Geoff Copping

The band I lead, HMS OddsnSods, as part of Haverhill Men's Shed. Now expanded with percussionist and also a violinist. Weddings , funerals and bar Mitzvahs. Me in the purple bowler. I also play trumpet and I'm in the process of learning to improvise rather than reading dots, blimey, what a lot of scales🤔 I also run a beginners Ukulele session as well as general Men's Shed stuff. We're in the process of converting an old caretaker's bungalow into our 24/7 HQ. Blimey!! no wonder I haven't flown my planes in ages, thinks, aeromodelling has become my second hobby.

I also wonder if there's an element of IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) going to be attached to this given what is happening around the rest of the world. Many sporting/news events and general media are covered by drones so would a drone or model aircraft which is not emitting RID be considered hostile? A definite risk these days.

I'd say it already exists. I have always been a 'Country Member' of the BMFA , flying anywhere in the country that was not restricted and safe to do so, with permission when required and using Drone Assist. I'm not a Country Member this year because other hobbies have taken over. I still have my models but RID has helped in my decision to flog the lot which will happen shortly. G

Also, as named driver you may not be building up any NCD. Thanks for heads up on scam though. I always go direct to organisation and never trust a link in an email even if I know it's genuine. G.

IPN (Isopropyl nitrate) was used as a fuel for starting jet engines. It should be stored and handled with great care because it produces its own oxygen as it burns. This means that it burns extremely rapidly and, once ignited is very difficult to extinguish. The requirements to extinguish something is to remove one of three. Fuel, heat, or Oxygen. As it produces its own Oxygen that doesn't work. Limiting the amount of fuel stored is the only way of reducing the supply. Using a CO2 extinguisher will help to reduce heat and cool other flammable things close by thus reducing spread but it needs a good blast of it. The aircraft I worked on in the RAF had Avpin (IPN) starters. This is a small turbine attached to the front of the engine which spins up the compressor to start the airflow through the engine. Whenever we had a "wet start" it made start-ups a bit more fun. Fortunately most of the excess Avpin would drain out of the starter exhaust straight onto the ground where we could deal with it. It was always stored in a metal cage 50 yards from any other building and then decanted into dispensing cans to refuel the tanks on the aircraft. I'm sure the amounts needed for diesel models, probably 2%, is small but it needs respect. Just saying like😁

The swastika symbol is centuries old, often used as a religious symbol in Bhudism and Hinduism as a left handed swastika. It was wrongly suggested in the past that a left handed swastika signified devil worship. It's just another thing that's been adopted by a particular movement and, for that time, becomes an indelible conotation. The rainbow image is now largely associated with the LGBTQ community but, when I see one I just think "Dammit! Every time I try to walk closer to it for a pocketful of gold then it seems to get further away!"

Simple bit of April Fool silliness. I know that when my wife gets up to relieve herself during the night that she doesn't bother putting the light on. I soaked the bog roll in water. The spares are kept in the hallway cupboard. She's had her own moments. In the days when we had a house phone then we were involved in something that meant, whatever time of night or day, if the phone rang then we had to answer it. She went out to work very early while it was still dark and I was still asleep. The house phone started ringing so, without putting the lights on, I rushed downstairs, whipped up the phone and smashed myself in the face with it because she'd sellotaped the hand piece to the body of the phone!!😬 As she left the house she'd rung me on her mobile. Oh how I larfed🙄

I've just put my sundial forward an hour, now I'm sat in the shade.

Update, As I'd not been too keen on the plastic handled cutlery we had then we decided to buy some new stainless steel cutlery. A 16 piece set. Each piece was wrapped in an individual plastic bag. oh well, it was a cardboard box, with a plastic window. Yes, I did pay for it on plastic🙃🙄

We have a bbq tomorrow. I've just been to get disposables. Paper plates, wrapped in plastic. Paper cups, wrapped in plastic. Paper bowls, wrapped in plastic. Paper straws, wrapped in plastic. "Do you have any plastic cutlery please"? "Sorry, we're not allowed to sell it" "Do you have any bamboo cutlery please"? "Sorry, we don't stock it".

Don't be late or you could be put on a charge.

Don't know if there's any BSB fans here but found out that Paul Bird who ran BeerMonster Ducati died this morning aged 56. Quite a shock and will leave a massive hole because he put so much into the sport, including a lot of his own money. Watched BSB Cadwell Park bank holiday Monday and, thanks to him, was treated to some of the best racing I've ever seen. RIP Paul

Honestly dear! It said 1/72nd on the box!!

I will start a new thread so I don't hijack this one but here's an update. This spring we moved out of our 1st floor flat into a bungalow 50 miles away. With everything being open again now, I joined the local Men's Shed where I came across a lovely piece of Sapele and so was inspired to crack on with making my own tenor Ukulele. I've made the neck and now I'm making the mould for the Tasmanian Blackwood body. As I say, I'll start a new thread and do a build log on it. Thus far, the neck is Sapele, the fingerboard is Rockwood composite Rosewood and the headstock is laminated with Ziricote. Thanks for the inspiration to get on with it. At the weekend I was at a bbq and was able to pull my uke out of the car and lead a sing-song which is what it's all about. PS. I've found a local uke club too, heaven.

D D D D D D DDD I just bought a 3D printer