RCU Forums - View Single Post - Night Flying, Which plane? Ideas?
View Single Post
Old 07-11-2006 | 01:02 PM
  #5  
pettit's Avatar
pettit
My Feedback: (23)
 
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 2,769
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
From: Durham, NC
Default RE: Night Flying, Which plane? Ideas?

My Telemaster 40 isn't the most aerobatic plane on the planet, (far from it!) but with 88 red, green and yellow LED's illuminating the inside of the red, green and yellow transparent Monokote, it looks like a flying Christmas Tree! The Saito 56 is plenty powerful enough to pull it up with authority.

They are powered by a separate 5 cell 2000 maH Nicd battery and will run the lights for more than 2 hours

A better choice if I had it to do over again would be a Senior Telemaster because it does not have leading edge sheeting that prevents the light from being seen from the front. On the little Telemaster, I cut 2" lighting holes (not lightening holes) and put the LED's into the spar webs, plus inside the fuselage and stab and leading edges and fuselage sides.

Let's say just about everywhere.

Power it with a 60 to 90 size four cycle and it'll float around beautifully.

Aerobatic planes are also good candidates for night flying, but only if you can determine which side is up.

Contrary to someone elses comment, landing is VERY easy. We mark the runway ends with candles placed in plastic cups and the touchdowns are very smooth.

Just be sure to NEVER fly when the moon is out. Even a crescent moon.

Or even worse, when someone headlights are on approaching the field.