Jump to content
Please be aware of scammers when using the Sale/Wanted forum areas

Andy Stephenson

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    1,640

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    1

 Content Type 

Everything posted by Andy Stephenson

  1. Andy Stephenson

    Andy Stephenson posted a gallery image in Member Albums

  2. Andy Stephenson
    SR, It may be worth asking for help on RC Groups as there is a wealth of information there in the composites and fabrication section. A.
  3. Andy Stephenson
    Posted by Sheepish on 26/03/2020 20:25:53: Sean Bannister Zippy, Irvine 20 power waiting for a maiden flight sometime when. Sheepish, I built one of those a while ago it had an OS32FX and an aileron servo that wouldn't centre properly, it was a bit of a beast. A.
  4. Andy Stephenson
    I noticed Sussex doesn't have them in stock but they are available from other outlets under a different name but they are all the same just look out for the hole pattern. It seems West London Models have them in stock. WLM
  5. Andy Stephenson
    Some hinge material supplied with kits is wholly unsuitable as it it far too stiff. Even excising it vigorously before installing it isn't enough to free it up sufficiently. The best substitute is the fury cyno type they are much thinner and more flexible... Kavan type Cyno hinges A.
  6. Andy Stephenson
    One effect on the entire engine/airframe arrangement that seems not to be understood is the effect of gyroscopic precession when using a 2 bladed prop. These precession forces act when the airframe is rotated in pitch or in yaw but this force is pulsating as the prop rotates. This is because the prop disc is not continuous. For example during a pitch up manoeuvre when the prop is horizontal the airframe won't experience much precessional force, however, when the prop is vertical the force is at it's maximum. You can see from this that there is a severe amount of fatigue cycling going on during aerobatic manoeuvres and this takes place at twice the engine rpm. Using a 3 or more bladed prop will even out this effect this is why full-size aerobats use 3 bladed props because you can imagine what effect this resultant vibration would have on the pilot otherwise. A. Edited By Steve Hargreaves - Moderator on 20/03/2020 19:45:49
  7. Andy Stephenson
    Thanks Denis, Wiping down after fuel exposure is always a good idea but you can't get into some areas like the engine bay. I remember never having to worry about this with Tufcote. I have the next best thing, Aerokote, for my latest project not yet finished. Deluxe Materials say on their website to thin it with 2 part thinners but in the instructions on the bottle it says use cellulose thinners no more 10%. I shall take your advice about building it up in many coats when spraying. I used to brush on Humbrol enamel paint which gave acceptably fuel proof results but repairs became awkward when treating bare wood next to a painted area which required sanding sealer dope etc which made the enamel pucker. Enamel also takes so long to dry it picks up dust which turns into nibs The use of carbon mask is a must if you are going to spray anything more than a touch-up and especially 2 part paint etc. If you can't smell anything when using a carbon mask you know it's working. Andy. Edited By Andy Stephenson on 13/03/2020 21:50:26
  8. Andy Stephenson
    The reason why these really useful chemicals disappear from the market is usually because they are discovered to be dangerous, this happened with Tufcote (Furniglass) they said the hardener was carcinogenic. There is still discussion about a suitable replacement which in my opinion hasn't been resolved.
  9. Andy Stephenson
    The reason why these really useful chemicals disappear from the market is usually because they are discovered to be dangerous, this happened with Tufcote (Furniglass) they said the hardener was carcinogenic. There is still discussion about a equivalent replacement which in my opinion hasn't been resolved.
  10. Andy Stephenson
    The misuse of "then" where "than" is required is an Americanism which is creeping in over here in the UK. I assumed it was because spoken in an American accent they can't tell the difference, so why here as well.
  11. Andy Stephenson
    I remember Dave Wright flying a large scale Spitfire across the channel but did he also do this with the Lank, I never heard of this. A.
  12. Andy Stephenson
    A club mate tried full span flaperons on an Acrowot it very nearly turned into disaster and he only managed to get it out the resulting tip-stall at the last second. He turned this "feature" off never to use it again. A.
  13. Andy Stephenson
    Back on track with fuelproofer. Has anyone tried spraying any of these 2 pack floor treatments as they all say apply with a brush or a roller. I can see that there may be safety issues spraying any 2 pack compound but if the correct safety precautions are taken like using a carbon mask will they actually go through a suitable spray gun and if they do can they produce an acceptable finish. Andy.
  14. Andy Stephenson
    The idea is to show you understand the general rules on safety rather than absolute competency in a particular discipline. This seems to be all the CAA is interested in.
  15. Andy Stephenson
    But only legal users would register much like the drone laws! I'm thinking knee-jerk on both counts.
  16. Andy Stephenson
    Most people who start with one of these magazine builds never get to the end so there's a lot of incomplete models in the back of cupboards or in the trash. I think the publishers know this and scale down the number of copies published towards the end of the run. Then it starts all over again with another enticing build. Way to rip-off the impulse buying public.
  17. Andy Stephenson
    If you get an email that has seemingly kosher web links in the body of the text, just float the mouse over the link and look down at the bottom of the screen of your browser to see the actual address, it can be immediately obvious when you see an address that looks nothing like it should. This probably only works on a PC not on a phone screen. Do NOT ever click on these links as this can lead to a virus download. A.
  18. Andy Stephenson
    I have come across this mechanism before but I couldn't make it out from the photo. Perhaps having a receiver with external antennae would have prevented the fly-away.
  19. Andy Stephenson
    Posted by Sussex Pete on 16/02/2020 13:54:30:... - The whiskers are connected to the on-off switch (recommended in the Wildthing instructions). ... Does this mean you actually connected the whisker antennas to the on-off switch??? I'm intrigued to say the least. A.
  20. Andy Stephenson
    Four experienced members of my club had unexplained crashes with Spektrum gear and as a result all changed to Futaba. with no further incidents. It's not like they suddenly knew any more about batteries or installation after the change. So I will leave it up to the reader to make up their mind about the reliability of said gear. A. Edited By Andy Stephenson on 16/02/2020 11:05:42
  21. Andy Stephenson

    Andy Stephenson posted a gallery image in Member Albums

  22. Andy Stephenson
    I made quite a deep a cowl for a patternship by taking the original ABS one and filling it and sanding it to a fine finish with filler primer. I cast this in 2 part silicone supported in a plywood box as the silicone sets quite floppy. This resulted in a negative mould. After several attempts and some success I found the combination of the first layer (outer) 81g twill GF with the second one of 180g this gave the best results. I used a good quality laminating epoxy. You can't actually paint a gel coat on to silicone as it doesn't stick. I layered overlapping strips of GF and stippled on the epoxy with a brush then using a miniature roller on a long handle I rolled the epoxy through the weave to give a smooth surface when set. To de-mould the cowl I removed the silicone from the supporting box, peeled it away round the edges and with some soapy water eased it out.
  23. Andy Stephenson
    For large models I see more R/Cers using Powerbox as a redundancy system, it's more sophisticated than using a split RX setup, I'm not sure how it works but there is some processing going on to decide if a signal from one or another RX is getting corrupted. It does a lot more besides and is expensive so it may be outside your budget. A.
  24. Andy Stephenson
    Acetone is a good solvent but it's ineffective on epoxy, cellulose thinners is what you need. A.
  25. Andy Stephenson
    If an OS engine has a ringed piston leave it as it is because the plating on a so called ABC regularly flakes on OS engines. My OS 46FX had this problem twice as did my 1980s OS61RF. I still want to use it on a classic pattern-ship which is why I signed up to have a proper ABC replacement piston and liner made for it. There is a thread on RCG that invited people to sign up to a list for a guy in Australia who produces these. There are about 50 names on the list, I think this says it all about the nickel plating that OS uses. A.
×
×
  • Create New...