Dane Crosby

One litre of standard unleaded weighs around 760 Grammes.

I was thinking of another lockdown project when the Jan2021 RCME came through the door. I love the idea of a tiny delta so assembled a Blink. The lock together build does need care with allignment of all the bits but it was worth the time. Not flown yet as my club still hasn't got clearance to open.

I built a Swannee in 1967. OS Pixie and Ripmax escapement. DC Merlin powered. McGregor Single channel radio. Flew OK for a few flights. Re-engineered with McGregor galloping ghost TX and Ripmax GG actuator, still with OS Pixie. Spectacular crash ended that project in 1968.

Yes please. I'm in.

I'm in. Many thanks.

Aha. Very impressive. Look forward to see it built. Reminds me of the Gigant.

The drone team suffered a glitch with the web site. It is now fixed registering was instantaneous and easy. No need to avoid using the procedure now.

I'm sorry that I seem to have created an ordure storm. Today I received a nice informative and apologetic email from the CAA Drone Team. the had an IT snag which they have fixed. I retried my registration renewal and it went seamlessly. I keep my present OPR number until November next year. Now with the excellent weather forecast for this weekend on the peninsula I'll be flying everything I own....... hopefully. P.S. I will most definitely be staying with the BMFA whom have worked so tirelessly for us all dealing with this governmental knee-jerk.

Many thanks Andy. My Registration expires on 05 November according to the CAA so I will have to register if I want to fly; which I do. I will keep trying until I gain some success.

Ah Well, I have just repaired my WotsWot after a very firm Atmosphere/Terrain Interface issue. I thought that I would obtain my new Operator number today as I will be flying on Saturday. I have now stuck my old number on to the machine but will no doubt have to peel it off and stick on a new one. This is due to information I have heard that the CAA may well change our operator numbers upon renewal. Ho Hum...............

I received a nice email today telling me I need to renew my Drone Operator registration by the start of November. I followed the link which takes one to the log in page. from there, the CAA send a login code which allows access to the registration data. I arrived at this page but was unable to find a way to proceed further to pay the £9 for another year. I just kept being sent back to the log-in page whence the CAA emailed me another log-in code; once again allowing me in to the system. Three times I tried and failed. Has anyone else received an alert from the CAA for Operator Registration renewal? Did you manage to complete the transaction? I have emailed the CAA help desk but I don't expect a reply soon.

You will be fine with that Rx. I have a 6010 that I intend to fit soon. I can't get a photo yet as the aircraft is hanging in the clubhouse fifteen miles away. Next time I'm in I'll take a couple of shots.

I have a new Ruckus and there is a little work to do. I fitted an AS3X Rx under the cockpit. I enlarged the small cutaway and placed the RX horizontally there. The ESC is fitted fully forward on the port side of the fuselage with foam sticky fixers. Plenty of room for my 3S 2600bLiPo. Far too nose heavy. I have removed one of the Steel blocks from behind the cowling. cog is now better. It's a bit slow but it came with the 11x5.5 prop which is better with4S. I'll fit the correct 12x6 when I can get one. Otherwise it is easy to assemble and easy to fly. I switch off the stability provided by the AS3X except when landing in our regular gusty conditions.

I have now become brave enough to carve in to my Dual Ace wings to take out the fixed U/C and fit electric retracts. Got the wings in jigs and having to cut one rib and a chunk of under wing skin.. This will be beefed up with ply. Trying to do this with surgical care. I have also converted it to EP. I would have put all this off if I didn't have this spare time to get it exactly right. Estimates show that with batteries, it will be about 1lb lighter than in its i/c form.

I replaced my normal six channel DSMX AR6010 with an AR620. I was a bit cynical about it as I could see very little inside the case, and no antennae or remote antennae. I tried it out in my hack Max Thrust Lightning electric glider. I was soon impressed by the rock solid stability of the Rx and as much range as required......probably BVR. The telemetry is of the fly-by type but still useful. I have been up in thermals to good heights and at no time had F more than 90, no H at all. I have fitted it vertically, sockets on top. At first sight it shouldn't work so well but after 25 flights and about 20 hours in the air I have had no problems. I would not worry about using it in other aircraft now. Much less fuss in fitting Rx and satellites. Good value. Can recommend it. Edited By Dane Crosby on 24/03/2020 11:37:01

Try a yacht or boat Chandler. The yachts I see in harbour have their little wind turbines rotating all the time. I imagine some sort of shunt impedance may be used.

The full size Gnat T1 had an all flying Tailplane. The tiny elevators were locked to the main moving tailplane. We could unlock them by means of a plunger following hydraulic failure but had much limited control. The all moving tail could be moved up by a DC motor in this case as a form of trimming. HYD fail caused a complicated checklist to be carried out. All Gnat guys will remember the mnemonic STUPRECC. 🙂

If you don't stop the barbed comments I'll start to take offence and see red! Edited By Dane Crosby on 28/11/2019 21:17:17

it is sad that H&S, although commendable, is forever being "improved" at the expense of hands on. I studied Physics, Chemistry and metalwork at A Level. All experiments were carried out by myself with a clip on the ear if I spilt chemicals or blew some fuses. Use of tools was as important as designing and making objects in steel, alloys and other metals. We were expected to set up and use lathes and small furnaces. Now, the poor kids tend to wear goggles, gloves and other kit but just watch the teacher carrying out experiments. constructive subjects seem to revolve around CAD/CAM. all tooling seems to be demonstrated by instructors with little, closely monitored, personal hewing of materials. As a teenager I though nothing of setting up a workshop, reading and understanding a plan, then constructing a model working with wood, plastics and metals. The lack of hands on experience for youngsters will kill the make-it-yourself side of the hobby. I don't have an answer to this. My other pastime is building an working on kit cars. At the National kit car show every year I speak to members of he public passing by our stand. It is very common for people younger than about 30 to state that nowadays it is not allowed for non-garage people to work on vehicles. They imagine that with modern electronics it cannot be built or serviced by individuals. Getting the message over that it is OK to build and work on one's car is quite alien to the majority. Again, I have run out of answers to this; deciding that showing by example can be the only way. Any ideas how we get youngsters to work with tools and have confidence with machinery?

Hi, I have the later version of the Hurricane which comes with full comedy lighting. I found on my system (Spektrum DX9 G2, AR9010) that the lights module couldn't find any switching mechanism; It just seems to get its power from the Rx. I soldered the "controller" to a Veroboard circuit on which I separated the flashing signal from the steady signal. I also soldered on an electronic switch as part of the steady light channel. On the aircraft I changed the anti collision lights to bright red, plugged in to the flashing output from the controller. I plugged the navigation lights into the steady output. I ripped out the silly red landing lights which were replaced with brilliant white 10mm LEDs. These I connected to my switched, steady circuit. This is also connected to the gear output from the RX. Now, the correct colour landing lights only illuminate when the gear is down. The little Veroboard was made of a size to fit in the recess under the cockpit, above the rear wing entre section. All the Dynam warbirds are different so others may not have room for this board which is about 30mm by 20mm. The only time consuming bit was to make the plethora of the Dynam wiring spaghetti fit neatly when attaching the wing. The steady and flashing lights all operate as soon as the Rx is powered up. I haven't bothered to place another electronic switch to the Rx although that could have been added to the board.

My wife was standing near a stall at the Royal Cornwall show. A chap was talking to her about a multirotor he had bought previously for his little son. The first flight from their back garden in a housing estate resulted in a zoom climb then transit out of site never to be found again. It was a tiny machine. At the show he bought a DJI type of larger drone for his lad. Its larger so he could keep an eye on it. Wife told him that There were strict rules on where he could fly the thing and that he would need to register come October. He was rude and said the seller would have told him so she must be just making it up. Off he went home to fly it from his garden no doubt. I doesn't matter how many of us register. It is those types that won't bother to register or learn about drone flying get us all in tarred with the same brush in the eye of the general public. Welcome to the anarchic brave new world.

I just don't know what our politicians are thinking about. For the Baroness, whom incidentally totally flanned a formal letter sent to her by myself, to compare licensing model aircraft (sic "Drones" ) for safety and security threats to licensing fishing is crass. Is fishing a safety and security risk? Unlikely I suppose. For decades there has been robust "interference with flight" laws which have severe penalties.  The alleged Drone attacks on Gatwick fall nicely under this umbrella. Thus, there is already a robust law to cover the issue. No knee jerk action is needed; just detection and prosecution.  Now, Grayling wants to have sound checkers on roads to check for the "boy racers" on motorcycles and custom cars whom are deemed to be antisocial to the public. My other pastime is working on and running kit cars. There is already a robust law governing the noise output from a vehicle. These laws are in the SVA/IVA tests that modified cars are subject to. The car must stay below a required Db level at a certain RPM. Its all on the VOSA web site. I notice that this will not apply to the deafening noise from buses and trucks in town. Again, the powers that be are trying to look active and important to some unaware members of the voting public by making what I call "Mirror Laws". Each MP must be made aware of how this is allowing senior politicians to start acting in the style of the old East German total control and oppression style of government. Any wide boys won't care and will carry on without worrying about the deluge of legislation as with Drones, guns and fishing rods !! Right, I'm off to do some beach casting. I hope you will all forgive me for being a safety and security risk !! Edited By Dane Crosby on 08/06/2019 09:56:12

Hi. Was the DX9 a G2? Did it have a single antenna or the twin antennae? I sometimes fly my sailplanes up to 350 metres away and so far have not had a range issue with my DX9. I'd be interested to see if I'm pushing my luck !

I am still using my ancient Unimat SL. It has no obvious wear and has many chucks, centres and attachments. Tools are readily available and I enjoy making small and tiny parts with it. Sourcing drive belts can be a headache but there are ways around that.

We have a second hand 48" cut rotary ride on. It cuts low enough for models with smallish wheels >1½" dia I guess.