John Stainforth

Looks great. One suggestion I would make is to get into 3D drafting. Then one can check everything is going to work and clear all other parts before cutting anything.

My brother and I made hot air balloons in our early teens. We scaled up a small design eventually to about 12 feet tall. We found that the Times newspaper airmail edition was the best material for these. We used a wooden hoop, about 3 feet in diameter for the base, with a meths burner held by cross-wires. At first we could find no heat source strong enough to pre-heat the balloons. In the end, I found the simple solution was to use an open cake tin, about 9 inches in diameter filled with paraffin. This was lit with a piece of cotton wool and produced a large orange flame and black smoke. This was placed underneath the hoop, while one of us stood on the top of step ladder holding the of the balloon with a pole. When the balloon was completely filled with black smoke, the unboard burner was lit and the balloon released. it would accelerate up to about 100 feet, by which time the aerodynamic drag would push the top of the balloon in, releasing a great belch of black smoke. Then the balloon would continue upwards until it gave another belch. I think three or four belches of black smoke would get the balloon to a maximum height of about 400 feet. We progressed to putting a cheap Woolworths camera on board, with its shutter release lever held by two opposing elastic bands. I made fuses by soaking string in potassium nitrate and placing a piece of this under one of the bands. Most to the balloons caught alight in the air (burning meths somehow escaping along the cross-wires), and cascades of burning paper would rain down on the field, sending cows scattering. One balloon caught alight just after it had landed, and the only remnant of the camera was its melted and charred black polysterene case, with a streak of clear plastic within it (the melted plastic lens!). The only pictures we got were pointing straight down at the ground, sometimes with frightened cows scattering in all directions!

What are the problems with the alternative park land the Trust has offered?

Whilst I was living in America, I ran in at least half a dozen OS engines (45 and 55 AX's) and slavishly followed the OS instructions to the letter. I have to say that I got the impression that my engines (a few months after they had been run in) seemed to be running at least as well or better than club members who had not followed the rather laborious OS procedures. If in doubt, I always follow the manufacturers instructions (whether it be with cars or cameras, etc).

Also very denting... on the pocket!

How about Biggles in the Orient or Biggles in Borneo? Don't laugh, adults apparently still enjoy the Biggles books (although I haven't read any since I was about 10 years old!)

I think the BMFA should issue a "C" certificate (for Congratulations and Compliant) to all those who have managed to satisfy all the necessary test and registration procedures! (This would come with some big stickers saying "Compliant" to put on one's planes.)

Jon, I am intrigued by your need for a mill? Are you going to start making your own model engines? Otherwise, what do you need a mill for?

Today I was amazed to see Red Kites flying in gale force winds in the Chilterns, as per usual!

I think many people have solved it. The finish applied depends simply on the engine type and how much you are prepared to pay. For IC, fibreglass and Klass Kote epoxy paints are the Rolls Royce, but expensive. If you have a good spray gun and compressor, the painting is very easy; it's the sanding that is hard work and tedious. For electric, KlassKote would be way over the top and unnecessarily expensive.

For a chicken stick, another cheap option is a plastic toilet cleaning brush with a straight shaft, with the brush part cut off. For four strokes, I generally use an electric starter, but with a small amount of priming (one or two turns) using Martin's method, being very careful not to flood the engine.

Whilst radio interference does occasionally happen, one of the much bigger causes of crashes is pilot error. Near the club field l belonged to in the US there was hot-spot where a disproportionate amount of crashes occurred. This was around the point of turning from downwind to base leg. The general consensus was that the density of crashes on the ground merely reflected where pilots were most likely to screw up.

I've renewed my license twice in the last three years and both times it was a breeze - almost farcically easy, compared with in other countries. All one has to do is tick a few boxes online declaring one's health and eyesight are AOK, and a few days later the new license turns up. One thing I have learned over the years is to always go to professional photographers for the identifying photos. They know what is required and usually check the acceptability of the picture online before one pays.

I may have mentioned it before. My brother and I tried most of the 1 to 2 cc diesel offerings in the early 1960's (ED, AM, DC), and in our experience nothing came close to the ED Super Fury for reliability and power.

My brother and I had an ED Bee, AM10 and AM15, and a DC Sabre in the early 1960s. But our pride and joy was an ED Super Fury, whose performance was in a different league!