Lubcroy in a NE

Lubcroy in a NE
Flair K8 in its element on Lubcroy

Sunday 1 February 2015

Cool Flying...

My first was a crash; unsurvivable. In the second attempt at landing the pilot would have certainly suffered serious, possibly life threatening injuries. The third might have left him with a good few broken bones, and the last he may well have staggered out with cuts and bruises. Almost certainly he would, in every case, have perished in the snow.


For it was a cold, brilliant day in the far north, about five miles from Kylesku on the road to Cape Wrath, and we had a Weasel with us, dating from around 1980 by the looks of it, and a brand new Zulu, the ones with the drooperons on the leading edge.


Enough about the landings, how about the flying? Superb and great lift, with views north to die for (as indeed the pilot of the Weasel might well have done).

The Weasel, an old version and much patched and battered, performed amazingly well, its age hardly a factor in its ability to loop and roll and do weaselly things.

The Zulu needed more throws on the drooperons, as it was so slow in the roll. The ailerons and leading edge flaps are directly linked, which gives enormous leverage. If they are adjusted right. I reckon I had too much aileron and too little drooperon, which made it very hard to roll. After a few flights the arrivals were getting a little too close to total destruction, so I borrowed the wing commander's Weasel, reversed the elevator (he flies upside down and none the worse for it) and had some great flights.


My landings, however... Must have been the huge throws he flies with, which makes it super twitchy, with no dual rates and no expo. Or me.


After which he took over, I walked Bran in the snow and watched him make a three point, perfect landing at his feet (that's Gordon and the Weasel, not Bran the pointer). It's only a Weasel, but we at the Highland RC Gliding Club try and treat all our planes, glass epoxy, foam veneer or foam with respect. Bastard.