Okay, okay....

So I am absolutely HORRIBLE at keeping up with my RCGroups Blog....

BUT....I WILL get better at it...

That said, let's get cracking on videos from the St. George Electric Festival, 2019!

This was an event held about a month ago or so, and it was great to get caught up with friends, both new and old, and capture many of their unique creations on video...

For starters, here's Wade Joos' beautiful Nick Ziroli B-25 Mitchell on it's first flight after it's heart-breaking crash at last year's event !

Ziroli B-25 Mitchell - SWEET SUCCESS! St. George Utah, 2019 (6 min 11 sec)

Just got back from having a great time at SEFF 2018 !

For those who may not know, the Southeast Electric Flight Festival (SEFF) is one of the oldest all electric RC flight events in the United States. It is a weeklong event held in Americus Georgia at Mac Hodges Field. Hodges field is acres upon acres of nicely cut Bermuda grass surrounding a small pond, perfect for float planes

I had a GREAT time with old friends, made new friends, and saw many unique and one-of-a-kind models cruising through the Georgia skies...

That said, I'll be using this thread as a sort of "V-LOG" and posting the MANY videos I shot over the course of the week, so stay tuned as they'll be popping up here in the blog for the next few MONTHS !

First up, here's Rich Baker as he puts the FMS 1700mm F7F Tigercat "La Patrona" through it's paces at SEFF 2018 !

FMS 1700mm F7F Tigercat "La Patrona" - FLIGHT DEMO by RICH BAKER! SEFF 2018 (10 min 44 sec)

We're getting the New Year off to a great start!

The good folks at Horizon Hobby and E-flite have just released what is arguably the NICEST FLYING AT-6 on the market today !

Now, some might say that's a pretty bold statement, and I would have to agree...

BUT

Here's a video of the maiden flight to prove it....:

E flite AT-6; Maiden Flight! - 07JAN18 (17 min 27 sec)

Yes indeed, there IS such a thing as a good flying AT-6, and I think this one is it! To be honest, I've never really been much of a T-6 kind of guy; I don't know why really, but the type has just never light my fire so to speak...

But, the more I fly this model, the more it convinces me that I AM a believer in the AT-6

Blue Skies and Happy Landings

Hi All!

It's been a while since I've updated my blog, so here's some videos of the fantastic new E-flite UMX Timber !!!

I'll put 'em up here in chronological order.....

First up.....obviously.....is the Maiden!

E-flite UMX Timber; Maiden Flight - 04SEP17 (4 min 56 sec)

As you can see, she'll handle a bit of wind, that's for sure !

Next, we tried her out on grass-field operations:

The E-flite UMX Timber; Grass Field Ops - 04SEP17 (4 min 26 sec)

...Continue Reading

Each Spring, hundreds of people descend upon Mac Hodge's field outside of Americus Georgia and have weeklong celebration of electric RC flight.....

The Southeast Electric Fun Fly attracts pilots of all skill levels from all over the globe, in a giant, festive atmosphere. The field itself is acres and acres of beautifully manicured grass, and the comradery and shenanigans just help to add to the SEFF mystique. The leading giants in our industry are usually there as well, and the noon-time demos on Friday and Saturday features some of the newest and most innovative products in our hobby! The flying must be seen to be believed....

I was fortunate to attend my third SEFF recently (last week, actually!) and took numerous pictures, and shot many, many videos!

I'll post my pictures here "photo-flood" style, and also the videos.

Hope y'all enjoy !

Recently, I was able to attend the AMA "West" Expo and Convention in Ontario California on January 6th....

I've attended several past events, but had to skip last year's Expo because I was in El Paso and actually had to work !!!! (Truth be told, I was in Louisiana conducting a large-scale, month long training exercise with the Army....)

In any event, this year's Expo was a great event, and if you ever get a chance to go....BY ALL MEANS GO !!! In fact, the reason why the AMA is calling this one "West", is because for the first time (as far as I'm aware) they will actually be having one on the EAST coast of the United States, in conjunction with the renowned WRAM show, which will be held February 24–26, 2017, at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus, New Jersey. (http://www.prweb.com/releases/2016/09/prweb13705217.htm)

That said, I had the opportunity to catch up with Chris Puckett, the Horizon Hobbies aircraft designer who is responsible for the E-flite 1.2m P-47D, and was on hand to answer questions regarding two of his latest creations, the fantastic new UMX Waco BL, and the E-flite Valiant 1.3m !

Chris was very cordial and polite, even allowing me to interview him as he described the design features of his latest planes....

First up, is an in-depth look at his stunning new UMX Waco BL:

The New E-flite UMX Waco BL - 06JAN2017 (5 min 26 sec)

Here's the RCGroups thread for the model: https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...lane-BNF-...Continue Reading

New Year's Eve greetings one and all!!!

First, I'd like to wish everyone a very Happy and Festive New Year, and give a sincere "Thanks" to all of those who have frequented my blog, and watched all the various videos I've posted over the years!!!

Speaking of videos, here's the latest video I shot starring the UMX A-10, and this time at my new stomping grounds, Bennett Field in Fabulous Las Vegas, NV

As usual, it's filled fun and frivolity, lots and lots of low level work, and the occasional loop or reverse half-Cuban eight thrown in for good measure....

New Year's Eve with the E-flite UMX A-10 - 31DEC2016 (8 min 41 sec)

Hope y'all enjoy the video HALF as much as I enjoyed making it !

Here's wishing all of you a very happy New Year and best wishes for a healthy, fulfilling 2017

Hi gang,

Here's the latest and greatest from Justwingit studios featuring the Lil Hog doing some close in, low-n-slow work !:

Low and Slow with the E-flite UMX A-10 - 14DEC2016 (9 min 11 sec)

Quite frankly, I was surprised at how locked-in this little model is, and flying it, at least to me, is really no harder than wringing out your favorite bush-plane down and dirty

This video is posted in response to a request for some low and slow work and I'm sure you're going to enjoy it.....to say I brought her in close to the camera would be an understatement ! And there's PLENTY of close-in slow work for y'all to really appreciate what this model can do.

I'm really liking this plane more and more every time I fly it....it's a winner for sure

Now strap in and hang on....this is one fun video !!!

Hey kiddies !

Here's the latest video of the UMX A-10 in action! I took her out this morning for a very well narrated flight demonstrating various fighter-style maneuvers, a demonstration of her vertical ability, and even tried out her stall characteristics :

A Morning with the E-flite UMX A-10 - 12DEC2016 (21 min 8 sec)

I follow the flight with a very detailed pilot's debrief so be sure to watch the whole video because, as usual, it's packed with information, fun and frivolity !

So sit back, crack open a cold one, and enjoy the show.....it's movie time !

Cheers friends and many happy landings

Hi all!

Here's the video of my maiden flight of this extraordinary UMX EDF Jet !

E-flite UMX A-10 Maiden Flight - 10DEC2016 (11 min 1 sec)

Pilot's Impressions:
First, let me quickly lay to rest any question about this model's vertical ability....it flat out GOES ! As you can see from the video (and I candidly exclaimed during the first loop!) this model has TONS of vertical ability - more than enough to accomplish any maneuvers you'd want to put her through, that's for sure!

As for cruise, this little Warthog will easily and effortlessly cruise around your local flying field at 50% throttle.....in fact, I found it quite easy to maintain level flight at 40% throttle! With the AS3X, and the very efficient A-10 wing, this little plane easily cruised around between 40-60% throttle and I can imagine one could easily milk well over 8 minutes out of the recommended 800mAh battery.

I would probably get bored fairly quickly flying it around like that, so I thoroughly tested mine on maiden by putting her through a battery of sport/scale maneuvers, all of which she performed with aplomb. I imagine I'll get the hang of this model's quirks very quickly and really look forward to picking up some more batteries for it as I only have the one for now....

She takes off effortlessly using the underhand "bowling" technique, and lands equally easily. All in all, this is one sweet micro EDF !!!

Conclusions:
I set mine up as per the manual and dialed in 30% expo on all...Continue Reading

On the eve of this solemn occasion......

We are on the verge of recognizing the 75th anniversary of the attack on the U.S. Navy at Pearl Harbor by the Naval Air Forces of Imperial Japan, so I felt it was necessary for us ALL to remember the final act which would plunge a reluctant United States into World War II.

This fine print by Richard Taylor, "The Sleeping Giant Awakes", portrays the scene as "the Enterprise slips through the shallow outer channels towards Ford Island and the smoldering ruins that had been the Pacific Fleet. As ships still burn and the stench of destruction hangs in the air, ever alert F4F-3A Wildcats of VF-6 fly an air patrol overhead. Throughout the night the carrier will refuel and re-arm, the fires of the still burning Arizona lighting up the night sky. At dawn, she will return to sea with a steel resolve and a new mission, to avenge Pearl Harbor...."


.....may we NEVER forget....

Hi All !

Here's a couple of videos I shot recently while flying my trusty Durafly Tundra at Biggs Park on Fort Bliss, Texas....

First up, I'm trying to keep with the "Durafly Tundra Challenge" theme by performing a somewhat simple, but challenging maneuver: taking off, going into a reverse half-Cuban eight, and landing going the opposite direction !

The Durafly Tundra Challenge Part Two - 02DEC2016 (1 min 46 sec)

Next up, I'm just enjoying the Tundra for what it is: a wonderful park-flyer that is extremely capable of performing a bewildering number of aerobatic maneuvers and then going right into some pretty aggressive bush-flying :

Fun and Frivolity with the Durafly Tundra - 02DEC2016 (8 min 51 sec)

...Continue Reading

Hi all,

I'm starting this blog to preserve for posterity some of the videos I shot of the wonderful aircraft and of the good times had by all at the recent Electric Festival held in beautiful St. George Utah !

I'll be slowly adding to the collection of videos here in the thread as I render and upload the numerous videos I shot of planes flying, tour of the flight line, and just general shenanigans at the event

There are also a couple of heartbreakers in the mix as well.....a couple of one-of-a-kind scratch builds went in during the event, and those will be posted here as well...

For the record, this was my first outing with my brand new (to me, anyway !) video camera, a Canon Vixia HF200, I purchased from one of the local Pawn Shops. Not only was I trying to figure out how to work the thing, I am currently recovering from massive shoulder surgery a little more than two months ago so I can't raise my right arm more than 90 degrees.....makes things a bit difficult, to say the least.

The good news is, I actually got some GREAT video !!!

So break out the popcorn, crack open a cold one, and enjoy the show !!

Hi all !

Here's the latest batch of videos shot out at my favorite flying site, Sue Young Park, in El Paso Texas...

First up, is the Durafly Tundra, doing some great STOL work, including a very dangerous, but epic take off from a picnic table !!!:

Durafly Tundra at Sue Young Park - 25 July 2016 (10 min 36 sec)

Next, we find one of my all-time favorites (Okay, okay, my all-time favorite!!!) the venerable and sadly discontinued Parkzone F4F Wildcat, being put through a fine flight demonstration, if I do say so myself... :

Parkzone F4F Wildcat at Sue Young park - 31 July 2016 (7 min 4 sec)

...Continue Reading

It's been a long time since my last blog post.....far too long....

And while there's many things I'd like to write about, life all too often gets in the way, and, sometimes, just plain old laziness....

That said, there's a new kid in town, and it deserves a post.....so here goes!

I recently got my hands on a Durafly Tundra, and WOW, what a plane !!!

The Tundra is a fairly recent release from Hobbyking, and was designed by the Durafly brand manager himself, Stuart Warne, who happens to be a self avowed bush plane fanatic.

Here's the link to the model:
https://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...laps_PnF_.html

And here's the main RCGroups thread on the model:
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show....php?t=2413887

It should be noted here that the Tundra is a "sport/scale" rendition (an homage, in Stuart's own words), of the Just Aircraft Highlander/Super STOL line of high-performance STOL aircraft.

Here's a brief video showing Stuart's inspiration for this model:

Just Aircraft at SUN n FUN 2015 (4 min 18 sec)

(It probably also served as an inspiration for the color scheme of the model, but Stuart's been mum in that regard...)

Initial impressions:
The original package is very colorful and very well executed. The box art consists of a wonderful rendition of the Tundra flying over mountains with the exhortation of "No Limits"....a hint at the fun that awaits wrapped inside...

The packaging was very well done and everything sat securely and neatly in...Continue Reading

Although most people who are concious of history are aware of the great surprise incurred by the United States on the morning of 7 December, 1941, with the resultant massive loss of life by the forces stationed at Pearl Harbor, few realize the great level of grit and determination displayed by the shocked and dazed defenders....

America struck back that morning, and struck back fairly effectively given the total and complete surprise of the attack by the IJN....

If anyone is an aviation history buff, they'll undoubtedly have heard of George Welch and Ken Taylor....both pilots whose bravery and resourcefulness are depicted in the classic 1970 movie "Tora! Tora! Tora!" (which was fairly accurate, historically), and 2001's "Pearl Harbor", which was decidedly less accurate.

But few have probably heard of Lt. Harry W. Brown, and his undaunted courage flying an obsolete P-36 Hawk, from an auxiallary training field near Haleiwa, Hawaii.

Here's his story:
http://www.jackfellows.com/Aviation/aviation-067.html

Here's a profile of the Curtiss P-36 Hawk:


Clearly, however, the P-40 was the aircraft credited with putting up the most fight that fateful day...

From Wikipedia:
"At dawn on December 7, 1941, 2nd Lt. Welch and another pilot, 2nd Lt. Ken Taylor, were coming back from a Christmas dinner and dance party (with big band orchestra) at a rooftop hotel in Waikiki, that ended in an all-night poker game. They were still wearing mess dress when the...Continue Reading

Today I thought it fitting to remember an exceptional chapter in aviation history....the day a heroic band of Army pilots did the unthinkable....took land-based, medium bombers off of a pitching and heaving carrier deck and flew 600 miles deep into enemy territory with the mission of bombing their capitol city.

I originally posted this on the Wildcat thread, but thought the time and effort warranted posting it here in my blog as well, so please forgive my indulgence...

As is customary on this thread, we always look at chapters in our little 'Cat's history. One chapter not to be overlooked is the Doolittle Raid....

Although it was the USAAF pilots flying B-25 Mitchell medium bombers on that day that stole the spotlight (and earned EVERY word of praise for their efforts), our little Wildcat was there as well, with Wildcats from Enterprise's VF-6 flying both inner and outer CAP's just in case they were needed to repel any attacks on the Hornet as she came in close, and once the B-25's were on their way to Tokyo, Wildcats from VF-8 joined the patrols as well to give VF-6 some relief from the constant inner and outer CAPs.

Prior to the launch, however, on the morning of 18 April, Wildcats from VF-6 were involved in several sorties to attack and suppress Japanese picket boats, and Wildcats thoroughly strafed the Nanshin Maru and the Nitto Maru. Most of the fighter planes returned to the Enterprise out of ammo, prompting one of the Wildcat pilots, LT (jg) Wilmer Rawie to...Continue Reading

On top of shooting my own video, there's been a couple of days where my flying buddy has also brought out his camera and taken some excellent stills

Here's the best of the crop, taken this past Sunday out at the field.......Continue Reading

Here's the last couple of videos I shot with my trusty Mobius camera while out flying my Carbon Z Cub....

First up is another video I shot while shooting various approaches and doing all sorts of touch-n-go's. I'm doing different kinds of approaches, from no flaps, long approach path type stuff, to using flaps and dropping her in on steep, bush style approaches to my "postage stamp" sized runway.

This really is an excellent tutorial on how to do various approaches, landings and take offs with your CZC, so anyone interested in improving their technique would do well to watch this....plus, I'm talking my way through MOST of the flight, so you'll actually get a running narrative of what I'm doing on the sticks....talk about "virtual instruction" :

Touch and go with the Carbon Z Cub 23 Feb 14 (9 min 31 sec)

This video is one I made on the spur of the moment; I realized I could quickly cover some basic tips on the Carbon Z Cub that would help out a lot of folks just getting acquainted with the model, so I went for it :

Carbon Z Cub helpful tips (4 min 16 sec)

...Continue Reading

WOW !!

This thing looks too cool :
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...6#post27637960

Looks like it's gonna be a great spring !