Danny Fenton

Hi Angus, Clarky and Antony. Hope you don't mind me muscling in our your thread, but have you any room for another coming back to the hobby after errrrr a long time lets say? Just finished a Wot 4, have spent a lot of time on a sim ready for hopefully my first flight in many years. We could almost create a seperate group of us all returning to the hobby, wonder why there are so many, was there something on the news recently that rekindled it. Can't be Battle of britain on the telly at Christmas can it..... Angus you are definitely not boring us, let us know how it goes, your experiences will probably give us a heads up as to what to expect.

Thanks David, My local model shop said something similar, it can teach you to become instinctive as to left and right at any attitude, but will not really simulate some of the sudden flight attitude changes you can get with english weather. With any luck I will fly for the first time in 25 years today, if any Mode II flyers are at the site that is, and then I will know. Fingers crossed I wont be re-kitting my Wot4

Just read your latest notes on the other thread, I heard Flair are trying to re-invent themselves and get back to the prestigous brand name they once were, they are dropping some models I know, perhaps this is a first step in the right direction. I always liked the Flair Scout series models, I guess they are full of light ply now also......oh well I guess thats progress.......

Hi Antony will do, I am a bit new to this site so am still stumbling about a bit LOL

Hi Antony, just had a look in your gallery, looks like you are suffering from warped bulkheads and fus sides. Wouldn't be light ply would it?? It may have its place, but I am starting to get a bad feeling about light ply and will avoid it in the future, certainly for bulkheads and fuselage doublers. let us know how you get on? cheers Danny

Antony, there are many versions of the Super Cub, one of the first planes I ever flew in was a super Cub L18C G-BBYB rebuilt by my father back in the 70's the L variation (derived from Millitary versions I believe) has the greenhouse type cockpit much less claustrophobic. Cheers Danny

Not sure but according to the Flair website they offer decals for G-AYPM which is a PA-18 Super Cub see link. http://futurshox.net/aeroview.php?level=image&id=1999 Cheers Danny

I purchased two simultors, both by RealityCraft, the PlaneMaster and the FlightMaster. I have a USB interface from my JR PCM into both and find them very good. My question is this: I have not flown a model for several years, however after spending several hours with the simulators I am able to fly most of the models consistently, land take off, do circuits. I can fly inverted all day and can just about manage a rather scrappy looking rolling circle. How good an indication of my actual skills does this indicate? I used to fly Fun Fighters, scale models and the odd pattern ship in my youth (25 years ago)so I don't think of myself as a total muppet, just rusty. Cheers Danny

Hi Mark, I am just getting going again after an absence of 25 years, most recomended something like the Wot 4, which is what I have built. I am yet to fly it as am awaiting finding an instructor at the next club night. it is odd when I was learning to fly Oh so many years ago.....I couldn't fly a elevator/rudder/throttle trainer very well. finally crashed it due to radio failure (honest) and moved onto a Mick reeves Gangster, everybody said aileron trainer you won't manage, but I found it much easier to fly. I think I find it easier if you are constantly flying rather than intermittently guiding as with some trainers, does that make sense?

I have to agree with you on the adjustable firewall John, I built mine recessed for a JEN56 and the construction turned into a "plug the gap" and fill in the spaces. The main problem with this was keeping firewall to fuselage side integrity, and finding spare bits of wood that weren't earmaked for other areas of the build. The times I used offcuts to make a fillet etc, to find out that said offcut was the raw material for another part.

I am returning to modelling after some time away, and there certainly were no ARTF's available so I cannot comment on whether the Wot 4 will perform any better than a chinese take-away, nor on its longevity. I hope it flies as well as everybody says. I certainly prefer building to flying, so will continue to sand and shape balsa, spreading dust and fumes throughtout the house, much to my wifes annoyance. I don't remember having any building problems on Gangsters, Fun Fighters, and the Flair Scout models. Which interestingly are still available to us balsa bashers, but my memory isn't what it was. "they say respect your elders, trouble is they are getting hard to find"

I have to agree with you on the adjustable firewall John, I built mine recessed for a JEN56 and the construction turned into a "plug the gap" and fill in the spaces. The main problem with this was keeping firewall to fuselage side integrity, and finding spare bits of wood that weren't earmaked for other areas of the build. The times I used offcuts to make a fillet etc, to find out that said offcut was the raw material for another part.

Thanks david, I am impressed the gear is being used in a Wot 4!! The JR charger I have is labelled 50MaH for the Tx and 120mAh for the Rx Thanks for your speedy response, it is much appreciated.

Help.... I have recently bought a JR PCM9XII Tx/Rx and the charger that came with the set displays a red LED when charging is taking place, ie a red led for Tx and red led for Rx battery. My question is how long should a charge cycle take? the packs have been on now for nearly 24 hours and the leds are still red. The Tx and Rx batts are both 1100mAh. The charger is a US model but is rated for 220Vac. Is there any danger with leaving them on too long. Also how much flying time would you safely expect from a charge? (I know this may be dependent on servo loads etc, but roughly?) Cheers Danny

John, were your light-ply bulkheads flat? mine were all over the place.

I have been absent from the hobby for several years and have just built a Wot 4 to try and get my eye in again. I have always had trouble getting solarfilm to cover glassed wing joints, and read something recently that suggested covering the centre section in masking tape then covering with solarfilm, another suggested a coat of BalsaLoc would let the solarfilm stick. Anybody used these or other methods??

Thanks Barry, I went to the local shop this lunchtime and they suggested BalsaLoc also. I gave the centre section another going over with sandpaper and then a coat of BalsaLoc, the covering has gone on really nicely now. Only wish I had done a bit more filling as what looked great when flatted, looks lumpy now that it is all shiny. :(

Afternoon Dr, The wings arrived with split veneer on one panel, the other looked like the ends had been faced with a chisel rather than a sharp saw and the ends of the veneer were cracked and split. I wonder if the glue has changed that Chris uses, or the veneer thickness?

I have been absent from the hobby for several years and have just built a Wot 4 to try and get my eye in again. I have always had trouble getting solarfilm to cover glassed wing joints, and read something recently that suggested covering the centre section in masking tape then covering with solarfilm, another suggested a coat of BalsaLoc would let the solarfilm stick. Anybody used these or other methods??

I have returned to modelling after an absence of 25 years, and it was interesting to see the magazine article on the Wot 4. One caption, "not seen one of these in the air before? where have you been for the last 25 years!" well that's me. I was stunned when I walked into a local model shop to see rows upon rows of ARTF models. What has happened to the hobby? So many are missing the wonderful pleasure of building the model in the first place. I agree with many on this thread regarding the veneer on the Wot 4, it is apalling, what with cracking, and the ends cracked and split. I seemed to remember a Middle Phase I built many years ago also had poor veneering. My comments will go further I'm afraid. There was none of this light ply around when I was modelling, and although it seems very light, and for its weight has good strength, I didn't get one unwarped bulkhead! This made building an accurate and straight model more difficult than it should have been. I was also quite shocked to find that there was so much not included, especially when you consider the kit price, compare the contents to an avwrage ARTF. No tank, spinner, wheels, mount, even the washers for the U/C were not included. Is it any wonder newcomers to the hobby go straight for the ARTF shelves? A lovely design, which I hope will fly as well as everyone states, but I do feel I haven't got value for money.