Martin Harris - Moderator

I think you meant http://mickreevesmodels.co.uk

VMAR - try MacGregor's

Daniel,   PM me with your email address and I'll send you some scans of the article.   As the last  copy of the magazine has been sold, I hope this is OK with RCM&E?

If I remember rightly - but it's a long time ago, I think I had a Veco 19 in a Gangster 42 back in around 1976 which was a bit of a pirate jobby - someone in the club had cut some foam blanks and drawn up a plan although I don't think the 42 was available then and that it was a scaled down Gangster 52.  I wonder if Mick Reeves got to hear about the smaller version, whether he'd already done one himself which was copied or the size was just a coincidence?   I certainly don't remember any lack of performance but in those days a 40 was a serious engine and only the top club fliers had 60s.   Prop hanging was still in the future.   I certainly had a lot of fun with mine and as far as I remember it was completely viceless.

I've found that high silver content solder (not to be confused with silver solder) works much better on gold plated Deans than ordinary multicore solder.    An extremely simple and effective way of jigging Deans is a decent sized block of wood (for stability) with 2 holes drilled to take another matching connector - simply plug them together like Timbo recommends and drop the unused one into the holes before soldering your wires to the one that you're using.   The same idea of using holes (you don't need to use a matching "other half" in this case though) works well with barrel connectors. Edited By Martin Harris on 15/05/2009 22:44:21

We tried something like this but there's only a friction lock between the sections and once you try lifting a model from a branch then it tends to collapse. Also, the top few sections were a bit too thin and waved around too much.  Having said that, they can sometimes do the trick so might be worth considering at that  price.   We also have an ex CEGB set of locking poles - rather heavier but a superb bit of kit!

Richard,   Please make sure that the elevator linkage doesn't introduce potential for flutter - the straighter the linkage the more rigid it will be - unless your bent linkage is very stiff it looks a little suspect in the picture to me.   I do appreciate that it may be far more rigid than it appears in the photo of course but it's better to be safe than sorry when you've done all that work so please forgive the unsolicited comment!

You could try lowering the fuel tank if it's possible in the model but otherwise a different (hotter running) plug may help.   Enya No.3 is often a good starting point but didn't help with a particularly awkward Super Tigre 91 of mine - similar symptoms - every time I thought "cracked it" (different fuels, plugs, even tried a Perry Pump on advice of a clubmate) it would suddenly cut without notice while idling.  In the end, a change to an OS 4 stroke plug has given countless hours of running with not even a hiccough since.

Could it have switched from PPM to PCM?  Have you had a mobile phone near it?  Maybe an urban legend but there seems to be some evidence that settings can be corrupted by a mobile ringing close to a tx.  Certainly supposed to have been proved on Multiplex gear.   Try reprogramming one of the models (on a spare model slot if possible) after doing a model reset in the parameters settings, check correct modulation is set (you then need to switch on and off if you've changed it) and see if that cures the problem.   Other easy thing to check is that the wire to the aerial hasn't come undone in the tx - remove the RF module and 4 screws from the back and carefully lift the back off to check - unless it's still under warranty when you should send it back to Ripmax (perhaps via your supplier).    

It was a free plan in RCM&E - try the back orders dept.

I assume you've tried Mick Wilshere at Motors and Rotors?

No problem - just turn your monitor upside down!

How do any Duplex users out there find the reported signal strength?   I have 2 of the 6 channel receivers - both of which perform superbly on the range check - giving a good 100 yards on the ground in low power mode but the signal strength falls to 3s and 4s using standard power on a normal circuit and will drop off to 0 at any reasonable distance.   Even flying far higher and further out than normal at strength 0 hasn't produced an audible alarm or loss of control (fail safe set to cut on throttle channel and checked before trying this!) so the performance seems excellent and of course without the Jeti Box display I would be blissfully at ease!   It seems that David had the earlier firmware on the review system which didn't give have the facility to display the signal strength so he was unable to give any comparisons so any observations from those with "production" versions would be of interest. Edited By Martin Harris on 09/05/2009 01:03:47

Congratulations Martin you have successfully in our profit play participated thank you!

You asked for it!  

Silly question but have you tried Gliders?  They might well supply the components seperately...   When I bought some of this they sent one component with a note saying they were out of stock of the other - then sent the other part a couple of weeks later - not forgetting to charge another postage fee!  I did chuckle.....hmmm

Thought I'd better check what the BMFA advice was and it is:   (q) It is essential that you use the correct specification crystals in any transmitter or receiver you are using. Not all crystals are the same and you should NEVER use one manufacturer’s crystal in another’s Tx or Rx. The only exceptions are many of the aftermarket receivers and their manufacturers actually specify which crystals are compatible.   (r) When buying crystals, always take care to specify in which individual piece of equipment they are to be used. Original manufacturer’s crystals are always the best choice.   My interpretation of this is pretty much as per my thoughts in the previous post  - use the manufacturer's crystal in their receiver where possible unless specifically stated in an aftermarket one's instructions although I must admit to being happy to mix and match with a proper range check.

Can't really agree here.  While most crystals used in 35MHz are interchangeable there may well be different IFs used by one or two makers which are directly related to the crystal frequencies required - therefore the best option is to use the receiver manufacturer's crystal - but in practice, they will most likely be made a limited number of suppliers and rebadged by the radio manufacturers anyway...Edited By Martin Harris on 29/04/2009 22:13:07

Hope you didn't pay too much for your tester, Mowerman - as a small child, I remember an old farmer showing me how to check an electric fence using a blade of grass to touch it with - you just feel a slight tingle as I recall...not sure how you'd get on in the rain, though.

What fuel are you using - specifically, how much (if any) castor is in it?  It could be running hot and burning the castor.   Otherwise, if the residue is more black than brown, there might be some fretting between the exhaust and the engine wearing microscopic particles of  aluminium away which will mix with oil to form a black liquid deposit.  Check the exhaust components are absolutely tight.

Gav,   If you'll excuse me butting in, you might have seen, earlier in the thread, my musings on the tailwheel - whatever you do I wouldn't advise leaving it castering as per full size - but if you want it steerable rather than fixed as mine has ended up, how about building in an extra servo Y leaded to the rudder or on another channel, radio permitting?   Martin

There was definitely an MFA Golden Eagle.  There's a possibility that this is the same company - worth a call or email?   MFA/COMODRILLS, FELDERLAND LANE. WORTH. DEAL. KENT. CT14 OBT UNITED KINGDOM TEL: 01304 612132 FAX: 01304 614696 E-MAIL:  

I suppose you need to ask yourself what the pilot of the full size would have done if he'd been asked to fly a scale version of the event circuit pattern!  Would the scale rules allow a long slow climbout with gentle turns and positioning manoeuvres into the "display" circuit?   As the full size would have disappeared in a straight line towards the horizon in most cases while retracting the flaps it may not have been a problem they ever faced...   I imagine questions like this are a part of selecting a model if you're entering serious scale competitions. Edited By Martin Harris on 20/04/2009 15:06:49

I think a call to the BMFA / Home Office  would be the correct answer but common sense says that if you're operating at a flying site 35 MHz would be OK but in other cases they should be on a surface/common frequency as the main activity is ground/water based.   I suppose that logically, most of my models are ground based until they reach flying speed but I wouldn't want to switch from 40 MHz to 35MHz at rotation!   I'd say that you should define an aircraft as something capable of getting out of ground effect ao that would discount the hovercraft.

Power wise, maybe but remember that you're comparing the weight to a 30 2 stroke rather than the 40 which I'd consider upgrading to and I think it might work out rather heavy - especially if you then need extra weight in the tail to balance it!  The other thing to consider is the airframe - e.g. is the firewall up to the job?   The reason most people choose Extras is for aerobatic rather than true scale performance so I'd stick with one of the 2 strokes if I were you.Edited By Martin Harris on 20/04/2009 14:37:30