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Thank you for noticing GG! Here are my two posts on this subject Toto, though it's a shame you didn't see them before buying all those lovely LiPos... (the 2nd post repeats some of the first, as it veered off and became about high C charging rather than about the battery box, so I started a new post and included some of the same information) Hope it helps. ...and if you needed any more benefits - it means you never ever charge the LiPos indoors (or even at your property), just the Li-Ions. That's what I do now when I get home from flying - I put ONE battery on to charge (Li-Ions are happy being stored at 4.1v, unlike LiPos), along with my Tx, and that's it - and I might have had fifteen/twenty flights that day. Some days I used to bring home anything up to 30 LiPos that needed charging or discharging. Then I built one of these and got my life back. The more you fly, the more of a no-brainer it becomes.

I can't believe the price of nitro fuel especially when it comes to helicopter fuel with a high nitro content, of course I need a high oil content as well. I have a Raptor V2 and a Weston UK Velocity I like to run on these type of fuels. They seem to be priced any where from £30 to £40 for a gallon, it wouldn't be so bad if I didn't need it delivered but of course this makes it even more expensive. Does anyone know a cheaper alternative?

Hi David, I think if I was in your position there would be absolutely no question, it would be definitely be a buddy box again, at least for a while. A situation such as you describe, one in which someone could get hurt simply because someone else was unable to control their model properly I think might be a total disaster for everyone, from my own personal safety angle I couldn't accept this. I would have to say to myself that it was an ‘avoidable accident.’ I would be tempted to get the Boomerang out on the runway and get him to taxi a short distance keeping it as straight as possible and then shutting the throttle and coming to a standstill. Repeat a few times and then moving on making sure he has the instant correct reaction without thinking, i.e. closing the throttle! when he sees the model veering off to one side, I'm sure he will soon get the confidence to handle the model on the ground because he can now hopefully recognise straight away when it's all going a bit pete tong and then from there it's only a tiny step into the air…… and a circuit and land….. Once he can do this 10 times out of 10 with no issues maybe I would consider pulling the plug…. again But I also do appreciate that's saying this it's all within the confines of your friend’s tolerance level, the club rules and your other friends and copilots acceptance levels so it might well continue to be a bit protracted perhaps, to say the very least. Good Luck! PB

Thank you for your responses gentlemen, I will give them all some thought. Frans is 70 and has chosen to learn to fly Mode 1 because everybody in the club except me flies Mode 1. The idea was that one of my French colleagues could take him up as he learned to fly but few have come forward. Frans's first language is Flemish and when I first started to teach him how to fly, I asked him whether he wanted to receive instructions in English or French and he chose English. In the Flemish-speaking areas of Belgium, the first foreign language that children learn at school is English. The same is true in the French-speaking areas. Both of us speak French to a standard which enables us to be understood though Frans thinks that he does not speak the language well. I have attached a little video of the Radio Queen's maiden and second flights shot by Frans and his wife Ann. I was on the sticks. You can get a good idea of our flying field. I believe that the runway is 85 metres long by 10 metres wide. At 00.54 you may see the small shed in which we keep our outside chairs. This is where the blokes sit out on nice days. The trees into which the Radio Queen crashed are in the distance behind my white VW van. However, yesterday the wind, a very gentle breeze, was blowing in the opposite direction so the model ended up in the tree behind the point at which it began the take-off run. They also filmed me flying my Super Sixty and taking off along the taxi way. As no-one else was about I thought it safer than attempting a cross-wind take off. You may see me panic and hit the throttle as the model disappeared behind the trees at 02.24 and the landing was a bit hot! My dog inevitably photobombs at every opportunity. Please make allowances for Frans' first language is not English. The undercarriage on the Radio Queen seems to me to be in a pretty conventional position. It is not raked as far forward as a Quaker Flash for example. In any case it's an academic issue until the model is repaired. I forgot to mention that on another flight Frans' model hit the little shed on take off. I believe that he freezes on the controls. I will put him back on the buddy box on Sunday when we will fly the Boomerang. I will do the take offs. I have also asked the club's secretary and Chief Flying Instructor to take him up on another of the club's trainers. It's a bit lighter than the Boomerang and can fly more slowly. Apparently the video is too big to fit directly onto this site. I'll try a link via YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mx8MphHxj9U

My wife is on her way out, to another golfing competition, her parting words are, "get out" and "no more moaning about the road works, pot holes". If I ever Would? At lunch time I go. Having negotiated another set of temporary traffic lights, dodged more pot holes than the Somme in 1914. How in my childhood the Brits would scof at Belgium roads. I arrive at the gates to the track leading down to our field, the gate is closed, although unlocked, with a large white van parked inside, just of the track. It seems a posh van, having what appears to be blacked out window. Two guys are standing near by, a large quad/drone sits on the ground, the two guys appear to have a lap top and mobile phone which appears to be swung this way and that. One guy offers to close the gate after me, he seemed pleasant enough> I am in no mood for an argument, I descended the track, having spotted a model in the air sometime earlier, now confident my pals had not succeeded in avoiding me. Turning into the car park, only one SUV, the rest knew I was coming. What do have I have with me, a model I have just re-motored, a long standing faithful, a newish model, a Canard ( now prehistoric) and my Sagitta. What to fly first? Has to be my re-motored, rock steady model, it will be able to all the things that the lack of power prevented. The attempt from the ground, promptly fails, I try again, the grass is still to long. A hand launch is the answer, which ends in disaster, hmmmm, that was a lot of power, you are bit slow on the sticks and it is no longer a pussy cat. Take the kit back to the car, carefully in case I loose anything. Ah, the answer is old faithful, I was correct, took of, flew circuits, looped, rolled, 1/2 Cubans, that is more like it, even the landing was a nice rumble from HK light weight wheels. Now I am cooking with gas, other than we only have electric. My newish model is next. Takes of with Gusto, do a few circuits. Now it is time for a loop, then something else. Open the throttle, a cacophony of noise erupts. My helper speaks, that does not sound right. I say is the prop stalling. Hmmm something is not right we agree, time to land. On landing all is not well, there is now a lot of down thrust. A more careful examination reveals a broken motor mount, how broken is not immediately obvious. Then I think the motor shaft is bent, then it is apparent the prop is barely hanging on. Oh well it is Canard time, never fails, whatever the weather, totally dependable. Initially all is going well, about two minutes into my 7 minute flight, I am at full throttle. No, no, what now. I land immediately. A pretty thorough cell, volt investigation, all seems well. A motor run on full power, it is apparent that the power quickly declines. Another cell check, the volts have collapsed, on one cell. Conclusion, new Lipo is required, the long winter hibernation was not good for it. I now start the journey home, only to be confronted by the big van, he pulls over, by the farmers fertilizer pile, to let me pass, indicates, for me to speak, window to window. It then becomes apparent that they are contractors working for the grid, surveying for hot pots and other issues with the local pole type distribution system. They are concerned that I would lock them in. The jouney home was without incdent, other than school finishing, parked vehicles everywhere, lolly pop men leaping out. Not being prone to moaning or being grumpy it all passes over me with just a few comments and observations, that back in my day.....................................

This isn't the easy pigeon, I will probably put a similar motor in that to what I'll stick in this as they are very similar weight and size wise. I added the lead to the front of this just to try and get the CG close to what it should be, I was hoping with a larger motor I can't take some off and I may stick the motor outside as this will also bring the weight forward. The ESC died at the beginning of the session but I used other more well known brands and I was using it for a couple of hours. I do have the following motors that arrived today: - Kavan Brushless motor C2830-1300 - Kavan Brushless motor C2822-1200 - Overlander Brushless Outrunner Motor V3 2826/09 1900KV And the following props: - Graupner Super Carbon Folding Prop Blades 10x4.7 - Graupner Super Carbon Folding Prop Blades 8x6 - Graupner Super Carbon Folding Prop Blades 7.5x4 - Graupner Super Carbon Folding Prop Blades 10x6 What would you suggest as a good pairing on 2S? Also, I don't suppose you recognise the model? It would be good to know what it is as I really like it.

Single button and MacGregor? My Macgregor was in kit form. You had to solder all the components on each board your self. The Tx used a valve and you had to make your own case. No crystal so the actual frequency was unknown. You just "tuned" the receiver to give the best range. The TX needed a high voltage battery for the valve and two big 1.5 volt U2 for its heater. It did work and it even got installed in a plane but it never flew. Being an inveterate hoarder I still have it.

If the above suggestions are unsuccessful, you could try Bob Brooks in Florida. He seems to be the main source of Enya parts these days. You can find him on ebay: The control line store or if you PM me I can give you his email address.

When I did a fix up on an old Pigeon a couple of winters ago what Simon suggests about having battery up front is what I did. 3s 2200 to brushless motor driving original prop. I could not believe the weight of original power set up. Can be seen just removed in pic below. A Watt meter is essential for setting up the power train.

You still there? It was a perfect time to leave the pub on 3rd May.

Hi Piers, I like the idea of epoxy glossing the inside of the cowl. Do you apply a mesh or pause and just cover with epoxy by brush or is it simply just a brushed coat of epoxy straight on with no mess/ gause? I think I may also dismantle the tail again and strengthen that joint on both elevator halves. It would not take long and would add terrific strength. Cheers Toto

Hi David, Racing cyclists talk a lot about marginal gains..A wee bit here, a wee bit there. Maybe you've got marginal losses Frans, if I remember is no spring chicken, and Mode 1 teaching mode 2, and different languages, and electricity one day, glo the next It's never easy ernie

At 1100g your Easy Pigeon is not too heavy. The original with 550 can brushed motor and 7.2V 6s NiMh 1700mAh weighed 1300g. On this basis with the weight saving from using a brushless motor a 2200mah 2s LiPo should be more than adequate and should also give a longer power duration. From the pictures it does look like there is quite a bit of lead at the front. It would be better is you could reposition the battery forward so it could be removed thus saving still more weight and improving the aerodynamics at the same time! If you "fried" both the motor and ESC when on 3s I would not necessarily blame its Chinese manufacture. It sounds like you were using a too big a prop. If you use the same prop the amps the motor will take virtually doubles when going from 2s to 3s. Loads more thrust but it may well be overloading the motor and ESC.

Breezy further North warm . First time out this year with the ic Acrowot, flying good.

Are you printing the decals onto self adhesive vinyl?

You are welcome Harry.

The concussion comes from banging your head against the wall 😀

Problem exists on both laptop - Win 10 + Firefox, and on cellphone - Android + Chrome. Darker theme in both cases as it is easier to read. Dick

Hello from New Zealand, Here's the start of the Nieuport 17 I am working on. For diesel and 2 channel RC. A always like to start with the fuselage - as you can see some of the front formers cut out and playing around with the Mills .75 - I have rotated the motor about 20 degrees so the compression screw doesn't get in the way of the Vickers gun and will make a short extension for the needle valve. With a decent soldering iron and I have made up the music wire landing gear and center struts which I will bulk up with some balsa. I have attached a photo of the original which I plan to base my one on - "Dedette III" Escadrille N15, photo was taken June 1916. I make up and print my own decals on my ink jet printer - lucky all the markings are black! Hope to update in the next few days. Cheers.

@J D 8 If you just hit refresh on the blank RCM&E banner screen it works for me 🤞 Win 10, Darker as I prefer the larger to read format which then displays the RCM&E blank screen when changing page either forward or backwards. Irritating - however hitting the refresh brings up the requested page. Don't know enough to offer any concussion.

GG is correct 👍 - KISS with simple compatible plug and play software. Once a little fettling is required then out of my comfort zone/knowledge. Not dissimilar to early open source TX software where I suspect early adopters were the same people who use Linux etc.

Could it be an eyesight problem? get him to read a car number plate at a distance?

There are synthetic oils and then there are synthetic oils. PAG oils were designed to cool and lubricate refrigerators (among other things) and they do this quite well. Some experimenters and entrepreneurs discovered that they worked reasonably well in model alcohol based fuel engines of moderate performance and so we had the first wave of cheap and nasty fuels that probably ruined many a model engine back in the 80's. Back then many model engines had iron pistons and steel liners and relied on the seal provided by castor oil to maintain compression and also enjoyed the luxury of a protective coating that the residual film afforded to bearings and running parts.................... the downside was that one actually had to wipe the model down after flying, the good-side that is they did not rust. Nowadays some of the newer synthetic oils exhibit properties close to castor oil with similar E.P.(Extreme Pressure) properties that are vital for items such as camshafts/rockers). These oils are ester based, which exhibit superior lubricating properties to refrigerator oils. A typical example is Redlne 2 Stroke Kart Racing Oil which is designed to blend with alcohol based fuels and although expensive it works very well. Still don't do too much to protect the engine after running though so if one is not running one's engines weekly then a shot of Air Tool Oil and/or ATF won't hurt much as in the UK it might be six months before you see a sunny day with no wind and rain 🙃 * Chris *