Your plane deserves a holiday too

At the early stage of planning our annual winter holiday in Lanzarote I am exploring the feasibility of having a cheap and cheerful fun plane with me (see Tom Wright's 'Six different fun plane' thread) and I am considering the logistics of getting the plane with its associated equipment to our holiday destination.

Designed for the job...

**LINK**

Plummet

Hi

I was in the same situation a couple of years ago, we have family in S Africa and visit fairly regularly so I wanted to take a small model with me. I built a small (34" span) model on which the wings are joined with a carbon tube joiner. The rest of the model was designed to fit into a cabin baggage sized case, this was assisted by hinging the rudder on one side so it could fold back on itself. The tailplane is removeable and held in place by a 3mm scew.

Tx, charger and two 1300mah Lipos went into normal luggage and I took the model on the plane with me without issue.

Plummet and Flying Brian

I suspect that budget airlines may not be as accommodating as schedule airlines when it comes to non standard items of baggage. Besides I do favour the idea of having it sent via FedEx or similar if only on the grounds of less baggage to struggle with at the airport.

I have taken a model a few years back to the USA, Florida and flew it there, on rough ground near the hotel.

The model was fitted into a cardboard box, the TX being more of an issue than first suspected, plus the charging issue for the Lipo, where a unsophisticated (small, limited capability) Perkins charger was taken.

The whole lot put into a large, pretty empty suitcase.

However a lot has changed from then. You are generally restricted on the number of suitcases, and weight limits are now more stringent. To the extent that my very recent holiday in Italy, there was not the remotest chance that I could replicate the process. So no model or anything!

Things are so stringent now I had the boarding pass woman, saying you cannot take two take on cases onto the plane. I said it was my wives and my own. I was not allowed to pass. I would not leave the second hand luggage. They eventfully sent another representative to check if my wife had a case, before I could pass, with both hand luggages. Really stringent, but then again it was Italy, pretty anal lot when bureaucracy is involved.

Yes Erfolg, you have confirmed my suspicions. I certainly don't want to start my holiday with a load of hassle so I think I will pursue enquiries for sending my plane and equipment ahead by Fedex.

If I come across a local enthusiast whilst out there they may receive my plane as a gift at the end of my stay, providing of course I haven't written it off in the meantime ! It will be interesting to learn how much Fedex would charge but what price can you put on the joy of flying for a month in a warm sunny climate in February ?

John

Just obtained a quick quote and the cost would be £40. More expensive than the contents but hey for the cost of a meal out - a months flying. Its got to be worth it.

Edited By JohnSom on 16/06/2012 10:00:21

I wonder if, when going abroad on holiday, it would be possible to locate fellow flyers in the area with a view to make an arrangement to have your model and radio gear stored ready for use. Perhaps a reciprical arrangement?

The other option would be to holiday at the RC Hotel in Corfu and use their models and radio.

Edited By Mowerman on 16/06/2012 10:04:23

I took a Britflight H2O on holiday with me two years ago - great fun. But I was travelling by car so a lot simplier! This year I'm toying with the idea of getting a Hustle to take. The benefit of the BritFlight stuff for going on holiday is really two fold:

1. They're just the right size - big enough to fly in a range of weather conditions, small enough to pack easily.

2. Although they're made from foam they are covered with some sort of film that makes them considerably less liable to "dings" than other models of the type.

They also go together and fly really well!

BEB

Size is an issue as you say. I took a small electric glider.

This required the wing cutting into two.

Another issue was the fin and elevator assembly. I made the fin/rudder a bolt on assembly, with a 6BA bolt and two CF dowels.

If you are prepared to pay for another suitcase it is doable. Although in my case I would be asked can I put a few things in your case. When weighed, the cry would be, it is over weight, you will have to take something out! Perhaps your plane?

Another thought, In the past I have brought back kits, purchased on holiday. Taken onto the plane as hand luggage. Now there are is a size restriction on hand luggage, which invariably will be significantly different to the kit size.

There was no trouble in the USA or Mexico (there were a number of local flights), although, on arrival at Heathrow, (with kits) the internal transit flight insisted they went as fragile baggage in the hold. The total irony was that there was no more than 10 of us on a +100 plane.

The suitcase I used to the USA on the last trip, was enormous, not very strong. I did have concerns that the model would be damaged enough to prevent flight, or repair. This concern was unfounded in the event. I wrapped the cardboard box in a beach towels (this pleased my wife).

After much deliberation I decided to adapt my 32" span Junior Pipe Lagger (a modification of Tom Wrights excellent Pipe Lagger design) for transportation in one of the suitcases. The two wing halves will be joined on arrival with epoxy, the tail plane assembled and the two part fuselage reconnected with just one M2.5 bolt.

A Turnigy 6xs Tx at under £30 including receiver was sent by HobbyKing direct to my holiday destination with three 1000mAh 2S lipos. Other odds and ends will be carried in my hand luggage.

I reckon the Pipe Lagger is ideal for a bit of holiday flying and should it not arrive back home then no big deal as another can be put together in a coupld of days.

Hopefully I will be able to report success in a few weeks time but meanwhile those concerned about getting their flying 'fix' whilst away on holiday may be interested in this simple option.

John

I like it! Very neat and pratical.

BEB

The technical side is one thing and may be worth overcoming if you have an invitation to fly at an established flying field. But is it reasonable to just turn up in someone elses country without knowing their laws and local arrangements and fly?

What would we say if a Korean or Indian or Japanese or Argentinian or Libyan ( or whatever race) just turned up and flew his plane just anywhere he fancied in Britain? Maybe losing your flying field by not knowing local restrictions? Or worse still losing my field!

Sorry, I think flying in someone elses country without an invitation to a proper site is unreasonable. Anyway aren't holidays for having a rest from what you normally do & doing something completely different for a few weeks?

Hi John, very very neat solution indeed. As I knew you were PL flier,that model was the one I would have taken for many good reasons. We of Tom Wright,s P L fanatics must stick together.Ha Ha. Cheers

I took a model with me and flew it on waste ground in the Kissimme, Orlando, USA. A long way from anything, including the Hotel. The main hazard was water and forests.

Some countries are so vast, that you will trouble no one with a glider or a quite electric model.

In my case I had resolved that if the model had landed, other than where I intended, I would leave it. The reason being I was afraid of Alligators and snakes.

I saw it as no different to flying a model in my local park, or flying a model on the moors in Lancashire/Yorkshire.

There is one thing which I had not considered and that was insurance cover, although my model weighed substantially less than a Kilogramme

It was the middle model, with the wings split in half, joined with tubes and piano wire. I found that the Tx was the biggest issue. The model being in a cardboard box, wrapped in a towel, inside our very biggest suitcase.

I agree entirely kc.

However it is not too difficult to establish contact with model flyers in most other tourist countries via the internet.

At my destination, for example, I found the equivalent of our UK tourist office who in turn put me in touch with an experienced model flyer who has invited me to visit what looks like an excellent flying strip and even try my hand at slope soaring. Before anyone asks I am not going to divulge details of my contact as this woud be discourteous and presumptious.

Whilst holidays are for having a rest I for one cannot resist the opportunity of flying in warm sunshine in the middle of a bleak winter. Everyman to his own kc.

John

ken of forum watch department

.....maybe it wasn't a typo which is rather worrying.

fly boy3

....yes we should form our own PL club, Tom for Chairman. Having turned to indoor flying over the winter I am currently working on a 20" span baby junior PL

Erfolg

....with a plane weighing around 8 ounces and not a human bean within a 2 mile radius I'll take my chances in the insurance department.. I plan to bring my new Tx home even if it means ditching my washbag and contents to gain suitcase space.

John

There is another issue that is easily overlooked and that is charging the Lipo. In the USA for example it was 120v and 6oHz.

Fortunately I had intended using the hire car battery to charge the Lipo via my 12v charger.

In retrospect, it would have been a good idea at least to try to find a local club.

As for insurance, hmm, I did not worry about that either. I was far more concerned about snakes and alligators, almost paranoid. I did not go anywhere near grass or water, looking down all the time, when walking. The only wild life I remember seeing was Turkey buzzards, which marked the lift.

It was a typo!!!!

I don't see the problem to be honest. I mean if you were taking a 80" span gas turbine model - yes OK. But its basically a park flier! You could fly that here in most public parks without endangering the whole ediface of the BMFA - and we have some of the strictest rules lmiting model flying anywhere in the world!

I think its just a case of being sensible and sensitive to your environment - which I'm sure John is.

BEB