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More than a year since the last posting, oops! Ah well, I have built and flown my PSS Meteor since then, so I have got an excuse, ish. Lots of small niggles in rigging being beaten up, more spray touch ups (love a bit of hanger rash..) then on to a test balance so I could get a feel for where the batteries were going to go. Ummm..well I know the balance rig I'm using isn't ideal for this airframe layout, but it was pretty much spot on! I'm going to install the batteries in the nose to be on the safe side, and do a final "proper" balance this weekend. 8 days until we leave for the Lleyn and (hopefully) a maiden!. To go: servo covers battery install receiver install 2x looms to finish up lighting to wire up panel lines and decals to be fiddled with.

A few years back, an old pal was 'divesting' himself of i.c. gear and I bough a .40 Surpass from him. He'd had it second hand and another Club member (a competent technician) had replaced the bearings for him. I put it in my old Junior 60 and it gave nothing but trouble from the off, being very critical on tuning and going 'off the boil' frequently. I cleaned the carb, polished the needle (no grooving, but 'just in case') and changed the tank plumbing and filter several times. Sometimes I'd get a good flight by running it rich and managing the throttle carefully. More often than not, it quit just after take-off or in the first circuit. Knowing the bearings had been replaced, I suspected the timing wasn't right. I took the cover off and not being able to see the dot at TDC, rotated it to BDC, where it seemed to line up with the pushrod - maybe a hairsbreadth away from absolutely in line. Baffled, I put it to one side in disgust and moved on. A few weeks ago, having convinced myself that the passage of time would have cured all ills (plus some fresh fuel) I took it out to play again - with the same results. Now thoroughly fed up with it, I thought I'd nothing to lose by completely stripping and rebuilding it. I checked the timing again, this time having pulled the head, pushrods and cam followers. Now I could see the mark and at TDC it was (just) in line. I then rocked the crankshaft and 'felt' TDC on the piston with my fingers. The mark was now way off line and looking at the 'T' mark on the prop-driver, this was about 10 degrees off. Now the prop driver is located on the crankshaft by just a flat (no key) and over it's life, it had rotated and jammed on the crank out of position, which (I can scarcely believe) I hadn't noticed. I reset the cam gear with reference to the piston (one tooth anti-clock from its previous position) and re-assembled. It runs like a Swiss watch - easy starts, not fussy on the needle, throttles superbly and idles down to 'count-the-bangs-as-it-goes-around'. The wonder is that it ever started or ran in its previous state. Pics show reference line (blue) and timing mark (red).

Chris Williams here...thought I might drop in a share the odd bit of scale gliding info now & again...

Well I'm finally there, I think. Only jobs remaining are to set up the sub trims and get the motor running. In the end, the CG came out near dead on. I might have to put 1 or 2 oz on the tail after the test flights. Final weight is 7-1/4lb which gives a nice low wing loading, 20oz/sqft dry and 22oz/sqft full. The WCL is approx 10oz/cuft so should fly great at this weight. Can't wait to get the beast airbourne now!

Hi All, I have now sheeted the tops of both wing halves and given them a good sanding down whilst wearing my new dust mask well worth the money. Next, will be to install the wiring for the motors, speed controllers, and servos then building the nacelles. That's all for now Regards Robert

DB2, VQ P39 Aircobra Another home for the Laser 80, no mod to the bulkhead, but a bit of a challenge to get it in the cowl, although no problem with cooling! Decals and maiden next on the agenda and hope it flies as well as the VQ FW190 with a laser 80 in that. Oh you want the business side shot as well ?

Hope to see this at Llyn hell's mouth site then, and the meteor ? Meteors where target drones for aberporth flown from Llanbedr... The radio mast site at Rhiw was part of the control system infrastructure. Radio control meteors, fireflies and jyndavics. Saw a jyndavic in compound in Farnborough. A jyndavic rashed on approach to land in dyffryn, was still smoking when I got there, a big black box servo...battery hit a car but no fatalities thankfully... Hope weather is kind for Llyn pssa event.

An amazing build! I love the ethos behind your construction, cheap ply, white foam, brown paper covering, some great ideas which I have stored away for future reference. Question, What are you using to veneer the wings?? Doesn't look like obechi - which has become rarer than Unicorn droppings. Please keep posting regards

All done and ready to fly.? The electric conversion has worked out well the combination of built up tail feathers and positioning the battery as far forward as possible has worked out surprisingly well, with a 3S 2200 it balances on the plan CofG. The throws are all set as on the plan. I am now wondering what the all up weight is, just out of curiosity on my part. Where can I get a set of scales from? Thanks Maiden to follow. ?

That seems to work a treat, but...again, to be all nanny state, ethelene glycol is highly flammable so heating it could be rather precarious. it will also gas off as you mention causing a few issues should you happen to breathe the vapours or get it in your eyes. I am not saying it cant be used, just that many of the suggestions so far are potentially very hazardous and the end result of a shiny exhaust is not really worth it given the fact that it will only get oily again the next time you run the engine. Ultimately this is why i say not to bother with it.

Or Spatboy (until he grows a pair!)

These are a couple of versions of the RCM&E 5th scale Petrel plan, scaled up to 1/4...

This is a video taken by Malcolm of its 3rd flight on Saturday, you can clearly see I am working the stick far more than I should be! Rich

Well the Parkzone Corsair was good as gold from a hand launch, flies like she's on rails and is definitely a keeper, well worth replacing the retract. Also maidened my new (to me) Parkzone SE5a, which was quite unlike anything I've flown before, looks lovely on the ground and in the air, so a happy bunny yesterday. ?

The Twister has now had several successful flights but not not as smoothly as I liked. First time out was a little hairy as it was a bit twitchy in pitch but I did manage a couple of progressive flights to which the conclusion was a more forward CG was needed. Rather than add church roof I opted to move my rotor spindle further back. This was achieved by making a new mast cranked back. Yesterday at our meet I had several flights ending up with a quite stable model. My only issue is that yaw authority is weak so I will redesign the tail feathers. On my last flight I didnt take my own advice taking it too far away and getting disoriented, an axial roll into inverted followed,rotors stopped and it converted into a lawn/crop dart. Luckily only the mast snapped on impact. I will concentrate on the modifications required then get out again. A few snaps taken of it in flight.

Top side done, underside to go...

Maiden flight for this little beauty this evening. A Great Planes electrifli DR1. 30" span and flying on a 3S 1000mAh pack. 7 minutes, which if I'm honest, is more than enough... It's not what I'd call relaxing. Or predictable... But it is fun!

Absolutely unbelievable and superb ,Andy. Do I spot a 'beard' on these last pics??? ... Cheers Chris