rowan clark

Hi Graham, I had one of your Contender tailed deltas back in the 90’s and thoroughly enjoyed every flight. It’s definitely on my list of old kits or planes to look out for, I seem to be rebuilding my teenage hanger one plane at a time 😂

Try Balsa Cabin, they normally stock it and are great for mail order too. U

So very sad to hear, I have followed Brian and his WOO column avidly for over 30 years, always the first pages to be read on opening a new edition. Fair winds sir.

Thanks Percy, I have set up a spread of movements on rates, one day I’ll get my head around programming these as flight modes, my Taranis can do a lot more than I can 😂. I normally start off with the reflex set so that the elevons follow the line of the bottom of the wing. I also have a 90’s T-Bat flying wing awaiting maiden and I remember from the first time round that this was the baseline setting and it has since worked with most tailless types. Fingers crossed they will both fly as well as my first ones did.

Hi, I have just picked up a second hand Laser Arrow delta. This is the original laser cut wood version, not the more recent foamy. I had one years back and it was a bundle of fun, right up until elevon flutter converted it into a bundle of very small bits. Unfortunately a few years have passed and I can’t find the old instructions anywhere so would anyone have the elevon movements to start out with so I can take some of the excitement out of the first flight? I have the C of G and this isn’t too critical anyway but getting the pitch and roll sensitivity there or thereabouts would be good. Thanks in advance

Thanks Chris, that was pretty much what I was thinking so good to know it is the right way. I must be learning after all. I love the possibilities of the Taranis but still have my mind fixed at Futaba Challenger technology levels so lots to learn

Stick calibration! that was it! Now perfect. Now need to work out how to avoid overwriting all the settings every time I tweak the setup in Companion, I suspect that this should be less infuriating. Thanks for the fix

rowanHi all, not a regular poster here, I can normally answer my own stupid questions from other people's posts or YouTube videos but this one is driving me mad! I have been stumbling my way through the Taranis with the help of the RCM&E series and a lot of head scratching (sadly no PHD in computer programming here) and am starting to get the hang of the basic logic of programming to the point where the OpenTX on screen simulator is doing exactly what I expect of it. The problem is that, when I sync the setup to the Tx and connect servos I am only getting an output to the control surface over half of the stick movement and of that it is at full deflection with stick centred and moving towards centre as the stick is moved to the limit, stick the other way has no effect at all. Thinking this was just me missing a basic setting that needed + & - values on the input or output I checked against the similar model setup in the mag article and it is the same as mine, confirming the simulator working perfectly. What am I doing wrong between the sim page and the model? I need to fix this as I have committed to the FrSKY way now and may never fly again unless I can kick myself out of the steam age. All suggestions gratefully received. Rowan

Is there any way to buy a copy of the plans for the MFM? I had one in the way back when and loved it to bits (quite a few bits in the end) sadly my plans have long since been lost but I'd love to build another.

As an idea, I used to run an OS46SF on a 9x9 APC prop and I had to cut the headed shorter to get the sweet spot so you probably need to look at keeping it quite short, with a 12x4 prop on the same motor and pipe it needed about a three inch extension pipe let in

I'm no expert with these but I just use a length of silicone tube to join the pipe to the header, stay off with the pipe right up tight with no gap and run the engine, then start pulling the pipe a little further away from the header and see how the engine responds, there should be a "sweet spot" where you get maximum revs, then further extension will see the revs drop again. A tacho to check engine rpm is handy but I have normally some it by ear with good results. When you get the best length then you can either leave the silicone tube as it is or insert an extension piece of metal tube. Thesender puppies work by sending the shockwave from combustion back to the exhaust port so it arrives at the perfect time to help keep the new fuel/air charge in the cylinder and not escaping before the piston closes the port. As I remember, for smaller props and higher rpm you tend towards a shorter pipe length whereas a bigger prop with lower peak revs will tend to find is sweet spot with a longer pipe length. Good luck and have fun experimenting

So sorry to hear about Brian, he was an absolute star and a credit to the hobby. He will be sadly missed by many

Got my STOL mk2 plan out of the "to build" pile, made my shopping list to call through to Balsa Cabin and sternly stopped myself getting started on any other builds. Looks like an OS25FP as I seem to have several and I'm far too poor for a nice little four stroke. I think it will have to be blue and yellow Solartex just like the one I took my first solo on back in about 1988 (are you still flying at the Brentwood club Albert?). Time for a fresh blade in the scalpel

Great to see that the STOL made it through. I learned to fly on a friends one of these in the late 80's and it's been on the build list ever since. As a member of the old school I shall be using the plan and sheet/strip wood, surely if you buy a set of cut parts and a wood pack this is kit? Not too mention the cost, I reckon I could put 3 or 4 together for the price of the two wood sets. Who knows, I might even get my act together enough to get along to Greenacres with it

Just in case my vote on the earlier thread hasn't been counted : 1 STOL 2 363 delta

1: Pete Russell STOL 2: Pete Russell delta