Control line air time....

rsv1cox Fri Apr 17, 2015 8:09 pm

Wow, My first flight in 35 years. Son hand launched my PT-19 rebuild, me on 25' lines and the engine screaming. Plastic planes can be fast at that line length. Round and round maybe 10 times, getting dizzy. Can't do stationary loops so I dumped it. Results were not pretty but thanks to break away parts it can be rebuilt good as new.

BC (Before crash) No after crash photo. Sad

Control line air time.... PT-19Together001_zpsd97f3744

Control line air time.... 54390e06-4639-4de9-8d49-1dde5cff5b2f_zpsctuahntl

Too bad I can't be rebuilt. At 77 this may be my last flight unless I go to 52' lines and a slower model or a stunter. Never had a dizzy problem before and I don't think that you build a tolerance to this after a 35 year hiatus.

Son flew the Baby Ringmaster at max throttle with a Black Widow full tank ending with a perfect landing. He was dizzy too. We have been away from this too long.

roddie Fri Apr 17, 2015 8:38 pm

Bob.. don't get discouraged! It's easy to forget NOT to focus on the model in flight.. when you haven't flown in a while. Next flight; try focusing on seperate "segments" of the backround and let the model pass through them. Try dividing the circle up into eight 45 degree focal-points.. (I'm exaggerating some.. but I think you know what I mean) You can even "blink" between segments, if it helps. Don't let your eyes trick you. That's what causes the vertigo and dizziness.

Figure 8's will help too, when you have a model that's capable of performing them on longer lines.

stuntflyr Fri Apr 17, 2015 10:03 pm

35 foot lines, add a nickel to the outboard wing, use a 6x2 prop, try again. These things will slow the lap time. Too fast is a lot of the problem, you haven't acclimated yourself to the rotation so going fast right off the bat is asking a bit too much for those of us not too young. Kids do well, middle aged guys like me need a few flights, my dad is 82 and I give him a nice slow Stunt run on a Ringmaster on 60 footers and he does the Stunt pattern which halts ones rotation periodically during the maneuvers helping with the rotation speed and the middle ear's ability to cope.
The more you do it, the better it will get. (Also do not fill the tank all of the way, it'll run a shorter period of time.)
Good luck, looks like you're on your way!
Chris...

**RknRusty** Fri Apr 17, 2015 10:51 pm

Way to go, Bob!
Do some turning at your estimated plane speed while standing next to your bed. Your inner ear will figure it out faster than you think. Even if I go a month without flying, a fast one will have me a little unsteady. I do some dry flying in the house a lot of times just to keep the feel of it. It works. I'm glad you gave it a go, you can do it. Thanks for the pic, it's good to see you with a plane in the air.
Looking forward to some more flight reports.
Rusty

**Cribbs74** Fri Apr 17, 2015 11:23 pm

Bob,

First off, congratulations!!!!

What did you expect? Of course you got dizzy! That's your body telling you that you took too long of a break.

Much like your son became dizzy as well. Do as others suggested and try it again. 77 is too young to pack it in. I see guys well into their 80's flying in contests. Some of them can barely walk to the handle.

Don't get discouraged and pat yourself on the back for making it through 10 laps at less than ideal line length.

This post made my day!

Ron

balogh Sat Apr 18, 2015 1:12 am

Even if I am an R/C freak I like this thread. At 56 I keep thinking every now and then of how long I can continue building and flying my planes, and threads like this giving account of modelers flying control planes in their 70-s and 80-s provide me with a very strong encouragement that I also have many years yet to go, my weakening eyesight permitting.

Thank you.

**RknRusty** Sat Apr 18, 2015 1:23 am

Hey Andras,eyesight is overrated Lol. The fast combat guys fly a whole match and don't have to see their plane. They watch the other contestant's streamer. Of course RC would be a problem, maybe we'll convert you to a CL nut so you can feel your plane. I've been practicing flying without watching. I'm not great at it yet but am improving. I just keep it high
Rusty

KariFS Sat Apr 18, 2015 1:26 am

Way to go Bob Thumbs Up

balogh Sat Apr 18, 2015 1:34 am

RknRusty wrote:Hey Andras,eyesight is overrated Lol. The fast combat guys fly a whole match and don't have to see their plane. They watch the other contestant's streamer. Of course RC would be a problem, maybe we'll convert you to a CL nut so you can feel your plane. I've been practicing flying without watching. I'm not great at it yet but am improving. I just keep it high
Rusty

Thanks Rusty, looking forward to being converted...I started out some 40 years ago flying a COX Super Sport Trainer control line plane, anyway..

R/C is really different and you must rely on your eyes....with the 1/2A size planes I most frequently fly, being hundreds of meters away, it is enough just to look aside to check if e.g. that tiger-patterned pitbull walked unleashed in the field is safely far yet, the moment you look back on the plane you will not always spot it...a fast looping may help you spot the wings providing you fly high enough and have time to level it again and bring it back...hopefully not in pieces in your hands, but in a shallow dive..

pkrankow Sat Apr 18, 2015 7:06 am

Awesome job!

A "balloon pop" into a bath towel might have been the trick if arranged before hand.

Phil

rsv1cox Sat Apr 18, 2015 7:45 am

Wow again, Thanks for all the support.

It's amazing to me how well this plastic airplane flew. It hung tight on the lines and controlled easily. It was me giving up, not the model.

Amazing when it went in it didn't break anything but the wing, not even the wood prop.. The wing broke at my previous repair which was partial only. The yellow butter container top repair held and I will probably use that solution to repair the broken wing again.

Worked up the courage to post pictures...

Control line air time.... Crash%20etc%20009_zpsqetv3n8o

Control line air time.... Crash%20etc%20009_zpsqetv3n8o

Control line air time.... Crash%20etc%20011_zpsl4p2vz3z

Control line air time.... Crash%20etc%20013_zps5xfnb5e5

I'm on my way again completing the Nieuport 28 Bipe. Not my best effort in finishing but I have a couple more camo colors to add, maybe those will save it. 52' or greater lines with this slow but stable flyer should reduce my dizziness, but dumping this one would be catastrophic. Smile

Control line air time.... Crash%20etc%20018_zpsxy38jm30

getback Sat Apr 18, 2015 7:56 am

Glad to see you putting one in the air and my support is here too , GET OUT THERE AND DO IT sunny

I think you had more fun than just breaking a wing can fix . I am no body and don't know if I could make 10 rounds on 25' lines drunken

Ken Cook Sat Apr 18, 2015 8:52 am

Looking at your Nieuport, I have to ask what surface do you plan on flying it on ? Your landing gear with the cross member going from wheel to wheel looks great for a scale appearance. However, flying on grass will immediately yield a tripping hazzard. Not only can this punch the gear struts through the fuse, but it can also knock your top wing off. Flying a plane like this on asphalt not only yields a easier take off but landings can be easier equally. It can also be very damaging to an engine though. Ken

**RknRusty** Sat Apr 18, 2015 12:06 pm

Fiberglass stranded packing tape is very good for repairing those wings. Clean with acetone first. Epoxy won't even stick to that plastic. But I've never fixed a full chord break before, only cracks. So some sort of splint is in order. I seal the edges of the tape with clear dope or fingernail polish to keep it from lifting. Rough it up with sandpaper after cleaning the area to be repaired so any adhesives will stick better.
Rusty

roddie Sat Apr 18, 2015 12:54 pm

Hey Bob, What I would try.. is clear 2" width packaging tape. Clean the top and bottom of the wing, around the break-area with an alcohol pad and lay the pieces upside-down on a table-top. Fit the halves tightly together.. and smoothly tape the bottom-flat section first.. then wrap a short-strip around each; the leading/trailing edges.. finishing with a strip across the top. The pieces wrapped around the L/E-T/E cambers, should provide the most strength against "folding". Any tape is going to stick to a smooth (gloss) surface better than a rough one. This would be your lightest-weight option.. and easy to replace again when needed.

rsv1cox Sat Apr 18, 2015 3:07 pm

Good advise Ken, that strut would make a great grass cutter.

I always flew my first Nieuport 28 (shown here dusty and aged) off asphalt at the Navy Base at Patuxent River. We had a nice flying site there. I have about 25 flights on it and my son a few more. Least trouble prone plane that I have ever owned. I will have to find a similar spot to fly this one.

Control line air time.... Nieuport-Flaps004_zps8ad2534c

Control line air time.... Nieuport-Flaps004_zps8ad2534c

And, thanks for the pointers guys but the repair has already started. Using tape had crossed my mind but I suspected it's durability in flight and opted for plastic cement and applied plastic reinforcements. I had used a thinner plastic (think blister pack) on the area that broke, while the "butter container" top held. It’s amazing at the strength of a glued joint using the red tube plastic cement on these Cox plastic models. I had always discounted using it, but it’s proving to be quite effective.

Control line air time.... PT-19%20fix%20001_zpskrctsdvh

Control line air time.... PT-19%20fix%20001_zpskrctsdvh

It's not pretty, but I think it will work. I still have to shave a bit and sand the edges.

**RknRusty** Sat Apr 18, 2015 3:30 pm

I guess Roddie and I gave you conflicting information on prepping the surface. So, unless you know best, flip a coin, I guess. When I said rough it up, I meant with fine grit paper. And I use a plastic AARP card to set it against the surface. Roddie doesn't get those in the mail yet Lol.
Rusty

rsv1cox Sat Apr 18, 2015 5:08 pm

Thanks anyway Rusty, I'm a bit conflicted myself so it fits right in. I should have roughened up the repair contact areas before applying the cement and plastic patches, but I forgot to.

It's not that I don't have other planes to fly, I just chose this one as it was the most expendable. Turned out ot be a good call on my part. Smile

Bob

getback Sat Apr 18, 2015 5:53 pm

And I use a plastic AARP card to set it against the surface. Roddie doesn't get those in the mail yet Lol. wrote:

Is that what they keep sending them to me for lol!

He should bee soon .. BoB ,why not use glass fiber ( light weight ) on it with that special cement for plastic ?? They don't make epoxy for plastic ?? http://www.homedepot.com/p/Loctite-0-85-fl-oz-Plastic-Epoxy-1360788/100371824 I don't know !!

rsv1cox Sat Apr 18, 2015 6:30 pm

getback wrote: Is that what they keep sending them to me for He should bee soon .. BoB ,why not use glass fiber ( light weight ) on it with that special cement for plastic ?? They don't make epoxy for plastic ?? http://www.homedepot.com/p/Loctite-0-85-fl-oz-Plastic-Epoxy-1360788/100371824 I don't know !!

Ya know, that's an excellent idea Eric. I probably have some left over fiberglass cloth/matte from my Corvette days. I think the plastic cement would blend right in and form the glass evenly over the contoured wing surfaces, roughed up of course. So much better than my patches. I might just have to crash it again just to give it a try.

You get a greenie for that.....

Edit add....Hey, just noticed, I got a greenie for this thread....Thanks guys...

getback Sun Apr 19, 2015 12:17 pm

Cool did something right for a change lol!

Bob that stuff for your car is probably going to bee heavy would be better if you use the light weight stuff .5 grams https://www.propshophobbies.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=HAN3620 I think sig has it also , A friend gave me some stuff he got from Lowes and it was thick and heavy .

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