Well, at the risk of having everyone and their brother laugh at this question, I still have to ask. But before I do ask, an explanation where it's coming from. We go camping at a dry lake bed. Take the motorcycles and planes. One night, there was a very bright full moon. I mean you could see clear across the lake bed, and that was about 1 1/2 miles. So we started thinking if we put some kind of bright LED or even taped on two mini mag lites to the wing tips and maybe one under the fuselage, depending on the weight and CG, could we fly at night? Has anyone ever tried this? I by no means want to do ANYTHING UNSAFE. If we tried it, we would be away from our campsite and anyone else for that matter. And we would fly a slow flying trainer. If anyone thinks this is a really bad idea, please let me know. You wont hurt my feelings. Of course, I know that some of you are still laughing and maybe some of you think this is no laughing matter. But, my curiousity is killing me. So I just had to ask.

Just to prove to you that no one is laughing:

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That is so cool. I saw the add in the back of Model Airplane News for the LED's, but thought it was for scale airplanes or something like that. It looks like you are not using any "landing lights", just the LED's. Is that correct? Did you shine lights on your runway? Were there any problems that you had to overcome? I could ask a bunch more questions, but don't wont to bother you too much. I just think that is, well, just awsome! Great looking plane too. Is that scratch built? Too many questions. Sorry.

Sorry, didn't see your second reply. We "crossed in the mail"

A friend of mine actually took night flying to a new level a few years ago with a heli. I wouldn't recommend the fireworks with a balsa model though poof! [link=http://www.mikescolesheli.com]Mike Scoles Heli[/link]

Thats awsome too. Guess I am going to have to try it, next full moon!

Slow doen just a little mesaflyer. Because you posted this in the beginners forum I worry that you are a just minted flyer, Nothing wrong with that but there is a lot to do.

A critical point here is what type of airplanes are you flying. Slow park flyers, small True 3D airplanes piloted by an experianced pilots and helicopters anything that can be kept in a tiny area may get away with no lights at all however any glow say a forty trainer (which by the way makes and ideal first night flyer) flown with no lights moonlight or not will be wasted on the first flight.

For a glow trainer a lighting system is imperitive. The lights I use are 1157 tailight bulbs. With a 3000 Nimh seven cell battery for about thirty minutes of very bright lights. Led's are limited directionally and are a bigger challange to do right. Many folks will use taped on chemical sticks, But these are rather dim and I,ve seen many get into trouble with them at night flys over the years.

I would highly reccomend you get together with an experianced night flyer before you go running off to the dry lake there are many pitfalls. It not hard to do but not done right you will loose an airplane. Night flight is an extremly euphoric experiance, get together with someone with experiance.

The yellow airplane is a kit bashed Sig Kaydet Senior. The dirty black trainer on floats is a 15 year old Midwest Aerostar That on has just over forty night flights on it both on water and land.

I posted in the beginners because I wasn't sure were to post. But you are right, I am about to open my fourth gallon of fuel, so I am a little new to the hobby. Flew when I was a kid for about 5 seconds and re-kitted the plane that took me all summer to build. Dad said no more. I am now 47 and my son and I wanted to get into planes. So I taught myself how to fly with a Nexstar (had two hard landings into a pretty stiff wind with minimal damage), graduated from that to a H-9 Pulse XT. Can fly the Pulse pretty good, as long as I stay a few mistakes high. Have been teaching my son (he's 11) with a buddy box. Been working out pretty good, I think he will solo in just a few more flights. I want to put the lights on the Nexstar. But I am going to wait until my son has a plane of his own. I for sure need more experience before I try night flying. Probably wont even try before next year. Maybe look for someone to help me then.

Was just kidding about the next full moon. You know, that is supposed to be when all the CRAZIES come out. Of course, here in SoCal, some people don't wait for the moon!

Thanks for the advice. I will definately take it to heart.

Does landing that float plane at night on the water make your heart skip a beat?

one of our club members does night flying with a smaller elec plane he runs small tube lights,that look a little like large fiber optic cable at the leading edges and down the fuse not sure what the brand is, but he is one of the best pilots in our club and says its pretty hard to do.
the photos look pretty cool there J.B.

I think the lights mentioned above are called Fly Lights or something like that and are made by Great Planes. They sell for around $13 and an additional light "cable" is approximitly $8. they can be plugged into a reciever for power and can run 1-4 lights if you make adapters, otherwise they just run 2 lights. they can also be switched from solid/continous light to flashing. the unit is very small and comes with doublesided tape for mounting. It is on the Electrifly website. Hope that helps!

i think the most important thing about night flying is to try to have a good line for the cops when they get there my favorate in a large field were they have to walk out to you is for me or the spotter who ever is not in the air to run by him screaming about the crazy (space lights) but be prepared for a confrontation. good luck

[color=#FF0099]Hello Gentlemen,
At our night flys, we strap on all sorts of stuff. Red and green glow sticks work great for port and starboard lights. 1 on top and one underneath each wing, and a yellow glow stick mounted vertically on the stab. David mounted tiny flashlights on the landing gear pointing down for landing lights on the runway. It's actually pretty neat once you get used to flying by the light of just your port and starboards. I found a picture from our first nightfly (you can see the glow sticks on top of the wing). I think the others are on my thread (and in my other computer)
Bev

I have an Aerobird that is rigged with 4 LEDs. On a moonless night, at 100 feet you can only see the glow of the lights. It is like flying a ghost. Very cool but very tricky.

mesaflyer check out www.heliproz.com and do a search for glow wire (I think that is what its called) or do a search on google their is a number of new and old products just for night flying. BTW if you realy want to get into this check out some of the foam airplanes that are for night flying VERY COOL STUFF I'm planing on doing it for next years fun fly.
One last thing Align makes the glow wire for helis but I think they would work for airplanes.

"The glowire for my setup was a failure and is pretty much useles beyond a hundred feet or so its simply too wimpy and becomes invisable when used internally at anything over about a hundred feet. It would probably be fine for parkies keep close in and taped externally to the airplane in outline or such"



Hoss you failed to quote my comments on glowire two paragraphs down from which you quoted which I self will quote here. Used in the way I choose to do glowire is a failure and I do not recomend it. For larger airplanes and when positioned internally to glow through a matching color clear covering.

On the Quad Kaydet though and it has had the glowire since first modified five years ago there however has not been any kind of interferance with the 72mhz system. Just completed a couple more flights last nite with it.

My Next nite flyer will maiden in december is the Six Pack telly with six twentyfives and the internal lites which are not really neccessary when using my incandescient set up, will have LED strings intenal just because I like the effect. In fact am waiting on UPS now for those as I can,t finish wrapping it up untill they are installed.

Here are some shots from last nite of the Quad and the young fellows little UpRoar that I have been mentoring. Good vidio of both airplanes in flight are posted at a site called RC hangout however RCU will not allow direct links to that site.


John

just got back from flying here at night, although mine is only an electric powered sail plane with some walmart led glow sticks (can find them in the auto section for accents on a car and i just modded them for the plane) and i had no trouble, the sailplane is just so gentle and slow that the lights were easy to keep up with, i dont think i am ready for ic engine powered night flight yet but i can see it is not far away after several successful flights tonight! btw i used 2 different colors on the wings so i know that red is on the right for me and i dont get disoriented!

[color=#FF0099]fozjared,
If it's any help.....think of left and red by "port wine" (red wine). That will get your red lights on the port side, and green on your starboard. Or......left and port have less letters than right and starboard. In full size aircraft and boats, you've got to have the port and starboard lights correct. better to switch now before you get too used to the lights as you have them (or you will confuse your other pilots and yourself eventually)
Other than that, isn't it fun to night fly???!!! I love it. Can't wait till we organize another one!
Bev

If it helps anyone I remember which side has a red light and which side has a green light by saying red and right both start with R so they are on opposite sides.

Mesaflyer,
The Imperial Valley Radio Control Association awards Bat Wings when you complete your first night flight.
Member Jim P built a plane with tranparent covering with a lot of peanut lights in it . It was awesome to watch.
He did this before the proliferation of LEDs which may be a better way to go.
You might get ahold of Archie at El Centro Hobby, he is a good builder and he and Jim P are good friends.
Good Luck,
KW_Counter

Night flying can be a lot of fun. My club hosts an annual night fly and we have a ball. Lots of good "Pot-Luck" food, and lots of spectators plus pilots. One visitor puts on a lighted helicopter show that is just absolutely awesome!

Now, I tried the "Glowire" last year with two different radios and set-ups, one being a 72 MHZ JR radio in an OLD RCM 60 trainer with ST .60. During daylight testing, once the model passed about 200 ft. away, it became almost uncontrollable. In several attempts, I was lucky to regain the model into the landing area. I then used my old ST 40 powered Tower Trainer, proven over 4 years of starting beginners and some to solo, with an Airtronics radio. The AT handled the glowire a bit better but not good enough even though I did do one flight after dark. Scary and DUMB!

Well last Spring I had checked out the Spectrum 2.4 GHz in my old RCM 60. I glo-wired it up this year with the Spectrum and it was ROCK-SOLID.

Using clear tape, (RCM is fabric covered and clear-doped) I taped glowire (using 2 systems) around the wing leading and trailing edges of the wing and both horizontal and vertical stab, plus top and bottom of the fuse. The aircraft's outline was visable for as far as I cared to fly. Using some glow-sticks and a $-store small flashlight taped to the landing gear, it was fully visable in all attitudes. I only tried loops, rolls, immelmans, and split-s maneuvers along with the regular traffic pattern flying but it was real fun.

We had several guys with the mini-light systems installed internally that were fantastic. One large profile doing hovers and such, one GIANT size Lazy-Bee with a full internal 2-color system that could be switched on and off, all contributing to a very much fun-filled evening.

Yes there was laughing -- but not AT, just WITH as we all not only enjoyed things but just seeing the different creations brought the modeling aspect back into the sport, that sometimes seems to slip away in the normal daily chores.

Edited to add: A person once told me, "The ship LEFT the PORT." Even I can remember that!!

I was wondering if anyone knew of a good, inexpensive, and fairly small four channel electric that would be good to use for night flying. Thanks![sm=teeth_smile.gif]

Here is a link to sunday nite's flights with the Quad and the Uproar. Both use the three point color coded incandesscients. Colors are easy to tell apart in person but a little more difficult on the vidio.

The white tail light being extended to the rear provides visual with the ground when within three feet or so and this shows on the vidio.

John

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...06118616836462