Peter Miller
-
Posts
14,515 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
18
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Blogs
Gallery
Calendar
Downloads
Posts posted by Peter Miller
-
-
Now you are talking! Control liners don't have to be any noisier than R/C and the noise footprint is much, much lower because the models are close to the ground and trees act as sound baffles.
The other big advantage is that you only have to walk 60 feet to the crash site. -
Forget Solar power. All the pollutants in the atmosphere will stop the sunlight getting through.
Now hot air engines do seem to have great potential from what I see around here.
Who can I wind up to morrow? -
If you subscribe you get the magazine a few days before they are on the news stands which means that you get first crack at the classifieds.
Hi David, Have you remembered to renew my sub yet? -
I am so glad to know that Nige is so concerned about the environment. Here is someone who obviously would never go abroad for their holidays and drives the most economical car possible.
Actually one of the best forms of protecting the environment would be if everyone refused to buy anything made in the far East.
PLEASE, Don't bring environmental issues into model engines, it is rediculous.and anyone who flies on holiday should remember that a full size jet engine burns 700 gallons and hour on an open bonfire so they should really shut up about the environment.
It would in fact be more environmentally friendly if every family on a plane drove their cars to the Costa Del Sol rather than fly.
I live under the flight path into Stanstead so my little glow engines won't make the slightest difference.
No. I am not an environmental nut, I won't be around that long and couldn't care less. -
Sorry, I forgot one, The Kirby Motor Tutor published in FSM.
-
No, I am definately NOT one of the "Them and Us " brigade. and for proof of that, Just look back at Easter Eagle plans published in UK and Easter Eagle Mk two in the USA, Ohmsick Angel published in the USA and more recently, Wattsdog in RCM&E.
-
Andrew, Did you check the tube INSIDE the tan for holes?
-
Just a thought on another aspect. Nige says that everyone turns out to watch a steam train.
When diesel engines are as rare as steam is now, would as many tirn out to watch a diesel loco go past?
And this leads me to my main thought, model engine collecting is a big thing, even relatively modern engines becoming collectors items, Somehow I very much doubt is there will be many serious collectors of electric motors. -
I Spoke to Helgar racing when I bought my set and they said that they were testing a chanrger then, should be available by now.
-
If the engine cuts after some time check the clunk tube, it can get nicked when assembling the tank and then as the fuel in the tank goes down it exposes the tube close to the tank bung and allows air through.
I use Duraglow 10 on everything. I also use Taylor standard long reach plugs on everything and they work perfectly. Oh, I also use SC engines almost exclusively unless I can get a bargain on Ebay. -
I thought I was doing well. Only got about twelve.
Rhapsody, )
Symphony, )
Marauder, )
Bonzo, )
Cap 21 )
Fournier RF7 (sic) )All ODs
Li'l Mustang )
Toot Sweet )
Little Bandit )
Deja Vu (35 powered C/L stunt)
Stupid Cupid (15 C/L stunt) )
and an Easy Pigeon but ARTFs count
Plus a few without engines and radios. -
With regard toCG positions. Normal full sie aircraft CGs tend to be about 25%. I am currently designing a scale model from the origianl construction drawings, this is a two seat homebuilt. The CG range for the full size is quoted at 19 to 25%.
On full size aircraft the CG is just behind the main wheels on a tail drager or just in front for a trike.
One figure given is tohave the aircraft level and draw a vertical line from the point of contatc of the wheels, then draw a line at 60 degrees back from that for a tail dragger. The CG shold be on or close to that line. NOTE that on a high wing aircraft the CG will NOT be up at the wing but much lower down.
I was working on a Varsity (Trike undercarriage) once which was up on jacks The underwing jacks were just about on the whel contact line. Someone had forgotten to place the tail trestle and when one of the props was removed the aircraft started to rock back and the nose wheel came off the ground. Only the fact that every one in the area threw themselves onto the nose wheel (it got really crowded) saved the aircraft
CGs a
can be farther back but you need biger tails.
I will be interested the hear how far back you can get it before the model becomes uncontrolable. -
I am definately not one of the "them and us brigade"
I just like engines and will use engines until fulll size aircraft are electric powered.
Hey Nige, You state that your moter battery set up doesn't weigh any more than my .32 engines and tank etc.
Now tell me how much your set up will cost including enough batteries for an afternoon,s flying allowing for cooling between charges an the charger, balancer etc with a motor that will equal a good.32 (I won't ask about .40s or .60s) and how much the motor and speed controller would cost for each model. I have 10 ready to pick up and go flying. -
To add to my last, I should have said Coarse medium and fine Aluminium Oxide paper, also called production paper.
You can buy packs from any DIY store, They contain 3 coarse (80 grit) for heavy removal, rough shaping of blocks etc, 4 medium (120 grit) and 3 fine (180 grit) You cn go finer than tat for final finishing. Tip: sand across the grain for fast wood removal, sand with the grain for a good finish.
The aluminium oxide lasts much longer than ordinary sandpaper. You can also stick it down to a sanding block with double sided cellotape.
You can email me if you want. I will also talk on the phone if you want -
I was not saying that electric can only be flown in calm weather. I was commenting on the club members in our club who do fly electric.
-
As phil says, You are learning the best way that there is, by doing. When I started I had no help and had to learn the hard way. Mind you, back in those days we started with very small simple models and built up, these days we start off with radio models. The Super 6o is quite a complex model and you are doing well.
On sanding, forget the very fine ones, Use coarse and medium grit aluminium oxide paper.
NEVER use it wet, that is for getting a finish on paintwork, the wet will just soak into balsa and do no good at all.
Round tanks used to rotate an twist the fuel lines unless secured properly.
I promise you that you will feel a wonderful sense of achievement when you get it finished. -
I ran the first ever adult education classes in aeromodelling back in 1974. If one can persuade the local adult education authorities to run such a course one can make a bit of extra cash from it.
More to the point and to answer Peter, There are good books out there, You can learn a lot from them, for example, "High Flying on a Low Budget" has a detailed chapter on repairing models while RCM&E used to have a book on building from plans. -
My system for designing and build is this. I draw the complete plan and then have two copies made. I build from one and then make any corrections to the other. That way I know it is accurate when it leaves me.
There was one plan where the wing ribs bore no ressemblance to my drawing, I ended up sending copies of the original wing ribs to several people on another forum. -
I ALWAY Draw both wings on my plans, they don't often use them when doing the magazine plan. My suggestion is to use Paraffin, the reason is that this will make the plan transparent and stop the glue sticking to it but it dries out and so the plan goes back to its original state.
-
Hi David,
I don't normally show the throttle cable run because there are variations in throtle arm location. Basically the servo arm ends close to the right side of the fuselage.. Depending on the position of the throttle arm on the engine, drill a hole in F-1.and then a hole in F-2 in a straight line between the hole in F-1 and the servo arm.
If you sharpen a piece of 8SGW piano wire about 10" long you can use that as a drill to go through both formers. Use it in a normal power drill, a Dremel opr similar is too fast and could make the wire whip with very painful consequences.
The aileron servo is mounted flat on its side using Radio Active servo mounting brackets.
If you look at the Sonerai plane feature you will see a picture of my standard setup. Don't siler solder the wire, just use soft solder. -
Hi John, These days I work with a 25% CG but you can try moving it back if you want, I find that with that CG location my models including the Sonerai are very aerobatic without being twitchy and they recover from spins very positively.
On other remarks above. I used a short tank and did not have to relieve the leading edge.
I wonder how much weight the Soalrtex added, I like the material very much but Sonerai is quite small.
One servo in each wing is quite acceptable and does make life easier so go that way if you feel like it.
I have a 900 Mah battery but maybe I don't fly as much as many people do, even though we have allovcated frequencies in our club with NO duplicates. You can fly non-stop if you want and some do.
-
Our small club has a couple of pure electric flyers who turn up occasionally when the weather is fine and one or two of us who fly EP gliders when the mood takes us, which is not often.
The great majority of the members do not have even one EP model
Personally I am a great believer in low wing loading and object to lugging batteries round which provide less power than an engine, especially when the cost of a powerful motor and batteries is more than a four stroke engine.
I fly an electric powered glider on a weekday in a field at the end of my lane or, after the harvest in front of my house but I also fly the odd power model on these fields as well.
-
I find that the best way to get a really linear throttle response is to use 30% negative exponential. This closes the throttle quite fast at the start of the stick movement and then slows it down for the last part.
I use throttle cut on my FF8. Get the idle right at low throttle and then operate the cut switch. If you can select the switch use the one on the left. I find that 40% travel is normally needed to get a good clean cut, That is 40% on the throttle cut of course, not the throttle stick. -
Hi, I just thought that I would check the needle on the SC 3o FS in my Bonzo. It was set at 1 1/4 turns open and that was what it flew at a couple of weekends ago.
Hard core of the club
in All Things Model Flying
Posted
We have a small club but only the same 47% turn out week after week if it is at all flyable.
24% come if a) the wind is under 10 mph and b) the field in use is less that ten miles from their home.
24% are restricted severely by WAGS to the extent that we see them about once a year
and 5% never come for some other reason(Lost interest).
Considering that we have allocated frequencies with NO duplicates so unlimted flying is possible this is a bit sad.
Does your club have better attendance figures