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Mike T

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Everything posted by Mike T

  1. 🙄 The correct response was "I'm not..."
  2. Exactly. We are all individuals...
  3. A given! 😂 And if you call them liars, they look upon it as an accomplishment!
  4. I flagged this up way, way back. In May 2018, when the latest raft of regulations were imposed, a joint press release from the DoT, CAA and the Aviation Minister at the time (Baroness Sugg) stated, amongst other things: "For model aircraft flying associations who have a long-standing safety culture, work is underway with the CAA to make sure drone regulations do not impact their activity." (new drone laws - about half way down the page. Italics/bold are mine). That's a pretty unequivocal statement and the govt CAA should be reminded of it, politely but firmly. Settling for "as little impact as possible" is a retreat from that position. Give an inch...
  5. I had your Whirlwind in mind when I posted my 'formula', Eric! 🙂 I don't see why using two batteries is viewed as 'expensive' though. The 2200 3S I referenced is pretty ubiquitous. I've had dozens, about 10 of which are still perfectly usable. On short-nosed subjects they are ideal for getting (working) weight up front!
  6. Blimey! We'd barely got off the ground before falling under the dead hand of officialdom!
  7. Thanks John, but to be clear, I was sympathising with DD on Shropshire's loss of their site and pointing out that there is hope, as we've been on our new field since 2015! 🙂
  8. Bad news. We lost the field we'd been on since 1995 in 2015 (forthcoming housing development - they still haven't broken ground...). The landlord's agents didn't even know we were there (testament to our 'head down, nose clean' policy),but they helped us with introductions to new landowners and we've ended up on a better field - so there is hope!
  9. OK. In that case, (to misquote Shakespeare), "Those of you who have forelocks to tug, prepare to tug them now..." (this slaphead gets a free pass 😂)
  10. You're missing the point If we don't use the opportunities we have to influence proposals in our favour, then we get bad laws handed down to us. Nothing good ever happened to the ordinary Joe that he didn't go out and fight for himself...
  11. Gary, my friend, if we took that attitude to everything, then we'd all still be tugging our forelocks to his Lordship as he drove by in his carriage...
  12. Yes. But those 'disinterested' parties who think we should be restricted may alter their opinion if required to contribute to the cost 😉
  13. A few days ago I typed a huge screed re twins and lost the exsanguinating lot when the forum timed out on me before I pressed 'submit'. I'm not going to do it again, so - quick and dirty: Sleek, simple twins are best because they have less complicated airframes (e.g. Mossie 'in', Black Widow 'out') This still gives plenty of scope e.g. Whirlwind, Beaufighter/fort, Petlyakov PE2, Mitchell, Marauder, Hudson, DC3, etc. No u/c. You can build a model large enough to have some 'presence' but is still easy to hand launch (either self or helper) and can belly land without incident. and this is the biggie: capitalise on the widespread availability of (what I call) the 'standard' sport electric set up - 11 x 5-8" prop. 35XX 900-1200kv motor, 40/60 A ESC and 2200-3000 3S LiPo. Pretty much everybody must have this kind of set up in their stash - at the lower end of the ranges I mention, it's the standard set up in the Wot 4 foam-e. I've got several 🙂 The problem with most twins available today is that they are either too small (using Speed 480-size motors) or too large (using 55XX series motors and associated kit, which is an order of magnitude more expensive that the Wot 4 gear - TN's Mossie a case in point). Designing around the Wot 4/Riot power train plays to people who already have the gear and results in a twin (or more...) worth building. My 2c...
  14. I see that the BMFA has put out a 'call to action' urging all members to complete the CAA Consultation document and they include a link to the 'model response' prepared in consultation with the LMA. Readers of this thread will need no urging I'm sure, but I think it's worth pointing out that as the BMFA/BDF/LMA are organising bodies, they are likely going to be quite measured in their responses. I would urge those who have not yet completed the doc to be more bloody minded. We've seen the way the previous analyses have been tabulated. Reasonableness works against us. 'Somewhat agrees' and 'somewhat disagrees' just get lumped into a blurred middle ground. Any suggestion or proposal which impinges further on us either financially or operationally should be responded to with outright opposition. For us, it's the only valid response. Furthermore, in the commentaries, we should be firmly demanding that if any further financial burdens or operating restrictions are placed on us, it's the people who want to impose said burdens/restrictions who should foot the bill, whether they be commercial interests or Daily Heil-reading nimbys who think that 'this sort of thing should be banned'. PS - to pick up Leccyfliers point - it should be for third parties to provide justification for further restriction and requirement, not for us to find resons to rebut them. Burden of proof lies with 'them'.
  15. Exactly this. The rights of existing (98 years and counting) lower airspace users should be protected. The burden (including costs) of ensuring that new 'commercial' entrants to the use of this airspace should fall on said new entrants. They are the people who should be charged for 'innovation' as they are the ones who will profit from it. If the best solution turns out to require some form of remote ID on all UAVs, then the cost of equipping the 'hobby' flyers should be borne by the commercial operators. After all, the technology will be simple and cheap...
  16. I bought one as an FPV platform, which it was good for (unlike the FPV gear which was an early 'all in one box' outfit - which proved to be functionally useless a.k.a. crepe) I'm not convinced of its merits as a trainer though. I had to extend the rudder to improve the response and every throttle movement produced a change of trim, which is OK for an experienced pilot, but useless for raw beginners (IMV). The Bixler was a rip-off and I can only assume Multiplex couldn't be backsided to tackle Hobbyking over it.
  17. That's for the Ranger. I suspect Linds. is referring to the Phoenix, which has a 20A ESC and recommends 7.4V batteries. I'd swap out the ESC for a 30 or 40A. Run it with the 10 x 6 but keep an eye on the motor. If it runs hot, swap that too...
  18. The ideal solution is to pick up your trainers free or second hand. We've got a couple and, conveniently, they came with an OpID already affixed...
  19. For light over dark, I spray a coat of silver first - Plastikote or Guild is as good as anything and a couple of light coats cover well. Then apply your chosen light colour. (Got this trick from my Dad back in the swinging 60's. We had some old fashioned dark wood wardrobes that he wanted to do a 'Barry Bucknall' on, so coat of silver enamel first, then white gloss over the top. Looked really hip...)
  20. @Geoff S - did the Gladiator come from the UK warehouse, Geoff - they don't appear to be in stock 🤥 I've spent a lot of money with HK in the past and probably will do again, but the notion that they kept the model trade 'honest' is fanciful (and that's putting it several orders of magnitude more politely than the word I was minded to use).
  21. Cut out the middle man. If you're going to flatten and drill the brass, why not just flatten and drill the wire? Grip the wire above the bend with a heavy mole (or 'vise') grip to a) hold the work and b) act as a heatsink to avoid de-tempering the bends. Then heat the ends to near white hot and belt them with a heavy hammer and a suitable anvil. If you make the bent end overlong, you can fold the flattened end over on itself and solder it before drilling, to give a more substantial pad for the pivot hole.* Alternatively, just heat the ends as described above and then run a die down them to use commercial plastic horns. In both cases, after working, heat to dull red and quench to harden, then polish and heat to blue/purple to temper. Yes, you lose the spring in the ends that you've worked, but you don't need it there. The mole(vise) grip keeps the temper in the bend and in the length of the rod, which is where you do need it. (* If you stick to plan A and use brass, cut it over length and fold/solder it before drilling, etc.)
  22. Thanks for clarifying/correcting, Pete. Just shows what a minefield this topic can be. For instance: you have to wonder why Klotz chose to use the prefix "Super" on the version of Techniplate that does contain castor! Like many, I'm sticking to SM, where a little castor helps the rest of the oil slip through...😀
  23. Footnote: if BEKRA fuel still uses Klotz oil, then that oil itself contains 20% of their own-brand castor oil.
  24. The seeding is established by results, which you don't get unless matches are played! 😉 As Warren Gatland said in response to criticism of this years seeding - 'if you want better seeding, you should have played better in the last world cup!'
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