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Cartoons for thinkers.... Cartoons for intellectuals.pdf

Its nothing to worry about. I suspect they have finally realised that reporting methods (if you aren't doing it via the BMFA members reporting portal) are ridiculous and barely relevant for unmanned aircraft. It is one of the issues the BMFA have had with reporting requirements and why we got agreement that members can use our reporting portal which makes the process simple and intuitive and most importantly relevant. Incident reporting is a good thing and absolutely nothing for responsible flyers to worry about. Everyone who has registered with the CAA should have received the email. I would recommend everyone engages with the survey. If nothing else it shows model aircraft flyers are responsible and take safety matters seriously.

I took the Spaceship to the club field again this morning, and thanks to Mike filming for, me got this video of a short flight. I still need to work on the landings though... I had toyed with the idea of tailerons myself when I first started building it (see my first post), but after seeing Phil Greens link to the Windbag video I decided to stick with rudder/elevator as it obviously worked. Now I've flown the thing I'm not sure that tailerons would be any better. The HP115 looks interesting Simon.

I should be able to offer a 155 assuming the backplates get made. I have a handful of front ends for them i just need the back. In other news the FT160 flew for the first time yesterday in our wot4xl test mule. Despite my best efforts to kill both the engine and the model both made it through the day! Even on the little dumpy exhausts the engine really isnt loud and is way too much power for the w4xl. The engine seemed to perform fine with a T in the fuel line but i will still recommend twin clunks i think just for the redundancy. I did drop a cylinder on one flight after a long series of very fast rolls followed by an inverted push all at full power. The tank level was getting low by this point though so i probably just pushed it too far. It didnt do it on the following flight in a similar series of abusive rolls. I was going to try and get a video but a mixture of sun in the face and wind noise made it rather pointless to try. So, once the backplates and mounts are sorted we will be good to go

On the fuselage jobs, I finished off the tail end charlies. Made the fin support blocks: Sanded the front deck slab - rounded off a bit more - and cleaned up the resultant change in shaping / sanding on the cowling, then sort of kind of partly fit one of the canopies to see how that was shaping up: Lines from the side have come out pretty good, I think, all seems to flow quite nicely: Back to the flying surfaces now. I have some ailerons to sort out and some wing panels to join up.

Thanks for the kind comments, I had the maiden flight this morning it was an anti climax, the take off was straight and the tail lifted almost straight off and rolled in a realistic manner till a little up elevator took her off the ground. No dramas it needed 3 notches of up to fly level and 2 notches of left aileron to fly hands off, it holds steady flight on half throttle, after 5 mins. I called a landing and due to the grass needing a trim it nosed over. After 5 mins it had 49% in the battery. It weighs 8lb ready to fly which is one and a half pound less than the stated weight on the plan having the 5s battery right forward helped a lot. Danny, the reason the office is empty is the fact that it was marginal on the C of G I did not want any thing added but I will now put a pilot/ seat and armour plate in the office.

Judging by the shape that some of my airframes end up it was probably warp, although I did build it on an impulse ? It is surprisingly quick though and there was hardly any wind yesterday morning. If you get the nose high you can slow it down quite a bit, but the side to side rocking become more pronounced.

I've spent a little bit of time today gathering together some of the things needed for this model while trying hard not to get drawn into it full-time as I have other things that really need to be done first. Others could, I'm sure, knock together this simple model in a week of evenings but for me doing a bit here and there will eventually see it finished - there's no rush! Below is a view of the plan as it appeared, spread over 2 double pages, in the December 2019 Aeromodeller magazine. I've made a few photocopies to cut up where necessary and use as templates for cutting the various components. Incidentally, it's also available for download from the outerzone.co.uk Handily, the plan also shows a list of the materials required to build the basic airframe, most of which I already have in stock, collected over many years of hoarding. The other important item is a suitable engine, in my case a CS "Boddo" Mills 0.5cc. It has never been used and hopefully won't suffer the same fate as Engine Doctor's similar engine. I also have a DC Dart in reserve, just in case, but it will obviously require a separate tank. That's all so far. I'm off to have a rummage in the balsa box to see what, if anything, I need to order.

A bit windy yesterday for spraying so picked up some dust, however at a 30% mix, that looks about the right sheen and a decent contrast to the gloss

I may chip in with a Guidato if I get the time. This is a model which I've always admired and it featured in the Radio Control section of the old Aeromodeller Plans Handbook. https://outerzone.co.uk/plan_details.asp?ID=7378 It would make a good model for the first-time builder as pretty well everything is straight lines, though the wing structure is unnecessarily complicated. Nevertheless with the help of an experienced builder it would be an easy model for a beginner to both build and fly. I intend to finish mine with an elevator and to power it by a small four-stroke engine. My other choice would be Bob Wright's Flying Flea.

The model can be found here and this is what it says A small enough model to build on a kitchen table and an easy build ideal for a novice. I will place an order for the strip wood when I have worked out what is needed by measuring up from the plan. It's going to be electric so one of the first tasks is to size the motor and ESC and once that is decided work out where they will fit and what changes are needed. I expect to move F1 forward to keep the prop in the design position which helps with room for the battery (3S 2200) and CofG. I have a Super 60 which was an easy conversion so I assume this will be straight forward as well. We will find out ? The build will start tomorrow.?

That isn't what you said in your post though. You said that if it was self selecting then only those who read the magazine will have responded. The only way to respond was online, so those members who get all their news from the magazine because it is the only medium they use couldn't respond. I have to say, personally I was surprised how highly rated the magazine was, probably one of those silent majority things, those that are happy with it get on with reading and enjoying it and the minority who aren't are more vocal about it which gives a skewed perception of things.

I Thought the present BMFA mag was well laid out, continue like that and they will be well read.

Perfect weather this morning for a full A-10 rig and a good walk-around to refresh my mind on the 'still to do' list - which despite a complete looking airframe, is still quite extensive before we are ready for the slope. Fuselage sections all went together well and the engine pods were fitted for the first time in many years! The nose section still needs all the cockpit fitting out with seat and pilot before the canopy is trimmed and blend fitted. The rear fuselage still needs the wing incidence bars fitting aft of the main wing joiner, and the huge wing root fillets still need to be added. On the top of the engine pylons there are complex fillets needed too between the pylon and the nacelle. Once all thats done the tailplane incidence needs to be fixed and a belly pan made for the tailplane. The wings are effectively complete ready for glass, but I still have to fit the wingtips which were taped on here for effect - the routing of strobe lighting cables is all thats stopping those being fitted. Fully rigged in this guise it has an AUW of 30lb. Theres still a few more lbs to add, with 8 servos, 2 batteries, wiring, seat, pilot, glass and paint etc.

Late to the party but i have just picked up a second hand part built Scott ju88...it has been started for ic motors but i shall be changing to electric. What are those retracts usednin the mains? I had considered fixed gear because the ic build is probably heavier than an eflight version, but havent weighed it yet. Built up wing, no foam...and engineered like a ship. I will save a lot by stripping out the push rods and bellcranks i think...I shall use local servos instead. Im looking forward to this one. David

Looking forward to seeing it fly on the field Leccy. I’m sure that I have seen some entries regarding finishing Depron– I’ll have a look. As you may have seen, the finish on my B&Q substitute Depron Buschtrottle is pretty well dented and scored, despite reasonable care having been taken!

Looking at the electrics. The AUW will be something like 2 1/2 pounds so, I usually use 100 watts/lb, 250 watts. will do the job. If there is too much power then I will prop it down which is a lot easier than a motor that is too small. Having made that decision and with the dimensions to hand I can decide on the changes that are needed. As I am building a new model I can do things like lengthen the nose for the battery to fit. Also get rid of the wing bands and use wing bolts. A bit of forward planning will reduce the number of surprises encountered during the build, I hope. Steve ?

Hi everyone, I chair the BMFA's centenary planning group so it's great to see this thread develop. The hope of the planning group is that clubs, associations and informal groups will take the opportunity learn more about our history, encourage new folk to our sport and above all take the opportunity to celebrate model building and flying. I really look forward to seeing whatever model is chosen and hopefully flying en masse. Great stuff. Paul

careful, it can get obsessive!

Yes, but at present it's not possible to unsubscribe from the paper version, nor am I automatically updated when a new online version is uploaded. Those are the elements that would save the BMFA money and improve the offering for those of us who don't want or need a paper copy.

Why mix them? You risk all sorts of problems with incompatible lubricants and poor mixing. Just use them as they are

Axminster.co.uk Also known as Axminster Tools or Axminster Power Tools. Long established and reliable company. However If you haven’t dealt with them then probably good idea to delete the email.

Do you mean like this ?

This has been stated before when the need for the magazine in printed form has come up, you are quite right. Whilst it may have been true in the past I wonder whether it is time for the BMFA to revisit that decision given changes in how many of us consume content: I don't know about you, but almost none of my crucial correpondance - mortgage statements, bills, bank statements, tax returns etc - are received or completed on paper these days, and I certainly don't ignore them just because they don't arrive on paper. I know "going paperless" isn't a reality or preference for everyone, but it is for large percentage of us, far more so than when this was last looked at. For those individuals who do prefer electronic rather than paper correpondance, surely they would be more likely to read the magazine if it was delivered to them via their preferred medium rather than on paper? That would certainly be the case for me, as I could consume it easily in gaps in the working day when away from home rather than it sitting on the side and being "tidied up" by my other half without me asking! ? If we look at the other national associations with Article 16 Authorisations, not all of them have paper magazines. The LMA website states that members receive "...a regularly published journal. This is sent to every member, all over the world.", but is that on paper? Sorry, I'm not a member so don't know. FPVUK certainly don't list a magazine on the list of their benefits, and again they have an authorisation. Most interestingly the British Drone Flyers (the new org set up and "Powered by the BMFA" as per their website) email their newsletter our every other month, but provide members the opportunity to download the BMFA News as needed. I am not advocating for the print version of the mag to be ditched completely (I know some members do still prefer it), but it does seem to be time to offer a "paperless" BMFA membership to those who prefer to consume content electronically and/or want to reduce environmental impact. After all, the CAA and BMFA must be happy for members of Associations to under an Article 16 authorisation without a regular paper magazine given the way the BDFA do their comms. The only snag might be that if large percentage of the members go paperless the cost of producing the paper mag at lower volumes will get more expensive. Is that really a major problem though? I am not saying paperless subscribers must get a discount - let's just plough that money back into other stuff that helps model flying (like paying for legal advice/lobbying against any additional legislation that may come our way in the coming years). YMMV.

I own a Metcalfe Ta-152 I bought -from Spain!- when I was 17-18 years old. I always had an interest on the F-15 so I am very interested in your exerience with this model.

Appreciate that Rich. We are constantly trying to ensure our product range and service meets our customer needs. Obviously, I am not here to promote, but if I can help, I will. Graham

Aeromodeller Plans Service?

Having a quick practice on a smaller figure, this hasnt been cleaned up so washes are out it would track in the 3D layers. Yet to tackle the face and arms. Done in oils so you can blend. But you have to wait for the mid layer, i maybe too impatient ? Cheers Danny

Old thread alert! I managed to acquire a kit recently and have been going through the instructions and parts to get a picture of how it goes together. I might blog it in this thread. The important wording in the instructions for the CG is 'along the leading edge' which is a bit unusual. Glider is 300 mm, power version is 230 mm.

talking to someone said "they are addicted to drinking Brake fluid..........but say's he can stop anytime." ken anderson...ne...1..addiction dept.

I've used Rapid RC's film on my latest build. It's very similar to (maybe even the same as?) HobbyKIng's. Trevor

Wow, great workshop Leccyflier!

Yes the decision is anything. The choice is yours so please join in.

Wow, a month has gone by and not much seems to have changed in the build. I'll blame the resumption of "real work" but every weekend I'm making some progress on the model. So there will be more updates when I get the photos organized. It seems there has been an incredible amount of sanding and comparisons with historical photos, but the closer I get to completion the more nuances I discover (maybe I just don't know how to draw the "good enough" line). So this rather out-of-sequence update is triggered by today's effort to find out the real shape of the radiator under the nose. That led to this rather interesting photo (okay, it's a D.500 rather than D.510) where you can see that aft of the last exhaust port, the sides of the engine compartment curve increasingly inwards at the top. A big and somewhat belated a-ha moment which came just after I had drawn the engine cover panel lines on the model to visualize the relative position of the radiator. It's a very subtle blend... Also one can see that the radiator sides are inset very slightly relative to the cowling. Here's the model - looking very flat, but as usual sand-able! The aft end of the side cover aligns with the position of the wing spar. I've used finishing resin to get a smooth finish on the nose forward of the side cover - takes lots of little sanding sessions but after a bit of sanding the shiny surface of the resin clearly shows up any depressions. But it's still hard to see whether the shape is right... probably only when it's time to paint.

Don, if only it were that easy!

I thought we were building aeroplanes . ?

I don't take my transmitter on shopping trips.

Just to throw in my twopennuth - this is a 100 year anniversary. How about building a plane from 1922, the one that leaps to mind (well after trawling the net) is the Bristol 'Lucifer', which won the 1922 London Air Race - a conversion of the Bristol M1 monoplane. Sarik have a plan for the M1 but it would need customising for the 1922 Lucifer type: https://www.sarikhobbies.com/product/bristol-m1-plan/ https://www.baesystems.com/en/heritage/bristol-77-m1d-monoplane MB participants choose their own scale and powerso: A scale model - 100 years old - not too dificult to build - vintage eyecatching design - kit available - for diesel or electric This was the only one I found to date to tick those boxes, I am sure there are many others out there waiting to be discovered.

My first foray into the world of SEMFF depron semi-profile parkflyers. There are quite a few of these at my club site and they fly very well, with lots of fun for a minimal outlay. Plans are downloaded from the net, printed as a tiled PDF, stuck to a sheet of 6mm depron and the parts cut out, laminated together and shaped and that's about it. I struggled with the surface finish on the depron and probably ended up adding too much paint. Nevertheless the model balanced perfectly with no ballast, so it can't be too overweight. I'd hoped for a maiden flight in the calm before the storm this morning but on setting up the throws first thing I found that the piano wire elevator pushrod was just too wimpy and deformed to a bow far too easily. That's now been replaced by a carbon rod now, which is much better, but the maiden was scuppered. However my clubmate Bob, who has built loads of these, was kind enough to donate a flight of his SEMFF fighters, to make space for making even more and I've now got a stern chase of Bf109E, Zero, Bearcat and P-51D, all beautifully finished, making a dash for it across the ceiling.

Hi rich, i'll give Just Engines a bell and see. Managed to start some fuselage 1/8 x 3/16 planking today, on the rear sections only. I've also began to profile the wings inbetween knocking together a Pegasus / Galaxy Models Magician. Slow progress..... but its moving along though. Best Mart

The first R/C model I ever built. DC Merlin power, Terrytone receiver, rubber powered bang bang actuator. I was 14 at the time and loved every minute of building the model and the receiver. Flew like a FF with a little nudge now and then to keep it in the park. . Ah those were the days ?

No. The survey was an online survey and all members were emailed about it and had a chance to air their views.

Guilty as charged! But at least I'm joining in with the spirit of the idea and it will hopefully encourage a few others to have a go.

Of course I knew someone would say that! Frankly if I lived in the Leicester area and I was a lot younger then I possibly might.......but really it needs to be a serious challenge from a person who has knowledge of how the BMFA works.. I am sure there would be plenty of other suitable candidates amongst the membership but by giving only 28 days notice there is really no chance for anybody except an insider to prepare support. If the BMFA really want to attract younger members ( one of the Members Director's tasks) then surely one of the best ways to improve how the BMFA seems to youngsters would be to ban any photos of people wearing dinner jackets! Is there anything more outdated and bound to put youngsters off than photo after photo of people wearing a uniform just to have a meal and accept a trophy!

It would work i have no doubt, but it would be overkill. With 180's fitted AWXL's are almost out of sight vertical and the 200 has more go than the 180. I am also not sure if i will offer a 240 flat. I will build a prototype and its future will depend on how well it works. As the 200 should fit in the cowl completely there should not be any issues there. Flying my own AWXL i enjoy it most flying big swooping aerobatics. It can be thrashed around, but i think its better flown smoothly and accurately. Its just really rewarding to fly like that and it looks awesome. A 200 will be more than powerful enough for this sort of flying and this combo would be better than mine with the OS240 due to its lighter weight for very similar power output. In other news, if you fit exhausts from long dead laser 75's the exhaust is rather crisp. Also, for some reason the FT seems to tolerate a T in the fuel line much better than the V's do. The V's idle and throttle very badly when a T is used in the fuel line but this one seems ok. I will still recommend twin tanks where possible, but in a pinch it looks like one might work. I will be testing this in the air when i get the model finished before making a final recommendation.

I got that part, i just wasnt sure which aspect you were asking about. As i mentioned in my reply to Ace i am waiting on the backplates. We only made 2 first time round in case tweaks were needed once the crankcases were manufactured, and sure enough... But, we are getting there. Just need to sort backplates, exhausts, mounts, and get the liners back...3 weeks? maybe?

I only had Phantom Mites with an ED bee but that was back in 1954.

Maiden flight today in high winds after trimming it flew quite well but had to hold it on down elevator to land as I had run out of trim now reset. At 3lb ready to fly it penetrated the wind quite well.

My latest build is the Guillow's BF109, and as you'd expect these days, yes i have made it RC. I've done the Spitfire, Zero and Dauntless now and do very much enjoy building and flying them.

Nothing like a twin 4 stroke, but you can smell my video,,,?