Winter Willow fun

  It’s not often that spending 6 hours in the freezing cold is a happy prospect but for some reason put an F3F model in my hand and all seems right.    Just a day after it’s maiden flight my reduced dihedral Willow was carried up the Ice Cream slope for the Welsh Winter league bash.

  The wind was crossed and freezing cold but the chance to join 2 other Willow owners, Bob and Mike on the flight line wasn’t to be missed.  True to form each one of us had a different set up and ballast choice but ultimately it was thumbs and luck with the air that separated us.  When the wind came square on to the hill (as it did for a few legs on 2 of my flights) the Willow was a high speed joy to fly.  When the Wind was crossed she faired about as well as any other model but the Willow's stability made it easier to do so.

  One race isn’t enough to illustrate the Willow’s performance or the new Joiner but I am convinced that she’s competitive.  There were certainly times, as I landed on rough icy ground, in blustery conditions that I was pleased to be flying such a forgiving model with a high mounted tail.

 At the end of the day I was beaten by better pilots and congratulations to martin and his Freestyler on his performance all day to win.  But as always my Willow had me smiling all day and all the way home.  Thanks, as always have to go to AJ and the SWSA for putting on the race and being daft enough to join us on the hill side.