Steve McLaren

Blimey it seems that everybody is doing llights! Mine is going to be very sub-standard. At this rate, I shall be in the pub on my own whilst you're all flying around in the dark! Nice choice of scheme Harry. I didn't know that one existed. Are you going to do it in glass cloth again? What are you thinking/planning about skin joints between the wing panels. If you're planning to glass it, then I suppose that will create extra strength. But is 25gsm enough?

Thanks Steve, It's good to know it wasn't just me! Have not seen or heard from you in a while! Did you finish off that Zlin? It was so close to complete last time you reported!

I was going to start a thread just to let you guys know that I have at last started the build. It's going to have to be a quick one, so it's not going to be pretty. . I'm not very confident of completing in time for the September event, so I'm not putting too much effort into choosing a scheme, or a mark, or doing any details! I shall just attempt to get the basic airframe built! I have read all the other threads and noted the various issues with the plan/parts and so I thought I could correct them all and steam ahead! But almost straight away, I've run into a problem that nobody seemed to mention (unless I missed it somewhere?) It seems that the hole in F3 for the battery box, is not symmetric around the centreline! i.e. it is offset to one side. If you check the plan, it is also asymmetric on the former view, but the plan view says it should be on the centreline. So when you throw the whole battery box assembly together , quickly checking that everything is square, you get a front end with F2 and F1 laterally offset relative to F3 - a bent nose! This results in one F10 which needs a bit shaving off it, and the other has a gap to the fuselage side. Although I shaved the oversized F10 before joining the fuselage sides, I only figured out what had really happened after joining the fuselage sides. So to correct all this, I have had to skim about 1/16th inch of one side of F1 and F2, and add an extra 1/16th shim on the other side of F1 F2 and F10.. Which is not so easy after you've joined everything together. So if anyone else hasn't started the fuselage build yet, look out for this problem. It would be very easy to correct the position of the hole in F3 before you start.

Wow! So where and when do you plan to fly it Andy? What I don't understand, is how you manage to fit some work time in between your model building?

Fantastic photos again Phil. Shame about the cancellation. But every cloud has a silver lining! For anyone who's now at a loss about what to do this weekend, you might want to consider the first Shuttleworth Collection evening flying display of the season, on Saturday 19th. see link below. There's a Sea Hurricane to take a close look at, as well as some lovely old WW1 biplanes **LINK**

Yes, thanks very much guys. It was great to finally get some flying in after the last two windless events. Whilst we're waiting for Phil's professional quality photos, here are a few of my amateur snaps!

Hi Steve, Can I sign up for the meal too please? I'll go for bashed beetroot, sirloin steak, and no sweet please. Not sure what time I'll get there on Saturday yet, but I'll find you somewhere. Thanks Steve

Here are a couple more photos.