ChrisH

Thanks to all esp. Martin - that link to "internet way back machine" was very interesting. Anyway, have found, somehow, don't quite know how, the link I was looking for, its to the "rc-airplane-world.com" site where the book I was looking for is to be found " The Beginner's Guide to Flying RC Airplanes". So happy now!! Chris

I am too old a dog to learn new tricks but still have an enquiring mind! On the old website, on the 'home' page I suppose it was, there was a link, or a link to a link, where someone was selling an ebook, for £9.99 I believe, I know you paid and then got the OK to download, to a guy selling a book of basically teach yourself flying. I used to see it each time on the old site but never took the step to buying. Now on the new website I can't find it to save my life. Anyone remember what I am talking about and thus able to point me in the right direction? As I said, I am not going to actually fly a model plane, but it would be nice to learn about it! Thanks, Chris

Thanks Guys, problem solved - perfect. A 1/4 scale B52, now that would be some model ! Chris

I can find any number of threads on here regarding materials to be used as building boards, and am indeed using a plywood base with a plasterboard topping as recommended by numerous postees, but no-one seems to list what they use as a non-stick transparent cover for the board. I have seen suggested somewhere kitchen greaseproof paper, but is that wide enough and clear enough I wonder (we currently don't have any to check!). But it seems like some sort of plastic sheeting would do, but what to buy, in a roll wide enough, and at a cheap enough price (as it's presumably a disposable item? ( I presume the sheet needs to be wide enough to cover in one as a joint down the middle would not be good, I wouldn't have thought). What do folks use? Chris

Thanks for the replies Guys. At present I don't use anything as I haven't got a running engine! However, the query arose in my mind of the use of an oil to 'wet' a dry engine before running, and perhaps after when laying up an engine for a period, and as a lot of glow fuels seem to have some % of castor oil it seems a pretty safe oil to squirt around, going back a long way. Then it seemed that it wasn't as available in chemists as it used to be, or maybe I'm just looking in the wrong place. It wasn't a 'should I use castor oil instead of synthetic' question, more a 'could I use....' type question, pure curiosity! But thanks for the replies, very interesting. Chris

They say no question is a stupid question if you don't know the answer, so here's another question! Is there any difference, or what is the difference, between Castor Oil that is used as an engine lub and castor oil that is used for cosmetic use as sold by health shops and chemists etc.? Another way of putting the question is if I buy castor oil from the chemist/health shop is it OK to use as engine lub?! Chris

Thanks for those two excellent suggestions. Plasterboard I had masses of off-cuts of, thought "won't need these anymore" and sent them to the tip! Typical! But that is one very good idea. The Sundeala board is also available from some model shops, also maybe even office suppliers, so will look out for that too.   Having said that, plaster board is cheap as chips and easily available and with the edges sealed with tape................ sorted! Thanks again, Chris   Edited By ChrisH on 14/01/2017 16:36:51

I have a wooden build board on which to build model aircraft which I would like to cover with an inexpensive more "pin friendly" material - the board is so hard that pins often bend rather than stick in, and sticking them in is very difficult. I wondered what other folk use? I had thought of cork sheet, but that is expensive, or hardboard, but that might be too hard still. My latest thought was perhaps 1/4 inch thick balsa sheet - would the 'hard' grade be hard enough? Or what other materials have people used to good effect that are not too costly? Chris

onetenor - yes the piston runs inside the sleeve. The engine is a 4 stroke, so the sleeve moves at half engine (piston) speed. I can see I am going to have to post some more info about the engine on here later. I will try and photograph the GA drawing and post it later, but it is not very clear drawing I'm afraid so if I cannot get a clear pic I won't post it. Just watching the news following the Ref having been up a couple of hours so it will be later as I am now a bit tired!!

Ernie - we have a place in Central Brittany quite close to Callac. We are just under an hour from the ferry port of Roscoff, when I can persuade my wife to take that crossing, and generally an hour from the North coast and under two hours from the South coast. Chris

Thanks to all for the very friendly welcome and good advice. For those interested in the sleeve valve glow engine it's still early days with just a few bits made but I will respond in more detail with pictures when I am further down the line. The cylinder barrel is aluminium, in which there is a CI liner, and inside the liner a steel sleeve moves up and down driven by a couple of gears. The plans date from 1988 I think and there was a casting available then for the crankcase. However, I have a cube of aluminium in which hopefully there is a crankcase just waiting to be revealed to the world. I actually did make one already, but then tried to be a clever dick and tart it up to make it look pretty and promptly loused it up, so another cube has been bought! I will put the sleeve valve engine on a new thread when I do go public, but don't hold your breath for the moment! Chris

kc - thanks for that info. I know the plans for the Peyret do state what grade balsa to use and where, which was news to me at the time as I in my ignorance had assumed balsa is balsa, end of. Lesson, never assume anything! I note with the Chapter One plane a wood pack or packs can be purchased along with the plans and an accessory pack which would seem to make sense first time around certainly. Chris

Geoff - actually we are more to the North of Brittany, the Loire Valley is quite a way from us. Nice area though - got a lot of very good red, white and rosè from a place down there!

KC - looks like I have another plane and engine to build on the list!

Hi - To explain further, I am a relative newbie to model engineering in that it is only in the last few years since I retired that I have been able to kit out a workshop with a lathe and mill/drill etc. But I have been in engineering all my life so the machining part was really refreshing and updating/upgrading old skills. With respect to model flying and model planes I am a complete newbie. I am having to read all I can (is there a good book that explains everything out there?) to try and understand the hobby. RC and what is required and what does what there is just a big black hole at the moment, there is an awful lot to learn it seems. I intended to try and build the Peyret not as a plane to learn to fly on,or even to definitely fly later, but more a project to while the hours away whilst we are in our place in France - we spend 4/5 months of the year over there. Don't get excited, it's not some South of France exotic hideaway in the sun, just a modest place in Brittany so the weather is much like here in the SouthWest. But its peaceful, and quiet, and uncrowded, one can totally relax. If I do decide to learn to fly, and why not, then I intend to first join a club, get advice there on a trainer to buy and learn on and then learn with a 'tutor' to help. I hope. That's the plan! Then I will try and build a model that my engine can power, or maybe just buy an engine that will do the job. All very much to be decided come the day. Assuming I am still around to do it!! My engines being built are a single cylinder sleeve valve engine being built because of my interest in sleeve valve engines, this is being built using just stock, no castings, from original plans, and completing a part built 3 cylinder radial engine whose original builder unfortunately died, and for which I am having to draw up plans and design half of the workings as the engine came 'sans' plans! If both engines just run I'lll be more than happy, if they eventually fly that would be a real bonus. I am very appreciative of all the advice given here to push me in the right direction, I do take careful note, many thanks. And from just studying the plans I have seen the Peyret is not a straightforward build! Chris

Hello. I bought the June edition of the RCM&E magazine which had the free plans of the Peyret Mauboussin Type XI. I thought I would quite like to build this model as a wee project - who knows, if I do it well enough it might even fly - but being very much a newbie to the model aircraft side I have not got a clue of where to go for supplies of the material required, like balsa and thin ply for starters. Can anyone recommend some reputable suppliers who will enable me to obtain the necessary materials I require please. Many thanks in advance, Chris

Hello, Just to introduce myself, am an ex sea-going engineer who is now well retired and into model engineering. Am currently building a model sleeve valve glow plug engine, plus a balsa wood model Hurricane (when I am in France for something to do!) given as a Christmas pressie, a repro of a KeilKraft kit I think. Bought the June edition of RCM&E just to see if this branch of models interests me and it does, so in the fullness of time I think I will try and see if there is a local (near Yeovil) model flying club. Chris

I'm going to set the end of the plug flush with the surface of the head then make a dome to reveal the nose of the plug. That should allow the nose to heat up properly and keep the plug away from hitting the piston! Chris

Gonzo - many thanks for your information, I will follow your advice. Cheers, Chris

Hi Gonzo, thanks for that, very interesting. My engine is a 4 stroke and I have just bought the plug and finished the head and the end of the plug is a good 1mm below the surface of the cylinder head. It didn't look right and now you tell me it is not right, encouraging. I note that the plug has a spigot (nose) below the thread of about 2 mm - so am I right in saying that spigot has to be clear of the head? I can arrange that by taking a little 'hollow' around the plug in the face of the head. Chris Edited By ChrisH on 18/04/2016 17:32:38

Can anyone please tell me the correct position the glow plug should be in relative to the cylinder head? By that, I mean should the glow plug sit so the business end is slightly recessed into the head, slightly proud of the head (thus into the combustion area), or sit so that the end of the glow plug is flush with the underside of the head. The reason of asking is that I am building an aero engine from old plans and the drawings do not make this clear. As is both the first engine I have built AND the first time I have had to use a glow plug I am in ignorance of what is the accepted 'norm'. I apologise if this has been the subject of a previous thread, I did check (honest!) but could not find anything. Chris Edited By ChrisH on 18/04/2016 14:29:34

Will shortly be starting a Christmas Pressie - a balsa wood and tissue Hawker Hurricane kit like we used to see in the 50's when I was a lad - that dates me! Thinking ahead to painting the model, I was thinking of painting the tissue with artists watercolour paints (to keep the weight of paint down) before covering the tissue with dope. Or should that be after covering with dope? However, I have no idea wether this was an OK idea, or a crackpot-to-be-avoided-at-all-costs idea, or what, being that this is a first model, and was hoping that someone could tell me wether my intention was the best way to go about it or not. If artists watercolour paints are no good, what paint is recommended, when do I apply it, and where do I get it from, plus where is a good place to source things like the transfers for RAF roundels, tail fin coloured strips, letters, and the dope, and which is the best dope to use - I was thinking of the newer non-solvent dopes instead of the more traditional cellulose type dope. Chris

What memories these tales above bring back. My first vehicle was an '52 Aerial VB, 600cc side valve, with a chair. 55mph downhill was flat out with either just me on board or me plus one on the back and one in the chair. And left hand bends certainly could be hairy! Had a couple of Rover P4's, a '60' and a '90' with overdrive, effortless comfortable driving, lovely motor, bench seat too, just what a young man out courting in those days required. Gear lever was a long armed effort with a sort of pivot point near the box. Managed to snap off two of them at said pivot, but I found if you used a spanner to select 4th, then gently slipped the clutch on take off, you could drive everywhere - carefully - in 4th no worries. But a true bodge job came to light in late 1971. I was up in Liverpool on a ship and courting a young lady. My mate was on another ship in the same docks and had his Morris Oxford I think it was, like a big moggie with the handbrake between drivers seat and drivers door, up there too, so persuaded him to loan it to me one Saturday night. Thought the brakes were a bit weakish and didn't pull straight, but what the hell, not interested in his car other than a means of transport, my eyes were just for the young lady, but drove it carefully round the city that night anyway, 'just in case'. Later, much later, my mate confessed the brakes were more than a bit dodgy, also had a leak on one of the front wheel brake pipes so had just employed the age-old stop-leak emergency trick of just hammering the copper pipe flat and look - no more leak! Apparently he later 'off-loaded' the car later in the same condition. Health and safety, morals, how did that work then? The important trick was to know which was the 'right' MoT shop to use in those days! Happy days all of them now it seems, things are very different now, mainly for the better and safer, but agree that the young lads of today miss out on the self reliance stuff that we HAD to employ to survive then with very limited funds. Chris

In the early 1970's was in Liverpool on a ship and was 'courting' a young lady. My mate on another ship had his car up there, so 'persuaded' him, as he was staying on board his ship that night, to lend me his motor to enable me to suitably entertain my young lady for the evening. The car seemed Ok but I thought the brakes were a bit lacking, but what the hell, I'd got a motor and had a young lady to entertain so all was well in the world, and so drove carefully around the city that night. It was only later, much later, like years later, my mate told me that the brake pipe to one of the front brakes was leaking so he had fixed it by hammering the brake pipe flat to seal it................ a true bodger! He later sold the car in that state as well, so he said. Ignorance is bliss! Happy days they were then, no cares in the world!