Flight Log 03.21.08

Flew the Blade CP Pro, at the Duck Pond...Acquired more flight damage: Landing & Canopy thrashed. I was flying pretty good, but the whole craft was kindof twitchy the whole flight -- probably some adjustment to the gain or something needed :) But, the thing was that I was practicing low and circling around the field area in front of me...when all of a sudden there was this yappy Chihuahua just under the copter...barking at it. I kinda freaked out, because I needed to land, because batteries were low, but it was following it and I didn't want to chop it's head off (well, now I do want to chop it's head off). So I sped up a bit and threw the heli down to the cement landing pad, pretty hard, and the landing gear snapped and the already cracked canopy completely busted apart :(

I think I may be at the point where, though I love flying heli's...I don't think I'll invest anymore $$$ in keeping this Blade Up-n-Running.

Flight Log 03.12.08

Flew the Blade CP Pro at lunch today! Didn't really have an exciting flight because the battery was a little low, dang it, but I hovered around a bit and did a couple circles around the field I was in.

I guess the major accomplishment was that never once did I lose control and break anything...I was flying it, and it wasn't flying me!

Finally, the Blade Lives Again!

Yep, tonight I put in a couple hours of work on my Blade CP Pro and install a new Main Shaft and a new Tail Boom...another $9-10, and she's ready to fly again, Yeah! Maybe tomorrow even? Hmmm, that would be too cool. I'm so wanting to fly a non-simulated helicopter again :)

Here's a picture of its restored glory...next to my copy of last months Model Aviation -- I'm a little behind on my reading again. If you haven't joined the AMA yet, you should give it some thought...the magazine subscription alone is worth it plus, you can fly at all the AMA sponsored Fun Fly's too...you get legal backing for your hobby, etc. etc Join Today!

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!!

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.

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...

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.