2W

Lovely work, Gary. I've been watching at a distance, and am scratch building an Albatros D.XI to the Peter Rake design. As happens with scratch building, tolerance errors build up, requiring minor adjustment of the Interplane struts in my case. I am intrigued by by the lack of adjustment available on your model for the wing settings to get them correct and also the adjustment of the Interplane struts. Could you please post a picture showing the details of the Interplane struts fixings to the wings? On the Albatros, the adjustment is only by the strip of brass plate connecting the struts to the wings, and as the wings are already covered, it means removing a patch of covering to get to the fixings in the wings, something I want to avoid if I can. Keep up the good work, William Edited By 2W on 04/10/2017 19:02:12 Edited By 2W on 04/10/2017 19:03:10

Is there a lawyer in the house? If I take the drawings of a true scale model, trace them, make some modifications and send them to a company to be turned into a set of cut parts because I don’t like the details of the original design, does this infringe any copyright? Are we not free to order a set of cut parts from whomsoever we wish? Starting from scratch to design a 1/6th scale model of a 30ft wing span plane, one is fairly limited in how it could be built strong enough, but light enough to fly well, and the Bryant design is one way it can be done for the Fury. The method he uses of a core fuselage structure is not uncommon, and the skin structure is a logical finishing technique. However, the plan could be updated to use light ply for the rear formers, and a lighter method of construction of the tail feathers could prove beneficial to the C of G. Personally, I don’t like the method of fixing the top wing to the fuselage, clever though it is, and this too could be changed, but I have no views on how it could be done better. I would support a mass order from Danny, SLEC, Balsa Cabin or whoever gives the best price for good quality components and materials. William

I first started reading RCM&E on an occasional basis many years ago, because I am interested in building models. I became a subscriber 10 years ago and have found that over the years the magazine has changed out of all recognition: the quality of presentation and the number of photos is much better, and the print is larger (yes, I have joined the ranks of the grey-headed with glasses). I agree with C8 and Stevo: I am not interested in ARTFs and I feel too much space is wasted on them, but it is a personal thing and I can quite understand that very few of us today ‘balsa bash’, so something is required to fill the pages. Whittaker’s articles are always worth reading and his photography is excellent. Will we see more of his ‘Funky Fokker’? But oh dear me! Some of the grammar and lack of the definite and indefinite articles, and ‘s for plurals indicates a lack proof reading which would make the content easier to read. Please don’t let it sink to the level of another, well known, magazine where even pictures are mis-captioned on occasions. William

Danny, as others have said I greatly appreciate your efforts, but I am sure you have enough on your plate without making dozens of hinges and brass fittings etc. Having said that, please also include me for the hinges. I am proposing to use a RCV 90sp so the spinners is probably no use to me, and I want to make the brass parts myself. I have sent a PM to Dylan re Cut Parts sets, but if he is not able to supply them, then include me in the "bulk order" for the cut parts. I intend to make my own cowl from fibreglass by making a plug and using a flower pot and plaster of paris to make a mould. Should be interesting! Regarding copying the drawings into TurboCAD, this is something I am also doing to teach myself how to use the program. I have tried tracing the drawings, but have found the .pdf file gives a picture which is approximately one degree out of square, and copying the shapes of the curves requires measurement of intersecting parts to get them correct, e.g. for the formers. It seems to me that the design is a little heavy at the tail end, and would benefit from using 1/16 lite ply in place of 3/32 balsa for the formers and tail feathers. For the RCV engine, the first couple of formers will need to be modified, but that is simple enough. William

Hi Danny, I was about to sign up for the build, but the Traplet problem put me off ! I am game for this challenge, having nearly completed scratch building the Peter Rake designed Albatros D.XI which had a number of issues as far as I am concerned: Accurate wire bending, Wing settings and the construction of an accurate jig, and Wheel construction, for which I used air hose. I hope the plans can be made available at least – I don’t mind cutting the parts, but without a plan….. William

I have been looking for a way to paint Solartex with a WW1 5-colour Lozenge Pattern Camouflage using Vallejo acrylic paints on my (Peter Rake designed) Albatross D XI. This design uses a Clark Y aerofoil, so spray-painting the underside using stencils will be relatively straight forward, but the wing top surfaces present a problem using this method, particularly with the leading edges, which I could hand paint, but this is not my forte! I am therefore thinking, why not tape the Solartex to a flat surface before covering, and use the stencils to spray paint? I could then iron on the covering, saving the problem of tackling the leading edges. But…. BEB has pointed out elsewhere in an earlier post that it would be wise to apply an undercoat to avoid paint leaking under the stencil edges. Could the leaking problem be avoided by first applying one or two layers of thinned dope to seal the surface of the Solartex before painting, or will this create more of a problem with shrinkage than it will solve? If so what other primer or sealant could be used? Will the solartex still tighten without damage or distortion when ironed onto the wings? I will be fuel proofing the D XI with Aerocote, because I have converted it to take and SC52FS. Tightening the fabric if it stretches at a later date by using dope will then probably not work. I would be grateful for any comments or advice would be most welcome. 2W

I have been looking for a way to paint Solartex with a WW1 5-colour Lozenge Pattern Camouflage using Vallejo acrylic paints on my (Peter Rake designed) Albatross D XI. This design uses a Clark Y aerofoil, so spray-painting the underside using stencils will be relatively straight forward, but the wing top surfaces present a problem using this method, particularly with the leading edges, which I could hand paint, but this is not my forte! I am therefore thinking, why not tape the Solartex to a flat surface before covering, and use the stencils to spray paint? I could then iron on the covering, saving the problem of tackling the leading edges. But…. BEB has pointed out elsewhere in an earlier post that it would be wise to apply an undercoat to avoid paint leaking under the stencil edges. Could the leaking problem be avoided by first applying one or two layers of thinned dope to seal the surface of the Solartex before painting, or will this create more of a problem with shrinkage than it will solve? If so what other primer or sealant could be used? Will the solartex still tighten without damage or distortion when ironed onto the wings? I will be fuel proofing the D XI with Aerocote, because I have converted it to take and SC52FS. Tightening the fabric if it stretches at a later date by using dope will then probably not work. I would be grateful for any comments or advice would be most welcome. 2W

A search of the internet some years ago found this: http://www.wwi-models.org/misc/Colors/German/loz2/index.html There are a few others which cover the same topics of colour, but this is the best I have found. 2W

More sad news: Swindon Model Centre is closing. Jan and Rose are retiring in April and don't have a buyer. I, for one, will be very sorry to see two such lovely, helpful people go and close the shop. 2W

There is an article (Scale Biplanes My Way) by Martin Fardell in the March issue of FSM which discusses various scale techniques including making wheels, and tyres from Plastazote (a foam packing material) - hope this helps. 2W

It will be interesting to understand the "why" now that we know the "what". For GT mechanical drive and generator drive applications, GE maintain that there is not sufficient energy in a blade failure for a blade failure to penetrate the casing. I have heard of disc failures on the turbine for unusual reasons, but a compressor disc? Because of the location of the fuel lines, the fire is easily explained.       Edited By 2W on 11/09/2015 07:44:29 Edited By 2W on 11/09/2015 07:57:43

Signed!

Like others, I am keen to follow this project, but I'm concerned that your enthusiasm for it seems to have drained away? Have you solved the servo etc. layout problems? WW

If you want books on flying, try "Winged Victory" by V.M Yates. It's semi-autobigraphical describing the life of a Sopwith Camel pilot through the winter of 1917 to the summer of 1918, from the sheer joy of flying and the parties in the mess, to the terrors and stress of combat and ground attacks. . Yates finally collapsed from exhaustion and was invalided out of the RAF and died of TB contracted in France before the book was published. The other great book is "The Last Enemy" by Richard Hillary who was shot down during the Battle of Britain, and was fished out of the Channel badly burnt to become one of MacIndoe's Guinea Pigs. When he recovered, he flew night fighters, but died in a crash landing. There are other biographies written by pilots but few are as honest and immediate as these two.

Please add my name to the draw. Thanks!

Bob, I recently bought Aerofly 5 for my MacBook Pro, which I find excellent, but I find the lack of perspective on the screen means that trees and the ground get in the way all too often!. Ikarus also supply the cable, USB adaptor and also an adaptor for Spektrum transmitters, at an extra cost. If you go to their website with the link from WoolstonFlyer above, I am sure that you can find what you need for your transmitter. Good Luck!

Please include me as well! Many thanks, and Happy Christmas to everybody.

I grew up on feet and inches, but spent career in engineering and can readily relate to metric units. In my former business (oil and gas rotating machinery), although it was dominated by american manufacturers, all drawing measurements and performance figures were given in both metric and imperial units. If our hobby is to attract youngsters, then why don't the articles and free plans in RCM&E have all measurements and performance figures in both sets of units as well, if necessary with one set in brackets? Wouldn't this make it satisfy everyone?

The Curtiss XP55 Ascender (clever name) WW2 fighter was an attempt to produce a canard rear engined single seat single engined combat plane. It was reasonably quick but generally not brilliant and considered to offer no worthwhile advantages over a conventional design. I think it reflected your suggestions regarding landing and take-off speeds. The Japanese had a go as well (the Kyushu Shinden), but I don't think they managed to fly it before the war's end. It would make a great looking model though, as would the Ascender for that matter!   The Kyushu Shinden J7W1 was an interesting plane, and did fly for a total of about 45 mins before the end of WW2. 150 were ordered off the drawing board before it had flown, because the Japanese needed a fast high level interceptor to take on the B-29s. Having a rear engine, the nose could accommodate 4x 30mm cannons each firing 450 rounds per minute. 2 prototypes were built but only one flew, and it was hoped that the J7W2 would be a jet engine version, but the design did not proceed beyond the drawing board. The W1 prototype suffered a number of problems, particularly with engine cooling, and test flying was severely limited by fuel shortages. The remaining airframe was shipped to the USA after the war, and as far as I know it is in storages in pieces in a storage hanger of the Smithsonian Museum in the USA. It used to be possible to see a series of good photos of it on the Smithsonian website, but I can’t find them anymore. There also used to be some good pictures and information on a geocities (?) website, but this is now defunct as far as I can see. There is some interest in the design in the USA, and a number of different model designs have been built and flown successfully. However, (and I am on uncertain ground here) if the AoA of the canard (front) wing is too great, it can make take off difficult if take off speed is too low, causing it to stall and drop the nose, and as has sometimes happened, it has resulted in a crash before the canard wing can recover sufficient lift. More information on the models can be found here: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=642695 One day i will build a Shinden to my own design……. Edited By 2W on 30/11/2013 22:41:21

There are a number of threads covering different building techniques in 'Hints and Tips', and whilst looking for more information on the web, I came across the site below. I can't find any reference to it in the forum, even though it appears to have been started in 2002. I found it fascinating, but see what you think. http://airfieldmodels.com/index.html

I don't know whether this is of any interest, but it gives some useful information to check the CofG. http://adamone.rchomepage.com/cg_canard.htm 2W

Please count me in! My german isn't good, but my son is fluent.

They get my vote! I broke the carburettor fuel nipple on my OS40 and couldn't remove the carburettor from the engine because the screws were thread-locked. I sent the engine to them at 3pm on a Tuesday, having spoken to them. The engine arrived back on Thursday morning at 9am. That's service for you!

There must be a number of readers of RCM&E down under, so I am surprised that there isn't a recprocal arrangement for cut parts with a somebody like Manzunolaser.com to avoid the huge shiping costs from the UK.

Hve you tried calling Just Engines? I found them very helpful when i broke the fuel nipple on my OS40LA, but there isn't a spare part available, and I had to replace the whole carburettor.