Devcon1

It looks like a model......

I'm very happy with my DX8 but would reccomend upgrading to the LiPo battery to make battery management foolproof.

Hi Glyn R, It may matter if you have interest in the manufacturing side of the business, but I appreciate it's not important to know where some stuff comes from as long as it does the job you want it to. I'm just the type of person who likes to know these things. I wish I could afford to buy a brand new Saito as clearly they have a superior offering, based on information out there clearly justified, the same for OS. To get the R&D/build costs down it makes great sense to "multibrand" the product. I drive a Skoda Octavia fully understanding where they come from and that it shares it's mechanical underpinnings with the VW Golf, Audi A3, Audi TT, VW Beetle, Seat Toledo etc etc..... If I won a modest lottery amount I'd probally buy a VW or even Audi because I could but I'd be still getting the same engineering excellence under the skin.... Regards John

Hi Just looked at the Saito site and clicking on it takes you straight to the Horizon Hobbies site, given the Horizon branded engines "Evolution" are made at the same Sanye/ASP/SC/RCV/Magnum factory et al ,is it possible that Saito are also made there ? I'm not overly bothered by it but a bit of transparency wouldn't go amiss. Regards John

Hi all, Looks like all the manufacturing expertise lies under the same roof, thinking of OS's ownership of Irvine I, unless told otherwise, imagine these too are made at the Sanye plant. I wonder who makes Super Tigre engines and all the rest, I imagine Saito are a standalone company together with OS and Enya but who knows..... Regards John

Taming Gravity.......

Hi Simon, Thanks for the great info and the links, it's all very clear now, my choice is very simple, best price/aftersales service will win the day. I just shows how offering more choice (Brand names) increases sales and explains the lack of core websites. Kind Regards John

Hi Keith, I'd be interested to call them tomorrow to what the insiders knowledge is. Regards John

Hi GrahamC, Simon Thanks for that, how did you find that? It is indeed a murky world out there. Looking at the Golden River Company they seem a wholesaler for other sub manufacturers including Sanye who appear to make some stuff for them and others. I'd love to see an accurate family tree of design rights, place of manufacture and supply chains and " who owns the brand names"... but as long I get the right engine at the right price...... Regards John

Hi All, Looking at getting an ASP 120 Four Stroke new or used but am getting confused. Are SC, ASP, Magnum and OS all coming out of the same factory or only some related, I can find a Magnum Web Site but no "company" details, I can't find any ASP site or an SC website.... OS is quite straightforward with a good site. IS this a bit like the mighty VW group where Volkswagen, Audi, Seat, Skoda,Bentley,Bugatti,Lamborghini,Porsche,MAN,Scania,VW Commercial Vehicles, Suzuki (shares) and Ducati are all independent Brands but come from closely related R&D and manufacturing bases. I know the facts are out there but I just can't find them. Regards John

A full set of Permagrit tools, getting on for well over 15 years old.....

1: Pass my A and B Certificate 2: Build my first Piper Cub 3: Fly more 4: Remember to put my wing bolts in my flight box....... Regards

Hi Robin, What a great find, fascinating to see the old Heathrow and how it has evolved to today, It would be interesting to see the same with Croydon Airport as many of the original buildings still stand, I have fond memories of going down there to get my Skyleader radio gear serviced in the good old days...... Regards

Pretty cold here in Devon with last Sunday being fine flying weather, a few outings with my trusty Formula 3D Magic were very enjoyable. I'd love to have an external temperature sensor on my telemetry to see what it was like up there, the first flight was in 1 degrees at ground level. Snow (or cold rain) forecast at the end of this week so we'll see what this weekend brings Regards

Hi Colin, It sounds like a great opportunity to get some local club visibility in this shop you talk about, to expose so many people to "flying toys" strikes me as a huge positve, if it ignites something in a fraction of it's customer base then surely it must be a good thing. We have to accept that the entry points into this wonderful hobby have changed in the same way we have seen things change,( ARTF's, 2.4Ghz, telemetry, cheap small servos etc, etc) otherwise we become dinosaurs. Those youngsters with the flair and interest will have had a great start, just different to some of ours. Kind Regards John

I got a.. VQ international 63" Fly Baby with an appropriate selection of servos, rx and flight pack plus a polo shirt, Halfords gift voucher, a nice bottle of Port.... Look forward to Spring

Hi Tim, There would be huge interest if you got it in front of the right people, if I owned it I would keep it, not sure how much it would be worth but for the right market more than you would think, loads of interest in old original kits these days. Regards

I've seen it twice, my 10 year boy was desperate to watch the following morning. He enjoyed it alot. You can't take a mass audience programme like this too seriously but if you look beyond James's "tounge in cheek" style there was a huge level of effort and acheivement. To get so many people involved across the spektrum (college students, full size aviators and the BBC cheque book) was a fantastic acheivement. I loved the launch system original design, and the teams enthusiasm to push on with the whole thing. Great TV, highlight of the festive viewing, look forward to his next challenge in the world of RC.....     Edited By Chris Bott - Moderator on 25/12/2012 14:02:48

Thanks Frank, That makes sense, I guess you'd only start possibly having fuel problems when hitting the 1/4 tank position with much more chance of pulling air through instead of fuel. It's got me thinking though about maybe fitting some sort of small header tank that stays full as it's replenished from the main tank. Kind Regards

Hi I'm also curious as to how, with a typical tank shown above, does the engine keep running when say in a vertical dive with half a tank of fuel. With the model static but nose down vertically and half a tank full the clunk will be poking up into thin air. Where does the fuel come from in this situation whilst in flight? Regards

Hi All, I was musing last night and wondered how long it will be before we have a stick feedback system. I don't see why aerodynamic forces from an elevator for example can't be taken by measuring the workload of the servo (simple cuurent draw possibly) transmitted back to the Tx via telemetry and some sort of force feedback system driving the gimbals. I can't see any obvious reason why this can't be a reality other than increased cost, maybe some of the big boys are working on it right now. It wouldn't surprise me that some clever bod has done this on a model aircraft already. After sales peak during the 2.4ghz revolution the manufacturers will need a new "sales angle" to stimulate the market. Am I being realistic or is there some fundamental problem with this concept. Kind Regards

Hi Pete B, Alan and all other who have contributed to this post, thanks for your feedback and apologies if I've missed any replies.... Looks like the LiPo soloution solves everything but I have contacted the good people at HH Harlow to see what their thoughts and recommendations are. Kind Regards John

How about, If I want your opinion I'll give it to you.....

Here's my Precedent Turbulent build with Frise Ailerons, two peice wing and removable Stabilisor. I'll post some Fuz pictures and assembly photos next time. I aquired it with the cowl and fuselage built but the wing ,tail feathers and everything else untouched Kind Regards   SGTG SBTG   Edited By Pete B - Moderator on 01/04/2013 15:30:15

Hi All, Hopefully this is my last entry pending an enquiry to Horizon Hobbies but I've just found this text which Spektrum USA use to describe theTX LIPO upgrade for DX7/DX8. Quite interesting to say the least. Overview The 4000 2SLiPo offers not only double the flight time as the stock DX8 Battery but also advanced safety and features. It also includes a built in safety current that shuts the battery off, to avoid overcharging and damaging the battery and radio. Plus a built in balancing system to make sure you get the longest life and power from your pack. http://www.spektrumrc.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=SPMB4000LPTX regards