Bmwbob - 8-4-2013 at 04:40 AM
This weekend I finally got down to a section of south Cocoa Beach which I was told by the Blokart dealer (more on that later) was more sparsely
populated.
He was right about that, and it appears to be usable.
IKitesurf was showing the winds coming directly ashore at about 15, so this looked ideal for my first REAL outing with the buggy and the Revs.
Got there, unloaded the buggy and started putting the back axle on. Then I noticed problem #1: I have a bloody flat tire (tyre?)!!!
OK, no buggying, but at least I'll be able to fly the PB 2-4 in some consistent wind for the first time and actually learn how it works.
So, I got set up and launched. Hmmmm.....having a lot of trouble staying airborne for 15 mph winds.
Landed the 2-4 and got the anemometer out: 5-6 mph and dropping. Where did the 15 mph stuff go?
All right. Stowed the 2-4 and got out the 4-8 for its maiden flight.
NOTE: 4-8 means "some assembly required". 6 vertical spars and 4 small struts to attach in addition to the usual Rev 3 piece leading edge.
My 4-8 is all white. Standing there with the handles in my hands looking at it sitting on its tail I'm thinking " this thing is HUGE!"
Anything that big deserves a name. Let's see.... "White Cloud"? Naw, all ready taken, and sort of implies it is going to wipe me out! :-)
How about "Ghost"? Well, someone could say that's what I will become if I launch this thing.
OK. "Casper". At least he was a FRIENDLY ghost! :-)
So, Casper popped right up and lumbered across the sky. Turning him around at both sides of the (vanishing) window started to feel like something I'd
done before.
After a while it dawned on me: turning this beast is just like dragging the refrigerator out so Carol can clean behind it! :-)
It was cool to watch it go into glider mode and pass overhead with completely slack lines. Sort of looks like a B-2 bomber with an arctic camo paint
job!
One time, though, with the wind almost at zero, Casper decided to go to Bermuda. Yup, straight out to sea heading east.
Only a quick 100 foot dash and yank kept him in U.S. air space!
I guess things just conspired to get me over my hesitancy and let Casper breathe.
NOTE TO FLEXI BUGGY OWNERS: if it hasn't bitten you yet, please note this if you have those Limey "safety wheels" on your bug. Taking the advice to
air them up proved my undoing. While the tires/tyres show 35 psi as max inflation, there is some small print on the wheels themselves that specifies
30 psi as max.
I inflated to 35 psi cold. With the buggy in a warm car, the little buggers expanded the tube into the wheel cavity where the safety pop-off valve is
and blew it out.
Fortunately the Tractor Supply store had the right size tube and also patch kits.
I (successfully) patched the tube and now have a spare.
When are the darned Brits going to stop being sore about that rebellious colonies thing and start giving us a break? :singing:
Bob