Martin_H
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Everything posted by Martin_H
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Thought I would start a thread on my adventures on building the Flair Tiger Moth with electric power. So far I have a rather large box of die cut ply bits and sheet and strip balsa, an E-Flite 160 electric motor and 2 5s 5 amp LiPo batteries. A 19 X 10 Bolly wood prop should round out the power side with a hopeful AUW of under 18 lbs or 8 Kilos. After some consideration I am hoping to get the motor and batteries forward of the firewall, accessible by hinging the cowling side panels. There have been a number of threads on this and other sites for the Flair and Duncan Hutson 1/4 scale Tiger Moths, with many good hints, tips and ideas, so I am going to keep this thread more aligned with the electrification side of the build. I invite anyone who has had success or otherwise in electrifrying this or similar size models to make comment.
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A great inspiration to Aeromodelling around the world and a true Gentleman. Boddo, you should be Knighted for your contribution to the hobby. Sir Boddo of Balsa Dust, I salute you and wish you speedy recovery.
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Ahhhh...The Temple Of The Red Hammer to the rescue!
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We get K & S music wire here in Oz, the closest to 5.5mm is the 7/32", which is 5.56mm. (Strange, thats the old Armalite calibre, ahhh takes me back to the old Army days!). Bit concerned about bending it so I have ordered in a K & S bending and coiling tool, from the States via internet. K & S claim it to be able to coil 3/16" and bend 1/4" music wire. We shall see. My biggest problem is none of my local hobby shops stock hardwood block any more, not even engine bearer stock. I am thinking of epoxy laminating up some marine grade plywood to the required thickness and using that. The local timber is a Hoop Pine laminate, which can be used as a substitute for Douglas Fir and was the ply used in the construction of the Australian version of the deHavilland Mosquito during WW II.
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Nice work!
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3/16 comes out at 4.7mm, so I guess 5mm would be best
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I am holding off on this build, the Mew Gull is such a passionate subject for me and I would really love to do a 1/3 scale version. When this Gull came along it was love at first sight and despite its shortcomings as a kit and the total lack of after market support (to those of you that can access it) I am positively anal about getting it right. I would hate to say how despondent I would have been if this blog hadn't put the problems 'out there' and offered solutions or encouragement. To keep my sanity I have built an old fashioned balsa kit Willy Monster, a 3.3 metre span trainer very similar to the giant Telemaster and electrifried that with the E Flite 110. Should fly next week, weather permitting. But that's another story. So, back to making a silk purse out of a sow's ear...
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After hearing (reading) the recent experiences I think the hardwood block idea is a good one, access through the top skins should be possible? Leon, did you replace the ENTIRE undercarriage ie strut and yolk? I am thinking 3/16 piano wire too but threading the end to take the yoke via a couple of lock nuts. Then maybe attach the fairing to the yoke and dispense with the wing mounting blocks for the fairings OR grinding out the front of the fairing. This would allow the axle to be brought forward maybe 1/2" which some in this thread have found to be useful! Actually look more scale... Reading some of the blogs on other sites you start to wonder if the authors are just used to really cra**y airplanes or they have got an entirely different kit! Judging by Federico's experience sheer horsepower isn't the answer...
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Caveat Emptor! or words to that effect. ALL businesses have the bodgers or mavericks that give it a bad name, the answer my friends is good solid research, not allowing yourself to be pressured by time or financial restraints and stick to plan! Make sure the product is covered by applicable standards and warranties and that it can perform without expensive optional add-ons. Kiwi G, I hear what you say, being a contractor tradie myself, but in the aircraft industry, pressuring a customer for payment on a $100K engine replacement then having to accept part payments when you have shelled out already for the goods. What has damaged the housing industry here in Oz has been the insulation debacle, cowboys setting up dodgy companies using dodgy imported materials to cash in on the insulation rebate. Result: 4 electrocutions in ceiling spaces using foil backed insulation, thousands of homes potentially at risk, dodgy cheap imported batts that don't meet standards that could mean a potential cancer or respiratory risk. Personally, for my place I went to the biggest Australian manufacturer, Bradford CSR, and had their people do it. Peace of mind, but the little guy who is genuine and giving it a good Aussie go, doing the right thing, is tarnished by the cowboys out for that quick buck and misses out. The only way the little guy can make it is by word of mouth by satisfied customers. As for house building, here in Oz you pay via the Building Society or Bank you have your mortgage with, it's very much in their interest too to ensure the work is on time and appropriate and they don't make progress payments to the housing contractor unless it is! As for the model trade, I have never been disappointed by suppliers here in Oz or overseas. The only gripe I have is with our postal service, USPS is a brilliant service and one that Oz Post should look at emulating. It seems to me that air freight internally in Oz is by low flying truck...
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The Mode Survey - what do you fly?
Martin_H replied to Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator's topic in General Radio Discussion
Fly Mode 2, which isn't popular in Oz, seems most people I fly with are Mode 1, asking about Mode 2 in shops here draws sometimes blank responses. Mode 2 to me is natural, having been a maintenance engineer on military helicopters and doing my fair share of stick time when flying. Also taught me to use throttle/collective for altitude control and fore/aft pitch/elevator for speed control. Makes more sense to me (read Wolfgang Langewiesche's Stick and Rudder). -
Ahhhh....Birds of Prey BRILLIANT duels between a Hughes 500 and an Alouette III!!! - David Janssen playing a washed out WW II P40 jockey flying a traffic chopper for a radio station until he spys a robbery in progress... The flying is absolutely astounding, especially the Brigham Young open cut mine and the deserted hangar scenes. THIS is the 'DUEL' of flying movies! Second place for sheer adrenaline the Top Gun flying scenes take the cake, as long as you can survive the plot line and the concept of Val Kilmer and Tom Cruise being fighter jocks... Edited By Arte et Marty on 07/01/2010 21:53:55 Edited By Arte et Marty on 07/01/2010 21:54:57
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NGNGNGNGNGNG..... How is this for service...... Emailed Stevens AeroModel in Colorado, USA last week and ordered some Trexler wheels for a project, USPS had the wheels in Sydney, Australia in 3 days. Rang Australia Post and they said it will take up to 8 WORKING DAYS to get the parcel from Sydney to Brisbane ... and it is not trackable. Now today is Wednesday, It has apparently been on the road since Monday and the best delivery they can give is Friday, maybe... Now some stats: Colorado Springs to Sydney : 13,300 km, two lots of Customs and an international dateline - 3 days. PLUS it was New Years weekend! Sydney to Brisbane: 729 km and 1 hours daylight saving - 8 days... Edited By Arte et Marty on 06/01/2010 00:28:07
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Plus they don't have expensive, complicated retracts...
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Try http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=916960, scroll down a bit and there are a heap of Bee plans on pdf, including a GyroBee
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Merry Christmas everybody - may balsa dust lay a fine mantle on your floors and the exotic aromas of glues and solvents perfume your air this Christmas and linger into your New Year
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Well, as to quote the Deluxe website: "High penetrating yellow aliphatic glue for close fitting pre-assembled joints. Drys fast and bonds wood, foam and plastic. Waterproof when set and produces tougher joints than superglue'. I know what its like with wood, just interested in the 'foam and plastics'!
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Recently had a little Easy Star make a very undignified arrival, nose first, with a fair degree of damage to the nose. The nose was crushed, cracked and distorted to one side but I remembered a thread from a site some time ago. I removed the radio gear and battery from the nose then immersed the damaged section in boiling hot water. The trick is to keep a critical eye on what is happening to the foam. A little manipulation (careful - the foam is HOT) and the nose swells back into shape. I guess what happens is that the crushed elapor cells expand back into shape with the heat of the boiling water. The smooth exterior of the foam swells with little foam bubbles but these can be burnished back smooth with a thumb, finger or the back of a spoon. A little cyano, wrap with tape (I used fiberglass tape along the seam from the front of the canopy round the nose then back to the aerial exit, plus a single wrap around the fuselage again just forward of the canopy), some tape on the internal seams and all fixed, with the added advantage of some external strength. Refitted the radio gear and battery, rebalanced and back to the park. Easy. Edited By Arte et Marty on 24/12/2009 02:54:08
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Yes thanks guys I do use the superglue and kicker however I was wanting to involve my youngest boy without exposing him to those lovely fumes just yet. Deluxe Superphatic is virtually impossible to get here in Australia and I am waiting on a postal delivery from the UK. I was hoping someone may have tried Superphatic and have something to report back. Might just have to do a little experiment...watch this space!
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Has anyone tried using Deluxe's Superphatic on any of Robbe's Elapor models yet?
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Remembered an old reference book from years ago, local library still had a copy! It is Aircraft Archive - Famous Racing and Aerobatic Planes, by Argus Books, 1989, ISBN 0 85242 999 1. Out of print now but there are some copies on Amazon, and Motorbooks International no longer list it in their catalogue. Wasn't Argus the original publisher of RCM&E? Besides some other lovely aircraft this book has some impressive 3 views by Harry Robinson of G - AFAA, CAPT Edgar Percival's E3H. Lots of good detail drawings, especially the cockpit. One of the Notes says 'All other Mew Gulls differed considerably in wing planform and other details'. So not much use to us if we wanted to detail our Henshaw version but an excellent reference for a scratch built 1/3 scale G-AFAA...
