Bucksboy

Thanks gents, I've read most of the build threads, I'm using UHU Pro rather than a hot glue gun and I've sourced paper free foam board from amazon. I've also bought the paper covered boards from Hobbycraft. I'd missed any motor recommendations though, I'll contact Four Max in the New Year for a motor/esc/prop combo. I'll attack the rear with a hole cutter to remove weight too. I doubt if I'll getting much free time for a week or two now though! Thanks for the replies, Happy Christmas all!

Martin, I'm having a go at this 109 over the holidays. Can I ask which motor/ esc you put in this plane please?

After you apply the cloth, hang a load of pegs on the overhang. The weight of these will hold the cloth in place as it cures. Once dry, sand off the excess and then repeat the other side. If you start with the underside, then the top, the minimal overlap will be slightly better hidden.

I too used sanding sealer on the balsa before glassing, mine de-laminated following a crash. After speaking to the dealer I found that it was the sanding sealer that didn’t allow a good base. He recommended sealing with thinned resin or not at all. I use a foam roller, the resin is really smooth after that. A quick sand and a second coat followed by another quick sanding leaves a fantastically smooth, fuel proof skin.

I went with a modelling mate and we both enjoyed the show. The flying was great with different models to that I saw at Wings and Wheels. The trade show was bigger than I imagined and everything seemed well organised. As we left I found out that it was only the second show, I was even more impressed. We’ll certainly return next year.

Thanks for the replies. Convention says not to put servos in the tail as it needs lead to balance. However, I’m happy to accept that most plane designers know a lot more than me. So I thought I’d check, I’ll try and fit my servos in the fuselage to keep tail weight to a minimum.

It’s good to see a few Defiants at last. I’ve just started on mine and I’m starting with the tail. The plans show the elevator servos in the tail. Can I ask, did you all follow that or move them forward? Thanks!

I’m with John on this one, a small foam roller is by far the easiest way. The roller doesn’t snag the same way as a credit card. If you look up Bucks Composites, they have a ‘how to’ article which explains it. ( I’m nothing to do with them by the way)

Yours looks great, I’ve got the same plan and semi kit with mouldings awaiting a build. I too normally fly ic and was tempted to go electric on this one.

Here’s mine, it’s taken me ages to build it but I flew it yesterday for the first time. It’s the 63” version with a Laser 80 for power. I’ll dirty it up a bit but it’s hard to see anything as it screams past. I explained a while ago, the colours are a bit awry. A friend painted it for me and I wasn't going to ask him to repaint it. As I said, when it’s hurtling past it’s hard to see the red cowl!

I’m trying to view the magazine through Pocket mags but the August edition is showing for September as well. Someone else said it was fixed but mines still showing the same August edition on 20/8. Very frustrating.

Yes, Flightradar24, I actually pay for the app but the free version tells most what they need to know. Where’s the plane has come from, where’s its going to, speed, height etc.

Here’s my Warbird Replicas Lavochkin 7, built by me over the last year. It’s got a Laser 80 in it but is unflown. As I work abroad that won’t happen until the end of the summer. Its been painted by a friend, the colours are a bit off, a result of the photo being transferred several times and then printed. However, he’s made such a good job of it that I don’t care. Maybe it will be easier to see in flight. It weighs in at 10lb 10 oz, 2 oz overweight to the figures give by Richard. I’ll touch up the control horns and dirty it up a bit, add panel lines too. But it was easy to build and looks great.

I've built two of these, they fly really well. It will slither and slide off grass but I built a dolly to make take off not quite so scary. It has a mind of its own as it picks up speed over the grass and many take off's were aborted when the direction was wrong. My batteries were in the nose to achieve the balance, I have the two inners linked together and the two outers. If something fails I still have some power. Flying off snow meant that water got in and I stripped off the film and glassed the lower hull. It's a great looking plane that lumbers around the sky and looks the part. Sorry, I can't find any photos on this computer.

Test to add photo

I fly at West London, the Astro turf runway is excellent. As you guessed, it’s not cheap to lay. We used a professional firm to lay the foundations and lay the turf. We extended it a year or two later as it was very popular but a bit small. We too used a second hand hockey pitch given to us for free. The main reason we went for such a strip was that rabbits were constantly digging holes in our strip. We tried everything we could to stop them, this solution works. Once laid the strip is near maintenance free. Weeds still manage to grow in the joints and moss will grow. Work parties are organised to clear the moss. The surface is excellent, small foamies and their undercarriage love it. Big four strokes can nose over and still don’t damage the turf.

We laid at Astroturf runway because of the rabbit hole problem. We were given a used hockey pitch that was being replaced. Used Astroturf is expensive to recycle so they were pleased to give it away. It was expensive to lay, brand new or second hand it’s expensive to lay. However, the Astroturf is indestructible, nothing damages it. Model cars are raced on it, planes nose over and crash into it, it’s as good as it ever was.

Marvellous news!

Its a Schiebel, we use them at work, very capable and safe. They've got a huge range, we use them out to 150km. I'm sure they can be fitted with different payloads too.

I can help but only after a huge delay. I have three, one in use, one with a fault and a good spare, I think it’s an excellent, easy to use radio. But, and it’s a big but, I work abroad and I’m unlikely to be home before New Year. So, keep me in mind but it will be a long time before I can really help. PM me if it’s of any help.

Excellent as always. It's very informative and a very well designed model, well done!

I don't need a new model whichever way you look at it, I've got several ready to fly and a few ready to build, one of those is a WR Bf110. So, the real choice is a WR 55" electric Mustang or nothing. I totally understand that a few people requesting a certain model is not enough for all the work to produce a totally new model. I'll be happy with a Mustang, if I need another bigger kit, I'll buy another one from the Brian Taylor range.

1. Tempest 100/120 2. Tempest 70/80 3. Tempest 155/180 I'd love something else but we'll just go around the houses again.

If anyone wants something translated accurately into Russian, let me know. I work with many native Russian speakers. Mine’s off with a friend being painted at the moment, he’s doing in exchange for an old engine.

As I said on the other thread, I can’t resist a good kit, so I’ll have one please.