Tom,

You're exactly right about the road comissions etc. Down here very few people own a set of tire chains (mostly hunters.) When I was up there, I would imagine, few people need them because the roads I saw were clearred of snow & ice. My imagination though is based on a 2 week stay, in town, working mostly, and eating out. Hardly a vacation and having time to be getting to know the country.

What impressed me most, about vehicles, when I was there, was the number of people who drove 4 wheel drive pick-ups with snow plows on the front.

I can understand why a 2 inch snow is normal for a day. The 'Lake Effect' snow caused by the moisture freeezing is a big reason for that.

elad

Bill,

Here in north LA the ground might freeze a few times per yr. Then only 1/2 inch to 1 inch deep.

Now, I remember the "48" HP was rated at (realatively) low rpm compared to other engines. I wonder if they do that with tuned exhaust.

Yep 25K is a screaming speed. It's amazing to me how the engines stay together.

elad

Elad, they do a good job of keeping the roads cleared up here. My problem is that sometimes I leave for work before they are out. On another note. Are you going flying this weekend? The snow has turned to rain, here, but the forcast for the weekend doesn't look good. More time to build, I guess.

Tom,

I went to the airport and just got back home. I forgot to confirm with Ron that I would make it and I was the only one who showed up. The weather was beautiful today, just a very slight breeze, sunny and shirt sleeve temperature.

I just sat there with the rubber-bandless wing sitting on top of the fuse, going through the motions with the radio and trying out the dual rates. I tried to get the flap feature to work, but nothing I tried caused the ailerons to work as flaps. Maybe there's something else that has to be done (wired) internally to the plane or the radio for that function to work.

Sorry your weather is such a bummer. Maybe you'll get a head start on the building project.

elad

sounds like quality time with your plane .i have done the very same thing myself. just dont give in to the urge to fly alone or without your "wings". there is nothing but disappointment there. sunny skies, warm breeze, sounds good to me
don

Elad, I went Down to Don's tonite. Rain stopped but so dis the daylight. We talked about my current FW190 project and about the Ziroli Stuka that he is going to build for me. So the evening was well spent. We're planning on flying on Sunday if the weather permits. Too bad you didn't connect with your instructor, but it sounds like you spent the time well. Don't forget to charge your batteries for tomorrow's session! Hope all goes well.

Tom, Don,

Sounds like you have a good handle on the building season. Good luck with the projects. They sound like they will be nice planes. Hopefully the wx will get better enough times this Winter to fein off cabin fever.

I didn't forget, after the dry run, to confirm Saturday's (today's) training sesson.

I can't fly alone. I don't have fuel, a glo heater, a starter etc. AND I don't have the urge to try flying alone because I've been rescued enough times to realize I would end up with iddy biddy pieces of a plane, so flying alone doesn't sound like a plan just yet.

Naturallly, I do wish I had my wings already. Oh yes, the batteries should be about ready to burst. They have been on charge for a week, so the short session didn't discharge them much, but I reconnected the charger anyway.

I recently got enough tin to make a barn. I'll have to count up the pieces and figure how big I can make it then get the 2x4s etc. to build it. I'll insulate a room big enough to hide out in for indoor projects and an occasional escape from the fray.

Now that cooler wx is here I'll feel more like gegtting the thing under way.

elad

Elad, sounds like you have your building project! As far as battery charging goes, sounds like you need a trickle charger. That way your batteries will be ready to go without overcharging them. I think ACE has one called "Add a Trickle". You just solder it on to the wires of you Futaba's charger. You charge your batteries and the flip the TX and RX switches to trickle. That keeps 'em up and ready to go. I think they cost around $20.00. Only take a few minutes to do the soldering. By the way, hail and rain, today, 42 degrees.

Tom,

Ron said that the charger automatically goes into trickle mode after it fully charges the batteries. I didn't know those add on trickle chargers were available. That's very good information to have.

Again, today, sunshine, very light breeze and warm, at about 74 degrees.

It's about time to hit the shower and change into flying colors. ha

elad

Elad, Good to here that you already have a decent charger. Just wanted to be sure that you didn't overcharge your batteries. It's also good to know that you have good flying weather. More hail, today. Worked 5 hours, then came home and watched Iowa beat Michigan in football. Wasn't disappointed, tho, I grew up in Iowa and follow Iowa athletics with a passion. Tonite I'll go to the store and pickup some materials to glass my 190. Tomorrow-BUILDING TIME!!

Tom,

I'm always eager to hear a good tip like the add-on trickle charger you told me about. I hope I can remember that if I need it later.

I tried to connect here yesterday evening to let you all know how the day's lesson went, but the site was closed for upgrades or something.

My take-off pattern is no longer looking like a snake trail. There were no other fliers on the field yseterday so we walked out to the center of the runway for my take-offs. That helped me keep the line straighter and I think that if I gradually move further back toward the edge of the strip I can eventually keep it straight.

When I went to fly yesterday I almost knew I'd have to try the landing portion of the training. There's 2 things different about the plane now from what I was accustom to. One is that both ailerons are connected now and the other is that the radio couldn't be set to the low side of the dual rate feature. I had gotten sort of use to controlliong the plane with those differences,,, then...

Sure enough, Ron had me try his usual landing scheme of cutting power and gliding in toward the landing strip. I just couldn't get positioned properly over the strip after cutting power. I tried that several times without success. While doing that Ron had to save my bacon more than just a few times to keep me from crashing.

After remembering what Ron said, when we first started training, about telling him if I wanted to try something different, I thought it would be worth a try to fly around real slow for a while to get the feel of the controls at the slower pace. That's because it was very tough for me to make the transition from controlling the plane at its normal flying speed to controlling it at the idle speed for landing.

Anyway, Ron said it was OK to try that. So, after doing the slow thing for a while and gradually working my way closer to the runway I finally got close enough that he told me to cut power and to land.

I put it down with a pretty good bounce, and I let it go off the side of the runway after rolling on its wheels for a short time, but the plane stayed right side up the whole time and nothing was broken. I think the prop hit the runway, but it was still intact.

It wasn't exactly a professional looking landing but I think it was one that real people could have walked away from if they had been in the plane with their seat belts fastened real tight. I guess I can smile about that.

Ron was elated because I had made the take-off, the flight and the landing without him taking control with the buddy box. He said I was his first student to do all that with just 3 lessons. I was just relieved the plane was on the ground, right side up and still in one piece, but mainly that the landing was over with. ha

I think that Ron was shooting for me to make a landing during that particular training sesson for some reason because we stayed on the field quite a bit later than he usually likes to clean up the planes and go home.

It was getting closer to dark than on any other day we had flown and I wasn't sure I was up to another landing, so I suggested we have a Sprite. We used that drink as a celebration and time to reflect on the day's events. Besides, making another successful landing may have taken until midnight. ha Ron likes to end a training sesson on a good note. I have come to believe that is a very good idea!

The next training session will consist of take-offs and landings. I'm pretty sure he'll get some dead stick landing attempts in there too. I have the feeling I better try cutting the power while way up high and practicing slow speed approcahes and control.

I know I still have a lot to learn before Ron disconnests the buddy cord, but he told me he's not putting me on my own just yet. I let him know that was very reassuring to me.

I'm happy to see I'm making progress and I'm starting to look forward to each training session more than I did the previous one.

elad

sounds like your on your way (there is a song like that?)
don

Elad, CONGRATULATIONS!!! Takeoff and landing after only three lessons. After three lessons for me, I don't think I could see the ground and the airplane at the same time. I was still flying way up high. Sounds like yoy are doing real well. I didn't get to fly today. It was 34 degrees this morning. Don and I decided to let it warm up a bit. Then it rained a little. After that the sun came out--and got windy. It's supposed to be nicer later this week. If we hurry to the field after work one night, we can each get in a couple of flights before it gets too dark. I did get some building done. Glassed the fin on the FW. I used a waterbased product instead of epoxy finishing resin. Seems to be working well. So, I got my building time in.

Don:

Porgy's last song, from "Porgy and Bess;" "I'm on my Way." George Gershwin's Magnum Opus.

Bill.

Dale:

And congrats from me also.

Bill.

Tom, Don, BIll,

Thanks for the congrats.

And Tom, it's funny that just yesdterday I commented to Ron about the difference in my field of vision when he's flying and when I am. So, I have to admit to suffering from the same tunnel vision syndrome.

elad

elad
that tunnel vision is the reason that most fly-ins that you will fly at will ask you to have a spotter or will provide one so you know what the traffic is doing. also flying at different feilds have "different air"- obstacales -runways- etc. it is nice to have a buddy to go with. Tom and I have gone to many and are used to each others flying styles. also I go to other shows with another guy in our club. it is good to travel to other places to see what improvements you can make to your own flying style -safety items for your self and your field. The the friends and comrades you meet in this hobby/sport are like no others I have run into. happy flying
don

Elad, If you haven't already, go to a flyin in your area, as a spectator. You might be amazed at what you'll. You get used to what you see at your field (procedures, flying styles, planes). Things could be quite a bit different at a flyin. Watch how the pilots do things. Look closely at the models. You'll see a whole range of of ways to do things. To me, it's a good way to learn new techniques. Take your camera. Pilots bring their coolest stuff to airshows.

Elad, No wind, blue skies, temp in the 50's. Don and I each got two flights in. Flew so long the second time, I ran my Sportster out of fuel in the air and had to deadstick it down. We both had a good time.

Grrr, how do you unsubscribe from some threads and subscribe to others!? I check my email for new replies etc and only get the same old threads that I didnt start. I confused. Anyway, I'm back again to this thread. I lost it and realized it was in kit building when I was looking for tips on building surfaces.

ANYWAY, sounds like you are on your way to becoming an expert pilot soon Elad. Good.
I think I am going flying tomorrow after work for an hour while there is still good light to be had. Supposed to be blue skies and 65 yay. We hit freezing a couple times already and it feels like we went right from summer to winter for a bit there. Living where you do elad, sounds like you will have many many months of flying ahead of you...if not non stop. You suck. hehe.
I am actually starting on the kit tonight a bit for a couple hours. I am not liking how I have my build setup though. I built an table (used to be a workbench but I put so much into it I call it a table now, and it kinda looks like one heh) But the problem is it is in a wierd spot in my house. Too cold upstairs and in the basement to build comfortably, and running an electric heater is too costly just to build a model. Upstairs is fine for sleeping but downstairs is where it's nice. Old house. So I put the workbench in my living room lol.

Anyway, hope everything goes good for you and your flying. Hopefully tomorrow will be uneventfull for me.

EDIT: Hey check out this thread. Don't know if you guys saw this crash video of that yellow jet. It was a short one. Someone got ahold of the video and extended it and added some nice features. It's the greatest crash video yet 22 mb though fyi. http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/Kang...1177073/tm.htm

S

Hey guys check out my new thread if ya will..thanks

(hopefully when I run into trouble this place will help out hehe)

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/Char...1185367/tm.htm

Tm & Don,

I'm glad you finally got to fly again. I've heard some pilots say they'd rather build than fly. Not me, not you. Well, I'm guessing not me. Maybe I'll try building a kit after I learn to fly.

In my town we have a festival every year called the Lumberjack Festival. Lots of organizations put on fun things for the community to do. The flying club had planned to sponsor a fly in, but canceled it because the membership has dwindled. I planned to help the club, but it turned out its my weekend to work. There's a few clubs within a 60 mile drive from me, so I'll probably get to attend a fly in nearby. It sounds like a lot of fun.

I had a digital camera that broke, so I'll have to get more serious about shopping for another one. I probably should get something bigger & better. The other one would take about 15 shots. There's so many options available it seems like too many choices. I guess that's supposed to be a good thing.

elad

Sincraft,

Un-subscribe? I don't recommend trying that. Every time I ever tried to un-subscribe from something I got 2 to 3 times more of what I already didn't want. ha Well, maybe this is different. When I get e-mail notification that there's a new message there's a place down at the bottom of the notice where you can click on it to do that.

Ooohhh, so you think my almost close to semi-tropical climate sux huh? Well, I just looked outside tonight and the Moon is very bright. You could count the blades of grass at 10 paces. I'll bet that out at the airport you could see the plane at a couple of hundred yards. So, not only can we fly here nearly year round we could fly under a bright Moon too. ha!

Good luck on the new project. Sounds like you're getting a good start on the kit. In the living room, hhuuummm. Have you ever heard of a guy nammed Jeff Foxworthy? ha I do nearly all my hobbies in my living room. I drove my wife NUTS while learning morse code on the Ham radio. I broke her eardrums and she broke dishes (over my head.) If you're lucky your wife will only break your head instead of the new plane.

If you knew what you were doing we'd still need you around to tell us what we're doing.

elad

Sincraft, Years ago, when I got into this hobby, I lived in a mobile home with my wife and three young daughters. I udes the kitchen tablr for my bench. Did that for five or six years. I even built three giant scale airplane in that kitchen. We had to eat in the livingroom, which also contained five or so finished models. Airplanes everywhere! I have a GREAT wife!!! Now that we live in a house, and the kids are gone, she put her foot down. NO AIRPLANES in the house. Works fine now. She let me outfit the garage with a furnace, TV and stereo. Works for me. Enjoy yor building experience.

Elad, We had the same big moon last night. Don and I commented on it while we were flying. When the sun started setting, the temp dropped, so we didn't hang around to enjoy the moon. Sincraft"s workbench looks nice. Hope he's single or has an understanding mate.