David Davis

I got the dimensions from an advert on a French model shop's website. https://www.flashrc.com/en/radio-controls/48657-radiomaster-tx16s-mkii-max-red-16ch-2-4ghz.html

I've been thinking of buying a Radio Master TX 16S for some time but the price of central heating oil has prevented me from actually buying one! Several have mentioned that the 16S is very large, 287 mm x 129 mm x 184 mm according to the specs. That's 11.3" x 5" x 7.2" for those more used to Imperial measurements. I assumed that 129mm (5")was the depth of the box then it occurred to me that it must include the length of the sticks as well! My Spektrum DX9 measures 180 x 102 x 170 including the length of the sticks (7" x 4" x 6.7"). The Radio Master also weighs 150 grammes or 5ozs heavier. Is the Radio Master Pocket transmitter compatible with Spektrum receivers?

Perhaps polyester over doculam would save on dope.

I would have thought that a heavy model would be more stable because it would be less likely to be blown about in turbulent air than a lighter one. Apparently my Barons are heavier than they should be. I'm hoping for a bit of a breeze in la Coupe Des barons in June! 😏 Of course a heavy model with a cg too far to the rear would be a handful!

Nearly all of my models are powered by four-stroke engines. I have a Magnum 52 and a Thunder Tiger 54 in my Barons and I've found that they do not leave a great deal of oil on the model after a day's flying. A squirt of household cleaner and a swift wipe down with a rag and that's it. I have an old Laser 62 in a Big Guff vintage model. I run this engine on fuel containing 15% oil and I have an extension tube on the silencer which terminates just below the bottom of the fuselage. Some oil is left on the forward underside of the fuselage after a day's flying but otherwise its fine. I use a more modern Laser 80 in a large ARTF clone of the SIG Kadet Senior. I run this engine on the new fuel which contains 7% oil. This hardly leaves any oil on the model at all. My experience leads me to the belief that four-strokes burn the fuel more efficiently and therefore there is less mess to clean up at the end of the day. Not that I mind getting my hands dirty anyway! 😉 This view is reinforced if I ever have to drag out the club's Boomerang trainer currently powered by an Enya 50. This engine being a two stroke leaves the side of the model covered in unburnt oil. Finally, and as a rule of thumb, if your Laser has a vertical glow plug, it's alright to run it on the new 7% fuel. If it has a forward facing glow plug, I'd be inclined to use a fuel containing 15% oil.

I use De Luxe Materials Canopy Glue or UHU POR. Where do you find your small screws Ron?

I had a good afternoon flying both Boris and Bertie. I had no trouble at all with the exhaust pipes on both models. They remained in place with no further tightening. The Loctite was not necessary! However, I had a problem with the Magnum in the British Baron., the carburetor cylinder kept coming undone. I will either have to replace the caburetter or the engine.

I live in France and needed a silencer for my Laser 70. MSL told me directly that they didn't export. I had it sent to my mate in Shrewsbury which is where I'm from.

Thank you for the advice gentlemen. I'll see if my local motor factors have gum gum in stock.

,,,and just to add my two pennorth, some glow engines need time to run in before they'll function perfectly.

Why this reluctance to entertain the glow engine ToTo? Its only a matter of adjusting two needle valves and in most cases once the low speed needle is adjusted it may be left alone for years at a time.

If I were looking for advice on WW2 warbirds of about 5-6 feet in the wingspan, Jonathan Harper would be the first person I would approach. He is a very experienced builder and flyer of this type of aircraft and until he started his new job he was the development engineer for Laser Engines, a British four-stroke which you may have heard of.

I took both Barons to the flying field yesterday. I programmed in 5% down elevator with the throttle stick above 75% travel. For a computer phobe like me that's quite an achievement! This had the effect of stopping the model from climbing at high speed. I must do the same for the other one. The Ukrainian Baron, Boris, is fitted with a Thunder Tiger 54 FS. The threads in the exhaust port are worn and the exhaust pipe keeps working loose. I'll try Loctite but I don't hold out much hope. It's a pity because I've owned that engine from new and it's always given good service. There does not seem to be sufficient metal around the exhaust port to allow for a helicoil insert. Spares are difficult to find. There is a brand new cylinder head on eBay but the seller wants £100 for it. I have at least four OS 52s and 48s. Perhaps I should fit one of those. The British Baron, Bertie, is powered by a Magnum 52 fitted with a Weston four-stroke silencer. This works very well but it is much bigger and heavier than a standard four-stroke silencer. Again when I landed the model yesterday I found that the exhaust pipe was loose. The threads in the exhaust port seem to be sound, I'll try some Loctite and hope for the best. If it continues to work loose I'll fit a conventional silencer. That will be a pity because I've grown to love the sound of the Weston exhaust! Any advice on keeping exhaust pipes in place will be gratefully received.

Temperatures touching 25C in the northern Creuse with light winds. I flew my Big Guff twice, my Ukrainian Baron twice and my British Baron once. Bertie, my British Baron is just about set up perfectly for La Coupe Des Barons in June. Another club member who used to fly in the Eighties but who has lacked confidence to get back into flying, finally found the confidence to fly his expensive ARTF 3D model powered by a 60cc engine. He managed to take off, fly about and execute some aerobatic manouvres successfully. This will make him more confident in future. My dog was a bit uncomfortable in the heat.

I still haven't invested in a Radiomaster transmitter because central heating oil and van repairs have had first call on my money! There is a basic trainer in our club's workshop which anybody can use. However, its fitted with a Futaba receiver. I realise that a Radiomaster transmitter will work with Spektum receivers but can you connect a Radiomaster transmitter to a Futaba receiver?