Chris Walby

I can categorically say that I don't have any more Warbird Replica twin kits in the spare room waiting to be built apart from the WR Ju88 one, but as the BBC would say other designers and kit manufacturer are available. So that's a definite maybe then.

Wind was picking up to quite windy (10, gusting 24), but once off the ground it was very pleasant as it was more 17 gusting 20. More or less down the runway without much disturbed air so apart from a quick down wind leg it was no problem. First flight with the WooHoo which is loads of fun, but still has this tendency at WOT to dart up/down, think I have a bit of play in the elevon linkage. Second and third flights were a real treat now I have changed the lower KV motor for the standard Richard supplied one. The lower KV motor was running a 13x10 prop as opposed to the new 12x8 prop. Result it flies faster, but more importantly it has a much more progressive take off roll as opposed to the not a lot, not a lot and the big acceleration as it comes off the dolly. I'll finish the model once the Tempest is near completion!

Build the Me110 with the rest of us and pop the Ju88 back on the shelf for after the Me110 has been completed. Let me know when when you start the Ju88 as I would be interested in the build process as I err hum have a box in the spare room that contains the parts for one!

We are all in the same club, its the Warbird Replica club and hopefully there will be a good show of models at the Best of British next year 🙂 At this rate there might need to be multiple slots for types of WR models unless Richard calls for a big wing with fighter escort in case those pesky Focke's turn up

I could be wrong! However if the devices that go to each glow lead look undamaged then its not a shorting issue and the device circled is something to do with switching the glows on or off (as its a single common device) might be able to confirm this by following the "servo" input lead that connected to the RX throttle channel. IMO it could be supply voltage or the way the supply voltage and RX inputs are configured that is causing the problem. Could you post the box external leads and indicate how they are connected up, cheers

How higher is "much" higher? But more importantly what's the pack voltage at 5C? - still missing my point

Typical maximum glow plug current is 3A at 1.5V so it has a resistance of 0.5 ohm, the driver circuit has to have a very internal low resistance. The issue with this is that if you then short circuit the glow plug lead an excessive current will flow and damage the control unit. Probably why the warning states to avoid shorting the glow plug lead as its not a weakness in design, but a function of the design of the glow plug which is outside of their control. It would need a far more complex design/cost unit to be short circuit protected for what is a failure beyond their control. Good news if you can call it that, but that's probably why the other units have failed, short the glow lead and the unit will be damaged.

Hi, Capacity is only one factor worth considering along with no load current draw. Its all well and good using a small capacity battery but there may be problems with this approach. I can't find much on the internet regarding 700 mAh Life batteries, but the general consensus seems to be that they are rated at 1C. A couple of things to bear in mind: Generally batteries with low C ratings have significant voltage roll off under high current loads e.g. when you really need all the control surfaces moving at the same time due to a dumb thumbs moment! Secondly if you have a servo bind or control surface jam then the servo stall current will be much higher than its normal operating range hence higher current draw The result of depressing the RX voltage is that the RX will "brown out" and then reboot, very possibly not what you really need in the above scenarios! 1C for a 600mAm battery is 0.6 A where as 1C for a 2000mAh battery is 2A, IMO for the additional weight I would select a larger capacity battery and one with a much higher C rating. Normal is ok, but when its abnormal its best to have as much in your back pocked as possible!

Ron's Bits was fast and the prop was balanced so 10/10 as well, but considering MSL arrived at the doorstep and went through the hands of the post office I thought that was quite impressive. MSL sell Laser engines but are out of stock, any NIB in stock at Ron's Bits emporium ? 😉

Ordered some spare props yesterday afternoon and they arrived this morning in the post! MSL 10/10 🙂

Flying today as the current build is driving me a bit nuts + waiting on bits turn up! I must have a bit of a curse as the wind was straight down the patch, but when it was time to fly it was a full (light) cross wind! Two flights each and a good dose of gum bashing 🙂

Peter, As mentioned earlier I hunted the model out from the spare room and took it down to the flying field today for a couple of flights. As expected it flew faultlessly despite not knowing where the battery should be located so just went with C of G on the spar. GTC for tomorrow 🙂

I needed to swap a lower KV motor for a higher one with the same overall performance. Model on the bench, spinner and prop off. Cowl accessed and motor removed including unplugging the old motor from the ESC so all going well New motor fitted (new motor spider clashes with the motor can, its that tight only pan head screws will fit) and a search around the electrical spares box located 3 bullet connectors to suit the ESC female bullets as I am reusing the low KV motor elsewhere so there is no point taking those bullet connectors off. With the new motor installed and no prop (could not find a 12x8 anyway + the spinner needs drilling out), the TX is switched on and the ESC powered up. All control surfaces work, but the motor does not rotate. Remove the ESC from the model and with a servo tester try the old motor out (G clamped to the bench) and works a treat, plug the ESC into the new motor and using the servo tester and guess what...motor all works ok. So set the correct rotation and that's job done, tested again and ok. Now I could have just put the model back together, but there was a nagging doubt that this will come back to bite me at some point, so with the new motor slowly spinning I start to wiggle the motor wiring and hay presto the motor falters. More specific testing and one motor connection is the cause, so disconnect the battery and strip the heat shrink off both connectors. Close inspection of the solder joints and tightness of the connectors and all is ok, but the fault persists. Replaced the new bullet connector for the motor and the fault has gone. Just thought I would share as the bullet connector looks ok and was correctly soldered to the wire, but somewhere inside there is an intermittent connection! New one on me!

Any news?

Make sure you have the right day! October Saturday 19th – Indoor Flying (Watton)

Get on the simulator and practice those rolling circles 🙂 Enjoy the hobby for what it has to offer as once its gone its not coming back.

Might not be needed on a model, but full size perhaps it feels better and has its use to yaw the aircraft with say cross wind landings. The alterative would be to use the elevons to roll, but that then drops s wing..not what you want when touching down! We would just land into wind. I have found a few deltas with wing tips yaw backwards and forwards in cross wind where as the plank with a centre fin tends not to. The other interesting bit is the location of the wingtips as they look almost behind the wing. Perhaps that reduces the yawing?

Well it flies very well, although I think the rudder/drag flaps are very interesting ! Would be great to see a build log of something so unusual.

IIRC, gyro + moved the bulkhead and engine + other bits to get it flyable. IMO it tops my list of flying dogs, but if you have nothing better to do make it into a purse from a pigs ear.

My late wife's Ohman is sitting in the spare room, but I'll get it out for a flight and post the picture at the field 🙂 The main problem if you could call it that is the Grumpy Tiger Cub is my go to fly in almost any conditions super fun model and it goes in the car without taking the wing off.

If its a servoless retract it should have stall protection or as said previously they are small motors inside so should not have massive current draw (next to nothing when sitting idle). If its the old retract driven by a servo then yes if the UC jams/binds the stalled servo is going to try and achieve its commanded position until it burns out. Good practice to put UC on a separate battery if its not servoless. Just look at how many ARTF's are out there and which ones have a separate battery for the UC? Fuse is a naff idea as you are going to have to test it ..most likely to destruction to find the point when the fuse will operated when jammed, but not operate when the retract is operating under flight conditions. Fuse too small and you will probably have to land with the UC half up/down. That's why the servoless UC have stall protection that self resets on next cycle! Remember a 1A fuse does not operate at 1A ! IMO making sure that the wheels wells are large enough for the wheels + a little clearence and that nothing binds is the most best way of getting them to operate reliably. Some people cycle the UC after each landing just to make sure nothing has been bent or come loose and is likely to cause a problem on the next flight or a good visual inspection when back at the bench (with the battery isolated).

Speed Air, first electric then post B cert it just had to be...Laser 70. Air frame was £70 new with the idea that if I broke it then another would be cheap. Pilot error caused its demise and I fell off my perch when I went to replace it due to cost! The Laser 70 then went in an Acrowot where it still resides, great model. And yes the colours are correct...it was flown that much that the red went light pink and the plasticiser had been destroyed by the UV hence the extensive patches. PS both wings had twists and people would comment that the ailerons were out of trim, but they were for level flight!

I have a Fluke digital multimeter (auto range, all bells/whistles etc..) that I had as an apprentice and am now retired so its 42 years old and still works as it first did out of the box. A club instructor flies one of my models (takes me to launch the very under powered high wing loaded model) using a DX8 gen 1 on DSM2 with no problems and he flies really big circuits (has very good eyesight!). One of the factors might be how the TX has been treated in the past, recently someone left his TX out in the rain, scrambled screen and odd things happening with the scroll wheel. Dry it out and use use it, really?

Martian, You have got this far and with all your time invested its best to finish it off as I am sure it will fly well in the end. As for mine the fuselage is all wood, perhaps the builder got a good deal on hard balsa as it tough as of boots. I can't get to the fuselage to take the servo cover off the elevator servo and see what the horizontal stabiliser is made of, but non of the tail is detachable. this makes it a right pain to store and transport as it takes up loads of space! I have heard (right or wrongly) that Don Smith are good scale designs, but need a lot of forward planning and head scratching to actually build. I have been holding off on a major repair and complete build of a kit because both have foam veneer wings and I don't know to mate the nacelles or join the wings (in a detachable way). I have only been at this hobby less than 10 years and am surprised with the way some designs get away with minimal construction techniques (ASM Tigercat) or outside toilet for others. I give all those that modify/rescale designs massive credit

Thanks Martian, On the plus side Its the right wingspan Wings are foam veneer Have to check the tail feathers for material They quote max weight 55 lbs (25Kg and mine comes in at 21.7 Kg wet) Where mine differs Fuselage is balsa Nacelles and cowls are balsa I think you are right and someone has ditched the glass fuselage (I have a Power Max Mossie and its so tail heavy it needs 2.7 Kg of lead to get it to balance!). So have made the nacelles and cowls while at it. Lets face it if they could knock off a fuselage the cowls and nacelles would be easy! Or perhaps they copied Giant Scale Twin and made it all themselves. Anyway less of this and more of how you are getting on with your build?