Dirty Chatter

...so I tried to blow it away

So the saga of the Phoenix's servos continues. After having ripped off the original servos, I replaced them with a pair of HXT 900's and did a test, with exactly the same result! I was convinced that it was the servos failing, especially after having read a thread topic where someone's plane had crashed after he had failed to replace chattering servos and had lost control... Swapping the aileron leads with the flaps showed the root cause - the oscillating flaps revealed the issue was the signal, not the hardware.

Gazing at the my DX5e transmitter I wondered where to start; if I dismantled it would that be the end of it anyway? A thought crossed my mind and I moved the elevator stick across its maximum travel while blowing at the at the gimble a few times. Trying the controls again it was as smooth as anything with no trace of jitters!

All I need to do now is reconstruct the Phoenix from its needless state of disarray...

The Walrus has Landed

...and dental surgery for the Phoenix

Having had to fight for parking at the local shops, I returned to the car victorious carrying a long parcel containing a Walrus, a spare propeller and a diminutive RD32 video camera. Additionally, although entirely unrelated, a loaf of crusty bread to be enjoyed with a glass of wine and some lovely lamb stew that evening.

Unpacking the box reveals the portliness of the Walrus is not overstated - I'm actually unsure how people with small hands launch it? The quality of the parts looks very good and having the decals applied gives the kit a nice finished look. I recall the Phoenix assembly being described as taking fifteen minutes - I think it took me longer than that just to apply the decals... 

On the subject of the Phoenix, I was wondering how the removal of the aileron servos would be accomplished. I first tried levering them out with a blade without success, soon restoring to my shift-grips (I have no idea what they are actually called...). I found that holding the servos at one end, they could be twisted out in a matter of seconds with no apparent damage to the wing cavity. A technique I think remarkably analogous to dental extraction, except quicker, cleaner and without the pain...

As regards the video camera I am yet to discover how it works, although I have installed the flash card and put it on charge. I have also fiddled with the control buttons but have no idea what they do. I will download the installation manual now and figure out how to drive it.

So, with a little luck, tomorrow I'll have the Phoenix airworthy and a charged camera ready to fly? Maybe...

Walrus is in the Mail

...some consolation

I've just checked the parcel tracking and my package with Walrus and RD32 wing camera are on board for delivery! Definitely leaving the place of employment early today to get to the post office in time.

I am actually most interested in trying out the camera, which I'd like mounted to the Phoenix for a start, as I think its bigger wings will be less affected by the addition of the camera. Having said that, the camera is very compact, and compared to some FPV installations I've seen will have a virtually negligible impact. I am really keen to see the quality of the video - it is supposedly HD, which is a little excessive for my requirements.

So hopefully I can replace the Phoenix's aileron servos tonight without incident (just not sure how difficult this will be as they're glued in place) and get the camera up and running. Very exciting. By the way, if you have one of these cameras and don't know how to set up the options (date, time, resolution etc), then take a look at this video.

Of course, there will also be construction of the Walrus - it's not it kit form but still requires a while to put it together - and of course I'd rather take a bit of time to get it right. That is unless I can't get the Phoenix going, in which case construction will suddenly become a priority...

I Don't Like Chatter

...a disappointing morning

Following yesterdays morning rain, the day cleared to clear blue skies. Consequently this morning was very cold, with frosty grass and hints of mist about the fields. The air was still and I was looking forward to trying the Phoenix in "sports mode" with a little down-trim.

Powering-up the Phoenix I went through the usual regime of control checks - elevator, rudder, aileron , flaps. This morning, however, the ailerons were definitely not paying attention. Almost since I got the plane the wing servos have chattered. I don't know why - all the servos were the same type of factory-installed units, but these two in particular have been chatty.

Anyway, the erratic aileron response meant flying was out of the question - well turning anyway. Powering off and on, a faint hope, produced the same random response so, feeling a little deflated, I carried the Phoenix back to the car across the crunchy grass...

Nicely Trimmed

...when is balance?

One of the reasons, perhaps, for some of the incidents I've suffered is sufficient down trim.

Having the plane set for neutral gliding flight seems a safer bet, however the transition between flying modes, principally from neutrally powered to powered, can be problematic. Having a little negative trim also means the powered flight regime is more responsive because the plane doesn't balloon when speed rises.

Having said that the reassurance that, when power is off, the plane is slow and stable is a compelling argument against amusing flying dynamics. Still, I'm going to try the Phoenix with a little down-elevator tomorrow (two "beeps" of trim as a start) and see how it goes. Of course, I can always use flaps for landing to compensate for a fast descent rate. The mega-flaps on the Phoenix will over-compensate for any trim adjustment...

So here's hoping for calm dry weather tomorrow...

Shiny Shoes

...and warm feet

No flying today, with a heavy covering of grey cloud and drizzle falling as I drove in this morning. However I am enjoying the luxury of dry shoes and warm feet for a change.

My shoes have been becoming increasingly hydrophyllic meaning my morning sojourns end up with wet shoes and damp socks steaming in the foot-wells of the car under a draft of warm air.

So I took the unprecedented step this morning of polishing them. Not that I am bothered about their appearance; actually I had come to like their well-worn and, of late, rather mud-smeared appearance. On the contrary, I felt the shiny apparitions adorning my feet this morning as I walked into work looked decidedly unnatural and more than a little alarming.

Nevertheless, I am enjoying the luxury of well tended feet as compensation for the weather. However I got the feeling that the Phoenix, lying neglected in the car, was feeling a little left out...

A Little Skysurfing

...a break in the weather

The turbulent run of weather continued last evening with a thunderstorm and rain - the calm settled nature of mid winter seems now to be taking on the blustery characteristics of spring.

Remarkably, the morning dawned absolutely clear although a little gusty, not great for flying the Phoenix which, with its two-metre wingspan, is especially touchy in unstable conditions.

Nearing the field I rolled the car window down for a local weather report and found the conditions virtually still with only the slightest northerly - good to go. Arriving at the field three kangaroos were nibbling at the grass. I must say I feel very bad disturbing them - I try to be as inconspicuous as possible in the hope they'll stay, but being very shy, they disappear into the paddock within minutes.

Unfortunately getting a picture of them is beyond the scope of the phone camera - I hope my wing camera will open up opportunities for some closer views of the paddock inhabitants.

Not having flown for a few days I was a little nervous getting the Phoenix into the air, so launch and climb-out was a little on the wobbly side. However conditions were quite smooth, with the gentle northerly lofting the Phoenix a little as it turned into the wind, slowing it down to an almost standstill; surfing the breeze.

After a few circuits I decided not to push my luck and brought the glider in for a landing. Following on from my incident with the tree it was hard to see how I'd run out of space - that's what happens when you're not in the zone.

Anyway, I brought the Phoenix quite low over the fence at the duck-pond end and, having cleared the water, put down the flaps. Flying almost right past me, I brought it with a last second flare to land with the slightest of bumps...

Lovely Flight

...pity about the landing

Had a lovely flight this morning, just cruising the Phoenix 2000 around. It was a very cold morning with a few high clouds around making for a great sunrise again.

The moon was up as well, so couldn't resist of taking a photo of the Phoenix doing a lunar fly-past. I would love to take some video, but taking photos is hazardous enough, as you can see from the angle the Phoenix is going at.

Unfortunately a close shave with the moon wasn't the only incident...

As usual when cold it's my fingers start going numb, so after a while I was wanting to bring the Phoenix in. For some reason I couldn't get it low enough - two attempts were aborted for fear of the plane floating into the bank around the field.

The downwind leg for a third attempt ended with the left wing clipping a small tree on the boundary. I've just missed the tree that many times that finally colliding with it is no real surprise. However it was going pretty slow and the tumble caused no issues.

So we live to fly another day...

Bumpy Ride

...and bumpy landing

There was a slight breeze this morning, well under double figures, so I happily lobbed up the Phoenix 2000 to enjoy some air-time before work. I was surprised to find it wobbling around surprisingly much; apparently what seemed a gentle breeze was a little gusty and more-so at tree-top level. I suppose with large wing areas gliders are quite susceptible to bumpy conditions.

So the flying wasn't all that relaxing, but I got in a couple of nice flights, managing the velocity changes with turning into and away from the wind. A did have a little problems with the landings though - the first ending with a mild ground loop and the second with a nose dive after I'd misjudged the landing distance, tried to pull up and then got everything wrong.

However, apart from the propeller mount being pushed in a little and a rather muddy spinner, the Phoenix is good to go...

In the Air Again

...flying with the birds

The winds finally abated to modest single-figure speeds, and the light rain which had fallen overnight ceased long enough to have a quick fly. The clouds were still leaden and, with streaks of rain visible falling here and there, it was clear that rain would reach the field sooner rather than later.

The Phoenix 2000 was all prepped and ready to go, so it didn't take long to get it into the air. Launch was happily uneventful and I powered up into climbs and practiced a few loops and stalls. There were plenty of birds flying over this morning, and one particularly large wings of what I think were ducks. Lovely to see.

I also tried out the flaps on the Phoenix for the first time. They're pretty big and also, with my transmitter being very basic, I can't control the servo travel on my auxiliary switch - it's either on or off. So the flaps have full servo travel and open right down to about forty-five degrees.

The Phoenix was flying back towards the field, a little high, so I thought I'd give the flaps a go. Well, let me say quite categorically, that the effect of them is startling. 

The Phoenix slowed right down and then went nose-up, gaining a few feet in height. I was expecting it to stall, however it just ploughed its way through the air, slow and steady. All I needed was to level the wings a little before it slumped in for a landing.

Not exactly elegant but certainly highly effective...

No-Fly Day

...but still lots of interest

No flying today unfortunately. The forecast was for 12 km/h winds but arriving at the field it to be gusting around 20 km/h, just a bit too much.

Still I did get to say hello to the kangaroos who’d ventured onto the field for the soft green grass. Also the cattle were in residence, the first time I’d seen them closeby in the morning for quite a while. Heavy rains over the weekend had swelled the pond to generous proportions but, oddly enough, there weren’t any ducks about. Perhaps the rains had produced enough ponds around for them to be spoilt for choice.

I took a drive around to another field, where I’d had my tree climbing sorties, but found the winds there much the same, the trees not providing much of a buffer. So flying was pretty much ruled out for the day. Some noise in the trees across the field attracted my attention so I took a walk across.

A flock of the large black cockatoos at work, stripping bark and looking for breakfast. They have long straight wings and fly with a curiously wooden action, like a wind-up bird might look. However, they have a remarkable ability to make very rapid changes in direction, seeming to stall one wing and then spin vigorously before flying again. This trick seems particularly useful when they’re playing with their mates in the boisterous manner characteristic of cockatoos.

On my way back I pulled up to watch some ducks, half a dozen very small brown ducks (I don't know what type, some homework for me to do) were standing near the roadside fence near a small pond. I had seen these ducks come flying at speed across the field I had just been at, before banking sharply and dropping out of sight behind the trees. Very impressive flying for such diminutive creatures.

Future Flyer

...another plane, another project

I haven't powered up the Floater Jet since the crash, so the extent of damage to servos receiver and controls is, as yet, undetermined. One of the tail servos had its control arm sheared off and the push-rod of the other is a bit bent. The wings look OK but the nose is in several pieces, held together only by the tape...

I’m thinking if that it might be salvageable, perhaps kitted it out as a night-flyer. However I'd like an immediate replacement so I at least have a backup if something goes wrong (hopefully not), leaving the reconstruction of the Floater as a longer-term project. I reckon I could piece the nose together with thin ply reinforcements and/or bamboo skewers as dowel pins. And superglue, of course, lots of superglue.

I’m thinking of getting another smaller plane  - possibly a Walrus which I think looks good. Its not unlike the Floater, but with a front-mounted prop. Actually, having just watched video clips I think I definitely want one! It comes with flaps ready-to-go and seems to hang in the air so beautifully with them deployed.

Another thing I want is a video camera. I've been taking some photos, as you may've seen, although not without risk. However I think video footage while flying would be entertaining to watch, and might also let me get some closer footage of the kangaroos who are very shy of people but don’t seem at all bothered by the plane flying past!

So I think I'll be doing some shopping and looking forward to a parcel on my doorstep in a week or two...

Gusts & Showers

...from the desk of


A warm northerly followed in quick succession by a cold front had put paid to my aspirations for a flight this morning. I’d seen the forecast yesterday but was hoping I’d be able to beat the change. However in bed this morning I could hear the gusting through the trees and, as a bonus extra, by the time I neared the field there were showers as well.

Sitting at my desk I can see puffy Cumulus clouds, painted a warm pastel yellow, floating past at a rapid pace and the sun, not quite risen, is setting the cloudy horizon aglow. The tumultuous weather is still upon us, so the best is to enjoy the heavenly stage show...

In the Zone

first aerobatics..!

There was a spectacular display this morning of high clouds brushed with vivid pinks and oranges. This had faded a little by the time I got to the field but still lovely nonetheless, an ethereal delight.

I was feeling a lot better than yesterday and had a beautiful flight and a bit of fun with the Phoenix 2000 as well. For the first time I looped it and did a couple of wing-overs - OK although not perfect.as you might imagine for a first try.

Having watched a few of the Phoenix flights on YouTube yesterday I was eager to give it a bit more of a push and experience more of the flight envelope under full power. However that will have to wait a few days...

Under the Weather

...and something else

I was a bit tired this morning and not really in the zone for relaxed flying, but I decided to take advantage of the still weather and so made the usual detour from my work commute for a quick fly. This would be the second outing with the Phoenix 2000, and the first after having replaced its propellor and spinner following the control mix-up.

Turning off the freeway and heading up the hill I already felt better at the sight of the bushland and open paddocks coated with low morning mist. Arriving at the field the transient pond at the far end had returned along with the little ducks who were enjoying paddling in the shallows. A grey heron also made an arrival for a quick morning drink before heading off with a raucous cry, not at all what I'd expected from such an elegant bird.

With the Phoenix plugged in and ready to go I hoisted it up and tested the propellor, before setting the power for launch. No, a bit more, little bit more...and launch.

Now you may recall that the Phoenix had ended up in the shelf due to its tendency to head into a vertical climb with too much power. I had managed two perfect launches a few days before but today, feeling a bit stressed and out-of-it as I said, I set too much power. The Phoenix flew across the field, and then started to climb rapidly. Silent scream.

Now the problem is that it doesn’t maintain this rate of climb. Afterall it’s a large two metre glider, not an Extra. So you have it pushing over from a near-stall without having gained much height. Having said that, in the videos I've watched the guys launch it with a lot of power. The benefit of this is that by the time it stops climbing it’s gained enough altitude to be safe. For now, though, I'll be sticking to flat low-power launches...

So back to the Phoenix on the brink of disaster. Now, by a stroke of luck and I perhaps a little more experience, I managed to recover but sent the plane heading back across the field towards a light post. Putting it into a turn it now climbed again again as I’d not reduced the power fearing it would stall and crash after the first intervention I’d made. However, by subduing the rising panic and leaving the power on, I managed to pull it up with about two metres to spare - plenty of room. Sigh of relief...

A flew a little more but, being a little nervous and really wanting to avoid any further incidents, I brought the Phoenix in for a nice smooth landing, thanked my stars that all ended well...

The Magical Things

Mornings mists are magical. They're not to be found in built-up suburbia around houses or on roads, they appearing only on the wilder stretches of bushland and paddock. That’s why they're a magic, a product of the earth yet suspended in the air like a wisp, pure and ethereal. One of the things I enjoy about going flying these cold mornings.

Another is the sunrises, or often, the vivid splashes of colours painted on the clouds before sunrise. These too are ethereal and ephemeral, colours changing as you look at them, so gorgeous and yet intangible. I’ve taken that many photos of the sunrises, yet looking back at them is somehow never boring - the images manage to retain some of the magic.

Of course the kangaroos are another source of enjoyment. Sweet-natured and very shy, they will be observing you with absolute intent long before you can even see them clearly, standing straight up and with the dark shows of their ears perked up and aimed straight at you.

On a few occasions they have been on the sports field when I have arrived, nervously edging along the fence as I walk down. I try not to frighten them, and funnily enough they don’t seem bothered by the planes, only if I approach them too close. In any case, they jump over easily enough - I’ve flown the plane for a short while and then looked around again to see if they were ok to find all four or five of them having silently disappeared...

Then the ducks occupying the duckpond-end which fills up after a few heavy showers. It is amazing how happy these creatures are with a small expanse of water a few inches deep - I find it quite touching. And the herons fly in occasionally as well.

The cattle, large and black moving slowly through the pastures, from the  swampy lowland to the sunny hillock, grazing contentedly. Unlike the shy kangaroos, they are very interested in you - first motionlessly and intently staring, then almost imperceptibly, you realise that one, no that one too, no actually half the herd has started to amble towards you looking expectantly.

Time to get out of there...

Flight of the Phoenix

there’s always something...

My first thought when I arrived at the field with the Phoenix 2000 was to make sure everything was properly trimmed. With the Floater I’d had a nasty experience launching it and having it head steadily into a right hand turn. This is very off-putting and alarming. I had managed to put the Floater down and reset the trims on that occasion, but I certainly didn't want to risk it with the Phoenix.

So with the surfaces set flush and the tail tweaked to level the elevators I launched the Phoenix fairly flat with moderate throttle. Banking a little to the right I quickly corrected but with little effect. Cutting power, the plane continued its bank into an unceremonious landing. No apparent damage, so a quick control check and we were ready to go again. The second launch, very similar to the first, saw similar behaviour except this time the left turn was more severe, ending in an uncomfortably severe thump into the ground and a bit of a ground loop. Not exactly an auspicious return for the poor aircraft!

Nothing critically wrong, although the wing root had torn a little at one of the rear mounts (bad thoughts) but still flyable. A thought suddenly occurred to me while I was checking the controls - all the reversing switches were down because that was how the Floater was set up. Hang on a minute...Checking again showed the ailerons and rudder to be reversed, which explained why my attempts at correction had ended up in a terminal spiral. Yes, more bad thoughts.

Nevertheless, few seconds later all the controls were trimmed and in the right orientation. I set the power for launch although noticed the motor sounded a little rough - the shaft must have bent. Anyway, determined to get it into the air I set about a third power and lobbed the Phoenix off.

With a small bank quickly corrected, the craft climbed gradually and displayed the elegant shape of its high-aspect wings. The flight was serene, just was I needed to give myself a bit of confidence, then I brought it in for landing. Being very stable it’s actually really easy to land. Not knowing its response to elevator I over-flared it a little, but it settled down without issue to a perfectly smooth and level landing.

It was only on the when carrying the Phoenix back to the car that I noticed about two centimetres had been sheared off one of the propellor blades. Yes, that would certainly explain the propellor running a bit roughly...

Resurrecting the Phoenix

Time to take the Plunge

The Phoenix 2000 had been resting nose-down against the wall ever since completion of repairs following its disastrous last flight. Walking into the study its presence served as a poignant reminder of the damage I'd inflicted. However its sleek graceful shape also provided aspiration that I might eventually develop skill enough to do it justice in the air.



That evening, its long-held position against the study wall was replaced by the terminally battered form of the Floater Jet.

The Phoenix took up the station on the desk, ready for final flight preparations. Deep breath, very excited...Working again with the Phoenix the great layout of its fuselage compared to the Floater became immediately obvious.

The moulded fuselage, while not outwardly much wider than the Flyer has much more space due to its thin-walled nature. It also has a battery tray, meaning that the ESC and the battery can occupy the same zone. The tail servos are also well clear of the “busy” zone as the Phoenix has removable wings with these located directly under. Consequently there’s lots of room left to locate the receivers.

I attached the receiver itself to the sidewall with velcro and taped the antenna running forwards. It certainly looks very neat and is wonderfully accessible. The small satellite receiver I velcroed to the top of the fuselage just aft of the canopy, orientated across the plane.

This layout fulfils what I understand to be the requirements for robust signal reception - receivers not blocked, with motors and batteries being the main culprits. Secondly the two antennas (single receiver antenna and satellite in this case) are orientated at 90 degrees to inhabit different radio environments, or something along those lines.

So everything's fitted, and the Phoenix's ready to fly, once again...

Final Flight of the Flyer

...well, for now anyway

The morning dawned very cold with the sports oval largely covered in frost. I had resurrected a pair of my abandoned cycling mitts to help keep my fingers warm. These had proved partially effective, although on mornings with temperatures hovering near freezing I had to call an end to the flying after ten minutes due to terminal finger ache. However on this particular day a spectacular pre-dawn colour show more than compensated for any discomfort.

I’d pretty much got flying the Floater down pat. Not perfect by any means but quite reasonable. The change of flight characteristics between powered & gliding flight was awkward although perhaps mostly because I had the aircraft trimmed for gliding or low-power flight which is my preference - seeing the Floater gliding past noiselessly in a low-level low-speed flypast is quite magical. And, when tempted, to open the throttle.

I had taken advantage of the sudden height gains to practice rudimentary aerobatics - loops being the, easiest although controlling the speed and tightness of the loop is more difficult. Fast tight loops look quite fake, and I much prefer a gentle swooping style. I had also managed a few wingovers, although again not the perfect type which verge on a stall at the apex.

Following a low flypast I throttled the Floater into a steep climb which peaked perhaps ten metres off the ground after which the Floater tilted its nose down. Deciding to maximise the situation, I pushed the Floater into an almost vertical dive and waited a second for speed to build up for a steep pull-out and a fast fly-by. The only problem was nothing happened. I released the elevator stick to neutral and tried again immediately. Still nothing. Resigned to the inevitable, I let go the controls and watched as the Floater thumped into the turf, did a cartwheel and then lay splayed on the ground.

Walking over to inspect the wreckage I was expecting it to be bad considering the speed and angle of the impact, and was not wrong. The canopy, very durable and flexible, had partially shattered, the much superglued nose was still held in place by the layers of tape but severely deformed with multiple fractures, and the tail boom had snapped through just behind the motor, held on only by the tail linkages.

Gently holding the wreckage of the Floater together I traced my steps across the frosty grass back to the car...