Temperatures acceptable for equipment while flying.....?

[Earl Haury]

Dean

On really cold days the plastic stick "ball socket" would contract and the friction would be enough that the stick would stay where it was put - not quite as bad as no return spring, but weird.

Earl
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Dean Pappas 
  To: discussion at nsrca.org 
  Sent: Wednesday, January 05, 2005 9:24 AM
  Subject: RE: Temperatures acceptable for equipment while flying.....?


  Ah nostalgia ...
  I remember Dad's old Citizen Ship analog 3-channel. Below about 35 or so degrees F, it would just quit working.
  The old germanium transistors had a much higher temperature sensitivity than silicon.
  I did pop my old Heathkit GD-47 in the freezer, as part of its QC test.  I haven't felt the need to do that in eons.
  Gosh, we modellers are wierd!
  Dean

  Dean Pappas 
  Sr. Design Engineer 
  Kodeos Communications 
  111 Corporate Blvd. 
  South Plainfield, N.J. 07080 
  (908) 222-7817 phone 
  (908) 222-2392 fax 
  d.pappas at kodeos.com 

    -----Original Message-----
    From: discussion-request at nsrca.org [mailto:discussion-request at nsrca.org]On Behalf Of Earl Haury
    Sent: Wednesday, January 05, 2005 10:19 AM
    To: discussion at nsrca.org
    Subject: Re: Temperatures acceptable for equipment while flying.....?


    Chris

    I pretty much agree with Karl, Chad, & Eric. The balsa foam airplane may change trim, depending on the linkage, hard to tell just what will happen with the composites. Batteries are the biggest concern. When I lived where it got cold I would test airborne radio systems in the freezer at 0F. About 25% of the servos simply quit working - everything else seemed OK. As the most volatile fuel component has a flash point (makes flammable vapors) of +50F, engine starting is a problem. As Karl mentions, lighter fluid (couple of drops) helps. My record for cold flight is -6F, but the best solution I've found is moving south - been in the upper 70's in Houston all week.

    Earl
      ----- Original Message ----- 
      From: Karl G. Mueller 
      To: discussion at nsrca.org 
      Sent: Wednesday, January 05, 2005 8:53 AM
      Subject: Re: Temperatures acceptable for equipment while flying.....?


      Chris,

      Extreme cold and ultra violet rays will make most plastics more brittle.
      You will not get as much power out of your batteries as would in warmer
      weather.
      In the years when we were running the .60 size engines we would use
      Lighter Fluid to get the engines started. 
      Now I just don't go out any more in the cold weather. It does not get as cold
      around here (Toronto.Ontario) as it does out west. They were having -35 Cº
      with a wind chill  to - 45 Cº.  Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
      You wont stay outside longer than you have too at these temps.

      Karl G. Mueller
      kgamueller at rogers.com



        ----- Original Message ----- 
        From: White, Chris 
        To: discussion at nsrca.org 
        Sent: Wednesday, January 05, 2005 8:05 AM
        Subject: Temperatures acceptable for equipment while flying.....?


        Hi,

        Hey, I was out flying on Christmas Eve in OK and it was about 22 degrees.....  I spent extra time warming the YS at idle, but thoughts were crossing my mind about how bad the cold weather is on our equipment (nylon components etc....) .  I'm sure the guys up North have limits on cold temps and I'd be interested to hear your concerns or special cares.

        I'm running a balsa/foam airplane, YS140 Sport (30% CP Heli fuel), and a JR PCM 10X with Digitals and Nimh batteries.

        Thanks for your feedback....!
        Chris White 
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