Andrew Thomson

HI ,       This is probably old news but if you haven't heard - "Model World" have bought all the rights to Brian Taylors' designs and through their on-line plans service offer plans and all accessories. Hope this helps. Andy

It will be a longshot - but if you are not in it you cannot win it ! Andy.

Hi Jim ,               No import duty as such but VAT can sometimes be charged - just depends on how lucky you are when it goes through customs. Notification can come from carrier to pay before delivery , or sometimes afterwards as a separate bill , depends on carrier used.Ordering from Bob Holman is still way cheaper than buying from uk and couldn't be easier. I've recently ordered 5 kits and a set of plans from him , no problem and the lot didn't come to more than £200 ! inc vat ! There's value and quality. see website : www.bhplans.com  Regards , Andy.

nice looking model , have just the home for it please !

Spoilt for choice, but in the interests of something relatively rare in .60 size models that is WW2 / military , should fly well and not need retracts to look or fly correctly : 1).Lysander 2).Chipmunk 3).Fiesler Storch Andy.

Stack the fuselages vertically by the wall and put rope type "slings" up from the roof and lay the wings in them . May not be the best idea but it works for me !

Hi guys ,                 Someone mentioned wanting ifo on how best to do a sliding canopy . I too would love to see some info on how to do this. Anyone out there got the time and knowledge to reveal all to at least two very interested and would be appreciative readers please ? Thanks in anticipation.

Have overcome the dissappointment of the Sopwith demise and found a solution to facing cutting out all those ribs again - I have bought a Dennis Bryant plan and laser cut kit for a large SE5a from Bob Holman in the states ( [email protected] ) lovely chap to deal with and what a bargain - $2 to £1 ! love that exchange rate . Cannot wait to get started , must finish off the BT FW190 to clear the decks. ( Also ordered laser part kits for BT 109E , Hurricane , Spit Mk1 and Typhoon - should keep me busy for a while ! )

Far too much cost and grief !!! The only sensible suggestion on here is to stick an ic 30 something or similar on the front , continue to enjoy what started out as a cheap fun model - and keep it cheap and functional . Don't make the mistake of wandering into making it a very expensive intellectually taxing ( for most of us non electricians ) exercise in producing yet another "just better than marginal " electric toy that needs 4 times as long to recharge than you get to fly ! That is when there is no more than just a hint of a breeze.

My votes this year are : All IC , WW1 50 to 60 inch w/span , WW2 60 inch+ w/span 1).SE5a 2).Westland Lysander 3).Fokker Triplane

order from Bob Holman direct from the states for a top quality laser cut kit at best price ( $2=£1 !!!)

Unfortunately their website does not have an English version and I cannot find anyone who stocks their range of kits . Can you advise please ? Andy.

Hi Ernie ,               Re pre 30's  , a sad salutary tale about best practice with battery packs - I have just spent a fair bit of time and rebuilt / recovered / detailled up/ a secondhand Flair semi scale Sopwith pup . For a semi scale club hack it looked quite good and drew several admiring comments at its' debut.               I had not flown a bipe before the previous week , when I tried my Father in laws version and I was really impressed and looking forward to some serious dogfighting !               Unfortunately , the red Baron struck from nowhere halfway through its' first flight and despite valiant efforts on the sticks to revive the pilot he failed to respond at all and dived in from 40 feet , completely out of control - total obliteration !               To say I was somewhat disappointed , having been looking forward to several seasons of fun , would have been an understatement ! Such is the life of a modeller , these things happen .                Immediate post mortem of the bits to find out why control had failed did not show anything , the battery pack was showing fully charged and everything ok.                 It was not until a couple of weeks later that I grabbed the same pack to test out the radio setup in a new Harvard . Then the strangest thing showed up - I fully charged the pack prior to test , fitted it and began checking positions / throws etc . After about the same length of time as the ill-fated pup flight , everything stopped dead. I checked all components , changed pack - all ok , put the original pack back - dead !                The pack in question was a vapextech 2400mAh 4.8 which was approx 1 to 2 years old - a quality make of no great age . Somehow it had developed a strange intermittent fault that could have lost me several models ! Yet it did not display any outward sign of damage or fault under test or charge . Needless to say it was immediately binned and a new "staycharged" pack ordered.                 It just goes to show that the best practice is definitely new model - new batteries (only around £6.00 !) . Put a date sticker on and automatically bin anything older than 2 years .                 I am however hooked on bipes and when I can once again muster enthusiasm for cutting all those ribs I will be building some ww1 / interwar models . The Se5a and 30's hawker biplanes have always been favourites . In the meantime , I finished a DB models Tiger Moth recently ( great kit - great company - great prices - great range) , but haven't had chance to fly it yet . I will have to get this airborne - with a new battery pack of course ! Andy.

Dear Jonathon ,                          Hi , the 190 has always been a particular favourite among my warbird choices . It has the right amount of menacing prescence along with practicality , style and performance . For me it is the German equivalent to the Spit and the 109 to the Hurri .                In finishing terms their are also so many more schemes when choosing a german warbird too ! Regards , Andy.

hi guys ,              see : http://www.flyingsites.co.uk/features/harrier/harrier1. http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=391840 make of it what you will . Andy.