Mark Powell 2

Spruce top and bottom, balsa web, vertically grained. Every time. A notched single spar breaks every rule known, regardless of who designed it. . If you are fussy (and I have done this just now for the first time), taper the spruce spars from root to tip. Ideally the taper should be 'horizontal' (ie: looked at from above it tapers). Most of the work of a spar is done by the outer surface. Use 3/8 X 1/8 laid flat, tapering to (say) 3/16 x 1/8 at the tip rather than a constant 1/4 square. Less fussy, use constant 3/8 x 1/8. If you are really nuts, taper it as a 'hollow' parabola, but that is going to extremes. Even with dihedral, build the spar first, including, if there is one, the flat centre section, as one piece. Then build the wings around it. Better and simpler than joining the spar afterwards. you can use accurate scarfe joints easily, for a start. Don't let the cat jump onto the half of the spar that is initially floating in the air.

I assume you want to turn it round so that you can attach the prop adaptor to the bell rather than the shaft. Some turnigy motors are supplied with such an adapter. But they won't fit anyway. Some of their motors have only two screwq holes on the bell and curved 'non hole' arms so the adapter wobbles about. Been on another thread. So check that before you bother at all. If that is what you are doing.

These things might just help with my projected large 4 EDF B2 Bomber, which in the end, though designed, I probably won't make. Expensive and probably fly like a Zagi anyway, if it flies at all. For 'regular' planes most of the satisfaction is that it is not particularly easy. Takes skill acquired through practice. True of most interests. Other than my projected B2 you won't see me buying one. You are allowed to have a different opinion

Blood, sweat, but no tears. A little heat. Put the motor bell resting on a vice jaws with the shaft facing the gap. Tap with a hammer, A metal one, putting wood blocks as a shock absorber spoils the effect, you can file the burrs off later.

Failure of the carbon fan on the RB211 bankrupted Rolls Royce. Had to be saved by the Ted Heath government. The subsequent delays designing a metal fan resulted in the market failure of the Tristar. The Douglas DC-10, the most badly designed and dangerous airliner ever, took the market.

The Schubeler Hawk. Beautiful but rather expensive. Needs a really top 90mm EDF.

Bars, smoking, 'judging each other', move with the times? 'The times' are often inflicted on us by a small minority who think they know what is best for everyone else. We had been trout fishing. Went to a pub which served food. We talked about our fishing. A coiuple sat at a nearby table said it was cruel. They were eating haddock! On another thread about a cheap radio. It's illegal!!!, they  cry. Wonder how many of them exceeded the speed limit on their way to the field? Don't judge. It's a hobby. Edited By Mark Powell 2 on 01/09/2012 09:16:59 Edited By Mark Powell 2 on 01/09/2012 09:22:09

Care with car sprays over 'varnish'. the car spray can attack many varnishes, causing them to 'crackle' and/or lift. You have used sanding sealer. That is fine, I would follow up with a couple of coats of clear dope, the non-shrinking variey if you can find it, but any clear dope will do. Gently rub down, DRY, not wet, and then the car spray.

Martin's view is similar to mine. I use both for whatever circumstances suit the plane. Just changed my mind on my new Junior 60. Bought the electric BB kit version, but a day later I bought an OS 30 four stroke for it. Alan mentioned that mowers are the 'norm' Can't argue with that. We accept some noises rather than others. I prefer Bach to Pink Floyd. Lots of these fast pusher electrics make a noise that I don't like. So what? That is precisely why the 'authorities', for all purposes, not just models, measure the entire human hearing range with a sound meter. The area under the curve, not any particular frequency spikes, is whar is measured. That way it is 'fair' and our personal likes and dislikes, or any 'norms' (what others do) don't come into it. Lots of people don't like the sound of small motorbikes. But they are quieter than most cars, much of which is wind and tyre noise. The 'area under the curve' of these small bikes is less than that of a car. So they are, in fact, quieter. Exactly as our IC planes. But I don't want us all to turn into smug Toyota Prius owners.

Erfolg, We have a lot of aircaft history around here. When the Supermarine factory at Southampton was bombed nearly flat early in WW2 the design office was moved to a purpose built building at Hursley Park. IBM, who purchased the site from Vickers in 1959 still use it as a drawing office. CAD now of course, and not aircraft related, though a lot of work on the Apollo missions. Alliot Verdon Roe lived in the outskirts of Southampton for some time. His house is now a restaurant, The Windhover (local name for a kestrel). No mention of him at all. Sopwith lived on the Romsey to Stockbridge road. Bowden, whose Bowden cables first use was in WW1 biplanes, lived on the same road. The Fairey family still lives on the Bossington Estate, off this road. Stockbridge to Longparish, where Hawker lived. Another Hawker has a memorial in Longparish church, the first pilot to be killed in WW1 (or so I have been told, not seen it myself). Hubert Broad, for many years chief test pilot of De Havilland, lived at Southampton, as did the guy (forget his name , Henshaw?) who is well known for his Percival Mew Gull flights. Facing the Solent, on the Isle of Wight, was Saunders Roe, who built the Princess. The Solent merges with Southampton Water, which is the estuary of the River Test  (and the River Itchen). All the Romsey/Stockbridge/Longstock guys I mentioned are on this river. So am I often, fishing! The Jetex factory (they also owned Frog) was at Totton, where I live. Between Southampton and Romsey. Furniture works now. The one-time chairman of Supermarine, who started as an apprentice, initially lodged at my grandparents, who ran a boarding house near the Supermarine works. The Phaltz biplane used in the film 'The Blue Max' was built at Southampton (Phaltz Flugwerk, Southampton am Itchen) by John Isaacs, well known for the Isaacs Fury. He taught me at tle local Tech. Edited By Mark Powell 2 on 31/08/2012 23:20:27 Edited By Mark Powell 2 on 31/08/2012 23:27:06 Edited By Mark Powell 2 on 31/08/2012 23:33:58

In order: Comet DH88 racer ME262 The most elegant of jets. Similar configuration to the DH88. Douglas D-558 Skyrocket Spitfire  But a bit common. Hawker Tempest - the inline engine one that looks like a Typhoon Focke-Wulf 190 Made them all. The Skyrocket was a 'Jetex' Tailored kit. Edited By Mark Powell 2 on 31/08/2012 22:15:26 Edited By Mark Powell 2 on 31/08/2012 22:18:00

I use both.. 'They' can make as much noise as they want. So can you, provided your noise-making equipment is the same as theirs. My next door neighbour is a petrol-powered garden (and other) machinery fanatic, he has every noisy machine you can think of and some you probably can't. I started an OS 91 four stroke once. Quieter than any machine he's got. He complained. I didn't say anything. Now, every time him and his wife try to have a quiet snooze outside I find that the lawn needs mowing with my ancient petrol mower. My model engines need far more 'checking' than they used to. All the time. A model engine is quieter than a car . Stand by a fast road on a calm day and you will agree, just one car will convince you. Sound level meters agree. Little of it is engine noise, but it is there. But 'we' all make that noise so it is OK. Our flying site is a mile and a half from the nearest habitation. Several complaints, all from a 'famous' television 'celebrity' who lives two miles away. The people in the nearer houses all say they have never heard anything at all. Nor can the district council. There is a fairly busy road bertween us and the houses.

Erfolg, Lancaster assembly? You are older than I thought We (Follands, Hamble, Hampshire) were definitely a 'tin shed' outfit. The Folland Gnat trainer, used by the Red Arrows. We carted them to Chilbolton, forty miles away, grass field, no hard runway, for testing. Folland designed the SE5. Also we made the Supermarine Scimitar. Chilbolton too. Preliminary ground testing was at Hursley Park, near Winchester, Later IBM, where I worked. The first Supermarine Spiteful (Spitfire successor, wings later used on the Jet 'Attacker', that's why it had a tailwheel undercarriage), was built at a car dealers at Chandlers Ford, also near Hursley. The first Valiant, made at Weybridge, was carted to a nearby grass field for its first flight too. But all ours Gnats went to the grass field. Bit of a 'cottage industry', despite its size..

A variable cut off has its uses, as Pete B says. Good on powered gliders. (Multiplex are keen on them). You can stay up for ages, even give the occasional spurt of power, after the cutoff has happened once, if you have a 'high' setting. Done it often myself.

Ok, it's Spire Models on the outskirts of Salisbury. Don't use it often, only if I fancy a pint at the 'Cuckoo' on my way back. 40 pence a mile. That's only for the company car brigade claiming these ficticious costs to avoid paying tax. A real car costs much the same except for fuel, whether you use it or not. Don't want a 'lot' of sheet balsa, just the one piece, and I want it today, not next mother's day. Waiting for its glue to dry now. Cant do that if it arrives tomorrow. Thoght I had some, but didn't. But regarding the LMS, I agree with much of what you say, pimple factory yoofs and all. Impulse buying? For me that is part of the fun. Don't do 'organised',.Been there, done that, for too many years. Good at it too. My waiting comment is mainly about staying in for it, or get a note though the door that I have to drive twenty miles to some overpriced cowboy delivery firms depot. And they are cowboys, a post here quoting £340 to £2500 for the same boxes to the same place proves that. Each to their own, but they do have their uses, some of them almost 'essential', and it is 'use them or lose them' as others have said. Edited By Mark Powell 2 on 31/08/2012 10:07:38 Edited By Mark Powell 2 on 31/08/2012 10:17:55

Daithi O Buitigh (that took some spelling), I've got three within a 20 mile drive. One is just like you describe, one is a HobbyStores (good, use it most, but use the first one as my small part in keeping him in business), But the third... It's quite large, with an old-fashioned 'ringer' on the door. It is an Aladdins cave. Vast boxes with huge composite gliders from floor to ceiling, kts of all descriptions imaginable, some good make ARTFs, glow and petrol engines from small to flat four OS Pegasus, balsa, glue, Kontronik motors, Robbe stuff, Multiplex or Graupner radio, never both at the same time, depending on his current whim, EDF units, everything. Even a retired airline pilot serving when he has his day off. I am told he is very well off, has even more in his old barn at home, and is thinking of retiring. Shame, it can never be replaced if he does. And he never advertises anywhere. I am not going to tell you its name or location

That's just Multiplex being helpful to justify its 'higher than most' prices. Use the default, that's the real one. They do know what's best, they make batteries too.The cut off means it is not on load anymore. That's the point of it.

Herri, You MUST have an on/off regular 'physical' switch beteen the battery and anything else whatsover. A voltage regulator still has a leakage, and even a 'digital' switch, such as the PowerBox ones, has a leakage (which renders it rather pointless if you have a regular switch before it). All semiconductor devices have a leakage, small, but it is there.. Otherwise you must disconnect the battery.

This is why I asked the question - Drop into my LMS about once a week. Often want one simple item, yesterday a sheet 1/16 x3 balsa to replace a too soft one in a kit. Buy glow fuel, T-pins, a bottle of Aliphatic glue, one can of Flair Spectrum paint, 'oh, while I'm here I will get some epoxy, an old MK Atlanta kit (very rare), A Junior 60 kit, knife blades, etc.etc. If I can't do that, and many things are one off spur of the moment purcgases, I will give up modelling. Can't be bothered most of the time with online, and don't want to have to stay home waiting for its 'sooner or later' arrival. Can I even get a length of 1/16 square balsa from Hobbyking or whoever, and how much will the postage be on this 3 pence, long and fragile item? And he has to answer silly questions on the phone from some total newbie who hasn't bought his totally unsuitable 8 engined gas turbine B-52 foamy he is asking about from the shop. And the newbie moans when he cant get a part for it , after his inevitable crash, from the shop.   Edited By Mark Powell 2 on 31/08/2012 08:17:22 Edited By Mark Powell 2 on 31/08/2012 08:17:50

And these things are even faster than the top IC pylon class!

I was going to say exactly what Garbo said. An NiMh or NiCd setting (or just an NiMh/NiCd charger) works well for me too. Only needs a few minutes and watch it all the time. But I thought I might be stamped on by the 'Elf and Safety nannies. So kept quiet. As Garbo has now blown the gaff, I am just backing up his experience. It's no less safe, PROVIDED YOU WATCH IT AND ONLY DO IT FOR A FEW MINUTES than  a regular charger. At the beginning of the charge process the NiMh/NiCd and Lipo charging 'regimes' are much the same. Not so long ago , before these things were common, the 'authorities' , including the model magazines, were saying you could charge Lipos on an adjustable 'stabilized power supply', and that was/is true., but again, you have to observe all the time.  Edited By Mark Powell 2 on 31/08/2012 04:25:33 Edited By Mark Powell 2 on 31/08/2012 04:33:55

One grumpy (and wrong) assistant. It happens. 'Go mail order' And I am not commenting, I have heard this so many times. So I would genuinely be interested in an answer. What are you going to do when your LMS closes and all you want is one 36 inch length of 1/16 square balsa?

Don't give up. Yours could be fine. A lot of it is your rough landing area. In principle there should be no more difficulty with a Camel than with any other short nosed, narrow track biplane. I think your lowering of the noseweight will be good, even if not a complete solution. Also try putting more or tighter 'O' rings on the U/C to stop it wobbling about. But only after you try what you have already done. Move the CG back (again later) The Reeves video pilot was in a panic at first but he soon got over it. The real Camel's trickiness to fly for first time was caused by the high torque of its more powerful than the others engine.  Doesn't affect our models. Also, deliberately, its rearwards CG. Would not fly level for more than a second or so without attention. Would spin at the drop of a hat but came out equally quickly. More feared by the enemy than any of our other aircraft.(all from Winged Victory). CG? with respect, your model should be much touchier than it appears to be in the video Edited By Mark Powell 2 on 30/08/2012 22:24:16

I was in the computer industry for 30 years. These scammers are pretty thick. Fairly easy to detect. But they are a danger to 'innocent' ard 'older' people. I'm 67, but by no means innocent. I have NEVER had a 'cold call' of any kind, honest or dishonest, since I changed my land line to a supplier other than BT about a year a year ago. Mobile? It is 'pay as you go', paid for using cash, always topped up using cash, so no money trail at all. I ignored the mobile service providers 'special offers', as I had to 'register' for them. So no one on the planet, other than my close friends and wife, even know that I have a mobile. Not even the service provider. I never use it from home, as I don't want it to be connected to a location. It is usually switched off when I am driving, as I do not want its position to be located. Paranoid? A criminal? No, I just value my privacy. I never use credit cards, debit cards, PayPal, or anything like that, though I have them all. My car was paid for by a bankers draft, and your name is not on those. Of course the car dealer knows my name, but there is no financial trail. Thus for most purposes I simply do not exist, or at least have no financail history. So I don't get cold calls. Email? Some. But Microsoft don't make spelling mistakes. I don't have an account with the Halifax., or HSBC. so pretty easy to detect them. I have no financail stuff on my computer and I don't use computetrised banking. I do use my banks computerised 'voice' telephone service, but my computer is not involved in that. BUT - I am here under my real name. I will not voice my opinion (which I often do) unless I am prepared to put my name to it.

Pete B's statement. I do not think I have seen anything in my 67 years that I agree with more. Every single word.