Futura57

If only there was some way to get an IP address

How hard can it be 😉

Coming together... 9

I was going to encourage you to design one of your own 🤔

When going through more old photos I found at my late mum's house, I came across another of me from around 1976/7, aged 15/16. There's my Graupner Burda Piper, OS60 powered. The Mustang was given to me, but I have no idea of the manufacturer. Anyone know? I never did have an engine big enough and it got accidentally damaged before I had a chance to knock it into shape, so I never did fly it. Shame.

You're in a tough place Matty. I'm going to say it : get some professional help because you don't want to spiral into depression. A couple of my mates suffered and it's a time when you should accept help from close friends and family. Don't be too proud. Also, make sure you claim every government benefit you are entitled to. Charities can be very helpful in this respect. Again, don't be too proud. My wife had a knee operation the day before the very first covid lock down. Consequently she was unable to get follow up physiotherapy for nearly a year. She seemed to be recovering normally for about a month, but then she plateaued and then things got worse. It transpired (after years of hospital appointments and tests) the trauma of the operation had triggered off a latent neurological condition in her which will gradually degenerate over her lifetime and there is no cure. I won't bore you with the details, but she very soon had to give up work, despite me driving her there and back every day for months. She was in constant pain and on much medication. To this day she can hardly walk 10 yards with a stick and uses a zimmer frame at home. There are grab rails around the house and occupational health installed railings along our garden path. All at no cost to us. She has a wheel chair and an electric scooter for when we go out. We are fortunate enough we can afford to both retire. I am her full time carer. She gets the standard government PIP benefit and I also claim carers allowance. Out of pride amd vanity she has fought me every step of the way, refusing to take 'handouts' and hovering on the edge of depression at times. I've had to be strong and we have got through the worst of it. She used to love walking and running, but now spends more quality time enjoying her hobbies of sewing and jigsaw puzzles. Two recent grandchildren have elevated her (our) spirits. We haven't had a holiday for 7 years. It can be tough, but you can get through it Matty. My best wishes to you. John

As a beginner it's usually best to find a local club and see what trainer aircraft they use or recommend. Likewise with the brand of radio equipment. Your best chance of success is to join a club because you will need help learning to fly safely and operating your radio gear. These days going electric is popular, but requires investment in batteries and a suitable charger. Some like the prospect of a little 2 or 4 stroke glow motor. Starting and operating these internal combustion engines is a whole topic in itself. It depends on how sensitive your intended flying site is to noise. The biggest mistake I see with beginners is trying to run before they can walk. Generally avoid spitfires and elaborate scale models and go for a rugged high wing trainer. Learn the skill of flying, because there will be bumps and bangs along the way. Going it alone is possible, but not easy.

Every cloud... I never was entirely happy with the battery tray. Initially the plan was for underside battery access, then this changed to top access, which i will retain going forward. The 6mm foam battery box was not my best idea and it was a tight fit for only one of my Lipo sizes. So now I've constructed a 2mm lite ply box with cooling holes. A planned small nose intake/scoop and some fan suction through the fuselage will cool the battery and ESC. This new ply battery box will also be more structural, fixing between the front wings and supporting the very front fuselage former around which new foam front fuselage sides will be attached. It's also bigger to accommodate a wider range of 4S Lipo sizes.

Ah! Gluing on the canopy. Something I mostly dread. Good luck and chocks away 😁

Wow, Keil Kraft, I built many KK models in the 1970s. As a teenager I was lucky enough to earn good money helping my dad cut lawns most Saturdays and some Sundays in order to finance my hobby. I have a couple of copies of the KK handbook lying around still, but I can't lay my hands on them right now. If memory serves it also included Mercury models and possibly some others. These are some of the models I built off the top of my head... Rubber Ajax, Nieuport, SE5A, some EZ builds Gliders Soarer Baby, Chief, Topper x 2, Elmira Contro line Phantom x 2, Joker, Radian, Skystreak, Demon, Marquis, Spectre, Picador, Crusader Radio Control Student About 18 months ago I built another Student from plan as a nostalgia trip. It was my first aileron trainer. I fly it regularly. I've been very fortunate over the years thanks to help and encouragement from my dad.

Thanks for the suggestion Jon. I think that's for slow vintage models. Me and officialdom don't mix too well. I spent my career challenging convention and banging my head against walls. I would rather spend my time more productively 😉 I did contact the organisers of Popham and the Southern Model Airshow about registering as a pilot, but with no response. I consider it to be their loss 🤣

I had a serious setback today during the final construction of my Strange Quark. It was all covered in brown paper, nearly ready to paint. All I had to do was cut the front part of the canopy away from the fuselage for access to the Lipo and radio gear. Knowing full well there was still a Lipo in situ, but low down in the fuselage, I proceeded to make an angled cut either side to create a bevelled seating for the canopy hatch. Trouble is I cut way too deep. Duh! I realised this very quickly when there was a hissing sound and white smoke started billowing out of the cut I had just made. Expecting the Lipo and the front of the model to burst into flames any second, I rushed it into the garden and squirted the water hose into the cut in the hope of cooling things sufficiently to prevent a full blown fire. Luckily I succeeded. After about 5 minutes and a lot more water and smoke, of which I got a lung or two, things settled down. The brown paper covering went all saggy, but I managed to separate the canopy hatch as intended. You can see from the pictures that the front of the fuselage has sustained a fair bit of damage. Much of the foam has melted and the Lipo is, of course, toast. The EDF unit is well back and I'm sure is ok. The servos look ok too. However, I'm not sure about the speed controller. No receiver was installed. When it all dries out I shall remove the electrics and take a good look. I will then have to decide how I'm going to rebuild the front of the model. This has set me back a week or two. DARN IT!!!

Just the other fuselage side to cover in brown paper, then it's ready to paint.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maneuvering_Characteristics_Augmentation_System