Martin Johnson

I ordered two Lipo batteries, a 10S 5000 mah and 4S 2200 mah The package from the UK warehouse contained the 10S only. I suggested that a check of the UK warehouse inventory would confirm whether the 4S battery had been sent or not. I also met the HobbyKink return requirements.   After weeks of argument HobbyKing assured me that they were investigating the shortfall but that it would take some considerable time. I therefore entered a Paypal dispute with them. I never received satisfaction from HobbyKing but to their credit Paypal reimbursed me with the cost of the battery. I will continue to buy only batteries from HK because they are cheap and I have had no performance problems with them. However I will pay by credit card as Paypal is an agent so there is no redress, even though in this case they were very helpful. Edited By Martin Johnson on 28/07/2015 12:47:29

I have just bought a Freewing ME 262 from HEPF Modellbau in Austria. The firm e mailed me when it arrived in stock last Monday the 17th and it arrived today( the 21st). It cost £307.54 on my credit card with free postage to the UK. I believe that it is offered at about £359.00 here so I'm happy with both the service and the saving     Edited By Martin Johnson on 21/11/2014 16:55:35

May I add my thanks and appreciation of the effort put into this meet by the Greenacres organisation. They really are a helpful welcoming crew and made my first ever visit quite memorable. As a bonus I thoroughly enjoyed meeting the RCME stalwarts. including Nigel Hawes. I will be back next year - but with more than one model.

I hope that Tony has incorporated a correct upper engine cowling shape into his design. It's always puzzled me that Tamya have the contours spot on in their 1/48th P51B and D plastic Kits whereas FMS, Top Flite and Flying Styro have got it wrong. Many years ago Dave Platt got it right with his 80 inch span P1s which offered A,B and D versions.

The only problem I have had has been the u/c mounting. It is flimsy and my ex RAF airframe fitter friend is unimpressed. I have now fitted a reinforced birch ply plate which has solved the problem

My engine is in a Seagull 300S and like Simon I have had great support from Just Engines. They replaced a faulty plug connector immediately and give very helpful advice over the 'phone. Its essential that you bench run the motor for 4 hours. Idle is now reliable with immediate transition to full power. Brian Winch's start technique works every time. Give the engine a quick burst of electric starter on full choke until it briefly fires. Then start with the choke closed and warm up for about a minute before flying. Fuel economy is of course outstanding. Unfortunately the Seagull u/c mounting is poor and has been replaced with a large ply plate to cope with the additional weight. Overall this is a good motor for large models. I will stick with electric power for smaller models.

Seagull Edge 540   After reading the review of the Edge 540,  I bought one from SMC and converted it to electric.  On a Hyperion '42 ' series outrunner and 5S lipo it flies very well.  However a slightly firm landing tore the u/c mounting plate out of the fuselage.  I was surprised to find that Seagull with their excellent reputation had used inferior ply in the plate's construction.  Luckily it did not take long to fit a marine ply substitute and the a/c flew 6 trips yesterday with no problems.  Obviously the weight of the Lipo compared to the fuel tank was a factor so be warned.

Dear John,  Are you referring to the F-4(FBW), F-4 PACT and the F-4 CCV?  If so please send  your e mail address to [email protected] and I will send you a scanned extract from 'Phantom Spirit in the Skies by Jon Lake.   It show  s a side and plan view plus 2 photos of the F-4 CCV derived from the F4E prototype.  If that doesn't work we can always revert to snail mail!  Regards  Martin Johnson (Ex F4  driver).

Posting pictures  Thank you Kelvin.  I'm battling with it!

Am back from skiing and will resume the build.  I'd be most grateful if somebody would tell this almost computer illiterate how to post the camouflage 3 view that I've found.

David,  Thank you for the amendment.   I am off skiing at the end of next week but will try to tackle the camouflage scheme and post photos before then.  I'v been advised that a heat gun will lift the upper layer of profilm and that their paint is a good match.  Will also try to scan and post an accurate colour three view.

My apologies for the garbled thread.  Is there any way we can amend our posts having seen the 'horlicks' Ive just made of this one?

Has anyone started to assemble this kit yet?  Apart from the incorrect camouflage scheme, 'sport tailwheel' and bone dome clad pilot it seems pretty accurate.  I'm putting an RCV 130 CD in mine Has anyone started assembling this kit yet? Apart from the incorrect camouflage scheme, 'sport tailwheel' and bone dome clad pilot, it seems pretty accurate.  Build quality also seems well up to Seagull's standards.  I'm putting an RCV 130 CD in mine and will use profilm paints to modify the camouflage pattern.  I'm surprised that Seagull chose this paint scheme.  It's Vichy France markings worn by North African based aircraft fighting against the Allies.  A 1940 Battle of France scheme might have been more popular.Edited By David Ashby - RCME Administrator on 29/11/2009 14:04:09

Posted by Biggles' Elder Brother on 26/11/2009 18:09:52:.  You might like to read 'No Parachute' by Arthur Gould Lee where he describes his combat experiences flying Sopwith Pups against Albatros D IIIs on the Western Front.   Although armed with one Vickers against the Germans' twin Spandaus they were more than able to hold their own at high altitude.  The Pup stayed in service for far too long after obsolescence and Lee's squadron (no 46) greeted re-equipment with Camels with a sigh of relief.   The photo is of a Pup cockpit during WW1. As far as I know (I am happy to be corrected on this!) whilst Pups certainly were used as trainers after the war, they were not during the actual conflict itself - except perhaps some minor use in "combat update training" as described in James McCullough's (C de G, MC and bar, VC) book "Flying Fury". So, if that's true then the picture shows an operational WW1 cockpit as far as we know, and the fact is it is stained and some what "lived-in"!   One thing that might explain it. Whilst it is certainly true that in the earlier days of the war all the pilots were "gentlemen" and the ground crews would "know their place" and exhibit due care and deference over Mr So-and-so's airplane. Later in the war - especially mid to late 1918 - there is much evidence to show a state of complete exhaustion among both pilots and ground crew on both sides. Consider the large number of "aces" who had sucessfully survived from say 1915 only to be either shot down or killed in crashes following mechanical failure (caused by a lack of due dillegence on behalf of ground crews?) in the period April to Oct 1918. This might account for a fall in standards? Its possible.   BEB   Edited By Biggles' Elder Brother on 26/11/2009 18:11:40  

After a long delay and distractions my Typhoon has flown and is delightful.  I made a few modifications which included: A foam pilot,ejection seat and Hud.   Horizontal fuselage strakes beneath the cockpit.   Stronger cockpit canopy magnets.   Drop tank undersurfaces reinforced with glass cloth and the tanks attached to the wings with carbon fibre rod (3 per pylon)   Prominent wing joints filled and resprayed as was the cockpit canopy.   The instructions on control settings were a little confusing but  mean that the elevon trailing edges must be 10mm above the wing T/E (positive reflex). I set the recommended control throws and exponential, and took time to get the C of G spot on. Some club members thought that the control throws were too large.   The first flight was an anti climax.  From a brisk hand launch in a 5kt headwind  the model climbed away with only minor trimming required.  Control response was crisp and speed realistic.  After 3 minutes I was happy to fly large radius loops, reverse cubans and aileron rolls.    Approaches at high alpha were slow and controllable and the reinforced drop tanks coped well with the first and subsequent landings.    This is my first ducted fan model and a great introduction.  The only down side is the foam surfaces which mark easily.  My next Typhoon will be rubbed down (to get rid of the moulding pips) and glassed with light weight cloth and polycrylic.  Now for the Lander F9F Panther!   Edited By Martin Johnson on 14/08/2009 17:48:30