Kaimai Fly

On Sunday, Ralph and I went to Matamata for a fly off the Kaimai Range. Weather was very cold but with a perky 12 - 15kts SW we were assured of some flying after too long beside the fireplace.

We only managed a short fly before a shower came over and forced us back into the Safari for a hot drink. Mmmmmm.




After the rain Ralph spent some time thrashing around the sky with his MH64 plank, before switching to his Patriot plank for some more testing and tuning. This is the fastest, heaviest plank he has built and it certainly retains momentum.



Meanwhile, I was struggling, first with the JART and then my Karwai, both being too light for the conditions and not getting any penetration. A shortage of lead ballast was finally solved when Ralph suggested we tape a pair of pliers (!!!) to the top of the Karwai. That certainly helped, and only a small adjustment of trim enabled me to whiz around at a faster clip.

Here's a closeup of the pliers attached to the fuselage - not pretty but it worked!