Mike F

For years I struggled to put those little brass inserts into the rubbers,dropped them,cursed my elderly hand etc.. I don't think i will fit many more but its easy . Just put a screw through the bush and the insert the screw in the hole.. Don,t forget to take the screw out and fit at the other end . Bet many have been doing that for years but never let on. Edited By Mike F on 30/03/2013 21:24:37

I have had my Acrowot for about a year and I land over a fence with only a single briar in 50 yards but it found it. I was lucky the nylon bolts sheard as they should on both the undercarriage and wing,no damage.. I would always replace steel bolts with nylon.. Mine seemed to fit ok.What a state of the weather, I am sure last year a few hardy (pensioners flew virtually every week during the winter. I started my winter building in October because of the weather so will have to maiden a DB Cirrus Moth,retro Gangster63,,a Galaxy Musketeer and a plan built Comet from the late 40,s Just hope the gods look favourably soon I can,t afford to build another . Hard up pensioner with lots of time.

My best tips would be to use balsaloc anywhere there is hardwood or film to film joints,With practice cover a wing with on piece thereby avoiding joins on the leading edge,start with the top be careful but complete the tip leave theo bottom covering laid out to avoid touching it with the iron.Leave 3/8overlap.paint the overlap with balsaloc and after tacking slowly iron dow the bottom.. Shrink in one piece.I used to do this years ago and my last mmodel in my re-incarnation at 77 tried my old method . Its the fun part of building seeing the final shapes and colour applied..

Well may i throw a spanner in the works. I find the long length of a covering iron too clumsy and uncontrolable.. I find a travel iron is the business and will go in even the tightest of corners. If you are limited by budget buy a heatgun first. As for the thermostat I find different films and surfaces require different heats so I always have a trial run on scrap after cleaning the iron with meths.I have two travel irons clean both before use and use for the two prime colours on the model.. p.s.my first iron was £7.50 collect from John lewis,the second was £2 from a car boot.. I bought another for £2 which i gave to my son. Edited By Mike F on 16/01/2013 10:45:57

That sounds fine 3 grams is neither here or there.With the 61 fx it still required 100grams of lead. The model weights may vary according to the hardness of the balsa aft of the C of G just get the balance correct and enjoy flying it..\if I bought anpother I would bring the servos forward of the C of G. Someone mentioned control throws I set off with modest throws and it was so slow in the roll it was dangerous so have increased them twice since adding some up elevator in the mix sounds a good idea too. A great and quick model. Does not like to be slowed down on landing. Mikef

Just a few comments mine flyes well with an OS61FX as well as a friend with an XC70FS.. They do not float in,for their size they are a heavy model and need a headwind to slow them down.. My friend tried to use flaperons with flaps, warning it slowed it down but it dropped a wing at 3ft from the runway,so no damage.Discussing this with an auroedynamist his conclusion was if your going to use flaps they either need to be inboard or wide at the centre section than the tips,otherwise they act like wash in at the tip and will tip stall,,he finally said ,that why we freeflighters use washout.it seems to make sense ..For  those who want to put a 46 up front,you will need a fair lump of lead as well Edited By Mike F on 15/10/2012 15:40:36

just shows my techincal ability ,there was a thread about workshops and I downloaded a pic.. it has appeared on here, as if by magic..

I am building the Gangster 63 lite.. I presumed that the same applied as the older version a 61 was needed but it would be a tight fit and reading your thread a 46 would be ample,I also have available a 54 four stroke which would fit nicely and from your threads perform adequately.. I am a newbie to electrics and have only owned 2 an MX2 and a foamie wot4. All the talk of watts means only acro to me so could someone tell me a. which moter I would need / b. which controller /c.lipo power d.prop and e.the cost.I know a little about cells and presume a 4 cell would be the minimum. I just become befuddled by all the tech talk .. Maybe the more serious question is am i too old at 77.

I started building a kit from the 50,s DB Moth ,most helpful sent me a cowl,wheels and graphics.within a week.. Thanks

Well there we go I started building again 4 years ago after a 40 year break,my best moment to date is seeing an own design fly as straight as an arrow,now pensioned off. At present building a DB Moth Cirrus, nothing to beat passing the time when your retired.. By the way I bought a 63 Gangster built but uncovered at the Nats. I never really learnt to fly 40 years ago, you had to build then and see how cheap everything is now in 1970a model gear and radio Futaba M would cost you £250. I would have been sorry to see the ARTF,s arrive as the only way I could afford the hobby was to build a kit and sell it through the shop and get 2 kits in return.I marvel at some of the new ARTF,s, CNC cutting and the Chinese ladies can't half cover.. Never mind everyone to his own. I confess I cannot build the way I did,the eye sight the steady hands and the memory all take their toll. You know when your retired its a win win win situation. satisfaction is derived from building,from flying some exercise and get out with a few like minded friends and drink as much tea as fly. Bit like sex really everything takes you longer but remember that life is a sexually transmitted terminal illness.

Geoff Stubbs here in Oundle has one left.My advice would be to fit a heavy  engine in or you will need a lot of lead.. I have a 60fx and 4 ox lead. . Great Model. Edited By Mike F on 21/07/2012 19:56:17

After all the soul searching I flew my bigstick for 3 flights then for it the Acro-Wot ,the OS60fx started first time and I nervousdsly taxied, I lined it up to do some ground runs but on about one third power she lifted off as staright as a die and other than a bit of up trim required was like a trainer..I did not like putting the up trim in while flying as hand off the sticks resulted in quite a steep nose down attitude..Landed for trim and a 2nd flight different again I do not use full rates but increase them slowly when i feel comfortable.. A tru Acro-wot flyer nice crisp roles with only a touch of down on the top.. Landing a treat even without a breaze to slow it up. I can,t wait until Monday for another go. P.S. even with the 60 it required 4 oz of lead but on full powere it shifts and climbs vertical.. Still shaking ,stupid isn,t it but getting that first flight over is the best adrenilin rush going. Well maybe not quite!!

Have just completed mine and fitted OS60fx... but much better than the 46/55 recomended. but I still need 120gm nose weight to broing c of g.. Good luck everyone see you at the Chris foss fly in at Old Warden Sept. .I think there are plenty avaulable.. Geoff Stubbs Oundle I know has one. . The last of the old style model shops

 .. Firstly may I say how good the overall quality of the kit is. Jusr a couple of mods and ideas. I like nylon bolts to the undercarriage not the 3mm steel supplied  that will tear the fus to bits on a heavy landing or hit a rabbit hole on our grass strip .I made a 2nd plate of 4mm ply.. to fit inside with 6mm blind nute well epoxied on.A fidly job fitting as the wing mounting slot is deepand dont forget to file a slot in the centre if the plate obstructs the wing tongue. I like to pin my hinges but not mentioned.. I have not done so yet ,any comments please. Many Idea i liked the inset wing servos for which i have mad litho plate covers the inclusion of all hardware and the gloosy step by step instructions although getting the rudder wires throug the fus is a bit fidly.I found i could  push and wriggle an 18 gauge  piano wire through from back to front, then tape and a spot of cyan to attech  the stranded wire to and then pull trhough. What a review the RCME gives, after i had bought and completed moving surfaces and radio fitted I read that 8 ounces of lead were required in the nose and with a 70fs fitted.Surely a design fault! There is plenty of room to move the 3 rear mounted servo,s to the c of g or in front..I am waiting for an engine so do not know where the C of G will come out with the battery forward under the tank and the throttle servo just behind the tank.It is bad enough having 8 oz of lead in a scale warbird but i do not want to carry it in a sports model. Designing a light aerobatic model and then adding wieght to get the C of G forward is erm dumb.. Or did they not build a prototype.If I need to add 8 oz of lead I will grasp the bbullet and re.make control rod and move the servos. Comments welcome it looks a great model and should fly well..   Having said that i had a mk1 for 2 years and last winter built the wots wot bipe last winter so looking forward to flying this, Edited By Mike F on 28/06/2012 11:20:36 Edited By Mike F on 28/06/2012 11:24:15

I have just had a look at my trannie,the only reference to france is a switch to their language.I will try to look further and let you know,, Mikef

P>S> the receiver was Futaba sold as new in box.Not the cheap orange .@import url(http://www.modelflying.co.uk/CuteEditor_Files/Style/SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/CuteEditor_Files/public_forums.css);

@import url(/CuteEditor_Files/public_forums.css); I am an old modeller that possibly needs to spend more.I bought on e.bay from a private source an 8fg reciever. Fitted in my cap 32 last week I had a distinct gltich as I turned into wind the model rolled uncontroleably for maybe 3 seconds.I continued for a circuit flying and landed .Every connection and linkage was checked and a range check done with no fault found.Back on the bench everything was checked again,the receiver was not very well fastened with velcro so a small garden tie was added to ensure it could not move. Today I flew it again,the first flight was without event in fact I enjoyed every minute and it responded well even doing a few rolls and a loop or two. I refuelled and proceeded to fly a couple of circuits on the 2nd upwing leg as I turned it spun and girrated out of control into the deck without any command,I can only blame the receiver as I have several 617fss and an 618fss and have flown them week in week out without a single glitch. Your comments please Mikef @import url(http://www.modelflying.co.uk/CuteEditor_Files/Style/SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/CuteEditor_Files/public_forums.css);

Hi Robin, like you I started with the KK kits. then the RAF as photographer rs meteor 9,s and loved the vamps, we used to have no6 Squadron visit each year from New |Zealand.. in the canal zone. 4 vamps skidded off the runway in a thunderstorm in Egypt !!!1954. Went back to modelling 3 years ago,nitro/seemed safe and familiar..Just ventured into electric with an MX2 but sticking a motor on the front of a Flair glider . @import url(http://www.modelflying.co.uk/CuteEditor_Files/Style/SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/CuteEditor_Files/public_forums.css);

ps no sympathy for big bandit he;s only a kid,at 76 my worst one was posting the shopping list and clipping an envelope on the supermarket trolley. derrrrr@import url(http://www.modelflying.co.uk/CuteEditor_Files/Style/SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/CuteEditor_Files/public_forums.css);

Grumpy is when you forget the carpet you kneel on to start your engine , your back wont allow you to get right down and your legs won't carry you back to the car to get it. Not helped when a young guy see,s your problem you thought you had hidden and starts your engine for you, trouble is he is never there when you want him the selfish sod is flying and better than you ever could. Blame amnesia on the nieghbor who always comes out when your loading ,he has made me go without wings and a trannie 2x. dam I forgot the spell check @import url(http://www.modelflying.co.uk/CuteEditor_Files/Style/SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/CuteEditor_Files/public_forums.css);

I have just bought a Thunder Tiger Champion 45s/ / can anyone tell me the c of g@import url(http://www.modelflying.co.uk/CuteEditor_Files/Style/SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/CuteEditor_Files/public_forums.css);

I doubt if more than a pound or two of our annual BMFA subscription goes towards the competitive side of our hobby.It is easy to look towards our own wants and needs yet forget that our roots came from the free flight /rubber/control line and that many of our younger enthusiasts start from there even now. You know nearly all of the progress made over the past 40 years has been driven by the competitive side of modelling and it would detrimental to our hobby were it to perish for a pound or two each per year. We now buy Chinese models maybe we should ask them and other manufacturers to help with fields, insurance,development and travel for team members.Long may the odd bod make a flying elephant with horns and dropping dung, it may be the development that fertilizes African crops and saves the world I am delighted to fly with an electric magician who flies and builds the old rubber models with motors and radio fitted. I love to see the rubber models at the Nationals and to marvel at their skill. As for the BMFA magazine if it was re-vamped and modernised we may have to pay for it and as a mean Yorkshireman I like it . mikef