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The Eagle has landed !! More importantly , before the eagle landed , there was a flight . (two in fact ) I can report that the Tempest is equal in benevolent nature to our beloved Fw190 . I had about an 8mph steady breeze and the Tempest appeared to almost stand still. The stall is very gentle and you have to really push it . Before is goes , she wanders around giving loads of warning . Performance range is huge with loads of power and some very nice handling characteristics . Down wind rolls looked superb . The total weight was 4lb 4oz , but I added a ballast of 8oz on the C of G for the second flight to simulate the weight of retracts . I also had 2oz in the front of the battery box just to bias the balance forward . Some up trim was required , so we can almost definitely remove that . In the breeze the extra weight of the second flight was not really noticeable . She has a bit more wing area than the Fw190 , but I think either model can tolerate more weight quite happily . The patch was still very soggy and there was no element of "slide " on contact . The sharp stop on the second flight broke the front former out due to lack of support , battery box digging in (flew without cowl ) and the prop being very stiff . I will increase the F1 support and report back to you . Easy fix though , so really pleased with the model .

It's a Norwegian Blue. Buy a new one.

Great day ....... mission accomplished. 4 flights today. Quite strong crosswinds across the runway so not taking off in the usual manner. Slow start to get the steering straight allowing for the wind. Gradual increase in speed, rear end lifts then apply more throttle and elevator .....up and away. Learning to compensate the ailerons in order to keep the plane flying straight ( circuit wise ) albeit with the model at a 45 degree attitude due to the wind. Two windy but decent flights ..... then the wind all but disappeared. ..... then the fun began..... flight 3 ..... good take off, some decent circuits then my 5 minute alarm sounded ....... let's try lining up the approach ... all going well ...... let's just go for my first landing ....... no problem... a little hard as I had not flared out well enough but no dramas, no damage ..... and we are down. Flight 4 .... more of the same ... successful take off ...... some decent circuits ..... and a better softer landing. Much better. A little jolt of over steer when I landed but corrected with no issues. Definite progress. I would have appeared to have completed the whole loop today twice from start to finish ......... over the moon and finished today on a huge high. I'll sleep well tonight. Toto

From my experience, the easiest way to gauge battery usage is to test the battery after flight using a separate tester which plugs into the Lipo's balance cable. You want to have an indicated 20% left after the battery has rested for a short while. Adjust your flight times accordingly, colder weather will have shortened times, warmer weather longer times.

Ask your instructor what’s required for you to be signed off for solo flying as I guess each club will have it’s own requirements. My club signed me off for solo flying before I did my A, what they expected was a very safe approach to flying and a reasonable standard of take offs, circuits and landings.

Being able to perform well executed circuits and fig 8’s will get you flying solo long before low passes and touch and goes will and those skills are the bedrock for everything else.

Yesterday was just about calm enough to try the Bluff nose Stiletto again. A bit better this time. The gyro managed to keep thing under control for nearly a circuit but it is still a bit tail heavy. Flight time nearly 15 seconds! Eventually it did stall despite my best efforts and as it was going a bit faster the impact was a bit harder. A seriously crushed nose. The battery actually broke free forward and disconnected itself! However on the positive side the Depron structure did its usual "crimple zone" thing so the rest of the airframe is completely undamaged It just needs a new nose ahead of the intakes to be built and to move the battery a bit further forward then try again.

Busy travelling yesterday and was rewarded is deteriorating weather this morning and no FW190 maidens (can't really blame them!). Two training flights and one with my WR FW190. In blustery and strong easterly wind where models with gyros and high wingers were earning their keep, the FW190 was outstanding! Die straight dolly take off followed with loops and rolls plus impeccable rock steady handling the flight characteristics it was an absolute pleasure to fly today. I did chicken out with the low cross wind passes, but some pulls into big loops and half rolls were a lot of fun! Four minute flight with it mostly at WOT and I only used 32% of a 4S4000 lipo, so come better weather I should be able to loiter around for the other FW190's to form formation or drop in on its prey once its been spotted! Better get on and finish the paint job...

I can only sleep on piles of old magazines. . . I’ve got some serious back issues.

Quite so . Can't wait to see what the chaps do with theirs . (when they get them ) . Im going to block in the space between F1 and F2 to better anchor the motor weight . I don think the prop had much to do with F1 coming loose as only about 1" of the tip is longer than the chin . But I do think not having the cowl on played a part . The nose was up about ten degrees on landing but the second the battery box dug in it stopped dead . Anyway , like I say , easy fix . I'm going to finish the odd bits then crack on with the paint job .

£120.00 including a new cowl which is from the Flair 1/4 scale Tiger moth

After a lockdown of a few weeks by the weather, the Aberdeen gang managed an out on this wonderful 14 degree balmy spring day at Kerloch.

I have managed to get some outdoor flying in. And I decided to fly an old Favorite of mine and get in so IC action in as I have not been doing so much IC as of late. So here is my Guppy. Only managed two flight due to my throttle servo dying on me. Good two flight though, need to get a new servo in there and get out with it again. Steve. (Happy Bunny) 😉

Well, I'd agree that the frst thing is to find out what your club needs for you to be able to fly solo.... then practice that until it's of the required standard. I'd be surprised if that includes a touch and go.....

Yes, it was fine in the 70#s but hugely surpassed by far, far better, more robust and higher quality films, such as Profilm. Solartex certainly deserved preserving, but Solarfilm surely won't be missed, in all it's saggy, wrinkly glory. The Far East films, like the HK ones were far superior to the original Solarfilm.

Everyone at our club uses one of these: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Digital-Battery-Capacity-Controller-Batteries/dp/B0C2TYRVZ1/ref=asc_df_B0C2TYRVZ1/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=676227278064&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7495944667474387272&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006534&hvtargid=pla-2265048467684&psc=1&mcid=c9820f8beda83f078ac27674ff206e44&gad_source=1

You wont need to keep an eye on it, you'll hear it when the engine stops!

Don't forget you need to drill yourself so that SWEETS becomes the first thing you do when you arrive at your field. Next, make sure your preflight check is carried out in the same order every time -.if you vary it, you will forget something. All of the actions needed to get you from the pits to the flight line, your pre-take off checks including checking the whole sky not just in front of you, communicating your intentions with other pilots in the box at all times. If you want to demonstrate control there is nothing more difficult than flying perfect rectangular circuits as Ron has already explained. If you can fly 2 identical circuits you hsve demonstrated full control of the aircraft particularly if you have a cross wind component and have flown all 4 legs accurately compensating for the wind's effects. After that, I would start on basic aerobatics as that will get you used to controlling your aircraft when it's in an unusual position, talking of which getting used to flying inverted is also very good practice - but start at height! Try and drill into yourself to roll upright if things get uncomfortable and resist the panic of just pulling up elevator! Finally, het used to having a plan for every flight and carry it out. Don't get into the habit of just boring holes in the sky aimlessly till the battery alarm sounds. You will find it much more interesting and you will progress faster.

Generally speaking, as Simon & Steve said - once a LiFePo4 is discharged to that level then its beyond recovery. If you do manage to get it to 6v6, it wont hold it and its charge capacity will be gone.

Depending on patents someone could possibly make a clone if they thought it was a viable venture. I wouldn't think patents would worry the Chinese if they thought it would make money. The big problem now is the diminishing interest in power flying as seen by the number of engines going off the market and as seen in The big question thread everyone wants something different to the point where its not viable to produce small amounts.

If you haven't flown or put a helicopter together, do yourself a favour ang take it to a club where someone has before you do yourself an injury.

So so so pleased for you Toto, your patience and tenacity has been rewarded. 😁 That feeling of your first landing is fantastic and a big milestone, onwards and upwards. 👍

Thanks guys. Really means a lot. I feel I have really reached a milestone. It's been a slow troll so far but I think I am turning a corner. Cheers Toto

Having a rethink based on your feedback - will make the box full depth.

The Beaver is a good flyer. The extra weight of the abs plastic fuselage and wings gives good stability in windy conditions. Its a shame these planes are no longer made.

BTW , I had to put 6mm of packing in behind the motor mount to make the back of the spinner not rub on the cowl . Now , I cursed at the time but now I realise that its a good thing because without paint the model just balances . Move the motor back and it doesnt . The other thing is that unless I allow a bit more room ( as I have ) in the motor bay , other motor /prop / spinner combinations can not be accommodated . I will probably add two 3mm thick ply spacers to the kit in case , like me the set up requires it .

You are one determined and patient builder Simon.. I admire you. Well done.. Keep going. I am sure it will eventually fly well.

Looking forward to the Tempest Richard. Should look great when its got its paint on.

Superb!

I suspect from your questions, and the fact that you tried to fly it without checking it over thoroughly, you're not an experienced helicopter flyer. Find an experienced helicopter flyer to help you fix it, check it out, set it up, and help you to fly it. If you don't, you'll definitely spend more time fixing it than flying it, will accumulate repair costs at a high rate, and possibly injure yourself or others. Start with the BMFA club finder ti try and locate someone.... And, of course, you need to comply with the CAA regulations to fly something that size. Plus, insurance is highly recommended... Having recently fixed and set up a couple of TRex 450's for a friend, they're far from ideal learning tools. Sorry.

Not worth messing with it, I would agree with the above posters suggesting getting rid and replacing

I dare say that Progress Aero Works in Macclesfield could do it if they had the time and inclination.

They were beaten at their own game by Far Eastern products that were / are arguably better than their own (with the exception of 'tex and Clear Coat). Regarding taking it on, I did enquire about the rights to produce Clear Coat but was told that I couldn't afford it! Not necessarily, the sub 50cc market wants 4 strokes due to noise restraints and Laser offered an excellent range to suit that (dwindling) market and as for mess, what mess, the latest Laser engines running low oil produce no more mess than a petrol jobbie. Various options here, as a cottage industry you would seek out precision engineering companies who would produce parts in their 'down time' so it would be a limited supply but still a supply. Alternatively, there are precision engineering companies in India who could produce small runs of the parts. The assembly of the parts would then be done here, in the UK by a one man band type setup. Over simplifying I know but..........

Unplug the battery - leave the ESC plugged into the receiver..... 🙂

Has anybody considered asking how many engines were actually sold last year ? Any business where the owner is retiring always looks to maximise the return on their assets. Remember Solarfilm anybody ? That was a lot more viable business than Laser (with all due respect), yet nobody took it on. The obvious way forward was petrol engines. Nobody really enjoys cleaning the gunk off of their high hours build scale model and all the aerobatic people are flying electric now. At this moment in time (and for the forseeable future) the investment required in time and finance to produce small petrol engines is not justifiable and Jon will tell you that converting an existing engine is not a small job. Also I doubt that the market is there for them anyway. The same can be said about Flair kits. If there was a viable market with the manufacturing costs involved, they would probably still be being produced. I think you will find that most (if not all) the model aircraft and kit manufacturers in this country are "hobby", or to put it another way "cottage" industries. In my opinion I think there are a lot of peopl out there who do not realise the costs involved in manufacturing anything in the U.K. Particularly where the market is very small (such as ours).

According to propCalc, you should get 10 to 12 minutes of mixed flying but you should fly for a few minutes, land and check the battery for a more accurate estimate. Also, that set up appears to produce about 30 to 40 watts of power which isn't much for the size and weight of model. A 10 by 5 might be better but you would need to check the current with a wattmeter, also it would reduce the flight time to 8 to 10 minutes.

Get a new one. . . It really isn't worth messing about with the old one. Even if the battery can eventually take a charge, all faith in it will be gone.

I was thinking more on the lines of a 'cottage industry', as a full blown business it just doesn't stack up.

I totally agree, practice towards an A certificate, and also fly circuits in the opposite direction, do not get "handed".

Can't wait for next weekend ..... praying for the correct weather conditions and will be gutted it they don't deliver. The landings yesterday, whilst always part of my progression wishlist, we're actually a bit unexpected. I thought that because I had missed a few weeks that I would have set myself back a bit. Previously, I was making some school boy howlers on even the basics ...... getting my left and right coordination wrong whilst flying towards me ..... which always brasses me off. .... yesterday...... none of that .... it just seemed to come together almost immediately. My mentor always gives me constructive feedback at the end of a flight and the flying day. Yesterday, his best comment ( forgetting the actual landings themselves ) was that my coordination issues had virtually gone. I had not even picked up on that as I was too busy getting high from the landings. He was also happy with the way that I controlled the attitude of the model whilst being pulled about in the cross winds, managing to keep the model flying in a straight line in the direction wanted. As much as I would have preferred to have a calm day, I was glad to have experienced the windy conditions because as my mentor pointed out, you have to be able to maintain control in all conditions. ..... fair point. The last two flights, the wind was all but gone really. The approaches were intentional and I discussed the fact that I was going to do this with my mentor as the moment arrived, but the 1st landing was more a spur of the moment decision which I sort of " just announced " and before there was too much time to potentially " overthink " it, it was over. I'm not sure I gave my mentor any real time to object or suggest that maybe I was not up to it although I suppose he could have taken back control if he didn't think it was a great idea. The good thing is, in my mind, that my mentor is a very positive and progressive thinking person and once you have successfully managed a certain skill, it's really more or less one that you Immediately own from now on, unless there are maybe special circumstances ( adverse weather or you drop a bollock ). There is still a long way to go and nothing perfected as yet but I'm inching my way forward to becoming solo and catapulting my potential for flying hours and quicker progression. Bring it on. Toto

Congrats. It s a great feeling isn't it, and still get it when I grease one.

Thats brilliant Toto and it will only get better from here on in. Happy Easter and Happy Landings.