Been catching up on my R/C Aircraft projects & flying ,, this season.

LIVIT

Well-Known Member
#62
Wow @174 Ian/@LIVIT great thread thank you guys for all the posts and all the cool pics! Way Cool!!! :cool: I have enuff bad habits, but I can drool with the best of'm! :p
Mark it is a very cool and very addictive Hobby and can get expensive. The most expensive is the dang helis. One lil blade touch and you can be looking at $100 plus in repairs. I got tired of them quickly. I also raced on road cars and off road 2&4 wheel drive buggies and trucks. I was actually sponsored by a manufacturer and hobby shop, that was many years ago :) I started building my first RC plane in the Mid 60's, I was 8 yrs old. My Dad was also into the RC planes. I did a lot of extra chores and did some work for neighboring farms and ranches, so I could buy that first kit. Back then the kits were pieces of balsa and some hardwoods. They took months too build. For my 9th bday, I got an engine and a radio kit. Yeah I had to build my first radio. That was great, I started learning about electronics at an early age. My first plane was cub type trainer and it looked pretty good. The fourth time flying it, something happened with the radio signal and it crashed. I was one very unhappy lil man. But I gathered up the bag of pieces. I obviously did not give up. Things have changed a lot over the years. I had lots of planes that were made of special type of foam and they were modular.. Crash them, buy a replacement wing fuselage etc... Also the innovations with Brushless motors and Lithium batteries really changed things. When I first started you would have over a $1,000 tied up quickly. Now with the micro foam electrics you can be flying for around $100 and instead of months of building, you can be flying in a hour, depending on how long it takes you too get the battery charged. Use to have to pay attention to what frequency you were on and make sure no one else was on the same. That has really changed, with the new radios, you can turn on a 100 of them and you will not be messing anyone else up. I still fly the small planes (UMX) you can fly them in your yard and they are very easy to learn on. Some even have gyros for flight stabilization and anti crash. Guess that kid in my heart, has never left me, now it's got the mini and kart addiction ;P
 
#63
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Mark it is a very cool and very addictive Hobby and can get expensive. The most expensive is the dang helis. One lil blade touch and you can be looking at $100 plus in repairs. I got tired of them quickly. I also raced on road cars and off road 2&4 wheel drive buggies and trucks. I was actually sponsored by a manufacturer and hobby shop, that was many years ago :) I started building my first RC plane in the Mid 60's, I was 8 yrs old. My Dad was also into the RC planes. I did a lot of extra chores and did some work for neighboring farms and ranches, so I could buy that first kit. Back then the kits were pieces of balsa and some hardwoods. They took months too build. For my 9th bday, I got an engine and a radio kit. Yeah I had to build my first radio. That was great, I started learning about electronics at an early age. My first plane was cub type trainer and it looked pretty good. The fourth time flying it, something happened with the radio signal and it crashed. I was one very unhappy lil man. But I gathered up the bag of pieces. I obviously did not give up. Things have changed a lot over the years. I had lots of planes that were made of special type of foam and they were modular.. Crash them, buy a replacement wing fuselage etc... Also the innovations with Brushless motors and Lithium batteries really changed things. When I first started you would have over a $1,000 tied up quickly. Now with the micro foam electrics you can be flying for around $100 and instead of months of building, you can be flying in a hour, depending on how long it takes you too get the battery charged. Use to have to pay attention to what frequency you were on and make sure no one else was on the same. That has really changed, with the new radios, you can turn on a 100 of them and you will not be messing anyone else up. I still fly the small planes (UMX) you can fly them in your yard and they are very easy to learn on. Some even have gyros for flight stabilization and anti crash. Guess that kid in my heart, has never left me, now it's got the mini and kart addiction ;P

OOOH my he'll, can relate to the kid not ever growing up, that's me to a tee! My daughter tells me that all the time, dad don't ever grow up! :D
Thank you for the backgound knowledge / stories very relatable.
Now the Rabbit in car three has claimed yet another weary unsuspecting soul! @desert rat lol :cool:

You're in the right place for sure! Have you seen the Mini-bikes & Karts Sir Ian has electrified? WOW way cool shtuff. I'm still waiting on the stars to align, and a Kart will fall in my lap.
Life's priorities at this time won't allow for alot of the extra fun sthuff. Thinkin I'm at least a yr out maybe more, major remodel goin on has claimed dibs on any extra Fun Coupons at this time. :oops:
 

LIVIT

Well-Known Member
#64
Mark, loving this virtual walk down memory lane. With my knowledge of Brushless motors, lipo batteries etc... many of my friends have asked me why I have not done an electric kart or mini. I might eventually, but right now, I'm really having fun getting my hands greasy again :)

No I have not looked at his builds Yet. But I will be soon. I understand things getting in the way. Even though I'm suppose to be retired. I own and operate a Surf and Bank fishing guide service. So during this time of year on the nicer days, I often get bookings, so can't pass up the money or let down a customer. I'm trying to put funds aside myself, too build a nice shop and better storage for my minis and karts. I also been doing some restorations and repairs on minis and karts. So yeah, life does interfere, but no complaints :) :)
 

I74

Well-Known Member
#69
I hear ya. Something I found also that helped me with my gliders. I put some of that reflective tape on the bottom side.
Yea,, I just went the other day & got a long overdue eye exam,, plus am putting a shade darker ''Amber shooters tint'', & a new ''wiz bang'' - anti glare coating on my new lenses. ;)

That T1800 has 3 large ''stock'' black stripe decals under the starboard wing for orientation & visibility.
I left those alone,,, as black over white seems to show up pretty good ,, when you are 700+ feet in the air. o_O:D

This ''rare/vintage'' - FVK/SIG Obsession, has ''big'' white & red covering under both wings,, & Prisim tape on the leading edges.

I
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I74

Well-Known Member
#70
Just thought of something LIVIT...

You ever ''Slope'' off the dunes down there ??

Don't need much height,, as long as the wind & direction off the Ocean is favorable,, blowing up the ''faces'' of them. ;)

Sloping off the ''Ocean's'',, is definitely on the top part of my bucket list.

Wifey's from Boston,, & looks like they have a few Slope spots off the dunes of Cape cod.

Figure you probably have dunes like that as well.

Guy on RCG flies exclusively on one of the Beaches down by your neck of the woods.

Looks like he's got some pretty good dunes there too. :cool:

I
 
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LIVIT

Well-Known Member
#71
Very few dunes here and the few there is are totally off limits. They are not very big here and you will get fined for being on them. Now north of me and up in NC, they have some nice dunes. No, only soaring I did was in Western NC off hills next to river and in WV off a mountain area overlooking the upper Potomac river. I've no doubt that when the winds are from offshore here you could get some great lift.
 

I74

Well-Known Member
#72
Very few dunes here and the few there is are totally off limits. They are not very big here and you will get fined for being on them. Now north of me and up in NC, they have some nice dunes. No, only soaring I did was in Western NC off hills next to river and in WV off a mountain area overlooking the upper Potomac river. I've no doubt that when the winds are from offshore here you could get some great lift.
The WV spot you mention, sounds pretty Epic,, & probably one hell of a view also !

Actually,, think the Guy on RCG, resides off the ocean in the southern part of NC.

Great that you know what Slope is, & have dabbled in it ! :cool:

Think we need to meet up someday,, & toss a few. ;)

I fly every type of fixed wing, but,, ''Hands down'',, Sailplanes & PSS on the Slope,, is my fav !!

I
 

LIVIT

Well-Known Member
#73
Dabbled is the right terminology. Have you ever seen Dynamic soaring. I use to chat with the guy who really got this going and set world speed records. He designed and built the gliders himself. Almost 550 mph with a glider !!!

 

I74

Well-Known Member
#74
Dabbled is the right terminology. Have you ever seen Dynamic soaring. I use to chat with the guy who really got this going and set world speed records. He designed and built the gliders himself. Almost 550 mph with a glider !!!

Have not seen it for real,, just vids like this one you shared. :cool:

Fastest R/C on the planet !

Unreal Frigg'n blur !! o_O

I
 

LIVIT

Well-Known Member
#75
The current powered world record is like 470mph with a ducted fan jet. So this unpowered world record is amazing. I had a couple pylon racers, electrics and a few Ducted fan jets that were getting up too around 200mph and they were hard to keep up with. So how the hell do these guys keep up with speeds more than twice that, is even more amazing to me. I never got to see the dynamic soaring in person. But would of liked too.

This thread has sure brought back some great memories.
 

I74

Well-Known Member
#78
Oh I could get into some mischief with this :)
Yea you could ! LOL

This is Jan 16th right??

Look'ee what we had today here in ''East central Iowa'' ! ... o_O

Then starting Wed. eve. through Thurs. morn.,,, we are forecasted for 3 - 5 inches of snow !!

Un-frigg'n-believable ! :eek:

Around 15 min. prior of the 2 shots I took,, saw on the News,, a pic someone just sent in around that time SW of us down by I-80,, of an F2- F3 ''wedge'' Tornado, that came out of this ...

Added,,

On the TV radar map,, you will see ''Fairfax' on the left of it.
That's were we reside. ;)

I

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