Bruce Collinson

I’m with Bob, that Quad charger is arguably the most useful single purchase I have made in the three odd years since I returned. Also, I am finding that George’s branded LiPos have far less tendency to puffing up than certain other high profile brands and I strongly suspect that he is cautious with his labelling and other brands are optimistic. Club mates have tended to find the same. Five are due for delivery later! Interestingly I took a straw poll on Sunday whilst flying ( ok, in between flights) and the vast majority fully recharge at about 1C straight after flying. I suspect the majority intend to use them again within a week or two. Parallel boards ... the Quad can charge four different battery chemistries at once, and your i-Thing, from 240 or 12 v. Horses for courses. BTC

Or support a good UK business and buy from 4Max.

What about any sort of wingbags, home made, Flobbyking etc: maybe taped together; cheap duvet off e Bay to chuck the fuselages in the Uber boot, quick to load/unload ...? BTC

Noisy thing. I’ve agreed to sell mine to a club mate and have bought a Saito 125 to drop into the Yak. I crossed the cables, I generally do, but the acute angle will make little odds, F3As have such long fuselages. Mine’s progressing but slowly. Work is busy, too many green biro writers to disillusion; Wot 4 needed surgery; new small foamy F3A needs tailweight and new wing bolts, etc. Did manage to achieve a tank solution at the weekend thanks to a brainstorming session in a heated workshop. Mine will run a Laser 100 and the tank needs to go under the undercart plate, over the removable lower cowl. A Sullivan Flex Tank has been heat moulded, after a fashion, and I have the plumbing to complete. I’ve not plumbed a Laser before and am thinking hard about the vent alignment. A full uninterrupted day might see it finished. Jeremy is charging on with his, with an ASP 120 and a Perry pump. Something made me nervous about a pump with the tank so far back, but if his works ok then it might be a future modification ... having stripped out the built in fuel lines ... BTC

Mind the pull-pull rudder cables, now that you’ve narrowed the inside of the fus just in front of their exit slots. I put c. 4” plastic tubes and liteply brackets, to keep the tubes clear of the bell crank, fixed to the former in front of the bell crank. It’s slightly tight back there. BTC

Cymaz, Agree re Savox servos. Your engine mount ought not to be anything like as tight, with beam mounts, but I will be fascinated to see how the soft mounts adapt to a DLE. The throttle linkage might be interesting though, probably more so than the choke lever. How much carbon are you intending to install at the front? I'd have used the glass, although perhaps a lighter grade. Can't see the weight being an issue, especially if your tank is going where designed. Don't hold your breath re the pepper pot inserts, they just seem to stifle the engine although you might just creep below 84dB. Too many compromises, am on the cusp of swapping mine for a 120 4 stroke. The only thing we never got round to trying was putting steel wool in the original exhaust but the bottom line is that it's too small to have much effect. You might be able to smuggle a proper pipe in though. BTC

It'll be too thick to wet out properly, won't it? Will you have to either warm it up, or dilute it with acetone/meths? Why not stick to skinning epoxy, as it were? BTC

Cymaz, Wasn’t the elevator linkage a standard part set supplied by Probuild? The point where the exhaust pipe exits the back of the u/c plate area is totally different shape. Couldn’t see c of g, suggested throws etc. We are convening a Laser/ASP tank fitting exercise tomorrow morning as there are strong winds here oop North. BTC

Cymaz, Are you sure a DLE will fit, particularly the RA? Are you immune to 87 dB levels at your site? I don’t think a 20RA will use less space then your Evo. The carb’s at the rear too. Shall I ask JH to try to post a couple of pics of mine, as I lose the will to live every time I attempt to upload pics via this tablet. BTC

Not off to a good start. The manual is for a different plane. Cymaz, please see my PM. BTC

C, Looks a dead ringer for mine. My clubmate's has arrived too and I'm hoping to see him later to scrounge the manual. He has already hit the buffers with the quiet mounts, which are woefully short for a Laser 100. I ditched mine and bolted a U-shaped ply plate to the original sub-plate. Looks like the forward mount fasteners may have been missed out, or are they to be added later when sidethrust is determined? Bit tight under there. Agree re wheels, started again. Our strip gets wet and is shared with sheep (see below)! Rear hatch is for elevator connections, single pushrod from the servo under the wing, splits into two via an internal horn and axle to two external horns. Watching with interest. Will ask the Sheepharmer (for it is he) if he'll do a build log. BTC

David, How did you go on? My third ARTF is just coming out of the repairers again with the Overlander motor fitted but it’s unlikely to repair next time and I might look at the Pro version next time. I have concluded that I’m unlikely ever to be without some sort of Wot 4 in the hangar. BTC

Before rediscovering aeromodelling I fished and stalked deer and still shoot regularly. The coldest I ever endured was near the top of a big hill in the Borders where I sat out for about 3 hours one dawn in late December and on return to the RV, the propane bottle had frozen. Estimated minus 10 C. Rohan thermals, 2prs socks, leather lined wellies, thermal trousers also Rohan, thick shirt, thin fleece, thick fleece and shooting CAMO coat on top. Hat with flaps, insulated waterproof Rohan gloves. No problem, although it was too cold for the roe deer to be on the hoof. A lot of this is quite effective for flying too. Other makes of thermals are available but the Rohan’s have lasted extremely well and owe me nothing. Their thick gloves are brilliant but for flying I have a pair of leather, fleece lined mitts which leave the palms and all digits free but protect the backs of the hands which I believe is the major heat loss. A Buff, preferably the thermal version, is good instead of a scarf. The mantra for wading in January is lots of thin layers. I once waded in the Dee in grue, floating slushy ice (think Slush Puppy) which means the water is below freezing point and ice is forming on the river bed and floating to the surface. Est. 29F. Thermals, fleece trousers and breathable waders plus wading socks were fine, but the fishing was cr*p and I lost my nerve when the gillie said I’d probably got 30 seconds if I fell in and promptly drove off. BTW Wings of War on the telly is moderately entertaining albeit superficial. Anyway, lots of thin layers and a wind proof outer layer if there’s more than a slight breeze. If all else fails, retreat to hut and engage bullshot (beef consommé with celery salt and a slug of vodka) but don’t fly afterwards. Other spirits are available. BTC

Ken, £1.971/2 and I'm not old. If you remember the '60s, which are a blur to me, you should remember certainly the half p and when crisps were 6d a bag. If you deny it I'll repeat the Screwfix joke. BTC ... gratuitously rude dept ... LS18 etc.

Anecdotally, in my family, my father’s cousin helped to develop Aerolite and I believe finished his career with CIBA. He lived in the New Forest and I believe the manufacturer was based in Southampton. Always felt an affinity for Mossies .... BTC

Lovely Timo. Think that's a scarf joint on the spar. BTC

Sounds like marginal aerial reception, mine did it and I had it replaced; problem solved. However, knowing even less about TVs and aerials than I do about flying good slow rolls, if you're ever stuck for a tradesman, court the local reputable property management company as they need reliable, sensible suppliers to mend all the things that tenants break. Flat service charge managers always have aerial contractors as well as armies of Elves, window cleaners, roofers, drain people etc. Just a thought. BTC

Great Denis, many thanks. BTC

Running water? Raining, or what? Bear with me, I don’t know the rules (only just got interweb here). Do I simply send you my email address? Or do you find it by some digital back door? Thanks very much for the offer. Tanks just arrived for mine, need heat treatment to squeeze in below the undercart plate. What are you fitting, the 30% nitro Special? Keep us posted! Change from drones, anyway. BTC

Percy, Thanks. I'll end up guessing. Cymaz, if I sent you a large SAE, would you consider putting a copy of the manual in for me? I have tried Pro Build twice but find them unresponsive. Also, i promise no more West Country jokes. BTC

Thanks Denis. One problem is that it's a one piece wing so if there is a tube it's not discernible. Otherwise I would have started about there as that seems to be a common denominator. If your new F3A lad adds anything, I'll be grateful. BTC

Hello All, A couple of issues which I feel confident someone will be able to help with. I bought a tidy ProBuild Infinity second hand and am putting all the hardware in without the destructions. It's the one built around a YS 120 I think. I am looking for information on: throws c of g wingbolts; do they have to be steel; anyone changed the captive nuts and fitted nylon? Next exercise; I crashed a DSM Excelsior which needs repairing from the t/e seating forward. Has anyone got a plan, decent profile photo, box lid, paper napkin with smudged sketch? It's a smaller version, I wasn't around when Dave Smith was retailing them but I know they were very common/popular. I think mine's a 55 .. ? and flew nicely on a Saito 72 (which was why I bought the plane, then found out it was a sweetie). Thanks in anticipation BTC

Now even closer to commitment ... Joakim, is yours finished/flying? Irritatingly both the retracts and oleos are showing as out of stock. I think I've got the whole list of mods committed to memory: usual front end reinforcement and retract mounts; double check the cowl length; Robart 3" wheels with retracts angled forward c. 1/8" packing; nylon M3s for the cowl. BTC

Glenn, Ta; totally different, as you say following major surgery. Chris, ta also; still within the +/- 6mm makes me less nervous so I will try a tweak. Stuart Z; very helpful link. As one who defaults to a Wot 4 immediately followed by an Acrowot, both leccy but see passim, I found this thread very valuable. BTC

Chris, Where’s your c of g please? I might twitch mine back a bit ..... BTC