I got into radio controlled planes about a year ago and now I have a Bixler 1.1 which is now more glue than foam but still flies and the new Bix 3 which I'm waiting for a fine day for its maiden flight.  Both planes & gear travells with us. So, when I can find a big enough field and the weather is right I'll go out and play....

I have another plane at home and left my first one in NSW somewhere about 100 feet up a tree, so, all my planes are now called George TM (from 1 to 4). Why George? Just sing the song for the movie "George of the Jungle" and you'll figure out why and the TM = Tree Magnet.

Anybody else take their toys like cars, boats planes etc... or am I the only kid on the block?

Regards Steve.

Madaboutled hi.

While I am not into planes I manage to get away with my RC sailing boat. The one I have taken last year was my first built model every is about 500 long and was model on one that I had seen on a tv program made out of balsa.

Have now found a bigger model but that will be a little easier to store in the van when we travel, hoping for 5 to 6 months this year.

Last year I sailed it in a few places down the south coast of NSW, found creeks, weirs, dams and a couple of times in the ocean. Lots of fun and seemed to gather a small crowd encouraging me on. Not that I needed any.

I feel real good about my new hobby as previous my work was my hobby and total life. Ralph 

Hi
Im a Bixler 2 flyer and fly whenever I can generally off a beach and over the water when its not too windy.I like the B2 because of the clear front perspex, can mount a small camera in there and get some birdseye views of where your at Home club is RAMS at Cleveland QLD. They edited the word ****pit
Cheers

Flew the Bix3 today for its first flight, hmmm should have triple checked it, Ailerons didn't have have enough travel and the flaps where out of wack. End result hard landing on the nose and a couple of minor scars & dislodged some of the carbon fibre reinforcements that needed regluing.

Then chucked the Bixler 1 up, was flying great til the rudder horn decided to dislodge itself & went all over the place before crashing and snapping  the fuselage in half just behind the motor.  No worries, some more glue & a couple of bamboo skewers for reinforcement and its ready to fly another day.

Also have a Bixler 2 at home, wasn't really impressed with it from day one, wings folded on first flight doing a gentle turn. Repaired it and it still flies but not as fast as the Bixler 1.

Havent got into the camera gear yet, but thats what I got the Bix3 for..... FPV eventually but gotta be able to fly it without crashing first though. Home is Nambucca Heads NSW and dont belong to a club, have thought about boats too but the missus says pick ONE, still working out where to store to new plane.....

Regards Steve.

Madaboutled hi.

I think planes are like boats the more you use them, the more you need to maintain (repair is the better word) them.

Today I went down to my normal lake for a sail and I put in the water for the first time a sail boat which I brought for spare parts a while back but looking closer I thought this boat would travel well, easy to store has a low hull with not much under the hull and the rigging was easy to assemble.  A very good pick up.

So today after putting some hours in on this boat which is old straight out of the carton but new some say it could be up to 15 years old but is a replica of the Australia Chanlenger to about 1985 America Cup with winded keel 1.2 metre long. I was down the lake early this morning hoping there would be a nice breeze.

The boat sailed but right from the start I could see the sails were not well made and more work was needed. A bit of a play here and there will sort it out. It was not steering well either and the Older Sailors were saying take some of the bagging out of the sails it will get better.

Here is a couple of photos of my growing collection, I think my red boat will be my favourite and the rest I will use as just to fill in. Black Hurricane 1 metre long and the white Triumph 600 long you could say I inherited them when a older member was down sizing his home and work space and he offer them to me to share with my 4 grandsons and to save arguing over my one small red boat. A great guy.

Hope you have fun and here is a few photos. Ralph.

Hi, 2 of my photos dropped out, hoping this works. Ralph.

Also Bix2 pilot - remodelling nose right now and on second set of wings and tail. I have a couple of other gliders - Mini Moa, Easy Glider pro and trying to decide whether to take one with me. Also have EPO Eagle - check it out on Hobby King web site. Would love to fly this over the Nullarbor - very popular with real eagles.

Dave

Where is some photos of your planes. Please.

When I go for a fly next, (in a few days????) I'll take some pics of poor old beat up George 3 & the new George 4 and post up, at the moment they are both disassembled and packed in their travel box as we're about to hit the road to Esperance & back to Perth over the next 2 weeks. So, stay tuned....

Jade46 hi,

That is pretty impressive collection of models.

The plane the very happy Lady is holding would that be the same plane in the bottom photo? It is hard to tell from your photo. The bottom photo the plane looks so real and larger. 

Do you take more then one plane with you. I hoping to get away with 2 sail boats on our next tour but just have not found a way of doing it without causing a disturbance to our peaceful life style.

Thank you for sharing. Ralph.

With the wooden prop it look very real like.

Forgot to add - also have a Phantom. Bixler will have a new nose one day soon.

Dave

I  have a liking of all toys/games. r/c hello's boats cars.cards, social games...boules,ladder golf disc bowels barefoot bowls etc  (age 69 ) it keeps u alive @awake !

I have just the one .. a Radian .. suits me just fine and I fly it almost anywhere !

http://www.paulmccloud.com/hartwood.php

.. pan down on this page and you'll see a couple of photos I've taken for a friend ..

Damn, got George 3 out yesterday for a fly ..... errr crash! and forgot to take some pics, oh well will try to remember next time. He will have a few more scars though I got him up a couple of hundred feet then remembered I'd forgot to put the carbon fibre spar in the wings, then at that moment the right wing folded and he spiralled into the deck. Result,  busted wing plus damaged servo, broken fuselage near tail, canopy smashed, broken err make that shattered motor mount,  broken nose in five places and receiver aerial wires detached.  Some work to do but he will fly again. These days though I think theres more foam glue than actual foam. 

Hi All I been home  a week now after 2 months on the track though central NSW. My 600 long Triumph sailing boat spent most of time in the back while I tried to find suitable water to sail in.

Had 2 days of sailing out at Gum Bend Lake Condoblin, ended up with a broken mast, in our travels did not find anything to do a repair on it, so that will be a major repair to do now that I am at home. 

All good. Ralph.

When it comes to planes I'm into slope soarers, which works out well as Sherri and I both love spending time at coastal headlands taking in the view

Here's a vid of me and other guys flying at Pt. Cartwright at Mooloolaba, the video is taken from an onboard cam... I eventually get knocked out of the sky, but no harm done, just fished it out of a tree and straight back up

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slm8gv55yVQ

Most of my RC'ing though is jet boats, which is also convenient as another favourite stop for us is by the side of creeks. The boats are much easier than planes to cart around... not as fragile either

This vid is in obi obi creek just downstream from the weir at Baroon Pocket Dam.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwfVE-efN_c

Enjoy, hope to catch up for a session some time.

Cheers, Steve.

Hi Lokidog.

The trip of 2 months did not float the boat as time was not in my favour touring around NSW, last year I used my boat a lot. Surprises me where I can float my boat dams, weirs, lake, ponds and rivers. Ralph.

Hi,

I haven't come across anyone else doing this but I take my radio controlled rock crawler.  I find it very relaxing and as challenging as I like.

I use a Tamiya Landcruiser 40 which I built from a 1000+ piece kit.  Making the car is half the fun but running it on really challenging rocks is a lot of fun also.

It's quiet (because its not about speed) and sometimes draws a crowd.  Big kids (and some little kids) love to have a go once they see what the car can do.  Some spectators have even suggested that anyone who intends going serious off road 4x4'ing should practice with a RC rock crawler - its all about correct line, wheel placement and the right speed.

The car, charger and control stows under the diner seat and I can get it out and running in a few minutes.  I've filled hours at places like the granite domes on Eyre Peninsula, Devils Marbles, Blue Mountains, Lost City in Limmen Nat Park, many beaches around Aus and a host of unnamed roadside stops.

Is anyone else doing the same?