robert chamberlain

I have gotten into the habit of using those thin exam gloves. They do tear easily and the glue sticks easily so it is a one shot deal. But then I don't use epoxy all that often. Same problem with CA. Bob C

Yep, all A/C of mine have throttle kill Switch

Hello all, I was thinking of a back up source of 1.5V for my glow plug. Of course I could just buy a second Ni Starter glow stick , but as I already have 12V batt in my flight box, how would I drop the voltage? the resistance in a long wire could do it , I suppose or maybe a resister of ample Amps (5 Amps?). While I am here, any simple way to re-charge the glow stick Ni Starter from my 12V batt in the tool box? I do not have a power panel, just 12V batt in the tool box? Thanks in advance. Bob C in Kansas , USA

speaking of rebuilding,--I have a simple question. For years, when building from plans, I have been using a COPING SAW to cut around corners. At least this is what it is called in the U.S.--This hand held saw uses those thin 7 inch or so blades and I have gotten along fine with it. I noticed a bargain motor driven unit called either a scroll or fret saw. We all collect tools and I was wondering if it is used only occasionally or is an important go to tool always in use? Odd question I know, but is this really a "need to have" tool ?Bob in Kansas USA

Hi people,--I have ,if needed, always used a mix of epoxy and lead shot from a gun store. I don't think melting lead is a good idea as it gives off poison vapors! In my sailplanes I have made little balsa boxes of epoxy and lead shot and secured them on the CG. This, of course, is not going to help in a heavy tailplane. In the end, epoxy and cold lead shot epoxied some where is my approach. Bob in Kansas,US

HI FOLKS, --I am confused, as usual, about how to get the digital version here in the USA. This has been offered in the past to people who desired it ,--so why can not my name/number simply be add to the list? Bob C in Kansas, USA

Hello,--I know converting Gentle Ladies to electric have been done with success but after messing around with this I remembered I had an old Goldberg "Electra" laying around. Never did work with 7 NiCads and car motor so went back to IC. Got it out and it really is nothing but a wide fuselage GL with a 3 piece wing so..........going to LiPo and out runner we will see in a bit how she goes.-----can't be any heaver. I doubt the "Electra" is still being made.-----------------------------Bob in Kansas

Mel--My high start bungee I made years ago is made of 100 ft of surgical tubing and 400 ft of kite string. The id is 5/16 " and the od is 7/16". It launches my "Bird of Time" 3 meter sailplane with ease, but then again it is a relatively light model. Two meter ships too, but less stretch. It has been two years since I flew it ,but if my memory serves me, about 80 steps ( for around 200 ft or more total stretch) or until the wood starts to creek. Could be wrong on the stretch,--senior moment ! My big question is just how big/heavy my next sailplane can be with this system?

I hope my next project will be a scale or semi scale glider. Here in KANSAS in the US my best approach is to use a "high start" which consists of 100 feet of 7/16 inch O.D. surgical tubing and 400 feet of strong kite string. I do not want to start a project only to find out I could not launch it. Right now I am flying my Bird of time on this with no issues but , of course it is rather light even when using ballast. Any idea how heavy/ wing loading I could get away with? Thanks,,, Bob Chamberlain

I need some advice on just how heavy/wing loading a sailplane I can launch with my high start. It consists of 100 feet of 7/16 OD surgical tubing and 400 feet of kite string. It does a nice job with my three meter Bird of Time and if I take it easy, smaller types as well I am looking at some nice scale jobs which I imagine will be heaver and don't want to get into something I can't launch. Here in Kansas a high start or maybe an a/c tow is about all I can count on. Does anyone have a weight or wing loading or example of a nice scale soarer I could start a build on? I really would appreciate any input here. Thanks in advance,----------Bob chamberlain [email protected]

Hello, I built a "high start" out of 100 feet of 7/16 OD surgical tubing and 400 feet of light kite string. Easily launches my 3 meter BOT (bird of time) and, with care, smaller ships. Of course the BOT is not all that heavy. Any thoughts out there on just how heavy a ship I could go for on my next build? I live in the flat lands of Kansas with limited aero tows so it is always going to be a High Start. Thanks in advance,-------Regards, Bob Chamberlain

Hello, I just dug out a Hitec 6 Sport that I bought several years ago. I put it aside then because I just could not figure out the instructions. Yes , I am new to "computer" radios and then concentrated on building. Are other radios just the same, or is it me? I took pages and pages of notes and tried to rewrite the manual which smoothed things out a bit. Very discouraging. Are the higher end Hitec easier to understand? Or are many imports the same?------- Bob in Kansas

why not have one for us in the U.S.? I am sure there some who are not a member of a local club ,but read RCM&E

What do the numbers printed after LASER mean? Is it CC or cubic inch?

is someone working on one for the US?

Hello, I am a little confused with the two batt set up. I am OK about the diodes and Y connectors and how it would isolate a bad batt. What I don't understand ( pencil and paper at the ready) is how would I charge the two batts? It would seem to me that I would need to have two charge ports on the side of the fuselage. This would require an extra wire from the charge ports on the outside of the fuselage to each batt in order to charge each one-----right?---what am I missing? Bob C

Hi Bernd,--Although the "spoilers" not doubt, did add a bit of drag their main purpose on the top of the wing was to kill lift on the inboard 1/3 of the wing. I coupled them to the throttle channel and on landing just pulled back on the " throttle' stick just like one would slow the engine down on a power ship. The designer did a good job as there was no pitch change doing this! ------------------Bob C I Kansas, USA

Many years ago I bought from Dynaflight (I think) a nice four foot 3 channel glider which did have spoilers called the Apogee. After flying my first glider ( a Gentle Lady) it was a bit of a revelation . An Eplore (spelling)205 airfoil made it a bit faster but I did enjoy the spoiler which did not change the pitch. I think I will go with spoilers on my next scratch built.---Bob C

Hello, I am in the course of building a FlyingQuaker with a 4 foot wing span from plans. I finished the wing and the fuse is still in the jig, so no weight figures as yet. The plans call for a .15/.20 two stroke. Does this sound about right? I do have an OS .15 at hand. The bigger sizes seem a bit too large. Has anyone built one and ,if so, what size did you use? ____ I would like to use Trexler wheels ( if they are still available) as this might be helpful in WT/Bal.--------Bob in Kansas.

#1 Wife----don't have this creature that I am aware of #2 as far as I can remember, I do have a bunch of planes #3 gave myself permission to go fly tomorrow

three:----Quaker Flash, old Greatplains Sportster (65 four stroke), and a 1/5 scale Cub. Upgrading all to newer servos. -----Bob in Kansas

Hello,--speaking of SLEC,- I can not seem to contact them from the U.S. about a balsa stripper. Their address ends in a(.COM) . I saw in a recent RCM&E a line drawing of this balsa stripper like the one I bought years ago . It consists of a meter long "U" shaped metal channel in which a holder draws a rather long (2&3/4) inch surgical blade. Any blades I can come across over here will not click into the holder. Any ideas of how I can E-mail them for new blades? Thanks,----Bob [email protected]

I am having similar problems contacting advertisers from here I the U.S. The SLEC E-mail won't work and it has a dot com in the address. In the Special Issue of RCM&E, page 23 ,fig 2 has a line drawing of a balsa stripper I bought years ago which uses a surgical blade to strip blanks of balsa, but I need a couple of new blades. Any ideas how to contact Slec from over here or to get some blades? I could modify it to use X-acto but I would rather get the long style the unit uses. Regular surgical blades, about the size of X-acto ,are too short and slip around. The blades I need are about 3 inches long and are secure in the housing . Any thoughts? Thanks,---Bob

guys--, I have had limited success with the 560 stuff. Just for looks I cut down brass brads and added a few . If you drill a hole the same size as the brads it usually splits the canopy. Years ago I bought an attachment for my Dremel which cleanly sliced a grove down each side so the canopy fits flush but sadly have not seen the ad for years now. BTW, several years ago I posted an idea about dying the canopy. I used RIT cloth dye . Warm water in a tub and soak it for awhile. Oddly it has only worked on one kind of plastic and not on others. CA glue out gasses and messes up the plastic.------------------------Bob

Hello, I was recently advised to use "water base polycrylic spray" as a fuel proofer here in the US. I found a really old bottle of "aero Gloss " fuel proofer from about 20 years ago which I regularly used back then, but I will bet it is no longer available. I have .recently used alcohol thinned 2 part epoxy for the job. All the paint I can fine says not necessarily fuel proof. Can finishing resin 2 part epoxy be used also? Just getting back into the hobby and over here it is all ARTF and no body know how to build anything. Much has changed in 20 some odd years! ------------Bob