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Thanks for the warning I'll watch out for the Princess thing!

Yes I'm impressed with these little diesels, they seem to be keen to keep going too even at poor settings.

Rain has put paid to any more testing for the time being, and I think Christmas will be getting in the way too. But I'll be trying a 9x4 as soon as I can.

Two more little questions seeing as everyone is being so helpful
 
1. I feel I should have some way of cutting the engine in an emergency. Especially at a Fly-In where there could be large numbers of people. It would also be nice to be able to land when I wish from a position in the circuit that I choose myself. Is this asking too much or against the spirit etc etc? Oh and any ideas how it could be done?
 
2. The Top Flite prop that would look so right on the Matador is a little odd at the rear of the hub.
 

I haven't offered it up to the engine yet, but the prop hub is 22mm dia. I think the Frog's prop driver is quite a bit smaller. Can that just bear against the webs in the prop hub or should I use a washer in between? (I can get an adapter washer made, I've already spoken to a man with a lathe who posts on here quite a lot).
Oh and do I need to boil it again? It must have been dormant in various garages for over 30 years.
 
Thanks for all the help so far...
Chris
 
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Last things first.....I'm not sure I'd be too happy about using a 30 year old prop...plastics do degrade with age & whilst its nice to keep things "authentic" my first priority would be safety.......a thrown or disintegrating blade will really spoil your day if it hits you or someone else.....sorry to come over all H&S .but that's my view......!!!
 
 
Regarding the cut out then a method you could use is to put the fuel tube to the engine through a 'U' of thin piano wire with the top of the 'U' going into a hardwood block. Take this piano wire back to a servo connected a servo controlled by the throttle channel. Arrange your failsafe so that in the event of a problem the failsafe activates the servo & the 'U' compresses the tube & nips it closed.....that should stop the engine. Hope the description is clear....if not let me know & I'll do you a sketch
 
Note this will only work with thin walled fuel tube (like rubber) unless you have a very powerful servo!!! I use Kavan rubber fuel tube & this compresses nicely......
 
HTH...
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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...
Finally - I found a little modelling time so made a start on the next bit
 
 
Not sure when I'll get back to it, but every little helps...
 
PS - Doesn't plasterboard work well with pins! Not tried that before.
(Don't ask why I had some left over, it's one of the reasons I've not been modelling).

Edited By Chris Bott on 01/02/2012 10:00:17

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  • 2 weeks later...
I've been shamed into doing a little more by the mags new building (scale) columnist. so here's a quick "latest news" picture.
 
I'm having a little game with myself to see how much I can do with a single sheet of balsa. Hence the very slightly unusual build sequence.
 
Everything you see here including the scraps, are from one sheet of 3/16"
Fun aren't they, these stick built models?
 

 
 
 
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Hi Chris,
 
That looks very neat.. I do like open structures.
 
I am not sure how you keep your plan so pristine. I make mine reusable (if possible), because I know that sooner or later (usualy sooner), I'll need it for repairs..
 
The economy building method is interesting, but how do you manage to get harder wood for the longerons and soft for the infill out of a single sheet? If I can't find the correct level of hardness, I will usually use something lighter and make a bigger cross section if possible, for example goto 3/16x1/4 instead of 3/16 sq.
 
Martyn
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Hi Martyn
 
I built the first side with clingfilm over the plan, then did away with the plan and built the second side over the first (with clingfilm in between). Then I've used the formers and set squares to build the fus in 3D, pulled the back together and glued, then measured the cross sticks to length from the plan but glued them in place away from it. As you say, so far the plan is staying pristine bar a few pin holes.
 
I'm using a medium weight sheet of balsa, maybe a little flimsy for the longerons and a little heavy for the infill, but it all feels OK so far.
 
I'm in a bit of a quandary about covering the fus. I made such a hash of covering the wings in Nylon I'm tempted to use something else for this. Good job I'm nowhere near that stage yet I guess.
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Posted by Danny Fenton on 14/02/2012 10:26:32:
a true miser would scarf joint the offcuts to make full use of the strip
looking good Chris.
Cheers
Danny

I haven't finished yet

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Posted by Steve Hargreaves on 14/02/2012 10:38:33:
Sanding dust & cyano can be a very useful filler for those irregularities in the grain I see occasionally on my models.....
 
I use gallons of cyano and a vacuum cleaner full of balsa dust on a typical build - best use yet for cyano
 
M
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Matador--oh dear!
 
When I bought my Junior 60 kit in 1962 (I still have the plane) my friend bought a Mercury Matador which he never finished and it never flew. Many years later in the 1970's my nephew built a Matador which we eventually flew at Epsom Downs Racecourse but I could only keep it in the air with full left rudder. Eventually it piled-in just a few yards from us and I can well remember the explosion of balsa wood. All was not lost because my nephew (Nigel) acquired another Matador fuselage from a friend and the plane was re-built with my then new OS 10 RC up front. I gather it flew very well at Croydon Airport with throttle and rudder only control, but on one flight it got caught in a thermal and my Nephew attempted to 'spiral it out' with full rudder which caused the wings to fold up! Some days later having driven to my nephew's house in my Sunbeam Alpine Sports I spotted the wrecked Matador poking out of the dustbin on his driveway so I retrieved it and stuck it in my loft. It stayed in my loft for about 30 years but a couple of years ago I decided to convert it for electric flight. Well I strengthened the wings with spruce spars and balsa sheeted from the leading edges to to the wing spar(s). I permanently fixed the tailplane and fin and added an elevator. It all looked a treat but the darn thing would not and does not fly---more time needed!!!!

Edited By Mike Etheridge 1 on 14/02/2012 19:50:05

Edited By Tim Mackey on 14/02/2012 20:07:18

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This is a picture taken about 3 years ago of the failed Matador. Having looked at the efforts being made on the new models perhaps I will dig it out of the loft again and try to resolve the problems which could include the following:
 
----Warps to wing and tailplane.
----Tailplane angle of incidence needs setting to 0 degrees.
----Standard servos too heavy
----NiMh battery too heavy---change to Lipo?.
 
Compared with the Junior 60 the structure of the Matador is no where near as tough especially if it is covered with Solar Film as mine is. Success with the Matador would appear to be related very closely to building accuracy which I am afraid mine falls short of at the moment.
 
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Mike er.. thanks for the encouragement!

Seriously though I think this just adds to the challenge.
As the Matador was designed and was sucessful as a free flight model, I can't believe that it won't fly properly. Maybe being free flight means it's so inherrently stable that it is unwilling to respond to control inputs? We'll see.
 
I remember the one from my teens being pretty successful. But that may be an impression seen through rose tinted nostalgia glasses.
 

Edited By Chris Bott on 15/02/2012 20:16:56

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