Nightflyer

When I first took up rc flying in 76 a couple of Hastings club members had built Unicorns iirc one was HP61 powered the other Webra 61. Both models flew beautifully and looked nice in the air. I have plans and will build one sometime as an electric conversion. Will follow this build with interest.

I quite agree. I have used them and very slick service indeed for me.

The Tempest is something I could be very tempted by seeing as I have an FW190 already plus a Tony Nijhuis one at some point. Tempest always has appealed.

Started out originally in 1976 being bought a second-hand set of Skyleader Clubman in the days of 27MHz AM, then took over my dad's Futaba M series also on 27. I then got a se of Sprengbrook 35MHz modular gear, but in 1986 reverted to Futaba with a set of Challenger before getting FF8 and used Futaba gear until 2017 when I switched to Spektrum. I have no real dislike of Futaba as the quality and reliability has been great and used it in my car racing from days of club racing to European and World championships. I also used it in my model boats. There was two reasons for the switch. Fed up with all the different formats over time buying new receivers and receiver crystals in that era. Secondly, as a club instructor many newcomers were using Spektrum.

Personally I have several MDS engines of sizes which have in general been very good. There was a period when they got a bad reputation because of the grade material used for the O rings on the carburettor that would react with the fuel. At the time Ripmax replaced the O rings if I remember correctly. Myself personally I had no problems but then I also ensured that my engines were sealed properly especially around the carb body and main needle.

3.5 inches under each tip

Boiling is in my experience the best and to keep its application local I use an old flannel or dishcloth that i soak and place on the affected area. One of my local club members had a crash recently and one wing panel had several dings. One very major one too, and I was able to remove all of them this way.

Great job Roy. Not only on completing the model, and that it looks great, but also looks great in the air.

The Crossfire was a beautiful flyer in its original format and in the day of similar flyer to the Aerojet and later the Easy Street. All three designs with modern lipo and brushless set ups will be transformed and be better. I for one would build a Crossfire. Good luck Pete relaunching the model.

Wow long time since I have seen a Big Wig. Back.in the mid 70s I was in the Hastings MFC (Hastings and District as it was known then) and a couple of members had these. One being Merco 61 power the other Webra 61 power. One was modified not only that it could drop an Action Man parachutist whose chute didn't always open, but was also used as a Toffee Bomber in its day. Great model and very interested in the electric conversion. Keep us informed of flight tests and whether incidence change helps.

Personally I take no great delight from Ripmax current situation. They have been key in the UK market for so many years, but having seen Graupner disappear a few years ago we should really be mindful how challenging it is for organisations large or small. That said its good to hear the news regarding Futaba and J Perkins.

Did get some flying in instructing one of my local club members learning to fly but also flew my trusty old Simprop Excel electric glider that is now a 25 year old veteran but still enjoy it. Also maidened a small 1.2m scratchbuilt electric glider 2s 850mAh pack and brushless motor having modified down thrust. Was really pleased with it.

I have had mixed feelings about Merco's since start of model flying in the mid 70s. So at the time a number of members in my local club had Merci powered cl and rc models. I had Merco 35 Black Streak which was notorious unreliable runner and no was not set up as it was looked at by everyone. However it eventually led to loss of a model which put me off the engine. It was not until a couple of years later that a change of carburettor actually sorted the engine out.

Mine was a Keil Kraft Sportster easy build rubber powered model in summer 1974 when i was 8, which led to my having a Cox 049 powered PT19. Which was my first cl model which eventually met its end in 1975, and my first rc model was a Truline Custom Executive in 1977.

Personally I had used Model Technics fuels since my early days of flying in the mid 70s on for aircraft, and model cars indeed competing not only nationally but at World and European competition level without any issues. Choice of fuel is often discussed not least because some manufacturers engines perform better with one fuel or fuel manufacturer than another.

In our club Night Vapors are very popular and can be fun with inventive minds for carrier table top fun, limbo, even mini pylon time trials etc. Micoaces range is popular too. The Brisfits fly well because of wing area, triplanes are more of a handful if space is tight because of speed. However the Volantex range has proven popular especially T28's when there is regularly a Squadron of them flying same time. These are the popular choices but other models are flown. Hall size is often the key to what you can fly.

Glad you had a great time at Ospreys Keith. I was at Colchester MAC today lovely conditions and maidened a Nigel Hawes design Tucano that flew nicely and set up a new member's Boomerang trainer and maidened that for him. He had done a lot of good work as a total novice and always great to see their faces when they see their creation fly for the first time.

My condolences to you and the family on your loss. Like the other respondents here, I too was very much influenced by Ian and met him a number of times largely in the late 70s and 80s. Aside from having some of his plans and articles from RCM&E, Radio Modeller, etc of which the Dogfight Double are still my favourites, and a number of his books I have. It was his books on electric flying and airbrushing I think influenced me in both. I feel very fortunate seeing him numerous times doing airbrushing demos at Model Engineering Exhibitions, but especially at the National Modelmaker Festivals. Ian with Graham Swan influenced many of us to get airbrushing and dabbling in Club 20. I hope that you either build or retain his models, etc.

While as others have said on here a steerable nose-leg makes ground handling a lot easier - it is by no means necessary. A lot of Bullets and Tornado's I have seen have fixed nose-legs. From personal experience if you are using a steerable one a standard servo with nylon gears is asking for stripped gears at some point, so either use a servo saver, a servo with metal gears (whether you use the rudder servo or a separate one for the nose-leg).

Tbh there are a number of good quad chargers about GT Power X4 is one example if you want AC mains or 12v DC input, 4max have a couple including the aforementioned. One aspect to consider though is what if the charger fails then you are down 4 charge outputs. Often some people opt to buy two dual output chargers so that if one fails they still can charge and / or replace faulty charger with another dual output one. Essentially you pays your money and you make your choice.

Flying and instructing at my club whenever the weather (which seems to have been either pretty windy this spring/summer or wet) permits. Flying Wot 4, Dave Smith Models Merlin, Simprop Excel, FMS Piper Cub, Decathlon, P51 or Ryan STA - whatever is to hand when I load the car.

Great seeing all the clubs efforts in support of the attempt. Colchester MAC managed to got 22 models in the air for the attempt despite the efforts of the weather (why oh why could we have not had the weather we had on the Saturday). Great fun was had by all. What was encouraging was we had members ranging from about 15 to well in their 80's flying, and of fairly new experience as model pilots to some who have most of their life. Regardless all were very happy and pleased to have played their part, and all models survived the attempt.

Good luck to everyone participating tomorrow and let's also take a moment to reflect how far model flying has progressed too.

John, the designer was EJ Webster of Keil Kraft fame originally. Boddo revisited the plan design in the 90s and iirc he tweaked it and rescaled it also.

Totally agree with you Cuban8, and Harry Brooks now that is a name from my early modelling years past as a young Sussex lad. I have to admit much as online can be easy, there is nothing like routing through a traditional model shop. Probably they suffer from fewer modellers and hence the social gravitational pull as much as the competition of the bulk online discounters. Where I live now in Essex I am at least lucky that I have A1 Models, Balsa Cabin a d a couple a little further afield, but we have in recent times lost a few too.