how much wind makes it no fun?

[moyesboy]

just back from running a tank through my raptor 50 in very windy conditions.
Estimate average speed 25mph, gusting 35mph at head height, 40 mph at 50 ft.

There didn't seem to be any problem taking off and landing - the field is very clean upwind in the NW direction. I was a little suprised that in idle 1 (1700) it was a real fight to hold station - but no problem in idle 2 (2000 rpm).
I'm also impressed with the SL560/9254 which coped admirably with into wind sideways flight, backwards into wind (at least 45 mph airspeed) and seemed to make a reasonable job of a constant piroette speed in the hover (in more than 25mph of wind).
apart from the interesting gyro performance, I couldn't be bothered to run another tank. I didn't have the bottle to try much.
So, when I am a better pilot will it be more fun flying in such a wind? Is it I'm just running out of bottle?

Here's a question:
The heli has 30 mph of ground speed, but zero or very little forward air speed. You pull up into vertical - which means tipping it up tail down and increasing collective to stay still in the wind. now have you actually got any momentum to make the heli climb vertically to make a stall turn or not? If not where did the 30mph go?
My clumbsy attempts to get a zero ground speed vertical climb in the wind were extremely variable with the heli sometimes not climbing at all and sometimes shooting up.

[Ashley Davis]

ok, my head hurts.

[Jamez]

Surly, if you just tip it back on its tail it still has the 30mph ground speed, but now the heli is just at a 90 degree angle to it

---> 30 mph --O

---> 30 mph IO


Yeah sort of makes sense, as you have increased collective to stop it being taken by the wind, you have canceld it out by putting an oposite force of 30 mph from the bottom of the disc. ( my picture didn't work)

[moyesboy]

forgetting the ground.
The heli is hovering on a calm day.
yuo move from a stationary hover to travelling 30 mph the way the tail was pointing but with the tail now vertically down.
this is the same manoever as trying to do the downwind stall turn.

now I want to go and try it again back at the field (but it is too late).
Maybe flying in the wind can be more interesting than i thought...

Its pretty hard to get from 30 mph forward air speed to vertical and stopped without climbing.
Its pretty easy to get from stationary to 30mph horizontal speed with the heli vertical (or near vertical).
The difference is the translational lift effects wihich are only present when the disc is a long way from 90 degrees to the direction of travel.

[Nutz]

It is all to do with collective timing. You could be going flat out forward and pull back whilst apply -col to maintain height and forward speed you could then use +col so slow and stop vertically (wall maneuver) without gaining any height. when flying a heli in forward flight it is like a plane if you stall turn down wind you will not go as high as when you stall turn up wind. This is down to the transitional lift given to you by head wind and taken away by tail wind.

[kerhs]

wow this vodka is strong tonight

[Twister3D]

Talking of wind, have you noticed how calm it is at night.
Im tempted to light up my T-Rex and fly at night when there's no wind

I hate having to rely on the wind it stops me flying as much as I would like, I know get a bigger Heli, but then I wouldn't fly at all as dont get time to go to a club/field and have to rely on local parks.

Dave

[Ashley Davis]

the t-rex (450) can handle much stronger winds than you might think, just get brave and fly, once you get used to wind it won't bother you any more.

[Arky]

as long as i can hold it at about 30 /40 degress in the hover its fun as it go's about 15mph up wind but 200mph downwind love it

[moyesboy]

Seems to me helis are better in strong winds than planks actually.

[Kwickkwack]

been out and done a couple of tanks tonight, first time flying in a couple of weeks. blowing pretty hard, and occasionally gusty, quite interesting when turning from head to wind, to tail wind, but quite good fun just hovering around and gently flying at close quarters.