ROY DAVIES 1

Fitting circlips. Obtain a piece of brass tube 2" or so long that will fit the gudgeon pin hole (just) Fit a circlip Squarely in to it and using a squared off pin or a drill shank that fits the tube (just) push the tube up against the gudgeon in the piston of course and push the circlip home, check it has entered the groove and your done.

Add a cheat line with trim tape.

First remove the cam gear noting where the indexing marks are. Load up the puller and apply heat either with a small gas lamp or in the cooker to the bearing / collet area. Your safe with this until the assembly smokes. Heat off, wrap the assembly in a towel or similar and also wear gloves hold the PULLER firmly and give the shaft end a sharp hit with a hammer and it should fall to pieces before your very eyes. Leave the propnut almost fully on while doing this to save damage to the shaft threads and dropped bits disappearing. 'Loctite Bearing fit' will take up to 6 thou' clearance in a fit, you may need heat to remove a bearing on a future repair if you need to do so. Heat the case up when you refit a new set as pressing them in a cold case may stretch or distort the openings and you may face a worse state of 'slop' than before There is a small possibility in severe cases where the housing has worn a lip through a loose bearing which will hinder the removal somewhat.

Yesterday I saw my friend test fly his, Canadair CL-84 Dynavert by Shenzhen Unique Model. It flew well and quite fast into wind with good control authority as well. Early models had a nasty pitch over before transitioning into a vertical landing but it must have been sorted on his. Flying it is a real cart load of monkeys as in the vertical phase it is a heli' but changes to fixed wing in forward transitioned flight, and the transmitter works like that too.

It must have been a bit disconcerting trying to pilot one with an oscillating sphincter - going at shaft speed as well.

A 6 x 4 Shed never big enough. I need a 60 x 40 one as the attic is bursting. Seriously as you move often why not a gutted caravan. can be an occasional modelling hideaway and nothing needs to be disturbed to move. I have an 8 x 4 shed as a Summer build/repair place as the attic is too hot in summer. Alongside it I have a large box 8 feet long x four feet width and height made from 18mm ply. It is felt covered and joint sealed and insulated with a convector heater set to frost screwed to the wall inside, the lid is airtight using draught sealer. After 5 years it is still weather tight and holds six or seven models plus sun umbrellas, but where do all the spiders come from ?

Colin, I have to tell you your next project awaits in the form of the Bugatti "Reve Bleu" - Blue dream. I have just viewed the test run prior to flight on 'P Prune' Rumour and news. It is due to fly VERY soon and looks magnificent. I wouldn't like to be the pilot he has a drive shaft under each arm. I don't know if that's better than an Aircobra/Kingcobra's drive shaft between the legs though. Regards, Roy (Wales)

Colin, This model is a great achievement. I have been watching the build to fly log from the side via my 'phone, computer time seems to be a bit short these days. Like everyone on here I await a video of this impressive model. It has a great sit in the air to be sure looking like it is meant to be there. I was curious to it's origins in the development phase mainly looking at the North American *"Welsh Hat" (* The Ian Allen spotters guide 1950s) rudder/ fin assembly, so I had a look at the A26 Invader. I was amazed to find that there were similarities between the two aircraft. The Mixmaster's span was 21 metres or so the invader 21. The lengths were 'Mix 16 metres the A26 15, the weights were Mix, 9.475 lbs. the A 26, 10365 lbs. Looking at the 3 view the wing plan, form except for the swept L/E's on the Mixmaster it looks very similar so does the tail unit. The fuse' of the Mixmaster is a really large low stressed unit and the lighter weight allied to the large power unit would give it the performance it had. Very quick and clever and a well tried way of achieving a project goal

I think they were classed as 'convertiplanes' I know Ryan in the USA made one and there were a few others besides. It was a time of adventure in the years following the war for the aviation industries and their very brave pilots.

Tony you should go green and hook it up to a bike or maybe an alpaca. have a Google at 'model engineering lathes'. They have a good section on motors and drives plus a selling section plus eBay of course there are quite a few there, Try this link if it will work. **LINK** If you fit a 3 or 4 speed pulley to the basket shaft and a small multi 'v' ( one size ) to he motor it will drive under the weight of a pivot mounted motor you would have a fairly decent speed range for little money. Machine Mart sell ali pulleys. They used to be made by 'Picador' If you are near a transmission outlet - for belts chains an so on they would be able to help there are pulleys that use taper collets and an Allen screw to nip them up on a shaft, come in a large variety of sizes

The model is going to look and sound terrific Colin. I have just Googled 'Eagle' comic - images and there she is Anastasia half way down the page. Did the illustrator know something that the rest of us didn't? I can remember seeing a B36 overhead once so that would be the same time that it would have been about. In the drawing it even has a pair of small intake similar to the T33 but it had swept wings with end plate rudders cum fins. I loved the Eagle. Safe trip.

Stephen, Lightweight filler in 'Wilkos' A big pot for £3 odd also smaller one in B&M for less. Has anybody tried to bulk up lightweight filler with any thing. It smells of Emulsion paint which I think is the carrier and the rest is possibly 'micro balloons' or an equivalent. Magic stuff.

Firmware - software, That was me in my youth and now in later years. I must admit that the model reviews leave me a bit cold. And the prices of some of the packages are really quite high and must discourage a lot of 'New entrants' an returnees to participate in our hobby. I know there are lots of people with a great deal of disposable income out there but there are a large number of us trying to keep a coat on our wives and families backs while trying to fund our modelling lifestyle too. I may be wrong but after reading the last issue I felt that it with a little adjustment here and there had been written / edited buy the same person. The great Woo is a straight forward read and is always informative and I've had 50 yrs. in engineering. Mr 'Whitakers words' leave me cold at times, they rambles on and tells us nothing. Good pic's yes more excitement in a 'Famous Five' book. As to my criticism on cockpits, Google Pitts cockpit at 'Images' and see lots of great views in colour, there is also a cockpit talk around on utube and probably every cockpit you'd want to see on Google.

I think I will say a collective 'Ouch that hurt' from all posters on this topic. Were you wearing goggles and a hard hat plus boots? Nylon and all plastics are pigs for drill bits breaking through before they have cleared the hole the next thing you know is the drill bit screws it's way through with all sorts of consequences. If you can sandwich between two pieces of wood and drill It will give you nice clean holes to the correct size. a small centre drill is useful they don't tend to 'grab' great for accurate piloting but you are then back to the above scenario of using a grips or clamps. If you were using a pillar drill it may be useful to check this, Hold the chuck and move it up and down (vertically ) If it moves therein is the problem. When pulling down to drill there is resistance that holds the spindle up as soon as the drill begins to breakthrough it's away. It can be fixed by looking for the screw/s that hold the column in place, there are many and various. The same applies to some electric hand drills that have a hammer function their spindles are free sliding for a mm or more. be careful when using them. Again, Ouch, Get better soon.

And once you have found the ideal setting don't fiddle with it unless you go with another fuel. I have found a good running setting is a good setting all year round as long as you don't have it leaned right out initially. Good Luck, Donald.