EvilC57

I used to be indecisive, but now I’m not so sure.

I see they’re using jammers as well…

Goodbye m’am. RIP.

Lifted from the Les Dawson joke book 🤣?

Yep, working for me now too.

It's not just me then.

Cleared the cache, made no difference.

Not for me.

As Outrunner said, the server probably needs a reboot. I'll try again tomorrow, there's no rush.

I've just tried to get onto the Outerzone vintage & old-timer plans website for the first time in a while, and all I'm getting is an Error 500 message. Here.... Does anyone know whether it's still meant to be operational, down for maintenance, or has it gone?

OK thanks DD2. Seems logical, as the Black 5 plan was published in 2001, so I guess Laser 50s were still around then.

One for Jon - Laser Engines really: Is there or was there ever a Laser 50 engine? I ask, because the Dale Tattum 'Black 5' sports-twin plan I adapted to to take a pair of RCV58-CD 4-strokes refers to 'Laser 50/70'. I know about the Laser 70, but I've never seen or heard of a Laser 50 anywhere else.

So what happened next? I put the engine back into the model with it's twin RCV58 for some further ground testing. Running the engine on its own went well, as per the previous running on the bench - see my video just above. However, once the other engine was also started, after a few seconds of running both at moderate to full power (a beautiful sound!), the repaired engine stopped again - twice, on two seperate attempts at running together with its twin - hmm 😐. Further investigation after the stoppage on both occasions showed the main needle valve to be only 1/4 turn off the endstop, when it should be around 1 & 1/8 turns out. It was then that I noticed that the ratchet action of the needle against the retaining spring was weak when compared with the other 'good' engine. Feel free to disagree, but my surmising of the cause of the stop, and of the original likely leaning out, sudden stop and seizure of the engine is that due to the weak position retention of the needle, with the additional vibration in the airframe once the second enging was also running, the needle slowly screwed itself in. I have subsequently removed the needle spring, bent it in to ensure that it better grips the knurled grooves on the needle, and run both engines on the ground and in the air, without any further problems. However for a simple visual indication of any further movement, I came up with the idea of some indicators similar to those used on lorry wheelnuts (see pic below), these I have 3D printed, and are a tight push fit over the needles. Hopefully this case is now closed, but it goes to show how (if I'm right) the simplest thing can lead to failure or in some cases an accident or disaster.

Was one ever actually found?

Yes I guess for the kind of shots I was describing, they must use something sub 250g - after all you’re not going to fly something like a DJI Inspire or Matrice in through someone’s front door, along the hall and into the kitchen are you!

It seems so if you’re a ‘professional’ drone flyer. I’ve recently seen a couple episodes of a Channel 4 programme called Worst House on the Street, another one of those house transformation programmes that seem to be fashionable at the moment. In each episode, there seem to be a number of shots obviously taken from a drone flying around the subject house low over the roofs of adjoining urban properties. In fact I noticed a shot last night, which started high over a neighbour’s front garden across the road, and flew down, through the front door into the hallway, then into the lounge and back out into the kitchen. Clever flying (if it’s not TV trickery), and all presumably legal.

I agree with you regarding stories of estate agents flying illegally. However regarding authenticity of the story, try these instead… Wilts & Gloucestershire Standard, sUAS News or BBC News

In Cirencester yesterday. Read about it here.

Interesting you should say that. I’ve been looking at both the Freewing and FMS Yak130 EDFs. It seems to me that the FMS is of higher quality. For one thing, the FMS has proper sprung undercarriage oleos where the Freewing has simple wire retracts. I guess a wire undercarriage makes it cheaper, but am I missing something?

Ah yes. Thanks chaps.

I've recently noticed these marks on my 5m tape measure. A black shield at 16" and every 16" thereafter. A black diamond at just after 193/16" and just after every 193/16" thereafter. A black inverted shield at 40cm and every 40cm therafter. Any ideas as to what they signify please?

That's good to hear Jon 😀.

Another update by OP: Crank pin further cleaned up using some very fine wet & dry with oil as suggested by Jon in an earlier post. Engine reassembled, and then tested by having a tank full of fuel put through it at our field today (both right way up and inverted), as you can see below. On getting it home again, I removed the crankcase lower housing once more, and everything including what I could see of the crank pin appears to be covered in a fine coating of oil - which is good I guess! It’s now back in the model awaiting some more testing on the ground, to rebuild confidence before it takes to the air again. IMG_5335.MP4

I agree with you Jon about the half turn being madness. I’m talking about one or two clicks, that’s all.