The weight of some clear packing tape will not matter. However if it is not smooth, that will make a difference as it will disrupt the air flow and that is how the plane flies.

Of course, if you were out in wind so strong as to carry the plane away, you were flying in too much wind. That is the number one mistake of new pilots, in my opinion. They want to know how much wind the plane can handle. The real question is how much wind the pilot can handle.

My Aerobird Challenger has been flown successfully in 18 mph winds, but that is due to my experience. That does not mean a new flyer should be out in more than 5 mph winds. The plane can handle it, you can't!

If you get caught again, the key is to slightly dive the plane into the wind to come back. Put on the power but push the nose down. This will put the plane into a shallow dive which will allow it to pick up enough speed to come back against the wind. In fact this will work with the motor off if you are sufficently skilled.

Try this. Learn to hover the plane. Get the plane 100'+ when you have an 8mph+ wind. Now turn the motor off and learn to balance the plane such that it has no ground speed. What you are doing is actually diving into the wind at the same speed as the air coming at you. You appear to be hovering. This is a skill building excercise.

Now, if you can do that, then just push the nose down a little further, putting the plane into a slightly faster dive, motor off, and you will start to move up wind. You will lose some altitude, but that is your source of energy. You trade altitude for forward speed.

You should never let the plane get down wind of you until you are very talented in pushing back against the wind. Practice this up wind, in front of you. First in 5 MPH winds. Then 8, then 10 and gradually build up till you can keep the plane in front of you in any wind you choose. This is how you develop these talents. This is what determines your ablity to fly in wind.

Since you always launch into the wind, your back should be toward the edge of the field, the trees, the buildings or whatever is the defining edge of the field. There really is no reason for the plane to be down wind from you.

I can actually put the plane up in 15 mph winds and turn the motor off and push back and make progress against the wind. I have done it many times. Frankly I find it fun, but I learned to do this flying gliders. I fly discus launched gliders, slope gliders and 2 and 3 meter thermal duration gliders all the time. I love them! No motors so you have to learn how to do this. Works great on the Aerobird. Works great slope soaring as well where there is always wind. The Aerobird Challenger actually does pretty well in a 15 mph wind on the slope without ballast.

This is a fun, versitile plane that can teach you a lot IF you take the time to learn. The plane can handle a lot but can you?

AEAJR - thanks for the help - and you are right that is what happened I let the Aerobird get down wind plus like you said I was in to much wind. It has been windy here in Missouri for several weeks and I was tired of waiting. There is a flying field within a couple of miles of my house but to fly on it you have to be an AMA member and have to get a permit from the county parks to fly there and I just got my AMA membership and my permit for the flying park, so now I can go over to the field with other RCers for help. The park by my house is to small and like I said it has houses all the way around the park so if you go outside the park all you can see if roofs.

What did you think about what I did with the tie between the battery and the receiver?

I really enjoy reading this form. Thanks again CARPER

Ed,
your posts continue to be the gems amongst the aerobird group. I have sent links of yourt posts to several of my friends. I have a new pilot I am going to be training on an ABC and his homework while waiting for his plane is the pile of threads I ahve forwarded to him with your name in them. For all of us who have...and will in the future, benefitted from your advice and others like yourself....we salute you.

RC Sumo,

Thanks for your kind words. I am always happy to hear that some of my posts have helped a few pilots. I keep expanding them and updating them as time permits. I really enjoy helping new pilots get their start and I think the Aerobirds are a great place to start.

================

Here is a new thought -

If you or any of your friends have aerobirds, aerobird challengers, aerobird xtremes, or any of the parkzone planes don't throw anything away. I believe the radios are interchangable. Never throw one out if it is bad. Keep it for parts.

The throttle slide on mine just went bad after hundreds of flights. I had been flying my plane in the snow. I think I got some water into the radio throttle slide and damaged it.

Well, I had a radio that someone had given me from an aerobird that had been lost (flying in too much wind with too little experience )

I just took the throttle slide from that radio ( which was on channel 3) and put it in my radio (channel 1) - works great.

If you have a group of friends with these planes, or if you are in a club, pool the excess/leftover radios, broken planes, whatever, and use them for a group spare parts pool. I have become that pool for our club and have helped a number of other flyers out.

===================

These planes are just too much fun to let them be grounded.

I have an original Aerobird (still flyable) and an Aerobird Challenger, but I also have 15 other planes ranging from parkflyers to discus launched gliders, to slope gliders, to 2 and 3 Meter sailplanes. In a little over two years, I have made over 900 flights. Last year I even started flying in sailplane contests. ( dead last but finished I am proud to say!) So I have a great selection of planes to fly. It all started with the Aerobird!

So, have I retired my Aerobird? Heck no!!!!!

The Aerobird lives in my car and goes to the field EVERYTIME. Sometimes, when I get out of work early, I head to the field, put two batteries on chargers and start to set up the Aerobird, while still in my suit. (DON'T TRY THAT WITH A GLOW PLANE ) I will put up 3-6 flights. Sometime I catch a thermal and only get two flights, but they can be really long ones.

A couple of months ago I was slope soaring with my 3M sailplane. Well it developed a problem, so I had to put it back in the car. Then I grabbed the Aerobird, flew it out into the slope lift and had a great time slope soaring with it. Like an old friend, he is alway there, ready to come out and play!

If the Aerobird needs fixing, it goes right to the head of he class. Sorry 3M sailplane, the Aerobird needs attention!

I just bought a combat module as I have a couple of new pilots who are close to ready for combat! Gonna teach them a thing or two!

I have the drop module and the night fly module! NONE OF MY OTHER PLANES CAN DO THESE THINGS!

I fly it as a parkflyer, I fly it as a thermal glider and I have flown it as a slope glider. I do a lot of training of new flyers on Aerobirds.


My Aerobird, I just love it!

I will post pics once I get them. But I have modded my drop module to carry a load of baking soda. Baking soda is an awesome fire extinguisher. Which is exactly what I have simulated with my ABC. I put a small candle on the dirt runway, it's safely away from anything nearby that is flammable, and am almost ready to test my skills @ aerial fire fighting. I repainted my wings to match California Department of Forestry plane markings and hope to be putting out small flames and maybe a cigarette or two (to the dismay of their unsuspecting smokers.....silent bombing is the best!) in the near future!!

I feel the same way about my aerobird Aejr. I am ready to move on to 4ch planes now and thought about giving my ABC to someone in need of a new plane. Alas I became too reluctant to abandon the sweet bird and decided it will stay with me for as long as I have desire to fly.

This will sound silly, but one of the things I REALLY like about it is that the plane goes back into the box intact. That is why I can keep it in the car. I still have the original box. I have fixed and reinforced the box and the foam shell. If it were not for that the plane would not get flown as often as it does.

Just another thing I like about it. Comes with its own portable hanger!!

My aerobird just encontered a big problem. Stupid me[:@][:@][:@][:@] [:'(] shorted out the whole @#$ curcuit board!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:'(][:'(][:'(][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:@][:'(][:'(][:'(][:'(][:'(][:'(][:@]

ANYWAY. not such a big deal, becase i just ordered the jr 6102, and the eagle 400!

aerjar, please se my post "i;m in a pickle please help!"

JR 6102 is a great radio. You should do well with it.

Good luck with your new plane.

If you want me to look at the thread, post a link.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/I%27...2892670/tm.htm

aeajr.........here is the link!

Hey all - I finally soloed and have had over 15 flights. Last week I took some vacation and went down to see a friend of mine in Hot Springs, AR and they have a great asphalt run way at their flying field. Yes I did take my Aerobird Challenger with me. My friend just started flying R/C gas about 3 months ago but he has mastered take offs and landings very well. After some discussion and observation of the Aerobird I decided to go to the high rate mode on the radio. The low rate is sluggish with not enough response. The high rate I fell gave me the responses that I needed. You all have been right, the Aerobird is very easy to fly and I did use the wheels to take off and land and they worked great. The glide of the plane is outstanding and enjoyable. So if any of you get down to Hot Springs, Arkansas take your plane with you. While in Hot Springs I did visit a hobby shop called Q13 Hobbies located in their downtown area at 415 Park Ave and the owner is into Giant scale and is an outstanding pilot. He demoed the new AeroFly Pro Deluxe Simulator and it was one of the best simulators that I have seen. If any of you would like to look at the simulator go to www.ohiomodelproducts.com and under locate products locate the AeroFly Pro Deluxe. It is a little pricey but it would be great for the winter months to keep in practice. The hobby shop that I visited also has a great web sit which is www.q13hobbies.com Thanks again for everyone’s help ----CARPER

Myself and a group of friends recently bought the aerobird challenger so that we could use the combat modules. Some of us have never had RC planes before and some flew gas planes but due to the time and expense haven't used them for a year or two. Anyways one friend is nervous about flying the plane "too hard" because he claims that it will be easy to collapse the wing if he gets enough g-forces coming out of a dive. I was wondering if anyone can tell me if they have had a standard new wing collapse during flight (not crashing) and if so what would you recommend to prevent this? Thank you.

bnb3...quickest..easiest thing to do for your birds:
tape a plastic ruler across the top of the middle of the wing and then tape ,lengthwise, the underside of the wing with packing tape. the kind that is clear with the strings running through it. That should be sufficient for most of your flights...... now if you guys load your planes down a bunch and pull up out of a full speed 100ft dive.....i can't gurantee all that will hold. but it could be pretty cool to find out. If you guys are just starting out....I don't really see you stressing the plane too much.....
Congratulations and good luck!
Have Fun!!!!!!

-RC Sumo

I fly the plane a lot but am not big into multiple high speed loops and big dives so I have not had the problem of wings collapsing unless they have been previously damaged.

Normally the wings hold up just fine, but if you get the right combination of forces and a small crease, you could get a fold.

Here is an approach on reinforcement if you are concerned.

Stop at the hobby store and pick up a piece of 1/32 plywood. 24 inches long is fine. 30 inches would be better.

Now cut a 1" wide strip the full length. Should be enough there for a strip for each of you.

Now take a piece of 2" wide clear packing tape that is at least 2" longer than the piece of wood.

Have a friend help you as you must get the tape smooth or it will reduce the ablity of the wing to generate lift. You put the wood along the top of the wing. Find a spot where the wood can be most easily flexed to match the shape of the wing.

Now apply the tape on top of the wood and smooth the tape forward and behind it so that it is smooth. No wrinkles. Then work it out to the left and right so that the wood is taped onto the wing and the wood is flexed to the shape of the top of the wing. This will give the wing a little extra support while still being able to flex with it. The wing should flex, so don't worry aobut that.

The further out you get from the center, the less the stress on the wing. The place it is most likely to fold is right under the rubberbands. This helps spread out that stress. Also works well if you crease the wing. I have one wing like this right now. I can't tell it is there.

You could also try applying this on the bottom of the wing if you can get it to lay smoothly so that it does not interfere with the seating of the wing on the plane.