Geoff Copping

I'm usually a Hitec-0-phile but I have had good service from Bluebird microservo's from Pheonix Model Products.

Excellent service and good batteries. I've recently got back into aeromodelling so I'm fairly new to Lipo's and the first couple I bought were ok but I've since converted to 4-Max and they give plenty of consistent power, I even got my wife to order a couple more 3s 2200's for my Birthday this week. I recently built an Evolution Fusion II and George was happy to talk me through what I required for a powertrain for it and the performance is perfect for me. I will use 4-max for all my electrics from now on because I know they work and, as you may have seen, his website has a table of powertrains for many popular aircraft and lots of useful information. Thanks George

Posted by Chris Walby on 21/05/2020 06:45:12: Sorry to hear about the damage to your WOT4 and you have unfortunately experienced the differences in manufacturers arm specifications. Food for though as I collect all my spare servo arms in one big container! I think in future I'll keep them separate and marked up from which make/model servo they are spares for. Hope the rebuild does not take too long and thanks for the information. A timely posting, having recently got back into RC planes, from the various new models I've acquired I decided to put all the spare arms in a coffee jar. I too will now make a point of keeping them labelled. Thanks for that.

A non-permanent means of attaching my operator number to my aircraft . I found that if I print my number onto plain paper with an inkjet printer then apply a suitable size strip of sellotape over the lettering. Pull the tape off straight away and the number is lifted with the tape, much like lifting a fingerprint (what would I know about that). The piece of sellotape can then be applied to a convenient area inside the aircraft that doesn't need tools to access, i.e inside the canopy. I'm not sure if the tape will stick as well to the outside of a foamie but I'm about to try it on my newly acquired Acro Wot Foam E.

Went down to a field that I have permission to fly from this morning. I've hardly done any flying since getting back into it and lockdown occurring so a bit nervous. I started off with my Evolution Fusion which I had flown a couple of times and settled my nerves with that then I decided to bite the bullet and do a maiden launch with my Foam E AcroWot which I purchased during lock down. The grass was a bit longer than I would have liked and this resulted in a nose-over on the first couple of attempts but, on the third go, I held in up ele and fed the power on a bit more slowly and she was off. Couple of tweaks of aileron and rudder trim then cg check, which was perfect, then enjoy getting back into it. I love the Acrowot and I hope this year to use it to finally get my 'B' certificate. I finished off with a few launches of my Strike 3 dlg. There's some containers at the edge of the field and the wind was just right to use them for a bit of sloping and mild DS. Didn't last long but it was fun trying. Anyway, with being able to get out trout fishing yesterday, 3 caught, flying today and tonight I shall do a bit of Rabbit control, the fee for using the field for flying, then it feels like this outdoorsy type guy is back in the groove.

Watched a film on Netflix yesterday called Contagion. It was made in 2011 but it is amazingly accurate on what is happening today. There's bad language but only in context but so much of it is such a mirror of these days that I had to remind myself it wasn't a documentary. Recommended

It might be a bit belt and braces but I have built in this bracket onto the hatch cover as well as putting sticky back velcro on the floor of the battery bay.

Posted by GrumpyGnome on 01/05/2020 13:45:19: Call me naive, but aren't the very well paid NHS trust chief execs etc. at least partly responsible for lack of ppe? I thought the government set the budget but these execs decided how to spend it. Similarly those owning/running care homes...... Sorry - don't normally comment on anything political but these sure are not normal times. On the modelling side, I retired a few days ago and the plan was to make heavy use of the beautiful flying field that is within walking distance. Instead I am building, fixing, flying micro fpv quads in the house and a blade heli in the garden. So, managing a little 'fix'! GG In 2018 the government created Supply Chain Coordination Ltd which was in charge of procuring NHS supplies, warehousing and lorries for delivery. Supposedly a 'centralised' buying system would save £2.4bn over five years. It was argued that too many trusts buying their own equipment was innefficient. SCCL failed to gear up with PPE and was far too slow to catch up. So much for the great idea of an internal market and splitting the NHS into loads of smaller trusts. Imagine the buying power of a unified NHS? Purely my opinion but the chickens are all coming home to roost from a shambles that has been created over the past four or so decades. I've tried to keep politics off this thread too but some things can only be explained through the facts.

I should emphasise, although I do have a park, and indeed a football field in easy walk, where I have permission to fly then I'm still playing the game and only going out for a walk or shopping. It is frustrating because the weather has been perfect for DLG and I'm sure that it wouldn't cause much of a risk to throw my Strike 3 as I walked round the park. If I'm doing that then someone may call the police, that takes the police away from what they should be doing. Also, my wife has an inherited Kidney disease and so is working from home and I would hate to bring the lurgy home to her. I'm a fly angler and a fieldsportsman too so I'm stymied. I've just got a flight simulator and I'll satisfy myself with that for now. I'll see how I get on with practicing B certificate manoevres and see if I can do that when the portcullis is raised.

Posted by Martin Harris on 30/04/2020 19:58:53: Posted by Brian Cooper on 30/04/2020 09:06:38: Under the current restrictions, it is somewhat curious that anyone could get a dog and spend all day in a public park, throwing a stick for the creature, and congregating with other "doggy" people (they do this regularly at my local park) BUT get a model aeroplane and you cannot take it to a secluded, private site to play with it. Bonkers. B.C. I suspect that the difference would be that there's an element of exercise involved for both dog and human, whereas however much we could justify model flying for getting into the open air for the benefit of both physical and mental health, the public would not see it that way. I'd imagine that most people would walk the dog to the park from their front door but the average model flyer would need to drive to their flying field. Not taking issue but just to say, I've got a park right outside my flat and, believe me, DLG is pretty good excercise

a stanley knife, two rulers and a cutting board?

Thanks chaps. In the outer-wing there was three bag fuel tanks. At 9 stone fighting weight I was one of the few who, with my arms stretched above my head, were small enough to get to the end of the longest tank which was about 8ft long and only 8" square at the outer end. Wearing a fuel resistant suit with a tail that connected to breathing air compressor, it was always a laugh to drop out of the wing and hop across the hangar like Mickey Mouse in front of Air Cadets being shown round the aircraft. Aaah! Happy days.

Hi all, I decided I could do with a long term build during lockdowm. Living in the Fens I'm usually a flat field flyer, thermal, electric glider etc. I've re-entered the hobby after a long break but I've done some slope soaring, from a Zagi to a Calypso Contest all-moulded 3mtr and a few things in between. Ivinghoe or Borough Hill as I live halfway between the two. I used to fly power for aerotowing, Titan 62cc and the ubiquitous Wot4. Anyway, not having done scale before, I decided to take the plunge and was pleased to find that Sarik had a plan for an 82" HP Victor PSS which arrived today. I used to work on them in the 'olden days'. The plan is of a B2 but it won't take much to change it to a BSR2 on which I worked. I don't need the HDU's under the wing, it's not a tanker but the BSR2 has a dog-leg and undercamber leading edge outboard of the droptanks that I'd like to replicate. Looking forward to the build, get the cutting list done with a cup of Tea and Radio 4extra comedy. Geoff

That sounds great Tim, well done. It's inspired me to have a go at making my own uke once my local Shed opens again. In the meantime I must stop procrastinating and pick up my ukes while the lockdown is on

Hi Tim, I'm also a Ukulele/Banjolele player, Rocking Ukulele's of St Ives ( RUSTI's), that's St Ives Cambs not Cornwall. We meet every Monday and do lots of gigs locally. Interesting to see this thread, although I've just ordered a plan of a HP Victor to build my first scale model, I have also toyed with the idea of making my own Uke. Unfortunately I live in a small first floor flat so machine tools are out of the question and I'd just joined my local Shed when the lockdown occurred. I'm taking the time now to do an online Uke course to try to progress beyond first position strumming. We use to take part in Uke workshops at the Acoustic Festival of Britain at Uttoxeter racecourse every June. we'd end up with about 50 people taking lessons throughout the weekend then do 3 or 4 numbers in a set on the main stage on the Sunday. Many of the people had never picked up a Uke, or anyother instrument before and I don't know of any other instrument that could be done with, apart from drums of course. Look forward to seeing the finished guitalele. Geoff

The other two may be ok but I bet, when it comes to it, the Penguin will get cold feet.

I realise that the lockdown is going to be on for longer than it will take to finish my current Sweet P30 so I've decided to build a scale model for the first time. I've just ordered a plan for a slope soaring Handley Page Victor 82"span. I'd like to convert it from a K2 to a BSR2, which shouldn't be too much trouble but I also fancy trying to make it EDF too as there's no slopes in the Fens. Should keep me occupied for a while and stop me pining too much looking at the glorious thermal soaring weather

Recently got back into modelling after 20+ year break. Started with a ROC Hobby 2200 foam eglider which I flew a few times last year. Next was an Art Hobby 2.7m Odyssey bungee launch glider which I managed to fly a couple of times, one really good thermal flight, between the windy rainy days. Then an Evolution Fusion which I've only flown a couple of times but great fun, again dodging gales and rain. Gales and rain continuing so built a BMFA Frog that I picked up at the nationals a couple of years ago, followed by a Guillows Lancer, that had been sat on a cupboard for a few months, but the lock down was announced on the day I finished it and, guess what? no rain, no gales, beautiful sunshine but could only look out of the window. Feeling the urge again and, although I did a lot of different disciplines before, right up to a 60cc Titan tug and all-moulded 3m gliders which I flew in the Peterborough Winter Series, I'm now drawn to the beautiful art of free flight so I've just ordered a Sweet P30 from Free Flight Supplies with a view to taking part in some low-key comps, if I'm ever allowed out again. Also, I've now regained a stash of off-cuts from all the kits so I'm contemplating scratch building a static model of an HP Victor BSR2 that I used to work on in my RAF days, unless I can work out how to power it without a prop on the front. Might investigate edf. No toilet rolls left in this van overnight.

Had a word with Mike Woodhouse of Free Flight Supplies yesterday and he's still taking orders, I know he's not a shop but he's still trading. I shall be looking out of the window for delivery man. Inwood Models at Huntingdon is still trading online, telephone sales and auction site with daily RM collections.

Sod's law innit, the day after lockdown announced the weather's perfect for flying gggrrrr Oh well! have a look at converting a Lidl glider that someone gave me for Christmas.

Finally got a chance to fly my ArtHobby Odyssey 2.7m glider that I finished last month. I only got a few bungee launches in still air one day back in February. This morning started off grey and still air but I had a few launches and short flights before I saw the cloud start to break. I had a coffee break while I watched the patches of sunshine heading towards me then, at last, I felt the warmth of the sun on my back and a gentle breeze in my face. I hooked it up, launched and watched it go vertical up the line followed by a healthy ping off the top. Up til then it had been a case of trying to keep it airborne as long as possible but now it went straight into a thermal and within a few turns it was up to the inversion. It held height for a while but then started to gently descend. I could feel the breeze on my face again so I scooted off downwind and it was soon climbing again til it specked out before I had to bring it back. Then I saw a pair of Buzzards thermalling between me and my glider so I put the nose down and brought it quickly into their circle. Off it went again like a homesick angel before the thermal slowly faded and the Buzzards went on their way while I returned to the field for a perfect spot landing under full crow. The weather had finally broken and I had regained the buzz of thermal soaring for the first time in twenty years Can't wait for the summer boomers, what a superb glider

I use a GTronix PowerPal 2.0 1s to 6s AC/DC all the usual programmes. Charge, discharge, storage, cycle. Most battery types.

Dry calm weather, nice dry firm flying patch, ooooohhhh! I'm getting excited!!! Where's me charger?

This is my first Funfly, and first electric power, other than glider. 52" Evolution Models Fusion II. Managed to get a calm day yesterday to maiden it. Can't get the smile off my faceAfter a few feet it was a near vertical take-off. 50% rates and 50% expo still gave plenty of aero's. Been out of the game for 20 years so taking it gently but will be happy to switch to full rates next time. 4Max PO 3547-800, purple 2600 3s, 40A ESC, JTX 14x7, thanks George. 3 clicks of down with CG 1.5" behind the spar. I is a happy bunny.