Simon Clark

Hi Tim, If you would prefer a refund, then it is always best to make that clear and you may get one without any arguments or hassles. However, legally they are not obliged to do that. For anything older than 28 days and within the warranty period, the seller has the choice of either replacing, repairing or refunding regardless of what you might ask for. However if they send you a replacement or repaired item and that then subsequently fails, then they need to send you a full refund if you request one. Having said that, many retailers (especially larger ones) tend to try to ignore the law if it suits them. I had a problem with a laptop bought from a very well know retailer and after the first repair did not work, I asked for a refund which they did not want to supply. When I reminded their customer service that this was the law, the reply was 'Yes, I know that is the law and that legally you can a have a refund but that doesn't matter and we follow our own procedures' Eventually, I got my refund but only after four repair attempts! Good luck Simon

Thanks Jon - I will remind him of that. Simon.

Thanks Brian - that sounds about right! I'll pass the info across. Simon

Posting on behalf of a friend who is not on this forum - What is the thread size of the exhaust outlet pipes on a Laser 360V? He wants to get a couple made and does not know what thread it is. Thanks Simon

Hi, I usually use two batteries and two switches just to be safe as many switches are rubbish and are a common failure point. If you want a really good switch then the genuine Futaba electronic ones are good. Slough have them in stock on special offer: https://sloughrc.com/futaba-electronic-switch-single.html Simon

I've tried loads of different types and these Fastrax units are by far the best: https://wheelspinmodels.co.uk/i/125300/ I've never owned a Laser so cannot be certain that it will fit but can't see why not. Simon

All servos and pushrods / control surfaces act as a closed loop control circuit and any control system can go unstable under certain circumstances if the gains are too high and there is not enough damping. This is a slightly simplistic way of looking at it and the reality and associated maths is very complicated. It is possible that the mass of your rudder coupled with the mechanical throws that you have are hitting a resonance point and causing control instability. By gently touching the pushrod, you are introducing a small amount of damping which takes it away from the unstable point. Some servos will suffer more than others and with tolerances even two examples of nominally the same type may react very differently. It is safest just to swap the servo out for a different and better type but you could try changing the mechanics of your system a little by moving the pushrod onto a different hole on the control horn or servo arm - yes this will change the overall rates but to a certain extent you can compensate by using servo end point adjustment and rates etc. Good luck Simon

Hi, 8BA is just a little larger than 2mm but might be OK. You can get brass hex head bolts and nuts from MACC Models: https://maccmodels.co.uk/shop/8ba-x-1-2-hexagon-brass-pack-of-10-2/ https://maccmodels.co.uk/shop/8ba-brass-nuts-2/ They do other options as well Good luck Simon

I like the idea of Super Phatic and have heard some good thigs about it - just a simple question: do you just wick the glue with the sheets already pushed together like you would for cyano or do you open up the joint and apply the glue in the same way as for normal aliphatic. I assume it is best to wick it in but I have never used this stuff! Thanks Simon

https://bmfa.org/laurie-peake-1953-2021 Probably not what you wanted to find out. Simon

Thanks for all the replies - it sounds like I have got the right method but I need to be a bit more careful / skilled! Simon

I apologise if this has been covered before or is too basic a question but: What is the best way to glue balsa sheets together for wing skinning etc.? I usually start by taping the sheets together on a flat surface then open up the join, add some aliphatic and put back down on the flat surface with a few weights. It works OK but I always end up with a very slight mismatch in angles, a glue line that is difficult to sand out etc. Does anyone have a fool proof method that gets good consistent results? Thanks Simon

I agree that the RX should be OK if the pin block area of the PCB is checked and there is no visible damage or solder splats etc. However, be very careful with the ESC. One very likely failure mode will result in the ESC BEC outputting the full supply voltage. If this has happened and connect up with say, a 3S pack, then you will probably blow your RX and all servos attached to it. If you want to check the ESC, then try first with your 2S LiFe as the main supply and measure the voltage being supplied to the RX. If it is anything other than the expected 5V then the ESC is toast and should be thrown away. It is also possible that he BEC output will have shorted out, so when you connect your battery, be ready to disconnect immediately if anything gets hot or doesn't work as expected. Good luck Simon

Originally Spektrum servos were made by JR. The DS821 is definitely a JR built unit. When Spektrum went away from JR, they kept the original JR spline design. You can still get JR arms from many different places as has already been said. Simon

I have a degree in mechanical engineering and started off working as a mechanical development engineer in aerospace. Pretty soon, I realised that I wanted to understand electronics so I read Horowitz and Hill from cover to cover. After that, I ended up working mainly as an electronics engineer. A brilliant book, that makes sense of it all! Simon