Originally Posted by DLG fan

I am also eagerly awaiting a Calypso ARF. I preordered one from Hobbyzone and the anticipated delivery date was originally 9/10. This got pushed back to 10/10 and now 10/20 for both the RxR and ARF. The only real delivery date you can believe is when it shows up on your doorstep. What ticks me off is that all of the spare parts you need for an ARF have been in stock for weeks. I could assemble an ARF now but at a much higher cost.

Don't make sense to me either. I'm waiting for the same thing. The only thing they have to do is what...take the motor and the radio out? With all this wait, you would think it supposed to be new and improved or something .

There's a shipment of ARFs (FLZA3006) actually in transit scheduled to arrive 10/22 barring anything unforseen.

Tim

Originally Posted by KRProton

There's a shipment of ARFs (FLZA3006) actually in transit scheduled to arrive 10/22 barring anything unforseen.

Tim

And the RxR (FLZA3004)?

Same deal - they're in transit and computer says they're due on the 22nd. Must be in the same container - again, barring anything unforseen - and I can't make any guarantees - just going by what I see on the computer.

Tim

Originally Posted by rycomm

We have found that if you use lighter batteries (1300s) moved to the rear of the compartment, this moves the cg back a bit, which helps the up trim issue, and the plane seems to fly better. We were getting 20+ min flights with about 4 climbs in dead air. I was also doing 5 sec motor runs, then attempting precision landings. All very fun, and great practice.

I've also considered embedding an ounce or so in the rear of the fuselage to see if that makes any difference. It wouldn't affect the wing loading enough to be noticable, but it may help the trim issue a bit. However, the Calypso I've been flying is not mine, so it is up to the owner.


Ryan

I'll second this setup. I first flew mine with a 3s 2100 and found it needed a fair amount of up trim to fly but with a 3s 1300 it climbs better and needs very little up trim.

Steve

LOS maiden went well. I put my gopro on my head and tried to record video, but it was angled to far up. You can still see the glider in many cases, but it's just the glider against blue sky. Handlaunch was uneventful, used a good amount of up trim.

For gliding in general, it needed a decent amount of up trim, using the stock 1300 in a slgihtly nose heavy attitude. Climbouts were strong, although not blistering.

Got about 20 minutes on the 1300, although I didn't really push it. I have a feeling my battery was only about 60% depleted, though I didn't check.

I ran right home after the successful maiden and began work on the FPV system. I'm using a Fatshark CCD killer camera, an Immersion 600MW 5.8ghz transmitter, and a Cloverleaf antenna on the transmitter. The fatshark camera comes with a Pan/Tilt setup, and I added a servo stretcher on pan, so I can look 180 degrees back and forth. The transmitter and camera are powered by a 3S 1000mah. Here are pics for those interested:




The 3S 1000mah velcro's to the side of the canopy, were the hard velcro is.

I'm using some fatshark predator goggles, with a Turbine antenna on the reciever, and have headtracking enabled and all ready to go.

Originally Posted by KRProton

Same deal - they're in transit and computer says they're due on the 22nd. Must be in the same container - again, barring anything unforseen - and I can't make any guarantees - just going by what I see on the computer.

Tim

Thank you very much, Tim.

Richard

FPV maiden went off without a hitch. This camera has a narrower lens than I'm used too, but it was really nice for looking down over the nose of a floating sailplane

It's hard for me to judge altitude with this lens at the moment, so no idea how high I got, but I had crystal clear video the whole time. Really relaxing, for a change.

I swapped connectors, so tomorrow morning I'll have four 2500's to run through it. My timer is set to 7 minutes, and is only activated when the throttle is above 10% (basically, timer is only counting when the motor is on, gliding doesn't reduce time). So hopefully, with 4 2100's, I should get a decent amount of flying in tomorrow morning.

The Calypso is super fun on the slopes! I maxed out the mechanical throw everywhere...and it carves very well in slope lift. I plan on building a pure glider version for more slope flying when the ARFs ship.

Flyzone Calypso Slope Style (0 min 33 sec)

Looks nice George. Did you shoot that today? Where abouts is Elwood Bluffs?

Hey. Nope..a little over a week ago. I forgot it was on my phone ;-).
Check out this link for some Ellwood info.
http://www.sbslopers.org/index.php?pid=2
George

George. Thanks for posting that. First time I've seen the Calypso sloping.

Wow. It looks fairly fast along that crosswind leg down the beach, and it turned in, downwind, very responsively and recovered to cross slope without hesitation. Would you say that this is a fairly good "performance sloper"? I innitially thought it was a beginner's sailplane, but judging by what I just saw I think it will really perform. It reminds me of the old Hobie Hawk with the first ever eliptical wing. That bird really hauled AND was rigid and nearly indistructable. Would you say that the Calypso is as well?
Thanks, Robert

Thanks for the info George.

Hi, ory69.

The Calypso is really nothing like the Hobie Hawk. It's foam so it will take some impact but the similarity ends there. It's much lighter and has a thicker airfoil so, while it will fly faster than some other foamies, it will also float at low speeds.

Having always wanted one...but never owning or flying a Hobie Hawk...I can not compare the two.
It is fun affordable well rounded floater.