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Everything posted by SIMON CRAGG
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How do you mark your operator ID on planes?
SIMON CRAGG replied to Witterings's topic in All Things Model Flying
Printed off a load on the pc. Stuck on with Prit stick, can be peeled off easily when the number changes or gets even longer. No damage to paint on a foamy....so win win!. -
Why do interesting threads get pulled or locked?
SIMON CRAGG replied to Christopher Wolfe's topic in All Things Model Flying
Well said, I agree 100%. Keyboard warriors, who have not got a real life. Spend their tedious lives making obtuse, uninformed and generally irritating posts just to stir up trouble and controversy. Just ban them.................no loss. -
Hand Launch EDF ,any tips on what to protect the underside ?
SIMON CRAGG replied to flying daddy's topic in Hints and Tips
All my small EDF Jets have clear reinforced tape on the belly, and cut down white plastic spoons to protect the servo arms. Screwfix Polyurethane clear satin Varnish (3 coats lightly rubbed down). Coped with wet grass, bit of mud etc. Never had any damage......so must work! -
To a certain extent HFT clubs are in the same boat as us. Very keen to get hold of new members and youngsters at a premium. To keep the less able on board, they have introduced the "Sticks" class for anybody who is less able to get up and down to the prone or kneeling position. A major bonus is that they have a "Veterans" class.....that will be me then. There seems to be the usual harmless banter etc. and a LOT of help available. I am hoping to join with a mate, who is very competitive and a good sub 12 shot, so a bit of competition on the cards. Just needs to stop raining!
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Probably going to be sticks veteran PCP class for me. Sub 12 ft lbs, no hearing protection required. A bit like modelling when you first start........the range of kit options is incredible.
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Many thx for all your helpful comments. I have a doctors appointment in a few days,(lucky me eh?) for ongoing motion sickness (FFS what else will go wrong), and will ask about my cataracts (Thx ED). At 74 its suddenly all starting to go a bit pear shaped. Just about to join a local gun club to give HFT shooting a go....so need to get sorted asap!.
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Slightly off topic, but my eyesight is failing, so over the last 6 months virtually no flying. Back in the summer, I was hurtling my electric Havok around the sky when I suddenly realised I could see two models........basically a shadow flying just under the model!. Very disturbing. Tried various sunglasses, no good, Painted the model bright yellow, no good, Went to Specsavers, specs returned for refund as no good, Went to local opticians who discovered cataracts in both eyes, left worse than right, but neither bad enough to operate on! So that's me stuck really, until they get bad enough for op or I give up altogether. Bit fed up about it really.
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The MATS models were a really heavy beast, with a Fibreglass fuzz, foam wings and all the wood, bordering on hardwood. No wonder the poor old Merco (run on straight fuel with a dash of petrol, struggled to keep it in the air, They also incorporated a type of ballistic parachute under the canopy. The idea being that in the unlikely event it as hit, a servo would operate a canopy jettison set up. Never....ever, saw it work!.
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Whilst in BAOR, I used to book the MATS team when we took the tanks to Hohne ranges. More of a novelty / fun end of shoot event really. Thousands of 7.62 / .30 rounds were wasted trying to hit them.......without success. At least half a dozen piled into the surrounding fir trees. However, there was an upside!. I had to sign to say the MATS team had searched diligently for any downed / crashed models, so they could be written off. From the control tower, I had carefully marked where they all crashed, mostly dead stick. (Merco.61, no exhaust,11x73/4 Kavan blue prop, nice Skyleader push / pull servos etc). I rounded up a few "helpers", and when everyone had legged it, went down range to recover the airframes on many occasions. Say no more!
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North Weald C-54 Skymaster gets the chop .........
SIMON CRAGG replied to martin collins 1's topic in Full Size Aviation
I was stationed there for three years, many moons ago. Used to work in one of the original hangers. Lots of adventures exploring the derelict control tower, various huts and accommodation. On a recent visit I was gutted to see that the old officers mess adjacent to the parade square, had replaced by a Bookers!. So many memories of the whole airfield. Stunning place back then. -
Club competitions day, what does your club do?
SIMON CRAGG replied to martin collins 1's topic in All Things Model Flying
Our club comps have gradually tailed off no matter how the Committee tried. We deleted the word "Comp" and replaced it with "fun" to no avail really. Somebody had a great idea for 2025 which seems to have caught on: Members can enter any Chris Foss model and take part in 8 different fun events throughout the year (two attempts, one am. one pm).: Lots of banter and general "fun". Spot landing, Timed flight. Loops. Ground handling round cones. Fastest and slowest Using the Sky Rc gizmo: Flying to a max height Flying to a max speed Flying to a set distance So far a lot of CF models have been rejuvenated, and I managed to find two CF Acro Wots for £45, and sold one for £20. Who said the hobby was ded / expensive /etc.? -
A newbie at our club turned up with an Apprentice ARTF earlier this year, and had some success on days when it was not that windy. He struggled as soon as the wind increased. He then had a few lessons on the club Boomerang trainer, which is a well sorted / trimmed / heavier model, and found it much easier. I would suggest that it might be worth you trying a slightly heavier / larger model, which does not get blown around as much.
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Retract options for VQ Model - Focke Wulf FW-190A 60 size
SIMON CRAGG replied to Hoochykins's topic in Warbird kits
Having been down the same road many times, how about a compromise? Get the cheapest possible retract units from Hobbyking / AliExpress / Temu / Bangood. Use piano wire for the legs, and any cheepo wheels that fit the wheel wells. Take off as normal, but always belly land the model. I always use cut down plastic spoons to protect any servo arms etc. on the underside of the airframe. I am a great believer in belly landing, especially on uneven grass runways. I have lost count of the times I have seen u/c collapse / get ripped out / drop in a rabbit scrape and cartwheel the model down the runway / cause all sorts of damage. Ok, it does not look as good as a "greaser", but you get to go home with your pride and joy in one piece, and not a bag of bits!. -
Did you have any issues when it came to using a "Y" lead on the ailerons? I can see a potential problem in not being able to change the individual senses of the wing surfaces. Or is it a case of trial and error. The motion rc video shows the gear going into an Avanti which I have, but the video was not that clear. Did you use a 2/3/ position switch (I got a bit lost when the video started talking about adjusting the trim to go from a 3 position to a 2 position !), or a dial to control the gain? Thanks for your help.
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To try and iron out the bumps when doing some onboard photography, I thought a gyro might help. As I know zero about the subject, can somebody point me in the right direction. It really needs to be: Straightforward to set up and use. Reliable. Not silly money. OK for a basic 4ch trainer. Thanks in advance!
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In my experience, lightweight models like these can be a bit of a handful, unless flown in optimum conditions. The c/g looks to be way to far back. I would move the lipo / u/c / add weight to the nose to achieve 25% cg back from the LE. Have you got a rates switch on your TX? I would try it with less movement and 30% expo, low rate and what you have set already as your high rate. Do you really need an U/C?. You have a rough flying area, you will probably have to keep beefing up the u/c and adding weight to make it strong enough. If you have got a friend who can hand launch, why not persevere with that until you are 100% happy with the set up?. Pretty looking model....well done!
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Try AliExpress, they have got a vast selection.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkoH2h1Un7k&t=5s Gone for the 4K version, on offer at £35.00. Should be fun!.
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Many thanks for the info......let the research begin!
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Having recently retired my trusty Go-Pro Hero 3, I have been looking at the cheaper end of the market for a small camera to mount on various models. Has anybody any experience of the SJCAM C100 / 200 / 300 please?. I fully realise you get what you pay for!
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Dom, yet another brilliant video! The on board footage is great, please can you let me know which / what camera you are using? Many thx Simon
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For what its worth, I think the team who produce the magazine do a great job. Its a thankless task. Trying to get content on time, appealing to a broad spectrum of different branches of the hobby etc. etc. They are never going to please all the people all the time. Even on my basic laptop, its easy to read and never gets dog eared or chucked in the bin. A gave up getting model related magazines years ago, and especially enjoy reading about other clubs, Mannys Musings, and keeping up to date with all things modelling. Long may it continue, ignore the doomsayers and well done!.