Colin Leighfield

Den, you clearly enjoy a challenge! I have absolute confidence in you! Charles, on the later engines there is a plastic moulding fitted behind the prop that takes the drive from the starter spring. It's probably available as a spare. If you really want to get your fingers rapped, you should try some of my small diesels.

Last time I saw a Snipe like that with a Babe Bee up front was my own, 48 years ago! That's a later engine with the slit type exhaust ports. Replacement cylinder heads are easily available. My original motors haven't run for 20 years but the heads are still ok, I've got as far as cleaning them up so as soon as I get a free day, I'll get them going. Interested in your comment about the VMar Apache! As I mentioned, it will be a good idea to check all of the glue joints as far as you can before you commit to the air. However, you can't go wrong with the OS motor, definitely worth having. I've never seen a Deagostini Spitfire in action, that's another interesting one. Some people must have spent a fortune putting those together, so it looks as if you've got another bargain!

I've just realised that I took the name of Ripmax in vain when I criticised them over my poor experience with Vmar. (VMar)?. It was of course MacGregor who were the distributers and it was their "didn't want to know" attitude that I found so offensive. So my apologies to Ripmax. The Mighty Barnstormer? Now you're talking!

It's dead easy Wolston, almost,certainly worth the trouble!

I don't know if Vmar have upped their game in recent years, quality used to be abysmal. I bought a VMar CAP232 Miss Oskosh because it looked good and seemed to be value for money. First landing on our runway the u/c ripped out, went under the plane and up through the wing. Although taken aback, I thought it was repairable, but it wasn't. The wood wasn't balsa, it was some very hard brittle material that simply split and splintered if you tried to do anything. Never seen anything like it before or since. I spoke to Ripmax about it and got a snotty response, so I binned it and thought you don't get any more of my business. Later I found that a friend in Bristol had bought one. On the first flight half of the tailplane came off and it went in. He wasn't happy. Perhaps they've improved things by now, they must have or they wouldn't be selling anything. What you've got is a safe trainer layout, so it should be ok, but have a good look as far as you can at all of the glue joints etc. before you commit to the heavens. Good luck!

That looks really neat Wolston, success is guaranteed! The leading edge issue isn't desperate and if your panels are reasonably firm, perhaps the l/e stock won't make much difference! The carbon fibre tube I used is 5mm. diameter and 4 or 4.5 mm. i/d. Another way (cheaper) is to use some spruce strip 4 or 5mm. which easily sands to shape when inset. That works well. The carbon fibre tube is pricey but very light as well as tough and gives a good entry profile, also I just happened to have it left over from a previous project! I must get mine finished asap because it's been a diversion from half a dozen other un-finished projects, so I'm determined this year to change my ways and finish them one at a time, then get some flying practice in! This mass build is a good idea though and I'm really looking forward to meeting other similarly afflicted pilgrims (anoraks)?! at Greenacres in June.

It might be able to get off the deck on a smooth surface, although perhaps you need to add a small steerable tailwheel to keep it straight for long enough to do it successfully. Clearly though, hand launching will be a doddle!

I've bought a throttle unit to convert an existing motor and a new diesel conversion .049 with the throttle fitted, it's excellent stuff. Additionally I've bought new barrels and piston/con-rod sets to renovate my old motors. All of the parts are interchangeable. I reckon you're on track with the Snipe. You probably won't need much control movement and the cg perhaps a tad forward of the plan position. Looking good.

Hi Den. Good stuff, looks as if I'll be copying your very neat example. I looked at the website you included, they're agents for Cox International, so that's all genuine stuff straight from the company in Canada. They do the separate tanks as well.

I'm watching as well, I've followed the thread all the way through. My build is now well advanced although I'm guilty of not having gone to the trouble of posting any photos, sorry! Keep going Wolston, you're setting a fine example! Wolston, I think it is worth reinforcing the leading edges, the soft wood will be vulnerable to "ding" damage and a harder material insert will help. I've used carbon fibre tube, which does the job very well. I've got the servos in and connected and everything is working. Not much detail to finish off before I cover it. Apart from the leading edge modification, I've stuck to Nigel's thinking and put the receiver and servos in the rear fuselage. I decided to front mount the 1250Kv motor. I'm arranging for air to pass all the way through the fuselage and vent towards the rear. I notice you went for belt and braces with the three piece wing and extended the dihedral braces, no harm in that. I think though that with a solid wing like this, lengthening them won't make much difference. A built up unsheeted wing is a different kettle of fish because all of the bending moments are concentrated at the leading and trailing edges and main spar. In that case the dihedral braces carry a significant load. However with a solid wing the load is distributed evenly through the whole area and the most important thing is the quality of the glue bond at the dihedral breaks. I don't think that you need to worry about twisting, it's not going to be an issue with this design. My thoughts on covering and finishing have varied, but I think I'm sticking to my original plan and will use sanding sealer, dope and tissue, followed by paint. I'm not going for the black finish, attractive though it is, because the thought of being in the air with others looking exactly the same frightens me to death! Hopefully I'm only two or three weeks away from first flight. Probably my main concern will be avoiding writing it off before Greenacres in June!

Well done Den, I think you've got the all round most suitable option for the Snipe, although clearly there are plenty of alternatives, particularly if you're into diesels! If the motor you've got is the usual reed valve Babe Bee or Golden Bee, they're similar except that the Golden Bee has a bit more power, (the Babe Bee has got quite enough though) and a bigger tank. If you wanted to connect up to a separate tank, as I've done before, all you need to do is drill a hole in the tank and feed the tube through, connecting it to the carburetter nipple in the usual way. Depends on what you want, you'll probably get two minutes plus out of the Babe Bee, three minutes plus out of the Golden Bee and loads of gliding time on top. Connect to a bigger tank and the world's your oyster! Bear in mind that you'll want a fuel with some nitro in it though, even up to 30%, but the amount you'll use means it's hardly an issue, buy it in the small cans. Congratulations on your other acquisitions, perhaps we'll hear from you again in the next five years or so!

Essjay could be right, the Lysander is certainly distinctive! The Beaver doesn't have spats. There are very few candidates to fit this description. Stinson Reliant might do it, but it's not that big and are there any around?

I have to admit that the hot ruler idea is a new one for me.

Keep going Martin, you're doing a great job. It is a shame that we're not seeing all of your pictures, very frustrating for you.

Hope you don't mind me following you blokes, this is fascinating. I remember going to the National aerobatic championships in 1962, my last year at school, at Wellesbourne, which was then an active RAF base. The models competing included one Smog Hog, which was already then "old hat", which crashed and was written off, a few Astro Hogs and a number of Orions, which were the latest thing and as I recall one of them won. Radio gear was all Orbit reed, I think. Can't recall if there was a dominant engine, although they were predominantly 60/61 except for the poor old Smog Hog, which had a 40 I think. (Can't imagine why I remember that)! In the following year or two I seem to remember that the Orion then was eclipsed by the Taurus, which reigned supreme for a while. My flying has never reached the standard for me to be a competent aerobatic pilot, but the models always interested me. As I mentioned to Bob a few days ago, I've got the plans for the Mustfire and the Veron Concord, my "to-do" list is already too long, but I've always liked the Mustfire.

Why not? I'm in.

I like the photos Myron. How often do yoy fly the chickens? Particularly I like the photo of your Spitfire project with the strategically placed pint of beer. You've definitely got your priorities sorted out!

I got the KK Cadet (large Cub) from Replikit a couple of years ago and built it. It flies a treat and is a good replacement for the one I built in 1957 when I was 11, but my little brother jumped on and smashed before I had the chance to fly it. (I'll get him back one day, I've already sabotaged his Zimmer Frame).

Den. See my earlier post today at 11.37.02, all you need to know about buying Cox .049s and spares for them brand new. You should look at the latest Aeromodeller mag, it tells you all about Cox International and the Snipe is in there too. You don't use a glow starter on these engines. The glow element is an integral part of the head,which can be easily unscrewed and replaced. (Though I've never had to). It works off 1.5 volts, not 2. You use conventional dry batteries. Cox supply a plastic battery holder which carries 4 batteries in parallel which give you a lot of starts. The glow clip is a simple piece of kit which they supply as well.None of it is expensive and their online ordering service is excellent, I'd recommend them.

Chris, I sympathise mate. Doesn't look as if you'll be doing the LDS short kit for the MB5 then!

I had good experience with Replikit, I assume this will be the same. My only comment beyond that is that the prices seem to be higher, but I can't blame them for that. It's a risky business and they have to make a living. At least we can buy these things again.

Well done Reno Racer, problem solved! David, you can get the plan, wood and parts for the Tony Nihaus Hawker Typhoon (62"? from My Hobby Store.

Hi again Den. I think that's wise. The Snipe was designed for the KeilKraft Cobra, which was a crib off the Cox .049 and similarly very light. I don't think that the Snipe needs to be over- powered, but apart from that you'd probably finish up putting weight in the tail to get the cg right. I remember going down that route with a Frog Nimrod and it made it virtually unflyable. Personally, I don't think you can beat the Cox .049 for this, they're dead easy to start and go on for ever.

kc, that rings a bell. It wouldn't be hard to get wings, tailplane and fin made up from foam, they're all straight edged. Fuselage wouldn't be difficult either, it's all straight lines as well, except for the belly air intake. I've got a small electric motor contra-prop set up that would fly something about 40", I was thinking of a Fairey Gannet as a one piece hand launcher to chuck in the back of the car. Maybe I should do an MB5!

Den, an .06 (1cc)? might be a bit poky (and heavy)?for the Snipe, it's fine on a .5 or .75 diesel, or a reed valve Cox .049. Good luck anyway. Another good engine would be the MP Jet 0.6cc diesel, it's a beauty, although I don't know if a throttle is available for it.