Gordon Whitehead 1

Bearing in mind that the CG must be ahead of the main gear location for it to stand on all 3 wheels when on the ground, a 25% CG is unlikely to be stable Simon.

You don't need expo with a gyro because the effect of a gyro is to create expo. For example, you command a roll, and the plane starts rolling which the gyro senses and feeds in an opposite command. The gyro's opposition to your command will be less than your command so the effect is to reduce travel. However the gyro should reduce its effect the further you move the stick so by the time you reach full stick deflection the gyro no longer opposes your command (some cheap and older gyros don't do this). The net effect is that the gyro reduces travel at small stick movements and has no effect at full stick movements, which is what expo does so the two feel like the same thing to the pilot. If you have tx expo and a gyro you are doubling up the expo. The max roll rate (and the same for pitch and yaw) should be exactly the same with and without the gyro, because a decent gyro is programmed by its manufacturer to reduce its gain to zero at full stick. If you get a slower response at full stick when the gyro is switched on, this means that the gyro is still opposing the stick, caused by using servo travels less than 100% at full stick deflection so the gyro never thinks you are at full stick and is still giving some opposition to you. This means that it's important to use full servo deflections as close to 100% stick movement as possible by adjusting the linkage setup to allow this. It's a while since I read the Spektrum rx instructions to find out what the built-in gyro does, but I think that your 9350 rx will zero the gyro gain at full stick deflection when the system is set up in accordance with the instructions. There is a series of youtube videos on setting up the Spekky AS3X gyro rx's.

Aluminium can be soldered using a normal soldering iron of sufficient power, multicore lead solder and fluxite paste as follows: 1. First you thoroughly clean the two surfaces to be soldered using wet and dry paper. 2. Next you spread a thin layer of fluxite on both surfaces and abrade again with the wet-and-dry, ensuring that when you remove the wet-and-dry paper there is a layer of fluxite remaining to exclude oxygen from the air which would quickly re-oxidise the aluminium surface. 3. Then you tin your soldering iron tip, after which you tin both surfaces to be soldered with multicore solder and the hot iron. 4. Next, bring the tinned alloy surfaces together and apply the iron to flow the tinning between them so that a joint is made. I have not used this method on lithoplate, but have regularly used the method when making up packs of A123 cells sourced from cheap ebay-bought Dewalt 18V drill packs. A123s have aluminium alloy cases. The interconnections between cells used either copper wire, copper or brass strip, or even the existing connection tag material which solders readily. I have used A123 packs assembled this way in prop and edf-powered flight packs at over 60A; fuel pump packs; and even my 18V electric garden strimmer has a 5S A123 pack I made up for it when the short-lived NiMH pack gave up the ghost. As litho plate is an aluminium alloy, it's probably worth trying the above method.

Hi Chris, will there be a cut-off time for arriving at the gate this year? Several of our club members are interested. Gordon

Please add me to your list Chris, I'm really looking forward to it. I'm really sorry that you're losing your flying site and I wish you all good luck in finding a replacement one which will allow you all to continue to operate your models of all types and sizes in the same fashion as now. Gordon Whitehead

Ethanol has only 60% or so of the calorific value of petrol, so presumably E10 will will deliver a lower mpg and lower top speed than neat petrol and for the same power you'll need a wider throttle opening. Dunno if anyone will notice.

I've just gone back 3 pages and found where this exciting development was first mentioned and background to the FT project now fully understood. A 160 a possibility too. How very nice ?

Sorry Martin, I didn't see your post before replying to Ron. Also I have not seen Jon's earlier post but glad he's on the case, as I suspected he would be.

I realise that, but there are no adaptors these days in the Laser accessory list which might point to the popularity or lack of it for such a solution. I was thinking more of a manufacturer's solution, suitable for, say, a rotary, radial or flat-four installation. Horizontal muffler boxes with downward-oriented pipes facing aft alongside the mounting pillars might be one solution. But a bit advanced for those without production facilities.

It's a really smart looking machine, Jon. Have you plans for a better exhaust pipe arrangement as most warbirds this would suit don't have the exhausts sticking out of the cowl 90deg sideways.

Same here. I wonder if the "Bad Referrer" issue has raised it ugly head again. I've forgotten how to deal with that.

Hoping to see it there soon!

Thanks for re-kindling old memories Capt K. They were really good times despite the lack of bells and whistles on our radio gear. Gordon

I learned about 20 years ago that the foolproof way to prevent prop slip when tightening up and slackening the prop nut is to cut two discs of 250 grit wet-and-dry paper the same diameter as the prop driver and evo-stik (or similar) them together back-to-back with the grit outwards of course. Bore a hole in the centre for the propshaft using a sharpened piece of brass tubing or old 35mHz antenna tube, or if you have no tube, use a scalpel blade to cut out the hole as it doesn't have to be accurate and can even be square. If you're fitting only the prop (or edf rotor) use one of these double-sided non-slip washers between prop and prop driver. If you're fitting a spinner too, make two of these washers and fit one between spinner and prop driver, and one behind the prop. Then make a few spares for the rest of your leccy planes. Another couple of tips are:  if the propshaft adapter is aluminium, replacing aluminium prop nuts with steel prop nuts will prevent the nut from "picking up" on the adapter threads;  a tiny drop of 3-in-one oil on the threads eases tightening and slackening the nut, the friction washer preventing any prop slip. Gordon   Edited By Gordon Whitehead 1 on 02/02/2021 15:20:49

Posted by Denis Watkins on 08/01/2021 14:12:58: Posted by Gordon Whitehead 1 on 07/01/2021 14:18:01: I can't log into any digital issues again because the "bad referrer" problem has returned. It had been cured before, so why has it returned? I don't wish to have to change the way my laptop works just for the sake of logging in to one magazine, so can the problem be solved at source once and for all, please? I wrote an essay Gordon, then after 10 minutes typing, I hit the command near the post button, and lost the lot Simply put, slide your security settings slider a tad lower, and your problem will go away Hi Dennis, sorry for your loss I don't appear to have a security setting slider on my chromebook, but thanks for your reply. However, today it's working again and I can access the digital issues without having to use the "reduce default referrer header granularity" frig for which one has to restart the chromebook to get it to work. Thanks to whoever fixed the problem

I can't log into any digital issues again because the "bad referrer" problem has returned. It had been cured before, so why has it returned? I don't wish to have to change the way my laptop works just for the sake of logging in to one magazine, so can the problem be solved at source once and for all, please?

I've just received an email purportedly from Hobbyking. I haven't opened it and don't intend to. The subject header is "Please Confirm Your Subscription" which sounds odd as HK isn't a club or magazine with an annual payment. If anything needs confirming, no doubt I'll find out the next time I log directly into the HK site, and not before. Has anyone else received this one? I don't buy much from HK but did buy some small lipos a month or so ago.

Wishing everyone a covid-free Christmas and a Happy New Year!

That's a lovely-looking Flea, Max, with the prop in the scale position no less. It must feel a bit strange when you throttle back for the first time and have no more control - I hadn't thought about that. I guess you have to position the model for landing whilst under power, then throttle back just before touchdown. Gusty winds must add a bigger than average element of uncertainty at this juncture. I remember seeing adverts for the Silentius when it came out. It seemed to be very exotic at the time. Good luck with your conversion, Levent

It sure does John Not an aileron, elevator or rudder in sight and he was able to throw the model around with total abandon using vectored thrust. Very neat and clever. Thanks for sharing, Levent. Edited By Gordon Whitehead 1 on 23/12/2020 08:10:07

I've just checked on Outerzone and found the plans for both gliders. The Thunderking is an 11ft 4in span towline thermal glider which won the 1949 Thurston Trophy. The Hoverking sloper was designed by the same person and although only 6ft span has a distinct family resemblance in shape and structure, and, I suppose, name. The main difference in layouts is the Hoverking's long dorsal strake which was intended to help to keep the model's nose into wind on the slope. I remember it doing that very well when I first flew my Hoverking free-flight and had to chase it for about a quarter of a mile as it crabbed along the ridge until safely landing equidistant and only 10ft from two adjoining walls. That's why Dad and I decided it needed radio fitting. So I borrowed the avionics from my Elfin 2.49-powered Black Magic. Whilst agreeing with C8's posting, the feature awoke a nice memory for at least one viewer, even if I did misidentify the glider. Edited By Gordon Whitehead 1 on 21/12/2020 13:46:38

Did anybody recognise the large yellow glider which was on the ground beside the presenter at one point? It had "Thunderking" inscribed on the fuz. I'm sure that it was a Hoverking slope soarer from the old Aeromodeller Plans service. The fin shape and through-fuz tailplane mounting are giveaways. I built one around 60 years ago in my 'teens fitted with a home-built Hill 2-valve receiver and Ripmax Mactuator sequential escapement. 30V hearing aid battery HT, and a couple of U2 1.5V cells in parallel for the valve filaments. Quite a weighty payload! The Rx with its Sigma SCR522 relay to switch the actuator weighed over 10oz by itself. Six feet span and a lovely flyer. Single-channel rudder-only of course but there was plenty of lift on the hillside overlooking Earby, Lancs where we lived. Happy days!! Edited By Gordon Whitehead 1 on 21/12/2020 11:54:27

Excellent choices

Count me in too, please.

Yes please