...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...
...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 FPVsystem 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...
..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…
