Into the South Island

A fair bit has happened since I was at Ocean Beach, Havelock North. Travelled down to Masterton and stayed with Franky for a few days. She helped me out with a flat tyre (had to buy a new jack in Masterton)then took me out to Castlepoint to see the light house and a walk up around behind the beach.

From there it was off to explore Lake Wairarapa and maybe a chance to fly off the southern coastline. But no such luck, the wind was fearsome, but no good slope was accessible from where I was (another spot named Ocean Beach). I did get a photo looking over towards the coast out towards Cape Palliser with great looking white cliffs. And a morning pic of sunrise over Lake Wairarapa.

The next day I woke up in the South Island - it's been 34 years since I was here under my own steam, as it were. First job was to drop off a bag of lead-head nails for Franky's flatmate Rodger at his property at Linkwater on the Great Charlotte Sound Road. He allowed me to camp on his place at Cullenville Road - site of an old goldmining town in the 1890's. So I dragged out the gold pan and tried my luck in the river - no gold came leaping out of the pan at me, but I have saved some samples for closer inspection later. Also tramped up the valley along the old miners trail and came across an old firplace - that's my pan on the mantlepiece.

Have also been to the Rimutaka Incline and Fells engine museumn in Featherston, and Stonehenge, Carterton. Am posting this from the Blenheim library before heading south.

Te Mata Peak - Havelock Nth

Wednesday - Tried too fly at Te Mata Peak but the wind was just a bit fickle - so all I got was one short circuit with the MiniSleek and a crooked landing. My wagon is in the pic below - the nearer of the two.

On Thursday I headed out to the coast to a little place called Ocean Beach. It has a great flying site - similar to Ruapuke (Raglan) but with an easier landing zone all in long grass.

I flew 3 planes - maidened the "Bitza" my first motor powered glider. Was stoked with how well it went first time out. Also flew the MiniSleek and then had another go with the problem child - the Slanky - a T-tailed version of a plank. It's in the photo above. I've been trying to develop this plane since last Christmas and now is on Assan 2.4gHz. No more glitching but it still needs to have the aileron servos replaced as they are still double-centering. Still, I got to fly it for 10mins before a duffed landing over the back on the adjacent paddock resulting in another broken clevis. Have since driven down country and stayed with an ex-flatmate from way back - Franky Spite on her farm near Masterton. More when the wind picks up...

South By Slope begins....

Welcome to the new adventure! I've finally managed to get up and running with a motorhome to travel around New Zealand and visit some of the country's slopesoaring sites. First trip away was a shakedown cruise to Raglan/Ruapuke on the west coast - here's a pic of the sunset shoreline.

After the trip, it was all systems go to pack up my house for renting out and getting away on the road. Here's the fridge stored away full of music cd's - alas, I can't take them all with me.

And finally the trip is underway with a poster added to the rear of the motorhome - taken at the first slope site on arrival in Havelock North, near Te Mata Peak....

Last Sunday with the Mount Hard Core Slopers

Here we are on top of the Mount on a really cold winter's day - a shower of rain has just passed through but still a few keen men... from the left we have anonymous spectator on the seat, then Leon (from Foamworks), Ralph, Richard (the F3B Dentist)and John.



Earlier in the arvo we were flying at the Half Goat and this is Ralph testing out one of the new Fusion 2010 prototypes. Leon also had a new Fusion 2010 with the new wing - the RW03 developed by Ralph. By all accounts it flys very nicely and appears to have excellent inverted performance as an added bonus.


Johnny S had his Screamin' Banshee out again blasting around the sky - at times a rather weird and dark looking sky as you can see in this shot...



So a good little afternoon for most - my only problem being an indiscreet encounter with a digger parked in the landing zone at the top - oh dear, the poor old Vampire in the wars again - this time a broken aileron and wing damage.

Maiden Day for the Tank

Yes, finally after nearly six months, the 2m Tank took to the skies in a 15kt southerly off the top of the Bowl at the Mount. Ralph got some good shots of the launch with a very worried pilot about to test the new beast.

And beast it turned out to be - first flight lasted about 20 seconds before coming down. It was way too tail heavy to fly. Couple of goes later with ballast nicked from the JW and it was flying - well, sort-of.





It needs a long list of modifications : here's the list of things to do;
1. Change decalage angle of tail.
2. Strengthen elevator pushrods
3. Add noseweight to new C.O.Gravity
4. Reduce elevator travel.
5. Investigate elevator binding/double centering
6. Replace broken clevis's on flaps with metal inners.(did I say it had a bad landing??)
7. Add skewers to L.E. of v-tail
8. Add upstop for flaps to stop flutter (from gear slop)
9. Remove subtrim on flaps to enable centre of camber trim knob.
10. Provide steeper angle of v-tail to assist less yaw.

Phew, that will take a while. So just lay back and enjoy the pics for now.

One last shot showing the crow braking in action.