Today, I finished my Durham Mystery for my small field Embryo. I am not sure why I want this for a small field, since my last one flew away straight up off that same small field.
Anyway, I took it outside before I installed the prop to test the glide. It was kinda windy, but not terribly. I used clay and loaded it up and went back inside to put the prop on when it would almost hover in the wind. It was just a tad stall-y, but that’s ok with me to start.
I weighed the nose block with the clay and proceeded with the installation. I used the 6″ Superior Prop that I took off the Martin MO-1 Dimer and then adjusted the clay so the total weight was just a little higher than the noseblock/clay value.
I cut 22″ of 1/8 Rubber, tied a simple knot, got my winder and went outside. I wound in 100 turns and it did ok; not spectacular – but it was only 100 winds. I went to the back yard since the area is bigger. I wound it 200 winds just for another test flight. I thought maybe it would be cool to get a 200-wind video after this test.
Some of you may remember my back yard. Here is a snap from my Judy video.
You will notice the trees – I estimate those are about 40 feet tall. They are probably more since they are a LOT taller than my 35′ pole. The wind was blowing in the same direction this photo is pointing – slightly east of due north – maybe due magnetic north.
I was a few steps closer to the trees than this photo. I turned and faced the wind and gave the little plane a soft toss into the wind. That plane shot right up! By the time it did 1.5 circles to the left, it was maybe 20 feet higher than the trees and flying north over them! I ran around the left end of the the line hoping to catch the tail end of the flight (only 200 turns, remember). There’s a fairly open area with a treeline to the right. That yard goes about 200 feet to the road you can just barely see under the satellite antenna.
I got around the corner, looked up and around – nothing. No sign of my new plane. I went inside and got my boots on (it’s been very wet here and there is standing water in the front near the road). I walked to the eastern trees and walked that line looking up – nothing. I had a feeling I should keep going north. I walked along the road – looking across and across the small creek that runs parallel. There is was. I made it down the bank, across the water, up the bank – twice and I didn’t get wet and the plane wasn’t damaged. A DT will be installed and maybe I can keep this little plane – and win a kanone or two!
