, connect the battery (but stay away from the throttle) and see if you can bind her to your tx and get the control surfaces working in the right direction. See if you can do a range check. Try some simple control movements to turn the rudder right/left and the elevator up/down smoothly without jerking motions. Mashing the control sticks left/right and up/down is not how you fly a plane.

A lot to remember but it'll soon be second nature.

Miamiheat

May try to fly the Radian at the Pheonix park today (if not too much wind).

Kashkai

If you can dodge the rain showers, then fly away. Don't fly in the rain though as electrics and water don't go well together. Watch where you land as well as hitting a puddle won't do your motor, receiver or servos much good.

Probably a bit late for this advice though:D

I might be in the park tomorrow but the winds might be a bit strong.

Miamiheat

went around noon and wind were too strong, but then around 4PM it seemed better so I headed there with a friend and was able to fly for one hour in complete calm (empty park).

Bruthal

Miamiheat wrote: »

went around noon and wind were too strong, but then around 4PM it seemed better so I headed there with a friend and was able to fly for one hour in complete calm (empty park).

Thats great, i didnt think it would take you too long to get the hang of it.

Miamiheat

robbie7730 wrote: »

Thats great, i didnt think it would take you too long to get the hang of it.

Yeah, still must thank you for the pointers. Sure i have a lot to learn but felt good to fly it twice on my own yesterday and land it perfectly smooth. Flew over a heli (a real one). Or actually Heli flew below me. I find it surprising that they will cross the park right of top of the pacth though.

Rob we have to make plans to see each other again, this weekend was hard for me to comit but hopefully we'll get to hook up with Dave and fly a few of these birds.

Bruthal

Miamiheat wrote: »

Yeah, still must thank you for the pointers. Sure i have a lot to learn but felt good to fly it twice on my own yesterday and land it perfectly smooth. Flew over a heli (a real one). Or actually Heli flew below me. I find it surprising that they will cross the park right of top of the pacth though.

Rob we have to make plans to see each other again, this weekend was hard for me to comit but hopefully we'll get to hook up with Dave and fly a few of these birds.

Yes we will have to have 3 in the air at the same time.

Kashkai

robbie7730 wrote: »

Yes we will have to have 3 in the air at the same time.

And then we can play....."Which one is mine???":D

How about you two fly the Rads and I fly one of my Luftwaffe fighters to attack you;)

Bruthal

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

And then we can play....."Which one is mine???":D

That happens, even more so with slower planes:D

How about you two fly the Rads and I fly one of my Luftwaffe fighters to attack you;)

I would probably have the cularis out if i could. Its been out of the air 5 months now.

Miamiheat

it could be an interesting situation to lose track and forget which one is which.

Kashkai

Did you join that club in the Park Miami??? How are you getting on with them if you did? I've never seen any of them fly gliders before.

I was in the park flying myself last Tuesday and got talking to a few of them. Those guys were pretty friendly compared to the ones I'd met before.

Bruthal

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

Did you join that club in the Park Miami??? How are you getting on with them if you did? I've never seen any of them fly gliders before.

I was in the park flying myself last Tuesday and got talking to a few of them. Those guys were pretty friendly compared to the ones I'd met before.

When i used to be regularly fly there, it was a great laugh. That was at the end of the 80`s and early 90`s though. Only flew once or twice there in the last 20 years now.

Miamiheat

Yes Dave I am a member of the club.
Met with a couple of the regulars on the patch a couple of times and they are nice enough. Actually the club has a nitro trainer which they seem to be trying to track down for me. That would fit more their style and be less affected by wind.

Bruthal

Miamiheat wrote: »

Yes Dave I am a member of the club.
Met with a couple of the regulars on the patch a couple of times and they are nice enough. Actually the club has a nitro trainer which they seem to be trying to track down for me. That would fit more their style and be less affected by wind.

The windiest i ever flew the radian in was at hook head lighthouse. Gale winds. It can be flown in very windy conditions.

The nitros, or fast electrics, are more suitable for the park though, especially if there are others there flying them.

Kashkai

My electrics would give their nitros a run for their money, especially as I've souped up a few of mine;). My little Kinetic glider only has a 800mm wingspan but she has been clocked at close on 100mph according to online reports with an upgraded esc and larger 3 cell battery (stock set up is a 450mah 2 cell). Naturally I have the 3 cell set up:D. I'd love to see the look on their faces in that club when I open up her throttle:D

Robbie, when will you be back in action as it would be good to meet up with Miami and get all three Rads in the air. I wouldn't mind a look at your Cularis either. I meant to ask, why did you get her instead of the Radian Pro?

Bruthal

Electrics have no problem matching and probably out performing nitro. Once the motors became brushless and similar to AC 3 phase motors in operation (except with permanent magnets instead of induction) they can have very high torque.

Bruthal

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

Robbie, when will you be back in action as it would be good to meet up with Miami and get all three Rads in the air. I wouldn't mind a look at your Cularis either. I meant to ask, why did you get her instead of the Radian Pro?

Its not looking like i will be back in action anytime soon. Very slow healing, if at all. Next x-ray next monday. I had to bring a chair to the flying field with miami last week:D

I got the cularis because it was one i was looking at way before i got it. I dont actually own a radian. The son does. And the second one with all the FPV gear is another fellas, but is here permanently.

I just liked the look and design of the cularis, and when i got it, i liked it even more. It was actually looping fred (slope soaring) i got it off near 2 years ago now. He used to sell them, but is more into the pure gliders now i think.

The wings just plug in and out, no messing around with leads etc. That was a bit of a pain with the couple of radian pro`s i have flown for others. In my opinion the original radian is better.

You can fly it yourself and see what you think. Its 8 foot 6" wingspan as well, so a fair bit bigger than the radian.

Kashkai

Eight foot six inch wingspan:eek:. And I thought the Radian was big!

What do you mean when you say the wings just "plug in". Is that the Multiplex "plug" I've heard about? I know a few lads with the Radian Pro who got so sick of wiring servos at the field that they soldered on what they called a "multiplex plug" to make the process much less painful.

Bruthal

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

Eight foot six inch wingspan:eek:. And I thought the Radian was big!

What do you mean when you say the wings just "plug in". Is that the Multiplex "plug" I've heard about? I know a few lads with the Radian Pro who got so sick of wiring servos at the field that they soldered on what they called a "multiplex plug" to make the process much less painful.

Yes the cularis wing plugs in. The servo extension leads from the wing servos have their plugs glued into the wing ends.

Multiplex plugs are a green 6 pin plug and socket. I have used them for the FPV radian, to plug in the tx, and the camera, with the radian internally wired inside.

They are not used in the cularis, although some have used them as a mod, because there were reports of the servo plugs disconnecting in the wing root due to movement. The servo extension plugs are glued into slots in the wing roots. And the socket parts glued into slots in the fuselage wing joiner.

I found no problems what so ever with that though. I was very careful to glue the servo sockets accurately into the wing root and fuselage wing sockets, and glued the metal contacts in each servo plug so they were out at the end of the black plastic bits if you know what i mean. If you look at servo plugs, the metal contacts can move in them slightly.


The end result is that you simply plug the wings into the fuselage, and little catches lock them on. Its simpler than putting the standard radian wings on. The back wings also come off in a similar way.

It has a whole different performance to the radian in flight. Faster and much more agile. I think its fantastic in flat calm weather, although so is the radian imo. The cularis is better in windy conditions.

The fuselage is a fair bit bigger than the radian one too.

Miamiheat

Lads I flew the radian yesterday - all went well except second landing where my friend was to catch the plane in the air (i had mounted camera on belly). He grabed it by the rear end of fuselage and snapped it. Clean break so we should be able to fix it tonight.
Now with the time change i think I will spending a few early evenings at the park.
Robbie would you recommend that Cularis for Spain. I am flying there in April and would definitely like to have something to fly there. I can leave the plane at my sister's.

Bruthal

Miamiheat wrote: »

Lads I flew the radian yesterday - all went well except second landing where my friend was to catch the plane in the air (i had mounted camera on belly). He grabed it by the rear end of fuselage and snapped it. Clean break so we should be able to fix it tonight.

Cocktail sticks glued into one half, although put them in dry first, remove, and glue into holes, and let that dry. Then dry fit other half onto the cocktail sticks to check alignment. Now remove, superglue ends and fit together.

I use insulating tape to hold the halves tight, as it shrinks slightly when stretched across the break.

Here is one i repaired 2 years ago.





The radian is best caught on the front wings. Its much easier for the pilot to catch it than have someone else do it. I would of showed you it the last day except i cant do it at present for obvious reasons.

Now with the time change i think I will spending a few early evenings at the park.
Robbie would you recommend that Cularis for Spain. I am flying there in April and would definitely like to have something to fly there. I can leave the plane at my sister's.

Yes i would recommend it. There will be big thermals there, so you will have to concentrate and not let it get too high. They can climb fast in even small thermals.

Simon.d

robbie7730 wrote: »

The radian is best caught on the front wings. Its much easier for the pilot to catch it than have someone else do it.

Yea.. Much easier to catch yourself... Need to have controller strapped and hanging from your neck though (have a loop of bailing twine on mine!).. Can catch with throttle hand, and guide it in accurately with the other... Bring her in low as if to land against any breeze, then pull up as it get's close to slow her down even more.. Might need to do a run and jump for it the first few times, but is quite easy all the same..

Bruthal

Simon.d wrote: »

Yea.. Much easier to catch yourself... Need to have controller strapped and hanging from your neck though (have a loop of bailing twine on mine!).. Can catch with throttle hand, and guide it in accurately with the other... Bring her in low as if to land against any breeze, then pull up as it get's close to slow her down even more.. Might need to do a run and jump for it the first few times, but is quite easy all the same..

Yea thats how i do it, skim the ground out in front, then a climb to slow it in the last few meters. If its windy thats not really needed, and best keeping up a little. It can be tricky on good windy days.

I dont use a lanyard all the time myself though.

Having someone else catch it often ends in wildly grabbing at it though.

I caught the cularis once as well, but not great for the wing connections. So i dont catch that.

Miamiheat

Well my friend repaired it like a pro, and we did some reinforcements to make the whole fuselage stiffer.
Flew it today and it was good. strapped the cam on velcro for a first film

Simon.d

Miamiheat wrote: »

Well my friend repaired it like a pro, and we did some reinforcements to make the whole fuselage stiffer.
Flew it today and it was good. strapped the cam on velcro for a first film

Got out today myself after work.. Loving the stretch in the evenings.. Sent the camera up too, testing out a new side mounted position for oblique shots.. Handled very well.. Self portrait below:

Miamiheat

nice!

Miamiheat

new plane:
P1030667 (1024x767).jpg

Miamiheat

Lads just received a few batteries from hobbyking and one of them looks bloated (see pic). As I am a beginner and I have only heard dangerous stuff about these batteries I am wondering whether I should attempt charging it?

Bruthal

Miamiheat wrote: »

Lads just received a few batteries from hobbyking and one of them looks bloated (see pic). As I am a beginner and I have only heard dangerous stuff about these batteries I am wondering whether I should attempt charging it?

It certainly looks puffed. It could possibly be the heat shrink not shrunk properly. But more likely a bad battery.

The first thing i do in them situations is test the voltage accurately with a voltmeter or with the charger if its a digital one. All 3 cells should be the same or very close, as in within 0.02v or so, usually when shipped they are close to 3.8v per cell, but a truely puffed one would likely not have the cells well balanced, and often have at least one cell well below 3v.

Then if voltage is ok, I charge and do a proper full duration full load test on it. But you need to know what your doing, what voltages your getting etc across all 3 cells. A puffed battery will swell up more when fully loaded for any duration. This would be more for a used battery though.

Best advice for a new one is get back onto them and ask about exchanging it.

Dont charge and fly with that battery anyway.

Miamiheat

robbie7730 wrote: »

It certainly looks puffed. It could possibly be the heat shrink not shrunk properly. But more likely a bad battery.

The first thing i do in them situations is test the voltage accurately with a voltmeter or with the charger if its a digital one. All 3 cells should be the same or very close, as in within 0.02v or so, usually when shipped they are close to 3.8v per cell, but a truely puffed one would likely not have the cells well balanced, and often have at least one cell well below 3v.

Then if voltage is ok, I charge and do a proper full duration full load test on it. But you need to know what your doing, what voltages your getting etc across all 3 cells. A puffed battery will swell up more when fully loaded for any duration. This would be more for a used battery though.

Best advice for a new one is get back onto them and ask about exchanging it.

Dont charge and fly with that battery anyway.

The battery shows same voltages on all cells: it is charging now so i will keep on checking. However in the batch i got one of the batteries charged 2 cells @ 4.20 volts and one @ 4.13-4.14 --> is there anyway to recover that one or should i return it?
While I am at it: hobbyking says Lipos must be sent back to Hong Kong: that seems like it may cost me more to send it than replace it: has any of you had that experience before with Hobbyking?

thanks