Frank Skilbeck

If you are a BMFA member you can do their registration competency certificate online, https://rcc.bmfa.uk/rcc and add it to your BMFA membership. Note you can keep redoing it until you pass, it's no problem.

I've run petrol engines on standard 10% ethanol, seem to run ok on it, but the problem maybe degradation of elastomers, e.g carb diaphram, perishing, not done enough running to determine if this is a problem. You can buy synthetic petrol, no ethanol, but it's about 3x the cost.

Shout out for 3DRX, not used them before but they had some aeronaut props I wanted, ordered yesterday afternoon arrived in post at lunchtime today. 👍 Also bought some bits (glow switch and magneto cutout) from Mike at Model Radio Workshop on Monday afternoon, arrived Wednesday.👍

But not as addictive........🤪

This one maybe https://www.dbsportandscale.com/sopwith-pup-60-8530-p.asp

I have a 1/5 th scale T21 with scale spoilers, they are quite effective. These have a servo on each spoiler with a simple linkage, they are top mounted and hinged with solartex (wing is covered in solartex). If you can put them on separate rx channels as it makes setting them up easier. I have an ASK11 motor glider with similar spoilers and they do make landing on our tight strip much easier. One thing to note is that I much prefer to have the spoilers on a proportional control, in my case the "throttle" stick. Years ago I had top mounted spoilers on a Chris Foss Hi Phase, these had a pull cord to pull them open and fridge magnets to keep them shut, single servo in the fus and when wings were plugged in it was a simple case of hooking the spoiler cord loops to a ball link on the servo arm, it worked very well.

I was going to say what Martin said, but if you want to do cartwheel manoeuvres then having them spaced apart will help 😉

I've used a 4 cell sub C on mine, typically do 3-4 10-12 min flights per session and the battery (3300 mah) has plenty left. BTW I fit a physical switch in series with the optical unit, to ensure complete isolation.

If you don't want to faff with extra ignition batteries and CDI unit then the Zenoah Magneto units are a good option, e.g. Zenoah G260PU 26cc, not the most powerful but good reliable engines. I acquired an old Kalt 23cc (Rebadged Zenoah) in a Christian Eagle biplane, hadn't been run for years, I changed the carb diaphrams and it runs great, still as noisy as a DLE though. Just engines do them https://www.justengines.co.uk/shop/petrol-two-strokes/zenoah-petrol-two-strokes/zenoah-g260pu-26cc-aero-engine/?v=79cba1185463

Just building a 1/6th scale Aeronca C3, would be an ideal candidate for electrictrickery, but I'm sticking with plan A of the Vega 50T. Lots of electric models though too. Why can't the petrol engines be supplied with silencers, I refuse to call the standard item a silencer.

Yes, but the grid costs are more to do with connecting wind power to the grid, not charging electric vehicles. If anything as Vehicle to Grid is rolled out EVs will assist in balancing the grid, Octopus are currently trialling a scheme where they buy back electricity from your car and then recharge your car for free later, https://octopus.energy/power-pack/ But when we rolled out nuclear originally the power stations were all by the sea (for cooling water) and would have required distribution upgrades to connect them at the time. BTW regarding range, one of the car magazines tested the new X Power MG4 against a Seat Cupra petrol, the MG4 was 17% down on it's official range and the Cupra 20% below the official mpg.

The DJI Minis, less than 200grams are full range, but obviously if they went behind somewhere and blocked the signal that would be different. If they hadn't programmed in a return to home it may have just auto landed.

If the lights were still flashing the owner can't have been too far away otherwise the batteries would be flat.

Pete, have a look at the Li-ion Molicels being offered, some EDF guys are using them, not quite the same punch as Lipos but mah per mah they are lighter. We've put 2 x 2s ones to power the Rx and servos in my mates FW190 to replace 2off 2200 mah 2s lipos, note model has all HV servos.

Spares might also be an issue, clubmate had an arrival that snapped the needle and housing off the carb, can't find anyone with spares, but I have a crate full of glow engines so might find something in there.

If you've done the BMFA online RCC test, then the questions on the day should only be about checking the model and club specific rules.

Just for info I have a Blade 300 with the ASX rx and it works fine on a DSM2 Dx6i. Note also if the Align has a flight controller, maybe not as it has a flybar, then it may do the 120deg mixing and not the tx.

The blade holders are almost certainly not pushed on, if you remove the blade from the holder you'll probably see a screw on the inside that threads into the rod that goes across, see page 6 of this manual https://aligntrexhelis.com/images/manuals/Align/450/RH45E09AT.pdf Also do be careful flying the heli, they can very quickly get out of control, so make sure you aren't in a confined space and any spectators are well out of the way,

Would depend on the size of the model, for larger models I prefer Sub C cells rather than AA for their ability to maintain voltage underload. Other than that I've used both Life and Nimhs for Rx/Servos and ignition. Don't leave Life cells on, if the voltage drops too low they are toast, so remember to make sure they are switched off after a days flying.

You might have got away with it, but do a discharge test at say 1 amp to check first, I did this with a 2s life and found under load it's voltage dropped dramatically.

Gravity, once the engine is running the carb will venturi effect will draw fuel in and the exhaust pressure will also push the fuel through as well.

INav and one of these and jobs a good un

That's quite an unusual transmitter, possibly a one off, what does the receiver have on it. It maybe that it's a home project using a diy 2.4 module, eg a FRSky one or similar.

Yep but around 75% of the crude produced is turned into petrol and diesel, another 10% kerosine (jet fuel) plus heavy fuel oils (Marine), so stopping burning the stuff will mean a lot less is needed to be produced. At the moment global oil production is around 93 million bbls per day, around 2780 million UK bbls per day.

Diesel contains about 10kwh of energy per litre, Petrol less than 8.9 and even less with the added alcohol, plus a diesel engine is slightly more efficient. But at 55 mpg you petrol/electric is doing around 1.35 miles per kwh.