Last Flight of the Cleveland Cloudster?

2010 Flight Test Program

(2nd flight)

Sue and I went to Veteran's Park again this morning to test the 30% reduction in elevator control and get some in-flight pictures. We arrived around 7:30 a.m., clear, calm, and about 59 degrees. I assembled the Cloudster and took it to the edge of the park on the concrete walk way to check the RPM out in the open as shown below. At full throttle it tached 12,800 RPM. Yesterday I tried to check the RPM in model room and only got 6,500 RPM so it must have been the lights in the model room interfering with the tach.

We walked out to the center of the park's field to launch. I made one last check of the controls before I launched as shown below.

Sue caught the Cloudster a moment or so after launch as shown below.

For some reason I was having problems trimming the model as it was climbing out, but it did get quite high at the end of one minute. However, after I cut the motor I still couldn't seem to get it under control and it was getting higher and further away. I sensed that I was beginning to loose the Cloudster as its image had grown very small now due to range. So I added throttle to try to start coming back to the field. However, the power only aggravated the model's gyrations. Finally it just disappeared out of sight in the morning's clear blue sky somewhere over Arlington.

I have no explanation for went wrong this morning. I only know that the Cloudster is gone, unless someone happens to find it and calls me. Otherwise, this is last picture we will ever see of the Cloudster on its way up........................Tandy Walker



N.B.: This has happened to the best R/C Assist flyers. But, it can be prevented with some on board insurance.

Tandy Walker's Speed 400 model completed

As this construction project draws to a close tonight, this is the 92nd and final Cloudster's construction report. I began this Speed 400 project on October 27, 2009, over five months ago and completed it this evening. I truly hope you have enjoyed my efforts on this project as much as I have sharing them with you. There will be one more follow up report later on in the spring after the weather gets good to present the results of the Cloudster's flight testing. So for now, good night and goodbye............................Tandy

The Cleveland Cloudster

As Built by Tandy Walker

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Cleveland Fleetster

While a few pillars of the SAM movement look down upon this new-fangled electric flim-flammery with disdain and abhorrence, the rest of us are enjoying the heck out flying SAM-legal electric planes! In particular, the smaller 1/2A Texaco and Class A ships are well-suited for electric power without landing you in the poorhouse. Gone are the days of calling upon the dark gods of the underworld to aid you in the start-up and running of Cox 049 engines. Now you just plug the battery into the plane and give it a toss! No slimy cleanup chores either. Here are a couple pictures of the 1939 Cleveland Fleetster designed by none other than Joe Elgin of Playboy fame. This plane is powered by an E-Flite Park 400 and 3-cell, 600 mah li-po battery pack. The Fleetster weighs in at 16 oz full up and was built just for fun-flying. Mike Fields, Editor at Large SAM 1 Model Museum Flying Club

The Joe Elgin designed Cleveland Fleetster as built by Eut Tileston.

This electric Freeflight version of the Baby Fleetster 32 was built by Bucky Walter.

https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?1557302-Cleveland-Fleetster