REARWIN SPEEDSTER 30" Dumas Kit 326 Flight Reports

[LASTWOODSMAN]

REARWIN SPEEDSTER FLIGHT REPORT MAY 16 2018   pg 3 of 3 (cont)

        I still had little bends on the  1/32"  landing gear wire, at the ankle, but I just bent them back to shape for the next flight.        The more I think about this, the more I think that the designer intended it to be that way.   I was getting good at examining the plane after each flight, wiggling the struts and wings, and checking for damage, but in my excitement after the 25 second flight, I walked back to the stooge without checking the plane, only to find that the left wheel spat and elastic was missing !!        It took me well over half an hour to find it in that long thick grass that is really growing now with all of the rain we have been having, leaving a lot of standing water all over the park, and putting the grass mower schedule behind.
       Next on the agenda - since four strands of  3/16"  equals six strands of  1/8"  rubber, I will now try to make a new braided motor out of six strands of  1/8"  rubber.   Should that make a difference in flight duration ?
     Note the Spitfire and Hurricane replica warbirds amongst the trees in the background in Jackson Park, in the last pic.

The End

Keep 'em flying !!

LASTWOODSMAN
Richard

[bsadonkill]

Great flying Rearwin Speedster Richard ! I always use the Don Ross method for rubber prep and break in . Clean the rubber first, I use a square not with a drop of super glue. Pull it out 3 times the length,  rub lube into it for a minute or two then let it rest for ten minutes. Then pull it out for four minutes at five times the length.     

[LASTWOODSMAN]

Thanks Don.        I will try lubing up the motors that way real soon.

LASTWOODSMAN
Richard

[LASTWOODSMAN]

REARWIN SPEEDSTER MAY 22 2018 FLIGHT REPORT

     I walked the dog at  1:00  PM today, Tuesday May 22 2018, and there was hardly any wind.   We got back and I feverishly tied up a new motor for the  30"  Rearwin Speedster.   The old motor was 4 strands, each strand  18"  long of  3/16" rubber, which when twisted and braided,  lay  14"  long at rest.  Prop hook to rear peg is  15".    I wanted to try a motor like Pete Fardell uses on his  31"  Jumbo  Guillow "FAIRCHILD", so I got out the  1/8"  rubber.   I made six strands  ( or three loops ),  each strand 23" - about  one and one half times the prop hook to rear peg distance.  (I don't think I have enough room in the fuse for 8 strands - there are crossmembers between the formers all the way down the fuse, that I think already interfere with the motor that sits just above these crossmembers).   I tied off the three knotted loop ends into one small loop with string twine,  so I could get the  1/8"  aluminum tube rear motor peg through that loop opening, and used a medium Crocket hook from George Bredehoft at Volare, and I also tied it up with string at the motor's front end where the rubber loops onto the Crocket hook.   I took out the old motor (braided),  and put in this new motor (not braided), which has an equal amount of rubber for the first 18" of the 23" motor ( ie - packing an extra 5 inches of six strands of  1/8"  rubber ).  Then we packed up and went to the Cricket Wicket to see if there was any difference from the braided  14" motor of  3/16" rubber, compared to the new unbraided six strand  1/8"  rubber,  23" long motor.
     Here is a pic of both motors.   Pic #1   9054
     Here are two pics of the internal fuse cross members Pic #2   9060,   and Pic #3    9062.

LASTWOODSMAN
Richard                                        (continued on next reply)

[LASTWOODSMAN]

REARWIN SPEEDSTER MAY 22 2018 FLIGHT REPORT

(continued from previous reply)
      We made it to the Cricket Wicket at  3:00  PM  today, Tuesday May 22 2018,  temp of  73 deg F (feels like 84),  winds from the West at  6 mph,  gusting to  9 mph,  and  73 %  humidity.   I only got four flights in before pouring rain.  

Flight #1  -  480 winds,  17 seconds,  one and one half circles
Flight #2  -  630 winds,   22 seconds,   one circle - things were looking up !
Flight #3  -  675 winds,   15 seconds

     Then the raindrops started coming down and started to spot all of the tissue with water drops.   I sent it off anyway.

Flight #4  -  630 winds,  8 seconds  -  it was climbing and stalling, and porpoising wildly, and dipsy-doodling, and hit the long grass with a lot of winds left.  I surmise that, of course, it was tail heavy because of all the raindrops on the whole plane, as it was raining much harder now and we had to skidaddle-it out of there!
    
      BUT -   I did get an all time best action pic though - Pic #3  9053 - that is the reward for the price you pay for getting soaking wet - no umbrella - good thing I had that light green towel with me, to cover the plane for the walk home ----  
     The Speedster was "playing chicken" with me, coming in fast, right straight for my head, but I held my ground, and I panned and swung that camera wildly over my head, almost throwing my back out, trying to twist at the last second, and keep the plane in the camera's viewfinder - kinda like when those lightning Teal ducks and Snipe that come flying low out of nowhere, and right over your head, and you have to awkwardly swing your shotgun really fast right over your head backwards trying to hit them.   But I GOT THE SHOT, and did not have to enlarge the pic at all.   You can see how fast I was swinging, by the blur of trees in the background.

PIC #1     9051
PIC #2     9052
PIC #3     9053

     Well, I went back out with the dog at  7:00 PM.   The weather channel said  6 mph  winds.   They were clearly wrong as it was much  stronger than that which was posted on the weather network.  Alas, and maybe for the best, and just as well, the Cricket Wicket was occupied.   And ...  of course, they had cut the grass late this afternoon!!  
     Tomorrow is forecast for winds from the NorthWest at  5 mph  gusting to  7  mph at  10:00  AM,  to winds from the SouthWest at   6 mph  gusting to  9  mph at   3:00  PM, and SOLID SUN !!!

LASTWOODSMAN
Richard

[danmellor]

Hi Richard!

I have this kit in the stockpile. I was considering a conversion to GM300 CO2 power, so your posts have been very helpful. I always thought the U/C looked a bit dubious...!

Great job on yours!

Dan.

[LASTWOODSMAN]

    Hi Dan Mellor.  Thanks for your compliment!   You said " I always thought the U/C looked a bit dubious...!" - I always thought so too - but more and more I am wondering if there was "method in the madness" of the guy who designed the 30" Dumas Rearwin SPEEDSTER with  1/32"  Landing Gear wire.
     You can see from the first two pics,  how that wire bends a little backwards on landing  (thereby absorbing a lot of the force upon landing ).   They bend backwards at a point a little further up and out of, the trough in the bottom of the triangular balsa wheel trouser.    You can see in the third pic, how I just bend them back into position pretty close to shape and ready to fly again - one hand holding the tip of the triangular balsa trouser, and the other hand bending the wheel pant - very easy and quick. 
      I was told to expect some kind of damage, on landing  84 grams  ( 3 ounces ) of plane, onto landing gear with wheel pants like that.   Very easy to bend back into shape since it is  1/32" wire.   My mistake was using side cutters to snip off the landing gear wire, flush to the outside of the wheel pant - I should have left it sticking out a lot longer, as that would have left me with more options.
      I don't really know how easy it would be to bend  1/16"  Landing Gear wire back to shape, after it got bent on landing. 
     Those "Trousers" are only glued to the landing gear wire that sit in a "trough" in the Trouser.  The great part is, nothing on the Trouser is glued to the fuse.  The top flat of the Trouser sits flush along the fuse right along and on top of a longeron, and the rear of that triangular Trouser sits right on the joint of the wing strut where the strut connects to the fuse strut mounting plank - very sturdy to absorb the backwards force on the wheels upon landing.   See pics #4 and #5.

PIC #1     9075
PIC #2     9076
PIC #3     9077
PIC #4     9078
PIC #5     9079

LASTWOODSMAN
Richard

[danmellor]

Thanks for the info! I'm just finishing the Gipsy Moth from the same range. That also has a u/c that's largely 1/32" wire, but there is a lot of it and it's all solidly soldered together! It will have a lot lower loading too, so I'm not anticipating any violent impacts...

Cheers,

Dan.

[LASTWOODSMAN]

SPEEDSTER MAY 27 2018 FLIGHT REPORT AND REPAIR

    REARWIN SPEEDSTER   30 "  -  six flights on May 27 2018  -  Well, I stayed up late til  1:30 AM  tying motors.  Got up early, eager to go flying,   Wink   ran the dog, came back, and tried to get out to the Cricket grounds in Jackson Park, early, before they stated playing, and before the Auxiliary Police      started at Noon.    Left home at  9:30  AM  - the weather 72 deg F (feels like 86),  Winds 4 mph from the SW,  gusting to 6 mph,  and 88% humidity - beautiful sunny day.   Had a new  14"  four strand motor of  3/16" each strand, in the Speedster (prop hook to rear peg is 15").   First flight  245 winds gave a slightly porpoising flight of 9 seconds.  So I put more nose weight in,  and on the second flight on 450 winds,  I got 16 sec on a perfect, one and one half circles.  Third flight 480 winds gave 22 seconds on another perfect, one and one half circles.        Fourth flight 495 winds 20 sec, fifth flight 450 winds and 18 sec. (continued on next reply)

four PICS       9129  9130  9131  9132

LASTWOODSMAN
Richard 

[LASTWOODSMAN]

SPEEDSTER MAY 27 2018 FLIGHT REPORT AND REPAIR  (cont)

       REARWIN SPEEDSTER   30 "  -  six flights on May 27 2018  (continued from the last reply)   Then I changed the motor to a four strand  16"  of  3/16" -  sixth flight 570 winds got 20 sec, which could have used a wee bit more nose weight - but alas, the bottom of the front former broke in, along with a couple of stringers       - very fixable though!   It was getting boiling hot anyway and we left - got home at  10:40 AM -  the temp was now 75 deg F (feels like 91 deg F),  winds 7 mph from the South gusting to 11 mph and 83% humidity,  and the blazing temp is going up to 91 deg F (feels like 104 deg F) later today.
      But we got our flights in!!   Cheesy    This Dumas  30"  Rearwin Speedster seems to give standard 20 second flights on 450 winds of four strands of  3/16"  rubber each strand 14" long, prop hook to rear peg is  15".   I will infill plank the nose, and I will never ever build a model without infill planking the nose ever again ... (continued on next reply)

three PICS       9133  9134  9135

LASTWOODSMAN
Richard

[LASTWOODSMAN]

SPEEDSTER MAY 27 2018 FLIGHT REPORT AND REPAIR  (cont)

9139    Bottom of front former is broken off, and is sitting just to the right of the fuse front on the cutting mat,  the tissue and broken stringers are removed , and the decal is peeled back.

9141     I glued back on that small piece of the bottom front former, and cut out two more broken sections on the fuse bottom.

9143     Two large planks are now cut.

9144      The two large planks are now fitted.  (continued on next reply)

LASTWOODSMAN
Richard

[LASTWOODSMAN]

SPEEDSTER MAY 27 2018 FLIGHT REPORT AND REPAIR  (cont)

9145      I glued in two stringers between former #1 and former #2,  and cut out four more smaller planks.     Total weight of the six soft balsa infill planks is  1.33 grams.

9146      Now all six planks are fitted.

9160     The plane is now braced and blocked up well, for the infill planks gluing.

9161     All planks are now double white glued, and four thin small balsa wedges are glued into crack openings.

9274      The planks are now all dry,  and the thin wedges are cut off and everything is all sanded smooth.

9277     The bare broken balsa and all of the planks are now stained "Golden Oak" color.    (continued on next reply)

LASTWOODSMAN
Richard

[LASTWOODSMAN]

SPEEDSTER MAY 27 2018 FLIGHT REPORT AND REPAIR  (cont)

9279    9282     I had no screws, so I used some  0.040" diameter twisted copper eyelet stems, made from  twisted 0 .020"  diameter copper wire, to  use as screws inserted through the small hardwood mahogany  plate that holds the wire landing gear into the groove on the balsa wheel pants.  I drilled small holes with a  #58 drill bit  (0.0415" diam) and a pin vise, inserted the copper stems into these holes in the plate and wheel pant, and ran thin gap filling CA  glue, down these stems, and between the small mahogany plate and wheel pant.  I inserted several of these on each wheel pant.   Hopefully it holds it all together now         on hard landings in short grass. 

9285   9286    The red kit supplied peel 'n stick decal is now glued back in place.     (continued on next reply)

LASTWOODSMAN
Richard

[LASTWOODSMAN]

SPEEDSTER MAY 27 2018 FLIGHT REPORT AND REPAIR  (cont)
     
9287    9288   and    9295     It all looks a lot better now,  than having that elastic "cast" holding the left wheel pant on at the broken ankle,   and hopefully a lot stronger too.    Only the thin  1/32"  landing gear wire should bend on impact now, which is easily bent back to shape by hand.   She is still flying as a partial amputee veteran, after loosing the left tip of her triangular balsa trouser, but that has never stopped her before ...

She is ready to fly once again, and I have made up four new motors to use to try to break that 25 second record  -   3/16"  rubber motors, all with four strands, and each four strand motors are  14", 18",   20 1/2"  ,  and  22" in length  motors, prop hook to rear peg is  15".    I might be able to get some flying in, in the morning before the rain starts at 11 AM.

LASTWOODSMAN
Richard

[LASTWOODSMAN]

REARWIN SPEEDSTER      JUNE  1  2018      FLIGHT REPORT

     REARWIN SPEEDSTER  30"  Dumas.   Well, I DID get out flying the morning of Friday June 1 2018, at 10:30 AM.  I had the BEST flying session yet, with the Speedster ever,  breaking my old record of 25 seconds,  and smashing it by 20%,  with a 30 second flight on 600 turns of the  18"  motor,  four strands of  3/16" rubber each strand  18" long, prop hook to rear peg is  15".   To say I am  ELATED is an understatement !!
     Weather at 10:05 AM was  72 deg F (feels like 84),  winds out of the North at  8 mph,  gusting to  12 mph,  and 83%  humidity, and sort of overcast.   I had 9 flights of two or more circles, which mostly all ran out the rubber and landed softly - very little bending of the  1/32"  wire landing gear, if any, and the grass in the Cricket Wicket was 4" thick and plush.
     I started out with the  14"  motor, and on the first flight on 450 winds, I got 14 seconds and  1 1/4 circle,  and running out the rubber on descent to a soft landing, and the plane was slightly climbing and stalling - slightly porpoising.  I added more clay to the nose, and adjusted the elevator tabs for a little less left turn.
     The second flight was 495 winds, 16 seconds, and two full tight circles, and again running out the rubber to a perfect soft landing.
     The third flight was 525 winds, 22 seconds, and  2 1/4  circles to another perfect soft landing.  I thought, no more need to stay with the  14" motor, and since I was armed with three more motors,  the  18",  20 1/2" and 22" motors, I proceeded to change the motor.  I am getting pretty good at changing motors quickly now.  With my new motor pushing stick,  the rubber motor loop and the stick sit right on top of the fuse center crossmembers, right in position, and the aluminum tube rear peg now goes right in first time every time.   I put in the 18" motor.
      The fourth flight, now with the  18"  motor, was 600 winds, and it was my RECORD SETTING FLIGHT of 30 seconds, flying two and one half circles to another perfect landing !!!   I was very excited.  
      The fifth flight was 705 winds, for 18 seconds, but only one circle (?) - I don't know why.
      The sixth flight was 675 winds, for 29 seconds and two and one half circles - another super great flight almost tying the 30 second fourth flight !!
      You can see that I now bring a little pencil and piece of paper with me, and make a note on each flight - my flight log runneth over ...
      The seventh flight was 645 winds, for 23 seconds, and two circles.
(cont next reply)

LASTWOODSMAN
Richard
PICS   9297   9309   9300   9296   9299   9310(1)

[LASTWOODSMAN]

REARWIN SPEEDSTER       JUNE  1  2018       FLIGHT REPORT
(cont from prev reply)

      On the eighth flight, I put in 675 winds, and my friend showed up with her dog "Yulie", Trapper's buddy, a "Barbet" dog, a medium sized French water dog (looks like a Portuguese water dog or Irish Water Spaniel),  so we had to let our dogs say hello, while I held my "prop - wound" Speedster.  I told her that my plane was wound up ready to go and said "Watch this!"    I was trying to show off to her and her dog, and in my hurry to do so, I had launched it too close to the trees, and not far enough out in the middle of the Cricket Wicket.   I launched it, and it flew out perfectly, one full circle, and coming back around on the second circle, but in behind me high, and the changing wind brought it closer to the trees on the second circle and dangerously hugging the tree lined perimeter circle of the Cricket Wicket,  on the leeward side of the wind - ie the trees were blocking the wind, and the plane was not being blown further out into the middle of the Cricket Wicket.  So, it is zipping along, going left, fairly high and I see it is heading straight for the two large Spruces.        You know that feeling of TERROR !!   I found myself desperately pleading to the Speedster "turn turn turn", but it would not,    and in the calmer air, it was making a  "bee-line" for the gap between the two big Spruce, now at right angles to the prevailing wind from its right, but still in the calmer leeward air.  It looked like it was going to make it through the gap, as it tried shooting between the trees, on the leeward side, but as soon as it got in the middle of the two trees, it got into the prevailing wind, which then blew it right into the back side of the spruce on the left,  this after about  20 seconds  of flight, and it tumbled down through the evergreen boughs     and stopping low enough for me to pick it up out of the branches.  Luckily, no damage.     There sure was a lot of little tiny baby spiders on that plane when I put it back into the stooge.   But my friend was impressed anyway.  (cont next reply)

LASTWOODSMAN
Richard
PICS    9307   9306   9298   9305   9301   9324

[LASTWOODSMAN]

REARWIN SPEEDSTER          JUNE  1  2018          FLIGHT REPORT
(cont from prev reply)

     I loaded it up again for the ninth flight, even though the wind was getting stronger and changing direction.   645 winds,  and only a straight weak flight, fighting the changing wind and gusts that were now coming up.  Wind change ?   Broken rubber strand ?  
      So I decided to quit while I was ahead, packed up and went home.  I got home at  11:30 AM and checked the weather - now it was  75 deg F (feels like 90),  winds out of the North East now and a lot stronger at  12 mph  gusting to  18  mph, and humidity 78%.  So good thing I went home.  
      At home, I took out that motor, and upon further examination,  stretching small sections of each strand, and looking for nics and cuts,  I found none.  So I don't really know for sure what happened that last flight.
     But it was a lot of fun - a 30 sec flight       and a 29 sec flight     for a  30"  wingspan Jumbo, balsa Free Flight model Rearwin Speedster - that does not happen every day for me ....  And no damage to the plane, and the reinforced wheel pants hold quite well now to the  1/32" landing gear wire, and the planking reinforcements on the fuse,  and the wing strut mounting plank on the fuse are also holding just fine.  Of course, it helps to have beautiful thick plush green grass for landing on, in the Cricket wicket.  
     Now to experiment with longer motors, maybe a right thrust shim behind the nose block to counter the extra torque that will push the plane left more,  probably more nose weight to counter the extra motor weight  -  I already have almost full up on the left elevator tab to try to widen the circles a bit ....  also have a lot of clay weight on the right wing tip ....  It is too windy today ...
The End
PICS      9310(3)    9310(6)   9302   9303   9304   9309
 
Keep 'em FLYING !!!    ( less modelling time  =  more flying time ? )

LASTWOODSMAN
Richard

Can this beauty, Anna Fedorova, ever play the piano !!  (I play this one on my accordion)
Sergei Rachmaninov Piano concerto no 2 in C minor, Opus 18, 3rd Movement here
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=+Rachmaninoff+Piano+Concerto+No+2+++3rd+mvt%2c+second+theme&&view=detail&mid=16EAB5758E6972393C1316EAB5758E6972393C13&&FORM=VDRVRV

[LASTWOODSMAN]

REARWIN SPEEDSTER  30"         JUNE  3  2018          FLIGHT REPORT

     Well, we got up early at 7:00 AM to go flying and try to beat the rain that was coming at  9:40 AM. and to get to the cricket Wicket (grass was still not cut), before the players got there - they took it over yesterday at 10:00 AM all day, til the sun went down at 9:00 PM.  Trapper would only get a short walk first thing this morning ....  he got his big walk right after we were done flying.
     We got in 8 flights (broke no duration records), starting at 8:30 AM when it was still sunny.  Temp was 57 deg F (feels like 57 deg F),  Winds were 2 mph from the East, gusting to 4 mph, and the humidity was  94%.   We got in 6 flights with the  18" motor ( four strands of  3/16" rubber, each strand is 18", prop hook to rear peg is 15"), the third flight of which, was a 21 second, one and one half circle, with a perfect level solid flight, on 675 winds, and for only the second time (the last time was with the 22" Sig Cabinaire), we got a perfect and best landing right on the astroturf strip of the "Wicket" of the Cricket field.  This was a perfectly "greased" textbook landing, where the Speedster was coming in low and level and straight down the runway,  nice and slow and almost hovering there, and touched down both front wheels, and rode on them for about 10 feet, just the front wheels down, as the prop was winding down, til finally the tail wheel came down, and it then traveled even further for about 7 feet, (all straight into the wind), on all three wheels, to a nice smooth decelerating stop, and sat there with the prop still spinning for about 5 seconds til the last of the rubber ran out.

Flight #1     Started with the  18" motor ,   675 winds  14 sec   1 1/2 circles  really porpoising,  moved elevator tabs down for next flight
Flight #2     675 wilnds  9 sec  flies low one full circle and lands softly at my feet!!  - moved elev tabs to neutral
Flight #3     675 winds   21 sec    1 1/2 circle   PERFECT LANDING ON THE RUNWAY   -    took a little weight off the nose to get more height
Flight #4     675 winds  14 sec  , launched further north,  too much porpoising, put weight back in nose for next flight
Flight #5     675 winds   20 sec   one full circle, perfectly level flight, lands softly right in front of me.
Flight #6     675 winds  8 sec  3/4 circle,  forced down coming into the wind,   too high of a launch angle
Flight #7     I changed the motor to the  20 1/2" motor.   675 winds  22 sec   1 1/2 circle     Big porpoising slow flight   BIG STRAIGHT DOWN PORPOISE CRASH UNDER POWER,     (I found out later that I had bent the prop wire shaft right beside the back of the hub.)
Fllight #8     I tried adding noseweight and down elevator tabs, to counter the porpoising, but this Flight went nowhere really - The prop shaft was bent right behind the prop hub !!

PICS     9325   9326   9327   9329

Continued next reply.

LASTWOODSMAN
Richard

[LASTWOODSMAN]

REARWIN SPEEDSTER 30"          JUNE 3 2018          FLIGHT REPORT        
(cont. from the above Reply)

     I put in a new bigger motor ( 20 1/2" ), for the seventh flight - it got 22 seconds on a wild roller coaster big porpoising flight of one and one half circles, on 675 winds.   The rubber seemed to lose its strength out in the humidity, right after that.
     The skies were becoming overcast and we could see the rain clouds coming,  so we packed up and walked back to the apartment building, just as the rain was starting ... rained pretty good but stopped 40 min later and Trapper got his big walk in.  Temp now at 9:35 AM was  64 deg F (feels like 72),  Winds 4 mph from the East, gusting to 7 mph, and 83% humidity.  Going to rain off and on all day.  Got my flyin' in - now its time to do some actual modelling work on jig construction for the wings installation on my Abatross D5  18" plane.    I got some good tips on how to go about it.   I'm itching to get at it.    
Get out and Fly !!    

Pics     9328   9331   9332   9333   9330

PS  The eighth flight went nowhere ... ?   I found out what the problem was (duh) when I got home - the prop shaft was bent, and the plane was "rattling" in flight (thrust button was never glued in also.)

LASTWOODSMAN
Richard

[LASTWOODSMAN]

REARWIN SPEEDSTER 30"  FLIGHT REPORT Thur Aug 23 2018

     I Just had one of the best days ever with the Speedster (another wild and whacky day at the tight Cricket Wicket flying field),  especially since I brought spare prop shafts and all the tools in order to keep going ...
     Weather  -  leave apt 8:10 AM 57 deg F (feels like 55),  Winds from the West at 7 mph gusting to 11 mph, 82% humidity.
     We did a lot of flights and a lot of repairs between flights.  Broke one motor and two bent prop shafts - good thing I brought three spare prop shafts and lots of motors, and a spare  9 1/2"  grey, oval-bladed, "made in Japan" prop, in case I broke the kit supplied, black, high torque, (squared blade ends),  9" prop.
     I went from a max of 180 hand winds and a max flight of 8 sec, on a 13 1/2" motor, on the previous trimming flights two days ago, to now, where I  went right in with 300 stretch winds on the stooge, and with a lubed and pre-stretched four strand, each strand 19 1/2" ,  3/16" rubber motor ... after breaking that first shorter motor after one flight.  The rear motor peg has been moved forward one bay, and the prop hook to rear peg distance is now  13 1/2".
     I had 13 flights (and 12 pics) - longest flight 22 seconds - and managed to keep the circles well within, the mature tree trunk-studded, outer white line circle perimeter, of the Cricket field in Jackson Park, Windsor, Ontario, Canada.  We got there early while the grass was still long and wet with dew (good thing I brought a big towel), as the parks people will be mowing it today.

Flights # 1 to #6 of 13           Pics #1 to #6 of 12

FLIGHT #1     300 winds  10 sec    pic 0331
Broke 13 1/2" motor on winding for next flight  - replaced with  a lubed and pre-stretched four strand, each strand 19 1/2" ,  3/16" rubber motor.
FLIGHT #2      375 winds  14 sec    One full circle, ran out of rubber sitting up high about 15 feet up, and spit out the prop block, and proceeded to swoop down, and just climbed up enough to avoid a hard crash.      pic 0332
FLIGHT #3     375 winds  18 sec,  1 1/4 circle,  ran out rubber 8 feet up, spits out the prop block     pic   0334
FLIGHT #4     375 winds   9 sec   stalls low,  half circle, soft landing.
FLIGHT #5     375 winds   14 sec    one full circle, block pops out 8 feet above ground, soft landing,  bent LG
FLIGHT #6    375 winds   10 sec     3/4 circle, climbing and stalling into the wind, hit hard on landing, both LG wire bent.  

Pic #1     0331     Going left at the tree line, past the north end of the pitch
Pic #2     0332     Completing 3/4 of the circle, replica Spitfire is in the background ( the replica Hurricane is hidden by a tree ).
Pic #3     0333     Morning rising sun.  Model is in lower right.
Pic #4     0334     The sun is glinting off of the Speedster, way out past the pitch, and to the right of center, and half way up the trees - and its glinting off of Trapper's fur too.
Pic #5     0335     I had to cut a hole in the tissue between the rear motor pegs, to get that broken motor ball out with heavy duty needle nose pliers - no damage ...
Pic #6      0336     Flight #6     3/4 circle, stall high into the wind, crashes into the ground hitting hard ( I bent back the bent landing gear wire ).

Continued on next reply.

LASTWOODSMAN
Richard

[LASTWOODSMAN]

REARWIN SPEEDSTER 30"  FLIGHT REPORT Thur Aug 23 2018

continued from previous reply,

Flight #7 to  #13 of 13        Pics  #7 to #12 of 12

FLIGHT #7     375 winds   7 sec     fluttering prop block was loose - discovered that I had a BENT PROP from previous hard landing, and one of the rubber loops had come off the Crocket hook.    
FLIGHT #8   375 winds   20 sec  one full circle, turns right at the end, prop block ejects at 16 sec, gllides down for fnal 4 seconds.
FLIGHT #9     375 winds   16 sec  full cicle and perfect landing at my feet, but I had bent the prop shaft slightly but did not notice til next flight.  pic 0337
FLIGHT #10   420 winds   7 sec  went nowhere rattling out like a "drilling woodpecker", because I had bent the prop shaft.  This landing under such power bent both landing gear wire (easily straightened).
2ND NEW PROP WIRE INSTALLED
FLIGHT #11     420 winds   22 sec   prop block ejects at 20 second mark, 10 feet up in the air, and then goes straight into the grass hard and nose first  =   NO DAMAGE !!  
FLIGHT #12      420 winds   18 sec                     pic 0341
FLIGHT #13       450  winds   16 sec     full one and one half circles     pic 0342            

Pic #7      0337     Cruising along left above the tree line.
Pic #8      0338     Coming straight at me.  Spit in the background.
Pic #9      0339     Me Trapper plane stooge pack towell etc.
Pic #10     0340     Flight # 11   Flying through the morning sun disc.
Pic #11     0341     Flight # 12    Dive bombing straight down -  just left of the center trunk - after running out the prop and sitting high and spitting it out and off the plane
Pic #12     0342     Flight # 13     Nice climbing attitude into the Westerly wind.

Starting to get tooo windy ...

Got home at  10:00 AM   72 deg F (feels like 79),  Winds from the West at 11 mph gusting to 16 mph,  60% humidity.
     Now I have to figure out how to stop it from spitting the nose block and prop, completely right out of the plane and off the rubber      , when it runs out the rubber ... ?
     At least I came home with no damage on the Speedster.  

Get out and fly ...  

LASTWOODSMAN
Richard

[LASTWOODSMAN]

REARWIN SPEEDSTER 30"       FLIGHT REPORT        Fri Aug 24 2018

     This morning Aug 24 2018 was the best overall flying session with the 30" Rearwin Speedster.  All of these flights this morning ran out the rubber and kept the noseblock on and landed softly on the downwind leg.   I used two thin strips of green masking tape to hold the nose block onto the infill planked fuse nose.   The Crocket Hook never came off of the prop shaft hook - the prop shaft hook opening was a tight snap fit, into the hole in the Crocket Hook.
     Weather  -   left apartment 7:50 AM   54 deg F (feels like 54),  Winds out of the South 4 mph gusting to 6 mph, 94% humidity     -   back home at 9:20 AM   68 deg F (feels like 79),  Winds out of the South 6 mph gusting to 9 mph,  83% humidity.   The tissue covering was wet and wrinkled all morning from the heavy humidity and evaporating heavy dew fall, again.

Flights #1 to #4 of nine               Pics #1 to #5   of eleven

Flight #1    375 winds  14 sec, perfect flight on wide  3/4  circle and soft landing while staying 5 feet above the ground the whole way.
I ADDED MORE LEFT RUDDER TAB FOR TIGHTER CIRCLE.
Flight #2    450 winds   16 sec, tighter turning  1 1/2 circle, soft landing, bent LG wire just a little. 
Flight #3    525 winds    20 sec,   2 1/8  circles of the same tighter turns, perfect soft landing, no bent LG wire.
Flight #4    525 winds    25 sec,   2 1/2 tight circles and soft landing down wind no bent LG  --   I launched way too high, splendid recovery from a high stall then swoop to the ground and rising back up into the rest of the normal flight

Pic #1     0343     Wide 3/4 circle staying 5 feet above ground.
Pic #2     0344     1 1/2 circle flight.  Stooge at bottom of pic.
Pic #3     0345     The money shot.
Pic #4     0346     Flying right banking left, Spit and Hurri in background.
Pic #5     0347     Coming right at us on left bank.

continued on next reply

Get out and fly ...   

LASTWOODSMAN
Richard

[LASTWOODSMAN]

REARWIN SPEEDSTER 30"   FLIGHT REPORT      Fri Aug 24 2018

cont. from above reply

The rear motor peg was moved ahead one bay.  I was only able to get 450 winds on the shorter motor (13 1/2"), but now, with the  19 1/2"  lubed and pre-stretched 4 strand  3/16" motor,  I got up to 600 winds.

Flights #5 to #9    of 9               Pics #6 to #11    of 11

Flight #5     525 winds    22 sec,    2 1/2 circles, perfect soft landing down wind, no bent LG.  
Flight #6     570 winds    26 sec,   2 3/4  circle, soft landing.
Flight #7     570 winds    28 sec,   2 1/2 circle,   glided straight out at end of rubber power, soft landing.
Flight #8     600 winds    33 sec,   3 1/2 tight circles, runs out the rubber, soft landing, no bends.   The Speedster seems to climb faster against the wind going up in high tight circles.    
Flight #9     600 winds    33 sec,     4  little circles, runs out the rubber, keeps the prop, soft landing, no bends on LG wire.

Pic #6     0348     Turning perfect left circles all morning.
Pic #7     0349     Climbing left.
Pic #8     0350     My setup on the "Pitch".
Pic #9     0351     Steep turn coming into the headwind.
Pic #10     0352     Winding Stooge is bungie corded to tent pegs in the grass,  above and left of Trapper.
Pic #11     0353     Solid flyer.

Pretty darned good flights for me, considering I only had one 34 sec, one 30 sec, and one 29 sec, before today.   Today's top flights were 33, 33, 28, 26, 25 seconds.

     This Speedster was once christened "a flying piece of furniture" ...

Get out and fly ...  

LASTWOODSMAN
Richard

[OZPAF]

Your perseverance is paying off Richard. I think the Rearwin has a lot more performance up it's sleeve.

The moved peg seems to be helping and has also probably improved the glide and landings.

john

[glideher]

beautiful model in deed and perfect size, love your dog too