Cold weather flying

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I do know what my manual says. What's the coldest temp you've flown, or dare to fly in?

EDIT: I should add I hovered a bit once very briefly in the low teens F.
 
Zero (-18 C) I could only fly for about three minutes and the -20 F wind chill had my fingers so stiff I was worried about control. Brought it back and sat in the truck with the heater on full until the sting went away. The airplane flew well - and the camera worked well. They weren't cold soaked - I brought them to the field in a box inside the truck. Did the dance and fired it up and flew it - then ran home like a little girl.
 
The biggest worry is if you hit something say goodbye to the shell, it becomes very brittle in low temps.
I know this from experience. :cry:
 
i tried xmas morning in -9f but there was moister in the air and the leading edges of props developed ice and it would not lift off. waited till about 930 and it was -3f with sun out and it flew. i did not fly long though.
 
Well living in Buffalo its always a little cold in the winter...Lately its been right around 0+-. I had my Phantom out the other day 5 degrees f. with 10 mph wind. I was filming some ice hockey on a pond. The wind pushed me into some tiny thin branches I was about 5 feet of the ground. I had on vision props...well you can guess what happened..the one prop went from 9 inches to about 4. Sheered off both sides of the blades like the branch was made of steel. Nothing else broke i was lucky. Back to the original props till some CF Visions come in. Looking forward to the CF and nervouse all at the same time.

Any ways I did not close off my vent holes and I did get about 12 Minutes on a 2500 Hyperion batt. Yes the Batt red light comes when you ascend hard. No worries though. All in all I have not hade any issues. I have had at least 15 flights with temps between 0 and 30 degrees.
 
Eos630 said:
gbshovel said:
... it becomes very brittle in low temps.
I know this from experience. :cry:

Well, how low WAS the temp in that experience?

It was about 14F , I just came down from High altitude and was on low battery and tried to land about 30 yards away from me it clipped a branch on a tree. It cracked the housing around one of the motors.
 
7 degrees Last week. Very short flight times. Lipos hate cold. I keep my batteries inside and not in my shop during cold weather in a Lipo "charging sack"
 

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