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Which part of building a new traditional balsa model plane do you enjoy the most?


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Posted by Martin McIntosh on 30/08/2018 20:48:04:

Bob, I find covering the easy bit. Film, glassing, tissue etc which I am willing to do but at a price--------!

Martin, I'm just a poor pensioner or I'd take you up on that! I have a 63" Lavockin sitting there in it's brown paper wrapping begging for a coat of paint, I've put it on the back-burner in favour of some ARTFs and refurbs.

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Posted by Danny Fenton on 31/08/2018 13:42:08:

It appears I am odd, I like the covering, painting and detailing I wonder if there is a local therapy group.....

It may start in October but Danny is beyond help! wink 2

Personally I am a 'Wing' man and even stranger, I love cutting out the ribs. Am I the only one?

 

Edited By Piers Bowlan on 01/09/2018 07:10:41

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Posted by Peter Miller on 30/08/2018 21:06:11:

All of it when I think about it, although I did not really enjoy applying almost 80 capstrips to the wings of my MAK 15 MP.

One thing that I have learned over the years. ONLY WORK ON ONE MODEL UNTIL IT IS FINISHED or they will NEVER be completed.

Great advice, but no fun and very difficult to follow wink

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It's been a long time since I last built a traditional balsa kit, but I'd put it equally between the research part, as I always really enjoy that bit, and the covering. Not so much the painting, but on kit builds I find tissue and dope, or even film covering to be very calming and theraputic. Even though the results are not perfect I do enjoy that bit. The main construction of the airframe is just a means of getting there and the sanding is a chore, made worse by the need to wear a mask.

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Posted by Danny Fenton on 31/08/2018 13:42:08:

It appears I am odd, I like the covering, painting and detailing I wonder if there is a local therapy group.....

Cheers

Danny

Yes, the detailing is great - what I call Blue Peter modelling, fashioning little bits and pieces from scrap items found around the home. I'm a sucker for cockpit detail which never gets seen again. Love seeing your detailing tips in the column Danny - keep up the good work.

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I'd have to say all of it. My biggest problem is getting sidetracked, going off on a tangent and struggling to get back. Keeping my existing fleet airworthy is sometimes challenge enough and usually provides the perfect reason to avoid a nasty job. What is it they say? "Never put off till tomorrow, that which you can do the day after" ...Seems perfectly reasonable...

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Posted by Dave Hess on 01/09/2018 11:19:45:

Where's carving the propeller.I used to do that when I was 11 years old on the rubber-powered planes of the day. There's nothing more satisfying than starting with a block of balsa and ending up with a beautifully shaped propeller. does anybody still do that?

I have carved a beautiful pusher prop (11 X 5) from the beechwood leg of a table.. I agree that it is most satisfying. IT worked really worked on an ENya 40 Fourstroke.

It was mounted 1/2" behind the trailing edge to the wing and made a horrendous noise.

The prop was broken when a friend picked to model up, ran his hand down the trailing edge of the wing. IT took eleven stitches to put his finger together at A&E.

My beautiful prop was ruined!crying 2angry

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What about the lovely aroma of that big stack of fresh balsa and ply.? Or peeling open some new 10a blades and prepping the sanding blocks,cleaning off the building board and sweeping up in readiness to embark upon making the best one yet? I must have built hundreds of models over the last 65 years and the buzz at starting a new one has not lessened and,I hope,never will.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I like RC electronics - fault finding, trouble-shooting etc. Just building up test equipment at present...

Also, I like modifying designs and experimenting with aerodynamics (must be my Airbus, Fleet Air Arm and Full-size gliding background !).

One day hoping to do an 'own-design' and progress via PSS and EDF to Turbines. I have a bit of a weakness for the Jet Provost, Shooting Star and Grumman Panther (basically, the straight-wing jets as I think they will be little more forgiving).

Looks like a very good forum this !

Dave

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