Fox Glider with Funfighter Motor.

...back with avengeance

The little Fox glider is a beautiful flier, however mine has always suffered from motor vibration. Even the addition of a supplementary firewall didn't make much difference, so the little Fox was eventually consigned to hang on the wall whilst I decided what to do.

Help came in the form of the forced retirement of the Radjet, and I transplanted the Funfighter motor I'd installed there into the Fox. To complement this I'm using a 1500 4S Zippy compact battery, lightweight enough not to tax the speedy motor but large enough to provide generous flight times for the sleek Fox.

The result is speedy, the slippery Fox now genuinely fast and very quiet, the Funfighter motor providing it with landscape-traversing speed and generous, although not unlimited, vertical climb.

So all in all a simple and very successful transplant, the Fox glider flying with the Radjet's heart...

Winter Antidote: Fox Glider Having Fun

...perfect sunny afternoon

Friday was one of those days; the weather so changeable that one could literally not anticipate what the sky was going to do next.

Despite the dull conditions, that afternoon I headed out for a fly as things had settled a little. As happens more than occasionally, I swung the Fox in in order to setup the camera; the low afternoon sun had sunk just enough below the western clouds to that warm rays were beginning to hit the paddocks.



By the time I'd got the Fox back in the air and done a couple of circuits, the whole meadow was flooded with almost tangibly soft and golden afternoon sunlight. The beautiful clouds, a moment before hanging grey and dull, now came to life with luminous white crowns and deep grey shadows.

This is the perfect sort of occasion for flying...

Fox Glider with Walrus Props

...seems to work well

Ever since the Fox started using its designated battery, the 1800 Nanotech, it has suffered from a buzz. Initially I thought this was because the motor mount wasn't tight enough, and then I thought that perhaps it was because the firewall wasn't sturdy enough, gluing in a second mount in tandem to beef things up.

And so the imbalance persisted since I'm not sure how to balance folding props. However the other day I found a spare set of Walrus props and decided to install them on the Fox.

This works surprisingly well and they seem to provide quite sufficient thrust for the Fox, which is much sleeker than its portly donor plane.

So, the Fox now has white props to match its colour scheme, and is flying quite happily with cheap plastic instead of swishy carbon fibre...

Fox Glider Gorgeous Morning Fun

...beautiful glider, beautiful morning

Every now and again one is treated to exquisite weather, and this was one of those days; a crisp, clean morning with lovely clouds draped high across the sky and fresh warm light from a just-risen sun.

And having a beautiful plane to fly like the Fox just makes it that much more enjoyable. The little Fox is sleek, elegant and very quick; perfect for making the most of a big sky and open landscape.

This morning wasn't for being restrained, and I was in my element having fun with the Fox, fast low passes, big loops and big vertical climbs. A gorgeous morning and a great start to the day...

Fox Glider. Autumn Gorgeous.

...beautiful glider, lovely morning

A few days ago, having returned from the beach, I took the Fox for a morning flight at the field. It turned out to be one of those gorgeous mornings; cool, calm and sunny, with a hint of low mist and some clouds lending character and colour to the rising sun.

The Fox flew beautifully, as clean and crisp as the morning, with its slender swings at a slight forward angle making a very elegant figure against the fresh morning backdrop.

A lovely way to start the day...

Fox Glider Wingtip Washout

...little mod makes a difference

Subsequent to the Fox's spin-and-crash episode, I was told by someone that they always added wingtip washout to their models by bending the wingtip a down.

Now, this isn't necessary for most of the planes I fly, but in the case of the Fox this definitely sounded like good advice. However, with the Fox having balsa wings, it's not quite so easy.

However I managed, with a bit of "cutting-and-shutting" to add a little washout, and it seemed to improve the Fox's behaviour under load and at lower speed. It was a bit difficult to fully evaluate it in an unfamiliar environment, however I will be putting the Fox through its paces to assess it further...

Fox Glider At the Beach

...first time back in the air

I just got the Fox glider repaired and reassembled in time to take it for a text flight at the beach, following its nasty spin crash.

Being the first outing after repair, and given the nature of the accident, I was a little nervous flying it. However it was a gorgeous morning, sunny and calm, so conditions wouldn't get  any better.

The launch was fine although the elevator needed trimming, making for a nervous start, however after that the Fox flew beautifully. It's a lovely spot, with yellow cliffs topped with a lighthouse and an expansive beach with a few monolithic rocks dotting the shoreline.

I flew the Fox with the mobius cameras on board, and managed to get some lovely footage of the waves breaking, the cliffs and the nearby lagoon.

The options for landings were limited to the damp sand, being less likely to get sand everywhere, and I managed to get it landed ok although still ended up with sand in the fuselage...

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...

Fox Bite

...sleek, fast and bitey

Yesterday was the last of the forecast hot days, but dawned a beautiful morning with a steady northerly breeze, not yet carrying the heat from the interior.

I'd packed the Fox with the carbon prop installed again, now with reinforced motor mount to hopefully eliminate the full-throttle vibrations it had been suffering. I threw the sleek little glider into the air, enjoying it's swift and graceful flight against the backdrop of fresh morning clouds.

The carbon prop and nanotech battery have, as I've mentioned before, gives the Fox unlimited vertical capability, and I was enjoying powering the Fox up and then gliding it down, and having it swoop low across the field before repeating the exercise. 

Now I know, and have also mentioned, that the Fox is a high-speed glider and possessing a nasty propensity to spin at low speed but, lulled into a failing sense of security, I pushed the limits too far, with the Fox too low and too slow.

The spin was sudden, violent and beyond my capability to recover...

Fox with Carbon Prop

...too much of a good thing

I recently received a box of goodies containing items to finalise the Fox glider; a 32mm carbon spinner, a pair of carbon 9.5x5 folding props and a new battery. The reason for changing from the standard setup was that the R2hobbies spinner has an inboard pivot which prevents the prop from folding, and additionally I thought the standard 10x6 props too large.

On the weekend I had a chance to get the Fox out for a trial run with its new hardware, and got something of a surprise; the setup, powered by a 25-5-C 1800 Nanotech, developed that much thrust that it put the Fox into a turn at full throttle, and caused a vibration past about 80% throttle.

Consequently I've decided to try out a set of Walrus props I've got in the spares drawer. These are about 8x5 and I think should be a little more suitable. Anyhow, I've got the Fox set up and will give it another test flight soon...

Flight of Fancy

...what gets your spirit soaring

People's reaction to the planes varies a lot; some people are mildly interested, some could be mildly annoyed at the disturbance of the peace, whilst others are obviously captivated by the magic of flight. You can never really be sure, so I tend to keep the planes quiet and flying away so as not to cause disruption.

This morning I met a couple who arrived with their dog for some early-morning exercise at the field; talking to them as I headed back to the car with Canadair in hand, they'd been captivated by the sight of the water bomber flying around the morning sky.

And, the other day, I spoke to an ex-pilot out walking his dog, who'd enjoyed the speed and grace of the little Fox glider as it enjoyed an evening flight against a dramatic backdrop of clouds...

Fox Clouds

...exquisite tranquility

Yesterday evening was a rarity; the gusty weather of the afternoon abated whilst there was sufficient light to fly. Additionally, and most compellingly, the greasy cloud cover of the day have developed into a beautiful array of shapes colours and textures, enough to have me grabbing the Fox glider and heading for the door; delicate balances like this don't last forever.

Despite remnant players from the afternoon cricket match and a boisterous Retriever pup being walked on the field, I decided to get the Fox up so, with a bare minimum of preparation (no pre-flight video!) I had the Fox purring sweetly into the lovely evening sky.

Flying was an absolute joy, scenic and incredibly tranquil; the only detraction was having to cut the flight a little short as, with the field mostly ringed by trees, having enough power on tap to clear them is imperative.

Nevertheless, darkness was encroaching by the time the Fox bumped over the cricket pitch for a landing, and I headed for home with the lingering delight of having experienced something special...

Fox Glider Propellor

...an interesting turn of events

From the first few flights it was apparent that, in my opinion, the little Fox was over-propped, especially running just an 1800mAh battery. Also, the R2Hobbies spinner setup is very dodgy - the inset pivots mean the props cannot fold flat as they foul the fuselage by a mile, and the prop mounts only fit a 6mm base, meaning the props have to be filed thinner to fit, weakening them considerably.

I discovered this first-hand when, landing the Fox with the prop still windmilling because of the unbraked ESC, a sudden snap indicated that one of the prop blades had given up. Consequently I've ordered a new 32mm carbon spinner and a 9.5x9 carbon folding prop to match, slightly smaller than the original prop to spin a little more freely.

I've also ordered a 25-50C 1800 nanotech battery to give the Fox a little more grunt than the pedestrian pack it's running on at the moment. However the biggest surprise came from the spare parts shelf.

Hunting around for a replacement prop, I came across some Walrus props, about 8.5 size, which I thought might do in the meantime, and filed these down to suit the Fox's mini-mounts. As well as being a bit smaller, the Walrus props are also cranked forwards which help the props to clear the body and fold better. 

Not expecting too much, in fact virtually expecting the rework white plastic blades to disintegrate at the first hint of full throttle, I was amazed at how sweetly they worked, with the Fox humming happily through the cool morning air...

Fox Glider Flypasts

...fast and fun

The little Fox is certainly no common-or-garden glider; it has real turn of speed, as well as looking beautifully elegant in the air with its slender wings and short fuselage. Once comfortable with the Fox's characteristics, which doesn't take long at all, I was able to having flying steep banks and low passes over the field at speed. 

It's remarkable that this was possible on just its second flight; a testament to just how straight and true the Fox flies. 

The only concern with the fox, as I believe, is a propensity to spin at low speed. As such, I think I'll be treating the Fox as something of a speed machine, flying it well up on power for the most part and coming straight in for landings...

Flycolor ESC Brake Setting

...so you don't break your prop

The 1.5m Fox from R2hobbies comes fitted with a 30A Flycolor ESC, the default setting of which is "unbraked". Unfortunately I only realised this as the Fox came in to land off a short approach, with the prop still busily whirring.

The Flycolor ESC is a Shen Zhen Electronics unit, with manual available here. As far as the setting the brake is concerned, it's the second noise-tone heard after you power-up the ESC, with transmitter throttle stick having been set to full "up" beforehand.

Flipping the throttle from fully "up" to "down" at this second noise-tone should change the ESC setting from "unbraked" to "braked", what you need for a glider.

Additional setting changes can be done as required, following the table on pages 5-6 of the manual...

1.5m Fox Glider First Flight

...it flies beautifully

This morning, after a rather frustrating finish to get the 1.5m Fox glider ready, principally messing around trying to install a canopy restraint, I finally had the Fox at the airfield ready to fly.

I'd set the ailerons rates fairly low (65% travel with 40% expo), having read that the full aileron travel shouldn't be more than about 6mm, and also considering that the Fox has very long ailerons, so the turning response should be sharp.

The morning was cool and calm with the sky mostly overcast with heavy clouds, perfect for trying the Fox out.

I threw the Fox up on about two-thirds throttle and it flew off pretty level although dipping a dip, needing a few inputs to the elevator while I set a few clicks of up-trim. And, with one click of aileron trim, the Fox was flying straight and true.

The one hiccup on the flight regarded the prop; while full-power in a dive it started buzzing noisily, possibly as a result of having to push the prop mount forward so the propellor blades can fold flat.

Anyway, as a result of the ESC not coming with a default brake setting which it really should for a glider, I snapped one of the prop blades on landing. This decided me on getting a new spinner and some slightly smaller blades which will better suit the motor.

With these, and up-spec batteries compared to the one I borrowed from the Floater Jet for the first flight, the I look forward to flying the Fox again..

1.5m Fox Glider Unboxing

...a nice quality kit

The R2Hobbies 1.5m Thermal Fox Glider arrives double boxed, it's plain brown box wrapped with a dense foam shell. So, as might be expected, the contents were safe and intact on opening.

R2 take care that all parts are individually bubble-wrapped, and taped in place in the box, so there's no movement during shipping to avoid damage.

The kit is very good quality overall, with the wings looking very neat with a smooth white covering and, this being the PNP version, have servos, linkages and covers all pre-installed. As far as the covering goes, the only disappointment was the tail-plane, the underside of which was seriously wrinkled, although I think this may just need a hairdryer to iron things out.

The fuselage looks of excellent quality, being lightweight and the fibreglass construction making it strong. The surface finish is very good as well. Cosmetically, the only gripe is that there is a thin unpainted stripe running down the fuselage where the halves join, the components obviously having been spray-painted before being fitted together.

Inside the fuselage, the motor is installed with bullet plugs ready to connect to the 30A ESC, likewise is the elevator servo and linkage. A foam wheel is also pre-installed, although this is not shielded inside; I wonder what the risk is of water-splash inside the the fuselage?


The only thing that looks like it needs work is the canopy, which I'm not sure will fit just like that, being just a blow-moulded plastic shell. Options to keep it on, including wire or magnets, seem hard to configure when its that thin and flexible.

The biggest issue, however, seems the incidence of the tailplane, which is apparently negative by 3mm and looking at it certainly confirms that. With this slot being machined out of the moulded tail, one wonders why R2 hasn't bothered to fix this well-known problem before...

Fox Glider

...should be good.

I've splashed out on a 1.5m PNF Fox glider, a fibreglass fuselage and balsa creation from R2Hobbies, available for the very modest sum of just over a hundred bucks all up.

So what's the catch? Well apparently there's an issue with the tail plane angled too low, causing the Fox to be nose-up which apparently causes instability. The upshot is rework required , with the full fix being cutting out the tail plane mounting slot, raising the incidence by 3mm and then filling the gap with a wedge of balsa.

A lot of work, yes, however at the end you get a speedy and maneuverable composite glider, which can also double as a speedy slope soarer.

Not a bad deal...