Wind Spirit

[Mattja2k7]

Hey Guys, i have just recently bought the Wind Spirit:

http://www.hobbyplanet.co.uk/product.php/17/huge-3-channel-radio-control-wind-spirit

I used to have a 2ch cessna but decided to upgrade and get a larger plane. I have had this plane since friday however the wind has been too strong for me to fly it but it looks like i will be able to tomorrow. Could anyone give me some advice on flying one? They seem very front heavy. Also the battery that came with it is a 7.2V, would it be alright to use a 8.4V i have from my friend?

Much appreciated,

Matt.

[Leo L]

Hi Matt,

Welcome to RC Flying! The Wind Spirit flys decently for a large 2-channel plane just the way it comes. I would use the standard battery until you are used to it. Because of its size, it requires a considerable amount of space to take-off and land. I only do ground take-offs, so I can't tell you how it would hand launch, but I would expect that you would need to run a few steps to get enough air speed for it to fly. I used a base ball diamond to take-off and it needed every foot of dirt to get airborne just before the outfield grass. In comparison to my Firebird Commander, the Wind Spirit had significantly delayed reactions to the controls, so you pretty much need to anticipate what control inputs to give it, especially on landing.

When I started flying 3 years ago, I thought that starting with a 2-channel plane was the way to go. I learned to fly with the Firebird Commander, then moved onto the 3-channel Aerobird Challenger. I bought the WindStar on e-bay because the advertisement incorrectly indicated that it was the "new 3-channel version".

As with any 2-channel plane, since the altitude is controlled by the speed of the plane, you must be carefull not to give it too much throttle, causing it to climb too steeply and stall. If you find your plane porpoising (climb, stall, fall, climb again, stall again, fall again, etc.) cut back on the throttle until it levels out.