I got the E-Flite UMX Carbon Cub in yeaterday, but due to fall sunsets and having to charge the batteries I had to put off the maiden until today. I carried it to the field and, being that the parking lot beside it still had cars on it, I hand launched. I put it at three quarters power and it slid gracefully up and away from the gentle toss. I had to correct for the slightest amount of torque roll but then she was flying straight level and oh so neat with no trimming needed.
I let her get about fifty feet up before banking back around to me, and being that it was at dusk the lights were noticeable and added to the experience. I took it for a few circuits around, and though I swore I would save anything interesting for the second battery, I had to take it for a loop to a wing over then a full roll, it did it all with no issues. (I forgot to flick on high rates even on the second battery so tomorrow should be even more interesting.)
Finally, I took it higher and tried the flaps, it pitched up fast and even with some down input it was uncomfortably hard to control, I guess that'll take some practice. I have the mix set to add down elevator but it was still an odd feeling. It'll get better. None-the-less, I did not even attempt to land with flaps so I put it in the grass as gently as possible ending in a harmless nose over.
I gave each battery four minutes on the timer and will try five tomorrow, I hope to get six to seven out of each battery, but I'll start by keeping it close for the last minute, I don't want to be too far away to hear the pulsing if it starts.
I still say the Champ is the way to start, and I would say this is my choice for a second... but I do like the micros, I guess some would prefer the larger Apprentice or HZ Supercub. ( I might get one or the other next just because I have little else to do.
Happy flying.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Nice evening for flying
The wind dies down and I strolled over to the field with my Champ, Corsair, and Spitfire to get them all some airtime. I found that I need to open the Spitfire up because I think there is a loose battery wire, I notice before I would have to hook the battery up a couple of times before it would bind, after one flight it gave up on me. The corsair, after a recent repair seems tail heavy and rather than break it up any more it became a Champ kind of night.
I do love the high wing planes when I'm not trying to be fancy. I enjoy my two warbirds and love watching them go by at eye level, as well as the most relaxing part of this hobby is the fact that I am concentrating on flying rather than thinking about work, or the house, or what my sixteen year old is out doing now that she is driving, and these planes take a lot more concentration than the Champ. But still, the Champ requires just enough concentration to where you can still take your eyes off it, or fly it one handed while vaping a bit without starting to think about other things. I hope the Carbon Cub gives me the same satisfaction.
I spent the sunset zipping around above the trees, low and slow under the branches, and touch and going in the administration building parking lot beside the field. As it got dark I went back to my yard where I know the edges of the trees better until I was flying by the red glow in the nose. I put dinner in the oven and swapped the Champ for my Night Vapor and got another twenty minutes in before heading in to eat.
The Vapor did its funny thing again, where it nose dives on its own and no input will recover. This has happened three times but this was the first time that control didn't come back before it hit the ground. Good thing is that full speed nose first into the ground caused 0 damage. That plane is indestructible. I might buy a second one and let the little kid next door have at it, that would be a true torture test. (I feel like Mr. Wilson most times.)
I thought I might add for any ultra micro lovers out there that, if like me you have nowhere to safely store your planes and are tired of stacking boxes every time you want to get a plane out, I found that one of these works great.
The landing gear hooks over a middle rack and the fuse settles down over one of the lower outer ones. I can fit 6 on a side safely and my DX6I hangs safely by the handle on the top corner. Just a suggestion.
I do love the high wing planes when I'm not trying to be fancy. I enjoy my two warbirds and love watching them go by at eye level, as well as the most relaxing part of this hobby is the fact that I am concentrating on flying rather than thinking about work, or the house, or what my sixteen year old is out doing now that she is driving, and these planes take a lot more concentration than the Champ. But still, the Champ requires just enough concentration to where you can still take your eyes off it, or fly it one handed while vaping a bit without starting to think about other things. I hope the Carbon Cub gives me the same satisfaction.
I spent the sunset zipping around above the trees, low and slow under the branches, and touch and going in the administration building parking lot beside the field. As it got dark I went back to my yard where I know the edges of the trees better until I was flying by the red glow in the nose. I put dinner in the oven and swapped the Champ for my Night Vapor and got another twenty minutes in before heading in to eat.
The Vapor did its funny thing again, where it nose dives on its own and no input will recover. This has happened three times but this was the first time that control didn't come back before it hit the ground. Good thing is that full speed nose first into the ground caused 0 damage. That plane is indestructible. I might buy a second one and let the little kid next door have at it, that would be a true torture test. (I feel like Mr. Wilson most times.)
I thought I might add for any ultra micro lovers out there that, if like me you have nowhere to safely store your planes and are tired of stacking boxes every time you want to get a plane out, I found that one of these works great.
The landing gear hooks over a middle rack and the fuse settles down over one of the lower outer ones. I can fit 6 on a side safely and my DX6I hangs safely by the handle on the top corner. Just a suggestion.
Three months from the beginning
I have recently started flying RC planes and felt like documenting the things I learn, maybe to help others looking to start not make my same mistakes, maybe just because I get bored sometimes when the winds are heavy.
When I was young I loved the thought of RC, but it was not financially feasible for me to get into it. By the time I was, life and living it had already driven it from my mind.
A few months ago my nephews birthday had me wandering the aisles looking for a present when I came across an Airhogs Hawk Eye plane. It was a 2 channel foamie with a built in camera. On his birthday we took it out, watched the video and in general had a great time. I made it back by the store on the way home and picked up another one.
Flying a 2 channel toy from Wal-mart was short lived, but beneficial. I learned to be gentle on the sticks and that small adjustments translate to large movements of the plane. Within a week I was getting the short range plane up and out of range easily and wanted both more range and more control. 2 channel gives you throttle and left and right, elevation comes from heading into the wind and adjusting the throttle along with the bob of the plane.
I hit the net looking for two things, a plane I could completely control and that could carry a camera. I searched a bit and landed on hobbyking where I loaded my cart with a Bixler rtf (ready to fly), a way too expensive camera and a few other accessories. This shopping trip ended when I saw the shipping was about $50. I am a cheap shipping kind of guy so I rolled looking at different videos of planes and on board cameras before settling on what seemed to me to be the best combo, a Hobbyzone Firebird Stratos and a $10 808 keychain camera, which everyone seemed to be using.
Looking back I wish I had skipped the camera, it was fun for a bit, but being that I flt in the same spot, there was little need to film over and over. This would have allowed me to get what I think should have been my first plane, rather than my second. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the Stratos and as seen above, it was steady from the start. My problem was, as you can see, I did not have quite the field to fly as a beginner. It was necessary to get it up above the trees rather quick, then you had to keep it close, or lose it behind the trees (This is why I no longer have it). You will also forever have to use the little red controller with it as nothing else will bind to it.
My second plane should have been my first, and that is the Hobbyzone Champ. One reason for this is it is ultra micro, which means that slightly too small for a beginner field becomes a huge flying area. After getting comfortable with it I fly it in my yard with no issues. The transmitter, while similar to the Stratos controller, can bind any Parkzone / E-flite BNF plane. For those who are wondering, even though the Champ is 3 channel, the controller binds and works with 4 channel. It is also cheap, 90 bucks gets you in the air. I suggest ordering a replacement tail as it is fragile and, after repairing many times while learning, you will want to replace it. Also hit Wal-mart and get a low temp hot glue gun, repair and in the air in a few minutes. I ended up rebuilding the whole plane (minus the electronics, which were fine) once I beat the hell out of it trying to do more than I should have been doing at my level. This only ran about $30 to replace all of the foam.
The Champ can fly slow , that is a big benefit to a starter. If you want to fly fast, learn to fly first, crawl, walk, run is the name of the game. These guys are goofy, but they have the right idea for your first flights. There are 4 videos that will help you crawl.
When I was young I loved the thought of RC, but it was not financially feasible for me to get into it. By the time I was, life and living it had already driven it from my mind.
A few months ago my nephews birthday had me wandering the aisles looking for a present when I came across an Airhogs Hawk Eye plane. It was a 2 channel foamie with a built in camera. On his birthday we took it out, watched the video and in general had a great time. I made it back by the store on the way home and picked up another one.
Flying a 2 channel toy from Wal-mart was short lived, but beneficial. I learned to be gentle on the sticks and that small adjustments translate to large movements of the plane. Within a week I was getting the short range plane up and out of range easily and wanted both more range and more control. 2 channel gives you throttle and left and right, elevation comes from heading into the wind and adjusting the throttle along with the bob of the plane.
I hit the net looking for two things, a plane I could completely control and that could carry a camera. I searched a bit and landed on hobbyking where I loaded my cart with a Bixler rtf (ready to fly), a way too expensive camera and a few other accessories. This shopping trip ended when I saw the shipping was about $50. I am a cheap shipping kind of guy so I rolled looking at different videos of planes and on board cameras before settling on what seemed to me to be the best combo, a Hobbyzone Firebird Stratos and a $10 808 keychain camera, which everyone seemed to be using.
Looking back I wish I had skipped the camera, it was fun for a bit, but being that I flt in the same spot, there was little need to film over and over. This would have allowed me to get what I think should have been my first plane, rather than my second. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the Stratos and as seen above, it was steady from the start. My problem was, as you can see, I did not have quite the field to fly as a beginner. It was necessary to get it up above the trees rather quick, then you had to keep it close, or lose it behind the trees (This is why I no longer have it). You will also forever have to use the little red controller with it as nothing else will bind to it.
My second plane should have been my first, and that is the Hobbyzone Champ. One reason for this is it is ultra micro, which means that slightly too small for a beginner field becomes a huge flying area. After getting comfortable with it I fly it in my yard with no issues. The transmitter, while similar to the Stratos controller, can bind any Parkzone / E-flite BNF plane. For those who are wondering, even though the Champ is 3 channel, the controller binds and works with 4 channel. It is also cheap, 90 bucks gets you in the air. I suggest ordering a replacement tail as it is fragile and, after repairing many times while learning, you will want to replace it. Also hit Wal-mart and get a low temp hot glue gun, repair and in the air in a few minutes. I ended up rebuilding the whole plane (minus the electronics, which were fine) once I beat the hell out of it trying to do more than I should have been doing at my level. This only ran about $30 to replace all of the foam.
The Champ can fly slow , that is a big benefit to a starter. If you want to fly fast, learn to fly first, crawl, walk, run is the name of the game. These guys are goofy, but they have the right idea for your first flights. There are 4 videos that will help you crawl.
I find the best time to fly is just as the sun is getting behind the trees, not because of the sun in my eyes, but because the wind dies down, at least in VA, at that time. No wind is key to your first flights. (I didn't follow that rule, hence rebuilding the plane. Forget the tricks, keep out of the wind, fly even circles until you have it down.
I recommend taking a lot of time, I couldn't wait to get on to something new and all but my last plane is good and beat up now. I went Stratos, Champ, UM Corsair, UM Spitfire, then Night Vapor. My corsair and Spitfire would still be pretty if I wasn't rushing into things. My goal is to never crash the E-Flite UMX Carbon club that will be showing up this week. It's good to have goals.
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