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Frank Skilbeck

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Posts posted by Frank Skilbeck

  1. I have a 1/5 th scale T21 with scale spoilers, they are quite effective. 

     

    These have a servo on each spoiler with a simple linkage, they are top mounted and hinged with solartex (wing is covered in solartex). If you can put them on separate rx channels as it makes setting them up easier.

     

    I have an ASK11 motor glider with similar spoilers and they do make landing on our tight strip much easier. One thing to note is that I much prefer to have the spoilers on a proportional control, in my case the "throttle" stick.

     

     Years ago I had top mounted spoilers on a Chris Foss Hi Phase, these had a pull cord to pull them open and fridge magnets to keep them shut, single servo in the fus and when wings were plugged in it was a simple case of hooking the spoiler cord loops to a ball link on the servo arm, it worked very well.

     

  2. If you don't want to faff with extra ignition batteries and CDI unit then the Zenoah Magneto units are a good option, e.g. Zenoah G260PU 26cc, not the most powerful but good reliable engines.

     

    I acquired an old Kalt 23cc (Rebadged Zenoah) in a Christian Eagle biplane, hadn't been run for years, I changed the carb diaphrams and it runs great, still as noisy as a DLE though.

     

    Just engines do them https://www.justengines.co.uk/shop/petrol-two-strokes/zenoah-petrol-two-strokes/zenoah-g260pu-26cc-aero-engine/?v=79cba1185463

  3. Just building a 1/6th scale Aeronca C3, would be an ideal candidate for electrictrickery, but I'm sticking with plan A of the Vega 50T. Lots of electric models though too.

     

    Why can't the petrol engines be supplied with silencers, I refuse to call the standard item a silencer.

    • Like 1
  4. Yes, but the grid costs are more to do with connecting wind power to the grid, not charging electric vehicles. If anything as Vehicle to Grid is rolled out EVs will assist in balancing the grid, Octopus are currently trialling a scheme where they buy back electricity from your car and then recharge your car for free later, https://octopus.energy/power-pack/ But when we rolled out nuclear originally the power stations were all by the sea (for cooling water) and would have required distribution upgrades to connect them at the time.

     

    BTW regarding range, one of the car magazines tested the new X Power MG4 against a Seat Cupra petrol, the MG4 was 17% down on it's official range and the Cupra 20% below the official mpg.

  5. The DJI Minis, less than 200grams are full range, but obviously if they went behind somewhere and blocked the signal that would be different. If they hadn't programmed in a return to home it may have just auto landed.

  6. 18 hours ago, toto said:

    Hi Learner,

     

    Watched the BMFA video again as its been a while. It is pretty useful both from a flying ele,ent point of view and the pre and post flight checks. I'm a bit away from that yet but it is my ultimate target. I'll also need to swat up on the potential theoretical questions that could be asked. It's been a while since I've looked at that.

     

    A bit to go yet.

     

    Toto

    If you've done the BMFA online RCC test, then the questions on the day should only be about checking the model and club specific rules. 

  7. The blade holders are almost certainly not pushed on, if you remove the blade from the holder you'll probably see a screw on the inside that threads into the rod that goes across, see page 6 of this manual https://aligntrexhelis.com/images/manuals/Align/450/RH45E09AT.pdf

     

    Also do be careful flying the heli, they can very quickly get out of control, so make sure you aren't in a confined space and any spectators are well out of the way, 

  8. 38 minutes ago, martin collins 1 said:

     😅 I have plenty of ground running to do on the model before it goes airbourne so i can get a good idea if it is still useable or not. The charger has just finished, 1911 put in and showing 7.08 volts. 

    You might have got away with it, but do a discharge test at say 1 amp to check first, I did this with a 2s life and found under load it's voltage dropped dramatically.

    • Like 1
  9. 3 hours ago, Erfolg said:

    Unless society returns to whale hunting I expect that the oil industry will be about for some time. Particularly that much of society makes use of polymers for a whole range of products, ranging from clevis's for model aircraft, electrical insulation materials, and so on.

     

     

    Yep but around 75% of the crude produced is turned into petrol and diesel, another 10% kerosine (jet fuel) plus heavy fuel oils (Marine), so stopping burning the stuff will mean a lot less is needed to be produced. At the moment global oil production is around 93 million bbls per day, around 2780 million UK bbls per day.

  10. 16 minutes ago, Brian Cooper said:

    I am sure it doesn't pretend to save the planet, but it pumps out considerably less pollution than a power station which generates electricity,  and is far more convenient.  

     

    And yes, my old diesel car also did 60+mpg. . . Getting less from a gallon of fuel is what they call "progress". . 🙄  

     

    Ideally, we need cars which are powered by wind, rain, grey skies and moonlight... lol. 

    Diesel contains about 10kwh of energy per litre, Petrol less than 8.9 and even less with the added alcohol, plus a diesel engine is slightly more efficient. But at 55 mpg you petrol/electric is doing around 1.35 miles per kwh.

    • Like 1
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