iflylilplanes

Might work, the kit is a simple build, only issue would be rib spacing but that is easy fixed by gluing in the root and tip ribs first and then space the rest evenly between. Been a builder for over 50 years, whether I get a copy of the kit plans or not will not worry me. Thanks Anyway, Dave

I acquired a complete kit but for plans, for a House of Balsa 36" profile SU31 kit. A nice-looking kit I may be able to build without plans, but would be nice to have the plans if only for reference. If anyone has a copy of the plans for this SU31 kit, a scan would be greatly appreciated? I'm happy to pay for the scan if needed, I know our local plans printer charges for scans. Below is a pic of the kit box label for reference. Many Thanks, Dave

When I fitted my M9 Hall effect gimbles, I did not adjust the spring tension from the factory setting, just used them as is. Just recently one of the springs (aileron stick) broke while in the air, took me about a second and a half to realize what the problem was and managed to hold the stick at centre best I could and worked the aircraft around to a fair landing. Not having spare springs I used one out of the original gimbles and reduced the tension on the three centring controls to their lowest controllable setting, I don't/can't feel any difference in the stick tensions. Now the springs have less stress on them and may last longer, new springs have been ordered and all will be changed out when the new stock arrives. I mark myself as very lucky the elevator spring did not break. Dave

I built the Top Flite version of this Ken Willard classic in 1974, it was a great trainer, I managed to score well over 1000 flights before a radio failure re-kited the model. Then "The Sometime Build" came up on RCGroups, and the Top Dawg was always a model I was going to build "Sometime", now, I had an excuse to build it. Here is my Sometime Build of the Top Dawg it's a scratch build off the Top Flite kit plans, using the 10% wing section option shown on the plans this time. The changes I made are, bolt on wings and main gear, radial mount the engine sideways, a solid 3/16" balsa tail-plane and a nose to wing engine cowl/hatch. I will be flying it as the original, RET, rudder, elevator and throttle, power is an OS Max15. The Top Dawg and a previously built Royal Coachman are the first scratch built model I've built in over 15 years, and the first IC models I've flown in 10 years. Loving the hell out of building and love IC, even the cleanup at the end of a days flying. Dave

Just finished and flown a scratch built Royal Coachman 3 channel (RET) trainer designed by Don Dewey, built of the original 1965 plans published in RCM magazine. I did change the construction of the wings to save a little money, could not see any reason to fully sheet the wings. Build log here Royal Coachman build log She fly's great, rolls like it's has ailerons (no ailerons)on rudder only, I love it. Dave Outerzone plans for the Royal Coachman

Our club managed to score a whole hocky field of astro turf, the local council was resurfacing the sports field, so we asked if we could have the old surface, it was only going into land fill. Our field was virgin bush when we leased the land 50 + years ago, and in all that time, we have tried hard, grass will not grow, when it did the local off road motorcycle riders thought differently and ground up what grass they could find. The field is now fenced off, and the astro turf is a great runway, I would have posted a google earth view of the field, but I don't know how. Look here on Google Earth for a view of the runway 34°00'44.5"S 150°59'20.0"E Dave

I've had a thin plastic mount, (looks 3D printed), the motor got just hot enough, the motor mounting screws pulled through the plastic. I was odd, the plastic where the screws went through the mount was 3 times as thick as the rest of the mount. I think maybe the wrong filament was used for the print, needed a higher temp plastic. Dave

I use the Accucell 6 as well, automatically detects the number of cells in the pack, I charge 4 and 5 Nimh cell flight packs as well as 6 and 8 Nimh cell transmitter packs, all different capacities 850 Mah AAA cells to 2600 Mah AA cells. Great for at the field and you get caught out with a low TX pack during a comp(happened 3 weeks ago, first time in 40 years) LSD Nimh cells, if in good condition should only loose 15% capacity over 12 months, where the normal Nimh cells go flat over night in my experience.

What brand these batteries? Please Dave

Simon is correct, it's a safety routine. I've been flying RC by this rule for 50 years "Transmitter on first and off last", never had a runaway in all that time, seen others have runaways both IC and electric and had a club member carted off to hospital for 57 stitches when the TX was turned off first, electric model chewed his fingers for arms and stomach. The public think we play with toys, we, should know better, our model aircraft are not toys. "Transmitter on first and off last", all the time, failsafe set or not. It's like handling a gun, always handle as if its loaded, that way accidents don't happen. One other safety rule we should all follow is never bench test with a prop on an electric model, if you need to, restrain the model before connecting the battery. Cheers, Dave

Covid killed all the glider comps here in OZ, for the first 8 months this year, government over regulation (small number of people aloud to be in groups) killed the next 2 months. We were to fly in a comp on the 18th last month, the weather killed that day, wind and rain. Yesterdays comp, the field was flooded from the rain the week before. The next comp is on the 15th, 2 weeks away, I'm crossing everything. Covid19, Government over regulation and the weather, I'm getting close to being able to count the days I've flown my models this year on one hand, two days so far. Cheers, Dave

I would very much like to throttle the person whom thought it would be cool to call his multirotor a "DRONE". That word has caused so much heartache to the hobby world wide.

What ever happened to the "builder of model rule" for competitions, I've even heard that ARF's were considered for scale comps at one stage. I fly in glider comps with built up models I've built and never get a look in because I can't afford the $3,000 for a 4Metre Slovenian carbon fibre ARF moldie. Dave

RC pilots thinking they are aero modellers and only own foamies and/or ARF's (you are just an RC pilot). "Build logs" on RCG, Facebook and other forums on foamies and ARF's (it's an assembly, not a build). Dave

Over the last 6 years I've won 25 Toyota 4WD's, 2 Jags and around $25,000 worth of Woolworths, Aldi, Coles shopping gift vouchers, lucky hey. Yet to see any of it. Twice I've had relatives in the UK die leaving me $24Mil, one of those was funny, the name of the Queen counsel whom sent me the email just happens to be married to a girl I went to school with, her husband was not happy to find his name being used in a scam. At it's peek I was receiving 170 virus/scam emails a week, after blocking, they go straight into the scam file, this week I received 67, they must be getting tired of not getting a bite from me (never been caught, so far). Watch out for the phone call scams as well, here in OZ it's calls, about a car accident you had or the Federal Police coming to arrest if you don't pay back Tax and I'm from Microsoft or my ISP telling me there are issues with my PC or service. Lately, it's "bank security" calling about strange purchases on your card, they ask for your card number to verify, I asked her which bank I'm with, she refused to say (she didn't know) the bank name is not a security issue, the card number is. The scammers are getting creative all the time, if it sounds or looks to good to be true, it's not. Cheers, Dave