Rob Cope

This year, trying out FPV in a small way - but without vertical-axis propellers Hubsan Spy Hawk so far   Edited By Rob Cope on 27/04/2014 11:48:11

Hi,   How many other 35MHz dinosaurs are there out there? Just bought a backup 35MHz 6-channel Futaba transmitter at bring-and-buy - in case of tragedy...  I am currently investigatng corona synthesized receivers.   Regards, Rob Edited By Rob Cope on 25/04/2014 12:51:57 Edited By Rob Cope on 25/04/2014 12:52:21

Tied down everything I _don't_ want to get rid of... ...near Southampton; fairly windy all day, but midnight-six are the critical hours here... Edited By Rob Cope on 27/10/2013 20:02:41

Thumbs man. Tried fingers and thumbs - great on flight sim where the TX can be held horizontal, but useless for vertical transmitter on site (35MHz) so thumbs it must be unless I want carpel tunnel syndrome, spondilitis, RSI, etc...  P.S. Mode 2; no tray; no beckstrap; Futaba/JR Edited By Rob Cope on 09/04/2012 20:42:10 Edited By Rob Cope on 09/04/2012 20:46:23 Edited By Rob Cope on 09/04/2012 20:46:48

High Street Shop: Best parts stock, advice and service to those who go in with a positive attitude = Mainly Planes & Trains, Chandlers FordEdited By Rob Cope on 16/12/2009 22:01:04

Two things... Most of (if not all of) the ARTF damage at our club has been from bad luck with conditions or plain mistakes.  This equally applies to all planes, not just ARTF.  However, following the discussions on undercarriage, I think ARTFs might have a higher survival rate if some of those plain-cut-ends were tapers.  This is especially true in undercarrienge mounting where the shock-loads should be dispersed across the fuselage/wing rather than concentrated into a point where the undercarriage bracing abrutply ends. ...agree about the Irvine Tutor 40 covering - going brittle after 18 months - also have you tried to repair it? Melts and browns at the touch of a low heat iron!  Be very wary, _very_ wary...

Hi David, Sorry to get to you so late.  I've heard there's a sliding diagonal arrangement using a splitpin/hinge or the like.  I think there's a note in a previous scale article.  It seems to be this one.  http://www.modelflying.co.uk/forums/postings.asp?th=10970  The biggest problem is the extreme forces needed for short acting control actuators.  The best way I can see to achieve this is to make a metal beam with two uneven length 90 degree bell-cranks, one at each end.  The very short acting arms are linked by tight joints and a very slopless link.  The bell-cranks would be mounted at 90 degrees to each other - end 1 with the axis along the wing - end 2 with the axis vertical.  It could all be built on a piece of ally angle with the joining link running allong the outside of the V corner.  End 1 is mounted at the hinge line with the long arm firmly fixed into the control surface using two wires (one near one far) to spread the load into the surface.  The beam is glued/screwed to a doubler along a wing rib - with suitable bracing.  End 2 has a short arm to drive end 1 and the long arm for servo power.  End 2 translates servo power from pushrods along the wing, like an ordinary bell-crank, into fore/aft high power short action.  The 90 degree twist in the joint between end 2 and end 1 allows end 1 to drive the control surface up and down.   Now all we need is for a manufacturer to start building various scales of these devices and few scale modellers would use anything else!  You can tell I haven't actually built one of these...  It is theory, but should work because all the high forces involved are retained within the metal structure of the device.  Regards, Rob Edited By Rob Cope on 15/09/2009 21:54:55 Edited By Rob Cope on 15/09/2009 22:08:44 Edited By Rob Cope on 15/09/2009 22:10:41

Hi,   Not that I'm a scale builder yet, but it seems we have:   Stand off and squint (not scale at all) Sport scale (design compromises) Stand off scale (colour, outline good) Semi-scale (very close to right shape, colour & patterns, some significant detail) Scale (right shape, colour, patterns, much detail - door handles, etc) F4C (bookworm detail)   Is that a good list to start with? ...and in the right order?   Regards, Rob Edited By Rob Cope on 15/05/2009 21:04:08 Edited By Rob Cope on 15/05/2009 21:04:45

Well, I believe there's a 4-engine Elec/Glow warbird coming up in the autumn, so that wouldn't be a good choice.  So,   o   Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer      It has such an amazing appearance      5 channels?   o   PBY Catalina, Glow, with retracts and retracting tip floats - 70"+      Classic      6/7 channels?   o   Howard Aero 500 Super Ventura        Sleek looks      4/5 channels    

Centre of gravity should be near centre of lift. Centre of lift as I have it is: 1/3 span (from centre-line) and 1/3 chord (from front) So, your COG should be near there, but as others have said, please, please, from bitter experience, head for COG 1/4 chord rather than 1/3 chord as a nose-heavy plane is user-friendly whereas a tail-heavy plane is a "nightmare on steroids". It just keeps "rolling off the top" - like a plane flying too slowly - it just can't keep stable. Regards, Rob

Terrence, Your "picture" prolly doesn't encourage contact from female modellers. Where is your group located geographically? It's OK us southerners agreeing to meet up, but if it's in the dales, that's a whole lot more difficult than Bristol, etc. No offence to Londoners, but their city is dirty, cramped and still full of traffic!!!!! Regards, Rob

If only...

North west of portsmouth... We start flying at 10:00 and at 9:00 all was well so a few of us headed down.  A couple of us managed to get in the air in time but as one was flying, the blustery day sprang up out of nowhere and he had a bumpy landing.  No-one else dared.  Then the rain came in dribs and drabs and we all went home.  Forecast for tomorrow is heavy rain followed by showers

Least, but not last

Wow! Peter, Now electric starts to make sense.  I've heard of kv which should be k/v and is often quoted as rpm/v but I now understand how that can actually be applied to a model. Thanks a million... my days of IC-only may well be numbered... Regards, Rob