A mixed 2 days of flying.

[Vikki]

Yesterday lunchtime (wind 3mph) I took Larry and Blizzard into the field near where I work. I flew Blizzard (120 SR) around a bit and struggled to control him really in anything but a basic hover. On the second battery I did a bit more hovering but everytime I went to move forward he'd start curling off to the right. At one point I started to do a circle but he went side on and started that massive climbing circle (same one that happend in my vid when he hit the phone wires) so I ditched him quick and put him away.

Got Larry (mcpx) out and started flying him. Was doing a nice job of hovering him and decided to try some moving around, that went well. Then tried doing the circle. First one went ok but the second started to get really large and I was going to lose him over some small trees, so I dumped him, into the tree I didn't think I'd dumped him too high up but when I got there he was a good 3' out of my reach. Tried shaking the lower branches to move the upper ones but he was in there being cradled by the tree like a mother cradles a baby. Ok, find a long twig. Why are they so brittle? Go find stouter twig (this one approaching the mass of a branch). Jumping up like a kangeroo I try and hook the branch but I can't get the jump height and my legs are starting to hurt. Resort to throwing branch at Larry. 20 bloody minutes I spent getting that little SOB out of that tree.

All that was broke was the skid. I've repaired it a few times but this time it was really beyond repair. Ordered a new one yesterday and it's at home waiting for me (along with some other spares I might need later).

So, get back to work not really knowing whether it had been a good outing or not. So, I do a little research on the 'net and find that the 120SR's are prone to curling to the right during forward flight and you need to correct for it. I also had him on trainer balls on the swashplate so I've moved them to the advanced set as Blizzard wasn't too happy about moving forward yesterday.

Right, today is another day. Larry is languishing at home awaiting his new skid being fitted so I took Blizzard out to the field.

I was a little worried as the wind is now about 8mph. I get him into the air and I'm doing a nice hover but I find he is flying rather high and I have to back the throttle off almost to zero to get him to come down (incedently, that was the reason for one crash yesterday, I was so close to zero power that a small movement on my thumb shut him down and down he came). I looked at the throttle curve and decided it was too steep at the start with a slight rise in the middle and a steep climb in the last part. Ok, no probs, set a linear throttle curve. God bless computerised transmitters. Blizzard was back in the air and I hovered him in the wind for a full minute with the stick held diagonally left and forward to counter the wind. I was able to control the hover height more accurately, too. It was great. Then I thought I'd try the circle again. Nope, the tail came round too fast (wind) and I slid him into the deck nose first. Bye-bye canopy.

Well, the canopy was hanging on in there thanks to 2 pins and the battery so I risked another go. It hung in there good enough (wouldn't have done this on a big bird though). Blizzard was back in the air and I hovered him. Moved him away from me and back to me. Did that a few times then it was time to replace the battery so came in for a controlled (upright) landing, woohoo!

The second battery I spent just hovering. 4 minutes of hovering and gentle out and back movements, all in an 8mph wind. Landed Blizzard after 4 minutes on his skids, pick him up and packed him away. New canopy ordered.

What a different day. Yesterday I went with an attitude of not really knowing what to expect but not feeling too good about it (apprehensive). Today, I knew what happened yesterday so today I was looking out for it and I understood why Blizzard likes to curl right in forward flight and I was correcting for it. What a difference.

Overnight my brain played 'connect the dots' and came out good today. I actually really enjoyed flying Blizzard. If I kept it simple he was well behaved and I had control. I'll need a calmer day before trying other things. The idea is to get the experience with Larry and Blizzard before risking anything other than a hover and gentle movements with Chopasaurus (B450).

There you go, a mixed couple of days and - what a difference a day makes

Best regards.

Vikki.

[trillian]

Sounds like things are moving along at some kind of pace. Trees do tend to be magnets for small aircraft for some reason.

[Vikki]

I think they have a perching instinct

[Cagey]

I think they have a perching instinct

Better rechristen Blizzard to "Buzzard" then. Ho Hum. . Nice when it starts to come together isn't it.

[jwatts007]

Larry, blizzard, Chopasaurus....LOL..

[Vikki]

It sure is. The thumbs are sort of working on their own in a hover. It's the other moves they burp on LOL.

[astra 8vt]

lol tree hugger !

sound like you had a cracking couple of days atlest you got out with yours my mcpx parts turned up today ( thank you midland )

wont be long now before you have the the bigger one out

im sure im to old for this i try to keep telling my brain to work with my thumbs but its not haveing none of it !!

[Vikki]

I'm hoping to bypass my brain and get an eyeballs to thumbs direct connection.

[anti]

It's one of those really frustrating skills that you spend hours and hours and hours trying to get the hang of and getting wrong, then just before you lose your rag it starts to make a little sense and you're hooked again.

Wish I had a field near where I work, Vikki, 0 wind two days in a row, but it's dark when I leave and dark when I get home. Roll on the summer! Sounds like you're having a blast. Been tempted to spool up the 450 yet? :-)

[cjcj1949]

The helis with the flybar at 45 degrees don't work like normal helis. They self correct which is what they are supposed to do. For initial learning this is good but as you get better you find that they do their own thing as you get faster. The Phoenix sim doesn't model this, or at least didn't in version 3S. You'll find the 450 heli does what you expect.

[Vikki]

Anti, yes, spooled up the 450 but nothing more. Need more space for that fella than I have in the garden.

CJ, I'm glad you said that. The 120SR in the sim is completely different, which is why I was very happy to only have Blizzard airworthy today. I really needed to fly him to see what I'd learnt. I was pleased with my performance today especially in the wind. I went back to work with a grin on my face and a skip in my step

Vikki.

[MarkG_R1]

Sounds like you're doing well, I'm still hovering around my back garden but I think a trip to the field will be in order soon, there just isn't enough room to move it about much at home

[Vikki]

That was my problem, Mark. No room to move around in. At least a field lets you walk a fair distance to retrieve the heli without climbing over other peoples garden walls Should you need to, of course. Grass helps cushion the falls

It also gives you some time to think. It's in the air, it's got bags of space, panic is reduced. You can try turns. I must say that I've found the 120 SR to be tougher than the mcpx. Bit of a surprise that!

Vikki.

[cjcj1949]

I don't think time to think is right. Less need to overcontrol. You shouldn't be thinking at all. You do need as much space as possible to do a save. You are doing very well. My comment on women pilots obviously motivated you. Or there again perhaps you couldn't have been motivated more. You are getting on to the hard stuff now. Not difficult, so much as more and more addictive.

[Vikki]

Closed.