gary davies-jones

Super cheap mini servos, from Hong-Kong via e-bay. Seem to be fine, and have even survived a couple of soakings in my model boats, and still work. Bit noisey though. Still at £11 for 4 what do expect.  These are new ones by the way.    

Hi Sheldon, Sounds good. Are you going to blog the build? Hope so I'd like to see it. Iknow what you mean about leccy bits. I chose the motor speed controller by default. I was looking for something else in my odds and sods boxes and found both of them in there, in thier packets unopened just gathering dust. Not state of the art I know, but I'll give 'em go, then if they're too heavey I'll have a look at the motor and ESC Timbo recommended.   Good luck with your build, Gary P.S. where do you get really cheap Li-Po's and Li-Po chargers?

Hi, just a quick correction. I realised that all was not as t should be after I posted the photobucket links, (all of the wings?) any way here are the pics as they shold have appeared. Just ignore the other atempt and put it down to a virus (C-Nile virus).   P.S. as before any sugestions will be welcome. So if you see any glaring cock-ups (not rude ask any archer what it means) please feel free to point them out, I won't sulk Thanks Gary    

The fusalage sides have been reinforced with a 1/64 lightply skin to cope with the extra weight and power.  

The engine cowling just houses a conventional 400 brushed motor, and has had the balsa front plate replaced with a 1/16 lightply one.   http://i982.photobucket.com/albums/ae306/WoodWorker66/PICT1503-1.jpg

The rudder has been reinforced either side of the "hinge" line, and seperated from the fin ready to be covered, and mounted with a sewn hinge.   http://i982.photobucket.com/albums/ae306/WoodWorker66/PICT1503-1.jpg   Same with the tail plane

The wings are at the moment as per the plans. It may be that I add a small full length aileron to the trailing edge, or more likley that this will end up with just rudder and elevator control.   http://i982.photobucket.com/albums/ae306/WoodWorker66/PICT1503-1.jpg

OK, I'm back. It's been a while since I anounced that I would be embarking on this project and asked for some advice. Unfortunately the time to start building has not been available till now what with job hunting, school holidays, and my oldest joining the ATC so he can play with the real thing. Anyway with the British summer continuing in it's normal fashion ie. persisting precipitation, I dusted off my building board, girded my self to tell the wife what I was about to do, and opened the box. First thing first, off to the copy shop to get a set of plans to cut up and mount on the board. I won't bore you all with the details, but at the end of a weeks concentrated building, I have a kit of major components ready to modify and assemble.

Hi Guys, yes it is a recoil starter, and no it wouldn't be funny. Well yes actually it would, but I'm not sure I'd laugh at the moment.   By the way the flywheel turns clockwise when viewed from above. Now since this means that as the advance happens it rotates the base plate anticlockwise. That is right isn't it?   I have at this time given up. A friend of a friend, it turns out, runs a business repairing and breaking outboards for spares. Long and the short of that is he's going to have a look at it at mates rates.   Gary

thanks guys, a lot more to try, if the ATF/petrol trick doesn't work I'll invest in a gaskit set and have a rebuild session. While I'm at it i'll change those seals as well. Gary Edited By gary davies-jones on 03/06/2009 19:58:20

Hi guys, right then, so far the plugs are wet, occasionally it tries to fire with a little splutter. Once all the unburnt fuel in the exhaust ignited with a huge bang, very spectacular. I have tried squirting fuel directly into the cylinders, and the carb throat (still no effort from it). The read valves are not stuck (been in there and checked/cleaned). When constantly yanking the string (requisit blisters and all) the smell of raw petroil mix from the exhaust changes to the smell of burnt two stroke mix and a faint blue haze rises from the exhaust, which hints at combustion. I have tried cleaning the carb jets, but have been told that scrubbing with a tooth brush (hate the taste of petrol afterwards, must remember to use the wifes next time) is pretty inefective. I'm told I need an airline to get things moving.   I have recently sold my Seagull 40 minus (1954 vintage), and found that it used to be very economical and very reliable as long as the points were clean. The only problem with it was the lack of power and the blue cloud that followed you everywhere. Not that surprising really with a 10:1 mix. I'm regretting selling it now. Odd thing is Seagulls seem to engender either love or hate. In swansea the dealers, marine suppliers, boatyards, and boaters seem to hate them. Move 20 miles west to BurryPort and they are reverred and sought after by the boat yards and fishermen there.   Personally I'm beginning to dislike suzukis, just wish I could get it to fire. Thanks guys Gary

Hi anyone out there play with real boats and outboards? I've got a Suzuki DT8 outboard which refuses to start. It's got: sparks petrol/oil mix compression on both pots and a very stubborn nature.   Iv'e tried all sorts, including throwing away the old "stale" petrol and filling with clean new stuff.   Any suggestions wolud be usefull. And yes i have thought of using it as an anchor.   Thanks Gary

Cheers Timbo, Looks good, i'll give it a spin...............Spin...........ha ha. Sorry!   Gary

Hi Folks, With all the info you guys have posted I'm more than convinced that it is time to look for a cheap alternative power train.   I seem to remember that a few months ago there was a free plan called something like "Fling Wing" in RCM&E or some far inferior magazine. What is ringing bells of hope was the cheap motor esc package someone was offering for it.  Trouble is I can't find my copy of the magazine (may be in my filing cabinet at work) so any pointers in the right direction would be of great help. Of course I may have imagined it all, and be talking out of the wrong end of my digestive system. Either way comments would be appreciated (it may confirm my insanity once and for all).   Gary

Thanks for the pics guys, They are both looking fantastic examples fo the miliatary variant.   The only thing is......................................it's a lot to live up to.   Take a deep breath and open the kit box.   I'll post some pics as I progress.................or even when I make a start.   Thanks again Gary

Hi Tim, yes it is one of those Irvine motors. The instructions say that the timming is "factory set." I'm guessing from your comments that the factory settings are questionable. The power output is quoted at around 75 Watts, obviously a lower power to weight ratio than a brushless. Needs some thinking about. Thanks for the feedback. Gary

Hi NSA, Thanks for getting back to me, your obviously trapped indoors by the rain too. I was going to do some gardening today...........Honest! I have a cobalt 400 size motor sitting in the loft looking for a home. Probably a bit on the heavey, and maybe too powerfull side for the cub. The instructions with the motor  say it will turn a 7 X 5.  What do you think too much weight/power?   Already have the servos, some cheap 5g jobbies from Hong Kong. I've used them for lightweight boats, they're noisey but seem to be reliable enough, even after several soakings and drying out cycles.   Gary Edited By gary davies-jones on 17/04/2009 12:37:43

Hi folks, I'm about to embark on a project and am wondering if anybody else has done a similar or even the same thing.   It is to build a west wings 1/12th scale (35.2") Piper Cub. Now the kit is for a rubber pwered free flighter, my intenetion is to convert it to electric RC. This will be my first forray into building a "traditional" kit, but having a background in scratch building ic sports boats I think I should be able to achieve the intended outcome.   That said any adivce would be welcome.   I will, when I work out how to do it, post pics and keep a photographic blog of the build here, just in case anyone is interested.   Before I begin however I would like to "share" an idea i had regarding wing building. Obviously one needs a building board. Obviously it has to be flat and true. Obviously one has to get pins into it. now the problem I had was this, soft enough for me to get pins into was not rigid or flat enough (sundela board). The flat and true 3/4" ply was too hard to get pins into with my arthritic hands.It took a while, but evetually (yes I know some of you are ahead of me) the idea to laminate the sundela to the ply dawned. Question is, am I teaching my granny to suck eggs? Has anyone else used this sought of building board, and if so what are your experiences i.e. am I making myself unfroseen difficulties?   As I said all feedback is welcome.   Cheers for now Gary

Here's a thought. If you got a split charger in the car then you could charge your leisure battery as you drive, and not draw any current from it when starting the car. So as you drove around doing your dailey grind you'd be charging up ready for the weekend. I was going to insert a smily there, but cannot seem to do it. Must be that C-Nile virus going about. Gary

Just a further thought, My 406 diesel only has a silly little 75Ah battery on it. I would assume yours is the same. Now mine has always seemed to struggle to turn the engine at what I would say is a good cranking speed. I just wouldn't trust it to charge flight batteries and start the car`later on. Unless you do of course park on hills (not really recommended). By the way DMA in Bridgend used to supply mobility scooter batteries. Don't know if they still do but if you wanted to go down that route then perhaps they could point you in the right direction. Best of luck Gary

Park the car facing down a slope as a fail safe starting method. Problem solved. No seriously don't flatten your car battery, as Timbo says car batteries in particular don't like deep cycling. The liesure battery should survive it better, but if you can get hold of a deep cycle traction battery (from say a mobility scooter) it will take even more abuse before dying permanenetly.  I'm surprised you only got three charges though, if fully charged you have a theoretical 85Ah to play with. If you assume for practical purposes you have half that (you should be able to get a bit more) then thats 42.5Ah. Then factor in the ineficiency of the charger say 75% you should still get 30Ah of available charge, thats 7 and a bit charges, and thats a worst case with high inefficiency assumed. Methinks your battery could be cream crackered.   Still there is a solution to charging at the field, throw out all those things *l*ctric dark arts and buy some real engines, then you only have Rx and Tx batteries to charge, and the starter motor to run. I get away with a pair of 7Ah stairlift batteries in parallel for all that.   Gary

Hey guys, I've just had an epifany (check spelling later). I have an old hedge trimmer (good engine knackerd cutter bar) in the shed. 28cc of reliable petrol power? Sounds sought of promising, mounted low driving the prop via a toothed belt. hmmmmmmmmmmmm?   Gary

Hi Ken, pics will follow as construction continues. At the moment the hull is in an incomplete state, I'll try to put some pics on later today, but with all the non modeling commitments like eating shopping working all eating into my more important activitites it may not not happen.   Gary   p.s. I've not posted any pics yet so I'll have to work that out too.

Ok Andy, good thinking, but still not got much idea of size for say a three blade propon this engine, or come to that a four blader.   Any suggestions?   Gary

Arrrrrrr Ken, It's a two stroke, will those sizes still apply? Gary