Dynam DC-3. First Flight.

...disappointment with a crash

I finished the DC-3 yesterday and today had been looking for the wind today to die down, being a beautifully sunny and mild day.

By early evening the wind has abated sufficiently to haul the Skybus off the desk and into the car. It's certainly the most appealing aircraft I've put together, with bags of character and that distinctive look that's known the world over.

Despite that docile appearance of the plane I was nervous; mainly because of the proximity of the props to the ground and taking off from grass exacerbating the risk.

At the the breeze was a little stronger than I'd like for an unknown aircraft, but I at least wanted to get the DC-3 taxiing. First attempts showed the wheels were catching on the grass but, after shifting the plane, managed to get it going and, with the Skybus buzzing along happily, I upped the power and eased off the elevator as it started lifting off.

My initial thoughts were that it flies like a bit of a dog. And, as the flight progressed, this impression didn't improve much; it seems cumbersome, doesn't turn easily and goes into a stall-turn when you try and power it out.

Added to this the moderately gusty conditions didn't help. Finally, thinking flaps would help, having set it up with dual-ailerons, I hit the switch and immediately regretted it; I'd set it up with negative elevator to balance the tail, but too much, which sent the DC-3 nosing down as if on an emergency approach.

Flicking off the switch, I cut power and readied for landing, it being on approach already after the flap incident. Expecting it to float in for landing, instead something went very wrong.

I'm not exactly sure what, although I'll get a better idea when I check the video of the flight, but the DC-3 dug in a wing tip and cartwheeled dramatically. I was expecting major damage, but this appeared to be limited to the dented wing tip, two snapped props (spares fortunately provided) and a dislodged motor requiring re-gluing.

So, the appeal of the Skybus rather tainted, it'll be a video review to figure out what happened before hauling it out for another go and trying to decipher the mysteries of flying the Dakota... 

Known Value

...sometimes underestimated

Today was grey and cold with the odd shower, a fairly miserable day hinting at the approaching winter. However, towards late afternoon, the grey sky began fragmenting into picturesque patches of cloud and the sun began to filter through from the clean blueness beyond.

A few hours later, a gorgeous evening had developed with the sun sinking towards the horizon warmly illuminating patches of clouds hovering tranquilly in the motionless air. On evenings like these the best thing to do is take a glider and pop down to the field; having a plane leisurely savouring the moment takes you from being a spectator to being part of nature's spectacle.

Unfortunately two of my gliders are out of action, the Fox having crashed from a spin, and the Raptor lacking a motor due to an unfortunate failure of the unit I'd installed. I have, on several occasions taken the Floater, however it just doesn't have the grace and beauty that make flying the other gliders on these majestic occasions so special.

So I had to enjoy the sunset while earthbound, leading me to ponder on the value of well established planes, the ones you fly dozens of times without issue and don't really appreciate the value they are providing...

Dynam DC3 Build

...starting to take shape

So far I haven't actually done much assembly of the DC-3, although I have done lots of spraying; I've decided to spray the wings, underside of the fuselage and horizontal stabiliser in aluminium metallic paint to mimic the general colour scheme of the commercial DC-3 airliners of the day.

Surprisingly, the spray-painting has gone quite well, even the tricky masking line of the fuselage. Now, with the painting pretty much done, I've just started the gluing process, with the first being the control horn bar of the elevator.

Next, I'll be gluing in the tail surfaces and then the biggie, gluing the wing halves together making sure that the incidence is correct and that they're set even...

Dynam DC3. Unofficial Unboxing.

...retro rocks

I'd been looking forward to taking a peek at the Dynam DC3 and pulling it out of the box certainly didn't disappoint.

The kit, the PNP version in this case, comes very well packaged inside a picturebox. Inside, the wings and fuselage are separately boxed, with all items also individually bagged. So, full marks on packaging.

The EPO moulding of all parts is very good, although in some cases the moulding spur hadn't been removed flush to the surface, but this is a minor gripe.

The props and heavy-duty nut have been upgraded since the original ugly-slow-fly two-blade setup, and the Dak looks a million dollars for it. The Dynam-badged three-blade props look great, the only negative being they're not contra-handed although this may just add a bit of crabbing character to the DC3's flight characteristics.

The undercarriage is fixed - no fancy retracts here, so the Dak always flies with wheels down, but it looks sturdy and the mounting configuration to the wing looks robust.

The removable canopy is large, giving good access to battery and receiver location. It engages into the fuselage at the rear with twin magnets at the front and can be surprisingly awkward to remove so well do the magnets engage!

The mounting of the engine cowlings is a rather tenuous arrangement using double-sided tape, with light handling enough to knock one out of alignment. I think this requires improvement to make it durable so it's not a continuous annoyance...

Canadair Power Climb

...impressive for a flying boat

The Canadair had a power-plant upgrade some time ago to the high-power higher-speed Turnigy bell motors. The Canadair also inherited a very nice Zippy Compact 2700mAh battery bought for the Trainstar floatplane.

The combination, in conjunction with smallish 7x4.5 props, means that the Canadair packs a potent wallop and is capable of indecently fast speeds. Also, with the fat power pack, it can sustain high rates of climb with no problem at all.

On a very nice cool morning I enjoyed sweeping the Canadair in low over the field and then climb it steeply in a full-throttle climb until it threatened to disappear from sight. Then, and just as enjoyable, I'd let it float down in a serene glide...

Radjet Faster

...properly quick

As I suspected on the first flight, the Radjet with its made-over nose is now significantly faster, especially noticeable this afternoon when the weather was a little warmer than its test flight.

The Radjet flew nice and stably, although its extra few yards of pace mean that I'm still not a hundred percent comfortable, finding it going through the turns or sweeping down quicker than expected. I would now call it properly quick.

I also managed a better launch, with a higher angle and enough throttle to get the Radjet up to speed quickly. Having said that, I had to trim the elevators down even more as the Radjet was still climbing in flight, which means that the next launch will be another test.

The only hiccup in an otherwise flawless flight was that the motor stopped abruptly. Thinking that likely the ESC had given up the ghost, I tried the motor after a while and the prop spun to life.

I think it's probably the thermal cut-out and that the sleeker Radjet needs more cooling slots...

Unexpected Pleasures

...lovely surprises

This morning I packed the Canadair 415 and the Sukhoi 29 as I headed out; the sky clear except for a ring around the moon from a hint of mist in the east.

I'd been wanting to film the Sukhoi 29, the diminutive rubber-band powered mini-plane, but hadn't had any success due to a broken rubber band. So I was hoping that this morning, kitted out with a fresh spare band, would be the day.

Heading now into Autumn, the sun wasn't yet risen when I arrived at the field, so I readied the Canadair for a flight. Glancing up at the sky I decided there was nothing worth filming, so I hit the throttle and had the Canadair skimming off the grass into the sky. I'd barely done a circuit of the field when, looking over my shoulder, I saw the rippled forms of the high clouds suddenly lit up with the first rays of sun in a beautiful spectacle.

The Canadair was immediately put on finals and fitted with the Mobius as soon as it touched down. All secure, and the chubby plane was skimming into the air again, headed for the best seats in the house to witness the spectacle of a beautiful autumn sunrise.

Afterwards I readied the little Sukhoi for another try, but was surprised by a giant tractor taking to the field to give the grass a trim. Ducking out of the way at its first pass, I started winding up the Sukhoi now that the tractor was busying itself on the far field. A hundred and fifty winds, as per the booklet, and I let the little plane go with underwhelming results; the plane tottering along the grass before coming to a standstill a few yards off.

The noise of the tractor nearing again decided me to pack things up for the morning, and I turned for the car as soon as it passed, experiencing the second pleasant surprise of the morning, the gorgeous smell of freshly cut grass...

Radjet Test Flight Havoc

...but got there eventually

I took the Radjet to the field today for a test flight in its new sleek guise, a beautiful sunny afternoon with clear blue skies and a refreshing southerly breeze.

As well as the new nose, I had reset the Radjet's controls and checked servo throws as well as reducing the elevator trim I usually have as I reckoned the Airbus-like fuselage interface would generate lift in flight.

The first launch was a complete crash, with the Radjet nosing down as of old straight into the ground. I figured this was because of the lack of elevator trim, so dialled it back in again. The second attempt started well, with the Radjet climbing steeply into the sky as I craned my neck to keep track of it.

However, as I levelled the Radjet it suddenly went unstable and ended in a flat spin, the only thing I could do was put full aileron and full elevator which slows the descent of the plane still inescapably spinning.

Collecting the Radjet I reckoned I knew the cause; the plane was balancing on the fingertips but only in the centre of the grips; slide the fingers forward and the Radjet was tilting back. I had hoped this would be OK but proved this wasn't the case.

A solution to this was to re-orientate the receiver so that I could push it further forward in the nose, and shoved in a small stick, the only ballast I could find at hand. So, with the plane now balanced I went back for the third try.

Fortunately this time everything went to plan and the Radjet went careering into the sky. My guess about the new configuration generating lift was right, so I had to dial the elevator trim back to neutral. This levelled the flight, but means I'll have to figure out something for launch next time.

The Radjet seemed faster, and twitchier, the former certainly due to the sleek nose, while the latter I think is related and I've just increased the expo a few percent. So, the Radjet is back in the air at least, although not without some drama, and I'll have to do a little work figuring out the launch next time...

Radical Radjet Repair v2

...ready for more

I'd been flying the Radjet regularly with no launch issues when I somehow crashed it the other day, which was both annoying and disappointing. Looking at the mangled and oft-glued nose I decided to give it a radical repair.

So, on arriving home, I sliced off the mangled front fuselage and then waited for inspiration. Not many options came to mind as the Radjet sat on the desk looking disgruntled. In fact the only viable option was using a caulking tube, except that I could figure how to get it to fit.

Eventually I fitted the round tube around a wooden template to match the fuselage shape and heated it with boiling water, hoping that this would help to set the shape. I cut away the top section of the tube in the fuselage area to provide access for mounting hardware, and hot-melted it into place with a few small bolts through the fuselage to help keep it in place.

The lower section of the fuselage, where it used to meet up with the front, I tapered down as the caulking tube was much thinner than the EPO original.

The result I gave a broad silver stripe from the nose all the way down the fuselage, and bordered it with a black stripe for good measure. The result looks interesting but certainly better than before.

Hopefully I'll get it into the air soon and see how it flies; I'm hoping it'll be well as I've been missing blasting the Radjet around the fields...

Sport Cameras

...looking good in HD

I chanced today to look over some of the very first videos I ever uploaded and was rather appalled at the quality. The camera in question was a 720p RD32 Wing Camera, although I think the abject quality also had something to do with how they were processed.

The mornings are also a challenging time for mini cameras, with the relatively low light and sharp contrasts proving a daunting challenge for the mini processors and small lenses. My new camera, a 1080p Mobius Action Camera, delivers very good quality footage, although it hasn't been brilliant in low light conditions. 

However I've lately given it a software update (imagine saying that twenty years ago) which seems to have improved it considerably, with the "large range" setting allowing it to cope with varied light conditions, like the morning flights, much better.

The clarity of the Mobius footage really is excellent, even more so given its tiny size; it literally embarrasses my earliest efforts.

So, here's to mini HD cameras and clever software...

Floater Jet Trying to Thermal

...not the right sort of plane

I recently took the Floater Jet to the local field to try it out at thermalling, it being a lovely clear day with things warming up.

There was certainly lift around, with the Floater staying up several minutes at a go. However I can't say the experience was sublime; the Floater is a little small for good visuals as it get higher and, an indication that it wasn't meant for this sort of thing, it has no under-wing markings whatsoever.

Additionally, when gliding, it doesn't have very good penetration either, mainly as it's designed as a benign flyer rather than a sleek performance soarer. This attempt also highlighted, again, how good it would be to have a vario setup. Unfortunately. as far as I am aware, this means having a telemetry-capable radio for which a variometer accessory is available.

Unfortunately this seems only to be the case for the FrSky unit, requiring a couple hundred dollar investment. Perhaps it might appear in my chrissy stocking...

Flocking with Corellas.

...going to the birds

About halfway through a lovely evening flight, a massive flock of Corellas took to the sky, deciding to change roosting places en mass.

I turned the Floater Jet to follow them, with the Mobius camera mounted on board. Despite the difficulty of flying chase in a Floater Jet, its high-mounted prop meaning it's always changing orientation with throttle adjustments, I managed to get close to them a few times.

By a stroke of luck, with the flock swiftly changing direction, the Floater Jet was suddenly in the midst of dozens of Corellas on the wing, their brilliant white plumage reflecting the golden sunset against a beautiful backdrop of distant clouds...

Sensational Sunset

...a gorgeous spectacle

Today was grey almost from start to finish, overcast with scattered showers. However, late in the day, the wind shifted to a warm northerly, clearing the west and developing the western clouds into a lovely assortment of types and altitudes.

The field was mostly empty so I quickly had the Floater Jet packaged with a camera and launched into the lovely afternoon sky to get some video of the sky show.

I'm a fan of mist and clouds; as regards the latter, particularly those interesting collections you get in the early morning or late evening, when shapes have developed in relative stillness.

This evening was a charmer, a clear west showing the gradually sinking sun and a collection of clouds on the opposite horizon,  an aerial canvas for the low angle of the sun to render in beautiful shades...

Rarebear Morning Flypasts.

...still fun to fly

The Rarebear, despite having been crashed a few times too many, is still fun to fly. Now relegated to buzzing around on a 3S pack due to 4S being ridiculously fast, it provides enjoyment nonetheless.

The motor is an excellent unit, and the Rarebear's chubby form heading straight for you in a low flypast always brings a smile to my face, no matter how often I do it.

The elevator has gotten a little flexible of late, so I'm thinking of installing a small carbon rod across it to keep the climbs straight. The elevators could do with the same, actually, but for now they work OK, keeping the little buzzy on track sweeping low over the grass-tops of the paddock...

Tranquil Morning Clouds

...why I like flying

By the time I reached the field this morning the dull overcast sky had developed interesting cloud shapes, with the light of the just-rising sun beginning to colour them.

I had the Canadair and Rarebear along, anticipating a morning of gentle cruising and low flying over the paddocks. The Canadair is nice for this; easy to fly but also capable of gliding quite happily, although obviously not as efficiently as a glider.

Flying in a beautiful sky is wonderful therapy; gazing up and enjoying the changing colours of dawn is relaxing and refreshing, but having a plane in the sky makes this experience even better...

Raptor Glider Take 4

...niggling issues

On the weekend I took the Raptor glider to the field for what I was hoping would be its second flight, having reinstalled the motor and tidied up the frayed wiring. I was, however, foiled initially by a passing shower and then by a mysterious electrical gremlin.

Initially I suspected the battery to be flat, but it turned out that an exposed bit of wiring of the old battery may have contacted the conductive carbon canopy. So, I taped up the battery and yesterday took the Stinger for what I hoped would be its first proper flight.

The motor seemed to be running well as I launched the Raptor into the morning sky, the large glider climbing steeply in the crisp air. The Raptor seemed to be flying well, although the motor seemed a little less powerful than I had thought.

Things seemed to be going well until, after a slow flypast, flicking up the throttle effected only an ominous rattle from the motor meaning just one thing; one pole was no longer with us.

Taking a whiff in the cockpit after the Raptor had glided down to earth, a faint smell of toasted electronics indicated that the repaired motor may have recently become deceased...

Ultimate Stinger Smash

...now I know why I was cautious

Yesterday morning I packed the Stinger for its inaugural outing with its latest colour scheme; the two red stripes supplemented with a third stripe in black, which I hoped would embolden the graphics as well as broaden it.

The morning was beautiful, cool and still with hints of mist on the lower ground. I managed to launch the Stinger a little straighter, although with a minor wobble, and I had it swooping across the field and climbing steeply into the air.

The supplemented graphics seemed to be working better, so I decided I'd be a little more adventurous with the flight manoeuvres. Despite the thrilling sound and dashing looks, I usually fly the Stinger quite conservatively because of the orientation issue; in fact flying on the Radjet turned out to be much more entertaining.

I did a few high-G pulls and then looped the Stinger down for a low pass overhead. However, when it was coming down, I somehow got confused as to which way it was facing. I'm not sure whether it was that I could see the reverse markings through the wing, but the split-second mystery was enough to cause panic, hitting full elevator in a desperate hope for salvation.

I'm really not sure exactly what happened then, however I do know that shortly afterwards the Stinger smote the ground mightily, disintegrating into high-speed debris. I'm thinking it's going to need a new fuselage...