A million years ago when I was aeromodelling with my Dad, most people flew free flight or control line models. On Saturday and Sunday Chobham Common was awash with people chasing free flight models, and Horsell Common was awash with control line flyers, because there were some flat places for them to fly there. Today the situation is the same, except that there seem to be fewer people flying these disciplines, and more flying r/c. Or are there?
The Malmstrom effect strikes again
What ever the situation, Dad and I flew free flight and control line. The former being the most successful and later being the least successful, and until recently I looked on control line as a rather boring form of flying. However, it was Ray Malmstrom, again, who inspired me to start building control line. In a copy of RCM&E I saw two examples of his delightful Gee Bee Trainer design, a tiny model designed for the Mills .75., and that was it, I was hooked.
At about the same time I became aware, (I can't remember exactly when) that a flying colleague (Dave Palmer) who was also into both r/c and free flight, was building a Warlord combat control liner. Then my friend Peter said that several other people in the club were regular control line flyers. So you can see that with this peer pressure, coupled with the Malmstrom effect, I just had to build a couple of control line models.
First flight crashes
My first effort can best be described as short, at worst disasterous. I bought a very old second-hand control line model, name unknown, made up some 30 foot lines and armed with a tin of diesel attempted to fly at Odiham. After about three or four wobbly circuits the model lost line tension and dived into the tarmac, and that was that. The old dry glue shattered, the model rekitted itself, and the crankshaft of the DC diesel bent. Unfortuneatly, I also did the same with DP's model, about half an hour later.
Subsequently, I have tried my hand at a Warlord, completed several circuits, not crashed, handed the model back to the owner IN FLIGHT, and then fallen over because I was so dizzy! John Huntley, another member of both my clubs, tells me that you get used to going round in circles, after a little practice, (I wonder if it will help my vertigo). So I have some hope that control line flying might just be within my grasp.
To begin I thought I would go back to a model that my Dad and I flew without any great success, The Bouncer. It's a trainer, a fairly tough model designed by P Moir, and I thought, a good starting point. Then I could build the Gee Bee Trainer, just because I has to be built - it's so gorgeous. After that it depends on how successful both models are how many or what I build next, but what ever happens it should be great fun.
I have loads of plans to choose from, most sent to me by Gray (cheers mate), including several by Ray Malmstrom, and the delightful T Tray Stunter for .5cc diesel.
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Mr Moir designed The Bouncer as a trainer, and made a very good job of it. It's both tough and easy for the beginner to fly, which is something my unreliable attempts at landing have proved - it definitely bounces!
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| Clean and polished, before the first flightt | Covered in grey diesel goo after the first flight |
Initial flights have proved to be reasonably panic free, the elevator is large enough to lift the nose on take-off, but small enough to allow beginners like myself to avoid the porpoising flight mode. The DC Spitfire is just a little underpowered for the airframe, but for the moment it suits me quite well, especially as I am still getting used to going round in circles. At least it starts easily, and runs for ages on a whiff of diesel.
There is no hope of any aerobatics with the current set-up, but in the future a more powerful 1 or 1.5cc diesel could be installed to give the Bouncer a new lease of life. Until then I will continue to plod round in circles.
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This is the result of a series of anticyclones hitting the UK over a weekend! Well, I mean, what are you supposed to do when the weather is so bad you can't even go to the shops?
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| Fully aerobatic on a .5cc diesel, and 30 foot lines | Re-engined with a Cox TD 020 it now goes like the wind |
The original John diesel was so difficult to start that it took me an age to get to the flying stage. However, it was worth waiting for, as it turned out to be was one of the funniest I have ever seen. My friend Jeff "The Combat King" was in charge, but as the c of g was about a mile behind the leading edge of the wing, he hardly had any control at all.
The T-tray porpoised around like a demented Dolphin, finally going inverted and entering an inverted spiral.
There was no damage, but I had to lengthen the engine mount, and add lots of nose weight. After a few more attempted starts I felt the time was right to change the difficult-to-start diesel for a Cox TD 020. Unfortunately the 15% nitro in the fuel ate the glue holding the tank together, so that had to be changed as well.
The T-tray feels like a ton weight at the front now, but so long as I fly smooth aerobatics the Cox TD 020 has the power to haul the model round even vertical figures of eight.
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Eminently flyable, is a good way to describe this simple combat wing. However, despite the simplicity
of construction, the model presented me with problem after problem. Firstly the engine would not start, and
then when it did start it would not run properly, so I changed the engine. Then the tank started to leak, so I
changed that. Finally the new combination works, and great fun it is.
So after many failed attempts I now fly this model regularly, and in the cold of a misty January Sunday (22nd, 2006)
I flew in a circle with my friend Jeff - The Combat King. Two models flying in the same circle certainly concentrates
the mind, and also makes crashes more likely. I managed to wipe off the needle valve, soon replaced, when landing at
very high speed and upside down, and Jeff cracked the covering on his machine whilst attempting an impossible manoeuvre,
or something like it anyway. Great fun whilst it lasted, but next time it will have to be streamers at dawn!
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| Fast, manoeuvreable, and exciting |
One thing that emerged from the combat flying is that Jeff and I now want to try our hand at Team Racing.
Just for fun, mind you, but if it works well we just might have a go at a low-key competition somewhere,
just for the sake of it.
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I still have to buy the correct prop for this engine, the ten inch model is OK but really too large for the
engine to provide peak power. However, as soon as the plane took to the air I could feel just how smooth and predictable
it was going to be. I have also replaced the tank with a much larger one, so I am looking forward to flying smooth outside
and inside loops, eights, wing-overs, etc.
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| Smooth and very predictable - lovely |
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