Jonnor

If you are an r/c flyer then you'll live longer, according to today's papers. Apparently a scientific study has shown that quick reactions (essential when flying a model, as we well know) in middle age reduce the chances of dying within the following 15 years. Researchers found that one's speed of reaction shows how well the nervous system is working and indicate the state of overall health. So keep that gear charged and get flying.

Today discovered www.Lontra.co.uk who design and make a remarkable Blade Compressor and also what's described as a revolutionary new engine, the Lindsey Engine. The firm is doing very well with its products and their webpage, including an animation, is well worth seeing. With the general downsizing of car engines their compressor has a potentially huge market.

It's fashionable to load evermore electronic knick knacks into new cars. My Seat has a mind blowing collection of buttons, roller switches and a power station style of touchscreen. It'll take me years to sus it all and it's just too irritating to use. I read a newspaper letter from a guy who said the Lancaster bomber instruction manual ran to 20 pages. The manual for his new car had 300 pages. Bring back the Model T Ford I say.

Great programmes, but I was sad to hear the "expert" James Holland perpetuate the error that the brilliant Sir Frank Whittle "invented" the jet engine. He certainly didn't. The first successful gas turbine was designed and built by a Norwegian engineer in 1903-- a patent to put one in a aircraft was taken out in 1921 The German engineer Hans von O'hain was building a jet engine at the same time as Sir Frank, and the Germans had their jet powered aircraft in the air before we did. Check it out on Wikipedia -- look for jet engines and Sir Frank Whittle. Fascinating stuff which once more illuminates the past activities and attitudes of that most useless of mammals -- politicians. .

Slip, click, whatever. I merely wanted to offer a possible solution.

There was a recent piece by computer boffin Rick Maybury in the Daily Telegraph. He said there is a ransomware programe called Cryptolocker doing the rounds where victims had to pay a fine to have their infected computers restored to normal. It could, he said, slip past security software, get in email attachments, come from infected websites or downloading pirated software. To correct things he suggested a freeware tool on the Foolish It website called Cryptoprevent ---http://goo.gl/41tm6T All way above my head, but I hope it helps.

Further to Peter's soldering suggestion I saw a 3/16th slot in the end of the wire, nip said end together at the tip, fill the gap with solder, then drill a pin sized hole in it...........put wheel on, add a washer, and pop a pin thru the hole and bend it. Again, you'll never lose that wheel.

Many thanks Chris -- much appreciated.

I'm getting hold of a back copy to get the plan..........but the c/f tube looks very thin - and whippy - should I get a stouter one rather than the indicated dimensions in the plan?

If you missed that excellent tv documentary on the Mosquito a while back - it's on again tonight. Mon. Aug 26th. Nine pm on More 4 -- very well done by a real life Mossie enthusiast, who even gets to fly this magnificent machine.

Get a drawing compass....thingy with a spike and a hole for the pencil......inch or so of 6mm dowel. saw a slit in the end of the dowel, slide in a Swan Morton blade or similar and secure. Pop this in the compass and you've got a variable size balsa cutter. you can also use it for cutting circles in covering films.

Roll on Graphene batteries -- theyre going to change the world....or so I read. Smaller, more powerful and definitely not potential fire bombs.

What gets me about petrol engines is that you can buy a petrol engined strimmer -- generally about 30/40c.c or a similarly powered leaf blower for less than 200 quid. The makers could easily do such a motor with mounts and a prop driver instead.. As with most specialist hobbies we're easy meat.

I have a small jar, half filled with thinners, and all the spray nozzles go in there..give 'em a good shake now and then and there's never a blockage. Some nozzles are slightly different in size, so it's a good idea to build up a little stock.

My pleasure.......while the article doesn't specifically mention it....the tips are joined by wire. If you want to glue it all up you'll end up with a very long wing.......so, use removable wire joiners, with a bit of tape for security, and you've got an easily transportable three piece wing --- right?