Jack Bagley

Hi Folks,               I have been modelling for some fifty odd years, mostly using materials that are trditional and that I am of course, comfortable with. That is balsa, ply solar film coverings and the such like. However said the walrus, it's time to move on and get stuck into more modern materials, like depron, carbon fibre and the likes, but I'm dammed if i can find any informative papers on how to go about using the stuff correctly. That is to say, the properties are X, how to cut it, how to form it, how to stick it etc. Has anyone come across a good publication that actually does this, or are we about to prompt our dear editor David into getting some articles done? I'm sure that I'm not the only one in this state. Best wishes  Jack 

You never know boys, you never know. We live in hope of course, BUT, politics and folk are a queer mix, especially with noise etc, and no doubt the future will bring "numbers allowed to assemble " etc laws. I sincerely hope not, but there are already rumblings in high places regarding this, sooh lets wait and see. Fancy a protest march anyone? Best wishes , Jack

Wow Peevie, cool or wot! Luv it all. Reminds me of an article once read in Amerian Modeller in the late sixties even where a prominent modelling author wrote a very long epistle that imagined that all things modelling were banned. If I remember correctly, he even went as far as to imagine state troopers setting up anti model watches etc. All very George Orwell I'd say. Best wishes to you all, Jack

Hi Shaun,                  Must say you bring out a lot of guilt in us all!  We just bumble along thinking that "everyone knows that", quite forgetting the help and tolerance we all once recieved with advice, instruction and the passing down of valuable experience! In my case, and I suspect Erics, that was a "very long time ago"! I must whole heartedly agree with what both Eric and David have just said, and it has made me realise that I must be tolerant of others who are new to the game, get off my complacent old butt and help a lot more. Best wishes with head hung low, Jack

Hi Guys,                Just my two penneth, I have been aware of this problem since I purchased my set early on. I have got round it by using a separate battery pack for the servo drive, hence no great current dips to the RX when loads are applied. I know that it is not ideal, but it will suffice untill an up grade becomes available. I haven't had any shutdowns at all using this set up, and it is easy to do. A bit more weight I know, but it's surely better that a bag of bits!        Best wishes , Jack

drop me line when I've won this please!

Gissaprize mate, just enter me for this one

Hi Owen,                 That's really interesting and shocking stuff! I did know about the low temp though from a course I did many years ago while working with all sorts of grot on major aircraft construction contracts. I'm now just a rude old peasant still making models and chucking them into the air. Your comments are very useful should be heeded I feel. Best wishes , Jack

Hi Rob,              Thanks for your interesting reply. I hadn't thought of the other allergies that some poor souls may have with different materials. However I have noted your comments about nitrile gloves with some interest and will certainly try them if I can find some. I take it that they are available through a med supplier or industrial wholesaler. Many thanks and best wishes , Jack

Rob,         You are right if you don't apply the creams properly and really massage them in so there is no obvious mess on your fingers, and don't touch the parts to be joined. I've never had this problem, it's a question of thought and application. However, nowadays you can use those close fitting latex gloves, these are a godsend as you don't loose "feel" or grip and are throw away when finished with. I use them now exclusively when "sticking" and wouldn't be without them now. Also, if you are a bit sensitive to handling fuels, they are also useful for this task too! Best wishes, Jack

Hi David,                 When cyano's first appeard on the market, we were warned to wear a face mask if the temperature rose during use in exactly the way you used yours, because of the adverese action of the gas produced. Haven't seen these warnings for some time now however! The other warning was to wear protective hand creams as a precaution against any skin contamination too! So what's going on? I do know that I do get skin rashses on my hands if I don't use the barrier cream, and it really is irritating!. Would be interesting if someone has a definitive answer to this. Jack

Hi David,                 Thanks for your reply, I have a feeling that if the series were writen with some interesting "grabbers" each month, the readership would not wane, as a month is not too long a period in which to practice the skills/lessons taken from each previous article. I would also make the suggestion that it may be a good thing to compile the whole series as an edited "extra" at the end of the run, ie, in the same format as the magazine so it can be used on the bench separately. From what you say, well written past articles be re-published and included in the content. Best wishes to everyone, Jack

Hi David,                  Thias is an interesting quest you have embarked upon, a beginners series eh!  Well not wanting to teach Gran the egg sucking business, I would just sit and think of a list of things to prioritise first, for instance:- 1a). Do you want to just buy and fly? 1b).Do you intend to build and fly from plans and or kits? 2). Tools, list and give some written instructions. 3). How to go about selecting materials if you wish to be a "builder of models". 4). "How to" series on this aspect, say a two article job. 5). What type of models you should start with, and the reasons why. 6). How to go about selecting an ARTF for the purpose. 7). How to construct these models and point out their material shortcomings. 8). Selecting engines , how to operate them and care for them. 9). How to selecect radio gear, future proofing, and how they operate. 10). Pre flight checks, how to balance, where to get instruction etc. 11). Gaining certificates. 12). Grand series summary. These are not necessarily in the correct order, but it needs a sustained effort over a 12 month issue period. No other magazine to my knowledge has attempted this, It would be interesting to hear your comments. Best wishes, Jack.

It's about right!

I ltaught myself to fly some 50 yrs ago as we lived in comparative isolation. I had built a few KK scale kits with varying degrees of success, Auster Aiglet, Luscombe Silvaire, Spitfire that always wanted to gyrate into mother Earth after the rubber tension ran out! and so on. Many free flight models followed, some of which were Hot performers for their day, the Slickers by Bill dean in particular with Mills engines mostly performed well,(if you remembered to light the D/T fuse) they tended to drift and drift if not, especially in the off shore winds up here. Radio was next, talk about flights of fright! I built a Rudder Bug by Walt Good, single channel radio of doubtful manufacture with thermionic Valves, batteries which now seem as big as a house and with hit and miss quality, you had to tune the TX to the RX, which took an age,all the time depleting the battery capacity so that by the time you actually started the motor and hurled the lot into the air, the battery had become exhausted and we were usually in a brilliant free flight runaway situation! Wonderful! Things did improve gradually and I eventually got hold of a secondhand 10 Channel reed radio outfit for £15!!!  This led to bigger air frames, bigger engines and bigger mistakes, but eventually persiverance paid off. Used to read with open eyed wonder the pages of the magazines of the things the experts were managing to do with similar gear, they were regarded as Gods! Things like consecutive loops, spins, figures of eights, WOW!, one day perhaps we thought!Then proportional radio hit us with a BANG, no more playing Griegs piano concerto on the reed keys to get a smooth response! just gently move the sticks and things seemed to work like a dream after all that. I feel that nowadays with the rule book about a foot thick, an awful lot of magic has disapeared from the hobby, where ARTF's just don't cut the mustard in my view, We also have to accept very low modelling skills, scale models that just are not scale, mediocre at best. Some of us still build and fly quality stuff in isolation. Teach yourself to fly nowadays?  A rare thing, as I've ststed, the rule book is a foot thick. However best wishes to you all, Jack

please enter me for this stupedous aeroplane. all the power, WOW wonder if the model emulates the prescence of the full size?

Once built and flew a Sopwith camel ( RCME) by Fritz Mier Paton in the seventies, it was a pleasure to fly on a Merco 61, and Kraft radio. Had it for about three years, then sold it on. Next was a Boddington Pup, again a good balanced flyer with an Enya 60, and Futaba radio. It finally gave up the ghost from being fuel soaked after almost continuous use over two years! I love bipes, slow, draggy and just cool! Jack

  Please, please enter me for this absolutly lovely Texan kit. Drool , drool, drool, best wishes, Jack

Some years back I remember Dr Walt Good did some fantastic experiments with R/C modelsinto using electrostatic layers in the atmosphere to use as a medium for altitude lock on the model. If I remember correctly he had some remarkable results published! Does anyone else out there remember this, and which publication it was published in? It may have been Aeromodeller, or even rcm&e!

Just a line to enter the draw for the Cessna!

My three aircraft would be 1) Auster AOP6.  2) Percival Proctor  3)De Haviland Puss Moth. I have modeled all three over the years, but would like a Tony designed electric powered model of either of the above to a span of about 1.5 to 2.0 meters!  all the best to all,  from Jack

Hi, I would like to know if the old aeromodeller scale plans book has been re released under new heading please. sincerely, Jack Bagley