Graham Davies 3

Flew my Tempest today. Beautiful evening and she went very well, as always. Maiden the Cambrian Spitfire. That didn't go so well. I was, it appears, right to be concerned about the C of G. A swooping and whooping flight ended with a stall and spin and a test of the soft ground/ nose interface. Ground came off slightly better, but it will be fixed!

9. I. F. E. 10. M.

You want to see the wheel wells in my Yak. One is shaped like a duck egg, the other like the duck... They'll be good enough when it's finished, and if anyone wants to look that closely to the underside of my model, they're most welcome!

Can I just endorse Richard's comments. I too wanted the full chips and rice experience, but Richard advised a simpler approach in order that my first warbird experience was a successful one. Hence my Tempest has fixed undercarriage and no flaps. It weighs a little over 5lbs and flies really well. My strip also has a pronounced gradient, and stopping my 6lb+ acrowot causes the same issue you have. My Tempest kisses the ground like a tender lover! Go simple, go light, and you'll be right...

Mine arrived today! Thanks Ron

Phil, this is pretty much what I have started with. Richard's foam wing kits. I'm pretty experienced as a builder, and love building but don't see foam wings or panels as anything other than another build medium. What i got was both an enjoyable build, but also a great introduction into finishing and operating a warbird without the huge amount of personal investment that makes flying the things off-putting. I think that experienced builders want different things from new builders, which presents Richard with difficult choices. Unsold stock is costly, so he'll need to know the kits will sell; who do you therefore target? The guys that want a fully built up 'bird, or the newbies that need a simpler construction? Whilst we would all love the luxury of being able to choose from 2 versions of 10 different models, that is a big and risky investment if they don't sell. I am however, definitely an evangelist. Despite many years of building, I have learned so much from building the WR kits, and I have really been bitten by the warbird bug. My Tempest below, for no apparent reason!

I think this is true Leccy, but I am not sure that many ARTF flyers are aware of how rewarding building and finishing can be; they just see it as a mountain to climb because they perceive it as out of their skillset. I could be wrong of course. A kit that makes the whole process seem more accessible would no doubt help open the potential market a bit more. I like the idea of a 'magazine' of techniques and how-tos that Paul suggests. Let's face it, if the instructions are detailed and the build is logical, there's no reason why a first time builder cannot complete a scale model to a decent standard. I think Jonathan is well on the way to proving that.

Great project Robert, watching with interest. Graham

Has there ever been any content in the BMFA magazine? The 'B' bit implies a certain loyalty and an article similar to what leccyflyer suggests wouldn't hurt.

Can we all take a minute to thank Ron? Stepping forward to help us all is a credit to the forum. Cheers Ron! Now, back to the general irreverence...

I had an unhealthy obsession with twins. Still do really. They can be tricky bu66ers though, so I'm told...

Thanks for the update Ron. Let me know when you need me to do something. Like pay! Graham

Interesting subject Richard. In my 'real job', value perception is a very significant part of product management. This is really what we are talking about here. Not the product, but our perception of it, and how this adjusts our expectations either up or down. The value perception of the OK kits was significant, and has had a more lasting impact than any reality of the product itself. The question is; what in today's world, affects our value perception? Kit builders are of a different demographic to those back in the day. The 'younger us' would be far more imprinted by box graphics than the 'present day us'. It may be interesting to see what exactly the forum believes makes an exceptional kit, and what makes them memorable for the right reasons. Further, what attracted them to buy it in the first place, and if they recommended it BEFORE they built and flew it. This is a test of how it made you feel... For me, the box label is not and never really was a big deal. Thoughtfully grouped and well packed part sets, a full size plan and clear, detailed instructions made a bigger impact (in the day, I loved Flair kits). I can spend ages reading the instructions before building and particularly if there are details on setting up and flying and some inspiring example pictures, I'm positively foaming at the scalpel to get going! Graham

I bought some razor blades from an Ebay seller to use in my razor plane. And of course they don't fit, so I have, er plenty for covering jobs!

Plus one here Jon; I'd be fascinated to watch master craftsmanship!

This is a great thread Martin. Spurred on by another great thread. I think this, and 'The Dark Nights Fix Up' are far more responsible for the balsa shortage than wind turbines! Good luck, I shall enjoy watching this unfold. I certainly won't be ridiculing; let he who is without sin and all that... Graham

The trouble starts when the are within reach.... ?

Tigerman, I'm not sure what you hope to achieve from your post, aside a little unloading.

That would be great Ron; I'd be up for 20m. That will last me ages and mean I can laminate family members too...

Hi Danny, I bought a small quantity from Ebay. It usually comes in big reels, but a modeller chap was selling 10m lengths for around a fiver. Perfect for trials. I have 43 micron matte finish film about 350mm wide. If you search laminating film or doculam, you'll find lots of options. Starts from around £16-20 for a reel, depending on width. I like it; I used it for the first time on my little Cambrian Spitfire. It needs a fair old rub down, but the joins disappear nicely. Ron is the laminating film font of knowledge; He'll put you right! Graham

I love Keith Humber's designs. I have a Wight Wizard in the loft that is getting on for 30 years old. More recently I returned to the hobby with another one, but electric. It has been flown to death in the last year, and I love it!

So my RC story began when I was made redundant in my early 20s, so around '85. Having done a bit of C/L and F/F as a young'un, the sudden influx of cash prompted a trip to a shop and a splurge. Initially, a Veron Cardinal and a PAW80 that was moderately successful as a free flighter, I then bought a Telemaster 66, OS40FP and Futaba Challenger. I built it and got it into the air on my own. And I got it back down again on my own. I also collected all the bits on my own! So I embarked on joining a club; the most excellent Warboys Club near Huntingdon. Whilst waiting for instructor time, I built the Cardinal wing onto a slightly redesigned (made up as I went along) fuselage and installed rudder/ elevator control. This, along with a nice free plan HLG on 2 channels taught me loads. I could fly this successfully on my own. Around the same time I built a 4 channel 36" span model similar to a Wot 4 (Wot3?) of my own design on an OS15Max and flew this from my local fields. I flew this to death over many years and only killed it when a mate managed to switch the radio off during a hand launch. By the time I got some instructor time, I had pretty much taught myself, and so the (now rebuilt) Telemaster seemed a bit redundant! I think I had a couple of lessons and sold it on. The cardinal met it's end after I swapped the PAW80 for an MVVS 1.5 diesel. I only did this because vibration caused the PAW spraybar to break, and spares took longer than my patience to arrive. I bought the MVVS and fitted the prop backwards to tame it. First few flights were great. I then turned the prop the right way round and my attempts to prevent it leaving orbit resulted in the wings clapping hands at by now, considerable altitude! So my first model was really EITHER a Veron cardinal-alike, A Telemaster 66, A plan built HLG, or my beloved Wot3! Graham

Thanks for sharing Paul; that's a great article

Looks great Peter. Roll on end of lockdown!

You're welcome Tim! It's a service I offer... I might investigate, but as long as SWMBO lets me use her laptop, Phoenix will probably get me through to the end of lockdown. Thanks for your input everyone.