Firstar 2000 V2. Quality Issues.

...a rather disappointing introduction to Volantex

I recently purchased a Firstar 2000 V2, my first Volantex product, and am sad to say that I was very disappointed in the quality, the EPO in particular.

I've previously had several Lanyu products (Phoenix 2000, Trainstar and Phoenix 1600) which have all been very good quality.

The Firstar has several issues:

Ailerons Warped - extreme warping. I had to add carbon fibre strip to try and straighten! They are now better but still not completely straight.

Wing Bases Warped - curve where the wing halves join together. I have to force the wings together try and get the mounting screws in.

Protruding Wing Reinforcement - aluminium tube protruding so the wing could not be joined. I had to cut this off with an angle grinder (my new plane!!)

Dented Wing - minor blemish but another sign of poor Volantex quality.

When contacted for comment regarding the poor quality, Volantex advised that "...weather of humidity and temperature will affect the plane deformation, also transportation will have influence."

I get the feeling they don't really care...

Firstar 2000 V2 FPV. Unofficial Unboxing.

...what's in the box

The Firstar 2000 V2 arrives double boxed, with the inner being the stylish new Volantex picture box. Taking the lid off reveals everything to be very nicely wrapped and arranged, with a number of dividers and individual boxes.

As per a number of the Volantex/Lanyu products (Trainstar and Phoenix gliders to name two) the wings and tail are EPO whilst the fuselage is a nice-quality plastic moulding.

Something new from Volantex, the EPO is painted and I think this is the source of the problem; the aileron surfaces are extremely warped, the EPO has also shrunk overall, breaking the join around the flap mouldings and causing the wing bases to curve, meaning the wings don't join square. Anyhow, more on Volantex's declining quality separately.

The fuselage is large and roomy, happily accommodating two 2200 3S batteries side by side. The tail servos are located to the rear under the wing mounting, meaning that the whole of the front fuselage areas is free for batteries and electronics.

There is a large moulded snap-on canopy, however I can see most people dispensing with this and mounting cameras onto the EPO cover section. This provides a flat camera mounting area up front with a moulded slot for a pan servo, and the moulding slips underneath the motor mount.

The V2 motor mount is angled, pointing at the centre of lift, and screws onto the mid-section of the fuselage. The propellor is the familiar unit used on the Phoenix gliders, with the spinner modified for the pusher-role to prevent the props flipping forward.

All servos, including for the flaps, are pre-installed but you need to mount the control horns and linkages yourself.

So overall a nice plane let down by rather dodgy build quality from Volantex which they attribute to the shipping process...

Dynam DC-3 1470mm. FPV Video Link Crash

...that didn't end well

Having been doing laps of the paddocks with the Floater Jet in an effort to fine tune the mobius FPV system and maximise the range, I decided to give the system a try on the DC-3 because this would sit the transmitter further away from motors and battery than was possible in the confines of the Floater Jet.

I must admit having some misgivings about this venture as the DC-3, in this fixed-undercarriage guise anyway, is a rather unstable platform, having a tendency to nose up heading into the wind or on too much throttle, ending up in a dramatic stall as is ries to climb ever more steeply.

The flight went OK until, at the extreme of range, the DC-3 flew in the radio shadow of the tree bordering the field. Usually I'd been more careful and stood in the middle of the paddocks to  avoid just such an event. Being at the limits of transmission, the modest tree, that one which I have flown into numerous times, was sufficient to completely block the video signal. I cut power and it dipped a little, then started to climb.

When the video flashed back on all I could see was blue sky. Dipping down again, I have slight glimpses from the camera, desperately trying to compensate the increasingly wild flight of the Dakota.

Unfortunately the video never restored sufficiently, the signal failing again before, finally, there was just static as I stood, still holding the elevator down, just in case it may still help...

Floater FPV Clouds

...getting there

Lately I've been doing a lot of FPV flying, almost all of it with the Floater Jet, as I try to fine-tune the system and push the boundaries to determine what's reliably possible.

Although the flying isn't spectacular, one benefit is that there's plenty of pleasant scenery and, on this particular afternoon, lovely clouds in abundance.

While the FPV system doesn't have the capability to go flying in the clouds, it's enough to get a pleasant view and see the cloud footprints dotting the landscape.

So far the mobius and dock have managed to go 1.2km while still maintaining a clear, if graining, picture. As regards height I wouldn't not sure as my estimation is not very accurate.

However we'll be getting a variometer with altimeter soon, so will be able to check how we're doing on altitude...

Floater Jet Hill Flying

..chilled-out cruising

The journey into the hills to slope soar the Floater Jet on the strong westerly wind had turned out disappointing; the slope-facing breeze sliding away to the north with the Floater Jet barely for a few minutes. 

Soaring out of the question, I lay on the hilltop watching the clouds changing until the breeze had abated. With the sky clearing as well, I loaded a fresh battery into the Floater for a pleasant cruise around the slopes.

The sky cleared as I flew, with the sun coming through increasingly to bathe the ridge in golden rays and give some warm texture to the clouds. 

No lift of course, but nevertheless a leisurely twenty minutes flying, turning in to the ridge-top only when the battery was depleted…

Raptor D-Box Pro 2000. Scenic Afternoon Flight.

...perfect afternoon to fly

Some afternoons are just great for getting the glider out, especially when a beautiful blue sky is dotted with fluffy cumulus pointing out potential lift spots.

A few times I've had some luck with the Phoenix and the Raptor. In fact I've even managed to get some lift flying here in the venerable Floater Jet!

There was one minor glitch; the props didn't fold and so continued windmilling whenever I had turned the power off. This, I think, was a remnant of the recent beach sloping, with some grit remaining in the prop holding up the works. 

This particular afternoon I didn't have much luck thermalling despite the beautiful conditions, but it was a scenic flight nonetheless. Part of the problem is the lit is better higher but at the same time it's harder to assess what's happening from the ground the higher you get.

And, when I've got my mobius FPV system fully sorted, I'm hoping to get it onto the Raptor so that I can try thermalling from first-person view, which should be fun...

Mobius Backpack FPV Testing

...pretty good so far

As I mentioned before, I've recently got an FPV system to complement the Mobius, consisting of a Docking Station with integrated FT592 transmitter and a RX-LCD5802 monitor with integrated receiver and battery.

This works straight up with the FT592 transmitter, however a little trial and error is required to get a frequency which is free from 2.4GHz interference. While there shouldn't be any, it can happen if there isn't a solid link between Tx and Rx.

After having tried several combinations, I've settled on channel D3 as suggested in an online forum, and found it to provide solid video quality up to around 800m, when it starts to get grainy. Ultimate range is around 900m, with the interference bands appearing and the video losing colour.

Worthy to note that the Mobius doesn't have to be recording to output video, and that likewise it will not switch off with the power input via the integrated voltage regulator. Also, if you do have your Mobius recording and the card fills, there's no fatal error. In fact you get a warning displayed on the monitor but you can carry on flying.

So I'm pretty happy with a solid 800m range from this mini system. However, as I'm wanting better range than that, I'm going to try a helical antenna, although I'll be getting a budget version as I'm not going to spend $100 on a copper spiral...

Dynam DC 3 Dakota 1470mm. Clouds.

...beautiful afternoon

My favourite flying conditions, usually, are when it's sunny with interesting clouds. This afternoon was also quite windy and gusty, not unpleasantly so but not ideal for the Dynam DC3 which isn't as stable and docile as one would imagine.

Nevertheless, with developing clouds sweeping across the field, it made for a wonderful backdrop to cruising the DC3 around.

Despite twin props, the DC3 doesn't even approach being rapid, so full-throttle flypasts are moderately brisk accompanied by a faint high-pitched whine.

But it's still good to punt around, and of course looks the deal even if it's nastier to fly than the full-scale original...

Simple Mobius FPV

...cheap and effective

For a while I've been considering getting an FPV system but, with the complexity, cost and choice of systems and components out there, I had deferred on the matter indefinitely.

A few things bothered me; firstly having to have two cameras because the supplied FPV cameras only supply video without storage capability. Secondly goggles; purported to be the best to provide an immersive experience but having low resolution and a limited field of view for the most-part, unless you're happy to spend the best part of $1,000 on HD goggles. And having to buy corrective lenses separately if you wear glasses.

Then I discovered that they'd released a Mobius Docking Station with a built-in transmitter. This takes care of getting the video stream from your mobius while still enabling you to record as you would usually. All that is required is a 2-4S power input on a JST plug, making it a simple plug-and-play application.

Next, reviewing FPV screens as a cost-effective alternative, I came across the RX-LCD5802, a  7 inch FPV Monitor with a 800x480 screen. What's nice is that is has integrated 5.8GHz 32CH diversity receiver and built-in battery. Furthermore, the screen image is clear and bright and it has OSD and an auto-search facility. Only, get this off eBay; the same thing just much cheaper!

The net result is remarkably simple and effective; connect the antenna to the dock, slide the mobius into the dock and connect a power via a JST lead. The mobius should power-on automatically and you'll now be transmitting video!

Then, screw the antennas onto the RX-LCD5802, hit the power button and within a second you'll be seeing crisp clear footage straight off your mobius.

It's as easy as that...

Raptor at the Beach Again

...good wind & good lift

Today I returned to the beach again for the third time to slope soar the Raptor. While he wind direction and strength on the first two occasions was a little weak and misdirected, this time everything was good; 30-40kmh southwesterly coming straight onto the dunes.

In fact, walking down from one car park, the wind at the top was that brisk it had me wondering how I was actually going to get the Raptor down to the beach without it taking flight involuntarily.

Fortunately, I found another path that wandered down through the dune growth, providing a sheltered entry onto the beach. The Raptor prepped, I spun the prop up and waited a little hesitantly for a drop in the wind.

Hoisting the Raptor up, it climbed steeply before levelling it off and steering it onto the dunes. The lift was much stronger than before and, after a little trimming, got the Raptor floating motionless above the bank.

Not that it was as peaceful as it appeared; rather I was on high alert, making sure the Raptor didn’t drop a wing and get blown down. At some stages the Raptor, with flaps on, was actually drifting downwind so I was having to switch between flying clean and with flaps, and trimming the elevator up & down to suit as well.

So successful but not exactly peaceful! And then the landing; because my radio doesn’t have enough mixes to set up the ailerons as spoilers, I again had to zigzag the Raptor up and down the beach to loose height, before eventually nosing it in foe a sand-covered landing.

I really need to get another radio…

Stinger Inverted Crash

...and clouds

Of the times I've flown the Stinger I've had a number of bad launches, primarily due to it rolling, and several times where it's ended up inverted half a second after launch. Every time I have managed to successfully extricate it from such precarious positions and gone onto enjoy the flight.

This time, unfortunately, was different. With the Stinger inverted I panicked and killed the power, so that it nosed towards the turn in an inverted swan dive.

Fortunately the damage was very minor to the degree that I was able to straighten the nose sufficiently to give it another go. The second launch was perfect with a lovely flight to follow, against a backdrop of fresh clouds and beautiful blue sky...

Radjet 800 EPO. Paddock Flypasts

...fast fun

Breezy afternoons don’t suit too many planes; of mine the pick are the Rarebear, Stinger and Radjet. This particular afternoon there was a fresh northerly blowing and I headed right into the paddocks, my favourite spot for speedy planes free of any obstructions making it great for low-level, high-speed flypasts.

I find the Radjet a very stable high-speed plane and able to handle wind with aplomb, so I had a great time speeding it upwind and downwind, always at full throttle as usual. Unfortunately, by the time I got to the fields this particular afternoon, the sky had got a little hazy causing glare.

As a result the video struggled a bit with the contrast and, although I tried to balance colours and lighting manually afterwards, it’s very difficult and the video still doesn’t look quite right.

Nevertheless, the flying is quite entertaining and the sky, although not as lovely as it had been earlier in the day, was still a lovely backdrop to the speeding Radjet...

Raptor D-Box Pro 2000. Sunset in the Hills

...a beautiful afternoon

A brisk breeze saw me back in the hills for another attempt at slope soaring, this time on a westerly breeze. However a shift in direction after a short while had me lying on the ridge watching the clouds form and drift across the sky, powered by the breeze.

Fortunately the disruptive northerly had soon blown itself out, leaving a picturesque afternoon with the sun starting to dip. With no lift to be had, I nevertheless decided to get the Raptor for some leisurely cruising while enjoying the spectacle of a lovely sunset.

Flying on the ridge gives a three-dimensional aspect not normally experienced, flying the Raptor up the hill or floating it over the crest and down the other side. So, despite the soaring being a bit disappointing, the afternoon’s flying was beautiful...

AXN Floater-Jet Glider EPO 1127mm. Winter Sunset

...beautiful winter sunset

This beautiful sunset on a still evening had me heading off to the field in a hurry with the trusty Floater Jet and mobius camera to try and capture some of it. It’s always compelling to try and do this to make the most of what is otherwise obscured and diminished by the lack of a clear view.

From a vantage of a couple of hundred feet up, however, this is not an issue although there are others; the Floater is not the easiest thing to fly smoothly and steadily, especially when you’re trying to climb. Also, judging orientation from the ground is a bit hit and miss, compelling arguments for getting a drone with FPV capability.

The video from the flight was understandably then a little scrambled, with lovely glimpses here and there of the sun gradually sinking beyond the horizon. However, gradually sifting through the footage and stringing clips together I think I’ve managed to compile something that’s tranquil and a little bit special, in conjunction with a lovely acoustic guitar soundtrack.

Of course it’s nowhere as smooth or professional looking as something off a drone, but still not bad from a Floater Jet...

Hobbyking Stinger 64 EDF. Sunny Clouds.

...beautiful sunny clouds

Some days flying is really good, especially when the sky is doing something special. This was one of those days, with bright sun, brilliant blue sky and more kinds of interesting clouds than you could wish for.

It was pretty breezy; a moderate southerly which quickly developed, but nothing too much to bother the Stinger. With its augmented stripes I’m more confident with the turns, and having it screeching across the fields and soaring into the sky is always a lovely thing.

Watching the video again, with the beautiful sky and the Stinger having fun, was certainly a tonic for the rather miserable weather of late...

Canadair CL-415 1390mm. Flypasts

...cruising past

A pair of paragliders were heading back to the far field, so I headed the Canadair there with onboard camera, hoping to get some nice footage. Unfortunately I didn't judge the closing distance too well and turned the Canadair back when it was still well off, the paragliders unresolved dots in the distance.

For the rest of the time I just cruised the Canadair around doing flypasts, enjoying the lovely afternoon. After returning from its initial sortie, I took off the camera and then hand launched it to conserve the battery for a bit more cruising around.

The resulting video was then a little unexciting, so I decided to play around with it a little, adding in some flash-forwards and colour-to-mono fades. Completing this slightly experimental video was a backing track with a little attitude, dramatic hip-hop according to YouTube.

Anyway, I had enjoyed creating the video...

Rarebear 620 Funfighter. New Sodastream Cowling

...works a treat

For a while now the Rarebear’s cowling has looked a little sad, the missing sections of the flimsy plastic article having been poorly patched with fibre tape. So, needing to do a little work on the motor, I decided that enough was enough and dumped the cowling summarily.

As a replacement I first tried a large vitamin bottle which unfortunately turned out to be a little too small, before deciding in the base of a Sodastream bottle. This looked nice and sturdy, and had a little detail on it to add a little style.

It was slightly too big but I trimmed a section from it and then installed it with lashings of hot melt glue. Being careful to align the lower section, once installed I realised that I’d not checked the top which ended up slightly angled and pinching the sliding top section of the fuselage.

Anyway, it was still better than it was, so now to try it out. It turned out to be a very windy although otherwise beautiful afternoon, into which I threw the revamped Rarebear, newly reverted to its original black prop to match the cowling.

In short, the little rarebear flew just as well as ever, seemingly relishing the gusty conditions as it swooped across the field and swung rapidly into the blue sky...

Raptor Glider D-Box Pro 2000. Hill Sloping.

...a beautiful afternoon with a view

Having managed some soaring at the seaside, I turned my attention to the nearest inland sloping spot; a set of ridges about half an hour’s drive away. These ridges provide lift in a variety of directions, but today it was blowing southerly. The location for southerly lift is a little tight on landing space and has trees about which makes things a little less relaxed, however I wasn't going to let that put me off.

I launched the Raptor into the strong southerly under power, just to be sure, and was soon getting reasonable lift. Some sections of the ridge were better than others, the far end seeming to be poor and the narrow clear section right in front providing the best lift.

Once I'd trimmed the Raptor to slow it down a little it was performing pretty well, until eventually the breeze ebbed away and I resorted to sending the Raptor on lazy missions away from the ridge over the picturesque farmlands until the battery ran low...

Dynam DC 3 Dakota 1470mm. With Ventral Mobius Camera

...a novel point of view

I'd never flown the DC-3 with an on board camera, mainly because I didn't want to have an ugly patch of velcro on top of the fuselage, and also being so rounded there's not really a good spot. And then there's the cockpit antenna which would get in the way.

Anyhow, the other day I decided I'd try something a little different; putting the mobius under the fuselage, slap bang in the middle of the wing section. I hadn't done a test run of this beforehand, but gave it a go nevertheless.

The result isn't bad, if a little closed-in, giving a nice view of the props. If I tried it again I'd put the camera a little more forward. The best bit, I thought though, was after landing hearing the motors winding down and seeing the props tick to a standstill...

Raptor Glider 2000 D-Box Pro. Slope Soaring at the Beach.

...finally getting the Raptor sloping

Slope soaring is something I've wanted to do for a while but the lack of nearby locations has been a bit of a damper. However, I finally decided on an excursion to the beach, a well-rated spot for getting lift from the ocean breeze rising over the scrub-covered dunes.

The promised southerly wind unfortunately had an easterly component which meant less lift from the south easterly beachline, however I was determined to have a go anyway on the understanding that it wasn’t going to be ideal.

The most confronting feature doing this for the first time is, of course, the wind; I would normally never consider getting the Raptor out in this kind of wind and yet, here I was. This location flies from the beach, so I launched the raptor under power to make sure it didn't end up in the surf.

Climbing into the strong breeze, around 30km/h, the Raptor rose sharply. After getting a bit of a feel for the wind I eased the Raptor towards the dunes and some lift.

The other interesting thing is, of course, the wind; I had barely settled the Raptor in when I was dropping the flaps more and trimming it up to slow it down. And wishing the wind was a little stronger. And this is with a slow glider!

The sloping was challenging and fun, although the oblique wind angle meant I had to resort to occasional power-boosts to get the Raptor up again. Nevertheless, it was a good first try, a proof of concept…

Hobbyking Stinger 64 Mk2. 2200 Nano First Flight

...the big day!

Since the ultimate smash I'd reconstructed the Stinger with a new fuselage and new larger and higher-spec powerpack, all of which I was eager to try out so, with a break in the rather poor run of weather, I headed to the field.

As ever, not having flown the Stinger for a while made me nervous. Additionally, I wasn't sure what the effect would be of the substantially-larger 2200 battery compared to the 1800 I'd previously flown with.

Eager to get the Stinger into the air before the sun disappeared behind clouds, I gave it a quick check before getting it ready to launch. Running the motor up for launch, the reaction felt a little odd. Blipping the throttle again revealed the reason - it was blowing air out of the intakes. I'd wired the motor in reverse.

Dashing back to the car for my toolkit, quite a way as I was flying in the paddocks, I headed back to the plane to remove wings and swap the plugs. Eventually the Stinger was back together, now developing positive thrust, but the sun had unfortunately taken a break behind a small patch of clouds.

Despite the disappointment of losing the beautiful afternoon glow, I hot full throttle and threw the Stinger up. Despite high expectations, this continued the run of miserable launches I've had, the Stinger knife-edging a few metres up. Correcting this and easing off the elevator revealed the next crisis; I hadn't done a good check on the trims and the Stinger was nosediving alarmingly.

Bringing it round I heaved on the elevator; going vertically fifty metres up is a nice safe place to make control adjustments.

After that things got a lot better; the augmented stripes made visibility so much better I was immediately more confident, and soon I had the Stinger making nicely-controlled low passes at speed, howling past at full throttle...

GeeBee R3 750mm TRILOGY: PART 3: First Flight

...a few surprises

The GeeBee got its chance for a first flight on a beautiful, if somewhat breezy, afternoon with lovely clouds spread across a giant canvas of bright blue sky.

Playing it safe for the first take-off, I had the GeeBee on the dirt to give it a take-off smoother run. After a quick taxi-test, I headed it into the breeze and eased up the power.

It takes off pretty easily and without fuss, but the first surprise came when I eased off the elevator and found it nose-diving rapidly, so much so that I only just caught it in time. It was also turning right, so I had a tense minute or so as I steered it clear of trouble as I adjusted the trims.

After that things were a lot more enjoyable; it turns out that the GeeBee is very floaty, another surprise, and is fun and easy to fly. In fact its characteristics lead me to believe it has 3D capabilities, now I just need to develop mine!

It turns very quickly and easily and, with full power, is pretty brisk without being super-fast, so it didn't take long before I was flying it with some confidence.

Bringing it into land it floated in straight enough, rounding out well. I let it drop just a fraction, still a good landing, but this small jolt was enough to dislodge one side of the undercarriage and loosen the other mount.

However this is easily corrected with a little superglue, and I'm looking forward to exploring the GeeBee's abilities further...

GeeBee R3 750mm TRILOGY. PART 2: The Build

...so how does this work?

The GeeBee is a nice-quality kit, with solid EPO fuselage making it a smarter-looking proposition than a Rarebear, for example. While having a simple screw-together construction, it does however its construction poses a few questions.

How does the battery setup work, and where's the best spot for the receiver?

The first question is a puzzler, for me anyway having only had planes with unfettered access to the battery. Obviously, unless you're happy remove the wing every time you fly it, you need the ESC lead to remain in the battery hatch so it's accessible through the small hatch opening.

This I found achievable by mounting the ESC against the side of the fuselage, preventing the lead from falling back into the fuselage. This setup seems quite reliable, although packing the battery in and then feeding in the lead and connectors is still squeezy and awkward.

Regarding the receiver, in this case a twin-antenna Orange R615x, I mounted it in the central fuselage cavity which corresponds to a cavity in the wing moulding above. And, connecting all the servos from the back and the ESC from the front gives a very neat installation.

Next challenge is the bracing wire; five pairs of different length wires needing to be clipped into tiny hooks. Fifteen tediously fiddly minutes later I was finished.

The last trick was spinner and propellor. The latter simply gets tightened with a nut, with the spinner base in behind it. Then the spinner is installed; it comes with double-sided tape but, really, that's never going to hold. So I superglued it in place, with cardboard slipped in behind the base to keep it spaced off the cowling.

With everything in place the little GeeBee was looking good...

GeeBee R3 750mm TRILOGY. PART 1: Unofficial Unboxing

...a great-looking little plane

I’d had the GeeBee sitting in the corner for a while and finally got around to unboxing it.

It’s a nice quality kit, coming safely boxed and individually wrapped so that all parts were in perfect condition. The fuselage is even secured in place with velcro straps, a first for me.

The GeeBee comes in the classic Texaco livery which looks great and the decal application is nice. The fuselage is full EPO including the cowling which is nice, however there is a downside - the battery access is a small hatch on the underside.

The 5g servos, in wings and fuselage, are pre-installed along with the control horns. The high-standing tail wheel is also fitted, leaving only the tail planes to be screwed into place. The wing, with locating pins up front, is also screwed into place - a glue-free assembly.

The iconic GeeBee undercarriage comes pre-assembled, with integrated wire reinforcing which also serves as the mount slotting into the wing. Included is sprung bracing wires stabilising the undercarriage as well as bracing the wings to the fuselage, which should look great assembled.

The kit comes with two three-blade props and two spinners, the latter being the only disappointment - they're EPO, with the cone apparently needing to be stuck onto the base with double-sided tape! I'm not surprised to read that people have ditched these for real spinners. In fact, had I known, I’d have tried to get a replacement spinner when I ordered the kit…

Trainstar Tough Trainer EPO 1400. D4023 850kv Replacement Motor.

...fitting the Trainstar replacement motor

Having struggled to get a replacement prop adapter for the Trainstar, I finally decided to get a whole new motor, the D4023 850v from Hobbyking.

This seemed rather wasteful as I only really needed the adapter, but anyway. The D4023 comes with a steel prop adapter, hopefully more durable than the Volantex aluminium item but is otherwise pretty much a direct equivalent replacement.

The D4023 does actually have a different mounting pattern on the bell  mount, three holes instead of four, but fortunately the Volantex saddle mount has a multi-hole configuration which accepts the three-hole pitch with no rework required, which is great.

So the installation is a pretty simple switch-out; even the wire length is just right. The only extra work required is that the D4023 doesn’t come with any connectors, but a few minutes soldering got some 3.5mm bullet connectors fitted just fine…

Trainstar Tough Trainer 1400 EPO. D4023 Motor Test Flight.

...test flying the new motor

Fortune smiled this afternoon with the growing cloud cover holding up just enough for a scenically sunny afternoon for flying. Conditions were a little choppy but, given the lovely afternoon, we were going to give it a try anyway.

As well as being the test flight with its new motor, this was also the first time I’d flown the Trainstar for months after its collision with a light pole, so it was perhaps not surprising that it was out of trim.

As soon as it took off, it was evident that the Trainstar had become very floaty, in contrast to the nose-down attitude I’d been flying it previously. Nevertheless, it was still fun to have it back in the air.

After having a bit of fun floating it around, I brought it in to check trims, and then it was back in the air, flying a bit flatter than before. It was still not smooth flying though, with gusty conditions and wind shear above tree level turning the Trainstar into a kite of sorts.

The new motor performed very well, at least as powerful as the OE unit, and perhaps a little more. Considering its modest cost and ease of replacement, it’s a viable alternative to Volantex’s dodgy prop adapter…

Raptor Glider D-Box Pro 2000. 5 Star Morning

...gentle flying on a beautiful morning

Winter mornings are often dull and overcast, sometimes with drizzle, mist or rain. However, on occasion, they deliver outstanding sunrises and, on this occasion, a five-star morning with mist, pretty clouds, sun, blue skies and no wind.

I haven't been flying in the mornings lately as sunrise around the solstice comes too late. However, having missed my alarm on this particular morning, I assed the field with sky alight with the sun about to rise.

With the Raptor on board this was like receiving a written invitation, so I headed to the field. The cold winter morning air makes the Raptor extra floaty, so that with flaps down it approaches so slowly as to appear in slow motion.

And, with no turbulence, one is able to make low passes and low turns in absolute confidence, adding to the tranquil mood of the morning...

Dynam DC-3 Dakota 1470mm. Spectacular Sunny Afternoon

...a pleasant sunny afternoon

Monday morning was grey and miserable but, just to be sure, I packed the DC-3 and Radjet. This was just as well because, by lunch time, the weather had cleared to a beautifully sunny and mild afternoon and I would have been most upset to have been flightless.

Happily I headed to the field with the afternoon winter sun flooding the fields with warm afternoon light as it began to dip towards the western horizon.

The DC-3 is a docile creature suited to slow flypasts and modest aerobatics, so I spent an enjoyable quarter of an hour doing just that. I managed a really nice touch and go as well as a fast flypast.

Being quite slow I have been pondering a few possibilities to see if it can be made a little speedier, but we'll keep those musings for another day...

Stinger Ready to Go

...hopefully it will be good

The Stinger has been reconstructed with its new fuselage and replacement fan unit, fitted with a zen-first R615X receiver  and, just yesterday, received its new Nanotech 2200 4S 45-90 power pack.

Apart from it looking sharp and new with the replacement fuselage, and interest in how the new DSMX receiver will work, it's the performance impact that the big nanotech will make that I'm most intrigued in.



And it is big; in fact it's too wide to fit easily into the fuselage, bulging the foam past the matching form of the canopy. I'm hoping that in due course the foam will compress a little to reduce this distortion but there's no denying that there's a lot of battery there.

My experience with 4S nano's on my Rarebear indicate that they offer substantial performance improvements, although I'm not sure whether, in this case, the additional grunt will be offset by the increase in mass over the 1800 40C Zippy I used previously.

Anyhow, I'm very interested to try out the reborn Stinger. I had, in fact, been hoping to get it out this afternoon for a test run but the weather wasn't cooperating with overcast and windy weather. Lets hope there's a mild and sunny afternoon in the offing soon...

Canadair CL-415 1390mm. Scenic Outing at the Little Lake

...a bit more successful

Following on from my rather unsuccessful previous expedition to the lake, I returned a week later with the Canadair again for another attempt.
I find flying off water to be rather stressful, due mainly to the inconvenience of failure, namely having to the boat out to rescue the plane and then pack it all up again. As a consequence I am much more nervous and therefore tend to fly much worse than otherwise.

The Canadair is easy to fly and I can generally fly it off the grass, not dissimilar in nature to taking off from water, with little issue. The takeoffs on this occasion were, happily, more successful although most were still a little nervy and one, which didn't make it into the video, was absolutely awful.

One contributing factor is that you don't always get to stand near the plane like you do at the field, and as a result you are literally distanced. I probably should've just gone to the large lake where I could have launched from right next to the jetty. However the little lake looked so scenic with the clouds in the afternoon sun..

Raptor Glider D-Box Pro 2000. Afternoon Cruise.

...a pleasant afternoon out

Sunday afternoon turned out sunny and mild, a nice opportunity to take the Raptor for a leisurely cruise around the field. With the local venue busy, I headed for a field at which I'd previously considered flying but never got around to going there.

The field had had the grass cut back for some reason, leaving it with an interesting geometric finish, combined with its contrasting brown colour would make an excellent spot for a first FPV flight; you'd easily be able to find where home was!

Getting the Raptor out, I installed the Mobius atop the fuselage and sent the big glider soaring skywards. There northerly wind was quite mild but choppy, making the flight a little interesting when the Raptor approached ground level and curtailed most low and slow flying, which is can be the most fun.

Nevertheless it was a lovely afternoon to be out, and floating a slow glider around is likewise a suitably relaxing occupation. The most anxious bit was a brief inverted flight towards the end when, pushing the Raptor in an inverted pull-out, I realised there was insufficient charge in battery to execute this power-sapping manoeuvre.

Rolling the Raptor out, I pulled up steeply and came awkwardly close to a flood light pole, hitting which would definitely have ruined a lovely afternoon outing...

747-4 Trainstar Shaft Adapter

...so I got a new motor instead

I ended up terminally bending the shaft adapter on my Trainstar some while a go as the result of colliding with a light pole. While, in the past, I have managed to straighten the adapter by hook or by crook, this time my efforts were in vain.

Now, it must be said, the Volantex (nee Lanyu) prop adapters are rubbish, a conclusion based on my experience of both the Trainstar and Phoenix planes, and I've heard this sentiment echoed by others as well; the adapter material is very soft and prone to both stripping and bending.

I've previously looked at the Volantex store but, despite having the items on display, it seemed impossible to actually buy anything. And I couldn't find anything on the web either. However reading through a thread about Volantex spares yesterday,  the website had apparently become functional.

My optimism at this news was unfortunately was short-lived as, while the prop adapter is there (and on sale!) an error came up when I tried to finalise Paypal payment and, despite repeating the checkout exercise, I still had no success. So I again abandoned Volantex for spares (why is it so hard?) and headed to Hobbyking.

The Volantex motor for the Trainstar is a 4023/850KV and fortunately Hobbyking have an exact equivalent, the D4023-850 Out Runner Motor. This, however, comes fitted with a steel prop shaft instead of the aluminium of the Volantex, and is also only about half the price.

So, while I really didn't want to buy another motor when all I needed was a prop adapter, it all got too hard...