So
after a evening of playing around with my Ascot settings with some sound advice
form Martin I was ready to go. Why the Ascot? Because she has a ballast tube in
the fuselage it gives an easy option quickly to move the C of G to see what
effect it will have on the technique.
The forecast
was for a nice 10 mph on the Wrecker which would have been ideal. However when
I got there John the Taxi was flying his electric model at the Wrecker car park.
Why the electric well slope lift was coming and going all the time as there
only a slight breeze.
A wonder
up the highest point didn't help either. The windmills over Treorchy were still
indicating north easterly direction and the new windmills at the far end of
Mickey's were suggesting the Crest, but what wind there was at the top was now
feeling more like the back of the Wrecker!
John
had now landed so I headed over for a chat hoping the conditions would build a
bit more as flying of the Back of the Wrecker in very light conditions were
just not holding any attraction what so ever!
After
half and hour I wondered back up the top the Treorchy windmills were still
indicating north easterly but the new ones at the far end of Mickey's were
showing southerly and standing on the edge of the Back of the Wrecker the
breeze had picked up a bit more but there was quite a bit of west in it by
now. No forecast I had looked at
suggested any hint of south westerly with nearly all of them shown the wind
moving from north easterly though east south east over the next twenty four
hours.
With
what wind there was still quite light, I much rather be on Mickey's than the
back of the Wrecker even though it would mean a long walk, so over I went. By
the time I got to Mickey's the wind had picked up a bit more and was smack on
Mickey's proper. Wind speed was now hovering around 6 or 7 mph and occasionally
picking up to around 10 mph, although I suspect this was more to do with thermal
activity.
A quick
fly with the Ascot dry proved that the air was quite buoyant so I landed and
put about a third ballast in. Even though the condition were light I spent a
very enjoyable hour and half playing
around with my settings and trying to get the EM style to work.
Like
everyone I have played with EM with my standard F3F setups but have found it
very easy to kill the speed. Ever though the conditions were light the new
settings seemed to be working and look like a good base to start from.
So what
has changed? Well basically everything is a bit softer and I find running with
a little more differential helps kick the plane back into the slope, although
this might get wound off a little as in big air this might kick the model in to
much.
The
next step will be to have a look at the effects of rudder inputs on the turn,
but that is for another day and by now the wind had dropped right down again so it was time to go home.
