Returning RC junkie after a 10 year hiatus

[V8Volvo245]

Hi all. I'm finally returning to RC flight after giving it up ten years ago due to frustration with the old farts at the two clubs local to me - they'd still be building 3 channel models with tissue and dope given half a chance. The emergence of 3D printing as a viable form of model creaion has re-ignited my enthusiasm for the hobby and I've been going pretty mad on the Eclipson website. I'm printing my third model and have already bought the fourth.
I live on the North West coast of the UK and it's always breezy here, so you have to learn to fly in the wind. I'll not bother with the clubs for now (I must go and visit to see how many are still alive) but luckily for me I have miles of sandy beach (the tide goes out over half a mile here- 30 feet+) and Morecambe Bay gives me 1200 acres of sand at low tide (& none at high tide!), so I have somewhere to fly.
I've got an interest in FPV, so am building two fixed wing FPV models- the Eclipson Pathfinder and EGW-80. I've no experience of FPV though, so it's going to be a very steep learning curve. I'm not going to use flight controllers just yet, but aim to go the full monty at some time in the future. I've bought a Radiolink Tx and they also do several well respected FC's so I at least know they'll work together.
I used to build balsa models, but the current cost of balsa has put me off- let alone the cost of covering film

 

[Mr NCT]

Welcome back! There are quite a few members from the UK here so use them as a good resource for materials.

 

[Merv]

Welcome to the forums & welcome back to RC..

 

[Shurik-1960]

V8Volvo245​

For FPV flights, the most ideal is an overhead glider with a span of 2 m made of foam and an inexpensive set of 5.8 MHz video receiver + transmitter + phone (tablet). I am critical of 3D printer models, both heavy and high-speed.

 

[V8Volvo245]

V8Volvo245​

For FPV flights, the most ideal is an overhead glider with a span of 2 m made of foam and an inexpensive set of 5.8 MHz video receiver + transmitter + phone (tablet). I am critical of 3D printer models, both heavy and high-speed.

You must be looking at the wrong models, then. My Eclipson Model C (a bush style high wing) weighs 950g ready to take off. That's a 43" span model and that's using normal weight PLA. The Pathfinder is a six foot span twin motor model and is predicted to weigh 1600g take off weight, but I'll be using a bigger battery so it's safe to assume 1700g

 

[Shurik-1960]

The model is 8 ft.The flight weight is 920 grams. I call this the model weight culture. The wing was used for FPV flights up to 25 km.

 

[V8Volvo245]

The model is 8 ft.The flight weight is 920 grams. I call this the model weight culture. The wing was used for FPV flights up to 25 km.

I've got to be honest, that looks to floaty for me and the weather here on the coast. The last model I had with an eight foot wingspan was 50cc, weighed 5kg and with the flaps down was difficult to get back onthe ground!

 

[Shurik-1960]

Heavy weight- powerful motor, fast speed, long landing path. My wing flew easily at 12m\s. In the video, the flight is on 1-3 gas. At the moment, it is broken due to loss of communication- it flew into a narrowly directed special communication corridor...Uncontrollably, it flew up at full throttle , then turned vertically and entered the ground from 50 m. A large "carrot" has landed.

 

[Shurik-1960]

With strong winds on the coast of England, my friends fly non-motorized models for hours. Here is my favorite video.Alas, my slide is not high and it makes no sense for me to make a large model.I am also attaching a video of my flights.