John Duncker

If going the Walwart route buy yourself a simple plug in timer, the sort of thing that you set to switch on and off a light at a given time. Set it up to turn on for an hour every day. Plug the Wallwart into the timer and leave your Tx and Rx batteries attached. Now they will get a top up charge every day. When you come in from flying set the overide on the timer to replace what you used in that days flying. It will then revert to the daily 1 hr top up. I used this set up for many years with NiCad and NiMh batteries and always went flying with fully charged batteries. I would be cautious about using it on a lithium battery.

Just had a glance through and did not see anyone mention a simulator. Many people find time spent on them to be worthwhile especially if they have one that has a cable to connect to your tranny. Generally the things learners find most difficult is dealing with rudder and aileron reversal when the model is flying to wards you and setting up for a landing.Phoenix was a brand I remember as being good but I may be out of date on this. If you are thinking Spitfire in the future then buy a tranny with at least 8 channels 2 for aileron plus 1 each for rudder elevator motor retracts and flaps. A compatible 4 channel receiver will do fine for the trainer. Good choice on model and engine. Now about those bikes. I have some unhappy memories of RD 400s and LC 350s. On trackdays with my big Duke laid well over some spotty herbert on a stroker Yam would go past as if I was standing still quite ruining my self image as the next Foggy. Edited By John Duncker on 11/07/2019 16:59:23

I am a biker.these are hard to beat The Antrim coast road in Northern Island The A 537 to the Cat and Fiddle in the Peak District. NB This can be aggresively policed especially on Sundays. My favorite is the A470, Cardiff to Llandudno, Wales

Test flight over long grass. Proper old school modelling indeed.

Have had several bipes last being a 1/4 scale Stampe. It used 2 to 1 differential IE twice as much up aileron.

Posted by Stuart Quinn-Harvie 1 on 06/05/2019 22:08:05: Evening all, I have seen a wonderful aerobatic thing performed by a funfly model. It was this: Aeroplane slows down into wind until pretty much stationary relative to ground, then ( I think ) all horizontal control surfaces go up and the aeroplane descends vertically whilst parallel to ground until surfaces re centr, engine opens up and it flies off. Anyone know what this is called and how it's done? Cheers All. Coupling barndoor ailerons with elevator to give large amounts of up can give very odd behavior. Put it on as a switchable mix engage the mix at least 3 mistakes high and have a helper on hand to switch out the mix if you are engaged.

Posted by jeff2wings on 06/04/2019 19:56:12: So what happened to the original one to need a replacement ?I did a rebuild on one recently ,got the ring from gaviscool on e-bay Btw are you still in need of a Merco crankcase ? I don't know if you will want to fly the 148. I used a 148 in a 3D model flying the snot out of it for several years. Your 148 has the early carb which is known to have a poor mid range. The carb machined from bar stock with a better mid range. Ripmax gave me the new model carb on request. Once the engine was run in and the carb slow running needle was adjusted it was an extremely reliable engine. NB The slow running needle is very sensitive and needs to be adjusted in tiny steps.

My boat came with 1/2 a gallon of West System resin and some slow and super slow hardener. We guys who live in the tropics do have some problems you know. It would have been 10 years old when I passed it on and still useable and set hard although the hardener was black. Some epoxies are very fussy about the mix ratio get it wrong and it never gets past the sticky chewing gum stage. A set of electronic scales are cheap as chips and enable you to get the mix crack on. TOP TIP 1 Make up a little chart which gives the matching weights eg assuming 5 to 1 then 7g hardener goes with 35 g resin TOP TIP 2 lay a sheet of cling film over the scales.Discard if it gets sticky and replace.

Keep a close eye on the conrod You might find a spare on Ebay but an evening with a pillar drill some hard ali and a set of files will turn one out. Lots of info here The Mills story

I have an allergic reaction to cyano fumes and epoxy vapors. I rigged up a simple extractor fan using tumble dryer extraction fan and hose. 15 quid from B&Q. The on the bench is loose so I can move it to where it does most good. Works for me.

2005 would be about right for a start date. When I last saw him at his workshop he had both wings complete and we did a trial fit of the joiners and that would be the summer of 2007. I am glad the Vulcan is still flying. It was marginal off grass but once airborne flew very nicely. Did Mick get his Hunter flying? I am blown away by the performance of these lecky fans.

Keep posting here Chris. I would love to know if it flies. I helped out with some of the changes he made but I do not recall if he made the changes to a split wing, I know we did discuss this when he was in the planning stage and we both thought that split wing was the way to go purely to make it easier for him and Carol to handle. I know we did look at the possibility of a Royal B 17 kit and I think I tried to steer him away from this as he had a tendancy to build heavy. But there has been a lot of water under my keel since then and my memory may be playing tricks.

I used big elastic bands for tension, wing retaining size, and well stretched. From memory 3 or 4 on the 36 inch bow and two on the 8 inch. Thinking about it today and it was 20 years ago I set them up, the tension should have been the same on both so same number of bands required but I definitely used more bands on the longbow. I was always a cut and shut measure by eyeball 'git her done' engineer. Edited By John Duncker on 11/03/2019 21:11:46

If I was scheduled to fly on 737 max I would be canceling my ticket. Surely they need to be grounded till this is sorted Oh well 350 sold so maybe not. But if I go to SLC to ski this year both Southwest and American Airlines have the aircraft in their fleets.

MDS 38 It was bought to power a Limbo dancer it's brothers powered a couple of helis. The Limbo Dancer spent a lot of time pretending to be a heli. The original towed Ripmax Trainer round the skies for years. It then was the only engine I held on to when Isold up on retirement and moved into an RV for a couple of years when we explored North America. I have no idea how many gallons of 5 % it consumed but it was a lot. Utterly reliable, almost always a first flick start and no messing around with the needle just two clicks richer in winter.After 12 years I sold it still on the original bearings.

Posted by John Rudd on 14/02/2019 17:17:24: Posted by John Duncker on 14/02/2019 15:23:17: the base lathe is made by Sieg. It is clear that they are thrown together at the factory by workers on piecework they do work 'out of the box' as they are no longer thickly smeared with heavy grease but just a light coating of an anti rust agency. However accuracy and finish quality can be improved by careful adjustements. Well documented on many sites as well as Youtube. On what evidence do you base that statement, that they are thrown together? As a Sieg minilathe owner I feel I must defend this particular product of theirs....I've had no issues at all with mine, nor with the minimill that I subsequently bought...As a time served engineering apprentice, I have the experience and lnowledge on how to use these machines, not someone who has bought on a whim to make a few bits for model aircraft..... If you buy a mini lathe from one of the reputable suppliers (Arceurotrade...no affiliation, just a satisfied customer....) their minilathe does not require any setup at all or any careful adjustments....Ketan the owner of Arc has a very close relationship with Sieg, so a purchase from him is likely to be of the highest quality... This guy is the US guru and he describes here **LINK** the steps that can be taken to improve the performance of the mini lathe. "There are several adjustments you can make to significantly improve the accuracy of your minilathe. These adjustments, properly done, can improve the quality of work you can produce. To get accurate, nicely finished work and minimum chatter, it is important to remove as much play as possible in the saddle, cross-slide and compound. Try grasping the compound and twisting it from side to side. If your lathe is properly adjusted you should be able to move it very little." I have spoken to a couple of recent purchasers of the precise model and supplier that I am interested in and they confirmed that accuracy can be improved and chatter reduced with the above points taken care of. The tailstock alignment is usually in need of adjustment. There are numerous videos on youtube covering these adjustments.

Posted by Ronaldo on 13/02/2019 23:23:44: In my hotliner gliders where there is a firm surface of glass fibre or ply, but only just room to take a servo without a mount, I wrap the servo case in masking tape and epoxy it in. It can then be removed if needed by carefully cutting the masking tape and easing the servo out without damaging the case. + 1 on the tape though I used a hot glue gun.

I have decided I want a small lathe and have been doing my homework. I will be buying what is the base model Chinese mini lathe at 7 x 12 with the dc brushed motor. There is a huge installed user base and many sources of info. start with **LINK** and then read up on Varmint Al The early base models at speed control issues but that is mostly fixed now. If you manage to stall it and the magic smoke escapes the controller can be fixed fairly easily and there are people around who will fix it for you. There is one oddity though, they are likely to be supplied in the UK with a imperial leadscrew at 20 TPI but metric lead screws on the cross slide and compound. Not a problem is seems but odd. Imperial mods are available. They come in a bewildering variety of colors lengths and accessories but the base lathe is made by Sieg. It is clear that they are thrown together at the factory by workers on piecework they do work 'out of the box' as they are no longer thickly smeared with heavy grease but just a light coating of an anti rust agency. However accuracy and finish quality can be improved by careful adjustements. Well documented on many sites as well as Youtube.

More up than down

Got to be a Panic. Great hooligan machine for a hooligan pilot.

3 litre plastic pop bottle and a heat gun will give you a reasonable canopy when shrunk over a mould. I had a Balsacraft Blenheim and it was the first electric I owned with reasonable performance. Brushed 600s and an 8 cell NiMH pack.

Anybody with a reliable running Jet Joe junior should immediately go and buy a lottery ticket.because you are indeed a very lucky person. Even turbine gurus have given up on them. They have several major design flaws starting with the thrust bearing. I would be very cautious about any claim for relaibility

Petrol with ethanol in it does go 'off'. with time. So if it were mine I would run the tank low and the carb dry before storing it for the winter. Top the tank up with fresh fuel in spring and good to go. Petrol with ethanol and mixed with 2 st oil is bad news if kept for more than 6 months. Even if you drain the tank dry and empty the carb the residue seems to cause some sort of crystals to form and these block up the carb jets. I don't know of any magic nostrum that works.

I had very good experiences with MDS engines. I had 3 38s one in a 3D model and two in helis run them on 5% run them in and set the slow running jet CAREFULLY making tiny adjustements as it very sensitive. A 148 iand a 218 both in 3 D models. I found them to be powerful reliable and throttled well. Once you got the needle setting right I left it alone, it was flick and fly. I got into trouble from the club instructor safety officer who said I set a bad example by not doing a nose up test. 2 clicks richer in winter and you were good to go Even the much maligned 40 can be a good engine but the early ones needed some silicone sealant under the carb and again some running in.and careful slow running ajustement. There were some lemons I came across a couple of 78s that I could not get to run well and I have no idea why. But expect them to run streight out of the box on high nitro fuel and you will be rewarded with a Mostly Dead Stick Door Stop. Will MDS or any of the other IC engine manufacturers be resurrected I think it unlikely as the model business has gone electric. Edited By John Duncker on 30/01/2019 14:38:46

The popular Club 2000 pylon racers use 25s as they are going electric there will be engines going spare. two possible contacts are Michael Toyer on: 01933 675378 and RadioActive 01905 776073