The 'Fling' gets Flung...again...this time on it's Hi-Start

I STILL have that happen...been trying to remind myself to copy and paste it to a notepad as I go, but still forget and ...off she goes to Pluto !!

Hey Mauricio,

The lens on this camera is permanently attached.  They are offered in a couple versions, with this one being the wide angle model.  I wasn't sure if I'd like it as my past experience with lens like this on film cameras often sacrificed a lot of detail, but this one has worked great, and I intend to get another one as a standby camera.

rsv1cox wrote:Joining the fun Kim.  I have these coming.  I know very little about them, a learning experience and the investment is small.

Cool! Check in with how they work. About the only problem that's REALLY bugged me is the time stamp that mine include on the video. A few years ago, I tried to keep it updated, but it always goes back to a default date whenever the thing is switched off. So, I tell folks to just ignore it.

I have yet to find THE definitive camera to let me get good video from inside the circle. A GoPro, placed on the ground or held by a home made grip has worked the best for flying, but the best detail photos from inside the circle have come from a handheld Sony 'Handi Cam' that I just point at the plane while I'm flying. I keep my thumb on the zoom button adjusting it during the flight, and can often get some good captures from the video.

I've seriously considered blowing some cash on one of those expensive camera/tripod rigs that will track a small transmitter that's carried by the subject, but that hasn't happened yet. I've also got my doubts about it tracking a close-in, fast moving target going in circles.

Video Capture frame from Sony Handi Cam

rsv1cox wrote:

Admin wrote:

rsv1cox wrote:Joining the fun Kim.  I have these coming.  I know very little about them, a learning experience and the investment is small.

FDA approved as well, very good!

That's great they won't upset your tummy.  Just swallow one and perform your own colonoscopy.  

Bob  

Just hope that the sucker doesn't get sideways and block you up !!!!

Had myself a nice day in the making...my Swap Meet Rascal is ready to go, but it's little wheels need pavement, so it waits for our Airplane Day over at Cairo's airport.

So, decided to collect a few ticks by stomping around out in the cow lot beside the house.  My Fling ARF Sailplane came with a small Hi-Start set that gives it a plenty high boost for finding thermals...even though I wasn't able to hook into any today.

Hi-Starts are a good way to get a 'pure' sailplane launched, though it's a real good idea to have a large, clear area for the string to fall back to earth.  I managed not to drop it across the barn, house, or my cedar tree, in spite of the close-quarters and shifting winds.

A good test run, but figure that the Hi-Start will have to wait for a trip to the wide-open spaces, while the Tee Dee's do the heavy-lifting on the hill.





Playing the elevator to manage pitch and climb determines how high you get as the surgical tubing's 'stretch' is used up.  Any ham-fisting of the stick uses up a lot of 'power'...quick, smooth inputs get the most out of the launch, and multiple flights help find the glider's sweet spot on tow.









Coming over the top, the flag pulls the ring off it's hook, and the Fling is set loose.

RknRusty wrote:I don't see many Qs in the sky to hunt around. I bet if you built a bonfire you could get a good tall one.

They seem to start popping around here around 10am on calm sunny days, but I took a while to get going (think I must be getting older!) and had some breezes messing with me by the time I launched...or maybe I just need more practice!

You're not getting older at that rate ,, that's a lot to put into a short flight , where U been firing up and set the plane free ! More the experience than anything i would say Nice imaging on the release , Thanks Kim

pkrankow wrote:I have never had good performance out of a high start  Probably because I really really needed a mentor at that time and didn't have one to help.

Phil

Hey Phil,

It took a long time for me to get a clue about Hi-Starts, and especially about the whole thermaling thing in general. This all improved drastically when I bought Dave Thornburg's 'Old Buzzard Goes Soaring'...though reading it caused so many 'Well Of Course!' moments that it was somewhat embarrassing that I hadn't figured it out on my own.

Much like control line flying, I'm kinda on my own in my neck of the woods where sailplanes are concerned. Even the guys who fly the electric-powered versions seem to be more into just blasting around rather than trying to read the air for boomers. More than a decade ago, I had a couple fellow sailplane flyers, Allen (Aero here), and another guy who got into some serious fiberglass planes. We sunburned our faces on a regular basis, along with getting wind-burned as we stared into the breezes breaking over our favorite levee.

As aggravating as it can be to put in multiple launches, retrieving the Hi-Start over and over, it's a REAL goose-bump moment when you finally punch into the core of a strong thermal and watch your glider gain altitude like it had an engine on it's snout. (Plus, all the stomping around HAS to count for a bit of the cardio that my doctor is always fussing at me about!)

Marleysky wrote:
Dang, that does look like fun. Really like the pics of the high start and release. Never knew it was the ribbon that drags the loop off the hook. I always assumed you had to do a well timed "up" maneuver  at what you'd think was the apex of the fling to pull off the ring and release. Great pictures.  I remember seeing Dave's "old buzzard" book somewhere, maybe the library. I'll have to pick it up.
Went to a swap meet this past weekend......you would  of liked it. It was the "Thunderbirds RC" club!  First thing I saw was a ARF of the BOT just like yours. Man that thing is HUGE up close!  It was sold and gone before I could made my first loop around the tables!  I don't think it would have fit in my little Jetta anyway. I did get a couple of $5 1/4a combat wings.

Thanks Marleysky!

Good score on the combat wings!

My larger Hi-Starts have a small parachute that does double duty, pulling the ring off the hook and, if there's a breeze, laying the string back toward the launching spot.  The chute's shroud lines take the load of the tow, pulling the chute closed on tow, but letting it inflate as the sailplane goes over the top and the tension comes off the line.

I STILL get a hoot from re-reading Dave's book, even though I was accused of being a 'criminal' by an angry virgin when I was silly enough to defend it on a 'Rip-Off Report' !!!

Outlaw Kim

pkrankow wrote:That book is going for over $100, used, and I cannot find a download that works.

Phil

Well, I could always post two pages at a time here...it'd be cool---like the continued daily comic strips of olden days. 'Course I might get clobbered for copyright infringement !!!!

Alley Oop Kim