Piers Bowlan

I guess it’s a case of horses for courses, I was just about to start a thread on how great this issue is! We are getting into the building season and as far as I was concerned there was plenty there to get the building juices flowing. I find Tony Nijhuis’s mini jets inspirational and in this months mag the complex shape of an F16 convincingly reproduced in a micro format. Not big enough? Get the photocopier out and enlarge to 130% for a 68mm fan version. I like simple quick-build models, Wingamagig and Pronto look like a lot of fun. Just take a look at the plans on Outerzone; minimal outlay in time and money representing maximum bang for your buck! Pronto could be great for a first time builder and a simple leccy conversion, if that is your preference. Wingamagig? Well, I am into flying wings so I may give this cutie a go. With it blowing a hoolie outside Al Foot’s depron autogyro could be just the ticket for a bit of indoor aviation! Try something different to get you out of your comfort zone, it won’t break the bank either. There was plenty there in the rest of the magazine so I despair if the only comment some people can make is that the paper is a bit thin! 🤣

£500 for a new mini in 1967 is equivalent to £11,200 today. It was a cheap, basic car with sliding windows, and initially no heater, radio, and a funny plastic cord you pulled to open the door from the inside! They were great, I had three old ones back in the 1970s. Today a new VW Up starts at £14,000 I believe, yes more expensive but just look at the spec. safety and comfort of modern cars. Sorry, a bit off topic.

I seal the paper with another coat of thinned PVA. Takes paint well. 😊

Corona DS929MG spec says 4.8v to 6v. Personally I wouldn’t run them on a five cell NiMh pack, even if it is old and down on capacity. Off the charger the voltage may still be in excess of 7v. They are not HV servos.

I have dozens of Corona servo, mostly DS339MG. Never had a duff one, centring good and powerful for their size. i had a case lug break off one once, following a severe crash but hardly surprising, I just glued the servo back in the model. In the past I have bought a couple of duff Hitec servos which were dead out of the box. One was a high-end one too. I just sent it back to the supplier for a replacement.

Incidentally, a notable omission from your vast collection of tools Toto, since you mentioned sanding, is a permagrit sanding block. Once you have used one you will wonder how you ever managed before! Not cheap but on my list of essential tools.

Another one to consider Sam if you fancy building something a bit bigger is Peter Miller’s ‘Little Miss Honky Tonk’. It has a 59inch span and a very low wing loading of under 16oz/squ ft. Peter’s original model was powered by an SC 52 four stroke. The Sarik short kit is £199 (also on offer) here. Peter’s build thread is here. As you can see, it has a parallel chord wing which makes it a little more straightforward to build. The recommended electric setup from 4Max is this motor turning an 12 x 6 prop on a 3300mAh, 4s LiPo. Incase you are tempted!

Done ✅

Thank you kc, that would be great, my old mags are not easily accessible just now. Thank you.

You are right kc it was your sharp eyes that spotted it, but like you I won’t count on this anomaly being corrected! Personally not being supplied with hardware like a fuel tank and engine mount ( for my electric model), wheels that are too small for my grass field and ‘rubbish’ control horns that I consign to the bin, is a plus. I would rather pay for good quality balsa than hardware in a kit that I will never use.

Sam on page 4 of the very long thread I linked to, there is a discussion about the LE length of some of the ribs being ‘wrong’! Despite this many models have been built from the plan without too much head scratching. It didn’t put me off at any rate, but I thought I would give you the heads up on it anyway, since you asked.

The build thread is here. Peter has designed over 200 model planes ( and one boat!), many of which have been published in RCM&E. Most of his designs are simple builds and all fly well. Many Oodalallys have been built and flown successfully, which was why I didn’t hesitate to press ‘buy’! I have the free plan that came in the RCM&E April 2013 edition, I think, but it is in storage at the mo as I have just moved house. I will get a new plan with the kit when it arrives from Sarik. They usually take about a week to ten days to deliver as they cut the kits to order. Hope that helps.

It might be worth considering Peter Miller’s Oodalally if you fancy a build. The kit set consists of the plan, cnc parts and additional wood pack to complete. It is available from Sarik Hobbies (currently £151 reduced from £178 ). There is free shipping too. I thought it good value so I just bought one as my Winter build. Peter’s prototype was for IC but mine will be an electric conversion.

‘They’ll be gone in a year’ a week is a long time in politics! 🤣

Thicker gauge wire would certainly stop the bending but wouldn’t the lack of give result in the existing wooden blocks being pulled out of the wing in the event of a heavy arrival? Presumably the oleos in the full sized are bolted to the main spar but when you don’t have a main spar in a foam wing, it is a dilemma.

This chap can sell you a copy of the Magnatilla Plan. It is a sharing site but he sells plans too.

I agree, it may depend on the type and density of the foam, type of wood veneer ( obeche or balsa) glue type and finish (film, glass/epoxy or paint). I have built a couple of models with brown paper/PVA covering reinforced with carbon fibre strips. Very strong, stiff and light but I don’t know how the weight would have compared with a fully built up structure. I would say the build time is comparable too. I think I will definitely build more wings like this in future. I like it.

Submitted my responce and email receipt from CAA received. I wasn't too sure what, 'it must be submitted 'by the 7th' meant. Is that midnight of the 6th or the 7th? Bit academic now! Night night.

David, I see the Keith Humber Tri Pacer plan is still available from Sarik Hobbies (£21), I am sure they will post it to you. https://www.sarikhobbies.com/product/piper-tripacer/

That is a great incentive, the PSSA similarly have their mass build gathering on the Great Orme during the Summer. Once Richards’s prototype model have flown there should be quality videos posted on the forum of them flying as does Richard Harris with his autogyro builds prior to the plan appearing in RCM&E. Likewise a mass build 2024 article in the Mag would be good for those who don’t frequent the forum.

I have never met anyone who has shelled out £500 for a foamy warbird but I would suggest that no matter how cheap, in the main, they would be unlikely to buy, build and finish a kit. If they have money to burn they will just go out and spend another £500 on their next ARTF foamy when the last one gets battered or destroyed. Just my view.

Meanwhile… back to the OT. Earlier in the thread Richard said £90 for a kit could be too much for a newbie (to paraphrase). I presume ‘newbie’ as in new to building, not new to the hobby. A FW190 in the hands of a tyro pilot will not last very long I suggest. As others have said, there are loads of dyed in the wool builders on this forum, so why lose sleep over how many newbies these kits will attract? There just has to be a reason for mass participation. What better motivation would be the ’RCM&E 2024 WR Mass Build’. These mass builds have attracted a lot of participation in the past. The PSSA A4 Skyhawk mass build sold over 70 Sarik Hobbies kits apparently. Forum members could encourage participation by their MFC, as Ron and others have suggested - mass builds within the RCM&E mass build. The multiple build threads on this forum would encourage others to join in. A thread on covering techniques perhaps. Someone would inevitably try and put an IC engine in one even though they are designed for electric, just to be different. It all adds to the fun. All this hinges on a couple of kit designs being available for delivery late December (many people have spare time available over the Christmas period. The idea is to finish the model in 2024, you don’t have to wait until 1st January to start it! Can a couple of kits be developed in that time frame? Over to you Richard.

I have found a foam hot-wire cut wing whether EPS, EPO, EPP or whatever, if reinforced with thin carbon fibre strips let in, is immensely strong. Especially if the wing is then brown paper/PVA covered. Light too 💕. I havn’t found using large pieces of carbon necessary, for my applications at least. Keep it simple:- foam + carbon + brown paper/PVA 😃

I think Richard’s comment was a bit tongue in cheek David so don’t take it personally. We all finish our models as best we can whether scale or not, taking into account time constraints. As long as we are happy with it, it is all that matters.

I have a feeling it is dissolved by dope or acetone. When glassing, epoxy resin/glass is OK but polyester resin/glass will dissolve it. I use brown paper and thinned PVA but add thin carbon fibre strips let into the foam as spars. The brown paper shrinks slightly as it dries providing a good surface finish for painting. I cover both sides ( top and bottom) in one session to avoid warping.