Frank Latham

Oh but it must be MINE this time

Let my name go into the hat!

I would be surprised if I were to win, so SURPRISE me please!  ... er...did you know that  a Latham nearly beat Bleriot to be first to fly the Channel?  Has anyone got pix or plans of his machine?  Regards to all Frank Latham 

Please enter me!

Please count me in.

Sorry about the spell errors in the moan I made about Futaba pricing. I frequent several model shops and have made a point of moaning and of asking them to pass on m y moans to Futaba. I moan every time I go in! ciao 

Futaba receiver pricing. They are TOO expensive.  Futaba marketing ought to remembe the classic story of the early days of HiFi when the maker of THE  loudspeakers to have,  AR, kept their proces very low indeed. Asked why that was so the boss replied that he did not want to create a price umbrella for every other maker to crawl under. Bill Lyons of Jaguar did the same thing with pricing his cars in the 60s and 70s. The E type waqs half the price of the Merc and just as good. Jag had a 2 year order list that only vanished when greedy BMC took over and shoved the prices. If anyone balks at Futaba pricing as we seem to be doing then we may well buy another make. And If we do there will be no turing back because with 2.4 systems once you buy brand X you are locked in. Watch out Futaba, the bell is ringing. You had better make your entry level set really, really cheap or you'll lose a big continuing market share which could so easily be yours. 

Aha! I can see how the plot thickens... Thanks Timbo Frank 

Timbo, Have not found my club yet so I can't say. I'm assuming that the outputs are similar because the input to Flight Sims via the computer would take all? And all of those 3rd party Rx's that will take  info from all types of Tx's seem s to indicate that chances are good.   My concern was whether a different frequency might put a spanner in the works?? I'll try to ring Futaba and ask. ciao Frank 

What a pity that this lightning will only strike once!

Timbo, Thank you for that sweet relief. I shall get an umbelical cord along with my new 2.4 set.  regards Frank 

Dave. Thanks a lot for the info.  I shall wait till my Efly is built and meanwhile I'll find a club. The DMV website gives a list of clubs so I shall find one. My German is not so good but I think they will probably help as do clubs in the UK. All the numbers I called today were without reply so it may take a while. I would like my 2.4, when I get it,  controlled by an instructor"buddy" .It would be good news that a 35MHz can be linked to a 2.4. Do you know if this is possible? regards Frank 

A little onward lead the choosing hand to my poor name that I might win the draw where I am wont to hope for wonders which might be!

Dave, I read your post with great interest for I live in Germany. I am about to get a Futaba 2.4.  I have a Flair "Attila" 2stroke  four ch plane nearly ready to fly. And I want to make an electric park flyer. What are the regulations in Germany for RC flight? Can you fly in any open space or only on clubsites? How do you get good insurance? Etc., etc. regards Frank 

Thanks Eric. Now what do you do when a range test gives a less than "good" result? Can anything be done to improve the signal? aye!   Frank