Pocket Rocket
From
Angus McLeod@VERT/ANJO to
Digital Man on Sunday, February 03, 2008 20:55:00
Got two good flights off the Synapse this afternoon. The first flight
lasted 8:25 on the UP-count clock, but with the clock stopped when the throttle was pulled back below 15%, which I do when gliding fown from
height, so the actual flight time may have been longer than that. Even
so, it doesn't sound fery long when with a vintage aircraft and a 4-stroke motor you can better 20 minutes easily! But that little thing moves FAST
and it's a handful in the sky, so at that flight-duration, you are just
about reaching the point where you WANT to come down and relax.
For the second flight, I programmed a DOWN-count clock, with an initial
time of 7:45. The field-charge went OK, but was delayed when the rain sprinkled for a few minutes. I was actually charging outside, so I had to stop the charge, and restart the process later. By the time the charger reported a full tank, it was well after sunset, and the light was fading
fast. Still took some time and had fun with it though. It's quite a
handful. I had adjusted the reflex on the surfaces to eliminate the need
for trim. It was flying last time out (Sunday last week) with eight
clicks of up-trim. I guaged the reflex on the elevons, zeroed out the
eight clicks, and reset the elevons to their original reflex position.
She is not tracking well enough. Of course, with an aircraft so small and
so fast, a *hair* difference in the adjustment makes a significant
difference.
She is still twitchy, even on low rates and 40% negative exponential. I
was on it fine, but it takes intense concentration every second. I'll try maybe going to -50% expo, or reducing the throws.
She glides well. If I shut the power off at a reasonable height at the departure end of the strip, I can complete a downwind leg, a base leg and
a full upwind pass, gliding, and be at maybe 20 feet at the departure end again before I have to put the power on and climb away again. That's far better than I ever anticipated! But she likes moving fast, and will bite
if slowed down too much. I tested that characteristic at a safe height,
and she gave me a vigorous snap-roll for my pains!
I was just telling myself how the light was failing fast, when one of the other members suggested calling it quits and coming in. I made an
approach and cut the throttle, but she whistled over the strip so I
powered back up and went around again. Second time, I cut power to the
bone on the downwind leg, and greased it in. The count-down clock says I
had 1:45 left, so a 6:00 minute (plus) flight. And short as that is, it doesn't *feel* short.
Still no decent photos -- I forgot my camera, and everyone else did the
same. But plenty of fun, even so!
---
Playing: "Cheer Up, Boys (Your Make-Up Is Running)" by "Foo Fighters"
from the "Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace" album.
þ Synchronet þ The ANJO BBS: Made of wood and glue, but mostly glue!