In the last few weeks the weather has been consistently fair over my local slope on the South Downs, with a warm dry north-easterly breeze of variable strength. I have been making the most of this by visiting two or three times a week with planes in my panniers.
The regular ride up Clayton Hill has made my legs noticeably stronger and although it is still strenuous, I'm starting to feel less tired at the top. It's good for arthritis too, which is a bonus.
Readers may remember that I completed the Phoenix Model Products WingBAT 48 kit in October last year and here was my chance for a maiden flight...
...which proved to be easier said than done. It flies superbly but the launch is challenging. I'm used to shoving my models firmly into the wind and watching them float up into the lift. The WingBAT refused to cooperate and repeatedly fell a few feet in front of me. I adopted the recommended technique of grasping the fuselage in front of the leading edge with a forefinger under the wing, but rather than shoving into the wind I leaned back and tossed it into the sky like a javelin. With a little practice this worked fine requiring only quick reflexes to haul back on the elevator stick to keep it off the ground. Once it was up in the lift and flying fast it was a hoot, flitting about the sky like a, erm, bat!
My other maiden flight was with the Quicksilver which I completed in the summer of 2020 (you can view the build details on this blog by searching for 'Quicksilver').
I was a bit dubious about this design because of the highly unusual all-flying tailplane held on by a rubber band, which seems rather wobbly. I need not have worried, the model flew brilliantly and its crash-proof qualities are admirable - a hard landing may break a few wing bands or knock the tailplane off its cradle, but within a couple of minutes it's ready to fly again. Rudder and elevator control are quite sensitive, the ailerons are less so but still perfectly effective. It is a model which inspires confidence and was sufficiently stable to fly hands-off long enough for me to wipe the sweat off my palm.
Not quite a maiden flight but a model flown only once before is my Omega, built from plan in 2017:
The colour scheme looks like the Ukrainian flag, something I was unaware of at the time of covering, but which is now very evident. The Omega is a snazzy looker but sadly a reluctant flyer, it will get airborne and fly straight, but my attempts at manoeuvring usually result in its flopping around like a lanky, recalcitrant teenager who'd rather be on his/her Xbox than take to the skies. It is probably just my lack of skill at handling what was once a highly-regarded aerobatic machine back in the 1970s. I took some weight out of the nose which made it a bit more perky but it's still uninspiring. If you have any suggestions please let me know, thanks.
Happy landings
Russell H
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