Tony Harrison 2

Perhaps. But what would you say that is, EB?

Speaking as a tyro flyer I have to say that frankly, I find the BMFA mag dull and hardly ever useful. I wonder what proportion of the BMFA membership appreciates, values or enjoys the magazine? I wonder by how much the sub could be reduced by ditching the magazine? I belong purely for the insurance and because my club requires it. If the magazine was better - and I've worked professionally with many magazine titles, UK and abroad - it might provide added value to membership, but really, it's hopelessly old fashioned and amateurish.

Mine has just died! Bought it several years ago from Maplin Electronics, now unfortunately defunct. Where to get a replacement... Agreed,an ultrasonic is ideal for cleaning airbrush components, though I found a good scouring beforehand is necessary, and warm water plus a drop of detergent, with multiple repeat sessions. Tony

I really wouldn't try to save money by using domestic acrylic paints from B&Q. It's a different beast from the very fine specialist paints from top modelling-paint producers. I use Vallejo and find it a consistently excellent product. Should explain that while building static plastic aircraft & car kits, and venturing into airbrushing, it took me a long time to get sorted! Maybe I was a slow learner, but I struggled; now of course it's a doddle: use disposable plastic 3ml pipettes (Ebay) to dribble acrylic into the airbrush cup, add maybe 10-20% water (filtered, or purefied for preference), then a single drop of Rowney's flow enhancer (from art supply shops), mix thoroughly, works fine. I've tried thinning with isopropyl alcohol, and windscreen washer fluid, found no advantage over good pure water. Re airbrushes, I also advise against trying to save a few quid by buying el-cheapo Chinese knock-offs of quality models. Been there, done that, waste of time and money. Cheap rubbish doesn'tproduce results and will drive you to distraction. I have three Japanese Iwatas, 2 x HPC-Plus and an older, smaller, HPB. Shop around for best deal: I bought a couple from Thailand at good prices, and another s/h on Ebay. Clean them religiously and they'll work really well. Hope this helps, good luck! Tony

I have an electrified Arising Star, fitted for its initial trials with a prop 11x5.5 - I have in reserve, or if found to be necessary, additional props 11x7 and 11x8. This is an interesting thread! Wish I'd come across it earlier, as one of those older (70+) newbie flyers who's made very slow progress so far in getting into the air... (In addition to what might be poor aptitude & age, I move between England and France so no continuity, have unfortunately lost a couple of experienced guys who started to train me, and English winter weather is just so atrocious there's rarely any point in visiting the field. Most of my training has taken place in France, during the sunny months - thanks David!) But I bought an Arising Star in good nick (except for the seized-up OS46!) which had been in someone's attic for a dozen years, and have electrified it. The CoG seems spot on, and I look forward to getting it into the air, with an experienced chum and buddy lead. Its significant weightiness gives me confidence - earlier in this thread someone mentioned beginners having difficulties with light foamy so-called "trainers" and that has been exactly my experience. I hate planes that get blown around by every tiny gust, very nerve racking and irritating. In fact I hate windy weather in general... Much of the aerodynamic argument here passes me by, but I like the look and feel of my Arising Star, hope it works for me. rgds Tony (pic shows Arising Star as it was, unaltered - will post another pic here in a while showing the modified plane, redesigned nose for electric, bigger wheels...)

Hi David, and thanks - sorry for my belated reply but I've only just seen your helpful comment! I couldn't be bothered to drive ten miles to the shop, then wait an indefinite period for a replacement to arrive - so I epoxied it together again. It works fine, very useful. Best, Tony

Hi Paul. It does bear a certain resemblance. If you imagine the upright (blade holding) bit not fixed solidly at right angles, but free to wobble from side to side, you'll appreciate that it would not guarantee a precisely square cut all the way along a strip. And I think it was meant to come glued solidly from new, but had come apart in shipping or on the shop's shelf. rgds Tony

I just bought one of these but I'm wondering if it became disassenbled at some point. I'm sure many know this gadget - it has three main acrylic pieces, with the blade-holder fixed at right angles to the longer piece: they're cut with twin square dovetails that fit snugly together. They look as if they have traces of glue - but with mine, they were not glued together. Doesn't look to be usable if not fixed rigidly at right angles, and I can epoxy these bits straight away; but should it have come like this, not glued? Should I mention it to the shop? rgds Tony

Thanks kc for your posts, but I've never been able to use any kind of hand saw in a straight line! I have a small cheap bandsaw, Clarke brand, which with careful adjustment and a gentle touch is great for accurate cuts in light material. rgds Tony

I've been in and out of Montpellier a lot, starting over 30 years ago (we used to use my late mother in law's apartment at Carnon, before getting the house near Alès) but don't recall coming across a model shop! Will probably buy a cheap-ish scroll saw from Axminster Tools, not too far from me in Devon. Yes, you've seen me at the field a couple of times in the company of David - he's given me an old magazine plan for a Cessna Bird Dog which I intend to build. In 2022 must get around to actually joining AMCC. rgds Tony

Hello Paul - I wonder what that is, and whether you bought it locally or mail order? Haven't really looked for any tool shops in Alès. Dremel make some good kit, but as you seem to suggest, their stuff can be non-standard. I have an occasionally very useful tool called the Dremel Trio, but it takes an unusual one-off size of cutting/drilling piece. Hope to see you at St Jean in 2022. rgds Tony

Thanks Martin - I have the Lidl bench sander, very useful as you say, moderately priced and good value. A friend has the same model, very experienced modeller, and he agrees it's a good machine. rgds Tony

OK, that's good advice. It's advertised as coming with Swiss-made Pegas blades, which I'd have hoped were good quality. For straight-line cutting of ply, I already have a small bandsaw, only a Clarke which I got on Ebay very cheaply but with care it's fine for light materials like thin ply, use it a lot. rgds Tony

Thanks Geoff. Your idea of an aluminium template is interesting - though making it might be a bit challenging - especially since I'm going to try and use foamboard, which cuts very nicely with a scalpel. The wings on my Cessna plan are indeed tapered, though the inboard section has half a dozen same-size ribs. rgds Tony

Toyed with getting one of these for a while, and since I'm embarking on my first build from a plan I am set on buying a scroll saw - for those fuselage formers etc. A bit reluctant to buy s/h on Ebay or elsewhere, but I don't want to spend a fortune, just need something that will handle plywood up to 5-6mm, and balsa of course. Proxxon make a neat little unit; Axminster Tools have their own branded scroll saws, Chinese manufactured of course, about which I've seen mixed reviews. Their cheapest is £130 - anyone have experience with the Axminster Craft AC405SS? Or maybe someone here has something for sale... Don't see myself using it for all those wing ribs though! Too tedious by half, and my dexterity isn't what it used to be. I see on this site there are clever tips about cutting wing ribs roughly, fixing them together, then sanding them to shape in one go; nice idea, still a bit challenging for me - and I'd thought to use foam-board for economy anyway, not sure how well that sands... rgds Tony

Sounds interesting. I've had my eye for some while on the Sarik Hobbies Bird Dog plans/woodpack, MW3592, 48" span - which is the one I referred to as being featured in a 2013 issue of Q&EFI. Take your point about the 6" bigger (span) for which you have plans - I wonder if might be possible to borrow your mag & plans, all postage costs refunded of course, so I can copy & return them? If this wouldn't be too much trouble. Message me here? I like the idea of a somewhat bigger Bird Dog. rgds Tony

Thanks again kc, points taken. I'm reasonably competent at building - both the traditional kits I've built in recent years were the first I'd done since my teens, and each one flew well in the hands of experienced flyers who test-flew them for me. Must confess, I don't like the look of the Striker or the Strikemaster! Slightly odd and antiquated. But as a simpler alternative to my possibly over-ambitious Skymaster scheme, another USAF FAC aircraft I always liked is the O-1 Bird Dog - maybe you could offer an opinion on this Outerzone plan: Cessna O-1A Bird Dog (oz9057). I also have Q&EF magazine plans (+ instructions!) from May 2013 for a 48" span Bird Dog... rgds Tony

Good points, kc, about the servo complexity. I might (should?) go for something simpler... rgds Tony

Many thanks kc - detailed and very useful advice. I'll try to follow it. On the Outerzone site there are a few plans for the Cessna Skymaster, and this one isn't what I originally downloaded but it's described as 60" wingspan, so about the same as mine: Cessna 336 Skymaster (oz8180) rgds Tony

Thanks Nigel - I'm familiar with this stuff after all, artist's foamcore, bought from art supply places. Good idea to substitute this for balsa. I looked at your previous build article, have bookmarked it. rgds Tony

Did I know about that? Don't remember you mentioning it, but yes indeed, very interesting - I wonder if this is a kit (never seen one mentioned anywhere) or more likely a plan build...? I look forward to hearing more, maybe seeing it next year. And re the OS engine, yes, I'm sure you're right - I have a bit of 2-stroke mix handy, will dunk it in that for a few days. Best, Tony

Hi David, thanks for the tips. A while ago I mentioned this project to you, and I believe you pointed me toward the plans site in question - downloaded them and had Stan Yeo print them out at a slight reduction in scale. I have a wide vocabulary but had to look up "tessellate"! Yes, my natural meanness will compel me to squeeze as many ribs as possible out of a sheet... But I hate cutting out ribs. BTW I've pretty well completed my electrification of the Arising Star, looking forward to getting my local chums to help get it into the air. Old OS engine is still seized, but I'll continue efforts to soak/free it up. Best wishes, Tony

Thanks Nigel (and others of course). No plans to use foam, don't like the stuff. But I ought to look into Hobbycraft foamboard, whatever that is. Never tried cutting strip wood though I should, can't be that hard - I've built two traditional balsa kits in recent years but this will be my first attempt at DIY from a plan. Your estimate of wood costs shocked me! Phew, that much? Plane is a Cessna Skymaster (USAF O-2A), been interested for years in Vietnam-era FAC aircraft from the Bird Dog on. Twin engines, push-pull, doubt that two powered (electric) motors are necessary so the rear one will just be a freewheeling prop... rgds Tony

I took plans off the Web for a twin-engine twin-boom aircraft and had them printed out to a smaller scale, resulting in a model of approximately 60" wingspan. It's a project for the future, though I'm half tempted to start this winter. Being lazy, I wonder if there's a simple way to estimate how much balsa etc I need, other than laboriously going over the plans with a ruler and calculator in hand... Might be an easy answer, or I'll just have to do lots of guessing. What's my best approach? How do others tackle this? rgds Tony

Thanks Nigel - I took a look. They're foam wheels, like most, and I like the idea of those air-filled ones that SLEC sell. They just confirmed to me their postage - I think a fiver minimum p&p is too much given the low cost of the wheels, though. Seems I can buy three foam wheels 95mm dia on Ebay from HK for a tenner incl p&p... Anyway, these recommendations are informative, much appreciated. rgds Tony