Sunday, 9 February 2025

A cold cold morning.

 Sometimes you just 'need' to get out flying. So as the fog cleared on a light northerly slope dog and I were launching the wyvern off.

  Testament that it doesn't have to be perfect conditions to enjoy your flying.

  The compared with the kingmax servos I have been using the wing with CHAservos  feels like it needs perhaps 20% less throw for things like snapflap. Perhaps less blow back than the kingmax servos?

 A cold but good time had!



Tuesday, 28 January 2025

UK Wyvern supply

 My drive and motivation of model development is all about the models. I've had so many people asking when the wyvern will be available. Until there's a UK dealer for the Wyvern I've decided to supply directly. 

  Contact me for details 




Some great sport flying with the new lay ups but no racing!

   The winter so far has often been the victim of sod's law.  Great conditions on Fridays and Mondays but not on race days.  That doesn't mean that there's not been any flying and some really good interesting progress on the construction of all the models.

  After some great feed back from different pilots we have been working to reduce weight at the back of the models- particularly the Saker and Wyverns.  Around 10g of weight off each tail and improvements to the fuselage has taken around 90g of weight from the finished fuselages.  I've had the chance to fly new models back to back with older lay ups, ballasted up to the same total weight.  The improvement in flight performance has felt like a real step forwards.

 New Wyvern tail shape on the left.


  After testing the first improved Wyvern layup I ordered fuselages and tail for my Sakers.  I've been a huge advocate for learning your model for the last few years and I've gone and made changes to both my Sakers and built 2 Wyverns.  I have convinced myself that the performance improvement will be worth it.

  You can imagine that I've been keen to get out and practice.  It's been quite easy to do with the Wyverns, they're incredibly fun sports models.  From scratching around to ripping up the storm force winds. The wyverns sport flying characteristics have been so much fun.

  When I have flown the Sakers I have come away thinking- why am i not flying these more often.  The lighter tails feel like they have improved the lighter air performance of the Saker.



  I used the same servos from the original Saker fuselages but for building the Wyverns I've used the new CHA servos.  Perhaps a few years ago I did not realise the effect of good servos but I am a convert.  Slop free and holding the wing section in the shape that you want- doing it right does make a difference.

Sunday, 5 January 2025

First fly of the year

 My addiction to flying this week had slope dog and I sat in the car waiting for that 1 hour slot of flyable weather to pass over the slope. I decided not to tell the missus about all the waiting as she txt to see how it was going!

  When the slot did come I had the saker ballasted up to 3.75kg and soon ripping around. Pumping was limited by the cloud base rather than my thumbs this time.  It's just easy with the Saker.





Sunday, 29 December 2024

Ailerons fitting

 After a rather unspectacular trip to whitesheet I returned to find the house full of teenage girls- time to hide in the garage and fit some ailerons.

  Some pictures later but the horns I used were Thomas lui carbon horns.  The single horn, fitting on to an aluminum arm is a neat and slop free solution.



  I was able to achieve a neat horn fitting, flush to the top skin without any huge dramas.



Thursday, 26 December 2024

Boxing day builds

 It's not been possible for that time away from the turkey sandwiches to be spent on the slope so far this Christmas.  But I have been taking the chance to fit out a set of Wyvern wings.

  I've been really pleased with the performance of the Chaservos I've been using for the ailerons so I've decided to use the 9.5mm big brother of those ailerons servos.  Fitting and testing they have a really solid and strong feel with low noise.  First impressions and testing has shown fast response and apparently perfect centering.

  Finishing, balancing and testing to come in January!




Sunday, 22 December 2024

Saker vs Wyvern in big air

 It was a shame that the Whitesheet winter league was cancelled today. I ended up taking my Saker and Wyvern up.  Both took some serious amounts of ballast.

  Not surprisingly when in 25ms air, when. When It squared up they really took off. I had taken the new lite weight saker fuz up but I was not going to learn very much today, or I bottled the maiden!

  It was a shame that there wasn't a clock on any of my flights. The 2 models feel rather different in the air.  whilst the Saker just carries its speed and momentum through just about anything, the Wyvern turned faster and could take off but that pace could be lost. Good air and EM turns, the Wyvern feels so fast. But against the clock it's not about feel.