Dane Crosby

Hi, I have returned to the fold after many years absence. This is what I have been up to…… The Global Kits Cutlass 10 was bought in the mid/late ‘90s when I decided to get back in to model aircraft. It was to be a mule to test control laws before building the superb plan of the ME163. I started assembly of the fuselage , laminated and joined the wings. At that stage my work changed and had no time for just about anything else. Once retired many years later I started again hence my post in newbies. I decided to finish the Cutlass. All I had left after three moves was the almost completed fuselage, the unfinished wings, the two fin blanks and a length of triangular section elevon balsa.. I had no plan and no other items. Despite advertising no-one had the plans but I managed to download a picture of a crumpled plan from an archived sale on ebay. This at least showed me the recommended CofG and the box in the picture stated the glo engine size (0.19) for the powered version. I had originally decided to make the slope soarer version but now wanted to go EP. I estimated the weight would be between 2½ and 3½ pounds so picked an easy revving 1100Kv 340 watt motor.This meant a rehash of the fuselage to allow motor, battery and ESC to be fitted. As this is only a semi scale model and I knew nothing about EP This web site and the “how to” articles in the magazine have been vital in bringing me into the 21st century! I decided to make a nose cowl that allowed a lot of air to pass the motor for cooling. I tried balsa but was not happy. Aluminium proved a bit difficult so I made a plaster mould and made a GRP cowl. Gradually the fuselage took shape. I have taken on board all the dangers of leccy props and so I made the canopy detachable. Inside this I have mounted a Deans socket flush with the model surface. This is fed by batt positive and when shorted allows power to the ESC. The Deans plug I have connected both pins and moulded a blob of milliput on top which is painted to look like the pilot – a bit Picasso-ish really! This is then the power connect/disconnect for the model. If the pilot is in the canopy the model is LIVE = beware

Hi, I have been busy. I will start to put it on the build blog thread. See you there!

Duno what happened to the "u"? Finger trouble no doubt!

Just got back in to modelling this year. I have finished an old Global kits Cutlass 10. Modified to have leccy power and rudders. I'm starting on a modified old plans Swannee with one extra wing bay, slightly wider fuselage, leccy power and for channels. I am very slowly building the Traplet plans Me 163. I'll modify this for electric power too. Meanwhile My kit car is due MoT next month so I guess that there will be things to do to it prior/post the event! In the future I am very keen to build a Rapide - most likely the Traplet plan.

I'm "borrowing" a foam high wing trainer to get my hand back in and then on the building board it is back to anything tail-less. I found an old Cutlass 10 kit half built in my loft. I have no plan but I'm searching one out. It's not a particularly difficlt kit anyway and will be a fast flyer! What I have not found yet is a simple list of a rough comparisons for electric brushless motors to equivalent glow engines. Is it OK to use the glow engine's stated BHp and convert this to watts and then use this figure as a way of choosing the most likely lecky motor? I'll bet it is not as simple as that! Also on the building board is the superb Traplet plan of the ME 163b Komet. I'm going to build this but as the original Komet prototype markings etc. I need to work out what electric power to give it. The plan asks for a .29 two stroke. They seem to give around 0.75 to 0.8 BHp. This would indicate 560 to 600 W for the motor power. Seems a bit low when compared to modern RTF kits with motors fitted. Any ideas?

Yippee, got my nice shiny DX7s today. Playtime !

Hi all, after a loft clearout I have discovered a half built Cutlass from the Quality models stable. There are just about all the parts there but no plans. Does anyone know the whereabouts of a sheet of plans for this model? I'll happily pay for postage/copying etc. Cane even accept them via email. Many thanks all.

Thanks evryone for the great welcome. Roger 2, that was part of the dowfall of my glider. I was flying it from RAF Thorney Island at a weekend. The ATC engineers decided to test the AR 7 airfield radar - normally off at weekends. It took one sweep of their machine to fix all control surfaces of the glider to one extreme. Fantastic erratic spin developed and the transmitter was now an interested onlooker as nothing worked. Crunched in from about 200'. I suppose this was my first "Blue on Blue" experience. Cheers all!

Hi all. I have decided to return to aeromodelling ! I grew up with keilcraft, DC Bantams, jetex etc in the early 60s. I moved on to making quite a few aeromodeller plans such as Mgana, Swannee, snowflake and many otheres. My last model was an Ivinghoe glider/ slope soarer. It sported the latest Remcon 27MHz 4 ch proportional and died on it's last flight at RAF Thorney Island in 1973! I found some old stuff in my loft last year which was MacGregor/Ripmax Galloping Ghost (a seriously mad system) and a single channel OS Pixie system. All actually sold on fleabay! I have decided to get back in to powered gliders and use electric power. That's me! read all about my disasters to come!