Here's the first real flight of my Baby Flite Streak. That's a Tee Dee .051 with a MA 5.5x3 prop. It's a quick little bird.

Rusty's Baby Flite Streak (3 min 6 sec)

Neat video there, Rusty. Lots of memories. I had a Jr Flite Streak with a red head K & B .19 and a U-Reely handle. Always liked that design. Your self launcher looks very interesting also.

Lots of good fun. All I would suggest is working on getting comfortable flying level flight at shoulder level. That may not be easy given the background you fly against. Does the engine go rich when the bladder is almost empty?

Great video, Rusty. Love that stooge --- it works surprising well and is super simple.

Originally Posted by Jim Thomerson

Lots of good fun. All I would suggest is working on getting comfortable flying level flight at shoulder level. That may not be easy given the background you fly against. Does the engine go rich when the bladder is almost empty?

No, Jim, I don't think so. I might have left more of an air bubble in it than I meant to. The cone shaped nozzle from Texas timers causes the bubble to surround it without getting sucked in, but when it's almost empty, it gets into the line. It gives me some warning, but that was too much in that flight. I don't think it's too good for the engine.

The buildings get wind roll-off in the back corner of the circle and it likes to unexpectedly slam a plane down belly first. Kind of reminds me of the wind shear near storms the big guys face. I was flying the Li'l Satan low and level before I flew the Streak, but I don't know her well enough yet to risk it. It'll probably handle it better than the smaller planes.

I feel like I just flew my first Real control line plane after that. The others seem like toys compared to it. My wife surveyed the field and said it looks like I can safely add 5 feet more line, which should make it feel tamer. I've never felt one pull on the lines like that, no matter what kind of maneuver I was doing. I kept getting my pinky caught in the up line every time I did an outside loop(I hold the handle backwards). Once I pulled an outsider and when it climbed back up to the top of the loop, it caught on my finger and immediately snapped into a high inside loop. I got my finger free in time to finish the loop and keep on going. It surprised the bejeezus out of me, but I recovered. I was kind of glad when it ran out of gas. That was some fun flying.

Originally Posted by Andrew0820

Great video, Rusty. Love that stooge --- it works surprising well and is super simple.

Yeah, I just move the bungee cord to follow the trailing edge of the wing of whatever plane I'm flying. Then I set the edge of the brick on the cord to ensure a firm, but not too tight hold so the plane doesn't rotate when I walk away from it.

I add bracing to the bellcrank housing to reinforce it to withstand repeated pulls. When I built the Li'l Jumpin' Bean I hadn't thought up this stooge and paid the price in mid loop. The bellcrank platform broke loose and crashed through two ribs before it stopped. It's hanging in the shop with its guts spilling out of the wing. I punished that plane badly learning to do stunts, so It will get a complete overhaul and re-beautification job this Fall. Right now I have five planes that I can mostly pick up and go at any time.

The Streak pulls the lines so tight in flight, I'm glad I added the bracing anyway.

Originally Posted by RknRusty

...I feel like I just flew my first Real control line plane after that. The others seem like toys compared to it...

I know how you feel Rusty. The Baby Flite Streak just stays out there. You can do continuous figure 8's out in front of you - or above your head for that matter with that plane. It's a lot of fun. You definitely look like you could use some longer lines. You can take a length of rubber hose and lay it on the ground in a 6 foot circle or so and then fly from within that circle. It gives you a way to know that you're not wandering too far from where you want to be.

Jim

I do wander. You can't see it in the video, but I have a red shop rag on the ground where I pick up the handle. I check for it in my peripheral vision occasionally. I watched myself making my way back to it once in that video.

Looking Good .
Clear progress in both model and flying.
Now to work on grass staining that rudder tip.
Lines are wayy too short though. Unless you like spinning on the spot.
I'd be dizzy half way through that flight.
One small trick is to only use 1/2 the circle .... which helps a lot.

IF you had possibility of longer lines (chainsaw some trees? everything else seems dead flat), an ARF combat model :-) and a Norvel? would make the FliteStreak seem decidedly toylike as well....just keep trying to get you current.

Hi, Bare. My wife looked over the tree clearance while I was flying and says I can safely add five more feet to the lines. That will give me 40. Not a lot, but it'll help some. I don't have much dizziness trouble except when I fly inverted. Strange, that inner ear. I guess I have to train it in both directions. I was glad when it ran out of gas though. When I start doing any low inverted passes I'll take a picture of the green rudder for you.

The glide on the Streak is amazing. The 3rd quarter of that final glide lap was into a headwind and it still flew a whole loop after the TD ended with a slow starve. I bet I could throw it and watch it float all the way across the field.

I think I flew mine on 42' lines. I'm sure 40 will make a big improvement. Maybe after you add the line length you can stake your handle down where you think you need to stand and just walk the plane all the way around the circle to make sure you have adequate clearance. Then you'll know if you need to adjust your center point.

Jim

Originally Posted by RknRusty

I was glad when it ran out of gas though. When I start doing any low inverted passes I'll take a picture of the green rudder for you.

Yesss I can believe that, you were doing a fair ballerina impression.
Amusingly, or not, years ago when getting younger Son interested (13 then). The rascal on his 3rd? flight ever was cutting the odd bits of grass (8x6 prop).. while inverted at 60~ mph.. lap after lap. Possibly/likely he simply had no concerns whatsoever re wrecking the silly thing, but it Really makes one feel old to watch that level of bravado.

MAAAAN! what a good sound!

howell

Originally Posted by gwinhh

MAAAAN! what a good sound!

howell

No kidding, you don't get that with an electric motor. I love that TD .051, it'll blow the doors of of everything else in my box.Those surgical tubing bladders make them easy to needle too. Gave he camera man a hell of a time.

I added 5' of line and gave it another try. That extra length made the flight a lot less frantic. I wandered too far from my spot and clipped an oak tree, but it kept on going. Glad I didn't add 10' of line to it. I must be out of practice, gotta keep my eye on my spot marker. Next time I'm going to put a faster prop on it and see how she does. Since it's still new and pretty, I'm still being extra careful and kept the 5.5x3 MA prop on it. I'll take a few props to try next time. If I like it moving faster, I may put my Big Mig .061 on it. Right now the Tee Dee .051 is running really well considering the too-big prop.

Baby Flite Streak Saturday 8 25 12 (3 min 39 sec)