Richard B (DB Sport and Scale Ltd)

Lovely job David. Mine's now looking a lot more 'used' although it has served me well, I blame the engine cutting out on me - twice

I wasn't going to jump in here for various reasons but seeing the term stock piling crop up probably means something should be said. I received a very small fraction of the amount of Balsa that I normally would expect during 2020, and even that was delayed for obvious reasons. What should have been a very good year then became rather disappointing and worse, very uncertain - I used the furlough scheme for a couple months (for my Sister) and then had to encourage her to look for another job. Lots of plans I had have had to stop. I then went to ship some EU kits between Christmas and New Year (before Brexit) and lets just say more disappointment was to be had looking at the (huge) increase in some of the shipping costs. I refunded a number of orders and stopped all shipping having seen the inklings of Brexit complications which was just the icing on cake at that point. DB Sport and Scale is not ending. It's very unlikely to end because it's run from an outbuilding/garage at my house and I have another job. The only question is how much time I spend on it in the future, whether it's a little part time, more part time or even more than that but there's too much uncertainty now to make that decision. The lack of stock you will see on the kits page is purely down to lack of Balsa (and a small amount of lack of time maybe). When I have more certainty and when I have Balsa then I will make more kits, some of the bigger kits do take a lot of making and I had recently just finished the Spitfire and SE5's. I even had a new(old) kit about to be re-released before all this but it will take a very long time to get kits back in stock so I'm unsure about that one at the moment. No need to stock pile (plus I ain't got the stock to pile anyway). I might leave ordering off for a little longer than advertised because I don't need the hassle of having things go wrong, people leave bad reviews very easily but not so much for good reviews. And finally, yes the EU subsidised was/is just me trying to offer a bit of fairness for the EU people without incurring the full cost of free shipping as per UK customers. EU was the main area I was hoping to grow but there we go, I won't go into that here.

If you send me an email with a photo (because there's always little differences) I will draw it and print it for you although it might take a little while. It'll cost the same as the other 3d printed items I've drawn and are available from the website. I won't put a link in case I contravene anything but search for DB Sport and Scale to see the 3d print section and to the get email address. Contact is better via email as I'm rarely by the phone.

I wouldn't agree with that I'm afraid. I have just done a very quick comparison by overlaying a 3 view onto our plan and it's pretty darned close. Bearing in mind that it's not the right mark and 3 views sometimes differ slightly. This may be a link to a very obfuscated screen grab showing a blurred 3 view outline superimposed onto the plan. It may or may not work as it's my first pic outing on here. If it doesn't then I'll read the instructions later! P.s. Please don't scan our plans. It's clearly for an innocent purpose but once scanned it's only a simple accident away from appearing on a download site. P.P.S. They have been out of stock for some time but should be back in the next two weeks...deliveries and machinery dependent.

If they're very important photos, I'd copy them to two places before your old PC goes or are deleted. Memory stick and new computer or two memory sticks, memory stick and DVD, etc, etc. One memory stick can go wandering or get damaged.

Just for info, the starting price is not because it's the strongest alloy, i use the same as I sell on the website and use for all the plan packs. I've not heard of any having 'pancaked' from everyday use (on some large models too). Rather the price is down to the time it takes to make some templates/draw it from a wide selection of different drawing styles that people use, cut it, saw it to shape, grind/sand it, heat it, leave it, bend it, check it, leave it again, check it, redo if split or uneven due it being a one off. Sometimes buff it up but that depends. Even a 'simple' undercarriage is not a quick process. And that's the VAT inclusive price too. I'd have to say it's more of a service than a fortune maker. Also note, you can buy a bunch of different sized undercarriages from within the plan packs (cheaper as I'll make a few at a time - still goes wrong sometimes though) although admittedly, you'd have to guesstimate the size from the model wingspan. I'll list them all at some point, it's on one of my ToDo lists. I'd have to look at the master ToDo list before finding which other ToDo list to add it onto

Please do not seek to PDF it. Discussions about photo photo copying for personal use I will ignore as I too build models so can appreciate why you would want one to cut up and one for your archives. I will also (at my discretion) sell the kit plans for people who acquire second hand models and wish to repair as per original and for who knows whatever other reasons crop up. I already have digital versions and they would be on the site for download if we wanted them distributed in that manner. As soon as you digitise it a whole new element of risk is involved. Apart from the act of copying in the first place, all it takes is one mistake and then that plan becomes almost useless to the business. I have already had to have one removed from a well known free site (and I can helpfully/depressingly see how many times it was downloaded before I did). When I'm looking to make something back into a kit that will not now be on the list of possibilities. I have also had to contact a number of ebay sellers and another seller of associated bits. I always do this with a friendly request although, disappointingly, a couple have made me make a firmer request. I have no choice but to do this despite what was suggested in some previous comments that I saw on here some time ago. It's not as if I gain any satisfaction or reward from these discussions. If you did this for all our plans and they were made free to download what do you suppose would happen then?

I have to break cover lest some other potential new kit maker should be disheartened by any discussion regarding to the edges of our lasercut wood. Very important to note that this is just factual and not a reflection of Bill and his work. I especially like the nice making of extra gadgets. Partly this is to try and help Bill avoid having to feel he needs to recut everything although that's entirely ok should you wish to. And partly because I have no doubt that google search will probably pick out a very selective comment and it will be at the top of the results for all time. 1. Lasercut bits. They will never be perfectly square for quite a number of reasons. I won't list them all but they can go from a slight bend in the balsa (Rarely is the natural balsa absolutely flat and it tends to be a little more pronounced the thicker the Balsa) to the actual physics of the laser beam. Think of a laser beam from a movie whereby you see if focusing many beams into one focal point to blow whatever up. Similar thing here, there will be a point of focus and anything above or below will cut with a very, very slight angle. Thicker balsa again shows this more (we already discard alot of the thick balsa or use it for other things - often with a few naughty words being said). Other reasons may be that the wood is not uniform in density so some will vaporise more than other bits and thicker balsa needs more oomph to get through. There are others too, we discard many but even then we won't be able to achieve a perfect 90 degree cut. 2 Sanding or not sanding. I rarely sand any thinner bits although they will all be very slightly angled - see above point (may not even be noticeable). 3/16 and up I might consider very slightly sanding if necessary. Tiny gaps I will fill later as the model will be plenty strong enough. If you do sand the pieces and they end up a tiny bit smaller than the plan then it's not going to make any difference, normally the stabiliser is where this is most noticeable - just keep any differences even between either side and it'll be fine. 3 These are old plans that were drawn many moons ago and modified many times since then. They are not printed via CAD software where the lines can be fractions of a mm wide. The lines are thick (inside, outside or mid line) and other factors apply but the parts will be very, very close. A little bit out doesn't matter, just don't make one side longer than the other. Could I redraw all the plans? I could but a purely CAD based plan often feels a bit soulless to me. The Tinker kit (redone last year) is more like this but I also made an effort to try and make it look more like old plans to give it a less 'cold' feel. Plus it would be impractical to redo them all. 4 Mylar. Many people still like mylar and the CA hinges are also Mylar as far as I know. They just have an extra layer of material laminated on top and bottom. I have seen arguments for and against all the hinges so really they should all be pinned with the aforementioned cocktail stick or small pin. If you do want flocked mylar (CA hinges) then I have them for about 10p each off the top of my head, p&p probably £2 but you'd have to phone me for that. Lost track now, ermm. Think that's about it. oh and in the very unlikely event that you find a part missing then let me know and we'll sort it out although I can't do this free for every old and second hand kit out there (there are many and I get called for all sorts of replacements, lets just say that some are more complete than others). If you need strip wood and you can't find it locally then I usually have a stack of it. Postage is the only snag but it's there of you need it. Finally, carry on the good work and I can't see any way in which your build will fail regardless of how you continue on. Please excuse me whilst I duck out now as I'm still trying to catch up following our move upheaval earlier this year and I do try (and fail usually with this one) to not look at all the forums. P.S. You do need to superglue your wing to your fingers at least once and a little bleeding on the model helps it fly better. Edited By Pete B - Moderator on 05/10/2017 09:25:34

Hello all, This is neither me condemning nor defending Unitracts as I mostly suffer the same frustrations as everyone else. However, John is still trading. He always says (when I do get some contact) that he's extremely busy so it is possible that he will have seen your email communications and might respond when he's ready - it's what happens to me generally speaking. I have very little inside knowledge and no direct Unitracts hotline, I am sorry but I cannot assist with progressing your requests before anyone asks. This is purely just for info about trading status to prevent any incorrect assumptions.

kc, I'd be there with a good few shopping trolleys so you'd have to move quickly

I do especially like the carpet Very nice work again.

Very, very nice D.D. Good looking wheels too...

no offence precisely because I had already followed your thread keenly. Including the aviary build discussions. Very nice build and blog but, again, I try and refrain from posts as it just gets too complicated but sometimes these posts do popup in search results (like when the business was for sale, that has been a pain to get rid of) which is why I had to answer the particular term used. Plus I do buy in loads of Williams Brothers stuff. If you saw how many times I nodded off at the pool you'd realise how long that would take if I hadn't already read it. I dropped my kindle on the floor and on my face a great many times today! With it being dinner time, I am now off out to glow red amongst the tanned locals. Classy. Best wishes to you and your lovely Moth. Staying off the forums lasted all of a few minutes!

Howdy all, Normally I try and avoid commenting due to the huge amount time and effort involved in our manufacturing activities and very personal attachment although I usually follow with interest what has been said. However, there is a certain phrase on this forum which will rattle around in my brain until addressed. Firstly, I can confirm we do stock Williams Brothers items and you can judge the prices for yourselves over on our website. We place occasional large orders direct and have very recently taken delivery of one such order. The stock on the website is mostly accurate although with recently having moved premises and occasionally selling bits to friends it does very occasionally report incorrectly but that is very infrequent and should improve even more once we've reorganised following the move. Obviously these wheels are available for certain of our models but many people prefer to spend a bit less having often saved up for the price of the kit. For the price we charge, I think the wheels plus hub caps make a valued choice for our modellers and are very popular. They have been used to good effect by huge amounts of people. Obviously if the Vintage wheels are your preference and your funds allow it then you're very welcome to choose those but i feel 'naff' is a little harsh. Lastly, I am currently on holidays (more forum reading time) having put it off for a very long time and milestone birthdays (not mine) should be marked with something special regardless of work even if I'm very keen to get my new workshop up to speed. Although not entirely holiday as people could have seen me and the Wife walking around Florida Top Gun in our "DB Sport and Scale" branded leisure wear and someone did flag me down in the Magic Kingdom commending me on my shirt - he had his local RC club shirt on As it happens I was also the winner of the local club raffle at Top Gun so maybe our photos will appear in a publication somewhere and I've had to purchase some tools to dismantle my new, shiny (hope it stays that way) EDF jet. Sadly it is foam but other than that, it's surprised me with the amount of scale detail and sturdiness of it but then it's certainly not at the budget end of the scale - woohoo, very happy with that as all types of models have their place in our hangars. anyway, I digress, that's what sunburn, dehydration and a couple (plus a couple) of beers does I guess. Website placed orders will still be packed and sent by my Sister whilst I am away. And now I shall try to not read forums for the rest of hols (yeah right).... thanks folks Richard

I have two syringes on the go at the same time, one with PVA and one with aliphatic. Pull the dried glue off the top next time or squirt it back into the pot. Although I also have large bottles decanted into smaller bottles first too.

Just for info and I won't add a link to our page (Finishing/Williams Brothers) but I do get shipments from Williams Brothers. We have wheels, guns, engines/cylinders and now, some pilots. If something isn't in stock then I'll add it to my next order although it can be a bit of a wait whilst they make all the parts. The price had to go up on my last batch due to having to pay in dollars and I couldn't keep the old price when you add shipping and import taxes. They are still alot cheaper than they used to be. Alternatively, as suggested make your own as you can't (usually) beat that price.

Lots around, including here at my place and on the website along with various handles - my current favourite is the blue retractable one although nothing wrong with the basic handle either. I get through quite alot as they don't last long until they start to pull the wood rather than cut. You can also certainly tell the difference between cutting yourself with a brand new blade and an older blade, I've done both plenty and it's definitely not a recommended... Doubtful to be able to beat Amazon's postage but they do fit in a kit box nicely (most of the kits anyway).

oh no. I saw the aftermath with people going to collect the wreckage but didn't know which model it was. Having enjoyed a brief sojourn out of my marquee to view it's display on the saturday, well, that is very very sad indeed.

I didn't get much chance to see any flying over the weekend but was fortunate that our stand was on a fairly dry patch. My tent behind the stand however, well, not so much... very wet muddy shoes by the time I retired on Saturday night. We are going to try and start to fly some models at shows - all being well as our/my van packing method still needs some work and the planes are last in. They are very susceptible to transport damage. I won't have time and my flying practice is far too intermittent to take on that stress so I have a willing victi...volunteer as our test and show pilot, Nigel - top man . Hopefully you'll see some of the Jodel, Mascot, and new Tinker45 flying at Woodsprings. Soon to be followed by the all built up Gringo (prototype almost ready for covering) and Tiger Moth 58" if I get chance to finish them (too late for Woodsprings). All very affordable but you will need to add glue, time and some other bits. The Tinker will have it's first flight on Friday prior and the test build by someone else is underway. That is the current plan at least, although the next two are LMA and I'm not entirely sure they fit into the 'Large' category Very much a work in progress but hopefully all the stars will align in the correct sequence and we'll be good to go.

Hi Glyn, In the kit sections on our website, that be these here: Kits , most of the descriptions are followed by a link to the 4max page with their recommended setup for each model. Obviously you could look at their suggestion as an idea or buy their complete package so that all the brain power expenditure has already been done. It's what I'll be doing if I ever get tired of the smelly/noisy power - can't see it happening somehow Some of them also have details of previous builders setups if I get sent them, although they may be on facebook instead. P.S. If anyone doesn't send photos because they think I must have loads, then it's true but they're also mostly in paper/scan form. Always greatly appreciated along with any relevant info or suggestions, plus permission to use them as well (credited or not, your choice - default is credited where possible). Now I really am ducking out (probably) so I'll wish everyone a very happy Christmas, my first glass of Vino will raised to all you fine folk.

We still use Blue tape to hold strip or odd shaped parts together And yes, overseas shipping is prohibitive even though I've got the cost down a bit. Most of the kits follow a very similar construction method and the secret is not to look at the complete set of bits and wonder how they go together. Bit like a jigsaw, you only work on certain sections at a time (Cripes, a jigsaw - now there's a blast from the past). Look at the instructions for the first part of your build and focus on just those parts and that part of the plan. Once you have your parts laid out on the plan it becomes a lot less daunting. Don't glue or cut until happy and don't panic if you think it's gone wrong, very little is not rectifiable if caught soon. There are lots of photos on various build logs for most, it not all, of the models. I'll probably duck out now lest I send this off topic or look like a pushy sales person, one last note is that you're not aiming for a 100% scale reflection of a pristine off the factory line full sized plane although you can go for that if you wish. You're after a model of a plane which you can enjoy building and end up with a nice looking, fly-able model of your own making for whenever that Sun appears again. Pristine or patched up, shiny or pre-loved looking, our kits or other kits, give the building a try - it is very worth it.

Charring isn't really an issue until you get to the thicker Balsa sheets or, mainly, the thicker plywood sheets. If the thin Balsa gets to anywhere near the charring stage then you'd best be stood ready with the squirty bottle of water (a very high tech but invaluable piece of our Fire Safety equipment). Generally it would result in the loss of at least the one sheet, probably more so is not a good thing to be aiming for. Besides, if you get to the charred stage on the thick Balsa you'll tend to see it takes on a bit of a concave shape where the material is vaporised, again, shortly followed by a trip to the wood waste bin. As it's obviously a wood product, sometimes one end of the sheet is not the same density as the other end (or middle not the same as the edges, etc), in these scenarios one might have to run a light scalpel around a few bits or conversely some will be cut darker than we're aiming for. However, this only really happens on one thickness of board and then not very often. We sometimes need to use the weight/grade of wood where densities are an extra challenge. The really thick pieces either need laminating or we cut and shape them by hand. Obviously there are numerous other ways to do this which are constantly under review. The affected plywood is only really the 9mm stuff, a light sanding here is probably worthwhile. Thanks very much guys, I'm off to build some more of my "redrawn for Laser" Tinker, well, at least that's my plan at the moment, No it's not available yet, mine is the prototype with a few slight amendments but still keeping mostly the same as the classic model (no rubber bands though). To do otherwise would be not be a good thing

I do indeed lurk around here occasionally, thanks Percy although I'd hesitate to put it in the frequent category Not that it looks like I need to (thanks chaps), but I can confirm the larger Tiger Moth has riblets. The smaller one doesn't but they are shown on the plan as options and mentioned in the instructions in case preferred over the front sheeting.

Hi Dave, Well done for taking your plane to a club for starts (many people would be tempted by any open space) and yes, it can be daunting to fly with other people around. However, everyone else has undoubtedly crashed something at some time. It's a big initial hurdle but worth it. Get some help because it will save you money in the long run and it's so demoralising if you crash and are out of action for repairs (and you don't want to injure yourself or others). We all want you to be successful when it comes time to fly your Magnatilla.

So far I have started looking at the Albatross and Tinker, just mainly playing around with CAD in more detail for the moment as I have builds of the Sopwith Pup E and a few others to complete first. But yes, scaling the Tiger Moth had occurred as it's the third time I've been asked and let's be truthful, I want one as well! But then, I think that of all the kits and plan packs. Eddie is working on a revamped version of a couple of sportier types (mainly because I liked them) although they are 'fully' in retirement so they will come when it comes. Allan, that's 'Flair' enough (had to be done), building any model is fine with me so long as we're building. Even flying ARTF's is fine, it all has it's place. I'm not a foam fan but even then, I do have a couple of knock round little ones (knock round being extremely accurate in my case!). And a bunch of small to mid heli's plus a nano QX. All good. Edited By Richard B (DB Sport and Scale Ltd) on 21/08/2015 21:53:14