MaxG

I didn't paint my Wot4 foamie but I used colourful parcel tape instead. The stuff came from Staples some time ago when Zagis were in fashion. There are lots of colours. It sticks very well, was easy to apply and could be done very safely on the dinner table!!!! I also used it on my Fun Cub with equal success. Just a thought. HTH Max

I didn't paint my Wot4 foamie but I used colourful parcel tape instead. The stuff came from Staples some time ago when Zagis were in fashion. There are lots of colours. It sticks very well, was easy to apply and could be done very safely on the dinner table!!!! I also used it on my Fun Cub with equal success. Just a thought. HTH Max

I started about a year ago with indoor flying and was recommended a Twister Scale co-ax heli by Nitroflight Models in Rotherham on the basis that if I wished to progress to "real" helis I should start with a 4 channel model. Thank you Nitroflight as it did get me started very well. I am still flying it but have added an Ares Chronos FP110 fixed pitch heli now. I am coping with this, just!!! Flying circuits and very rough figures of eight. As someone who always thought he was not coordinated enough to cope with helis and somewhat long in the tooth as well I have been delighted with both models and my progress. Both come with Tx and battery charger so apart from extra batteries I have not needed anything else apart from a few spare blades for the Twister and they are cheap. The cost of both would come in at just about £100 and spares are available. I would recommend these without hesitation on the basis that if they work for old uncoordinated me then they should work very well for a young person with better reactions. HTH Max

Cotton buds used to paint fuel proffer/polyurethane varnish/sanding sealer/dope in places where finish is not important. For example inside cowls on ARTFs that are not fuel proofed or where you need to stick "sticky velcro" on to wood and wish to seal it first. Throw away when you have finished. Cheaper than thinners to clean a brush.

I have a Spitfire which has a green head which is what your 25mm green headed ones could be.

Yes please.

What I do is to mount the motor on to the former and then put the former and motor into the fuselage loose with no glue. Then get a fixed blade propeller and put that on the shaft. Then jam the motor into place using foam packing. Then using a long string from the back of the fuselage and the prop set horizontal set the former with the packing so you have the correct sidethrust that you want. Note that if you use a 300mm (12 inch)diameter prop, measure to both ends of the propeller and the difference is very large. About 10mm or 5mm per centre line to tip for say 2 degrees. That is very easy to measure. Ensure to jam the motor tight at the setting you want and then carefully turn the prop through 90 degrees and do the same with the downthrust but measure using the side of the fuselage at the tail to fix the string. Shuffle the packing to hold things still making sure you do not alter the alignment. Drop a couple of drips of cyano to hold in place a let it go off. Remove packing and propeller carefully and fix solidly with epoxy and a few glass tows and the job is a goodun. Try it all without glue and you will find out that it is easier to do than say. If you get confident with the dry fit then mix up some slow set epoxy and coat the edge of the motor former before putting the motor and former into the fuselage and fixing the prop on. Then when you have it set and fixed with the foam just leave it to set. Reinforce joint after the initial set has happened and all should be OK. This method has worked for me on several planes. You can also use the method to mark bolt holes in an engine mount if you are using an infernal combustion engine. HTH Max

Not a table saw as such but what about an Exact saw from JML as advertised on the shopping channels. You can apparently set the depth of cut and I think it may have a fence / giude http://www.jmldirect.com/uk/diy/exakt-saw-lite/invt/e08sl40100000001 Max

If you have a digital caliper use a clamp to hold it upside down and convert it into a height gauge. Calipers recently available fro Aldi £8.99 and has lots of other uses.

I use a tungsten carbide rod saw blade in a hacksaw frame. Search on this site and you will find one. http://www.tizaro.com/ HTH Max

Count me in please. Max

I have used the Multiplex connectors on several models and they have been very good for me. Where I have two wing halves either side of a fuselage I wire it up so the two connectors are opposite, i.e. plug on one wing half and socket on the other wing half. That way I cannot plug it together incorrectly. Yes I know we should carefully test the setup before flying but this is just one thing that is impossible to get wrong during the setup at the field. HTH Max

Rather than using insulating tape you may wish to consider spiral wrap such as this from Maplins http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/3mm-spiral-cable-wrap-sj26d The 3mm stuff takes two servo wires with ease and there are other sizes available. It makes for a neater installation. One slight snag I have found is that it stiffens the wire collection a bit so you need to consider where you need flexibility and where you do not. Google will show lots of other suppliers I am sure but the Maplins one is just to demonstrate the item. HTH Max

This may also help http://www.modelflight.regheath.com/mf153/workshop.htm Max

It was a super site + magazine. I really used to enjoy it and was very sorry when Reg died. I got much useful info from the site and still go back occasionally to look for things. By the way I also contributed something to the site and had it published. Max

This is a continuing issue with a lot of the competence schemes throughout the world. I am involved with some in industry which have similar issues. They are moving with the times and gradually tightening up as they learn how the scheme should work over a long period and how people's competence should be maintained. Not everything is tightening up however some systems are getting easier, those in education spring to mind. One issue you have to consider is how you would administer any retest situation, who would do it and how it would be funded. There could also be cases of the "old boys network" where some examiners may be more lenient with their flying buddies than with those they do not know. The other question is whether the current situation is causing a problem from a safety viewpoint and in the end that is what this is about. If it is not the based on the old adage "If it ain't broke don't fix it" Just a thought Max

I used the centre cutout to route the tank tubes when using one of the square slec tanks. Worked for me. Max

Count me in please.

There was a very good article in the latest BMFA news on this topic. Worth a read. Also if you put a LiPo in your TX are you sure you want to charge this in the house? In fact are you sure you want to charge it in the Tx as well. Lots of issues and inconveniences there. How does your Tx low battery alarm work with a LiPo in the system. Thje alarm voltage is likely to be wrong for a LiPo. Stick with Eneloops and be safe.

If you do go for the cork tiles one thing that is worth doing is to cover the cork tiles with a layer of wallpaper lining paper, the heaviest you can find, put on with wall paper paste. Then when it is all covered in glue and cut up you just lightly dampen it, peel it off and paste on another layer. You can also draw on the paper for centrelines and the like. I keep a biggish airtight jar of the wallpaper paste for the times when I need to replace the paper. Gives me a new building board surface anytime I start a new plane.