Malcolm Baird

Hi Cliff - just read your diagnostics. I'd have thought that if the LED is flashing even briefly it (the LED) is probably OK. If the switch is part of the charger, most likely the problem is in the mechanical switch making intermittent contact. Depends on how sophisticated the charger is. If your charger has its own built in switch on the low voltage side, have you tried bypassing/replacing the switch? If it's the switch on the mains wall socket on the other hand, ignore most of what I just said. Most modern ('Switch mode' ) chargers have complex circuitry and lethal voltages, and can't easily be fixed. Best replaced. Older chargers (e.g. with a mains transformer in) have a high input voltage (240V mains - lethal), a transformer step down, and a low voltage output circuit to regulate the charging current. To check an LED properly, it needs to be out of the circuit. Then you should get approx 1.8 volts across it if it's red/green/yellow, and about 3.3V if it's blue or white. Use a 5V to 9V supply, and limit the current through the LED with a resistor. For a 9V supply use approx 200 ohms, and for a 5V supply use approx 80 ohms resistors (Ball park figures). Don't mess with the mains unless you know what you're doing!! Edited By Malcolm Baird on 19/11/2016 00:26:40 Edited By Malcolm Baird on 19/11/2016 00:27:05

Fantastic shot Steve - Thank you very much! And belated thanks to Paul for the heave-ho. Very encouraging!! I hope my rebuild guide won't be needed at all...

Unfortunately, I won't make it to Llandudno for the 8th/9th October but look forward to meeting up next year, or if there's a PSS meeting further north perhaps? In the meantime, I hope to hae a wee play aroon' the local slopes over winter.

Thanks everyone for the encouraging comments. And thanks Peter too for the advice on Eze Kote. I will follow that up. Watch this space!!

Rebuild is now well in progress, interrupted by such minor mundane domestic tasks as building a reinforced concrete base for a domestic oil heating tank in the garden. I've made some progress (with the A4 that is), as in the following photos. I cut back the damage forward of F3, and produced a new set of parts for the nose. I made the battery box first(!), then a clone of F3 is positioned against the original F3, but 1/4" further forward. Ensure everything is square and aligned, and fixed to the 1/4" base. Add 1/2" x 1/2" triangular, and 1/2" x 1/4" steamed upper doublers, then attach the sides. They wrapped around without a problem, no Ammonia required. Time for some sanding (Outside..). - Sand off the excess base, any bits protruding past F1, and level off the upper nose, then attach 1/2" upper decking and fill in the nose blocks. Apply more elbow grease, and The upper deck behind the cockpit survived, so I just need to slot this in... So the next stage is to attach, sand a bit more, fill in any holes, prime and glass the restored front end. Reinstall cockpit decor and pilot, not to forget the ejector seat handle this time. I will need a couple of 1/32" shims between the F3's to avoid producing a banana. ( or I could change the colour scheme...Hmm - Fyffes A4? Maybe not.) New canopy is even now on its way from Traplet. (If I'm going to make a habit of this, I might invest time to create a lemonade bottle canopy mould, as at £6.99+pp a time, it might get costly.)

Here's an overview of the general mess, and my initial thoughts on the rebuild... Most of the splinters are the battery box, which was pushed backwards into the main fuselage, impacting the elevator servo and F4. The tail servo mounting will need to be replaced, but apart from the battery, the electronics have all survived intact. The impact appears to have been nose first, - apparently full bore straight into the clifftop. I will salvage most of the nose, cut some new formers, and rebuild from F3 forward, perhaps with a (temporary?) F3B. Minor damage also to the spine/tail mounting which sheared off. Almost all damage is forward of F3, Engine intakes are OK, as are wings and tail set, and pilot. But I may invest in a new canopy... Amazingly the canopy antenna survived, as I had some doubt on Saturday that it would even get as far as the Orme without me accidentally demolishing it. Out with the scalpel!