How cold is too cold?

[the rc project]

When do you guys deem it just too cold to be worth flying? I’ve got a few days where we’re hovering around -20c, (-4 f) with almost no wind.... I might try to go out tomorrow afternoon but I was wondering when you guys call it? When does the low battery capacity at low temps really make it not worth it? Any tips on better experience in the cold? (Transmitter gloves, battery insulation? Etc

 

[Monte.C]

TODAY! Well, I left for work on my MTB and it was around 18F but the wind is blowing like crazy. I think it's the wind that gets you. As for batteries, I guess I'll learn when they stop working!
We're supposed to get some snow here through Monday into Tuesday, and I'd love to run my snow skimmer after that - it'll be quite cold and I'm ok with that except I think it's supposed to still be very windy.

 

[Tin Man]

Well I don’t know about the battery life time in the cold but you could run a test outside in the cold then run the same test inside in the warm and compare. That’s probably what I would do. By test I mean run the airplane inside ( preferably a small plane with small prop and small thrust like an indoor ultra micro) then charge and run outside. Compare thrust by attaching a scale by string or something and compare flight time with a timer.

 

[the rc project]

Well I don’t know about the battery life time in the cold but you could run a test outside in the cold then run the same test inside in the warm and compare. That’s probably what I would do. By test I mean run the airplane inside ( preferably a small plane with small prop and small thrust like an indoor ultra micro) then charge and run outside. Compare thrust by attaching a scale by string or something and compare flight time with a timer.

I have a Umx commander I’m going to try this with. Good idea!!

 

[Intashu]

How cold is too cold really depends on how stubborn the pilot is...

I'd say the strongest plane restricting factor is how well insulated your battery is. if you bring your batteries to the field in a lunch box they should stay warm enough to get ok run time (specially if you put the warm cells from post-flight in the same bag to warm up the interior) But a soft shell lipo that's exposed to prop-wash in sub-zero temperatures will quickly get too cold to give you any run time. The battery that gives your summer flight 15 minutes may only give you 3 if it's being chilled way too quickly.

I don't typically choose to fly if it's under 20f (about -6c) as my hands just get too cold while putting in batteries, connecting things and making adjustments, it's too hard to do everything with gloves on, so by the time I am ready to launch and put the gloves back on they're half numb. Between that and just normal exposure since I'm standing around for the flying.. it's not nearly as much fun.

Don't get me wrong, I guarantee I'll fly a few times in the cold.. but I won't leap out to the nearby field every time we got a low-wind afternoon presently either!

 

[sprzout]

When do you guys deem it just too cold to be worth flying? I’ve got a few days where we’re hovering around -20c, (-4 f) with almost no wind.... I might try to go out tomorrow afternoon but I was wondering when you guys call it? When does the low battery capacity at low temps really make it not worth it? Any tips on better experience in the cold? (Transmitter gloves, battery insulation? Etc

If it's too cold for me to keep my hands from shaking while holding the transmitter, it's too cold to fly. I get to shivering, my flight gets affected, and pretty soon, planes start crashing. For me, that happens around 40F (I live in SoCal - we don't get snow like those of you in the midwest, back east, or elsewhere in the world that gets snow).

As for gloves, I've had issues with them - I fly using my thumbs on the sticks, and the thickness of the gloves and shifting of the material don't allow as much precision as I'm used to. Thinner gloves help, but then my hands don't stay as warm as I'd hope them to be and I still don't have as much control as with bare fingers. That's me, though - you might fare better.

 

[1958 MGA]

When I used to fly Glow powered aircraft 35+ years ago, I had a transmitter muff that covered the entire transmitter and had holes for your hands to get in. They are commercially available, but my girlfriend / wife made one for me back then. I have no idea where it is now but that is the best way to fly in the winter, way better than gloves.
We used to fly every weekend in the winter at least 3 or 4 flights of 10 minutes, (advantage of glow fuel) lots of touch and goes when we had snow. Everyone had skis fitted to their planes. At least those of us that we crazy enough!
I hate the cold now, but I still try to get out for a couple of flights every couple of weeks.

 

[Bayboos]

Cold air = dense air = more lift and thrust = more fun!

This video was recorded at approx. -15C, but I did fly down to -30C. Just remember to keep yourself warm (hands and head!) and keep the battery in a reasonable condition (at such temperatures I prefer to keep them under my coat).

 

[Tin Man]

If it's too cold for me to keep my hands from shaking while holding the transmitter, it's too cold to fly. I get to shivering, my flight gets affected, and pretty soon, planes start crashing. For me, that happens around 40F (I live in SoCal - we don't get snow like those of you in the midwest, back east, or elsewhere in the world that gets snow).

As for gloves, I've had issues with them - I fly using my thumbs on the sticks, and the thickness of the gloves and shifting of the material don't allow as much precision as I'm used to. Thinner gloves help, but then my hands don't stay as warm as I'd hope them to be and I still don't have as much control as with bare fingers. That's me, though - you might fare better.

Have you tried fingerless gloves? And for the batteries maybe if you put it in a sock 🧦 it will insulate it. I really don’t know about most of this stuff, their just ideas and I have no way to try them seeing as south Texas doesn’t get colder than 30F once in a blue moon.

 

[the rc project]

Cold air = dense air = more lift and thrust = more fun!

This video was recorded at approx. -15C, but I did fly down to -30C. Just remember to keep yourself warm (hands and head!) and keep the battery in a reasonable condition (at such temperatures I prefer to keep them under my coat).

Certified savage😎 I think -15 is too cold for me to fly (yes Canadians can get cold) went for a 5 minute flight in the backyard with a 3D profile. That’ll satisfy me today

 

[Bayboos]

(yes Canadians can get cold)

I'm from Poland. I don't get cold

 

[Merv]

My cutoff is about 20F, not because it will hurt anything. It’s just not fun anymore, for me to be outside.
I keep my batteries inside my jacket to keep them warm. I wear gloves with a small slit in the thumbs to allow the stick to poke through.

 

[sprzout]

Have you tried fingerless gloves? And for the batteries maybe if you put it in a sock 🧦 it will insulate it. I really don’t know about most of this stuff, their just ideas and I have no way to try them seeing as south Texas doesn’t get colder than 30F once in a blue moon.

Couple of the guys at our field have tried them on cold mornings, with middling degrees of success. I don't know if it would work for me; I've got poor circulation in my hands to begin with, so they're like icicles on cold mornings, even with gloves. I don't know if it would help me or just make it worse by adding bulk but still not warming up the vital parts of my hands.

 

[sprzout]

I'm from Poland. I don't get cold

My Polish coworker, when I mentioned that a fellow Pole said he didn't get cold, he told me, "Oh, he must be drinking Stolichnaya! That is the best way to keep warm!"

 

[PsyBorg]

I dont fly under 40F. found it was too costly battery wise. My batteries wouldnt last a year if I flew too much in winter. since I stopped flying under 4oF I have batteries over 3 years old at this point that I rip hard on my 5 inchers.

What I was finding is the chemicals get imbalanced and IR changes got big between inner cells and outer cells causing more heat issues in good weather and just killin packs fast.

 

[the rc project]

I dont fly under 40F. found it was too costly battery wise. My batteries wouldnt last a year if I flew too much in winter. since I stopped flying under 4oF I have batteries over 3 years old at this point that I rip hard on my 5 inchers.

What I was finding is the chemicals get imbalanced and IR changes got big between inner cells and outer cells causing more heat issues in good weather and just killin packs fast.

This is valuable. Thank you! Were the inner cells remaining more stable compared to the outer cells(IR). Was there any insulation used?

 

[flyboy330]

How cold is too cold? When it stops being fun! Ha Ha. The coldest I've flown in is -9 degrees fahrenheit.

 

[shadeyB]

Flying recently in -5 C at most and found that servo’s were sticking (Has anyone else experienced this )
planes were sitting on the ground which probably didn’t help, while in a turn she would just sit there until I waggled the sticks to get her level again 😂 couple times when I powered down she would keep going for a second or 2 before shutting down 😝
yes battery wasn’t holding flight time like normal due to cold.
couple flights then cold hands n feet so time to go home

 

[PsyBorg]

This is valuable. Thank you! Were the inner cells remaining more stable compared to the outer cells(IR). Was there any insulation used?

Inner cells show the worst IR change. They would take longer to equalize in cold and heat faster and stay hot longer in summer.

 

[Bayboos]

My Polish coworker, when I mentioned that a fellow Pole said he didn't get cold, he told me, "Oh, he must be drinking Stolichnaya! That is the best way to keep warm!"

That's an unfair and harming stereotype (which does not mean it's not true but remember - that's only for warming up AFTER returning from the field)

I have a lot of "natural insulating layer" and a long history of "not dressing up properly for winter" That, plus a somewhat decent transmitter glove, uszanka (or "ushanka" in english) and warm, dry boots is usually enough for my "extreme cold kit" to keep the hobby fun in any "not raining" weather. Honestly, it's the rain that ruins the fun the most; everything else is just a matter of proper clothes.