It was always going to be a bit hit-or-miss. The Met Office
was predicting NE winds of around 8mph and the hope was we’d gain a few more
from the top of Ditchling Beacon – wishful thinking on our part!
Scott and I met up with Les, who was making it look easy
with his Parkzone Ka8, a lightweight 2m-wingspan bird giving the local kestrel
a run for its money. Andrew, a fellow enthusiast, also managed to successfully maiden a very
thermally efficient looking model, with Les providing the oomph needed for the
launch (see video below).
A couple of promising gusts made me think I might just be in
with a chance with the Spectre. Three launches and three aborted flights later,
I’d come to the firm conclusion that there was insufficient wind to keep me
aloft and effectively engage my control surfaces.
Scott rapidly came to the same conclusion as the lack of
wind prevented his SAS Mamba responding reliably to his inputs. I for one was
grateful for the dense undergrowth on the brow of the hill that made my ‘landings’
a bit more forgiving.
The star of the show was an E-Flight UMX Whipit DLG which
put the rest of us to shame and soared high as the foamies repeatedly sunk back
to earth. At around £60-70 quid all in, these look like a hell of a lot of fun
and can practically fit in your glove box!
Still, it was a great little excursion and not only got to
experience some very different ‘wind’ conditions to what I’d flown in before,
but I got a tutorial in how to programme dual rates with my new Spektrum
DX6i - cheers Les and Scott!
So, same time on Monday – let’s hope for a bit more wind on
the bank holiday!
No comments:
Post a Comment