RCU Forums - My first attempt at aerial video

Typical flying weather this time of year for Iowa. Sunny, 36 degrees with a nice cross wind over the runway out of the West at about 7-10 mph. Just the perfect time for a flight with my half balsa (fuselage) Hobo biplane with Corplas wings.

This is not your light weight biplane but I've flown it many times and as long as your careful, things usually go right (usually....). It's powered by an old O.S. .61 FP that makes reasonable power but being of old design, weighs nearly the equivelant of an anchor. The Corplas wings don't help but I figure it normally weighs around 7.5 to 8 lbs.

With my digital video camera and a counter weight of a 4 cell battery affixed to the opposite wing, off I went...a fine adventure indeed.

Snicker........

The first flight take off was interesting in that the left wing (weighted down by the camera) wanted to meet the ground as if they were long-lost friends but with some counter right aileron, some prayer, and luck the wings went horizontal (as they should) while I punched in some aileron trim to make things happy.

The OS .61 FP is not a horsepower king and that was certainly evident as she climbed slowly up into the air with a right hand Easterly turn made at about 80 feet high. My, my I'm thinking to myself....she is handling "really" badly and is most disagreeably slugish on all control surfaces but what the heck, the aerial video will be worth it if I can just make a few circuits and land her to safety....NOT !

On the second circuit around the field, something black and round is seen falling from my trusty plane and all I can think of is my wife's warning "not to lose the new digital camera" and they'll be some 'splaining to do tonight.

A close flyby shows the camera in place but what's this ? My wheel has fallen off....thoughts of suicide were brief but put aside while I figure out how to get the heavy beast to the ground without damage to it or my pride...(there's people watching).

So I fly until the 16 oz tank is nearly dry, figuring it will lessen mass (as in destruction) when it meets up with the earth. Slowing it down, I'm able to coast it nice and clean into some nearby thick and soft praire grass without a scratch.

Now to find another wheel....ah, there's my trusty Piper Cub that I've already flown a couple times this morning and it has just the right size tire.

Off it comes and it makes a nice replacement for my biplane.

Now my friend Ralphie is watching my next flight with interest as he knows there's action to be had if one is just patient.

Figuring I need a longer take off to effect some airspeed, I begin at the very end of the runway this time, crank her up (see attached video) and nervously watch as she isn't gaining the necessary height to avoid the 75 foot tops of that very large tree that awaits my plane. I'm cringing and can see how this is all going to end up and while I don't remember saying it, Ralphie informs me of a curse I apparently repeated over and over while the iminent collision gets closer.

The SPAD god was looking down at that very moment because as Ralphie and I stood there watching the plane go through the tops of the tree and listening to branches crack and break as it passed through, it remained flying as if nothing ever happened.

If you watch the video, wait, listen and watch where it goes through the tree...you really can't miss it.

After landing several minutes later, I decided to weigh the beast with my 8lb fishing scale. The plane sank the scale to it's limits but Ralphie and I figure it was probably in the range of 9 - 10 lbs.

Off come the corplas, on go the balsa wings....

Stay tuned for the next edition of my aerial video saga.....

http://rcairplane.onlinestoragesolut...s/1stmovie.wmv