Graham Davies 3
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Posts posted by Graham Davies 3
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Jesus, I'm afraid the dark shades are accumulated pocket fluff on what is left of my phone camera! The lens cover shattered, and despite careful attention with a cotton bud, that's as good as I can get it!
Graham
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Bob, Richard did tell me, but made me sign a very punitive NDA... I think I have to leave a deposit of bodily organs...
Yes, fixed undercarriage as a 'training step' to be replaced with retracts once I can get it out and back without incident. I have pre fitted cable runs for retracts and the block will come out to be replaced with the retract plates and wheel recesses if we ever get that far.
The whole purpose of this exercise is to get a semi-scale 'warbird trainer' before venturing onto more full-fat offerings.
Graham
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Morning all,
A bit of gentle progress:
Leading edges and trailing edges laminated. tips fitted and carved to shape. Wings cut and joined for polyhedral and undercarriage blocks added. Fuselage built, with battery box/ motor mount.
Next job is to make the aileron servo boxes, separate the ailerons and join the wings...
Graham
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Gentle progress today.
(forgive the terrible pictures, my phone camera is broken!)
Fitted up the fuselage formers and fitted laminated leading and trailing edge to the foam wing panels.
Nice simple stuff. Tomorrow I will work on the wings:
- Fit the wing tips
- shape the leading edge
- Cut the wing panels and rejoin all the panels to get the polyhedral
- Set the undercarriage blocks
- Prefit the servo and retract extensions (I'm preparing for the eventual fitment of retracts, once I've got used to the fixed undercarriage)
Graham
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Ade, I am experimenting with a sound system also. I will keep you updated...
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Extra wood is all ordered. I have a day off today so I'm going to clear the workbench and start the dry fit.
Does anyone else get stupidly excited starting a new build?
Graham
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Here's the picture that Richard used to hook me in!
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He knows what buttons to push also Paul. He was supposed to talk me out of building a spitfire. I'm now building a Tempest and have 'locked on' to a Mossie. I guess he DID talk me out of it, but it's not exactly what I meant...
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My 'real job' involves a huge amount of work with Chinese manufacturers of various products. I know the country to be 'imitators' not innovators. They are getting better and better at this, but will need someone else to provide a new 'standard' to imitate.
What is significant is the huge salary increases over the last 5-10 years. The principal cost saving in China is labour. As it is a communist country, employment is the main driver; an employed population is one unlikely to revolt. As such, western eyes would see hugely inefficient working practices with lots of people, and lots of them doing not a lot. Globalisation and social mobility have meant it is now easy for a worker to simply change companies and deliver themselves big salary increases. As such, salaries have risen 20+% per year for a number of years now, and it is no longer a place of cheap labour.
So, as Richard points out, the days of cheap ARTFs are gone; never to return until a new low cost supply base is unearthed. And that will mean a period of poor quality.
The shape and fabric of this hobby may see further change as models tend towards less labour intensive manufacturing. But that is unlikely to be wood/covering construction.
So, make hay while the sun shines, and let's keep making wooden aircraft. It may be that when wooden ARTFs are priced out of the game and all that is left is foam, we will return to a period where kits and plans are king. So keep supporting your local model shop to buy wood and glue; their time may come if they survive.
In the meantime, keep going Richard because, well, MOSQUITO....
Graham
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Sorry guys, I left you with half a story! Here's what happened...
I was following one of the Warbirds Replica build blogs and Richard posted that he had a few Spitfire MKiX kits available. As I've always felt that a chap should own a Jaguar and a Spitfire at least once in his life, I wrote to him and asked him to talk me out of it...
Richard was fantastically helpful and has offered me an 'introduction to warbirds' such that I can ease myself into things without spending ages building a beautiful model that I can't fly. So what I now have in my possession is a basic kit for a foam wing Tempest as Richard's advice is that this will produce the most 'sport model' flying experience and will be a perfect stepping stone to one of the full-fat kits.
I have to say, this is service above and beyond any expectations! I have the full resources of the designer, and all this that have built these fabulous models at my disposal.
If I'm able, I will document the build.
Graham
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Friends,
Thanks to the utterly inspiring build threads from some hugely talented builders, I will shortly be joining in. I will shortly be taking delivery of a Tempest kit. I hope I can do it justice.
Graham
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Watching this with interest Rich!
Graham
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I've mostly had spectators drop off during my flights...
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RCAddict, things vary from supplier to supplier. Reduced staff obviously reduce the ability to fulfil orders. The big issue relates to the location of stock. If stock has to come from China, lead-times are typically 8 weeks over sea, assuming the shipment is ready to go and isn't undue held at either end. This is working at the moment, although capacity is slightly down. The big problem is air freight. Shipments that are more urgent make use of consolidated air freight which uses cargo space on commercial flights (as well as purely freight flights). Because of the massive reduction in the number of commercial flights, freight space is at a premium, and expensive.
Graham
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Hi Martin,
Glad to hear you had good service from Rapid; I work for them!
The lure of Chinese pricing is always strong, but from someone whose career has been indelibly linked to Chinese sourcing, there are obvious risks. Companies like Rapid (other companies do exist!) go a long way to removing the risk to the customer, but it also inevitably reduces the cost advantage.
I have some sympathy with Far Eastern factories and distributors at the moment; the global issues have slashed the freight options, and anti-transmission measures have slowed freight to a trickle.
I hope Rapid can continue to help!
Graham
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Lovely calm evening here in Suffolk yesterday. Got another flight with my 'return to modelling after 20 years' Aerobipe. 36" span modified from the SIG minibipe plan. Just enough power with 150W. It flies great!
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I have an Alley Cat in storage for when my returning thumbs get back up to speed. It's a brilliant model. Mine has an Irvine 20 in it and is 'tex covered. I used to use it from a field I had permission to use that was a couple of miles from my house. I could strap it across my back with a bungee chord and cycle to the field. I'd get in half a dozen flights and go back the same way. I'd then spend hours getting exhaust goo out of my hair etc...
Brilliant little model; handled a reasonable wind and surpassingly precise. One day I'll build the Street Cat...
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Hi Ian,
If I remember correctly (I built mine a lot of years back!), the interplant struts have 1/16" balsa facings that prevent them dropping into the slots, and are then simply trapped between the wings. It's dead simply and whilst it doesn't add much to the strength, it's 30 seconds to rig.
Graham
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Hi Kevin,
Believe so. I got a couple of batteries and props 2 weeks ago.
Graham
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This is my other "returning to modelling after 18 years" model. It's a variation on a SIG Aerobipe. 36" and modified for ailerons and electric power. A bit ambitious modifying and to power sources I had never used. And trying my first flight after so long on an untested design. Yep...
It ended after a short, uncontrolled, rearward CofG flight with a gentle-ish landing in a ditch. I have rebuilt the front end to increase the nose length, and gave it the apple cheeks. It weighs around 1lb10Oz, so should be a gentle lady unless provoked!
Again, sorry for the dreadful pictures. I er, 'modified' the camera on my phone by dropping it on the kitchen floor...
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Here's my 'return after 18 years off' model. It's a Wight Wizard by Keith Humber. Wing outline changed a little with larger tapered ailerons, and extended nose to balance with electric power. Battery hatch under the nose. Had 4 flights before lockdown, and came back alive! Sorry about the terrible picture...
The State of Play
in Traditional kits
Posted
I think Richard is spot on. There are many ways to skin the cat, and my current Tempest project could hardly be described as 'skill intensive'. It's looking like an aeroplane after just 2 days in the workshop, and it's going to end up looking pretty much like a Tempest. It's looking like being no more challenging than my Mk1 Acrowot to fly, if anything easier. And my total investment ready to fly is going to be around £200 with retracts; somewhat less with my training undercarriage.
I for one would take this route every day of the week over any 'pre made' option, be that foam or ARTF. I admit that I enjoy building, but there's not that much more to do with Richard's kits than there would be to fit out an ARTF. And I'm going to end up with something I am invested in.
Graham