Good Friday Afternoon: Dark and Cloudy, very windy but mild at 23C. Yesterday was sunnier in the morning, and very mild, up to 24C and the warmest day this year, but then it clouded over and got cooler. I went to town and managed to get some tablets for the pool at last, also the vaccue hose had a different fitting to the one on the pool, but I managed to get the right one and was able to clean the pool reasonably well, it certainly looks a lot better today and it’s at a stage now I can get it back from.

On Wednesday afternoon we had to take Beccie to Benidorm for a scan, we got there at 3-45pm and left at 7pm…  This follows a scan at Denia on Monday and she has more appointments durng the comming weeks, it’s all the one year tests. Trouble is she has developed a terrible phobia of the hospitals, (can’t blame her, so have we) so it makes it all a lot harder. On top of that it’s a year since the major incident wth her breathing began, so with ongoing visits to Denia hospital, it’s all very upsetting. It would make it so much easier if they could keep to their times, but they never can by hours, so anxiety and frustraion creep in and make it all horrible again.

Tuesday Night: Cloudy and very windy, 19C (but it didn’t feel like it) in fact it was so windy in the night it blew my weathervane over – and that’s bolted to a concrete block! So the first job this morning was to go up on the casita roof and stand it back up, which I did in a different place. Stupid thing is that Benno’s vane points to the South West whilst mine points to the North West, yet they are just 25 meters apart…..??? No wonder I have so many probems landing my models!

Sunday and Monday were also very windy (no flying) but mild. 18C

Last Night we had a gorgeous sunset, here are some pictures.

Looking to the east and the Mediterranean Sea (in the valley)

Looking toward the house from the driveway

Looking north through the gates…

Saturday Evening: Today started out cloudy, then there was a sunny bit followed by thickening cloud, we are due for rain in the next few hours and the cloud build up is the front moving in. Actually I think it’s the hight movng away again and the forecast confirms this with a return to strong westerly winds and unsettled weather for as far as we can see.

Last evening there was only a gentle breeze and I was able to fly my V911 helicopters outside in the courtyard.. I was having great fun, some of the cats were watching and seemed tot want to play, which was even more fun, bit hairy when you are dueling with one in the top of the almond tree, although I didn’t crash…. In the end I flew both models and all packs, then went online and ordered more ….. only $8US for 5 more batteries including postage! V911 is virtually indesturctable and a great way to learn how to fly the proper model heli’s….(ie 450 size)

I got up qiute early again and did have a fly with Skylark, but I wasn’t really in the mood at first, it was a bit uneven, but not too bad. Later on. I  flew both the Bixler and Lady B, Jose the water man stopped his truck on the road and watch me fly Bixler for several minutes, so I did a few passes in his direction.. All flights had nice landings today.

I did the shopping in the afternoon,  I was a litter later than usual today and didn’t get back until 5-30pm, it was reasonably calm still so I flew the Skylark again…. Love it!

Friday Evening: Today was clear and sunny, 20C and there was only a light easterly breeze most of the day. I looked out of the window at 8am and it was dead still and I thought this is going to be 9am next week, so may as well get used to it. I had a whole hour of still conditions during which time I flew the Skylark and the Bixler.

As the day went on the wind did get stronger, but it remained directly from the east which produces areas of lift from time to time, which is perfect for the Bixler to soar. Today it was random, but in between thermals I used her motor to gain height again.

In the afternoon there had been a long calm spell, so I decided to put the Bixler up again, bit it was only airborne for about 5 minutes when the wind quickly changed to the south east and turned the air to “scrambled eggs”. Flying isn’t an issue, but landing is…. I flew out into the South valley to approach and found the model was being sucked downwards, it took full power to escape. As I approached I held the model level and it arrived over the terrace at just 300mm, perfect for a landing, then a gust thrust it up 3M and with no airspeed, promptly dumped it in the nearest almond tree…. Bit embarrassing if someone was watching from the restaurant as I’m sure they were!.

Chrissie bought me a weather vane for my birthday, it had to be ordered and has been a while, but I received it yesterday and fitted it this afternoon. With that and Benno’s one back up, I now have a reasonable idea where the wind is.

In the end it dropped completely and I had two Skylark flights back to back, I love it! It’s a dream. Finished with Bixler 9 or 10 flights today, lost count

Thursday Night: I woke up early and looked ut the window, at 8am there was no wind, at 8-20 I decided to go and take advantage and flew the Skylark in perfect still air, really nice. Second flight was Pioneer, but I cut it short as the wind began to build. Good job I did, the wind got really strong again, although it was 18C, clear and sunny as well.

No I haven’t suddenly built another one, this is the Super Skylark, big brother to my original Skylark design and a prototype – a project I began nearly 7 years ago and which has been “on hold” ever since, mainly due to an unwelcome but equal warp in both wings, which must have happened during building. This has been the main reason it was never finished, but the other day I sat down and “reconstructed” some sections of the wing in order to eliminate the warp. The model has the Axi 2826/12, my original electric motor, which can fly a model up to 3Kg. Awaiting servo’s and solarfilm to complete.

As it is it weighs 1.060 kg (2lb 3 oz’s) which is the airframe, wheels and motor. I added up all the other bits, including a 3300mah battery, ESC, servo’s and receiver and it comes to 1.422 Kg ( about 3lb 2oz ). Then there is covering, but that isn’t much. Wingspan is 58″ (1.470M) x 45″ long (1.150M) So I am expecting it to weigh just  under 1.5kg (about 3 1/2 lbs) Very light for this size of model.

Tuesday mid day. Clear and sunny 18C, medium easterly breeze. The strong wind blew relentlessy for the last two weeks, some days were very cold, others warmer, but you can’t do anything when it’s so windy But today started out calm and the air was just stirring at 8-50am.

I took the Skylark out for it’s first flight since I added the colour trim, in fact it was only it’s 3rd proper flight. But by 9am the wind was starting to blow from the east. After Skylark I also flew the Pioneer, but I had to cut that one short and land early due to the sudden uncrease in wind strength. It’s impossibe to fly here with an easterly wind due to the turbulence caused by the village and the air falling into the valley behind.

A little later I tried a flight with the Bixler which at first was soaring, but again the wind changed and suddenly there was no lift, only sink…. I tried to land on the top terrace as normal, but as I approached the model was dragged down at the last second and hit the wall below head on, splitting the front of the fuselage along it’s joint. Not a huge problem, in fact it’s fixed already, but once again the trecherous turbulance here has become evident.

Update: The wind dropped about 6pm and I was able to have three more flights, first with the Lady B (it’s been a while since she flew) then Skylark, which was concieved with these still warm evenings in mind…. She’s absoloutly what I wanted, it’s a pussy cat to fly, uses next to no power and I love landing it. Final flight was with the Bixler and I managed to find a thermal for a couple of minutes, so all in all a good day for flying.and all three landings tonight were “text book”

I, on the other hand am still suffering from some flu thing... I tried to do some gardning this morning and that ended up with a major coughing fit follwed by the afternoon asleep on the sofa, it had totally wiped me out. Kieran has been here today doing some gardening, so I had to drop him back to Jalon before I flew.

Thursday Evening: Another cold and windy day, it was clear and sunny, but it’s far too windy to stay outside.

The floculante seems to be working in the pool, I was surprised how much, the bottom still resembles the Thames, but the water is much clearer than in the picture I took same time last evening as can be seen in this picture.

Wednesday Afternoon. Cold and windy, 13C. We went to town today to get the post as well as try out a new cafe that has just opened in the plaza there. We also met up with Beccie and all enjoyed a toastada ( which is half a baggette, toasted, then with grated tomato and olive oil, we also had serano ham added, which was nice. I had a beer and they both had coffe each, total cost was 7 euro’s, which we all felt was reasonable.

Later Jim bought us a couple of floculante tablets for the pool, which is slightly better than it was, but still resembles the Thames. These tablets will slowly join all the suspended red dust and cause it to fall to the bottom of the pool where it can be removed.

No where near as bad as it was a week ago, but still gross….

This picture was taken during the last full moon, with the moonlight reflecting off the Med.

Tuesday Evening: Today has been cool and very windy, in fact every day for the last two weeks has been windy. We had a very cold snap a week ago and a storm with the worst red rain we ever saw, which has turned the pool green. The shops have all sold out of chemicals too, so there is nothing we can do about it at the moment.

Febuary was very cold, with the exception of a few days toward the end when it was warmer, but no less windy. Seem to me this winter has been longer and darker than before, many more cloudy days and very cold winds, with no let up yet according to the forecast.

I decided to make a Skylark, which was my first commercial kit in New Zealand, it took about six weeks, although a significant amount of that time was due to bad weather and waiting for bits. Daniel came out at the beginnig of the month for 9 days and bought some wire strips, covering film and trim, the rest of the parts came from Hong Kong, although the longest I had to wait was for the nose leg, which took over two weeks from the UK and where I was ripped off for £6 to post it.

Anyway the model is finished now and has had a couple of flights, still waiting for another opportunity to fly it, those hot summer nights will suit this one well though..

The Skylark model under construction. The model uses all Turnigy equipment including radio, ESC and servo’s and is powered by a Turnigy 3530/06 brushless outrunner motor.

The model, seen here after it’s first test flight with flying fan Saffie cat, who regularly accompanies me to the flying strip and waits to chase the models when they land. I gave her a fright a couple of weeks ago when I did a touch and go with Piwaka, she wasn’t expecting it to take off again and puffed up like a blowfish, it was really funny.
 
The finished model with solar trim added

The main difference between this model and the original it the addition of ailerons making the model 4 channel and not just three. It flies really well and fits perfectly into the “basic trainer” slot, being very slow and forgiving. This model is also nearly 1/3rd lighter than the orginal due to lighweight modern equipment.

A mock-up of the first Skylark kit label.