EDF jets better in stronger winds?

[aircraftking]

So far from my experience it seems EDF jets thrive off of some good wind. I don't know if its just the particular planes I have but when the wind is low they just don't want to climb. My Diablo, I upgraded it to the dual pod and it was flying pretty good. Today I tried out those aileron wings with the dual pod and man this thing would not climb for the life of it. At full throttle, it was a struggle to get any altitude at all. This said, it seems my other two EDF planes are similar. Its like give me 10-15 mph winds or something so I can get some lift and get into the air. Is this something that is common with EDF jets or perhaps I just do not have the best planes? If I don't I hope someone can recommend a GOOD EDF plane for me that can give me more then 5 min of flying time and is fast and powerful? I also hope someone can certainly clarify if my ideas about having good winds with EDF jets is indeed correct.

[Speed is Life]

perception -vs- reality..........rate -vs- angle of climb.

Best watch out for the 'killer down wind turn' while you're at it :rolleyes:

[eflightray]

Did you tell your EDF model it's flying in a wind?, normally models don't know, it's only the person flying the model that knows it's windy.

But then again............if you fly a slope soarer.........they do fly better in a wind :D

[Roj]

Taking off and landing a high wing-loaded model is easier in high wind as it allows slower ground speed.
Some models handle gusty conditions better than others - like my F5b gliders, ballasted F3b gliders, and i would presume your EDF models: these are high speed models with high wing loading - turbulance and oscillations in airspeed simply have proportionally less significance.
But as the others have alluded to, the presence of a constant laminar wind means nothing to a flying object's behaviour in the air and doesn't help or hinder climb rate.

[MarkusN]

I don't completely agree here. While there certainly is the angle vs. rate of climb phenomenon, close to the ground you also have to factor in wind shear.

And here higher winds definitely are favorable for the usually not very powerful EDF planes.

[Brandano]

Mainly it's an issue of starting with the model already "flying at windspeed" while sitting on the ground. Other than that, once the wheels are off the ground the model shouldn't really care if it's windy or not. There might be some advantage in a steep climb through a strong wind gradient, I imagine. A bungee launch would surely make the most of the wind energy in that case.

[aircraftking]

The wind does help give a plane lift but my particular EDFs struggle at full throttle to gain any altitude unless I have some good wind. Then I can climb until they are nearly out of site. Even my prop planes require more throttle to stay up in low wind conditions but nothing like the EDFs.

[JetPlaneFlyer]

The wind does help give a plane lift but my particular EDFs struggle at full throttle to gain any altitude unless I have some good wind. Then I can climb until they are nearly out of site. Even my prop planes require more throttle to stay up in low wind conditions but nothing like the EDFs.

It's an illusion, other than helping with the take off the wind can't help the model climb (unless you are using dynamic soaring techniques of diving in and out of differing wind sheer strata, or you are flying near a hill and using 'slope lift')
Perhaps what is happening is that when flying into a strong wind you are able to fly for a relatively longer time without needing to turn. Turning tends to lose altitude, so because you have to turn less often when flying into wind the model may climb a little more. The 'rate of climb' is actually the same but you are simply flying straight for a longer time.
You would lose it all on the downwind leg though because you need to turn sooner when running downwind if you want to keep the model close.

If your models have very marginal power and you are finding it difficult to gain altitude gentle large radius turns are the way to go... or better still build in more power ;)

[vintage1]

What is probably te case is that in wind and in particular in launching into wind,nt ony is tehplane up to airspeed quickly, but the wind shear will give you a net gain when climbing upwind.

i.e. if the wind is stronger at altitude, the plane will acquire airspeed as it climbs.

Isn't this the principle of DLG soaring?..climb upwind and dive downwind?

[mnowell129]

Isn't this the principle of DLG soaring?..climb upwind and dive downwind?
I'm assuming you mean dynamic soaring, instead of discus launched glider. And yes you dive downwind and climb upwind, both across a wind shear.

[vintage1]

Yes..sorry. I know the square root of :censored: :censored: about model glider terminology.