Messages

16

Scale / Re: Something different... Lilian Bland Mayfly - Static model

« on: August 04, 2016, 18:20:54 PM »

Hi Fred;
A beautiful tribute to Irish aviation. Thank you for bringing this very significant part of history to our attention.
I had never heard of the Mayfly and  all you get on a search on aviation history in Ireland starts with the Vimy crossing in 1919.
I've spent the day going through all the links

What a wonderful and groundbreaking woman. Too bad she did not continue with her aviation  interests. However, she was also a pioneer in many other rapidly developing interests of the early 20th century. it appears to have had some unique  control  surface features which had not been used previously. We could do with more like her.

It would indeed be a great thing to develop an electric RC version of this model of about 1/12 scale. It would be a knockout. if you are not interested, I'll take up the challenge and you can do the cutting from my CAD drawings.

I have not flown in Ireland since 2 years ago at Mt. Leinster. I was over in Aug/sept last year with my daughter and grandson, but did not get flying. I will be back from Sept 13 to Oct 7 and will have a couple of models with me. Planning on getting to the Mt. Leinster fly-in on Sept 25.

Regards to all,
John

17

Slope Soaring / Re: The Micro Quark.. For when a Quark 2M is too big!

« on: April 04, 2016, 22:58:24 PM »

Well Done Fred;
I read your article in Radio Controled Soaring Digest and it was excellent. I hope that you get flooded with orders for your wonderful design.
John O'Sullivan
Nova Scotia
IRL 26

18

Slope Soaring / September fly in at the big L

« on: September 28, 2014, 09:54:59 AM »

I had a wonderful day on Saturday meeting a whole bunch of people who had only been names on the forum and spending time flying with them. There were also a few people I had not seen since the mid 70's.
 
A couple of mishaps, forgot my wing joiner for my small slope model and 1200mah batteries for my 2m electric. I did manage to get in a few good flights with 300 mah batteries in the electric model ( which ensured I did not cheat with motor use).  
The turnout was great and the atmosphere was excellent.
I topped the day off by purchasing a 2m Mouldie and now face the prospect of getting it back to Canada on Tuesday.
Thanks to everyone

19

Slope Soaring / September fly in at the big L

« on: September 18, 2014, 21:59:39 PM »

Looking forward to getting some flying done at the Mt.Leinster Fly-in
John
Had some very nice thermal flying with this in a park in Stillorgan today.

20

Slope Soaring / Hi from Eastern Canada

« on: September 16, 2014, 09:06:27 AM »

Anyone flying at Kilakeel  or Phoenix Park during the week. I'll be heading to Cork for C/L on the weekend. Call me at 0877218492.
John O'S

21

Slope Soaring / Hi from Eastern Canada

« on: September 03, 2014, 14:55:13 PM »

Models arrived safely in Dublin. I would like to get to  tountinna I know the area well from way back. Thanks for the offer. I lived in Dromineer on Lough Derg in 1962 and in Neenah from 1963 to 1966.  Used to attend weekly ballad sessions in   balina/killaloe. No R/C soaring back then as I flew Free Flight and C/L exclusively.
Would like to try the slopes there, but I may not be able to make it this trip.

I may get out with the Cork guys this weekend.

22

Slope Soaring / Hi from Eastern Canada

« on: September 01, 2014, 15:51:15 PM »

I'll be in Cork that weekend and until after the 13th (can't miss the C/L Nationals).
I've flown in the long past(1997) at Kilakeel and had a model there three years ago but it was blowing a gale. On the last few trips I've flown in the Phoenix Park.
I have not met the Quebec Aerotow guys as I'm over 1000 km away in Halifax Nova Scotia. We are fairly isolated here on the east coast and don't get much of a chance to fly with the central or western Canadians.

23

Slope Soaring / Hi from Eastern Canada

« on: August 31, 2014, 03:01:30 AM »

We had our informal annual Slopefest at our Lawrencetown slope today (continues tomorrow). This is a 98 foot bluff overlooking the Atlantic and is noted for steady winds.
Up to 10 am there was barely a puff, but as the day progressed winds built up to 47 kph. I am attaching some photos. We had 40  fliers and more than 60 models of all descriptions.  one of the highlights was a 1/4 scale Messersmith(SP?) originally built as a rubber powered model but now converted to R/C slope.
http://www.asrcm.ns.ca/gallery2014/Lawrencetown_2014.html

I will be heading to Ireland on Tuesday and will be bringing a couple of models with me, a 1.8m Pulsar Electric sailplane and a Hobby King Wraith 48" sloper. I am planning on attending the Sept 27 Mt. Leinster do and any other sloping I can get in, in Dublin and Cork.


My mobile number will be  0873964701
John O'Sullivan MACI IRL 26

24

Slope Soaring / Visiting Ireland need flying contacts

« on: September 10, 2011, 14:02:14 PM »

winds gusting to 30 kts. Will take a sightseeing trip up there anyway
Thanks,
John

25

Slope Soaring / Visiting Ireland need flying contacts

« on: September 09, 2011, 09:44:03 AM »

Thanks Guys;
Looks like I can make Saturday afternoon at Killakee. From Google It appears to be along R115. Not sure where exactly though.
I did fly there about 12 years ago.

John O'S
087 364 5531

26

Slope Soaring / Visiting Ireland need flying contacts

« on: September 03, 2011, 22:03:54 PM »

Hi Everyone;
I am visiting Ireland from Canada, over the next six weeks and would like to meet up with some fliers. I am an old Paddy and a MACI member (IRL 26).
I brought a 1.8 m Pulsar Electric with me (most convenient to pack).
I will be spending most time in Dublin and Cork and west Cork.
Slope is fine. Am in Dublin for the next week or so.
Of course when I get to Cork, I'll be teaming up with my old flying buddies, Ralph, Kevin and Noel.  I've lost contact with the Dublin crowd and would like to do some flying there.
I was out flying in the 15 Acres today (first flew there in 1957) and enjoyed it very much.
My Mobile is 087 364 5531. Would appreciate the opportunity to fly, flat land or slope.
John O'Sullivan

27

Slope Soaring / Retroplane... In Ireland !

« on: July 04, 2009, 20:51:23 PM »

Best wishes to everyone and have a great time, both in the air and in celebratory recreation at Retroplane 2009.

I had intended to attend from Canada and had planned a totally scratch built 3 metre Kranich II, modelled on an original Swedish built Kranich which we flew in the Cork Gliding Club from about 1959 to 1962. (I have a 1mm piece of 1mm ply  from a tailplane rebuild, with a Luftwaffe stamp from May 7 1941) which was obtained from a tailplane half which was damaged in a take-off accident in Ballincollig Airfield in 1961.

Had hoped to get some decent documentation on the aircraft, but as I  had no feedback and other than a few sketchy drawings, did not feel that I could make a model which do it justice.

I had a hard choice, attend Reploplane 2009, or my 50th School re-union in Cork in August.
Without the required Kranich documentation and the the resulting inability to produce a model which satisfied my standards, I opted for the school reunion.

I will be in Ireland from Aug 20 to Sept 23.
 
I hope to get as much aeromodelling exposure as possible during that time and will be bringing an electric photoplane with me. This is my Eyespy ( www.windandwavemodels.com/Eyespy07.html ). I hope to get some decent airphotos of the Irish scenery.

I have been dabbling with Autopilot control on this design and am a Beta tester for a lightweight, but powerful system ( www.attopilot.com )
This unit is currently legal only in the US and Canada, but if it is cleared for international use before August, I will bring it with me.

I wish you all a wonderful time at Retroplane 2009 and wish you all the best in keeping  the tradition of the developing years of true non-powered flight alive.

Perhaps I can get a Kranich ready for a future Retroplane session, wherever it may be held.  If any of you have any additional information the Kranich II, I would welcome any information to make this model a reality.

John O'Sullivan
MACI # IRL-26

28

Slope Soaring / Retroplane... In Ireland !

« on: August 22, 2008, 15:12:55 PM »

What is happening to Retroplane 2009?
No posts since April.

I have considered going to Ireland for it.
I have been thinking of building a  3 metre scratch built Kranich II in the livery of a full size one that we flew in the Cork Gliding Club from about 1959 until September 1962, when it was flown into the Irish Sea (deliberately) during the filming of "The Running Man".

Reputedly it was retrieved and sold to a Scottish gliding club, but I can't trace it.
Its earlier history is that it was one of five flying in the UK and it belonged to the Cambridge University Gliding Club.  It was supposedly built in Sweden.
Somewhere in my brother's attic in Cork, is a 6" square piece of 1mm ply from the tailplane, with a Luftwaffe certificate of airworthiness stamp dated May 7, 1941 (when I was four days old). I got this during a tailplane rebuild on it, that I worked on in 1961. (premature dropping of two-wheel dolly U/C resulted in the dolly bouncing up and shearing the complete starboard half of the tailplane off).
I was operating an Aldis signal lamp to the winch driver, but he did not stop the tow and they launched to about 800 ft.  After release they flew Ok and they did not realize their tailplane was damaged. They got down OK and after landing they said it was sluggish and they thought that the dolly had not released.

If any of the old crew (Noel Barrett, Tommy Kerrigan, Stan Cussen, Peter Otter etc.), have any photos or details of the Kranich, I would love to have them so I can get working on the project.  Sadly in the intervening near half century, others have caught their final thermals.

29

Club talk / MACI Insurance...

« on: August 22, 2008, 13:51:55 PM »

It's amazing how incidents can grow hair and cloud the facts over the years

Garrykeogh wrote:

"You can blame the guy (novice and not a member of any club or MACI) who managed to take off a large powered airplane in the Phoenix park fitted with a co-pilot stabilisation system. He couldn't as a novice over power the gain setting on the co-pilot and watched the plane go out of sight, all the while declining offers of help. The plane disappeared, he collapsed his tranny aerial and disappeared too. His plane landed itself successuflly on a taxi way in dublin airport, I was told while Mo Mowlan was approaching the airport during the height of the peace negotiations.:

THE FACTS

1) the flier was not a novice-  he had 17 years flying experience
2) He was or had been a MACI member and had his MACI number on the aircraft.
3) all onboard equipment including servo makes were detailed in the investigation report and he did not have a Co-Pilot - it was not even around in 1996 when this incident happened.

There was a full investigation of the incident  and  concluded that receiver battery depletion was the cause of the fly-away. The model had earlier that day successfully completed an hour of flying time.

The full Incident report is at
http://www.aaiu.ie/AAIUviewitem.asp?id=3606&lang=ENG&loc=1280


John O'Sullivan

30

Slope Soaring / New Here!

« on: October 15, 2007, 22:25:06 PM »

Hi guys"
Good to see everyone is active. Have not been back to" paddie's land" lately but am thinking of  a trip soon. I miss the CMAC web site!!!! Get it working.

I'm embarrassed that my glider air time has suffered because of these electric thingies. Electric gliders of course, but have been strongly interested in electric Aerial photography. I have been flying with my Eyespy Air photo design, which my old buddy from the wee north Maurice Doyle described as  my 1958 - 1964 Hi Tee FF power model design on Steroids.
windandwavemodels.com  Page needs updating badly.
I've been doing still photography, video and video downlink with it and I'd just love to get some aerial shots of the "Old Head of Kinsale"  I am awaiting a GPS autonomous navigation system on which I will be a beta tester.

For slope in Cork, don't forget Minane Bridge about half way between Carrigaline and Crosshaven - nice south facing inland slope where we hand bungee launched the Unforgettable "Joey Kerrigan" in his  full size Kirby Cadet way back in the late 50's. If you don't know of the wonders of this infamous superman, ask Noel Barrett. His exploits with motor cycles, canoes and aircraft are legendary (also being the first and likely only one to ride a motor cycle to the top of Carrauntoohill Mountain).

There is also a good northerly facing slope just south of Carrigaline. I took Ralph and Kevin out there in 1997, but don't know if they have used it since.
Good flying.,
John O's