John Stainforth

Geoff S and Nigel R get it. To argue that the EU market is affected equally by these changes is rather like arguing that, when a model plane crashes, the ground and the model plane are affected equally.

I think the golden rules for a beginner are: (1) Join a club. This is a hobby where one learns almost everything from other people, so do this immediately and ask club members about all aspects of the hobby and flying. (2) Do not try to fly the plane yourself, first time, or you will crash. Get proper instruction from a club member. With the right instruction, you will be able to get your model down in one piece. You will probably need at least ten instructed flights before you are ready to go entirely solo. (Also, getting a computer simulator is very good idea for getting the "flight" time to learn the reversed coordination required when the plane is flying towards you, etc, etc). (3) Give your trainer a really good bashing - that's what it's for. Don't move on to your Spitfire too soon. Get 50 to 100 flights (and heavy landings!) on your trainer first.

The specs look similar to the Hangar 9 Twist, of which I have had four. Presuming it flies like the Twist, expect it to be pretty lively with that engine and very aerobatic. If you have flown similar models before, go with the manufacturer's recommendations, otherwise scale back the rates as Alex has suggested. I would also watch the CG carefully. For highly aerobatic and 3D flying one will need the CG pretty far back, but not for the first few flights. If the manufacturer gives you a range, I would start with the CG about 1/3 back in that range. For example, for the Twist the recommended range is from 4" to 5" back from the LE, and I found 4 1/4" about right for initial flights, and 4 3/4" right for highly aerobatic flying.

Where did you manage to fly your plane? I thought model flying club sites were closed because of Covid.

Why not keep the engine choice flexible?. With careful choice of bearer spacing it is possible to accommodate several different engines in the same plane. For example, the Saito 72 and 82 have crankcase widths of 35 mm and crankcase mount hole spacings of 46 mm; for the OS 46AX these dimensions are 35 mm and 44 mm; the OS55AX 36 mm and 44 mm; and for the Laser 70, 35 mm and 45 mm. All of these engines can be mounted on Hangar 9 metal engine bearers if their inner faces are spaced about 36 mm apart. These mounts have slots that allow for the variations in the fore and aft spacings of the mounting holes and for different fore and aft positions of the engine.

Dirk, A work of art. Thanks for this fantastic build blog. It shows extraordinary care and attention to every detail!

From my experience of having had endless prop nuts come undone, I would say you will be lucky if this is adequate. Getting washer, prop nut and spinner combinations that are compatible and work is a pain in the neck. I would try to put on a thinner washer (without the taper), then a thinner nut and then the spinner attachment nut as a lock-nut. Another problem (that Jon of Laser may be able to answer), is why do so many engines come with threaded crankshafts that look barely long enough for the job? Anyway good luck with it.

I can usually tell within about five miles of refueling whether I have better or worse fuel in the tank just by how the car feels. I also watch my mpg gauge all the time. The effect of the fuel additives I mentioned is fairly subtle (a few mpg on my diesel Golfs, e.g. 65 mpg compared with 68), but the effect of added ethanol on my petrol car is somewhat more pronounced. In America, petrol with 10% ethanol is called E10, and I found by monitoring the effects over every single tankful for fifteen years that the mpg with the ethanol is about 7% worse than without it. Some petrol ('gas' stations in the area I lived in added the ethanol, and some did not, and not all consistently did or did not add ethanol. Again, after just a few miles, I could always tell whether I had a tank with or without ethanol. (My typical mpg in my Prius with the ethanol was about 44 and 47 without). Edited By John Stainforth on 07/01/2021 16:42:27

Has anyone else noticed how those more expensive car diesel fuels with additives (e.g., Shell V-power, or BP Ulitmate, or whatever they are called) give slightly lower performance and mpg than the cheaper fuels without the additives?

If hand starting, it's best to use a chicken stick (or any old stick) rather than your finger!

Brian, Martin I advocated glass above, a la Dave Platt. Every time I mention this, it gets ignored. As I said, I am totally converted to this way of building, as someone who always used to use soft boards and pins. One does not have to build over plans. All one needs is one or two straight lines, and tick marks for rib and former positions, marked straight onto the glass with a "permanent" marker - the ink wipes straight off with methylated spirits and a paper towel afterwards. Balsa jigs can be glued straight onto the glass and are very easily cut off later, and the CA completely removed with a modeling knife or razor blade. Parts are held down with weights. It is all dead easy, the glass is dead flat and cleans up very quickly with knife and meths so that it remains pristine after building anything. If you look in my S6b album, you will see my glass table top before, during and after various stages of building. Also, have a look at the expert Dave Platt building on glass in his videos.

... Rock-the-boaters!

I think it's got my name on it!

Andy, Dirk, I am very interested in this process of making plugs for molds using 3D printing. I am wondering how you are going to fill, seal and prepare the surface of the 3D print before making the mold? Will heat from the curing resin cause any problems?

Byron, What weight and wingspan are you S6(b) and MC72? (I personally find wing loadings hard to relate to, unless I know the size. I prefer cubic wing loadings.) I still have not flown my S6b, mainly because of Covid, even though it has been ready to go since mid-summer. Perhaps, next year, Covid permitting, those of us with Schneider models should try to organise a flying get together. I also have a Sebart MC72, which flies really well because it has a low wing loading. Edited By John Stainforth on 01/12/2020 20:04:53

When it comes to printing or photocopying I often find that the print is not quite to scale or slightly distorted. With various computer and printer combinations this can often be rectified simply by playing about with the printer settings. Usually the culprit is something like a default margin setting that can be turned off or changed. If one has a 3D drafted plan, things are much easier because one can print out the part outline with a background grid (e.g. 1-inch grid) and then check and adjust the settings rather easily to make sure that 1" really is exactly 1" in both directions.

Gary, I don't think that wheel spinning in the air does any significant wear. I have done more flying off hard strips than grass and I have been surprised just how much tire wear there is: one has to replace the tires every few years. When one takes off and lands on grass, there is nowhere near the same tire wear, but the axles still take a hell of a bashing, even though it may not be very apparent. The main wear is to the holes in plastic hubs, and then the (inevitable) cracking of those hubs.

Compared with the old balsa and ply ARFs, the Wot E foam certainly seems big a rip-off. It is much like a cheaply made toy, worth about 20 quid at most. I won't be buying another.

Where are the moderators now, who are usually so quick to pounce on anything even mildly political? Racism and conspiracy theorists should be called out.

Balsa can be replaced in many of its model aircraft applications, but what I am missing is a viable alternative to balsa sheet (e.g. 1/16th inch). The materials I know of are either too thick, or too rigid, or too soft, or won't take compound curves, and none has the useful anisotropy of balsa. Any ideas?

Pertime, Yes, of course. But using my model mags for building models is a reason not to throw them away!

I find that stacks of old model aircraft magazines (such as RCM&E) work very well for holding down curved wing sheeting.

As Dave Platt points out in his videos, the crucial stage is the gluing of the last piece of sheeting, because this locks the structure into its final position. The wing must be held rigidly in place while the glue dries. Applying adequate weights is more reliable than pinning.

Jon, actually my 200V does 6800 rpm on a 20 x 6 prop, not a 20 x 8. Also, it is difficult to compare the sound with your video properly, because on the 20 x 6 prop my 200V was really chucking out the dB's.

I too found Sprayguns Direct really good and fast. But *all* the model aircraft suppliers I have used this year have provided really good, rapid service. Mind you, they all told me they have been doing a really brisk business during Covid.