Malcolm Fisher

I've never had a "proper" covering iron. At first I used the ordinary domestic iron until spouse complained about coloured marks on clothing. ? since then I have used a small travel iron which has always worked well for me. Temperature is measured using a Coverite thermometer which IMO is an essential piece of equipment when using this sort of iron. Malcolm

Many years ago and article in Aeromodeller gave a recipe for etherless diesel fuel. From memory the oil used was modified rape seed oil and the mix was 20% oil and 80%paraffin with an addition of up to five % of , I think, IPN. Starting was a bit difficult but helped by using a prime of normal diesel fuel. Again from memory engine ran a bit hotter than with ether fuels and compression needed to be slightly higher. I remember that with ether fuels compression needed backing off a bit once the engine was running and not doing this seemed to do the necessary for the higher compression of the etherless fuel. My engines run on this mix made my C/L models of the time somewhat faster than with conventional fuel and started more easily when still hot from a previous run. I believe the article was by an industrial chemist called Robert Dulake. Will try to hunt up the rape oil modification if anyone is interested. Malcolm

I've had bifocals for over thirty years. When I asked my optician about varifocals, I was advised against as the varying bands of different focal lengths were very narrow and as my major problem was astigmatism they would most likely not be suitable. A couple of other people I know have tried varifocals and couldn't come to terms with them and reverted either to two pairs of specs or bifocals. Malcolm

My introduction to R/C was with a single channel Super regen Mc Gregor radio so I could only fly if no one else was around. I used a glider - modified KK Chief a a slope soarer. Later graduated to two channel gear and still with slopers. When I started with power, I couldn't land with power on so always flew the tank dry and landed dead stick as that was what I was used to doing. Never been worried about dead stick landings ever since but did eventually learn to land with the engine still running. Malcolm

Would like that one

Another chance to inspire grandchildren

Put my name into the hat please.

Another attempt to interest the grandchildren

Would save me quite a bit of time with a couple of my transmitters.

Can't win if you don't enter

Will it give me a headache?

My wife had one of the frequent calls about problems with her Windows computer. She said hers was a Mac and got an apology. Some time later a similar voice called and I answered the phone this time. The caller claimed to be from Apple Mac and had evidence that my Mac had been severely compromised. I told him that I didn't have a Mac to which he replied that he had the details of the machine registered to me and that my wife had asked him to call me. In the past saying one had a Mac always made these callers hang up so it would seem that they are changing their tactics to try to gain access to computers whatever type they are. Malcolm

Would be good to get a grandson interested. Malcolm

I have an ancient treadle operated Hobbies fretsaw - can be quite therapeutic. For some operations I'm lazy and use a bandsaw. A note of caution if using a coping saw - the teeth are quite big and can easily cause damage if cutting thin materials. Like Peter Miller, I remember well cutting out printed KK balsa parts with a broken razor blade. Never had the wherewithal to re-sharpen them and often had stains on the balsa created by red stuff leaking from one or other of my fingers. Malcolm

I resurrected an old Chief not very long ago and used some paper designed for use with inkjet printers or other machines. I used PVA as adhesive and sprayed the paper with water before applying it. When dry I used a water based satin clear varnish as at the time i didn't have any dope. I am pleased with the result and the "varnished" paper seems pretty tough. Haven't yet managed to get it to my favourite slope site so don't know how well it will stand up to that. The original model was for single channel rudder but I added an elevator when I acquired a two channel radio. For me that made a huge difference in my ability to control the model. Malcolm

John - re the Black Magic. As you might remember I brought mine to one of your fly in days last year. I still have the plan and would be willing to let you borrow or copy it if there is any way it would help. Malcolm Edited By Malcolm Fisher on 05/11/2020 19:12:13

Hello Julian When I've bought piano wire and tube for wing joiners, I've always got them from my local model shop. They either know what size tube goes with what size wire or one can select the wire and then sort through the tubing to find the best fit. In the case of my Kloudrider glider which is just short of 100" span the joiners and tubes were supplied with the kit. The wire is 8SWG (4 mm diameter) and it and the tubes are just long enough to reach through the first two ribs. The centre section built into the fuselage is the same size as the wing root and three inches wide. It is deep enough to accommodate the bend in the joiners. Hope this helps, but send a PM if I can be of any more help. Malcolm

My Kloudrider wing is now structurally repaired but needs covering. I have taken some pictures but need to transfer these from my camera to my album before I can attempt to post them - if I can remember how to do that. Covering is now an issue. I have plenty of nylon, but no dope. Some oddments of Solarfilm and 'tex but not enough of any single colour to do the job so using those would make a multi coloured wing. Laminating film is a possible alternative but I haven't any idea of what temperature would be needed for adhesion and shrinkage. Can anyone who has used this material give me any advice? Malcolm

Julian The piano wire joiner is usually bent to provide dihedral and the brass tubes are kept straight. If there is a centre section - as in my Kamco Kloudrider the bend is buried within this. If the centre section is more than the width of the fuselage, two sets of wire and joiners would be needed. Hope this helps with your problem. Malcolm

Clocks changing back to GMT - the "proper" time. Our kitchen clock is kept permanently to GMT with a suitable notification on its front. Personally I would like to abandon BST and stick to GMT. I'm also opposed to the suggestion that we should change to come into line with EU time as was once proposed. I am old enough to remember having to suffer what was double summer time and, even as a child, hated that. Malcolm

I have some old Sanwa servos which I use with Futaba receivers having changed over the positive and negative connections in the servo plug. If tried without doing this the servo would be ruined by the wrong polarity being fed in as an old club member found out by trying to use a Futaba servo with an old Sanwa receiver. Malcolm

Thanks for that MattyB - will have a try at those. John - it is only one tapered wing, but many of the ribs are broken with much missing. I had thought of trying that until I stripped off more of the covering. I was surprised at how much had been lost. Might be able to get the rib profiles from the other wing using a "mimic" - from memory the kit plan I once saw didn't show the rib shapes. I'll manage somehow though.

Haven't got pictures but was investigating my option - a Kamco Kloudrider . The damage to the port wing is far worse than I had thought - the result of a careless launch across wind on the slope. Sadly I don't have a plan as I got the model second hand sometime in the late 1980s. Can anyone help with the loan of a plan for this or send a copy? Malcolm

I have some models which need a tad of TLC. Not too sure about getting the necessary pictures and also not very sure of when I will be able to make a start - am currently involved in some much needed house maintenance which has to take precedence. Malcolm

My wife does a litter pick every day in our street - two or three houses up and down from ours. Neither of us can understand why the louts don't use the nearby household bins and save us the job. A nearby ginnel used every day by children going to school is always littered as well as being used as a canine toilet presumably condoned by pet owners taking their dogs for a walk We are also unable to understand why people can manage to take full bottles and cans of drinks up a mountain or to any other remote beauty spot but seemingly don't have the strength to carry the empties away. Malcolm