Shwagulous

Fellow sport fliers.....

For those of us in the norther hemisphere, who just can't seem to stay away from the sticks until spring, what are you guys doing to combat the cold on your hands? I live in Utah USA, and we've had some really cold weather, but I just can't not fly. So I braved the elements today to get the ol' PT-19 in the air. The temp was about 25 degrees, and the plane flew great, but I could only stand about 20 minutes of flying before I couldn't feel my thumbs on the sticks. [sarcasm] luckily I'm one of the world's top 5 pilots, so I fly on pure guts [/sarcasm] But in all seriousness, what are you guys doing about the cold? Gloves? Pocket had warmer? Not flying at all (c'mon, that's just crazy)?

What's the best thing you've used to keep your hands from turning into blocks of ice?

- Paul

BWooster

Try:

www.greathobbies.com

search "hand warmer"

Good luck.

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

Have little holes in the thumbs of your mits. The sticks stick through the holes.

Some people have had the transmitter in a insulted bag and you stick your bare hands in there with the transmitter.

britbrat

I use winter golf gloves. They have grippy palms & fingers, are touch sensitive and reasonably warm. At 15 F I can comfortably get a ten min flight, & I can tolerate a couple of 10-min flights in succession before I need to warm up.

sdcranford

My Feedback: (4)

There are a few guys at my club that get a big cardboard box (that a washer and dryer or fridge come in)
cut it down to be as tall as they are when sitting. Get an electric heater (we have electric at our field) and
sit in the box in a chair, and have the electric heater going. I've never tried it but they say it keeps them
and their hands warm. I am not one who has ever tried to sit and fly at the same time so I will stick to thin
gloves and dressed warm.

vt325xi

I have tried using some mittons with the thumb having a slit cut in them for the sticks. What's weird is that after a while my thumbs still get cold and the stick feels like needles cutting into the pad of my thumbs. I've tried flying with gloves on but you need to have the feel of the stick for feedback on flying. I've flown down to about 15-20 degrees F. Now who has a good idea on how to get the blasted engines to start at that temperature? I've tried increasing the glow plugs current all the way into the red but I'm sure that's killing the plugs life expectancy.

iron eagel

Re: starting...
I did read something about using lighter fluid as a primer awhile back, as a method of starting glow engines in the cold. I have no idea weather this would work or not, or if it may damage the engine. But I recall using ether to start a car in the cold years ago.
As far as flying, I usualy look at the winter as time to build new planes for the next year....
Never enjoyed standing out in the cold all that much....
Not to mention batteries tend to drop off fast in low temps...

bigedmustafa

My Feedback: (2)

Here in Nebraska, I'm using a combination of G3 Simulator and indoor flying at an indoor soccer complex to keep from going insane. I'm hoping we'll get a nice run of 40 degree days without too much wind, but winter started out very cold this year. The indoor flying requires a lot of concentration and I'm told it will make me a much better pilot. Here's to hoping!

rc-sport

My Feedback: (12)

I went to Ace Hardware looking for a lightweight yet warm glove and came up with this combo. I bought a pair of wool gloves that have open finger tips, I also grab a pair of light weight cotton knit gloves. I put on the cotton gloves first and then the wool gloves over them. The wool keeps my hands warm and the light cotton lets me get a good feel of the sticks. I'll be at the field tomorrow, high temp 26 degrees.

iron eagel

rc-sport thanks for the tip about the gloves...
Perhaps I may get some flying in this winter after all.
26 as a high not that bad considering what it been like as of late.
Close to beach weather out there for you guy isn't it?

exeter_acres

My Feedback: (2)

lighter fluid works....and works well....

as for the hands... I use really thin polypro glove liners... but realistically....flight times are shorter.... summer time flights can be 12 to 15 minutes....
Winter? about 5 before my thumbs have had it... land... warm the hands.....fly some more....

of course I fly at a club with a clubhouse and a fireplace....so that helps!

Test005

Yesterday I went to the field and broke in my new OS 70 engine.
I can tell you that -11 celcius is pretty serious when you keep your fingers behind the revving prop to adjust the needles.
-11celcius + a wind chill factor of the wind behind a 10.000rpm revving prop [:@][:@][:@]

Campy

My Feedback: (1)

For keeping the hands warm, check out your hunting supply store for battery operated gloves. Hunters use them a lot in the winter and they SEEM to have a fair amount of tactile sensation.

As far as starting the engine:

If you have electric at the field, use your heat gun (or a hair dryer ). Play it in the engine for about 5 - 10 minutes, then start the engine.

For those without electric at the field:

Open the hood of your vehicle and CAREFULLY place the model on top of the engine. (You do not want the model to be moving around in there. ) Start the car engine and then use an old blanket and drape it over the hood and down on the fenders (all you want to do is trap some heat in there ). Go back in the vehicle and wait about 10 - 15 minutes for the car engine to warm up the glow engine.

In both cases, make sure the engine is primed (I suggest a bulb type for priming ) and use an electric starter. I also suggest using a power panel for the glow plug rather than a clip on type glow ignitor. I suggest setting the power panel to the maximum end OF THE GREEN. Do not go into the red as you will shorten the life of the plug and can easily blow the plug.

If it is extremely cold and/or the engine is stubborn use lighter fluid for a primer. (Be VERY CAREFUL with this as it will ignite easily and burns with an almost invisible flame )

britbrat

Exposing the engine to the exhaust from your car is also quite effective as a pre-warming method.

jlingrel

I can remember the Germans back in the late 60s and early 70s at the Trier flying field wrapping the head and cylinder with a small rag, soaking it with fuel and igniting it. Somehow, no one ever caught a plane on fire. But it did work, I even did it a couple of times myself. However, old age has taught me that cold weather means building, not flying.

John

krazycdn

what you need is a cover to keep the wind off your hands. It is not the cold but the wind that numbs your fingers Futaba used to sell a cold climate cover for controllers to keep the hands out of the wind it was flannell with a clear plastic window so you could still see the controller sticks.