Should have rung first...

[cheese]

Hey you will probably know my Dad if you are inot the RC planes thing. Garry from the HB club.

[clmintie]

Probably, I'm good at faces, bad at names.......

[cheese]

What are you competing in? he is big on the gliding and electric recently. Some of those planes are crazy. 3k for a glider!!!!! WTF!

[clmintie]

I was competing in control line aerobatics this weekend as part of the annual SIG fun fly, but I also have large electric models and gliders. My passion however is for a class called Free Flight (no radio control) and in particular F1C. Best described as the "MX1" of Free Flight. The models (designed and built by little 'ol me) have wing spans between 2 and 3m, are made of carbon, kevlar, 25micron hard ali sheet (think cooking foil you can't bend) and a little balsa wood. They weigh 750 grams and are powered by 2.5cc glow plug motors running about 32000rpm on methanol/caster oil mix. The goal is to get as high as you can in <5 seconds of power run, then glide for 3mins, seven times, with fly-offs for ties. I've represented NZ on many occasions both here and overseas, with some pretty good results. Launch pic below......

[cheese]

Those wee motors are they the high compression 0.49 ones or something. I think that I had some low compression ones called a baby bee or something like that. Thinking about getting a new plane but the auckland clubs are pretty shit.

Never was a big fan of control lines. Like trying to play in a washing machine.

Dad is big on the spot landing gliding. He used to be the president of the HB club a few years back.

[clmintie]

The motors I use are hand made (USA) Nelsons 0.15 cu. inch (2.5cc) 2.5hp jewels and cost more than some of the bikes around here..... I used to fly gliders and electric a lot with Aucklandsoar at Ambury Park, but riding dirt bikes has taken over again and now that I have a keen daughter to ride with the models can take a break.