John Hickson

Posted by Andy Green on 03/12/2012 12:14:06: John, they are on sale from 6 Dec. If you rush down now you will be disappointed. Andy Not as disspointed as I am - I missread the ad, thought it was Aldi, spent all my 30min luch time in ridiculous traffic only to realise when I pulled up that it was Lidl !! Ah well. I did get a kids snowsuit and gloves for £17 for the little on though

Just your postcode? Great find! Thats my 30 mins at lunch used up

I bought a fus set from Hobbyking which consisted of a filler plug, rx charge socket and rx switch all in a nice molding for £4.00. Can you guess which part I will be swapping out first

I'm in the process of building the CMP/Hobbyking L-59 which has flaps. Having never used pin hinges or hinged many control surfaces in my lifetime I could do with expert help. Does the pivot point of the hinge need to be at the joint of the flap and wing even though the flaps dont pivot in the same way and an aileron for example? The pin hinges are fitted on the underside. Will I be OK with 2.9kg servos for the flaps?

Cant watch the vid as I'm at work, was that the one where the fuel set on fire? If so, I couldnt believe they went through all that work and then went all haphazard with the flammable stuff

Those "planes" are more Gordon Bennet than Tony Bennett!

My TrackIR worked at first with little setup needed, I tried it again after reading your post and now it doesnt. I blame you for mentioning it! I dont really use it for Phoenix as the screen track the plane anyway, for flight sims it cant be beaten.

Some interesting views. What would you recommend for balsa to light ply, PVA again?

Given that most instructions say to use epoxy for gluing balsa is there any place for balsa cement anymore? Which do you find the better choice of the two?

Thanks peeps. Another hinge will be fitted ASAP

Hi there I have a 90mm ARTF jet under build which uses 3 CA hinges on the ailerons, I'm replacing with proper flat hinges and wondered how many I need. Do I still need 3 or is that overkill for control surface of 245x55mm? is there  a golden rule I can refer to ? Edited By John Hickson on 27/11/2012 20:18:01

Excellent! Thanks again guys!!

Turn it the wrong way to start? I thought that would bugger the engine up? Is this an easier way to get it started then? - I will certainly give it a try next time.

Sorry Steve - I promise I will post in the correct format from now on. I didnt realise it messed up the page formatting. The beers are on me

Ooh nice!! Well apart from the missiles See here Edited By Steve Hargreaves - Moderator on 23/11/2012 12:33:13

So I get called a dope, then someone suggests "banana oil"! I realise I'm new, but come on! :D

As the title suggests, I need to paint some balsa sheet and wondered what you guys seal it with. Its not going to be in contact with glow fuel but need it to look a little less grainy when painted. I was thinking of thinned epoxy ?

IPA is fine, just remember its flammable and doesnt taste nice It does attack a few materials, though its no where near as aggresive as acetone. Other than that theres nothing to worry about. Edited By John Hickson on 22/11/2012 08:29:04 Edited By John Hickson on 22/11/2012 08:30:01

Coke, as in the drink? Then wash it out with Isopropanol. I used to un-sieze all sorts with that stuff.

Well, finally got this running. It would appear it was my newbie-ness in not really getting enough fuel to the cylinder. I was worried about flooding, so had only pressurised the tank until fuel got to the carb, then relied on turning the prop a few times to get the fuel to where it needed to be. As it turns out, it was nowhere near where it needed to be. I now give a long blow down the pressurisation line (is that what its called? from the exhaust to the tank) with the carb choked and throttle fully open. Then blow some more, then turn the prop. A quick spin with my newly aquired chicken-finger (mine has finally healed) and away it goes. Had three tanks through it now. This is my first FS and it sounds great, the burbly tickover is lush Thanks for all your help guys!

Airfix kits. Always loved building them but always wanted them to fly. Couple that with my love of everything electromechanical and RC was the next logical step

Yeay it working this time! I must applaud you in the way you merged aeronautical engineering with nature

Doesnt work for me, dont get amy play button etc. Will try later as from the sound of it its worth watching! Give them hell about the battery!!

Hey thanks Simon, I'm glad i was on the right track But....and there's always a but....if simply dropping pitch or size means you can run a 3, why dont more people do it ? (RC now, not RL) Is the performance drop that severe?

Nothings very simple in this hobby it would seem. Maybe thats why its so enjoyable (or at least thats what i keep telling myself). It seems to me that not many people use a 3 bladed props and I wondered why. I'm itching to use one on my Seafire. I understand that a 3 blade is not as efficient as 2, but everything I read suggests dropping a size and a pitch (or keep the same pitch) when going from 2 to 3. If a 3 is less efficient, why drop and not go up? Is the drop in size to make up for the extra mass and keep within the useful range of the motor?