Piney woods. Yelp, that's Alabama talk, too...just some folks don't
understand it.<g> The difference in temps may actually have a seasonal
variance, too. When the grass dies in the winter and lightens it's color
the difference in temps of the dark green pines and the dead grass should
create a larger difference. ???
Well, the site has the slope to the south, prevailing winds come from the
SW. There's a long bottom running in the...bottom. The bottom is aligned a
touch SW so the winds do appear to have a channel that they can follow to
the small ridge. In flying the stunt kites, the crest of the ridge is the
best area for some fun. Good wind there...when there's wind. More wind in
spring and fall.
Now, as for as wind goes...it's sporadic here in south Alabama...wouldn't be
a good place for RE windpower. This summer has been rather turbulent with
the weather systems that we've had...thunderstorms, etc.,. I guess, as far
as wind goes, disregarding approaching storms, we have as a rule mostly
gentle winds...much lighter than gulf/ocean breezes.
My experience is VERY limited. Last Sunday I flew a "Shun Da Accipiter
Badius" that I got off eBay. Not your quality plane, mind you, but it flew!
Actually it flew the first time I launched it, but of course not knowing
what I was doing it was on the ground pretty quick. I launched several
times more and had some minor groundings. It was went I got a bit higher
that the problems started.
The first time I pulled the nose out of the ground and got the dirt off the
prop I noticed a little compression damage and the canopy had popped off.
But, even with the canopy off we launched again. This time I flew it around
the field for probably 5 minutes and then started gaining altitude. I was
beginning to get the knack of it...yeah boy, you can do it!
About that time I must have got into the upper airstream....musta been at
least 30 miles high! But, I hit turbulence and the un-canopied battery
jumped out of place and was hanging underneath the plane. Immediately I
started hollering MAYDAY MAYDAY ...___... ...___... and though kinda
awkward, continued to fly. But, alas, we hit more strong wind...the reknown
"Accipiter Badius" bowed it's wing back like a hawk going in for a chipmunk
and it was "EJECT EJECT!!!".
Too late...the plane started a semi-spiraled nose dive, just screaming to
spear the ground...and it did. Ever notice how a plane sticking nose first
into the ground kinda looks like a tombstone cross? Flying was over with
my Chinese plane for the day...one of the battery leads had been snatched
loose from the battery pack. Got back home, glued some of the styrofoam
packing innards back together, resoldered the battery lead, straightened
out some of the crumpled fuse, and cleaned the dirt and grass out of the
prop. Still need to put some strapping tape on the wings and it'll be ready
for the weekend...my kite-flying buddy is dropping in for the weekend! :)
Now why I made you read through all of that, I don't know, I'm a grown
man...maybe I've been at work to long. But, that's my flying experience. I
think most of my problem was in a newbie over-controlling. I figure I can
fly that plane into the ground (that didn't sound good and besides I've
already done that a time or two) before I put a nicer one in the air. I
guess you could say that I bought this little plane figuring it's finite
life expectancy.
I probably should have looked a little further before I bought the Shun Da
and looked harder at the foamies, but hopefully the plane will live long
enough for me to get the hang of things.
Well, I'm leaning towards the Spectra...it seems more simple than using the
high start, but yet the use of the high start sounds interesting, too.
Thanks for the tip on using the high-start...I had thought just what you
mentioned..."I can pull it back just a little bit to see how it works...".
Wow, that would have been rather, er, amusing is not the word I'm looking
for, but I think you know what I mean.
Sounds like you've got a good son...and one that definitely wanted to keep
Dad interested! :)
I think your right on your thoughts about the Spectra suiting me better. I
can start out easy with powered flight figuring out manuvering and then
start working on my gliding and chasing thermals. Yelp, I've about come to
the same conclusion.
Thanks a lot for the tip on the thermals tilting...I hadn't thought about
that.
Now comes the question of....
With the Spectra what type of radio/servo system would be best? Standard
or mini servos? Best places to buy the electronics at? I really wouldn't
mind getting a fairly good radio...4-5 channel in case I decide to use it
with other planes down the road, but nothing extravagant. For now, I'm
figuring on the ARF.
Thanks,
Ed
(the crumpled accipter will fly again!)
--
Post by intheswamp00Post by intheswamp00Howdy Casey. I think my wording was a little askew in my remark about the
wing-loading. I did take it to be that the Spirit would be the better
thermal flier, being lighter. I'm somewhat leaning towards the Spirit
but
Post by intheswamp00getting it up in the air has me concerned. Is a high start difficult to
make work for a beginner doing it on his own? Now, I know that the
general
Post by intheswamp00consensus is to go to a club somewhere and get an instructor, and I can
see
Post by intheswamp00the wisdom in that, but in my case time is very much at a
premium...trying
Post by intheswamp00Post by intheswamp00to run a business by myself that my father, brother, and I ran just a very
few years ago... Things change quickly. I'm simply looking to grab some
time on the weekend, drive across the road to a hay field and (hopefully)
fly.
I fly kites some and have sailed some small sailboats in the past...I
really
Post by intheswamp00like the idea of unpowered flight...just the sound of the wind and air.
The area I have to fly in is about 45 acres of hayfield and it is also
the
Post by intheswamp00top of a large hill. It's basically in the center of a pine plantation
with
Post by intheswamp00the southside of the hayfield sloping down. Would you think there's
enough
Post by intheswamp00difference in temperature between these two surfaces to create thermals
in
Post by intheswamp00a
Post by intheswamp00somewhat consistent manner? The buzzards do seem to like the area.
In regards to the buzzards...it seems I'm on a constant look-out for them
here lately!
My thought is the thermals will be generated by the temperature
differences between the hayfield and the piney woods (Texas Talk).
If the hill is more than just a knob, like maybe a ridgeback, and if the
wind blows mostly into the side of the ridge and not parallel, you might
have a good slope soaring chance. Here again, if the winds are just light
breezes, the Spirit will work best. On the other hands, if the breezes are
enough to fly a stunt kite, the heavier Spectra might be the best. It
depends on the energy involved. You can always add ballast to the Spirit. I
carry a few Bull Durham bags of lead shot in my kit. I once saw a flyer tape
a 12-inch pipe wrench to the bottom of his glider to make it heavy enought
to fly off a cliff in California.
The answer to the Hi-Start question revolves around your experience. You
haven't said anything about that, but your first post hints of some exposure
to the hobby. If you don't some experience, the first launch will rapidly
fill your bladder. You can expect the ship to bolt almost straight up when
you turn loose! Don't get trapped into thinking you'll just pull it back a
little bit the first couple of times. Without enough energy in the launch,
the hook won't release and a crash is almost inevitable.
I know you've done a lot of looking at the Spirit and Spectra and they
are fine ships. I have three Spirits (well, one that's flyable, anyway). But
have you considered a foamie, an EPP glider? The basic indestructability of
a foamie makes it well worth the extra cost of another ship. My grandson
ploughed my TG-3 straight in from about 40 feet up. I straighten the wings
and launched it a minute later. I've bounced it off hockey goal posts and
fence post and a utility pole. It is the ugliest ship at the field, but it
still flies.
I've seen a lot of discouraged newcomers spend more time repairing
gas-bags than flying them. It happened to me. I was ready to quit but my son
wouldn't let me. He kept repairing the wings, gluing on the rudders,
splicing the horizontal stabilizers and dragging me back to the field. We
were doing it alone, without an instructor to help. If we'd had a foamie,
we'd have had a lot more fun, a lot quicker.
That said, the Spectra will probably suit you better than the Spirit to
start with.
By the way, the thermals the buzzards are riding are being created up
wind from where they are. The higher they are and the stronger the breeze
the more the thermal tilts downwind. Go upwind to find the thermal at the
ground level.
Have Fun!