Cone,
I admire anyone who walks out on frozen water and flies off snow covered expanses in really cold weather much more than I admire someone who can fly inverted! You folks are true diehard RCers.
Mike McD

kingsflyer,
Well I chose to live here. This year has been a lot colder than years past. In 06 I went for a ride on my motorcycle on 5 January and it was 55 degrees. Not so this year. We have record snowfall, ski resorts are very happy, sled riders are having a ball, we have only lost one a week so far, about average. We kill about one person a week on sleds up here from Dec 1 till the end of March. Seems riding sleds at high speed, at night and after stopping at the bars, judgement gets a bit lax.

It is only 35 feet from the house to the seawall and about another 50 plus feet out onto the lake. I am about as far as the dock goes in the summer, so I am not walking a long way out. After about 10 minutes of flying, of course it is time to come in.
I didn't get the gas plane ready for snow this year. I got skis for it. I will put them on a Nexstar and fly it off the lake next year, the Lord willing. if not, then there will be lots of RC stuff for sale.

I just hope I get the handling of the Seawind down better. I know two short flights don't help a lot. After a couple more I am sure that things will be better.

Right now I am looking at the outside temps and it is 9 degrees with a wind chill of about -8 to -10 and this is supposed to be the coldest night so far. We will have a heat wave by Saturday, 25 or so degrees and that is really warm.

Flying inverted is always spectacular in my mind. Mostly because I don't do it well and when I see it, I am impressed. I fly a Bug indoors and out and fly it inverted many times and I am still not able to get it 5 feet off the ground. I am usually a bit higher, 15 or more feet. The Bug will take a licking and keep on flying. It has been the best investment I have ever made.

The Seawind is a lot more airplane. I flew it on the sim at E-Fest. I have wanted one for a long time, I wasn't sure I wanted to spend that much on a foam plane. The last one, XP-8 was a bust in my mind, and I was afraid that this might be another one.

So far it is not. I have read this thread and the other one under Scale Electrics and pretty much figured that I could fly it. I had parts from another plane, servos, and I bought battery, ( that is too small, the recomended one) and so now I have one. I like it.
Conehead
Orrin Eldred
Honor, MI.

I still much prefer the smaller packs, like a 1320 3 cell TP prolite, and the CG moved back as discussed, in the Seawind. The wing loading is less, the model lands slower and it is more nimble.

I have flown a few flights with an 1800 and a 2200, both at the stock CG and the better aft CG and it definitely takes away a little bit of the delightful handling. Still flies well, but not as well as the lighter model. I don't mind the shorter flight times of the smaller pack.

Ernie (RPVpilot) built a even lighter version, with a smaller, lighter but equally powerful outrunner that he wound himself, and uses even smaller packs, down around 720s-900s and it flies even a bit better still with this further wing loading decrease. He removed the heavy motor extension wires and used magnet wire to save a few more grams.

Right now I got 1700 packs and will fly with those. My 1320's have different connectors on them and are used on my Flutter-By's.

I will play with the CG on the next flights. I only had a couple short flights, so I am sure that i will adjust to the plane. I didn't want to add weight to the plane other than battery if possible. i can live with short flight times since the house is only a few feet from the lake and AC is easy to get to. A charger on the picnic table is easy to do and so charging batteries is easy. I can run two chargers easily.
Conehead
Orrin Eldred
Honor, MI.

I headed out on the lake to check the wind this afternoon. I checked my Corsair weather vane on the garage and the prop was not turning, so nice time for a flight.

I walked out about 100 or so feet onto the ice, looked so calm and peaceful I was just about to run in and get my Seawind. As i stood there, I felt a light breeze, then out on the lake a little dust devil was going across the lake. It was snow swirling around just like a dust devil and then I got a strong breeze and I said, not now, it will be nice in another day. The temp was about 10 degrees and it was plesant compaired to the other days, when the temps were close to zero and below.
So the Seawind sits and waits for another day. Better safe than sorry. Off to a snowmobile race tomorrow, part of the pit crew. They need someone to count laps, so I get a chance to go watch and work. Supposed to be warm, about 15 or so degrees and maybe even higher. Won't wear any swimsuit though, we are having a heat wave! A tropical heat wave.
Conehead
Orrin Eldred
Honor, MI.

Orion Pax,
minwax polycryl is in a can and you airbrush it on, or can you just brush it on your Seawind?

Can you use some of the clear spray can stuff you can find in the paint isles.
Conehead
Orrin Eldred
Honor, MI.

I airbrush mine on but if you wish to brush it on by hand you can do that too. However results may very. I do not recommend anything in a spray can. There have been know incidences where the aerosol had damaged the foam. Something about the chemicals not evaporating soon enough. Either way its a chance I don't plan on taking.

Maidened my Seawind today ( sort of ). Actually, yesterday I put her up and she came slamming down and broke amid-ships. Operator error..and way too fast a take-off for me.

A little gorilla glue, with some low-heat glue tacking...and she was ready to go hours later. I did change out the higher pitch prop for a --5-- pitch. Much slower take off; much better control for me..and what a great glide in. Nice plane...I can't wait to take her off from the water. Rich

OP,
Thanks. I don't have an airbrush, but I am sure that I can brush it on.

I wondered about rattle can stuff. I can read the contents and they looked like they would damage the foam.

no way to fly today. Went to the sled race, wind and snow and we have a winter storm warning/ watch and 6-8 more inches of snow. Will be sweet to fly off of tomorrow if the wind dies.
Conehead
Orrin Eldred
Honor, MI.
Guess an airbrush is the next item to get with a nice compressor. Bet that will go over fine.

I got my air compressor at walmart. It is a wall mounted unit with a tank on it the size of a fire extinguisher for around $100. An airbrush will also be around the same. You can find and iwata eclipse at hobby lobby for approx the same price.

My wife bought me a Seawind for Christmas and due to the weather, I only got the chance to fly it once before the lake froze over. Even though it snowed after the lake froze, I've been hesitant to break out the Seawind because the snow has had a very hard crust on it. Well last night we got a couple inches of the nice fluffy stuff so I was able to break the Seawind out for 5 great flights off of the lake today. What a blast. I love this little plane. I'm just glad I didn't have to wait until spring to fly it again.

I am always on the lookout for the $7 equivalents of the grossly overpriced motors recommended by the people who sell the models. Anyone had any luck with the cheapo Chinese motors?

I am thinking a 2822 style 950kv for the Seawind.

anyone found a direct (Cheapo) replacement for the Rimfire 400 900kv motor?

This seems to be the story of my life trying to get cheap and workable replacement motors.

Any Ideas or comments.

SWR

Originally Posted by ShokWaveRider

I am always on the lookout for the $7 equivalents of the grossly overpriced motors recommended by the people who sell the models. Anyone had any luck with the cheapo Chinese motors?

I am thinking a 2822 style 950kv for the Seawind.

anyone found a direct (Cheapo) replacement for the Rimfire 400 900kv motor?

This seems to be the story of my life trying to get cheap and workable replacement motors.

Any Ideas or comments.

SWR

Hard to beat the $15.95 BP 2212-13 1000 Kv motor from Balsa Products, as I mentioned at the beginning of the thread. You do need to mod the motor mount, but it is no problem to do so.

Finally got around to maindening my Seawind this morning. The maiden was uneventful, she slid down the grass runway for about 20 metres and took to the air. I found that I had to add a little up trim for level flight, and hold up elevator while taking off as the tail wanted to lift.
The wing retention needs to be improved. The stock mounting screw doesn't hold down the rear of the wing so that it is properly seated. It sits about 3-4mm high. I flew it like this on first flight then on the second held the wing rear deck down flush with some tape. The second take off was much shorter, maybe the change in wing incidence helps.
With the Hobby City A20-20L motor and 3S 1800mAh, it would climb at about 45 degrees or maybe a little more.
Using HTX900 servos.
Overall, happy with it, although the finish on the wing could have been better, it came with "boot' ("trunk" for USA?) rash out of the box!
Cheers,
Glenn.

I got one of my taps out and taped out the plastic hidden nut and put a 6-32 screw in the wing to hold it down. Also early in this thread, or in the thread under scale electric planes is a way to modify the linkage on the aileron servo wires. I did that and have had no trouble. I put the rimfire 1250 motor in my and I have unlimited power. I didn't try to climb out fast, I just wanted to get mine around and down on the first flight.

Yes the finish is not great. Earlier in this thread other fellows have used water based polyurethane varnish on the plane to help prevent "boot"/ hanger/ trunk rash.

Glad you had a successful flight. I was a bit aprehensive about mine. I had a big pucker factor for a few minutes, then I relaxed some and I will check my transmitter and change some of the expo I have in this model.
Conehead
Orrin Eldred
Honor, MI>