The Cyvern is ready!

 

  Each model deign is a combination of many things- This was literal this weekend as I finally got the fly the ‘Cyvern wings with the new fuselage.  It a combination that have ‘clicked’ from the off.

  The Cyvern wing is a development to improve lift distribution across it’s span and aerodynamic performance.  The 2.75m wing tapers from 8.2 to 7.4%, it’s aerofoils have proven to perform well in the high angles of attack that characterise slope racing.  With in the wing is the kind of substantial spar and joiner to give me huge confidence to throw the model around any slope.

  The new fuselage that I have combined with the wing has several developments, some more obvious than others.  The fuselage is the first one I have produced with a nose cone.  Other developments are more subtle and improve both turning performance and straight line speed.

  Flyng the test model back to back with the same wings on previous fuselages, there is a noticeable performance shift.  Performance improvements are always hard to quantify but testing the new wing through 2026 it has flown 12-14% heavier than it’s previous iterations.

  The test model has finalised the servo tray CAD file so the model is now ready for orders, with the model price working out at £750 for the carbon version.

Meanwhile at the Worlds- the Saker!

Racing flights have been at a premium at the F3F worlds this week.  John has been competing his Saker.  Here's him at the warm up race.

As I type John and his Saker are sitting 3rd.

Saker at the worlds

A Maiden ready for Wales

   A week after delivery and I was on a slope testing the new Cyvern.  After a few incident free flights I just couldn’t get the smile off my (or slope dog’s) face.  Lots of set up tweaks and model learning to go but I’m just mad enough to be thinking about racing the model in 2 weeks time.

  With the servo tray CAD file completed the production model s ready and is available.  The price will come out at around £750 for the carbon version.

  Whatever I decide to race next- a very happy lad tonight

So much going on!

 No flying this weekend but I'm glued to messages from the world championships. JP is racing his Sakers, seeing your design competing with the best is a great feeling.  An even better feeling is that the Saker handled the most extreme WC conditions in decades so well.

  While the beat are thrashing it out, I've received the Cyvern prototype so I'm spending some serious time in the workshop.

Welsh open race has started!

   Not quite the usual type of race but a race to get the new model design to the UK built, tested and set up for the Welsh open.  The sensible part of my brain knows this is probably a bad idea but models are there to be flown and raced!

  The newly designed 2.75m wings (100 g carbon) will be paired up with my new nose cone fuselage. This week they're waiting for the wipers to be fitted and then shipped.

Summer evening fun

  A late afternoon and evening on whitesheet's not so green fields and with the breeze settling to a smooth 10ms it was a great chance to play with my Wyverns.

  The wing's behaviour with camber continued to mean that when thermals did come through they were easily centered and height gained- I seem to have lost my patience to work a thermal to a serious height. My aim was to play with the Wyverns turns so I was too often tempted to come down and play on the slope.

  Improving conditions meant the slope worked more and more. With the Wyverns both ballasted up to 2.9kg this weekend to keep the agility and have the mass to carve through the corners.

Radio check and top 2 Wyvern

 

  First of all, a warning for other Jeti users.  As I launched for a round 1 re-flight my transmitter shut down and Wyvern sailed off into the hot sky.  A radio that had over 70% when I left home 2 days before I can only assume the battery doesn’t like the heat!  Make sure you check yours during the latest heat wave.

  Remarkably the Wyvern took a wide ark and hit the slope to the East.  When Les and I found the model it was completely undamaged- tested for toughness!

 After an evening’s charging I flew the same Wyvern through the competition.

  It was fantastic to see Deiter and Peter flying their Calderas to fly the flag for sub 3m models as they dominated the podium.

  As the season gets to half way it’s been so great to see Greg rip his Saker and Wyvern models around the sky and JP’s Wyvern occupying second place in he league.