Canadair on the Duckpond

...finally flying off the pond

The field where I often fly was prone to flooding at the southern end; an event which occasioned the influx of birds of all kinds and the occasional kangaroo something for a splash.

However, unfortunately the sports club didn't share my enthusiasm at an inundated playing field and so instituted an engineered solution to pump the flood waters away. Happily, after a year or so, this fiendish system has failed, heralding a triumphant return of the ephemeral pond.

I had often been tempted to get something flying off the pond but for some reason never got around to it. However, for once, I managed to get to the field with a float plane while the pond was still full and when the weather was OK, in this case with the Canadair.

Unfortunately, as far as the video was concerned, the sun dipped away behind the clouds just as I the Canadair hit the water, so the video quality was frustratingly compromised. Despite that technical hiccup, the flying was a success, making the wait worthwhile...

Canadair on the Lake.

...an afternoon cruise

It's not often that I get to the lake; access is restricted so it's only on nice afternoons when it's not to windy. And only on a few couple of days a week.

On this particular afternoon things were looking good, so I arrived at the lake only to find that it was pretty windy.

Now the Canadair is a very capable and stable flyer, but I'm nervous about mishaps on water, necessitating getting my inflatable rescue craft out, blowing it up before paddling across the lake you're not supposed to go boating on.

Anyway, I decided to fly nonetheless and, fortunately, things went fine. The water wasn't too rough nor the wind too gusty, so I had a pleasant afternoon cruising the Canadair around and doing takeoffs and landing without having to call the rescue squad...

Canadair CL-415 1390mm. Flypasts

...cruising past

A pair of paragliders were heading back to the far field, so I headed the Canadair there with onboard camera, hoping to get some nice footage. Unfortunately I didn't judge the closing distance too well and turned the Canadair back when it was still well off, the paragliders unresolved dots in the distance.

For the rest of the time I just cruised the Canadair around doing flypasts, enjoying the lovely afternoon. After returning from its initial sortie, I took off the camera and then hand launched it to conserve the battery for a bit more cruising around.

The resulting video was then a little unexciting, so I decided to play around with it a little, adding in some flash-forwards and colour-to-mono fades. Completing this slightly experimental video was a backing track with a little attitude, dramatic hip-hop according to YouTube.

Anyway, I had enjoyed creating the video...

Canadair CL-415 1390mm. Scenic Outing at the Little Lake

...a bit more successful

Following on from my rather unsuccessful previous expedition to the lake, I returned a week later with the Canadair again for another attempt.
I find flying off water to be rather stressful, due mainly to the inconvenience of failure, namely having to the boat out to rescue the plane and then pack it all up again. As a consequence I am much more nervous and therefore tend to fly much worse than otherwise.

The Canadair is easy to fly and I can generally fly it off the grass, not dissimilar in nature to taking off from water, with little issue. The takeoffs on this occasion were, happily, more successful although most were still a little nervy and one, which didn't make it into the video, was absolutely awful.

One contributing factor is that you don't always get to stand near the plane like you do at the field, and as a result you are literally distanced. I probably should've just gone to the large lake where I could have launched from right next to the jetty. However the little lake looked so scenic with the clouds in the afternoon sun..

CL-415 Canadair 1390mm. Field Takeoffs & Landings.

...cruising on a beautiful morning

Winter can be a bit challenging when it comes to flying with grey rainy days and dull mornings. However, one bonus it that you do get to see sunrises, when they happen.

Taking the Canadair to the field the other day I was treated to a lovely sunrise, made more enjoyable by having the Canadair to cruise around.

As usual, if there's something worthwhile I get the camera out, and in this case put it on top the Canadair to get an elevated view of the sunrise. And, for a bit of extra fun, included a couple of takeoffs and landings in the flight...

Canadair Flips on Takeoff...and Survives!

bad and good...

The other day, after a long hiatus, I finally got the Canadair back to the big lake to have a bit of a fly. The big lake is good for its large expanse of water, meaning less issues with dodging trees or having to constantly turn.

Being a large expanse of water does however mean that it does pick up more of a breeze though, due to the large expanse of open water. Nevertheless, on the afternoon, there was a moderate westerly blowing in, noticeable but not sufficient to unduly affect the water.

So I got the Canadair ready to fly and, at the last minute, decided to shift the battery back a little to help with the landings, where I kept on finding I didn't have enough elevator to float it in for gentle touch-downs.

All ready then, and I hit power with full elevator to get the Canadair on the plane. Unfortunately, the combination of the fresh westerly and th enow nose-light Canadair meant that, as soon as it begun to rotate it just kept on lifting and, quickly reaching a stall, the left wing dropped and dipped into the lake.

So, within a second of hitting the throttle, the Canadair was floating upside down, both motors immersed in the water. I didn't feel like getting the inflatable out, so I waited for the breeze to transport the Canadair to the far side of the lake.

Finally fishing it out of the lake a leisurely quarter of an hour later, the Canadair had shipped just a smidgen of water, and the receiver and ESC's were all dry and safe, ready to go again...

Canadair 415 Unboxing

...what's in the box of the Water Bomber

The Canadair 415 comes very well packaged is a sturdy cardboard box, and lifting the lid reveals all items individually wrapped and secured.  It's no surprise then that everything survived the long trim without any sign of damage.

The Canadair is supplied ARF, so motors, ESC's and servos need to be provided. Also, there's no ESC lead included either, so I'd suggest getting an ESC set to avoid a lot of trouble.

The main components, wings and fuselage, are all very nicely moulded and come already painted and with decals applied. This being my first experience with EPS (polystyrene as opposed to polyolefin EPO), the delicateness of the foam and slightly dusty finish are a little disappointing, but everything is nevertheless of a good level of finish. 

The wings have integrated plywood joining spars, but strengthening comes from strut wires attached to plywood mounts on the side of the fuselage. As this is not part of the actual plane I'm planning to add carbon wing joiners to avoid the bracing wire.

The kit provides stick motor mounts, literally short pieces of square dowel to fit into the nacelles, but no mount is provided to fit the motor to the stick.

The battery compartment is located in the cockpit area, with generous amounts of room and a pre-installed plywood tray with a battery strap. There's also heaps of room back in the fuselage for installing the receiver and ESC's.

The tail sections need to be glued in place; a tube of glue is provided but I think I might use superglue to be sure of the bond. Note that, this being EPS, you'll need foam-safe glue to avoid melting the foam...

Between Sunrise and Rain

...changeable and ephemeral

This morning I was treated to a beautiful sunrise en-route to the field, however by the time I arrived the beautiful morning show of pastels had faded. Nevertheless, the light was good and I have the Canadair sweeping into the sky in no time.

L

It's flight was cut a little short, however, by the arrival of a shower so, landing it quickly, I hurriedly powered up the Rarebear and let it rip for a quick blast, hopefully before things got too damp.

With tubby exercised and gliding in for a beautiful touchdown, I headed back to the car to dry off my radio, which I don't think appreciated the rain...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Canadair New Motors

...more speed!

I fitted the Canadair with three-blade props of 7x4.5 on the basis that dropping a size from the standard 8" twin-blade props is recommended. However, in this case, the originals are big paddle-props so a change to regular three-blade props of the same size would probably have been a better equivalency.

An issue with the bearings in one of the motors, which I was unable to remove for replacement, had me shopping for new motors and I came across the more powerful 250W version of the specified motor. Being the same size and weight, although with a lower quoted current draw, it seemed a natural choice, now that I had a better appreciation for the performance of the Canadair having flown it.

Also, given that the 7x4.5 props were undersized for the original motor, the higher kV rating, 1650 vs 1400, suits them very well, and the Canadair seems happy with the new combination and generates an impressive turn of speed at full throttle...

Trainstar. Back on the Ground

...and still a handful to fly

The advent of warmer weather, combined with access to the lake being restricted, meant that it had been a long time since I'd flown the Trainstar floatplane and, feeling rather sorry for it hanging around in the study, I decided to take it off the floats and restore it to it's original undercarriage.

A simple process of removing four bolts and unplugging the added rudder servo had the floats off, and the the aluminium undercarriage strut was quickly back in place. Whereas on the floats the Trainstar looked rather diminutive, with the undercarriage it looks positively oversized, making me think I should get a pair of outsized wheels for it, bush-plane style.

At the field the next day, on a rather dull grey morning, the Trainstar was soon launched and into the air. For some reason the elevator needed a lot of up-trim, however this was soon sorted in flight although I brought it in just to check that nothing was awry. Satisfying myself that everything was OK, I gunned the motor and had the Trainstar straggling into the air, its left wing dipping towards the turf as ever.

The one change I made was to fix the tailwheel, and I found that this helped it to track straight on take-off, something I'd discovered similarly when I added the rudder servo which helped keep things on an even keel, literally, during takeoff with much better control than the cable system ever could.

Having the Trainstar now flying a bit more evenly, I was amazed at how difficult it is to fly. I think I've remarked before that it's quite engaging because of it's idiosyncrasies. It is, but also quite frustrating when you're just wanting to cruise something around the field without having to be on guard at every move.

This is especially evident after having been flying the Canadair which, also having the same wingspan, is completely easy to fly and as docile as you could wish, while still looking like a character plane and having capability for some aerobatics.

Nevertheless, it's good to have the Trainstar back in service, and I'm going to be working to get familiar with its characteristics again so that it's less baffling and more enjoyable to fly...

Canadair Hand Launch

...just so easy

I took the Canadair to the field again this morning, cool and calm before a warming and windy afternoon. I'd previously flown the Canadair off the field however, being of a fairly delicate EPS construction, one launch and landing off the grass had already managed to remove the paint from the sea-plane's hull. So I decided to give hand launching a go.

Although a large and somewhat awkward to hold plane, the Canadair is quite light and generates an abundance of lift in addition to possessing an excess of thrust. Still, not quite sure how it was going to behave being launched in this manner, I set it at at a little over half throttle and gave it a moderate throw.

To my surprise, the Canadair took to the air seamlessly, its broad wings and plenty of prop wash setting it off as if it hadn't been stationary in my hand a second before. The more I fly this plane the more I am enjoying it; it's very relaxed to fly, can turn on a ticky and possesses a lovely presence as it heads towards you, its dark nose dipped down a little...

Canadair on Grass

Cool, man...

With access to the lake somewhat restricted, I decided to give the Canadair a go at the field. I'd seen a few videos showing it was possible, but still wasn't quite sure how this venture was going to work.

As it turned out it works fine, although quite different to flying from water. In fact almost the opposite! Unlike on the water where modest amounts of throttle will get the plane moving and resistance builds up until it gets on the plane, on grass there is no movement until the considerable friction is overcome.

Moving the throttle past the halfway mark with no signs of movement, I was certainly considering that this wasn't going to work when, at about two-thirds power, the Canadair suddenly broke loose and quickly started to move across the grass. Of course, with that much throttle, as soon as friction is overcome, the acceleration is brisk, so the Canadair was airborne within seconds, gliding sweetly into the cool morning air.

Flying the Canadair at the field was actually pretty groovy, with lots of space and the ability to do low fly-pasts which isn't always possible at the lake with its border of trees. And quite fun getting to know the flying characteristics of the big water bomber in a safe environment.

As you would expect, with that much wing area and the proliferation of fences and stabilisers, it is slow and steady, although sharp turns are quite possible with the assistance of differential thrust, much like vectored thrust..

Canadair at the Big Lake

...on a warm windy day

Access to the lake is a bit restricted and, along with variables of weather thrown in, the opportunities of actually getting a plane on the lake are not brilliant. So, despite it being a warm and windy afternoon, I headed past the lake just in case.

It turned out that it wasn't that windy, although the lake surface was covered with ripples. In the end I opted for a partially sheltered spot between some willow trees and decided to give the Canadair a go. The rougher water caused some problems with the wing floats, as would be expected, and I had some issues with the Canadair turning because one float was still on the water.

Nevertheless, I still managed to get the Canadair airborne and flying without incident, although the strong wind made it more of a reactive flying session than anything else. Landings, however, were a breeze with the Canadair descending almost vertically to literally plop down onto the water.

Although slow and stable, the Canadair still needed careful watching in the wind, with its large wing area and so many winglets and stabilisers making crosswind effects more pronounced.

So a bit more experience with the Canadair, but the take-offs still need some work. But at least its fairly easy to fly. Next time, perhaps some aerobatics...

Canadair 415 Float Mod

...the last piece of the puzzle

The Canadair 415 has been somewhat of a trying exercise; first the several hurdles in getting it built and then the issues on the water, namely non-functional rudder, researching proportional thrust and then, finally, figuring out how to launch it without the wing floats diving into the lake.

The solution for the latter was, fortunately, quite simple, requiring just a few millimetres (I took off five) trimmed off the front of the float-mount to increase the angle of incidence of the float. I'd actually considered doing this up-front but had decided to try it out unmodified.

The default configuration may work, but only in mill-pond conditions in my opinion, as the scale-float cannot manage even the most modest ripples ,which simply wash over the float and causing it to immediately submarine.

As I said, I randomly chose a 5mm trim which has worked fine, although I have seen videos where the floats have been tilted significantly more than that. I think it's a matter of "horses-for-courses", however I think that some increase in incidence is required to avoid frustration...

Flying the Canadair

...at last

All the planets, including Pluto, finally aligned to provide an opportunity to get the Canadair in the air. All flight modifications had been completed, with the water rudder deleted, differential thrust programmed and the wing-float angle modified. All this with a plane I'd got as an easy-flying companion to the touchy Trainstar floatplane!

It was a lovely spring afternoon with just a moderate south westerly breeze as I turned into the still-open gates to the lake. Unpacking the Canadair I wasted no time in getting it onto the water, first trying a few mock takeoff runs which showed that the wing-float modification was working a charm, allowing the Canadair to run up to planing speed without risk of submarining.

However, realising that I was on the wrong side of the lake for the breeze, I left the Canadair floating mid-stream and sprinted to the the other side of the lake at a moderate pace. Finding the Canadair still out of the weeds, I taxied it over and lined it up for takeoff.

The first attempt was both alarming and laughable. Running the Canadair up to speed with full elevator, as I do to prevent the Trainstar from nosing in, the plane lept almost vertically into the air, dropping a wing in the process. Over-correcting, it then lurched in the opposite direction before finally flopping down onto the lake, its airspeed exhausted.

Trying again with just a touch of elevator had the Canadair executing a perfect lift-off, blurring the line between floating and flying as it eased off the water. As with the Trainstar, finally getting the Canadair into the air was a major achievement, although actually flying it was a breeze. Unlike it's companion, the Canadair is light and highly powered, making it easy to fly. Its abundance of stabilisers, winglets and large control surfaces also makes it easy to control.

Landing it was also pretty easy, again being light it slows down very quickly and, being low to the water, is pretty stable. So, now that it's all set up, I'm now looking forward to some relaxed flying with the Canadair...

Canadair Takeoff Technique

...a few issues to address

I decided to get the Canadair as a companion for the Trainstar floatplane, a well-recommended twin-engined flying boat, high-powered unlike the marginally-powered Trainstar in floatplane guise, which should be easy to launch and relaxing to fly.

Well, after several visits to the lake I can attest to the former not being the case, certainly for the uninitiated, and that I have therefore, unfortunately, not been in a position to enjoy the latter.

There are a few tricks, it seems, that one needs to know. I haven't yet been able to test or master these, however I have an inkling on what needs to be done to get this boat flying.

Wing Floats
Problem - the wings floats leave a gap to the water and, therefore, the wings are initially tipped to one side. Unfortunately getting the wings level involves a conundrum; the ailerons are ineffective at low speeds and, if you attempt to speed up to remedy this, the wing floats end up submarining and causing the Canadair to execute a handbrake turn. 
Solution - trim a 5mm wedge off the wing float mounts to increase the angle of incidence of the float. This makes the float less likely to plough under the water during takeoff.

Take-off Run
Problem - as above, so many of the successful launches I've seen are executed with a very short takeoff run. Those that have a longer run are either done in absolutely calm water conditions or are marginal/unsuccessful.
Solution - get the Canadair moving and then quickly increase the power. The effect of this is to cause sudden downforce on the elevator before the Canadair speeds up much, effectively pushing the back into the water and getting it onto the plane almost immediately. Additionally this same effect means the front of the wing floats is rotated up by the same effect, supplementing the incidence modification as described above.

I think there is a knack to the latter solution; I have managed to get it planing in this manner but have aborted the launch due to concerns of the wing floats digging in and causing a crash (splash). I am hopeful, however, that with the wing float modification and a bit of practice, that my next attempt will be more successful...