This morning my Explorer 40 made its maiden flight. Very exciting stuff. Quite a blustery wind, but it died down for a couple of hours giving time for the flight. The SC 46 engine started perfectly, only requiring a minor adjustment of the needle valve. Another range check of the radio (Futaba 2.4 Ghz) excellent, far exceeding the guidelines in the manual. Check of the controls again to ensure that they all move freely and in the correct direction. No problems, the plane was flown by my instructor, and only need a slight downwards adjustment on the elevator as it had a tendency to climb. Half power was plenty for the flight. Pure magic. During the second flight the wind started to come back in strong gusts, so time for home. However hopefully one evening during the week, we may get another flight with the training link set up so I can have a good safe fly. Only problems to fix at home, a rudder hinge has come loose and so has one of the 4 elevator hinges. Pretty minor stuff probably caused because I didn't glue them correctly in the first place! I also discovered that taking photos of planes in the air is NOT an easy task, I now have a much greater respect for a great aerial photo.

You're hooked now! It's a blast, isn't it?

Nice plane, and a nice flying site! Wish I could go to New Zealand!