Hi fliers,
Got out to the sod farm this afternoon a little after 2:00 to help Fred with his maiden flights on his new Radian 2.6. Bill C was already there with him and they already had a couple flights under their belts.
Fred gave me a chance a some stick time which I gladly took advantage of. It climbed with plenty of power and I had to hold some down in it to keep it from going vertical. Easily climbed to 200meters (though Fred couldn’t see that high) and after a couple of clicks of trim it was floating well while still penetrating the light breezes.
Bill and I both gave it a couple of flights and it worked lift well. Very easy to circle. Landings were smooth and the spoilers, while effective, did not seem to need compensation.
I think this is going to be a good trainer for Fred and I would recommend it for a starter electric for anyone else too.
Proof of life photo attached.
Way to go Fred!
Wayne
Fred did a great job flying a sailplane (any RC plane?) for the first time. First flight he wisely shut down the motor early in the climb when over controlling had things a little out of hand. Added expo and more practice had him flying event free by the end of the day. He got in 3 or 4 flights.
Fred prepared for flying by using a simulator program on his computer. I think it helped a lot.
Bill
This was not only a first flight for the Radian XL, but my first and longest in over 30 years. I got in 5 flights and met all my first day goals (mostly to bring it home in one piece). Had a great time, and wish I had discovered this a sooner. Could not see too far yesterday, but having cataract surgery tomorrow, so should get better. Looking forward to next time.Fred Schlef