Robert Leadbeater

i used to be into model trains and when visiting a new train shop i saw Avicraft decided to go in and got chatting bought a few magazines and they drew out basic plans for a glider and i brought a bundle of wood from them and with my fathers help over several evenings produced two gliders that flew extremely well. i had previously built planes but none of them flew because they all had flat wings since i knew nothing about aerodynamics back then. i eventually brought a pico tiger moth kit and built that which flew very well and i still have this today little beaten up but it still flies.  last year was when i really started building. i managed to get a table set up in the garage and then i saw the simplex which i liked and brought the required 4 pieces of balsa to build it. went home that evening and built most of it. covered it in dope and tissue (what a smelly process- got a few headaches from that one). the first flight was when i was on holiday in about 20MPH winds but it still handeled them beautifully. i did eventually get about 3 flight out of it when i lost sight and had a nasty crash. recently i rebuilt it changing some aspects e.g battery location  and it is waiting for its maiden. if someone is looking for their first plan build i reccomend this plan really nice and simple to build from and its a vintage i have to say the reason why i build is because i like the idea of building something from raw materials and flying it. i get so much satisfaction when building and flying something i have built. ARTFs spoil this and i don't like the look and the quality of some ARFs price is also another factor, i would rather build something that i trust and can build cheaper than an ARTF that frankly i don't trust. p.s just got a guillows walnut scale tiger moth that i am converting to rc. so many planes so little time and money   don't know if any one knows about replikit.com but it is builders heaven.

1 am 17 been flying since i was 15 and i am on my second balsa build first was a simplex converted to elecric from the RCM&E plan and now i am building a precendent hi-fly which i picked up at the hop farm show. replaced the heavy ply fuse with balsa and have built one wing so far.

ive always loved the tiger moth it would really be great to get a nice big one in the hangar so count me in. ive got a video here about the tiger moth and im pretty sure it does say that it has been armed but i don't have a video player so i can't see it.

haven't flown it yet i have only started to assemble it E-flite cessna 182 build quality is really bad and the plane is extremly fragile. has made me start to really think about buying any ARTF's plan built or chuck glider conversion is the way to go now i think.

heres mine 1.scottish aviation bulldog 2. grob G109 picture 3.DH chipmunk all small i.c .15 size and an option to convert to electric

i use this hyperion charger and am very happy with it also does many other battery types and the mah goes up in 50ma steps. http://robotbirds.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=9_94&products_id=1313 before i fly/ charge i check the voltage of my lipos with this handy device http://brchobbies.co.uk/?page=shop&action=additem&item=292 which means that i can spot any unbalanced/uncharged lipos.

the cub would be good just turn the ACT off. another good starter(even better than the cub since it uses standard equipment)is the GWS beaver would be slightly more exspensive than the cub but you get better gear with it.

i would aim for around 550 watts so 275 watts either side. i would use the brc hobbies 300 watt combo deal the 1400kv one coupled to 2 3 cell 2200 mah lipos or 2 8 cell nimhs.

im 16 and have been flying electric planes for the past 3 years and am having a blast. i love the building as well as the flying. just nearly finished an electric simplex and soon to start a bushwhacker i also have an eep wing, eflite cessna and a GWS pico tiger moth.

ok thanks. another question is there anything that isn't as intoxicating as dope.

im about to build the bushwhacker and convert it to electric a good package would be the brc hobbies 1000kv 300 watt brusless & esc combo deal and an 2200 mah 3 cell lipo. you might have to chang the formers around the tank bay area and add a bigger hatch. i have just built a simplex also from an RCME plan it is really simple to build which you could build if you have a plan.

hi all, nearly building my simplex which is my first balsa build and now im looking at how to finish it. ive already sanded the whole plane with 220 grit sandpaper and ive already got some dope but i need some tissue is this just ordinary tissue or is it specialist stuff? i don't want it coloured too much ill just paint a bit with humbrol enamel.another thing would it be best to glue the tail on after or before covering?

do a google search for pibros which is a cheap slope delta that can be converted to electric this is made out of depron or go on mugi.co.uk they have a similar plane out of correx.