Walrus Beautiful Afternoon Flight

...mining the archive

Although I no longer have the Walrus glider, I have plenty of videos from when I used to frequently fly it with the trusty 720p wingcam. Much of the video I uploaded to my YouTube Channel in its raw state, however there are also quite a few videos that have remained in digital storage.

Having a bit of a lull, I decided to go through these for some rough gems, and the first I looked at was this one, of the Walrus having an outing on an absolutely exquisite sunny afternoon, something especially appreciated watching now as we approach winter.

So I've edited it a little, the full flight being a luxurious eighteen minutes, and set it to some music which I really enjoyed listening to whilst I compiled the video... 

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...

Flight Before The Storm

...and something of a record

Another flyable morning, which must be something of a record! Last night was very windy as a cold front approached from the south west, bringing rain and cold temperatures for the weekend. Luckily though, the winds abated to the gentlest of northerly breezes this morning, perfect for getting the Walrus into the air.

As per the usual routine I did a lot of slow cruising around the paddock, some low fly-pasts and a few loops and rolls. Being more confident now in the robustness of the RC link, as well as better at gauging the aircraft's orientation at distance, I extended the flight envelope sending the Walrus further to the industrialised north, then towards the dark forests of the south and up into the rising hills of the east, where the kangaroos play. I also flew a few camera-runs over the wildlife, making sure not to get too close but hoping to get some nice footage of them enjoying their breakfast.

Flying with the slight breeze is quite fun - going into the wind you can gain altitude quickly while  going downwind allows brisk cross-country flight. Also, approaches  across the wind look so good as you can see the plane drifting down with the breeze as it comes into the field.

When doing aerobatics I have been giving the Walrus full throttle to build up speed gain height, however I must say that I find the full-throttle performance a little underwhelming, with increased noise from the propeller seeming to be the main effect.

I'm growing increasingly interested to try out the 10x6 carbon blades I bought, as I think the slightly larger diameter will be beneficial and I'm hoping the profile will be more effective than the white units standard with the kit. They are shipping in from Hong Kong which takes forever, so we still have to be patient a little while longer...

Slow Cruising

...flaps-down flying transforms the Walrus

This morning I took the Walrus for a suburban fly. Having managed to avoid the lamp-posts last week, I managed to find a deserted sports field without any major obstructions. Three fields in length it offered enough room to fly but, being only the width of a small soccer field, wasn't very roomy.

This was the perfect opportunity to try the Walrus in slow-fly mode with the flaps adjusted to about twenty degrees or so (I haven't actually measured the angle). To be on the safe side, I launched the plane with the flaps up so I could have it flying before putting them down so as to avoid any nasty launch surprises.

With the Walrus up a little, I set the flaps down and was pleasantly surprised at the transformation, with the plane becoming a slow flying floater, just like the Floater. In fact I'd say overall it's better because it doesn't have the pitching effect that can make the Floater awkward. Just smooth, slow and very stable.

I was joined by a hot air balloon, which drifted slowly across the field and lined up for a landing in the field across the road. I took the Walrus up for a look but, with the balloon still quite high and having decided to avoid any risk to my now-lone glider, I didn't get too close.



I had hoped to get some interesting video out of this but, unfortunately, I didn't press the record button properly, so when the Walrus landed I found that the camera, having nothing to do, had kindly turned itself off.

However, when later checking to see whether it was still working, I did get a cute video of our giant cat licking the wing camera...

Walrus Flies a Goal

...and a smooth landing

Grey clouds hung heavily in the morning sky, with just a int of colour showing through above the horizon. Not the most spectacular dawn, however the morning was still and cool, perfect for flying which was great!

The kangaroos were on the field in force this morning, grazing on the pitch. They seemed a little less shy this morning, hanging around near the fence as I prepared the Walrus. However the noise of the propellor revving up for launch was a bit much for them, and they had hopped off to join their friends in the paddock by the time the Walrus had cleared the fence.

I had a few good flights this morning, just easy circuits with a few low passes nearby. I also managed some good landings, without flaps though, as I still haven't changed the settings for the flaps.

One thing I have been missing is the relaxed floatiness of the Flyer. That's not to say I don't like the Walrus - it's a great straight flyer without the pitching characteristic of the Floater. However the Floater does produce magic when it floats silently past you, seemingly weightless.

I've just been considering flying the Walrus with flaps (on a reduced travel, perhaps twenty degrees). I think this might give the best of both worlds, clean flight for straight balanced handling, and flaps deployed for slow, floaty relaxed cruising. If the weather permits I think I'll give that a go tomorrow.

On the last flight this morning the Walrus flew a goal, flying its approach through the posts, a first for me...