Chris Walby

Following with interest and the scale details are top notch. Shame the Laser's didn't fit as the 70's just squeeze in my SG Mossie with everything else as far as forward in the fuz and nacelles. Have you tested where all the electrics need to go to get C of G, only ask as my BH mossie has over size motors (for the weight) and a lipo in the nose as far forward as it will go. All the best, keep posting and thanks for sharing PS any details on the UC mechanism please

But as with "pinking" there is a down side...if persisted usually a hole through the top of the piston results! Call me a traditionalist but that is normally quite expensive. All well and good mucking about on a test rig or something low value and glides well, but if its only a marginal gain sounds like the risk does not out weigh the benefit for me. Everyone else crack on and post your results..😉

A bit blustery, but mostly down the runway so ok if you had something with a bit of wing loading. A couple of foamboard Versa flights along with the GTC which coped will in the conditions if pushed along at pace. Quite surprise at how well the P38 flew although it does feel heavy for a foamy and feels like a bigger warbird than it actually is. Only casualty of the day was the wooden prop on the Texan

The 'bigger engine less lead' argument is...well more problems Bigger engine on same prop as smaller engine going to rev its nuts off - little or no chance of ever getting that through a noise test, the answer is to prop it up if you have the clearence. Possibly need to over prop it which is not good. And another thing is you will end up flying around at low throttle settings which will probably result in a less reliable engine as it goes cold in flight and dead sticks on you..the alternative is scream around the sky like a pylon racer.

Off topic, but all is not lost with society yet. Took the dogs for a walk last Friday and after the +3 mile loop I returned to the car...then discovered I had dropped my car key (with the house key on it). This will be the first time in +50 years. I did have a few choice words with myself and set off to walk the entire +3 mile loop again looking for the keys. Plan B was to walk an additional 6 miles home, get the spare key from the neighbour, get the spare car key and retrieve the car assuming its still there. Of course whoever found the key could use the satnav to head home and use the front door key to get in..oh double poo! Anyway about half way around I met a couple walking in the other direction and asked them to look for the keys, unfortunately they were not walking the same extended route, but you cannot really ask complete strangers to recover a route I had covered. Never found the keys on my second loop and back and at the car it was going to have to be plan B, but the couple had indeed found the keys and left them sort of hidden on the car. Thinking about this not only did the couple find the key, but walked the extra distance to leave the key on the car and back again onto their intended route. Its spotting the scammer before being scammed is the knack.

IMHO I can't see the expense and development paying for itself for the very limited number that might be sold. Another complication and variation to the engine range that would mean more permutations to confuse the punter and tax Jon with having to give advice. Reading between the lines with changes in product range then its obvious where its heading - where the sales are and that's where it needs to be to pay its way. Can only hope we get to the radial development sooner rather than never at all!

I was given a bit of advice that seems to have worked well for me with EDF's or slippery things. Allow for one complete circuit at half or less power as the pilot has the tendency to get used to the speed (of a relatively fast and light model) and you just come in too quick. I have glided over the entire runway with absolutely no chance of landing (nice low pass!) and then remembered to do another circuit and then land with little of no energy left, hence no bounce. Quite surprising how slow they will actually fly after screaming around the sky! There are quite a few YouTube examples of the every increasing "dolphin" bounce until it smacks itself into the runway..

Off topic, just make sure the IC stuff does not make a nuisance and complies with relevant guidance. I have heard a few good sound systems, but many like yourself promise much, but deliver little in practice. I think you have to incorporate all the mods and tweaks to get the best out of the sound systems like cutting lumps out of the model and incorporating diaphragms to maximise the sound level from the model. PS - for smaller models there is a significant weight penalty of the sound system as a factor to consider.

IIRC Just put both RX into bind and the power the TX up in bind. Worked for my funfighter and dolly, but I was using two RX's that were the same and might have even been DSM2. Biggest issue is the torque roll produced by the accelerating motor and that the FF wants to jump off the dolly so you have to try and counter that and steer. Didn't find it very reliable as a launch method. Hand launch, but just make sure the motor has finished accelerating + things like the FF normally launch on 3/4 throttle OK If it proves to be really tricky then I would suggest a AR637T and launch in safe. Works for me with my Outlaw (ballistic delta and SU47 edf as its so marginal at launch between getting away or hitting the ground!). PS - If they won't both bind at the same time I would say its a compatibility issue with the different RX's

Looks like a Can Doo to me, so does that make it a Can Doo Two ? 🤣

I thought it was a good idea once. Martin suggested it was not a good idea, IIRC he may have had some issues or knew someone who had I have actually experienced really unreliable connections (wondered why the RX would power on and off) depending on which battery I used and if the cables were flexed Its really disappointing as the connectors have a good power rating, but I guess the design is not really for the stresses and flex of flight. OK if its connected and used on a charger, but of course its a less critical application and unlikely to suffer vibration/flex of the cables.

Reasonable weather both days this weekend so it was twins Saturday with a Grumpy Tiger Cub and a couple of BH Mossies (trimming and shakedown flight, hence the non scale flying and the elevator control with a lot of hysteresis was proving a challenge for both of us! VID-20230204-WA0002.mp4 And Sunday was much more relaxed with a good smattering of twins again! Wing straight down the runway ..nice

I have some, used them and IMO if you use the right size tube you don't need them. Can't really get any more critical than a twin Tiger Cat - clips not fitted Dual Ace - clips not fitted SG Mossie - clips not fitted Eurobat - clips not fitted ok its a twin engine if not two engines! I say no more in case of the modeler's curse visits my flight box!

Just looking on the BMFA web site and it does not show the Laser event as I wanted to see what was happening over the weekend. I heard that the LMA Teeside event is that weekend so if there are closed events at Buckminster it might be worth a toodle up there or head to Old Warden.

Don't you want the same crush resistance as the rest of the prop hub or all be it less? If you use carbon won't it act like pillars which will set up unusual stress between the back of the hub and washer at the front, probably resulting the prop slipping and coming loose. If the old holes are filled with anything and then re-drilled surely the hub will not be as strong as a hub with only one set of holes? Having experienced a spinner cone disintegrate at bench WOT testing and seeing how far the debris travelled (about 30 ft) I would really not want to be around if the prop hub failed and a blade departed.

Traditionalists don't use them, but prefer to use castor and spent a nice afternoon attempting to start the engine. Benefit is if you don't fly and there is little chance of damaging said model..🙂 PS Personally just in case said 310 did decide to bit the hand that assembled it, probably worth it from a safety aspect😉

I mount my Laser 80's into a VQ FW190 and VQ Air cobra horizontally because the cylinder head will poke out anyway, easy tank position to carb and I don't care what the rivet counters say as it not really scale anyway. Oh and its easy to get to the main needle for a quick tune at the start of the day. Ok not an ESM but a BH, but it demonstrates where the engine can be mounted + that a 120 ASP cylinder head is almost at cowl height so a 150 might just hide inside. Always worth considering a bit of wood work to get the tank at the right height with the engine inverted, did this with my Hurricane and it might seem a faff but you only do it once especially if you don't have to cut the cowl much. Model on bench, offer the 150 up, mark where the tank needs to go and post a few photos. 🙂 Sure we will all help to get the install right.

DLE is approx 820g, Laser 155 is 955g. If lead is necessary then there is not much you can do assuming you have everything (RX/gear batteries, servos and anything else as far forward) as for forward as possible. The alternative is fly it with a rearward C of G (motto forward CofG flies poorly, rearward CofG flies just the once), but realistically that's not an option. The 180 weighs 1240g so its not a lot heavier than the 150/155 and thus I don't think it will solve you lead issue, just harder to install and still over powered. Anyway Zero flew has with the lead and said it was no bother so doe not seem to be an issue. Could ask Zero what the AUW is and that would give you a good target.

Only my opinion, but as Laser only sell 100 or 155 in there current range that and the manual specifies a 120 then a 155 if new. As you have a 150 sitting on the shelf then that sounds the best bet. The FW190 is quite short in the nose then the additional weight of a 150 compared with a 120 (if you could get one) I suspect won't make a lot of difference. The challenge might be installing the engine inverted and achieving the correct carb to tank height, as there are a couple of options. Install the engine off inverted/even horizontal if necessary or measure up and chop/beef up some wood work to get the tank the right height. The 180 will just make the tank positioning more difficult as its a taller engine and is over powering a 6Kg model IMO

Leccyflyer, Have a chat with John at Logic RC (UK Spektrum service agent), I had a weird issue where in one menu I could select model, but if I accessed the model select via a different route I couldn't. Anyway John talked me through a quick fix over the phone with no risk of losing models and all was sorted. PS, the cause was between the TX sticks and pilots jacket! ..say no more!

Vince, best ask the ESC manufacturer if you really want to know what they recommend. Goodbye and good luck. I am off to remove double prop nuts, castor oil and add some expo.

IMHO I don't think very minor voltage variations will make a lot of difference to the RPM compared with incorrect spanning of the ESC's. Plus if the RPM increases then the load increase hence the voltage will reduce so I recon its probably all a bit self limiting unless the actual ESC setting is different. Next two paragraphs: All ESC's are not the same, but I spoke to George at 4Max about battery to ESC lead length and he said for his ESC's the problem was designed out. I have a TN DC3, Mosquito and a Grumpy Tiger Cub (all with 4Max kit) where the ESC's are in the nacelles (better for cooling IMO) and no problems or added capacitors. Dry joint....yep had one of those on a BH Mossie. Bought second hand and reportedly pre flown, but the C of G was miles away from where it should have been + a couple of major control issues would have meant it would have been a very short single flight. Anyway before the maiden on various checks it would kick one prop backwards a few degrees (like 30ish) on just one motor about 1 in 8 times, but the pick up ok all the way through the RPM range. So on with the maiden and apart some trimming all was going well so time for a couple of low fast passes. On the second pass there was a odd sound and one motor powered off and stopped, I chopped the other throttle. I then decided to keep it low (30 ft) and do a gentle bank to the right and see if I could get it back in the field. No real piloting skill as it dropped a wing and spun with it pointing vertically at the ground. I instinctively put a bit of up in and was think of whether the gear should go down of not and it met the ground with wings level! The problem was found - a factory made motor lead bullet connector dry joint, hard to find as it was supported by the heat shrink sleeve until cut away, but under full load blew the remaining solder out of the bullet. PS looks like two skid marks, but from memory there might have been three 😉

IIRC its when some ESC's have not been "spanned" e.g. taught min and max settings/range of input from the RX that there is an issue, as I say I have not had that issue myself. A few interesting things when using differential throttle control on the WooHoo, but that was intentional as I want it to spin. Again depends on your battery stock as to whether you parallel or series lipos to get the power output, technically higher voltage reduces your losses (I squared R), but higher voltage ESC and motors are more expensive so up to the individual.

Vince, Looks good, have you tried the motors attached to the esc's on a test rig? Not had any problems myself, but others have had issues motors running at different RPM?

If you want something that flies itself then a Hobby Zone Carbon Cub S, all the bells and whistles including Exclusive SAFE Plus GPS-enabled drone technology. • AutoLand, Holding Pattern, and Virtual Fence functions. • Beginner, Intermediate, and Experienced flight modes. • EPO foam airframe with fully painted scale trim scheme. • Tundra tires. On the up side you won't need a lot of skill to fly it, on the down side you won't learn much about flying either..and what it will teach you will need unlearning if you progress to something else. Alternatively as suggested by many, find a club, talk to the club members and get a few trial flights before deciding on equipment and instruction. 🙂