Mike T

Denis, that link is to a thread concerning the 3rd party liability cover under your home policy, which section now routinely excludes cover where you own*or operate a drone, model aircraft etc. This is not a problem where you have BMFA/FPV-UK/LMA insurance, which covers that risk. What I'm highlighting is that policies now routinely exclude your aircraft and accessories (e.g. your Tx) from cover under your contents policy. So if you get burgled and you have a yacht and a plane nicked, your yacht is covered, your plane is not. That Spektrum DX8 you've got? If you sail model boats and it gets nicked, you're covered. The exact same tranny, when used to fly your model aircraft - maybe not... *I can understand the exclusion while operating a model, but I'm struggling to see in what circumstances a 3PL claim could be refused merely because I owned one?

Posted by Steve Dunne on 07/12/2018 20:13:43: I have been insured by Privilege Home Insurance for several years - very competitive premiums. I have just re-read the legalese and found: Your personal possessions aren’t covered for...   We   don’t pay for loss of or damage to: • ... model aircraft or drones while they are being used .... •... This is a resonable exception - they don't insure model aircraft while they are being used. There is also an exception in the personal liability section for damage caused by owning, keeping or using drones or model aircraft. Quite reasonable.   The model aircraft themselves are insured against normal accident, fire, theft etc. while they are in the building, or hidden in a locked vehicle.   Steve. I agree about the personal liability element - perfectly reasonable to exclude as we have this cover through the BMFA (or others...). However, I re-read my policy booklet ('platinum' ) yet again and can find no such reference to 'model aircraft'. So I spoke to the insurers who confirmed that under their definitions, if my hobby was sailing model boats, I'd be laughing, but as an aeroplane flyer, I'm out! Seriously guys - CHECK YOUR POLICIES - and if yours has the cover I'm looking for, please flag it up here. Meanwhile, I'm going to call Walker Midgeley...   PS - Helpful guy at W-M is emailing me a proposal form, but it seems the insurance is for specific listed items... Edited By Mike T on 13/12/2018 16:48:42

Posted by BackinBlack on 06/12/2018 16:12:09: My current policy with Direct Line doesn't appear to exclude model aircraft, extract from Policy: Your personal possessions are covered for ✔ Accidental loss and damage We will pay for accidental loss of or damage to: • your personal possessions • any other items listed on your schedule under ‘Personal possessions’ while they are within the British Isles. This includes cover for: • possessions stolen from your unattended vehicle, but only if the vehicle is locked and your possessions are hidden from view in a closed glove compartment or locked boot. • loss or damage to bicycle tyres and accessories, but only if the bicycle is lost or damaged at the same time. • the theft of an unattended bicycle, but only if it is in a locked building or secured with a bike lock to an immovable object. Your personal possessions aren’t covered for ✘ We don’t pay for loss of or damage to: • business equipment • vehicles • watercraft propelled by hand (such as a surfboard or rowing boat) • sports equipment while it is in use • camping equipment while it is set up or in use • items taken by Customs or other officials • any bicycle while it is being used for organised racing, pace-making or trials • Money. You may have cover under Section 3B Money. ✘ We also don’t pay for loss or damage: • for theft involving deception • by any paying guest or tenant • covered under Section 2A. Best to check directly with them. Check page 38 of DL's policy for a definition of Vehicles: Any vehicle or toy propelled by a motor of any kind, caravans, trailers, hovercraft, aircraft, watercraft, land yacht, wind powered or assisted vehicles, as well as any of their keys, key-fobs, parts and accessories (except for removable entertainment or navigation equipment while it is removed from the vehicle) ✘ But not the following while being used for their intended purpose and by a person for whom they were designed: • ride-on lawnmowers • electrically powered wheelchairs and mobility scooters • electrically powered children’s ride on toys • electrically assisted bicycles • pedestrian controlled electrically powered golf trolleys • model watercraft • hand-propelled watercraft (such as a surfboard or rowing boat).

I'll take a look at DL's policy wording. Beware though, the exclusion may pop up under another section - mine excluded models under the umbrella of 'vehicles'. If you saw vehicles under the Contents exclusions, you might not think it referred to model aircraft as well, but in my case it did! Annoyingly, 'model watercraft' were excluded from the exclusion (if you see what I mean). So a model boat in my garage is covered, but a model aircraft is not. Barking...

I'm in the process of getting quotes to renew. I found a great policy (Policy Expert) which covers everything you can think of - yet specifically excludes model aircraft from "contents" or even the All risks" cover. I tried speaking to them to clarify that they were to be insured just as possessions, not for their use, but they wouldn't budge. So I tried another couple of outfits (Legal & General; esure) - same exclusions. Then I checked my existing policy (Privilege), which I thought was OK, until I got to the bit about excluding vehicles - which included motor powered toys and - "model aircraft and drones". So it seems impossible to get cover for our 'toys' while they are in the home. Does anyone know of insurers who will provide this cover? It's a bit worrying - I suggest you all check the small print in your own policies...

I used a budget 600mm kitchen drawer base unit as the support for my bench. It is topped with 18mm MDF and has 'wings' at both ends mounted on heavy-duty folding brackets (quite cheap from Wickes). It's stiffened up with some 2x4 in the base and has two casters at the rear and folding handles at the front to assist moving it around. An old server power supply rail is screwed on the back to provide power to the island. My building board (a slab of kitchen work surface topped with Sundeala) sits on the top and is itself covered with three A2 cutting mats, which fit nicely. The drawer is really handy as it means all my regularly used hand tools are stored right in front of me. I'll post pics if anyone is interested. I wanted to incorporate a height adjustable work surface, but was unable to find any hardware suitable for the job. Frustratingly, the 'how to' part of Joe Marrone's bench doesn't seem to be available...

The suspense is killing me...

If the widespread adoption of electric vehicles leads ultimately to the caravan's demise, then millions will look upon that as an unintended benefit...

I don't usually do repeats but in the W4f-e's case, I'm on my fourth. The other 3 were lost to radio problems or excessive "exuberance"... All were assembled and flown out of the box - I didn't pay any attention to the CG as I was using the recommended battery size (3s 2200) and all the other gear was 'in situ'. All were slightly nose heavy requiring a little up trim - my latest more so as it has been 'up-gunned' with a 3542/1250 motor and 60A ESC. This required a little more up trim for it to fly S&L hands off. I've never had any pitch divergence issues. My tails have not been floppy, but they were/are all 'flexible'. The reinforcing spar does its job and the retaining screw must be well tightened. All used full-size JR (35) or FrSky receivers, which fitted snugly in the space provided. A more versatile model I've never had and I suspect its sales indicate many others think the same. That's not to excuse any failure to amend critical information, BTW, it's just that I never found it to be an issue. As usual, YMMV...

Speaking from my experience doing similar repairs to Wot4 foam-e's, I'd just use the original steel screws, self-tapped into the u/c plate (cyano re-inforced threads). However, tapping the plate 4 or 5mm for nylon bolts would be just as good. What I find now is that heavier landings tend to result in bent (or broken) wheel axles, rather than damage to the mounting in the fus.

Nigel - the good thing about working with foam is that with a new blade, you can cut chunks out then put them back in virtually invisibly and with no loss of strength. An alternative would be to cut a slot tight alongside the plates and to push some 1/16 ply in to this, then hit it with the thin cyano...

I may be wrong, but I suspect this has been prompted by Manny Williamson's comments in the August BMFA News ('Chacksfield Chat' ) re problems with FrSky rxs used with Futaba txs. A system upgrade to the latter led to problems with the former. FrSky make a range of rxs which are designed specifically to work with the Futaba FAAST 2.4Ghz protocol... All Manny is suggesting is that people be aware of potential min 'n match issues and to test thoroughly to root out any problems. As a general rule, if kit is tested and it works, then it works. If it subsequently develops a fault, then it's usually specific to the kit and not a generic problem. I use FrSky transmit modules and matching rxs, so as far as I'm concerned, I'm using the same manufacturer's tx and rx (although said tx is plugged into a programming and control interfaces made by Futaba and JR...)   Edited By Mike T on 17/09/2018 18:49:14

It looks to me as if all your problems stem from inadequate gluing of the plate that actually carries the u/c. If it had been properly glued at the factory, it'd probably just have flipped over on its back... The easiest solution would be to ignore* the broken forward-projecting plate embedded in the fus. Cut out the remnant of the plastic mount on the other side then make up a new u/c plate from 1/4 liteply, with 1/8 hard ply tongues projecting down from it - one into the vacant pocket with the broken plate, the other going down alongside the remaining plate You'll have to excavate a slot for this). Both tongues to be packet out with balsa or lite ply shaped to fill the pockets. I'd use epoxy to put it all together, though you can use ordinary cyano on this foam. Recover the foam from the plastic u/c plate to reinstate the fus. side. Paint white, screw in your u/c (reinforce the holes with cyano) and your done. (*If you do all the above, then cut away the fus side with a sharp blade to access the 'old' and new plates where they abut each other, you could glue in a ply plate to bridge them. Cyano the fuse side back in (after the inner surface has been relieved to allow for the ply plate) A picture would paint a thousand words; unfortunately, I haven't got one...

Last Chance Saloon guys! You have until 11.45pm tonight to respond! I have to say, like some others I disagreed with some of the 'model responses' from the BMFA et al., particularly around police and other 'busybodies' powers. There were some pertinent questions also hidden away in areas I was invited to skip. Sneaky devils!

I've just seen one flying with the standard power train on 6S. No lack of performance there!

My Funfly, taken about 5 minutes ago! A mere stripling at 15 years, it's been broken in all the usual places. The replacement SLEC kit has been waiting patiently in the attic for about 5 years...

Posted by Martin McIntosh on 31/08/2018 11:21:50: The problem with XH is that they are designed to plug into a PCB header, not a free plug which has short solder pins making it difficult to support the wiring. The same applies to Multiplex connectors. I do, however, occasionally use the balance plugs on LiPo`s to tap in for a lower voltage to drive nav lights. At least with my method you only lose one output in the event of a failure. I use these on the Mpx connectors, which solve the support problem and also provide a good grip for making and breaking: http://www.nexusmodels.co.uk/emcotec-ecm-mpx-6-pins-without-connector-pcb-solder-wire-connector-5-pieces-a86008-830.html Edited By Mike T on 31/08/2018 12:18:50

Posted by Dwain Dibley. on 23/08/2018 19:28:00: THAT looks entertaining! What is it?

Posted by Cliff Whittaker on 23/08/2018 23:22:50: ... If just 5 members of each club participate... The trick will be to get the right 5 members. There are some clubs whose members really are.... members...

Me too. But then I saw the offer on the Skylark and bought a couple!

As cheap servos of uncertain provenance are now so ubiquitous, I always plug any new servos into a tester and let them cycle for an hour, checking regularly for overheating. Not something I ever bothered to do when only the main big name brands were available (but then, neither were servo testers...)

IIRC it's significantly more expensive than the Riot and I can't see why...

What the OP needs is one of these: http://www.4-max.co.uk/wattmeter-budget.htm Splendid bit of kit. I swapped the Deans for some short tails with 4mm plugs & sockets. Plug in between battery and ESC, fly, then cycle through the readings before disconnecting. It'll give max volts, amps and watts. Edited By Mike T on 22/08/2018 14:47:03

Posted by Chris Bott - Moderator on 21/08/2018 22:33:49: I don't think I'll be going into production, they're pretty fiddly to put together and take time. But if you (or someone) could put the boards, headers and plugs in a polybag with an A4 'how to' sheet, I'm sure there'd be lots of takers - assuming you could do it for, say under 10 quid? Edited By Mike T on 22/08/2018 01:20:01