Flight Log 10.31.07

Awesome Autumn Afternoon for flying!

Flew the Super Cub at the field by work. Just flew it...no video...just pure flying. Had lots of fun.

You should buy a HobbyZone Super Cub...You will not, I Guarantee, regret it.

Video from one of today's flights

I'll try to edit the other one to post tomorrow...

Flight Log 10.30.07

Flew twice today...so far :)

Once this morning at the duck pond and once during lunch at the field by work.

I will post video later tonight...this mornings flight includes some close encounters with the geese at the duck pond.

Missed my chance today...

Over slept and then had to help get some kids, who missed the bus etc., to school...Then I had to work :(

Then...it rained and got breeezy...and then, it got dark. Oh well, tomorrow's another day.

Found this video today...very cool:


Please send me your suggestions for my next plane...see below.

I need a new plane

I love my Super Cub and my other little planes, but I need something different.

Leave me a comment, with your opinion, of what a good plane would be for someone who's never flown with ailerons before.

Planes I'm thinking about:
http://www.towerhobbies.com/products/hobbico/hcaa28.html

http://store.bananahobby.com/1074.html

Flight Log 10.28.07

I flew at a new field today. It's near the duck pond...which is my favorite place, because of the scenery...but, you need to change it up sometimes. Plus, there were a lot of people enjoying the duck pond, so I thought it best to go where there weren't so many people.

Here's the video:

Flight Log 10.27.07

Flew the Super Cub this morning...here's the video:

Flight log 10.26.07 -- Beautiful day...but, breezy

The sun is shining, the birds are singing, but it's windy...dang it!

I tried to enjoy a Super Cub flight this morning, but the wind was already too much for the plane. I made one loop around the duck pond park and safely put her down on the cement pad - whew! The brightness control on my onboard camera freaked out, so the video is worthless, sorry. But, it was getting tossed around like mad -- it even spooked the geese on the ground a bit :)

The wind is not letting up, so that's probably all the RC'in I'll get in today.

So sad :(

Flight Log 10.25.07

I took about 5 minutes, at lunch today, to take the cub back up in the air. It was pretty breezy...I'd say 10-15mph gusts. And, I knew it was probably too much wind for the cub, but I wanted to fly...so, I put her up.

It was too breezy, and after a few crazy laps around the field -- the plane was really being pushed around -- I landed it.

Bummer. Not enough flight time...but, there's always tomorrow :)

2nd Cub Flight Today...

Got video of it too!

Great picture of a "real" cub

The picture says it all...

The Super Cub Flew Again!

Yeah!! Everything worked, it was such fun. I had issues again with my video camera...so, I have nothing to post :(

It's too bad too, because I had figured out a new maneuver -- pulling all the way back on the elevator and giving full left or right rudder...produces a cool spinning roll like maneuver.

I'll try to do some video at lunch...the weather looks to be clear.

The Super Cub Will Fly Again!

I got my new receiver today...I fried something the last time I tried to use a lipo battery on it -- the one that came with my Blade CP Pro.

It's installed and everything appears to be working fine. So, baring any weather problems tomorrow...She Flys!!

Another Arrow Flight Day...

Didn't make it to the hobby store yet...so, flying what still works, my Arrow Flight.

Got maybe 5 minutes out of it...but, they were quality minutes. I wish I could upload the smell & feel of the day -- it was such a nice day :)

I hope all the RC'gonians (RC + Oregonians) took advantage of the day.

Nice and sunny...

I should be able to fly something in this weather!

This is the view from my office, to one of my favorite places to fly. I hope they never build anything in that lot ; )

I'll update you later and how that goes...

The Frappr Map...

You may have noticed my Frappr map, in the right border. But, did you know you can customize your entry?

Just click on the top user icon, on the frappr's left scrollable user nav area. It should have a popup that says "You!".

A bubble then pops up in the map area and it has a link for customizing your info. You can add a picture and a brief message or an URL to your own web site i.e., free advertising :)

Check it out...I'd love to hear from you on my frappr.

Didn't get a lot of RC stuff done today...

So sad :(

I had plans to go to a hobby store and get some parts, but I stayed up late watching my download of the IRCHA 2007 video...and, I kinda slept in. By the time I woke, my wife and I had to get some groceries etc. then she had to work. Even if I had made it to the hobby store, it was pretty wet and stormy today...so, flying for the better part of the day, wasn't going to happen.

But, I did put in some FMS simulator time...I'm trying to practice the heli maneuver where it circles around on a horizontal plane with it's tail down and inward and the front of the heli is pointing out of the circle and upward -- wish I knew the name of the trick -- but, I think I'm figuring it out.

Anyone watch "My Name is Earl"? It's all about karma...you do good things, and good things happen to you. Well, I stayed up late with downloading and burning the IRCHA video to DVD, and then I gave an RC friend of mine a copy I promised him...and he, unexpectedly, gave me a disc with RC videos on it that I hadn't seen yet. Thanks Karma! So, help out your RC buddies, and they'll help you :)

Finished my download of the IRCHA 2007 video, Finally!

It was worth the 2 days of downloading...so, look below for my previous post, if you haven't already, and start your download today. Or, if you find a friend who's already downloaded it...copy their DVD (that would be faster).

Lots of impressive 3D flying. My only critique would be, "Where's the scale heli's?" there were a couple stills of some tables with scale heli's on them, but no video of them flying : (

This video was all put together by the people at HeliFreak.com...so, if you liked this...you should check them out and support them:

When did you get the HeliFever?

I got the fever 1 year ago...

Checkout this link to see a kid who got the fever at 4, wow!

This is some of the text, from the email that informed me about this video:

Before you can view this video I want to make sure
your ego is tough as steel and that you're not as
delicate as a flower because when you lay your eye
balls on this video, you might squirt a few tears, I
did.

Remember, if you're feeling extra sensitive today, for some
strange reason, don't watch this video. It might make
things worse...

Want to fly a flying saucer?

Checkout JLN Labs.

FREE IRCHA 2007 DVD torrent

Go to this HeliFreak forum to get the info and torrent file: http://www.helifreak.com/showthread.php?t=44166&page=37

I've been able to download the "teaser" video, that is part of the this torrent, and there's some pretty cool stuff. I can't wait to get the whole 2 hour DVD downloaded...but, my internet isn't that fast, so it'll be a day or two :)

I took the teaser and cut out all the chatter, leaving only the heli's...and here's that video:

Product Announcements & Release Updates

Product Announcements

E-flite Piper Pawnee 15e ARF $134.99 Due Nov.
One-of-a-kind scale rendition of the Piper ag workhorse.

E-flite Taylorcraft 450 ARF $164.99 Due Nov.
Easy to assemble, lightweight, scale park flyer.

E-flite S.E.5a SF 250 ARF $49.99 Due Dec.
Vacuum-molded foam fuselage, carbon reinforced stab, stained plywood interplane strut.

Product Release Updates
ParkZone J-3 Cub BL RTF, Due October

ParkZone J-3 Cub BL PNP, Due October

ParkZone T-28 Trojan PNP, Due October

E-flite At-6 Texan 25 ARF, Due October

E-flite Divo 3D ARF, Due October

E-flite Blade 400 3D RTF, Due November

Hangar 9 B-25J Mitchell ARF, Due November

E-flite Pitts Model 12 15e ARF, Due November

E-flite Enticement F3P ARF, Due December

Flew the arrow flight again today...

I had a spare 20 minutes to go to The Duck Pond (see link in the right nav) and fly my arrow. After flying, it seemed like such a nice day, that it would be a shame not to film it. So, I made this little 3min film, enjoy:

Hotshot Heli Pilots can win $3000

...in 3rd Annual Micro-Heli Cup

TIME IS RUNNING OUT! Are you a hotshot micro-heli pilot? Do you have the right stuff? Wanna win some moola, cash, dinero? If so then click on over to www.empirerc.com and download the pilot application for more details. If selected to compete you will have a shot at winning cash and bragging rights in the 3rd Annual 2007 World Micro-Heli Cup sponsored by Empire RC and RC Universe.

Total prize pool is $3000 with first prize in mini class at $1,500!The event will be covered on RC Universe and in various other websites and media.The event takes place on October 20th and 21st at the iHobbyExpo in Rosemont, llinois.

New high score on the heli game

1368... See original post.

Only flew in simulation this weekend

Not as fun as the real thing...but, it usually makes me look pretty good. I use FMS (because it's FREE), and my new favorite heli model is the "Colco Lynx-380XL.par" -- it's a fun 3D heli.

Oh Gee!

Anyone have one of these? It's made by ParkFlyers.com


It looks really cool...but, is it as great as it seems...leave a comment if you have one, thanks.

Cool Blade Upgrade

...the airwolf canopy at HeliDirect. This will be my next upgrade I think. Here's a video of someone who's done the upgrade already.

I got nothin...

So, sad :( no RC anything today...

Flightlog entry...for 10.10.07

I flew my arrow flight again. It's such a great plane for a spare 5 or so minutes of flight. It was very breezy...the windsock was indicating 10-17 mph gusts. But, the arrow took it pretty well!

I'm sad though...I believe the planes NIMH is dying out :( I'm sure I can find a replacement somewhere, but that's a hassle.

Only had time for a couple RC things today

Flew one of my favorite planes...The Arrow Flight!
This plane is throttle and rudder only. It handles and prefers a good wind for it to soar in...and I picked it up for under $20 at Toys-R-Us. It has been an awesome plane, because it's portable and functional.

Here's some video of this plane in flight from a past flight:

Find another video here RCUVideos.com



I also added some basic RC Airplane Controls info to my Flightschool section of my JoeFlyer site.

Flew the Blade CP Pro at the duck pond

Had a good flight...nothing broke. I came down kindof rough one time and my plasti-blades did slap the boom, but I was experimenting with a homemade protection system and it seems to have worked -- I'll probably post more on this in future after more testing.

I took some onboard video, but it came out pretty shakey...if I can make it worth watching I'll post it.

Now the bad news. After getting home tonight I thought I'd fly in the street and I had rigged a new way to mount my camera up front of the Blade...Things seemed to be going pretty well and then I got disoriented and crashed it...Bent the shaft, broke the boom, and knocked the camera around hard enough that I lost all the video it had shot !@#$%&!@*&%!!@

Oh well...

Windsock Info

We see windsocks at most club fields...but, does everyone know how to read one? Here's some info I've gathered:

• Wind direction is the opposite of the direction in which the windsock is pointing (note that wind directions are conventionally specified as being the compass point from which the wind originates; so a windsock pointing due north indicates a southerly wind)
  
• Windspeed is indicated by the windsock's angle relative to the mounting pole; in low winds, the windsock droops; in high winds it flies horizontally
  
• Per FAA standards...a 15 knot (17mph) wind will fully extend the windsock; A 3 knot (3.5mph) breeze will cause the windsock to orient itself to the wind...i.e., 3.5mph of a breeze is what it takes to move the sock around the pole.

The knot: 1 nautical mile per hour = 1.852 kilometer per hour exactly. Other convertions:

• 0.998383 geographical miles
• 1.150779 miles (statute)
• 2025.372 yards
• 6076.1155 feet
• 1 meridian arc minute at sea-level surface distance

Today's weather, overcast & breezy

Have you seen this?

Weather Report Desktop Tool
Choose your plane and closest airport to receive current flight weather stats. Displays temperature, wind conditions, air pressure, visibility, and more.

Sorry foreign friends...it's currently a US only product that requires Windows XP to run

Here's where to get it

Some video of the breeze...from a little bit later in the day then when I took the snapshot of the FSX Flight Weather Report:

My PiccoZ...knock-off

Dark video...sorry:

More heli flights this morning

It was a little misty at the duck pond this morning, but worth it. I met up with my ESky HoneyBee buddy and we flew our heli's. I'm pround that I used up two full batteries on my Blade CP Pro without breaking or bending anything -- what satisfaction.

É um dia grande a voar! (Look it up, it's Português)

I also flew my new imports: the 2-channel heli and the yellow & red planes. They flew great too...until I ran out of plane battery mid-flight with the little yellow plane. It went right into the pond! But, guess what...It's foam and it floats. After about 10min. it drifted back closer to the pond's edge. And...I was able to use the prop to propel it closer to me, so I could grab it!! And...it still flys too! So, I'm really pleased with this plane.

The only bad thing about flying this morning was that halfway to the park I realized I had left my video camera at home :( and so I got no shot of my little yellow sea plane -- maybe next time it goes in the pond I'll be prepared.

Join my Frappr Map

You can mark where you are on a map, leave a picture of yourself or your favorite RC Vehicle, and give a shoutout to the world.

Look down the right side of this blog an add yourself to my frappr map today!

Fun times with my RC Toys from China

I spent about 45min today, at lunch, flying my two small planes and my 2-channel heli that I got from China (see previous posts for the snapshots) a couple weeks back. I had a great time.

The red low-wing plane even flew well -- I was amazed. The yellow top-wing is still the better flyer, but the low-wing was fun today...I got it really high, that helps.

I also took some more video of the 2-channel heli in flight.


I got at least 8-10 min. of flight time out of each craft -- that's pretty good!

You get what you pay for??? part three

I'm warming up to my cheap 2 channel heli -- see previous posts...I flew some more today, and it was pretty fun. It's still more of a loop around or boomerang flight, but it lands well and takes hard landings reallllly well.

I also flew the little yellow top-wing plane that I got with the helicopter. I've listed in a previous post that a con was it's either on or off throttle...but, it didn't seem to bad today. I think it's because the plane can also glide pretty well without the motor. You can get this little plane pretty high, and a slight breeze is also a plus, and this little guy will fly for quite some time.

So, I think I might order some and make them available for order...stay tuned.

These look cool...

Precision Micro Heli's

Nice & Clear == Fly

Flew my Blade CP Pro this morning at the Duck Pond. Tried some onboard video again, but it came out really blurry and showcases a crash, ooops, too -- so, noone wants to see that ;)

But, my second flight went really well until I ran low on battery, came in kind of too confident, and crashed. Now, I need some new parts for my main rotor head...maybe I'll go aluminum???

Check out this site for cool aluminum mods...

My buddy showed up with his fixed pitch Honey Bee. This is a pretty indestructible heli...and it flies really smooth too. I think this is probably one of the best entry level heli's one can buy...it's a step above the co-axial one's, and a notch below the the collective pitch models (explanation of fixed vs collective here). Here's some video of the flight today.

Rainy & Breezy == No Fly

Look at all that yellow, orange, and red...plus, the wind was gusting in my area at around 21mph.

So, another flight simulator day.

Replaced another Blade CP Tail Boom Today

I'm getting real good at this! I even replaced my tail motor...the original one was poping it's gear out on me -- the hobby shop guy says that's normal for these things. And, as you might guess, if the gear from the motor pops away from the big black tail rotor gear...you have no more tail rotor...and if you have no tail rotor, you're spinning out of control.

Tip: It's definately easier to replace the boom by un-soldering the wires from
the tail motor and sliding the boom off the wires...than trying to disconnect the wires from the receiver and pulling them through the boom that way.

Hey Joe...why you replacing your tail boom anyways? Good question. I have had my last few flights (See previous posts) on a boom that was slightly damaged and held together with some tape. Today, while making some tail rotor adjustments with the tail motor pot onboard the Blade...an adjustment I made was a bit too extreme, so I crashed and ruined my already damaged boom : )

The new boom and motor run great in my hovering tests...I can't wait till the next flying day to do some real flying.