FxRES December 2023 - F3L/F5L Monthly Duration Challenge

[martynk]

FxRES Monthly Postal Rules

This is a “for fun” challenge for UK based pilots. Anyone may enter with:

1. a bungee-launched F3L specification glider using the reduced length Hi-Start. The reduced length Hi-Start bungee has a maximum of 10m of 6/4mm surgical tubing and 50m of static line (minimum 30lb breaking strain). Lighter/smaller/shorter bungee rubber may be used.

OR

2. an Electric motor launched F5L specification glider fitted with an Altitude Limiter set to 60m and a maximum motor run time of 20 seconds.

Object: Fly your F3L or F5L glider for as long as possible from a flat field. Each monthly challenge will commence on the 1st day of the Calendar month and  the person who's time is unbeaten at the end of the Calendar Month 'wins' and a new challenge will start. The annual challenge league will end on the 31st December of each year. A new annual challenge league will then commence on the 1st of January.

Rules:

Models must comply with the Model Specification rules for F3L or F5L as appropriate.

You may self-time your own flights

Flight times begin when the tow-line falls from the tow-hook  for F3L or in the case of a F5L glider when the motor stops.

The model must land in the launch field or (if there is no field boundary) within 150m of the launch position for times to count. There is no landing bonus.

If you are using a bungee launch (for this event or any other), then the launch line MUST be secured using a corkscrew dog tether or similar bungee stake to minimise the risk of injury caused by a loose stake.

Scores must be submitted on the relevant monthly postal event posting on the FxRES forum at www.barcs.co.uk/forums/   

Scoring flights must be submitted within 24 hours of the flight taking place.

A flight log graph from the Altitude limiter should also be submitted if entering with a F5-RES glider.

All scoring flights must start with a hand release from Ground Level with (if applicable), the motor running.

No flight information telemetry permitted except for Received signal strength and Receiver battery status.

Submitted scores will be amalgamated into an annual league. Points will be awarded as follows:  1st -25 points, 2nd - 22points, 3rd - 20 points, 4th to 22nd, 19 to 1 point respectively.

You may enter as many times as you wish using as many different models as you wish, but only your longest duration flight will count towards the league position.

Please enter your best/latest monthly scores below in the following format...

ON THE FIRST LINE OF YOUR POST

Model Name : Class (F3 or F5) : Date of flight : Time Claimed

Any text or commentary or images please add afterwards.  Thanks  

[AnthonyB]

cREst : F5 : Dec 11 at 15:15 : Time 5min 55sec.

 

Damp and misty, with bits of rain. But zero wind so I had to fly. First chance this month.

Technically the wind was SW. That's directly along the Ribble valley.

I did find the very lightest of lift, adjusted to find middle at 3:00 and lost it.

At the end it was far enough and low enough that I had to come back.

Do you call this lift ..........

 

 

[martynk]

Well done, the weather has been pretty crap so far this month..

 

     

[AnthonyB]

Thank you Martyn, I was a little disappointed with that, but wanted to get the ball rolling. Last year I was third (Dec) with 6:16 and I thought this model was better than last years. 

[Pete in Northiam]

On 11/12/2023 at 16:15, AnthonyB said:

[snip 8<]Do you call this lift ..........

Yes.

I see lift as three characteristics: volume, vorticity and velocity. Volume is just size of the rising patch into which we try to centre and vorticity is slang for turbulence at the edges of lift which may indicate lift power. The upwards velocity is either above my gliders downwards velocity (glider climbing) or below it (sinking) or, as in your flight, almost exactly the same (level-ish). Even when v_thermal is below glider sinking speed it can help sustain duration so lack of climb is just a cause to maintain or re-center and a chance to plan. Bad air is v_thermal negative and a glider sinking faster than trimmed minimum sinking speed - time to run away!

Well done getting in the air in this weather

[Sorry for edits I typed into wrong boxes!]

Edited December 14, 2023 by Pete in Northiam
Brain fade

[Pete in Northiam]

[Deleted duplicate]

Edited December 14, 2023 by Pete in Northiam
Duplicated post

[cirrusRC]

Fri 15th Dec - 1:30 PM | Medina F5 | 10 mins 29 seconds.

Cabin fever!  Got out for 45 mins during lunch hour.  Cold, grey, damp but light wind taking me over no fly.

Plenty of pin head thermals but couldn't do much with them.  First flight my elevator trim switch failed! On the last flight the sun started to peak through.  The air went buoyant but turbulent.   Followed lift back to edge of no fly, crept 50 meters forward without losing much height and then repeated.   Never got above launch height but maintained for most of flight.   The air hung around for a while.

Sun was blazing as i hurriedly packed up, but suspect air would soon start coming down.

Pretty sure this will be my last RES fly until after xmas, so wishing you all a Merry Christmas.    Martyn many thanks for running this challenge for another year.

[AnthonyB]

Cirrus, that was just the same as my flight – but better.

We have a Met driven quiet spell and Cabin Fever, so I will spout more of my garbage.

Over in the garden I have a hanger / car port / barbecue area.

Along one side I have ~40ft of bird all day breakfast bar. There are 20 – 30 Parus Major, Finches, Robins and sundry LBJs (Tree Creepers ?). If they are all going backwards and forwards having a snack – forget flying, there is no lift, so enjoy watching the little critters.

If you go outside and they are making a racket, bird song is not the phrase. Forget it also, but scan the coppice for the Raptor.

It will probably be one of my local Kestrels sat on a branch waiting for more supportive air to come along. The Buzzards live about 1km away across the road. The Buzzards here have a very loud distinctive ("Eeek") sound when up and about and that is a good sign.

So if there are no snacking birds, there is a better chance of being good air, even if you don't see them. Unless they are noisy.

Sunrise yesterday.......

Over in one of the fields there is usually a good group of gulls. They will stay on the ground until the air / ground / whatever warms up enough to give rising air. They sometimes (more in winter) will take off and seem to thermal whilst still flapping (a lazy flap) and rise up to go wherever they are going.

All this is common sense and with a little effort, very useful. It is not Witchcraft or even cheating, it is just using the senses you were born with. Though I sometimes wonder about my wife and the large Crow population.

What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.
No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.
A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

Edited December 16, 2023 by AnthonyB
I could not give the common name for Parus Major

[cirrusRC]

51 minutes ago, AnthonyB said:

Cirrus, that was just the same as my flight – but better.

Not sure if I could have climbed out without the no fly zone.  Nice to get out though.

Had a replacement trim switch so swapped that out this morning. Surprisingly micro switch was ok, the plastic rocker had gone.  TX has had a good clean.

Edited December 16, 2023 by cirrusRC

[Pete in Northiam]

20 hours ago, cirrusRC said:

... Had a replacement trim switch so swapped that out this morning. Surprisingly micro switch was ok, the plastic rocker had gone.  TX has had a good clean.

It's always the moving parts that fail first. Bl**dy metal window handles with a weak plastic cam that fails in two years is my pet hate - built-in obsolescence! But I digress...

If you have a tx open yes great idea to clean and inspect! All moving parts especially the antenna coax.

Also if you have one switch getting lots of use, consider swapping switches around before failure. Move the high-use one to an unused or low-use position and the better one to the high use position.

I try to buy spares in pairs - if it failed once it probably will again!

[Pete in Northiam]

21 hours ago, AnthonyB said:

... All this is common sense and with a little effort, very useful. It is not Witchcraft or even cheating, it is just using the senses you were born with.

Aye, lad, nowt but proper Pendle sense! (ex PR2 1NJ ) 

[martynk]

There is nothing common in sense...  

 

Updated table..

 

 

     

[Phil Morrell]

I have not been able to get out to join the fun this month so no score to post yet, maybe I can manage my standard 3 minutes before the end of the month. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all the barcs postal guys, mat Santa bring you lots of FX RES goodies. Big thanks to Martyn for doing an excellent job in running the postal comp.

[AnthonyB]

On 17/12/2023 at 09:58, Pete in Northiam said:

Aye, lad, nowt but proper Pendle sense! (ex PR2 1NJ ) 

After seeking therapy, I see the problem........... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PT0ay9u1gg4

 

[martynk]

Sadly, wind and rain washed out and blew out most of December. Well done to David and Anthony for persevering.  Much appreciated.

League table (the last one for 2023) has been updated, press Restart for 2024..

Happy New Year everyone and thank you for all your contributions this year. Makes it all very worthwhile.