My new toy!

[tridim]

I just had my newbie maiden flight this morning. My nerves were in hyperdrive..



Notice anything unusual about the picture? It was taken after the flight. Yep.. It's not broken. I finally built and flew an RC plane without destroying it the first day! Woohoo! :D

Oh my gawd was it a blast. I've never had a good electric plane like this. It can do anything a gas plane can do without any of the hassle of keeping a gas engine running. Very little noise too, so I can fly it anywhere. I'm going back out again as soon as the battery is charged.

If anyone is interested, here's the manufacturer's site..

http://www.mountainmodels.com
http://www.mountainmodels.com/dandysport.php

Their models are a dream to build. Nothing like the crap I was building 20 years ago. All the parts fit together perfectly because the wood is now cut with a laser instead of just being stamped out with a metal die. My model only took two evenings to build.

[rogerashton]

1. Da-yum. I thought it was a

nultralight.

[LynzM]

2. Wow, cool!

I never built them, but my dad and my brother used to, and they always had a lot of fun. I'm glad it's such a blast! :)

[n2mark]

3. Congratulations!

When my brother was young (now deceased) he built model airplanes at that time they used gas. I do remember him taking quite a long time to build, but oh! how he loved it.

[giant_robot]

4. If you're up for a challenge, try building one of these.

Caution: those with dial-up might want to pass on the link below.



http://www.hugi.is/hahradi/bigboxes.php?box_id=51208&f_id=1159

[Cooley Hurd]

5. Where's the cockpit?

Did you wear a 'chute?;)

[tridim]

8. No, but I considered wearing "depends"

First flight anxiety is very intense. I'm fine now. :)

[BiggJawn]

6. Alright!

I tried to learn with the old Sig "Kadet" back in the 70's. Gave up on gas and went to sailplanes, which were much more fun....

[tridim]

7. Cool.. I'm getting a DLG next

DLG = Discus launched glider. It's the other "next big thing". You hold onto the tip of the carbon reinforced wing and fling it just like a discus thrower. I had a sailplane once.. and crashed it the first day using a high-launch (rubber tubing slingshot). I've crashed 3 different planes on the first day and quit the hobby 3 times, only to come back and try again years later. I'm so glad that nitro fuel is out of the picture. I hated the stuff.

[BiggJawn]

9. High-starts were scary.

I tried one ONCE. crashed. Then I hooked-up with a club that had an electric winch. MUCH better control, except when I'd go gonzo and make the wingtips touch each other on release...

Nitro fuel sucked. greasy, smelly, EXPENSIVE! And since I had several engine sizes from .049 to .60 (I flew FF and CL, too), I had to keep several diferent concentrations around...

I finally ended up with stick-and-tissue indoor "Peanut Scale" rubber-band planes. We'd fly 'em in the gym where a club member was a teacher.

[tridim]

10. Have you ever been to rcgroups.com?

I stumbled on to it by accident about two months ago.. It was the sole catalyst for my current RC resurgence. It's really an amazing forum. Case in point. I thought I was the only person who had made hand (updraft) powered gliders and flapping models (like in the movie 'Birdy'). Turns out there are many others who still obsess over these odd flying machines, except now they're putting tiny radios and motors in them. :)