How cold is too cold?
 

So I got my H9 p-51 pts all put together, all the trims set, and I`ve been through it a bunch of times looking for any thing I missed, and can`t find anything. I also spent about 3 hours on the LHS real flight 3.5 sim....apparently I haven`t forgotten much, I was flying most warbirds on there with no trouble, the only time I made kindling was when trying stupid stunts like dragging the tail rudder on the ground inverted, and knife edge flying, or just not knowing where the ground is in a low altitude loop.
Any ways I believe I`m redy to get her in the air but I`m wondering just how cold is too cold for the model? lately our temps have been around -10c, I personally deal fairly well with cold up to -20c, but I think that is too cold to fly. I drove by our small airport today and the runway looks like it should work for my runway. we maybe get 1 or 2 planes a year that use that runway, but I`ll still contact someone about flying there....if there is anyone around..lol

RE: How cold is too cold?
 

We have a fun fly scheduled for New Years Day, as far as I know there are no temprature limits on the models themselfs only on the pilots. (If it is really, really cold you may want to consider running a hotter glow plug)

RE: How cold is too cold?
 

Your biggest concern should be battery life. The engine may be hard to start at those temperatures, but it will run fine if you can get it started. Putting a few drops of fuel down the glow plug hole and then turning the propeller over by hand a few times will help lubricate the piston a bit and help it turn over a little easier than just cold cranking it.

Your transmitter and receiver batteries will be much less efficient than normal in that kind of temperature range, however. You would be doing your self a favor to recharge your Rx pack after every 15 minutes or so in the air.

The mylar covering, regardless of brand, will also likely be more brittle at these temperatures. A botched landing or otherwise minor incident with the plane could result in a major recovering project.

Good luck, and good flying!

RE: How cold is too cold?
 

I find that a pair of motorcycle/ski goggles are a big help. (a $7.00 hardware store bought safety goggle) will work in a pinch. Cold air blowing into the eyeballs can create some serious tears which will reduce vision by quite a bit.[X(]

RE: How cold is too cold?
 

I agree with everything bigedmustafa mentioned.

This would be the only time i would compare a model airplane engine to an automobile engine, if you can get the
darn thing started in that cold weather, once its started it will run fine.
In fact engines will run better in extreme cold than in extreme heat.
If the last time you ran the engine, was in warm weather, it might need a little tuning adjustment.

RE: How cold is too cold?
 

How cold is too cold? When it stops being fun. If you're not having fun, you are missing the whole point of flying.

Glow engines are a lot easier to start in the cold if you prime them with a little bit of lighter fluid. Before learning that trick, I nearly resorted to buying an electric starter.

RE: How cold is too cold?
 

This is when the voltwatch comes in handy. You can keep a good watch on the battery voltage before and after each flight. If you land, and it begins to get down to the yellow when operating servo's, it's time to recharge.

Other than that.. my fingers tend to get a tad numb in temps below 40 degrees F. Gloves work ok, but they have to be thin layer gloves so I can 'feel' the sticks. And, standing behind the model when tuning the engine can be a real pain... There's when the wind chill factor comes in... brrrrrrr

CGr.

RE: How cold is too cold?
 

How cold is too cold? When the exhaust from the engine comes out as ice cubes instead of smoke.

RE: How cold is too cold?
 

The colder it gets , the more I fly . My engines always start , my repairs are super fast and I have more planes to fly .
Man , Sims are great !

RE: How cold is too cold?
 

Yeah, Moondoggie.. just hit the space bar and off you go, eh? ;):D

RE: How cold is too cold?
 

Yup . Did I forget to mention ,? it`s the only time I have a few barley pops while flying. lol

RE: How cold is too cold?
 

No, as a matter of fact, you didn't mention that. But, sounds like a great idea to me!!! :D Sir Barleycorn really hits the spot on those cold snowy afternoons.. ;)

CGr

RE: How cold is too cold?
 

When im shivering, it's too cold to keep controll, or my thumbs are freezing solid. One other tough thing is unexpected landing far away, walking through kneee deep snow can be tough.......have thought of getting snow shoes .[8D]

RE: How cold is too cold?
 

Any temperature below 60 degrees F....;)

RE: How cold is too cold?
 

Ah you Texans are like the Floridians.. need that warm weather.. :D

RE: How cold is too cold?
 

I did live in the mountains when I was younger, and believe it or not cold is relative. I think the key to flying in cold weather is to dress very warmly. Dress warmer than you think you actually need to. When you are out for hours at a time, the heat does seem to bleed away from you. Keeping your core warm is important. If your body core starts to get cold, your body will reduce the blood flow to your hands and fingers. The body is just trying to conserve the heat that is in it. But the effect is that your hands will become numb and you will have difficulty feeling the sticks. Cover your head. Much of your body heat is lost out the top of your head. Dress like you will be living outside for days. That way the blood flow to your hands will be good.

I did see on one website a pair of mittens that had thumbs that flipped on and off, fingers too, but the thumbs got my attention. Also, comapnies make chemical heating patches. They are small plastic envelops that warm up when a seal is broken and the two chemicals inside are allowd to mix and react. These typically work for a couple of hours and are small enough to fit in your shoes or your gloves.

If you can feel the sticks, you can fly. But its really bad when you can't feel the sticks. You might as well be flying with your elbows.

RE: How cold is too cold?
 

[quote] I did live in the mountains when I was younger !


That makes a big difference , now that I`m older , throw in a little arthritis and the cold tears me up.

RE: How cold is too cold?
 

Just remember you are going to have to stand still and concentrate so you're going to feel the cold fast! You can't wear gloves so also keep in mind that it helps if you can feel your fingers when you try to land! LOL You can always build one of these!!

Boots' Cold Weather Transmitter box

Boots made this cool (I mean warm) looking wind guard for his transmitter. During these cold windy months, this box keeps his hands warm. The foam insulation actually will keep the wind out and some heat from your hands in. It has a clear, hard plastic window on top which is tape hinged on for easy access to the transmitter when starting the airplane. Several members of the club have tried it and liked it! Cool...I mean Warm Idea Boots!!

RE: How cold is too cold?
 

Ok,THAT now rates as the craziest thing I ever seen!

RE: How cold is too cold?
 

Naw the craziest is a knit muffler that's big enough for the transmitter in the middle with sweater sleeves on the ends. Looks really strange but keeps your hands really warm while your bare hands (or thin cotton gloves) are on the transmitter.
John

RE: How cold is too cold?
 

Similar to one of these?
http://jtmodels.com/mitts.htm

RE: How cold is too cold?
 

would those hand warmers that are air activated (2 for a buck at walmart) work to keep the rx battery warm all day?[8D]

RE: How cold is too cold?
 

Wow!, something like either of those would probably work awesome!! and something like that never even came to mind.
Thanks for the great ideas!:D

RE: How cold is too cold?
 

That's similar and looks like it would work fine. The one I was talking about was homemade and knitted from yarn! :D
John

RE: How cold is too cold?
 

I would bet good money that they would. They don't get real hot, and the last ones I used were still warm at at 4 hours. Way to go..!

quote]ORIGINAL: OzMo

would those hand warmers that are air activated (2 for a buck at walmart) work to keep the rx battery warm all day?[8D]
[/quote]
(my first quote...)