Bruce Collinson

+ 1 for Wera. Like OP, I’ve found slight wear arising in the driver, ball ended type in smaller sizes and I suppose I’ll replace them, like for like. However Wera also do a set of more conventional L-shaped Allen keys with a ball end on the long leg and a hi-tec key on the short end, looks like a Torx but isn’t. They have been beyond price and come out for anything serious. You get the best of both worlds. I also have some Bondhaus drivers and prefer Wera. Ditto for screwdrivers. BTC

Ron, I switched to Yeti when it occurred to me that in 3 years I had progressed from having £200-odd in the air to the thick end of a grand, Laser engine, £300 airframe, several Savox servos etc. We seem to have a “Black Hole” within range of our strip which has a particular appetite for a specific mass market Chinese radio, the one 95% of my club mates were using when I joined and which I naturally bought. At the new club (strip lost, shirty farmer ... tautology) there were frame and fade issues, charted by a very old hand who understands these things. There are several jet jockeys, whose asset base when airborne dwarfs mine. They all use Yeti. So does my tutor. So do I, now. It does seem very resilient against sensitive aerial location and orientation, unlike the aforementioned Chinese radio. My entirely novice, amateur theory is that this make is especially sensitive to signal loss where aerial installation is concerned. My Yak started life with a DLE 20 and four antennae, well spaced about the fus as far from the petrolly, sparky bits as possible, yet it had glitches from the off even quite close in, say 100-150 yds and my elders and betters moved the satellite aerial into the wing. It improved things although the DLE was practically impossible to get down to 82 dB and has been replaced. it is a big investment. Deals are available. As I said to a colleague, it doesn’t make a better pilot but it engenders confidence and serious ownership pleasures. To be fair, we don’t seem to get issues with Futaba or Frisky although they are both in a small minority. Yer pays yer money .... BTC

Ron, this is dreadful. Dont take this the wrong way but you’d need an awful lot of Yeti rxs to cover the £2,000 you’re approaching and I am including the tx in that. BTC

Martian, good luck with it. Change consultants, you don't need that sort of numb passiveness when you've got a condition like this. Went back in this morning, another blood sample as despite everything I said they had evidently taken less than an armful (cf Hancock). PSA ok, but "these tests aren't really very helpful". Odd how most GPs seem to think they are. Have I missed the point; if you're free from other symptoms (see Flynavy above for clues) and have low PSA count, then it's unlikely that you have a defined problem? Vice versa, if you have raised PSA then regardless of symptoms they are on alert? Where therefore are the unhelpful aspects of routine blood tests? GP friend once told me most men die with prostate cancer, few die of it. Tests say I'm going to get a real lecture upon my lifestyle choices in a fortnight as my liver is threatening to emigrate and I'm borderline for the diabetes that's your own stupid fault. Reminds me of what they said at my last annual review, three years ago. Need a drink. Prostrate problems ... don't take them lying down ... BTC

Heron, good plane. 3 or 4 at my club. Good ply, SLEC surely? Scroll right! BTC

News. Andrew Hardman tells me he has Clearcoat and Balsaloc, can’t post Clearcoat, will be at Weston and hasn’t yet divulged the source of Prymol. BTC

Not just in your list but look at a Seagull P47 Snafu, ticks all other boxes. There’s a decent thread on this forum. BTC

I very occasionally swing by Modelshop Leeds and when I last wanted a metre of Oralcover I was advised that it’s now by the 2m roll. 2 or 3;weeks ago. It gave me an excuse to rant and abuse the Andys before they did it to me. Andrew Hardman still has lots of different films, some seconds and accessories from Solarfilm, top of Google. BTC

Don, get me an address and I'll sort it. Professionally, I sell bibles, door to door. I have a profound st..st..stutter. When he answers, I'll simply ask whether he'll buy one, or let me read it to him, or spill the beans re the origins. OMG. BTC

Modelfixings sell small O-ring grommets, included in their socket-head servo screw packs (which I endorse unreservedly, five get used for every one that secures a servo) and are great for cowls and canopies upto say 10cc in old money. I'm sure they're sold seperately, although much better value in the assortment pack. BTC

Surely somebody could prevail on Andrew Hardman to spill the beans about Prymol, Clearcoat, Balsaloc et al? I'm convinced these were generic trade products which Solarfilm packaged, having been identified as compatible and ideal for their purpose. In the same way, it appears that Poly-C is polyurethane floor enamel (well according to this forum, so that's clear then ... ). Unlike Poly-C, which remains available and I'm perfectly happy to buy at retail, it would appear to be no skin off Solarfilm's nose to identify the source so we can find some and continue to enjoy Solarfilm products until the film runs out ... as it were. Rather than provoking endless idle speculation from the usual suspects, (Heaven forbid, on this forum) does anyone have sufficient proximity to be able to extract the info and save some of the trial end error? I thought I'd bought the last pot of Prymol in the Western Hemisphere last week, only to find it was out of stock anyway. Like Acrowots are, now my family have apparently found one on P 97 of Google and bought it for my birthday. Haven't seen it yet. Sorry, another rant. Etch primer which works on ... was it polyethylene or polyester? Clear one-pack lacquer resistant to nitromethane. Heat activated pva adhesive. How's that? BTC

Snap. BTC

Simon, Very useful. Mine has been in the pits again and is in danger of containing more glue than balsa or ply. Whilst I find it fine with a 5A 4S Lipo via a top hatch, as and when it becomes beyond further repair then a Pro with conversion may well be the way forward for this "go to" plane. Any chance of some more pics from a bit further back showing the hatch detailing, in addition to John's request above? BTC

To all the above, this has become a really helpful thread although all of us have found out the hard way. I am blessed with an extremely good dermatologist who first treated me, cryogenically, about 12 years ago. His last words to me when he signed me off for what proved to have been an especially large keratosis was that if anything changed, at all, get back sharpish. My own experience had been that if Efudix doesn’t remove them, they need to be checked. Reverting to the rant, I went in and gave a blood sample, sufficient (I checked) for PSA as well as too much wine, women etc. They had already made the follow on appointment for me to go back and be lectured by an obese nurse about my lifestyle. Now they discover that I need a further sample to be taken, and the follow up has been put back. No wonder to me it absorbs £120bn a year. Anyway, if you see some nearly new Yeti radio, Lasers and a couple of ASPs on the BMFA website, you’ll know it went badly ..... Yours in black humour, BTC

Well I managed to get it up not once but three times, after a lengthy intermission involving a Laser 100 and a bottle of fuel which had evidently passed its sell-by date. Fortunately I had a fresh bottle, on which it fired, ran and idled. needed some trim but luckily the Yeti had just been fitted with aftermarket joysticks so they can be used intuitively and by feel. Not overpowered by any means but nice to fly albeit loads of down in inverted so I suspect the c of g is a bit conservative. Loads of trim loose so have just ordered Prymol, a scarce resource. Anyone know the generic substitute? Etch primer for plastic film? BTC

Good. Remind me, what’s the absolute downthrust angle do you think? Hoping to get mine up at the weekend...as it were. BTC

OG, Dead right, for want of a better phrase. Went to strip today, too windy but did want to run in a new engine. Discovered that a felt clunk doesn’t work with a rich, thirsty 4 stroke. Had the wide-brim Tilley on, still looked a tad pink tonight despite freezing my nether regions off. It definitely deserves better awareness, although in my case the damage was done, in hindsight, thirty years ago on the top of the Winter Shed at Headingley, sans hat. now here’s a thing. A month ago I had a flier from the medics inviting me to attend the local hospital for a routine AAE screening. First thought, who’s dobbed me in for my alcohol consumption? but any of you 64+ yo olds will be ahead of me, abdominal aortic embolism test. Knew virtually nothing about it. 10am appt, walked in 9.58, left 10.10 all clear. Put this alongside the rant above re a routine PSA test and a GP actively discouraging it. now two points arise. First, the present Mrs C needed an ultrasound for a specific issue and the NHS needed over 4 weeks to issue an appointment another three weeks ahead. It cost WPA £799 of which I pay almost £200 to bring it forward privately, for a 15minute procedure. Secondly, I understand that an aortic embolism causes instant death, costs the state zilch and causes no suffering. Compare and contrast an advanced prostate tumour which costs the state a small fortune and seems to have the same inevitable, miserable, expensive and lingering outcome. It is apparently cost effective to ultrasound me for purely statistical reasons, but not the Boss for narrow specific reasons, nor me for PSA despite turning 65 today. Funny old world. BTC

I despair of the NHS. A week ago I had an SMS text from my GP practice reminding me that I was due for my annual health check. The last one was 2 years ago. I rang, made the appointment and was told that this was about my cardio vascular condition, which is that in common with most self employed 64 year olds I take statins, with no discernible side effects incidentally.. I asked nursey if she would do a routine PSA test at the same time as I haven’t had one for two years, as she would be taking blood anyway. No, that wasn’t on her agenda, I would need to have a specific GP referral for her to take an additional sample of blood and a PSA test; would I like such a referral? Stupid question. You’ve got a needle in my arm, I haven’t had a test for 2 years, why on earth wouldn’t you do it simultaneously? Doctor rang next day ( minor miracle) and spent 10 minutes in the middle of a meeting trying to talk me out of the test. The logic appeared to be that a raised reading could lead to shock and awe, up to and including a biopsy needle in an extremely painful place, whereas a low reading might promote unfounded complacency and an ultimately miserable demise. In other words I couldn’t win and I ought to get out more. not being in complete awe of GPS but especially having been reminded of the folly of ignoring age and warnings by this off-beat but very timely post, I stood my ground on the logical basis that I could not possibly be worse off but might end up a lot better off and it was eventually agreed, and I sensed with some reluctance, that a blood sample for PSA would be taken simultaneously. However, I will,have to present my compliments not once but twice, for the results of the two separate tests and the repercussions thereof. This is not joined up thinking. whilst in this rant, my previous (studiously ignored) note on actinic keratoses lead to cryogenic removal of three of the little bu**ers from my forehead and a sign-off until the next time. Ignore these at your peril. The “urgent “ referral for this was a 10 week wait. I paid. Happy landings! BTC

Good to know. Mine is ready for a break in the weather. BTC

Ditto for actinic keratoses. If you know what these are, skip the rest. If not, read on. I'm seeing the dermatologist later today for the third time in 10 years, as a fairly direct result of having sat on top of the old Winter Shed at Headingley, hatless, for a couple of days too many. 30 years later the skin damage is manifesting itself. Luckily, keratoses are low grade pre-cancerous and in my case easily treated with stuff called Efudix but they're a symptom of the damage that easily leads to much more serious carcinomas and these are frequently fatal. Small, hard persistent spots and slight soreness are my tell-tales, forehead and scalp. In terms, I now avoid sun contact altogether, no short sleeves, sun block on hands and all of the neck upwards. Having returned to flying 3 or 4 years ago I now spend long periods in the sun. I urge you to think about this, unless you're blessed with especially high levels of melanin (I was going to write "especially dark skin" but I suspect I'm not allowed that old and robust English language any more). BTC

Is it me or does that ad make me feel very nostalgic? #getalife! BTC

I returned 3 years ago with good auctioneering skills. In that time we have had two of these episodes, both for latter members and on both occasions the Club elders have agreed parameters with the beneficiaries, removed the gear and sold them by auction with an agreed split of the proceeds (and no auctioneers commission ...) between the beneficiaries, club, BMFA. cat’s home etc. These events are highly successful on every level. The beneficiaries get a lot more than they would otherwise, as do the others involved. The bidders get to kick the tyres before bidding. Nothing gets left over, as items which are unattractive get reduced or combined until they find a buyer. Everybody has fun. There are potential buys of odd, obsolete and discrete planes, engines and even fuel. It’s a win-win. in principle, if anyone is faced with this set of circumstances within an hour’s drive of NW Leeds, I will act as auctioneer. BTC

Ron, thanks. Have you obtained an absolute dB reading? That’s pretty much what I envisaged. B.

Ron, help us out with the 35; what’s it silenced by? Cymaz/Peter, you did better with those than I did. When I alluded to strangulation, it was with those and I think it was nearer 800 rpm. Whatever it was completely took the edge off its performance. How’s your Infinitelycomplex going? I had a rush of blood, a small bonus and a birthday all coincident and acquired its big brother, a Collaboration ( hence sniffing after another another DLE!). 2 m span but the box is HUGE. Bruce.

Harder with a 20; far fewer after-market options, less room around the front to smuggle in something big enough to make a difference. Hence I ditched mine, put a Saito 125 in place but haven't flown it yet. Let's hope for eager and positive replies! B