Hamish

Delighted Peter, that someone of your eminence has brought this posting back to earth.  Reading the initial heading I  thought this was just what I  need as it should of provided me with an indication as to what size to use and where.  I found the chart only defines what the various size are but not where and what  to use.  I appreciate that different models will require different sizes and this was what I was after.  Thankfully David Ashby provided a link to previous postings that are of great assistance

Peter, do you not tape your battery leads at the connection !? I have just got a 2.4 GHz set  as I am moving into gliders.  As Gavin alluded to earlier, at the club sites you should not be shot down as it is controlled(?).  With the glider, where I am not in a controlled environment, I considered I could be shot down due to the weekend flier if on 35 and therefore the move.

Just acquired two old  Algebra gliders an 800 and 1000.  Took the batteries out and one has been dated September 1992.  Checked the voltage and each has just over 4 volts and the models have not been flown for some considerable time. Being a real tight Scot I have put them on charge to see what like just in case there is a delay in the replacement  NiMH's coming from VAPEX .  The cost of this hobby!

I think the same unit was featured on the tele the other day when it was used by Scotland's rugby team in training, for all the good it did them. Murrrayfield is surrounded by houses?? Understand the unit was loaned to them by one of the electricity companies who use it to inspect overhead cables, whom I assume  have approvals?

  Do really believe that they have not had training and practice.  As was  said in another forum, they could already be model fliers and now will have considerable experience. Had this technology been used to find a lost child we would have lauded its use.  As it is it caught a low life who had stolen somebodies property and he will now be mollycoddled  by social services at our expense .  Yes an error by the police in not having the correct approvals but that will soon be overcome

The first glider I purchased was an electric powered Easy Pigeon, which with two new central wing sections and some damage to the main fuselage will still fly, I hope.  I do not think this was a wise buy as the wings can be easily damaged.  I hope to take it on to a slope and have somebody with experience train me to fly. I then bought a second hand Hawk 1500 electric powered glider which was in pristine condition only for me to sadly continue to crash it and repair but taking away its initial appearance.  With the added weight of repairs I think it will need a force 10 to lift it off the ground. Third model was off ebay and I did not no what I was buying and it was a Laishing Thunderbird.  This was an all plastic or whatever electric powered model.  I have had an immense amount of fun with this model with the wings being rejoined a few times and it still flies, again needing a force 10.  Had a FlyCam fitted so got some great pictures of my numerous crashes.  This had a 400 brushed motor that burnt out and I have replaced with a brushless I had, but it is now underpowered.  I think my biggest  problem with the above models is I still think they are IC powered and I can throw them about the sky which is not the case.  Another problem I think is as I can fly IC you think you no it all but that is not the case.  My most recent purchase is an old Secret Weapon which is of traditional construction with foam wings covered in veneer and is I am told an aerobatic style glider.  I have tried to behave sensibly with this model and it has been up once with me with  the hands of an experienced flier to guide get me out of trouble.  Unfortunately the winds have disappeared at the moment and no other outings.  My last model is a scratch build total balsa glider from a 1996 plan, a Yellow Bird and I believe is for thermals.  I do not think any of the above is a guide as to what you should buy but is a picture of what I have done, right or wrong.  What I am slowly learning is that at this time of the year I think thermals are few and far between and this resulted in much of the damage to the first two models.  They are now heavy enough to go up on a slope and take a fair blow.   I think most importantly is to no where you are going to fly and get a model to suit along with the most important part being guidance from an experienced flier.  I hope the experienced can respond     

Having seen the start of this posting I thought, great, just what I need as a novice to this side of model flying.  I am away for a few days and when I catch up, the icing is on the cake.  The link by Andy to the novices section of the Eastern Soaring League is just what I need.  So much information and I can now begin to understand why I am having so little success. Great keep it coming.

Steven "build a huge Red Kite,thats what Top Gear would do" I think that is a great idea.  All three gooney birds could get on board, up to 3000ft and then the tail feather drop off.  Straight down and SPLAT.  Great, obliterate the destroyers of what was once a good program and is now children's entertainment.

Fairy Power Spray and a tooth brush.  No problem

Erfrog If it was pure sign wave it would be 3 waves, 120degrees apart, which would give you that mountain effect.  Will wait and see if the experts will give us a clue on the wave form whether its pure sine or a sawtooth type wave

Thanks Timbo, that is simple enough for my needs.

Thanks Ken, I'm looking for the KISS solution ie "I find XXX works ok in a 1.6m glider" Will wait and see

I have two gliders using brushed motors, a 400 and 300 ?? and am considering changing to brushless.  Is there an easy way of determining which motor as there is a bewildering number available.  They run 6X3 and 8X4 folding props. Any rule of thumb advise appreciated

Yes.  Do not use cyno as the foam will melt.

I also am also waiting for a delivery held up because of the snow.  Perhaps the supplier could have loaded up the boot of his Rolls Royce and gone to the nearest Post Office? We give up all too easily and when I worked for my local council the staff were desperate to get home at the smallest hint of snow.  It did not matter to them as they considered they should still be paid for minor small falls.

My first venture into gliders was to purchase an Easy Pigeon, which looks a nice model with the advantage of being able to take the wings off so I could take on holiday’s intoGrasshopper's Brittany, which was very enjoyable,   I have had a lot of grief with the model, which I had put down to fitting a brick of a NiMH making it difficult to handle. I had numerous tip stalls resulting in me having to build two new centre wing sections.   By coincidence I was going to post this morning regarding ballast as on reflection the brick would have been ok in the right wind conditions and the handling problem was down to my inexperience and not keeping speed up.  I have also found that when I apply full power to quickly the model yanked itself into a tip stall.  I have fitted a Lipo and this transformed the model and gave me my confidence back in the model, however, I think the NiMH can go back in for windy conditions.  Any advice would be appreciated and links to any instructional web sites. I have subsequently bought a number of models with varying degrees of success.  I have a Silent Weapon which is a foam winged un-powered glider which I hope to get up later in the month.  I am sure it will need plenty of wind and space and fortunately there is a meet at my local hill where I hope to meet up with experience flyers.   I bought off a club member a pristine E-Hawk 1400 which I have gradually changed the appearance of with continually doing stupid things and creating damage to fuselage and feathers which is good for improving my building skills no end.  I am considering a 1500 E-Hawk and would be grateful for anybodies experience.     Off ebay I bought a Thunderbird and I had no idea what I was buying.  This plastic type model came and I thought what have I done here.  After a lot of TLC this model has given me a lot of fun and experience.  The wing have been broken in two bits more than once and I stuck it back together with "£ land" epoxy and fibreglass - out to the field and off she goes.  Tried it yesterday and nearly lost it, as it was too windy which has prompted my question about ballast.  Also fitted a FlyCam to it and have great views of the surroundings Sorry to go on but any views appreciated  EditSorry for this odd type face.  I copy as I go olong so that I can paste if I loose the posting.  For some reason te spell checker stopped so I copied into Word, spell checked, and then pasted back in.  IT whiz kids will no why Edited By Hamish McNab on 11/01/2010 09:28:09 Edited By Hamish McNab on 11/01/2010 09:31:37

Try Giant Cod for a Corona synthesised 4 Ch £12.76  or 8 Ch Dual Conversion synthesised £14.65  I have a few of these and have no problems.  Not as quick or accurate as Futaba, but good value and easy to change t suit transmitter xtal

ChrisYou would rapidly discharge your car battery and then you would be really cold.  Better to just run the engine with the heater on. I am very lucky that I use a field at my house so can return into the heat more rapidly and what's better can get instant inner warmth, with a wee low flier, without worrying to drive.  I have been having some superb flights in still clear skies

Tom  I spent hours on my Sim on mode 2 and trained my fingers to react accordingly which helped no end when eventually got a real flight with a buddy box and instructer. I have now taken up gliding and at the moment feel  a slight awkwardness with mode 2.  Being right handed I use this hand to launch and then find myself scrabbling about to get my fingers on the right sticks.  Will try left hand launches or change to mode1  Any views?

Vicchio As the magnetic force is the same this must be achieved quicker for the low windings resulting in the higher revs.  Something to do with Henry's

Thanks Timbo. I can understand now that as the magnetic forces are stronger due to current the poles will move quicker to align.  I am afraid my HNC is 40+yr old when we had c/s and not these fancy Hz 

Kv = RPM/volt    -  How? Trying to get my head round how voltage can alter the speed of a brushless motor.  Back to my earlier training a 3ph motors speed was determined by the frequency of the supply and the number of poles in the winding, voltage provided current to give torque. Whilst motors can be wound with different poles to give speed variations the speed changes in models are provided by the changing the frequency by the ESC.  Am I correct in assuming that the ESC detects the voltage and therefore ups the frequency to give higher rpm?  If this assumption is correct why do motors have so many Kv ratings or is this just a figure if exceeded they will disintegrate?

Happy New Year everybody What you on inspector, as your keyboard skills are oot the box

I have on occasions struggled to get the backing off.  Clever clogs rActive came on with the simplest of solutions of putting sticky tape on either side offset so the do not stick together and it is simple to peel off. I have been indebted to rActive for this tip as it works every time

Stephen, you are such a celebratory that any LMS that did not give you a discount would be committing commercial suicide Hope you had a good Christmas  and all the best for the New Year