John Stainforth

I usually put in the recommended throws (with the servo movements at "100 %"), and then program one or two lower rates settings (depending on transmitter) to say 40 and 70 % of those rates. I start with the lowest rates for a maiden, but ready if really necessary to instantly switch to higher rates. Then experiment with the higher rates and go from there. Usually, much of the first flight is taken up with flying the plane with one hand and making trimming adjustments with the other (or, better, with a helper). I agree with Jon (and many others): no expo. Expo softens the central position, but if one over-controls one is really in trouble.

You may regret that, when you get tired of the electric and go back to i.c.!

Talking of antique toasters, when I was at school I made a very primitive toaster by folding a sheet of aluminium into rectangular trough about and inch deep and fixing an electrical element from a clothes iron across the open top. I connected the electrical element directly to the mains by twisting wires together and wrapping in insulating tape. This contraption toasted bread very fast, one side at a time, but it absolutely would not have met any health and safety regulations anywhere, in any age!

I use CA to tack down the edges of the sheet, whilst the other glue sets, but I pre-shape the balsa sheet first, by successive wetting and drying (holding in place with rubber bands etc)

Your estimate of the weight of model engine required to balance the plane is not quite correct, because the centre of gravity of model engines is quite at bit further forward than a scaled Merlin, which is a long engine. What matters is the turning moment of the engine, not its weight, so you won't need so much extra ballast as you think to balance the model with your 4 lb engine.

Dirk. What an incredible labour of love!

I've suffered from this syndrome all my life, and have lost a vast number of socks to it. My guess is there is a black hole somewhere in the Universe, crammed full of my socks, and those of others. This may even be the 'missing' Dark Matter.

Thanks for posting this very clear, and damning, report. It looks like the Commemorative Airforce and the airboss may be facing serious litigation. What strikes me as odd is that the CA have done these shows hundreds of times before. Was this a freak departure from their usual flying patterns, or have they got away with similar dangerous maneuvering before?

Great plan. I will try to make it - it's also an excuse to visit the Buckminster site, which I have not yet visited!

Sounds as though you could give Elon Musk a run for his space money!

I have an OS 55AX in mine, which is OK. FA-82 would also be fine, but FA-125 (= 20.5 cc) would be way over the top IMO.

The CAF have taken part in countless airshows, over the years, and indeed was at Wings Over Houston just a couple of weeks ago. It will be interesting to see if the flying pattern was changed for the Dallas show.

I don't think this video is a convincing demonstration of the blind spots. The P39 seemed to be taking a crazy-looking line that, if anything, steepened slightly to score a bullseye on the B17. It makes me wonder if the the pilot of the P39 had a heart attack, or something. All very sad. The B17 was one that was used in just about every Wings Over Houston airshow I've been to in the last twenty years. (I've been inside it , on the ground, which makes one highly respect the gunners in their very cramped, exposed turrets).

The difference in speed between the two planes was unusual for old warbirds at an airshow flying in roughly the same direction. I've seen these planes many times at the annual Wings Over Houston display, and I don't remember seeing such an extreme closing speed.

I think there is quite a lot to be said for doing what the locals do in any one place, because they have learned the local best practice through a lot of trial and error. In the southern US I ran my i.c. engine on higher nitro and oil than I do here. The typical atmospheric conditions are different in the southern US (hot, semi-tropical, thinner air) compared with here, and my planes and engines ran and flew faster there than here. I have found that optimum prop sizes are slightly different in the two places (typically 1" difference in pitch and/or diameter).

Or to check that the clunk tube in the tank has not fallen off?!

I don't think it has a spring. I have a Saito 125 out of an aeroplane at the moment, and its throttle barrel moves freely to any position and stays there, i.e., there is no indication of a spring in there.

Or you've passed out!

It's the kinetic energy of the plane circulating that is being converted to electricity; I don't think a balloon could do that very effectively. Also the plane requires no expensive gas to remain airborne

Do unto Saito that which is Saito's (advice); do unto Lasers that which is Jon's.

Yes. They even built a wind tunnel (I believe the very first) to test various airfoil sections. It is remarkable what they achieved, virtually from scratch, simply by experimentation and trial and error. They did not build their powered flyer until they had worked at the basics and a way of steering ("wing warping") by making numerous manned flights with several gliders over about four years.

This is not CA, which is cyanoacrylate, but it could be an isocyanate. The problem is that this is a vague, abbreviated chemical description - e.g., "aliphatic" applies to any paraffinic straight chain. I would be somewhat worried, though, about the xylene and acetone (which are specific compounds): These are very strong solvents, so you definitely should test spray this over the paint coat you want to proof to check that it is not attacked.

I am proud to be amongst these dinosaurs. Just remember: birds are reptiles too and are unsurpassed at flight.

Well, I did once have a pistol pointed straight at me, at point blank range, by a policewoman in Texas when I got stopped because I had a defective rear light.

I had a tire blow out on my Toyota Prius a few years ago in Texas. I had parked it on black tarmac in the midsummer, midday sun for about half an hour. When I drove off the car rapidly developed a repetitive bumping sound, as though something was stuck in one of the tires, and the car was rising up and down slightly as though what was stuck was protuding downwards. I stopped the car, and had a good look round and could see nothing stuck in any of the tires. So I drove off again and hadn't gone more than a few hundred yards when then was an explosion - a very loud bang, and the car immediately slumped down on one side. A tire had blown out completely - there was a flap about four inches in diameter hanging out from the inner side wall. I put on the spare tire, and took the car straight to the local Toyota garage and they said they had never seen a blown tire quite like that. Incidentally, I had just had the car serviced before this happened, so I think the tires may also have been overinflated before I parked the car on the black tarmac.