Wind (breeze)

[Hardfourteen]

New (obviously). Is there any rule of thumb to determine approximate breeze strength (short of crashing and saying - well that was too strong)...:confused:

[freakyreef]

If birds are hitchiking, its too windy.:p;)
Seriously though. We get a lot of wind here as well. If I waited till it was calm, I would never fly. Straight winds aren't the real problem. Gusts of wind are the danger to your bird when your trying to land or getting close to terra firma. I fly in straight winds up to 30 mph.

[jairoblaster]

I have personaly flown in winds up to 50mph I don't suggest doing it but it's not as bad as you would think the main thing is to watch the gusts as long as you have steady wind just put your nose strait into it and adjust your angle of blade to the ground until you are neutral good luck and don't auto down wind

[freakyreef]

I have personaly flown in winds up to 50mph:blockhead:

You got me beat. I have never tried 50mph. I have done 40, but our winds here are real gusty. 30 mph wind can easily gust to 50 or 55 mph.

[jones007]

"How much is too much" is also a function of the size of your heli. My 450 is a handful near the ground in 10mph winds, in particular around trees and buildings where the wind is turbulent, but my 600 doesn't really even care if it's windy. I'll fly it in winds that even the most experienced plankers won't fly in.

--Kevin

[Hardfourteen]

Sorry guys - I was talking about rc helicopters - not real ones!:D
Ones like the T-Rex can actually handle WIND? I asked about 8-10 mph on another forum and was told at LEAST a 450 size preferably 500...
I have only flown coax til now and was thinking of getting a Honeybee FP to try. I also have a Walkera 22E which is still out of my league... Fixed pitch or go straight to CP?:confused:

[classclown]

If you worry about the wind, your just gonna be grounding yourself. Helis are great in the wind. Just as in hovering, you will just be adjusting your angles of attack alittle more. Don't be afraid, it's just better practice for your skills. I have flown in 45mph winds with my 600 and Raptor 90 and it (to me) is actually alot more fun to fly on a windy day than it is on a calm day. I have flown my Trex 450 in 35mph winds many times. Talk about FUN!!! That little heli is a very capable heli. Grow some balls, don't be scared, and have fun. The best part, most of the clowns at the field who are too scared to fly will be grounded, while your out on the line flying.

[jones007]

If you worry about the wind, your just gonna be grounding yourself. Helis are great in the wind. Just as in hovering, you will just be adjusting your angles of attack alittle more. Don't be afraid, it's just better practice for your skills. I have flown in 45mph winds with my 600 and Raptor 90 and it (to me) is actually alot more fun to fly on a windy day than it is on a calm day. I have flown my Trex 450 in 35mph winds many times. Talk about FUN!!! That little heli is a very capable heli. Grow some balls, don't be scared, and have fun. The best part, most of the clowns at the field who are too scared to fly will be grounded, while your out on the line flying.

I agree. I love showing up at the field on days when the wind has just kicked up, and all the plankers are grounded, and I fire up my 600 and have the sky all to myself. Up in the air helis and fixed-wing are about the same, but I'd much rather land my heli in gusty wind than a fixed wing.

--Kevin

[freakyreef]

but I'd much rather land my heli in gusty wind than a fixed wing.

--Kevin

No arguements there!!!
My flight line is always open.:D:D

[nexgen]

Flew my tiny Gaui 200 in 25 mph winds that were pretty gusty. That is quite a handful as it is twitchy already. Like above, I also think it's kinda fun 'surfing' the wind with the heli. I can get the Gaui really bookin when I fly with the wind. Landing is a whole other ballgame tho.

[Hardfourteen]

Excuse my persistence.
Would you fly a fp Honeybee regardless of wind? Or a Coax?
New to hobby and just trying to get it straight in my head. Even fp ads say inside or outside in calm....
I want to get out whenever possible but don't want to be in the situation of being told "well everyone knows you shouldn't fly that .... size (or configuration) in the wind"----and have a pile of scrap as a result.
I am willing to try anything but would like a reasonable chance of success.
Thanks again,
Dave

ps: opinions on Honeybee fp please.

[jones007]

No - you're right, FP and coax aren't made for the wind. You definitely need collective pitch - you need the negative pitch to stick to the ground when you land. What a heli has that a plank-wing is missing is high-speed air over the wing in all conditions. A fixed wing has to slow down to land, and if the wind cuts for a moment the wing stalls. A heli has virtually a constant speed over it's "wing" all the time, plus the flybar is a passive stabilizing device for gusts.

Everyone's got their own budget and learning curve to deal with, but my feeling is that the only coax worth spending time/money on is the Blade mCX; it's virtually unbreakable, and you can fly it in your living room. Otherwise get a reasonably sized collective pitch machine. I wouldn't mess around with the micros for learning. They are really fun to play with if you know what you're doing, but they are twitchy, less stable, and harder to see. If your budget will support it, get a 500 or 600 sized heli. I guarantee you'll learn faster.

That's my two cents.

--Kevin

[jairoblaster]

yes you are right I should have been more spicific. You do not ever want to fly a FP or a coaxial in the wind it just doesnt have the phisics to keep up with the changing environment, how ever if you are new to the hobby I would suggest a MCX to learn in the living room. They are cheap enoph and they really help you get used to seeing the heli from every angle, and get used to moving the sticks. Besides that they are crazy fun I chase the cat with mine all the time I dont know if you know this but a cat can do a flat footed gainer if given the right incentive. LOL!!! Ill have to get that on youtube. Any way the main thing is just to not let the wind dictate your flying capacity, if you do that youll never progress, or you will be very slow anyway.

[Hardfourteen]

Thanks for the input! I've had a Walkera22e sitting here since Xmas 2007 - couldn't get it off the ground - MY fault. Waiting on tools and some new parts as a result of arguing with baseboards and cupboards then I will just go for it. Hasn't done me a lot of good in the box anyway and I have learned a lot since then. I was going to sneak up on CP but what the heck, I will at least gain some valuable knowledge...Also, for some reason this Spring we certainly don't have to wait for wind to try it out and I have a pretty good sized open park near here to chase it in.

[freakyreef]

Interestingly enough, there is an article about flying in wind in this months issue of Rcheli mag. Coincidence or paranoia??? I'll let the people who are out to get me answer that.:p:blockhead:

[dmulligan]

I recently progressed from a Coax, to a HBFP, to a Guru-z Xeon FP, to a HX450 (trex clone) trying, in part, to find something that can fly outside in some wind. If indoors is never an option then I suggest going straight to a larger heli.

However if you can join a local indoor heli club like I did then the HBFP is a good trainer. Crashes often don't break parts and when they do the parts are cheap and repairs are easy. The HBFP can be flown in the wind, there are youtube videos proving that, but it is significantly more difficult that with a 450 or larger.

For the budget conscious a clone 450 isn't too bad. A CopterX 450SA all metal kit can be had for $59 + shipping or the HK450 plastic kit can be had for $30. Of course there is a lot more to a helicopter than just the kit. There are all the electronics to buy as well but a resourceful fellow can do the rest for relatively cheap. Check the hk450 threads.

[Tubeheadz]

I like to hover nose into the wind, but wouldn't try much else.

[dmulligan]

I like to hover nose into the wind, but wouldn't try much else.

Sounds like you need to try other orientations in the wind. It is important that we work on those things that make us uncomfortable. How else are we to advance?

[jones007]

When the wind gets above 20knots I like to practice slow figure eights a few feet off the deck. Great practice at anticipating when the wind will get under the disk and lift it up or get on top of the disk and throw it down. Modern HH gyros typically have no trouble keeping the tail where you left it, so you can concentrate on cyclic and collective. Try this with a larger heli first, and move to smaller helis as your confidence and reflexes improve.

--Kevin

[3D-Seth]

Honestly, and I do this with both airplanes, and helicopters, flying in wind makes you a better pilot. The more you fly in it, the easier it becomes, and the more comfortable you are at flying in lots of wind.

The most I've flown my Raptor 50 in was 30mph. The most I've flown one of my airplanes in is 55 mph. Needless to say, I'm not afraid to fly in ANY wind anymore.

Seth