Walts

Thanks for the replies guys. I have already done and passed the test on the Alphatango page, but I believe this is a completely different thing to the FFAM test? If I'm understanding this properly, the Alphatango site is the government site that you legally have to comply with to be able to fly a model in France, in or outside of a club. I am guessing the FFAM is the equivalent of the BMFA, and as such is not a legal requirement as a 'country' flyer? However, I would still like to complete any tests they do offer.

Sorry to keep coming back to this thread with all my questions about France, but my questions don't seem to really warrant a thread of their own, so I was hoping to glean all my required answers through this thread if possible? I'm getting confused between the Alphatango, and the FFAM sites. I have registered on the Alphatango site, completed the training module, and registered a model on there. I have also registered on the FFAM site, although it says I am unlicensed. So I am currently trying to complete their online pilot training to obtain this license, which is the one that requires you to have all 20 answers correct. I have watched all the videos, and answered all the questions several times. At the end of every attempt when I click the submit button I get this message come up on my screen, 'licencies.ffam.asso.fr says un erreur s'est produite lors de l'enregistrement de vos reponses: Vous n'etes pas licencie. Now is this saying there has been a problem with my internet link during submission, or is it saying I have got something wrong in my answers? I have attempted this several times now, which is very time consuming, but it always ends with this message. Help please!

Yep! Worked my way through all that lot over the last couple of days 🙂

Thanks, I did go back and have a read of that post. I don't have the slightest inkling what any of that electrical gaggle means, and I don't have any idea really when it comes to making electronic gadgetry , no matter how simple, so I guess I'll just have to pay the mark up 🙂

I have sorted this now. It must have been a dodgy link I was trying to use initially. I've registered myself, initially registered a single model, and taken the test. My french isn't good enough at the moment to be able to wade my way through the 60 odd pages of the training manual, so I decided to take the test relying on my infinite knowledge of all things model flying 🙄 I passed the test with an 80% score, so it's not correct to say you need 100% to pass. I've printed off all the associated bits of paper, and now just need to purchase a transponder to be totally legal to fly out the back of my house. I may look in to a club soon too, although the nearest one seems to be an hours drive away.

Also FlyinFlynn, thanks for the link to check local restrictions. This pic shows my house and the nice big field immediately behind it which I have been given permission to fly on. However the restrictions appear to be down to 50 meters! I'll have to practice my low level flying! 🙄😄

Thanks. I did create an account on alphatango yesterday, but every time I try and click the link for the training modules it says the link is not secure, and won't progress to the page. Very frustrating as I am trying my best here to stay within the law.

Sorry to dig up an old thread, but I actually stumbled across this whilst researching flying model aeroplanes in France! I have been living here (in France) 4 months now, and I am just getting back in to the hobby after one of my all too regular extended breaks! I live out in the countryside and have been given permission by the farmer to fly on the field immediately behind my house. I have enjoyed a few flights with a foamie whilst being completely oblivious to French law! 😮 I have just started researching it and realise that being given permission to fly over farm land doesn't make it legal! I am going to see if I can find the English version of the pilots test to complete, and also register my models. This remote ID module thingy is all new news to me though! I'm out here on my own, and would love to get to know a local club if anyone can help with any info? My area is Sourdeval 50150 Manche. Thanks in advance for any help you may offer, Walts.

Thanks PatMc, I'm pretty sure I actually have both of those gadgets somewhere. I'll have a rummage tomorrow!

Great thread! I stumbled across this whilst researching Cambrian fun fighters again myself. I initially dismissed them out of hand when I first came across them many years ago for the exact same concern raised by the original poster here. They just fly rediculously fast! Whilst I always thought they must have been a great adrenalin rush for those guys flying them, to the spectator they just looked like a load of angry gnats buzzing about. Scale is my thing really, and whilst I'll admit I'm still yet to build a model that is capable of flying at a proper scale speed, these have always just seemed of the the other end of the scale to me. However, I have recently moved to France, and have obtained permission from the farmer to fly on the field immediately behind my house. He uses the field for growing grass for hay, so I can only ever fly models that can be hand launched and belly landed from it. Hence my interest in the Cambrian fun fighters again. I have flown a Hobby King FW190 47" foamie on the field already with great success, but I am still concerned about just how fast these Cambrian fighters actually 'need' to fly. A Spitfire batting around at the rate of a Euro fighter just doesnt do it for me. So just how slow can they really fly? 🙂

I think I must have bought it on an old account, as my latest Hobbyking account only shows two orders. I know I bought a shed load of stuff from them over the years though.

Hi all, I bought this motor years ago, I believe iirc from Hobby King. It was so long ago now I can't even remember what I bought it for in the first place! There are absolutely no markings anywhere on the motor or packaging. I know its a long shot. But has anyone got a best guess as to what it is, what size Pro it will turn, and what size model it might fly? Thanks, Wants.

Thanks GG. I have been on one of my extended breaks from the hobby again, and have forgotten pretty much everything I ever learnt about electric flight 🙄 I'll check out the site you posted. Many thanks for the reply.

Hi all, I'm considering starting a build of the Peter Rake 56" SE5a from an old RCM&E free plan I've had for donkey years. The plan doesn't show any power train at all, but is so old I believe it was originally designed around a geared can motor and 8 cell nimh pack. Can anyone recommend what would be a suitable brushless motor/prop/lipo set up for this model please? Thanks Wants.

I used this paint exclusively when Fighter Aces first started stocking it, and I was sad to hear Phil had stopped supplying it. Reading through this thread, If I could just add my own experience in regard to some of the points raised. For large areas I always sprayed using an airbrush. The paint obviously needs thinning for this and this is indeed done with water. I always added the cross linker when spraying, but I also used this paint to paint insignia which was generally done by brush. I didn't bother with the cross linker for this, just brushed it straight from the tin. However I personally disagree with the notion that this paint is ideal for brushing. I found it a nightmare to brush. Very translucent and streaky, requiring lots of brushed coats to obtain a solid colour no matter how well stired it was. However, spraying seemed to always produce a very even solid colour, baring the yellow as mentioned earlier in the thread. I found spraying to be a bit of a tricky process. This may have been totally down to my cheapish air brush. I did however develop a system that worked for me. This paint dries very very quickly in the air brush, so I had a bowl of water under the bench I was spraying on, and when ever the paint started to clogg the air brush, I would spray it through in the bowl of water. This process was required several times whilst applying each coat. Sometimes the front end of the air brush would become so clogged it needed stripping down and cleaning properly before I could continue. It was a bit of a pain, but I loved the finish produced by this paint so much I was happy to keep using it once I had developed a system that worked for my particular setup. Regarding the warning on the tin. I always wore a mask when I had the filters available, but on occasion used a tea towl tied around my face, which was woefully inadequate. Trust me! although this stuff may not give off much smell, you certainly don't want to be breathing it in. It ends up leaving quite a thick sticky substance up your nose, that much I can tell you. I still have a stock of this paint, and will continue to use it until it runs out. As I say, I do love the amazing finish you can obtain with it, and the colours are absolutely spot on!

Just chop the pilot down. It would vastly improve the scale looks of the model regardless anyway ?

My guess is that it has been modified Jon. My dad's was definitely built from the Cap plan, and he's had a removable wing too. But my dad's was removable from underneath. I'm guessing that was he's own modification. Regarding the tip stalling/spinning on take off. I am sure you are totally correct. I have my dads one and only effort at a take off on cine film somewhere (it really was that long ago!) and I seem to remember he was trying to yank it off the ground far too soon, although he's model may have actually needed more runway than the full size to get in the air safely! ?

I think Eric has hit the nail on the head with these. Weight is critical. My father built one in the late 70's or early 80's. He is a notorious heavy builder. He made he's own full nacelles from fibre glass. They were very substantial and very heavy, in fact everything about he's build was extremely heavy. I remember he only ever tried to fly it once. It lasted a few seconds of violent tip stalling before flicking in. Many years later he gave it to me as I do love the Mossie. It was my intention to try and make it airworthy again. But feeling just how heavy this 62" twin with tapered wings was, and with not much prospect of making it much lighter, I ended up giving it back to him to keep as an ornament! lovely looking model, but unfortunately, one that comes with a pretty poor reputation attached!

369 Euros for a 60" plastic film covered ARTF! ? What on earth has happened to the hobby since I've been away? It's only been 5 years or so, but these types of models used to sell for around £170 back then.

Here's another vote for Chart tape panel lines. You can also add raised panel detail effectively using an assortment of sticky back foil tape, and plastic card. The heavier detail on my Hurricane like undercarriage bay stiffners, and wing joiner straps were made with thin plastic card, the raised panels (gun hatches, inspection hatches etc) were made with sticky back foil, and the panel lines done in the method Ron described. Once primed you see it all come together. Then once painted it adds another dimension to the model. Also subtle weathering is easier then, using a dirty wash, wiped on with a rag in the direction of the natural air flow over the aircraft. This catches and builds up naturally in the panel lines and in front of raised detail leaving a subtle streak behind provided you are using a very diluted wash. I like to think of my builds in three stages. The actual physical build, then the covering and obtaining a perfectly smooth finish, then the actual finish i.e. detailing and painting. If you take a step back before starting the final stage, and treat it as a completely new venture giving it it's own allocation of time and input. you will be surprised at what you can achieve. Stage two can hide a multitude of sins from stage one, but doing stage two properly is critical of achieving decent results in stage Three. Having put the time in to build a lovely large model like this, why don't you give it a go, you'll never look back I guarantee it ?

I've had two chipmunks John. A small 51" model built from a free flight plan, converted to RC, and the 64" Black Horse ARTF. Both models flew very well. Yep I quite fancy having another ?

Are you going to build it John, or sell it?

I bought a Chiltern provost from the Pickets lock show back in the 90's. I remember it building in to quite a nice model, but I didn't have the experience to fly such a model at the time and ended up stuffing it in on it's maiden hanging on the elevator. There was a lot of fus and smallish tapered wings. It needed treating with a bit more respect than I was capable of giving it at the time. Quite annoyed with myself now, looking back on it ?

OK. Thanks for the replies guys ?