OT RC Planes

I've got a lot of geese and swans landing in my cranberry fields. They dig holes in the field looking for roots and bugs turning the ground into quagmire.

Now currently I chase them away with the dog or shotgun, but as soon as they see me comming they generally take off - which is good.

I was thinking of getting a little RC plane and swoop in on them from far away. Maybe get more of a scare into them and have a bit of fun at the same time.

The planes I saw in a hobby shop were made by GWS. Are they any good? What is the range? How much should I expect to pay for the whole kit - plane, controler, etc?

By the way, we can't shoot the swans, they are protected.

Grant

You'll love R/C.

Now what came percolating up in my mind was to rig up some sort of motor & pulley thing. As in pulley on one side of the field, the motor on the other. Run a looped line across the field. Then attach something like a big-eye balloon to the line. The motor turns on and that big-eye balloon goes zipping across the field.

Pretty easy to use an old garage door opener as the motor, and use a timer on it. Then it's completely automated.

Could get really creative, using hawk decoys, stuffed animals and other things. Could even get really creative with the pulleys and have them open and multiples of them on the field so the decoys could go zig zagging around, high and low.

I just checked out the hobby shop. I can get a plane, 4 way controller, batteries, servos and a few more goodies for $350. The plane is only $45 so if I beat the crrap out of it I can get a new one or build one as described below.

I am really just looking for a reason to justify buying a plane. I don't really need a new hobby but if I could scare away a few birds from my fields - all the better.

As you cannot actually shoot the swans, they arn't slightly scared of a shot gun - or propane cannon for that matter. If there is a big flock of geese with the swans, the swans will take off with them --- sometimes.

The reality is, if I have no water in my field the birds will go to the neighboring fields and leave mine alone. The birds don't like the cranberry fields as there really is nothing for then to easily eat.

This year the rain and storms have been hard and heavy up on the westcoast. Our little valley always floods, but this year it is early and bad. The cranberries are dormant and can be under water for a few weeks - so that is ok. 4-12" of water in the field is ideal for the birds to muck up the ground.

So I dropped the pump back into the field and turned it on. The fields are all dyked to hold water for harvest so I can keep them pumped down not too bad, just costs more money for the electricity.

I turned it on last night and by this morning it had dropped the water about 4", by tomorrow it should be pretty good.

Still a little plane for Christmas may be a nice present for myself.

Merry Christmas everyone. Thanks for all the help in the past year.

Grant

• Yellow Point Cranberries

Would you belive this plane is made from the same material as the coke and pepsi signs down at the gas station. I have a few, and have crashed more once, these planes stand up very well. They are cheap to build.

• simple plastic airplaines

However,

If I were buying my first plane again I would select a "trainer" model, something in a "40" size (denotes an airframe that is propelled by a .35 - .50 engine, and there are multiple engine mfg"s), with a preference to a high wing design. If your proposed runway is on the rough side, a tail dragger would be better than a tricycle gear, although I would suggest the tricycle geared airplanes for better ground stability.

To cut your cost"s I would buy an "ARF" or "almost ready to fly" unless there is something already built hanging off the hobby shop ceiling should you not choose to build your own. Follow the directions for setting the airplane up and for "balancing".

If your going to be serious about this hobby then buy a Futaba 6 channel FM radio, otherwise any decent 4 channel is all you need. This will give you the ability to control all axis"s and throttle. Stay away from AM radios and used radio equipment unless you can try it out (on the ground... you should be able to walk 150+ feet away from the aircraft with the antenna collapsed and still have "control".)

I estimate that you will have atleast $250 and as much as $500 getting started, if you figure Airplane, radio, engine, fuel transfer pump, and an electric starter (unless you want to hand prop.. watch the fingers - kick backs hurt!)

Since your going to invest some $$$ and if you haven"t flown one before, you might want to consider some type of lesson, maybe get a PC based training program. RC planes fly very much the same, require the same type of control inputs to stay under controlled flight. There is also the added confusion factor of control when the aircraft is flying to and away from you. Left becomes right and vice-versa. There is also the speed factor. Things happen relatively fast with an object this small.

Don"t fool yourself into thinking you"ll never crash... even if your careful. You will.

Despite the cost and potential for ruin flying RC was always alot of fun.

Good Luck.

• Hobby farm

• Hobby farm