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Robert Parker

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Everything posted by Robert Parker

  1. Hi All, The charge rate was set at 0.7. Having finally checked over the batteries now that they have all completed the same cycle/discharging process there is only one battery has given me confidence to use in flight and with thanks to you Rotten Row for pointing out about the button, You tend to overlook these things especially when you have been away from the hobby for just over a year. I was indeed using the LiPo mode when recording the %ages. The battery I'm keeping in LiFe mode comes in at 98% whilst the others are below 50% Now, it's time to clear the building board and finish off a half built Ruhig Tiger 72 with IC motor. Regards Robert
  2. Hi Dick, I'm measuring with a battery capacity meter made by overlander Regards Robert
  3. Thanks once again for your replies. I have tried discharging/charging and although the batteries are showing around the 1100mAh mark the % is still 3% on the three I tried, and as has been quite rightly pointed out above what do you value most, the house/planes always come first. Thanks for all of your advice Regards Robert
  4. Looking good, hope the maiden goes well Regards Robert
  5. Thanks for the replies. I'll try out your suggestions tomorrow, wife is getting fed up of hearing the "Bleeps" Regards Robert
  6. Hi All, I have 5 "ZIPPY" LiFe RX batteries which do not want to charge, 2 of which have puffed up Due to life and events outside my control I was unable to build or fly at all last year and hopefully I will manage to get some flying done this year. I last put all of my batteries into storage mode last March, with the intension of repeating in September but this did not happen. I'm now going through all of my batteries and have managed to ressurect all but two of my NiMh batteries, LiPo's are good but all 5 of my LiFe RX batteries will not charge/ or increase their, their voltage is as follows:- Batt 1 6.556v c1 3.2v c2 3.2 puffed 2% Batt2 6.764v c1 3.4v c2 3.3v good 3% Batt3 6.606v c1 3.2v c2 3.3v lightly puffed 2% Batt4 6.714v c1 3.3v c2 3.3v good 3% Batt5 6.771v c1 3.3v c2 3.4 good 3% I have 3 good quality chargers and tried the batteries on all 3 chargers Any ideas are please, I just don't want to loose a plane for the sake of a faulty battery or just simply dispose of these at the local recycling centre and buy new. Regards Robert
  7. Hi J D 8, I too can vouch for the SC91, mine has been in my Tiger Moth for years. Mounted in inverted I had a few problems at first few flight always dead stick. Once I fitted an on board glow never any issues, starts easily even after a year or two without being run. Regards Robert
  8. Hi Chris, I did not waterproof the inside because mine will be flown of grass, when the time comes. Regarding the outside this is what i used... "I gave the hull a coat of sanding sealer, the dope based type not the water based type, and sanded it with wet and dry. So, with no time like the present the glass cloth was cut and I applied a coat of Poly C through the glass cloth and then two more coats after it had dried. Poly C is great stuff applied in thin coats, however, back to my earlier comment about the sanding sealer, on a previous model I used water based sanding sealer and what I found was that the Poly C, also water based softened the sanding sealer/balsa to the point that several areas had to be cut out as the balsa had warped very badly. I don't think it would have been an issue here with the hull but better safe than sorry, nothing worse than repairing a model whilst still building it."...... See January 9th 2022 posting for pictures The rest of the fuselage was covered with encapsulating film. i would love to see some photos of your Sunderland, at 72" mine is a large model but 94" wow. Hope this is of some help. Regards Robert
  9. Hi All, I bought one of these kits earlier this year and started the building yesterday, I intend fitting an SC 91FS up front. I do accept that this kit has been designed for electric use and that these are my modifications to convert to ic. Having read through the full blog and noted that there has been mention of moving/remaking F1 rearwards and then the cowl not fitting etc, got to get me thinking and sketching on the drawing and thinking a bit more and coming up with my solution. I decided to do this first before starting the build. SC 91 and mount with the prop driver just proud of the cowl line My idea, leave F1 in place, make a new F1a with spacers/packers to pull back the prop driver to the required position F1 with motor mount shown showing the amount of ply to remove My new F1a as I will call it with 16mm x 12mm beach engine bearers shaped to match the pulled in sides of the fuselage with the original F1 cut to allow it to pass over the engine mount. The washers give the correct side thrust. F1 placed over the mount with a cut out required for the carb later on. I opted to go for a side winder installation Glued together as one piece. I was a little concerned about the additional weight I was adding with my F1a and bearers but when I added this along with the engine weight then looked up all of the weights of the 6s battery, motor, esc etc my worries were unfounded and to be honest a big weight saving has been achieved a total of 1.179kgs!!! I think that I'm going to have to add a lot of ballast to get the CoG right, the rear end has already been designed light and there is little weight saving to be done at this end. What did you do Masher to get your Satio in place That's all for now Regards Robert
  10. Hi All, Just finished a Mr Vintage kit which I bought on a well known auction site. 72" wingspan, powered by an OS 70 fourstroke, covered in covering from 4 max and all up weight in 3.28 kg or 7 1/4 lbs Waiting to maiden, just need time and weather Regards Robert
  11. Hi All, Mr Vintage now awaits his maiden flight, although he did give me a fair surprise when I tried to balance in the week to find out the best place as where to place the servo tray and battery. These positions are not shown on the plan, so I took the assumption that the battery went next/close to the tank position and tacked the servo tray in place fairly forward, the aircraft was so nose heavy that I did not even let go on the balancer. Attempt two, servo tray as rearward as it would go, still very nose heavy, it had hardly made a difference, so I placed some lead strips(60g strips) on the tail and we were getting somewhere. Attempt three, battery taped to fuselage behind servos, still not right, two batteries plus some lead was getting close to a slight nose down attitude I was starting to think have I put too big an engine in, but no it is a 70 4stroke on the plans, anyway it got to balance correctly to fly. So the battery pack fitted as far back as it can along with the servo tray. 2 60g strips of lead instead of two battery packs. Servo tray fitted and closed loops made up along with the throttle snake and some slit plastic tubing made the combing around the cockpit cut out. coming looks good plus a pilot to finish it off All throws correct and then final balancing both ways I had to add some lead to the left wing I had to add a further 40g of lead to the tail too All up weight 3.28kg or 7 1/4lbs So there we have it, just waiting for the time and weather. I'll keep you all informed of how well she flies. That's all for now Regards Robert
  12. Hi All, On the home run now, all of the covering is done and everything is coming together nicely. Tail feathers glued in position, I added some 1/4 sheet between the longerons for a great glue contact A little on the pricey side but I think they add a lot to the model. The wheel kit, pre-centered hubs and packets of long and short spokes and adhesive plus the tyres the completed wheels and ready for the tyres I painted the rims and hubs with chrome paint The wheel in place, I had to extend the axles by soldering some brass tube on, just need to drill for the split pins and some washers, engine side mounted gives an un-obstructive view for the pilot Tank and battery fitted Litho plate gussets cut and glued in place. Next, servo installation, closed loops, throttle linkage and balancing. I was thinking I could be carrying out the maiden next weekend, however, I have been informed by SWMBO that the bedrooms, hall stairs and landing need decorating before xmas, read that as by end of November, so I think my flying will be curtailed quite a bit for the next few weeks, without any overtime work may throw at me, only 5 years, 2 months and 20 days to retirement, not that I'm counting. That's all for now Regards Robert
  13. Hi All, Here are a couple of photos taken at our club field taken at the same time as the above previous ones, the Sunderland and my own design Stirling have now been published in this months RCM&E I did toy with making a tractor too Yet to be maidened, but hope to, when work and home life allow. That's all for now Regards Robert
  14. Hi All, Progress has been steady since I last posted and I have started covering. That's the fuselage covered and the wing bolts self tapped into the blocks, I had not tried this method before but seems to be a good bite. Tank floor glued in position and fire wall drilled for pipes and throttle cable Again another first for me with the wings, this time with the covering. As the roll of covering was only just wide enough to the top and the bottom with virtually no overlap, I covered each wing panel in one, that is the top and bottom in one single piece per side with just enough to cover the trailing edge then add the ailerons and centre top section cutting away the film to allow the glue to the wing. Gluing the top section in place. Despite thinking about other methods of wing fixing I went for as per manufacturers instructions and bolted the front of the top section in place. Rudder and fin covered and placed in the stabiliser for photo. The covering used was from 4 max and it is the first time I used this covering material and it will not be the last time, it is easy to apply and shrinks very well, I have used over 4m of the roll (5m) so it makes it very economical too, cheaper than some 2m rolls. Next, solder the u/c legs together then dry fit the stabiliser to ensure everything aligns and mark the glue area then cover and finish off the rest of the covering. That's all for now Regards Robert
  15. Hi All, The wings are almost done, they did not take long at all, two evenings per panel A real joy to put together everything fitted. I only had to cut the diagonals and reduce the webs as they were from stock sheet material I had to guess the dihedral at 28mm under each tip rib Next, centre sheeting then flip over and repeat. trial fit to fuselage That's all for now Regards Robert
  16. Hi All, The fuselage is all but done now, Rear end pulled together with spacers and diagonals all glued in place plus cocktail sticks drilled into all of the joints as per instructions for added strength and no weight gain. Back to the front and I have decided to mount the engine sideways The top ply added and the wing top fairing made. I'm leaving the 1/2" sheet for now until the wings are sorted and happy with them and fixing the front of the wing. Next, starting the wings they should keep me busy for a bit. That's all for now Regards Robert
  17. I had a good days flying yesterday, I finally maidened my JB Aviation DH 71 tiger Moth racer and despite being a tad tail heavy she flew well once trimmed out, the pilot did try to help by removing the number "7" from the fin, not the best decals as the others were coming adrift as well. I also flew my Premier DH 82 Tiger Moth, now 16 years old as well as my Bi-stormer. Thanks to our club chairman Ian for the flying shots. Just after take off and a load of down trim power, OS 52fs ample Regards Robert
  18. Paul, The four engine wing leaning against the wall is from my Short Stirling own design, has been maidened very briefly She's becoming a bit of a hanger queen, so I built her sibling too, the TN plan pack. Now there's a sight that has not been seen since the 1940's Jim, The former was already drilled so I went as plan. Regards Robert
  19. Hi All, I've had a very productive weekend, this will be quick build at this rate. Both fuselage sides are completed, formers added, and joined together. Front and rear halves joined and formers added. The snake inners are for the closed loops for the rudder and elevator. Joining the second side, plan flipped over and a liberal coat of baby oil over the plan and all is revealed. Finally joining both sides together I managed to find a nice pair of spoked wheels, a little pricy but should look the part. Next, adding ply to the bottom and top of the front section of the fuselage, bringing in the tail end then rear bracing and some thinking about motor mounting. At this rate I'd better start thinking about a colour scheme too. That's all for now Regards Robert
  20. Hi All, Building has started and going well so far. I usually start with the tail feathers but as these are already done so onto the fuselage. I have already moved away from the instructions just to make life a little easier. Transferring the former positions to the fus sides, one left and one right and then laying out the Cyparis strip and I found that there were two pieces missing for the lower front of the fus and there were two shorter pieces over about half the length. Lucky I had some spare in the form of old push rods that I could utilise. This shortage was another reason to start at the back, thinking that by using all the long material then if there was any left over they may fit, 1st rear section made Once dry the second side swiftly followed. Something that did catch my attention was a little detail on what I assume is part of the wing retention, and if so may make fitting and removal a bit of a pain, yet to read instructions on that part but just a thought. The issue (circled) As I understand it means that the main hatch has to be removed to allow the wing forward retention to be fixed, why not a dowel? Now having read the instructions there is no mention of this detail. Plenty of time to think about it. Next, the forward section. That's all for now. Regards Robert
  21. Hi Jim, I have looked at the outerzone plan and all of the photos and yes, I agree with you that this is a larger version of Miss Vintage. Regards Robert
  22. Jim, I think those cowls add a lot to the model, something to consider for later on. I find it hard to understand why there is no manufacturers name on any of the kit, thanks to EarlyBird for the details. Regards Robert
  23. Hi All, Time to get back to building again now the heatwave has passed and my house can be entered without feeling the heat coming from the walls, with a kit that caught my eye on a well known auction site, and I got it for a good price too. I must admit that I have not heard of this particular kit before and was wondering if any of you out there have built/flown one. There is no manufacturers/designers name on the box, plans or instructions which is a pity as they deserve some credit for a well presented kit and I hope it flies as good as it looks. The kit is very well put together with the majority of parts labelled by hand. There is plenty of wood/ply in the box plus all of the hardware required as well as some litho plate, a nice touch for the aft section of the fuselage, see photos. Specifications are: Wingspan: 70" Fuselage Length : 46 3/8" Wing Area: 910 sq in Power: 70 fourstroke or 800 watt motor Radio: 4 channel This will be powered by an OS 70fs which was sitting the cupboard. A very plain box indeed. And yes I have had a good clean up of my bench, at last. Inside, Plans are clear to follow All the parts laid out on the bench........ Bonus, all the tail feathers are ready made to a very high standard just need hinging, wish my joints were that good. The leading edges must have been steamed to get that curve in Cyparis wood The fin and rudder too have been made to the same high standard with the leading/trailing edges have two laminations of Cyparis wood Should fit And of course the instructions And this what Mr Vintage looks like I think the litho plate is a really nice touch I got the finished photos from the auction listing, for what is in this kit plus the pre-made tail feathers they could have asked for more I think. That's all for now. I plan to start building in the next day or so and will keep you all posted. Regards Robert
  24. Hi All, Just finished my Flair Black Magic, covered in encapsulation/laminating film. Powered by an SC 30fs, I still need to add 100g lead in the nose to balance it. I bought the lit on a well know auction site and was listed as new, however, parts were missing which I replaced using the drawing and the bowden cables and I had to use snakes which is probably why I have to add the weight at the front. Note to self, check kits when bought and not leave them for years in the cupboard. Looking forward to the maiden Regards Robert
  25. Hi Tosh, If you look up Ron Grey's "Laminating film buying it and using it" this is where I learnt about it too. In a nutshell, it is a bit like Oracover/Solartex in application and easy to apply with an iron, it can be persuaded to go around compound curves with a little patients, however, only shrink it with the iron and DO NOT USE A HEAT GUN on it. Compared to other films it is cheap as chips and it has no backing film to it so it is kinder to the environment too. I did however, encounter a big problem with it, new material new learning, even though I went of the model with 800 grit wet and dry to give it a key for the paint, the paint I used did not take well and comes off fairly easy. I used Halfords white primer, all over the fuselage and on the wing underside and for the camo I used Flair spectrum paints and these too come off easily. Since painting the model I have learnt that using Plastic Primer to start with and then painting over that. In Ron's blog he has used acrylic paints, really worth a read. Regards Robert
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