Building and tether flying the 600, 700, 900 series

[simpleflyer]

Test flight with the FlyBoy wing went even better, as expected.

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A couple more flight pictures with the FlyBoy wing.

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[simpleflyer]

This morning we were doing some lawn work in the back yard and had a delightful visit from our furry friend.

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[simpleflyer]

Afterwards, for some relaxation we had some good flights with the profile Cessna 180 with a Flyboy wing. Life is good

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[simpleflyer]

Looks like it is time to share an update on the build-by-numbers fleet. So we grabbed a handful of planes and a pole and went flying. One of the advantages of swing flying is the simplicity and convenience of the process.

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In a couple of minutes the pole was extended and the model were quickly assembled.

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Here Profile versions of the BBN Cessna and 180 and Piper 95, together with the profile 900series Mustang are ready for flight.

[simpleflyer]

The profile Cessna 180

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and profile modified Piper flew well.

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There was a moderate and variable breeze from the south. The most challenging part during flight session was anticipating the wind gusts. Here is the profile Mustang in an unusual attitude as it encounters an unexpected gust.

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[simpleflyer]

One day early last week, we were flying the stick fuselage FlyBoy and the profile Piper Cub. It was a windy day and the FlyBoy encountered a gust of rough air and went into a steep spiral dive as it passed overhead. So we ducked our head and looked away to avoid injury to the front of our head. We heard an odd sounding thud as the FlyBoy struck the ground. Upon surveying the damage we discovered the following damage to the Piper wing. Apparently the Piper was directly under where the FlyBoy struck the ground.

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In addition to punching a hole into the wing, it cracked one of the wing hold down strips.

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Also a spar and a rib were cracked.

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[simpleflyer]

After repairing the damaged wood, the removed tissue was replaced. We couldn't find the yellow originally used, so a darker yellow was used. The robust design of the BBN models allows modification of the structure that also makes for easy repair that in turn extends the life of the model.

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After the repairs the much modified and repaired Piper still flys fine.

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[simpleflyer]

Late this afternoon, it was calm but cloudy. We took the Javelin and Lancer for some flying. They flew well but the setting sun and clouds were not the best for picture taking.

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On one of the Lancer flights it flew too near the roof and the wing clipped one of the vent pipes.

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[simpleflyer]

However the Lancer was able to fly again during the flight session using the Javelin wing.

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The removable wings coupled with interchangeable fittings allow this flexibility.

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More information about this mounting arrangement is on the bottom of page 1 and top of page 2 of this thread.

[stx44]

So, you have me intrigued now...

Ive always been a FF man (which is odd- I race RC cars, but have no interest in RC planes!). But your tether flying also has me interested.

Ive googled it to try and get some video to get some ideas, but to little avail (I found 1 only).

So- I take it you use a pole of some sort, not just a hand held line? And how do you get the beastie airborn at the start? I assume its a 2 person job, but does one person chuck it, or run round in a circle?!!!

Cheers

[simpleflyer]

So- I take it you use a pole of some sort, not just a hand held line? And how do you get the beastie airborn at the start? I assume its a 2 person job, but does one person chuck it, or run round in a circle?!!!

Basically, that's all it is to it. My favorite pole is the Shakespeare 12 foot Durango panfish pole. It is a telescoping pole that is light, convenient to work with and provides excellent swing pole action and results. And at the time that they were available at Wal-Mart we were able to get them on sale for $5 plus tax.

For a majority of our flying we use a line/pole combination of line length equal to pole length. Simply, with a 12 foot long pole we connect a 12 foot length of line between the model wingtip and the tip of the swing pole. The model is trimmed for a straight and level flat glide. CG is located slightly behind the wing leading edge, no more than 1/4 chord. Line is attached to the wing tip even with the CG or slightly behind it.

With the above described line/pole combination, the take-off launch is simply raise the pole tip until the model lifts of the ground and start swinging. This combination is safe for the model and allows flying in light to moderate winds and gusty conditions. If a flight problem or unusual attitude occurs, simply raise the pole tip straight up above your head and then the model can't strike the ground allowing intact recovery of the model.

For a longer line/pole combination, it is a bit more tricky. In this event, I take the pole in my left hand ant extend it before me as far as I can. The extra line is loosely placed on the ground so that it will not tangle or snag as the slack is taken up. Then I take about 3 to 4 feet of line with the model attached and swing it in a circle parallel to the ground and when a good flying speed is reached, I swing the model out in front of me in the direction that the pole is pointing. When the out-going model takes up the line slack, I begin swinging the pole to sustain flight and change the pole to my right hand which is my primary swing arm. Over time, I've learned to swing either right or left handed. Left hand swinging is useful when taking in-flight pictures from the inside of the flight circle.

Since I'm an 'old-folk'(74 in February), I do most of my flying standing in one place without turning around. As a youngster we flew Cl models and were able to fly turning around in the middle of the circle without becoming dizzy, but not so any more. On occasion, if we are flying a slow model on long lines we may follow it around for a few laps. But, not for long, as falls and I don't get along well An inconvenience is that the line tries to roll up at the pole tip and it needs unrolling. A few tips on flying standing in one place: facing downwind works best for me - make sure no one or tall obstructions are behind you while flying - make sure that your model maintains altitude while flying in back of you.

Hope that this hasn't been to long-winded. If you have any more questions, please ask them. And thanks for your interest.

al

[stx44]

Thanks...

May have to give this a go.... the principle seems simple. I did have a brief play with GP control line when I was younger, but found it too much mucking around and ended up sticking with FF.

However, no engine, just muscle power sounds like fun!

Cheers

Simon

[Scott]

Great pics,Al.

[simpleflyer]

Simon, I'm glad that you found the swing control scheme interesting. I think that you will find it a worthwhile way to fly models. We've been flying swing control for several years now and don't see going back to the other methods of flying, It offers many advantages over other model flying methods. A few of the primary advantages are: it is uncomplicated and easy to do, inexpensive, and can be done in our back yard at a moments notice.

Al

[simpleflyer]

Glad that you liked the pictures of the 'build by numbers' models, Scott, thank you.