Personal Log #1

Thought I would post a few thoughts, experiences for own record as I learn to build and fly rc craft.
Started to learn to fly last fall with a couple of cheap Chinese planes and radios and kind of got hooked on it. Started with those directional thrust twin engine planes and what a thrill when I got one to stay in air for a full battery.
Then started building foam planes, Flying Saucer, Nutball, and 1B1M delta. Scavenged a Cessna kit for the parts and radio (still haven't flown the Cessna).

Latest project is the BlueCor Wing and have built two of them and when I got the first one finally flying after a bunch of fiascos, I was elated.

Not sure why I want to fly, seems a strange hobby for an adult to get into so late in life. In the last few years (at age 55) I took up the unicycle and glad I have done so but it seems to pale compared to the thrill I get from controlling in the air something I have built.
Anyway, I hope to revisit this strange compulsion to fly and resolve it. Some hobbies I am involved with, I seem to love the idea more than the doing - but with flying planes I love both the idea, the building and the doing.

Have posted a few threads and replies on this forum but I don't seem to be very good at interacting with others here so will just go this route.

Right now am waiting for an order of new batteries. My only 2 900 3s are pretty much balls of lipo goo and can't hold more than a couple minutes of charge - wont balance anymore. Also I need to order some new motors, esc, etc to work on a design idea of my own. I have built a glider version and it seems to fly but we'll see.

Anyway, here is video of an out of control Nutball flight last year that still was very satisfying to keep it in the air for a while.

RC NutBall Airplane (1 min 7 sec)

While I love the flight charactersics of this plane, I am fearful of flying it into some of the students where I fly, which is the only open space nearby that is available. So I moved to the 1B1M delta with its enclosed prop. I am an English teacher at a Chinese university in Harbin and there is a flying club here but I don't speak Chinese so tough to communicate. I like to watch them fly but it is kind of dangerous now and then for passerbys. Sometimes they fly near moms with their children right on the same soccer field or in front of the Main building with students. But they seem used to it.

Update 6/20/2012 After about 9 months of entering into the rc plane world I have accumulated about 17 hours total air time and lots more building foam planes. I am now very comfortable just flying around in circles in figure eights but not at controlled aerobatics. I can do some limited loops without crashing but haven't learned inverted flight yet. But I am very happy with where I am.
As far as building I have become a finless wing convert and am very excited about using 9mm laminated EPP foam. Also, my greatest lesson learned is that if the plane is waggling, it is probably due to loose control arms due to loose horn or servo.
My next project is building a laminated EPP delta. Delta wings I am convinced are so stable without using fins because of the sweep and tail mounted or slot mounted propeller.
Added photo of my latest project which just needs electronics transferred from my 1B1M delta which I am retiring though it is still a great slow flying wing.
This will be my X47A. I need to cut the laminate and iron it down behind the step. I want to try this with a step and without to compare flight characteristics.
A single layer of iron on laminate has made this wing very stiff and strong. I really can't get over how laminate is so easy to use. No need for other supports as there is no flex in the wing.

Update 6/21/2012 Maiden flight of X47A was pretty much a failure. No matter how much weight I put up front, it wouldn't fly stably. Going to move prop slot way forward and try again.

6/25/2012 Moved prop way forward, flies better now. Set servos into body of wing. Too much wing area in the rear, still have dead weight attached to front and waggles a bit, not sure why as that is usually loose control surfaces. Will investigate.

Update 10/1: Have 25 hours of airtime in this morning with Cessna and my latest BoneYard 4 wing. Just bought an EPO P51D and just finished building my Boat Tail Scimitar.

Update: 10-10-2013: Have 53 hours total air time. Latest project is my Ugly Plank which is my most fun flying machine. Build all my wings exclusively in laminated EPP foam because fanfold really sucks as it gets soft, mushy, breaks, collapses, lets parts move around, etc. I still have all my epp planes and they are all totally flyable. But I feel like after 3 years of this stuff, I am losing interest in it and need to move my time into other areas. It has been great fun and I will continue to fly my wings occassionally.

Update Dec 11, 2013 Have 56 hours total air time. Just made sloper that breaks down so can pack in my suitcase. Going to Hainan and hope to find nice beach where I can fly my glider. Will buy a cheap bicycle to get around while I am there. Still building planes, can't seem to get away from flying. My latest project is a swing wing canard delta that works, I just need more flying time to learn how to make smoother transitions from open to close wing. Definitely the most interesting thing I have been working on.