Corostar II and Snowy Weather
 

Hello everyone;

I'm still a newbie in this hobby, and I happen to have a late model Corostar II plane that I am looking to fly here shortly. I currently have it set up with a Supertigre 46 on it, and having never flown in the cold, was wondering if there was anything I need to be aware of engine wise, plane wise, ect.......

We are having a winter contest at our field, and I would like to be able to fly this corostar as it is a very durable and sturdy plane. There might be a tendancy of snow flurries in the area as well, and I was wondering what tips or tricks are out there that I might wanna be aware of so that I will be able to enjoy this "winterflying" season......

Thanks, and I'm lovin every aspect of this hobby so far.... and hoping to experience more as the warmer weather comes around.

Dax

RE: Corostar II and Snowy Weather
 

In my case anyways, cold fingers dont fly as well as warm ones:D

RE: Corostar II and Snowy Weather
 

Hi dakoris73
In cold weather I use a little lighter fluid when the engine is hard to start. I ONLY use an electric starter since I am afraid of a backfire due to the lighter fluid.

RE: Corostar II and Snowy Weather
 

There used to be on the market a "glove" to fit over the transmitter and your hands. I have not seen them advertised for awhile; I thought maybe todays fliers woosed out on cold weather flying.

We used lighter fluid back in the fifties to start ucontrol Fox engines without any thing but our bare fingers. But, boy did it hurt when you got hit by the prop.

Skis are available in different sizes, or use the Corrostar floats and fly off the snow. Great fun and you can use them in the summer for pond flying also. Enjoy!

RE: Corostar II and Snowy Weather
 

Since you asked:
Be sure your plane has stripes or some constasting color on the wings. A white plane gets really hard to see against the usual white background.
Your batteries will not have full power due to the cold. Check them before each flight.
Sun glasses will help with the glare. Especially the polarized ones.
If you keep your toes and fingers warm, you will have lots more fun.
Waterproof boots or overshoes are mandatory.
Mittens are better than gloves.
Your control surface hinges may become stiff in the cold. Be ready for it.
Increasing the nitro content of the fuel helps in the cold.
Have a mat to kneel on if there are no tables available.
Sticking the cylinder head in the exhaust pipe of a running vehicle aids starting if it is really cold.
Electric starters get weak quickly in the cold. Same with battery powered glow igniters. Keep the glow starter(s) in your pockets.
Sun screen and lip baum keeps windburn to a minimum.
Hot coffee/chocolate and a cookie or two are really good.
Keep the walking on the take-off area to a minimum. Footprints make for bad landings/take offs.

We really enjoy our winter flying here in North Dakota. We do however wait until the temps are above 0!!!!
Most of all Have gobs of fun.

Mike

RE: Corostar II and Snowy Weather
 

Great info Mike.

I run wildcat 15% nitro 18% syn/castor mix fuel with good results in the winter.
Have fun.
Jeff

RE: Corostar II and Snowy Weather
 

wow... thanks for all the info on this. I might have to go and get some of the higher nitro fuels then, and also remember to check my batteries. I wouldn't have even thought about that....... as for sticking the cylinder head into an exhaust pipe, well that might present a challenge as the cars are quite a distance away from the pit area........ Speaking of which, I've heard that you should heat up the cylinder head prior to starting the engine, and a suggestion was to use a heat gun or torch to do so... however, since the corostar is made of coroplast, and the heat would melt it, any other suggestions as to how to warm up the cylinder head without melting / warping the frame?

Thanks again for all the comments and suggestions.... can't wait to see if I can actually fly in the snow........

Dax

RE: Corostar II and Snowy Weather
 

Coro hinges will get really stiff when it's very cold. Make sure to check this carefully before flying.

RE: Corostar II and Snowy Weather
 

I have also heard that you can use chemical hand warmer packs to keep your engine warm. Just activate a couple of packs, put them against the engine, and wrap the whole thing in a towel. Then use them to warm your hands back up after each flight.

RE: Corostar II and Snowy Weather
 

I bet those would work well to keep the flight pack battery at an efficient temperature.[8D]