Raptor Sunny Clouds

...a ray of sunshine

The weather this autumn and winter has been dreadfully windy, all the more remarkable given that this is usually the stillest time of the year and the opportunity I'd taken to fly off the lake in the still afternoons.

However, there have been a few occasions when the gusting northerly has abated and yielded bejewelled afternoons, like this one.

Heading down to my usual spot, lovely cumulus decorated the vivid blue sky, the dark grey of their undersides vividly contrasting with the sparkling white of their peaks. As on the best late-afternoons, the clear horizon allowed a full spread of lush, golden sunlight to drench the lush greenery of the fields and add a sense of magical perfection to the scene.

These are my favourite flying conditions, preferred to sunny mornings or even lovely sunrises, except for when I'm suddenly wanting to capture a special moment of exceptional light, or beautiful cloud formation, or ibis flying formation.

Fortunately, in some cases such as this, I don't need to worry as I've got the video running and I can enjoy the moment. Flying the Raptor now is lovely, my favourite being it's red and white wings contrasting vividly with the blue and greys of the sky as it sweeps past...

Raptor Glider 2000. Gorgeous Clouds.

...beautiful afternoon to be in the sky

I love clouds, especially crisp fresh clouds. Or wispy clouds driven by high chill winds. But especially good are those times when you're treated to a dramatic combination of developing clouds made more dramatic, in this case, by warm afternoon glow from the opposite horizon.

The conditions were windy and a little turbulent, as you might imagine, but nothing to deter the Raptor from having a bit of fun cruising around and surfing the breeze.

Fying with such gorgeous sky scenery is a real treat, and one of those occasions on which I'm so happy to be able to get something in the sky and be a part of nature's beautiful spectacle.

Raptor Sunset Criusing

...kept on getting better

Taking the Raptor into the hills for some late afternoon sloping ended prematurely as the breeze dropped off to nothing at the approach of evening.

So, making the most of what looked to be a lovely sunset, I set the Raptor to cruising down the ridge filming our disappearing star.

It turned out to be one of those surprise sunsets which start of a little dull and then develop as the sun clears the low cloud.

As such, I kept the raptor flying laps up and down, only turning it in when the sun was just a glimmer on the horizon...

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...

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…

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...

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...

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…

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...

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...

R2Hobbies Raptor D-Box Pro 2000 Glider in the Hills.

...a lovely flight in beautiful surroundings

Having an opportunity to get into the hills I decided to pack the Raptor in the hope that I might be able to find a good spot to have a go at slope soaring, a sadly outstanding item on the RC list of things I want to do.

As it worked out I wasn't able yo find a suitable slope, however I did manage to get the Raptor out for a fly.

Having finished an enjoyable walk to a hilltop with a beautiful scenic lookout, I found a spot flat enough to get the Raptor landed. It was a beautiful afternoon with clear skies and barely a breath of wind. And, with hills in the background and rows of brilliant green pine saplings in the foreground, it was a beautiful setting.

Flying the Raptor here was actually great fun, with the thinner air meaning it flew flatter and faster, and enjoying the sun glinting off its long wings as it soared and turned in the cool afternoon air.

The awkward bit was the landing; the field wasn't all that flat and I was without flaps as the switch on my radio was broken. Also, the fluffy little saplings turned out to be much more solid than I thought, knocking one of the Raptor's tailplanes loose on landing...

R2 Hobbies Raptor Glider D-Box Pro. First Flight with Wingtip Camera.

...got there eventually



For some while, after having seen footage of wingtip cameras, I've been meaning to give this a go on one of my planes. The plane I'd choose would be the Raptor glider, given its very large wing area meaning it wouldn't be likely to miss a bit of lift from the spot occupied by the Mobius, and also it being very stable.



There was a catch however, given that I most often fly it in the morning when the grass is saturated with dew and, being a glider, the wingtips drag through the grass, meaning that the Mobius was likely to get a soaking.

However, having dallied about this for some time, I decided to bite the bullet and give it a try regardless. As regards the yaw and roll likely as a result of the bluff form of the Mobius on the wingtip, I decided on two clicks each of right rudder and aileron and, as regards keeping the Mobius dry, the mitigation was to land the Raptor as slowly as possible, with flaps deployed, and then use full right aileron as it was coming to a standstill to keep the left wingtip off the wet grass.



Throwing the Raptor into the air I was amazed that the few clicks of trim were sufficient to keep it flying straight, at least at low speed, so I was soon able to fly it with confidence that nothing untoward was going to happen. It turns out that the angle at which I set the Mobius was a little too forward-pointing so that the tail is lost from the view, which is a pity as it's nice to see the controls at work during the flight.



Nevertheless you get to see the aileron twitching right next to the camera, and the view is great, especially during loops and sharp turns, the latter particularly at low altitude as towards the end of the flight.



And so to the final hurdle; I brought the Raptor is super-slow, touched it down and hit full right aileron to keep the Mobius up as long as possible. The extra mass meant that, eventually, the camera touched the grass.



Running to retrieve it, I picked up the glider to check the Mobius; it was completely covered in dew. I gave it a quick dry-off and then stuck it atop the air vent as I drove to work, and then parked it at the back of my computer to dry out in the warm breeze. Finally, plugging it in, revealed that fortunately the Mobius was no worse for wear...

Raptor Glider with a 15ft Tail

...lovely sunrise flight

Monday was the day I had planned to take the Raptor flying, sporting a fifteen foot-long ribbon tail as a commemorative flight. However, as I've done once before, I arrived at the field to find I'd left my transmitter at home; I'd used it to set up the Stinger with its new fuselage as well as checking the Fox Glider's prop was spinning OK and left it on the desk.

What made it more disappointing was that it was a spectacularly beautiful morning, and every day since then has been windy and raining, or at least very dull and overcast.

So it was with great happiness that I arrived at the field this morning to find conditions cold and calm but, more importantly, that the resident cloud cover had broken apart enough to allow the sun through for a lovely display of sunrise.

The Fox is flying again as swiftly and beautifully as ever, although it will still spin if pushed to extremis, despite the washout I added to the tips. So now I treat it very gingerly when it's slow and low, but is otherwise a delight to fly.

And so to the big moment, flying the Raptor with a tail; I'd drilled a small hole in its ventral tail skid and looped through a strap, to which I attached the ribbon using velcro. I was a little concerned that drag of the ribbon may cause issues and that the length of it, five time the length of the glider.

As it turned out, the tail shrunk in scale as soon as the Raptor took flight, and could happily have been a couple of metres longer. Nevertheless, the rising sun made a beautiful backdrop to the flight, with the Raptor and its elegant tail reaching out to the sky in remembrance of a lovely soul...

Raptor Glider in the Cool

...beautiful tranquil morning

Hot air balloons suspended in the sky bode well for a good morning's flying, their presence indicating millpond conditions. The cloud cover was also breaking up, bringing with it the possibility of a lovely sunrise.

It was overcast at the field but, after a few minutes flying, the sun broke through the clouds and flooded the paddocks with gorgeous morning light. Bringing the Raptor in, I got the Mobius running and sent the Raptor off again, capturing the gorgeous sunrise on video.

It was an opportunity to fly the Raptor glider, now on its third outing with its new Turnigy powerplant, and get a feeling for its capabilities in calm conditions. Launching the Raptor is very easy, especially into cool morning air, as it gets up to flying speed almost as soon as it leaves your hand and, if you launch it with a little extra power, it will start climbing steeply.

This can be a little off-putting and could be countered by moving the battery forward a little, however I'm quite happy with the way it's flying so I'm going to leave it as-is. The Raptor is, as you'd expect, very stable and capable of being flown and turned at very low speeds without even a hint of stall.

This is, of course, handy as landing gliders without air brakes can be a protracted exercise, and more often than not the Raptor comfortably overshoots the designated spot and I'm turning it around for final approach part two...

Raptor Glider Thermalling. A Bit.

...trying it out

The dull grey and rain cleared early this afternoon and I was down at the field with the Raptor glider, keen to get it in the air for a more expansive run now that its new Turnigy motor had been tested.

There were a few fluffy cumulus drifting across the field in the westerly breeze so, after a few runs across the field to double check the trims, I had the Raptor climbing. Initially I had it at three-quarter cruise but, becoming impatient at the pedestrian rate of climb, I soon flipped up to full power.

The 2217 brushless motor, as I've mentioned before, is an impressive little unit, comfortably swinging the fairly large 11x6 props and with the capability to have the Raptor soaring almost straight up. With the glider diminishing rapidly, I eased off the power and, with flaps down, headed under an approaching cloud.

Now, similar to my previous experiences, I have to say that trying to thermal without a telemetry radio is rather hit and miss, with the glider that high that accurately determining its behaviour is unlikely. I did, however, manage to get the Raptor in lift for some minutes before slipping down.

I climbed the Raptor up several times before eventually calling it a day as the lift clouds passed on and the breeze stiffened. Not a spectacular success, but a pleasant afternoon's flying nonetheless...

Raptor Glider First Flight with Turnigy 1050kv

...all goes well

Today I eventually got the Raptor glider into the air again after a protracted delay while waiting for the replacement motor to arrive.

Not having flown it for a while I was a little nervous and, to add to that, flying in warm conditions contributes to a significant loss of lift, affecting even something with as much wing area as the Raptor.

Nevertheless the flight went well, with the Turnigy 2217 performing well, and providing generous power to the 11x6 prop, sufficient to keep the Raptor climbing almost vertically.

The motor is both smooth and quiet and, although I had concerns regarding the tight packaging of it in the slim fuselage, it has performed fautlessly...

Installing Turnigy 2217 1050kv Motor into Raptor Glider

...a tight fit

The replacement motor for the Raptor glider, a Turnigy 2217 1050kv unit, arrived a few days ago and I've just finished installing it into the Raptor glider.

Replacing a Phoenix motor, which has a bell mount, the Turnigy was an unexpectedly tight fit due to the motor installing straight onto the firewall, with the result that the motor cables are squeezed between the motor and the fuselage.

To move the motor back a little, and to strengthen the mount which is just 3mm ply, I glued in a second firewall which is provided as a spare with the Raptor. The motor is turning freely so I think there's just enough room for the outrunner to clear the cables. 

The downside to pushing the motor back , as I discovered when I installed the motor, is that the shaft stickout is marginal. However the spinner has tightened up and the prop is turning fine, so it might be OK...

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...

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...

Raptor Glider First Flight

...good and bad

This morning I plucked up the courage to get the Raptor Glider out for its first flight at the paddocks. The morning was eminently suitable if not spectacular; cool and overcast with a gentle northerly blowing across the field.

The Raptor was flying with a 2200 25C 3S battery and 11x6 carbon props, powered by a spare Phoenix motor I had on the spares shelf, a setup-up which should provide sufficient urge to motor the Raptor along. Not that one needs an over-powerful setup for this type of glider; with broad two-metre long wings anything exceeding a pedestrian pace will have the lightweight Raptor heading straight up with the amount of lift it generates.

The Raptor, while significantly different in construction to the Phoenix 2000, is not dissimilar in overall proportion and design, so it was fair to expect similar performance. The main difference was the V-tail which, although having flight characteristics no different to a conventional layout, is a little concerning nonetheless.

Although the CoG was spot-on, I moved the battery to the front of the tray just to be sure, based on my experiences with the big Phoenix. So, having checked the control surfaces and reassured myself once more that the V-tail controls were really moving the right way, I powered up the motor ready to go.

The Raptor was instantly tugging at my hand, straining to be let free, so with a touch more power and a good throw, the big glider slid into the air. My immediate reaction was how gently it flew and, after a few seconds, that one needed to be careful on the power as it was nosing straight up, just like the Phoenix 2000. 

Dropping the power and levelling it off had the Raptor cruising slowly over the paddocks, my unease over the V-tail having dissipated with it behaving quite normally in all respects, except that I needed to adjust again to the slow roll rate of such big wings.

Things were going along peacefully until an ominous rattle was heard from the prop, so I cut power and glided down the raptor. Although I didn't manage to get much flying in, this brief opportunity to glide it showed just how well it flies, appearing to have an excellent glide angle and very stable manners.

A quick check under the hood once the Raptor was down revealed, rather startlingly, that the motor had come loose despite the mounting bolts still being well secure. It appears that the motor came loose from the bell mounting, perhaps the fault of a loose grub screw, despite it being brand new...