RemembeR to keep a good eye on youR model, and it doesn’t huRt to have a spotteR available in case you lose sight foR a second.
Catching Thermals
When I caught my first thermal wind with
an RC airplane, I remember thinking about
how cool it was. No propeller was needed
and the plane gradually just kept climbing
up as if it were ascending a flight of stairs to
somewhere. I also noted a few things that
day...
less is more. My ability to stay in the “lift” was
much easier if I was easy on the sticks and tried to
climb gradually instead of trying to “jump” up. Larger
elevator inputs seemed to have an adverse effect
while a slight consistent pull achieved more altitude.
Point and shoot. I was told to try to stay nose-in into
the direction of the lift and that would lead to less rudder use, less tendency to tuck the planes
nose, and ultimately one less surface to slow the airplane down.
look for clues. You know when you see the “heat” rising off of the road or off a rooftop? Well,
theoretically that’s what you’re looking for ... areas of warm air. Hot air rises, remember?
I also look at our feathered friends to see if they are out. They like warm air, and if one is
seemingly doing the impossible (like floating forever without flapping its wings), the sharer
of our airspace is thermaling. In my experience, birds tend to fly a circular pattern during their
free air ride.
Remember to keep a good eye on your model, and it doesn’t hurt to have a spotter available
in case you lose sight for a second. Sunglasses may be necessary and if you’re like me, you
may need one of those GPS airplane finders!
An included pilot can be removed and
replaced with FPV gear should you go that
route—and yes, real men wear pink!
charge your battery before assembling
the Sky Surfer because it will likely
take longer to charge than putting it
together will. I did end up using hook-and-loop tape to hold everything in
place during flight just in case I want to
move things around later. If you decide
against coupling your ailerons like I did,
you may want to add a pair of 3- to
6-inch servo extensions for easier
reachability.
ConClusion
The Sky Surfer can be ready to fly in no time
at all. In under an hour I had this review plane
bound to my transmitter. A great deal of
thought went into the design of this model
airplane, making it one of the easiest planes
to assemble and fly. Catch a thermal and fly all
day long or add some electronics and explore;
either way it will be happy flying.
