R/C airplanes

[Martin Naef]

On 09.01.2012 11:58, Jay Vaughan wrote:
> progression from "two bits stuck together to make an airplane" to,
> "12 bits stuck together, with rotating joints and parts that
> interact, to make a robot" .. really intriguing watching a young mind
> grow with this stuff ..

Indeed. I'm also often surprised with new creations. Kids learn fast!

>> On the one hand, I dusted off some birds from my teenage years. I

> Awesome!  I'd love to have my old teen-years models available, but
> alas thats just not feasible any more ..

Guess I was lucky to return to my home country. All my stuff was stored 
in my parents' basement, waiting to be retrieved one day...


> I'm flying this these days:
> http://www.nineeagleshop.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=398&products_id=14789

Lovely, but tiny! I generally go for much larger planes. Flying them is 
a lot more relaxed, especially when there's a bit of wind. My trainer is 
probably beyond 3kg, but that means it flies extremely stable. The 
higher speed that comes with such planes isn't really an issue since I 
also have the space available within less than 5 minutes walking 
distance. The only true downside of size is mass - especially when you 
crash. Things *do* break. Really. (Oh, and the requirement for a proper 
runway is the other problem...)

>  Its not robust!  But damn it is fun to fly .. mine is currently
> loaded with carbon-fiber wires and tape, just to get it in the air ..

;-)

> This is exactly why I've decided to only fly planes from the park
> fliers class from now on .. if its too difficult to fly at our lake,
> its too difficult. :)

Sensible decision, though I think you'd really enjoy trying a larger bird.

Martin