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Neil James

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  1. That’s not quite right. Granted there’s no information to indicate the presence of winglets but all aircraft are assigned a wake turbulence category during certification and this information is included on a flight plan and used by ATC to determine the minimum separation between flights.
  2. How about this, which shows the mentality of drone operators and includes pictures of the debris from inside the aircraft: https://petapixel.com/2025/01/15/three-drone-pilots-arrested-for-unauthorized-flights-over-la-wildfires/
  3. I’d love to go and the £25 is nothing compared to the £700 in ferries/hotels/petrol it would cost me to get there and back. 😆
  4. Some years ago an officer from the CAA Safety & Regulation Group (SRG) told me that they expected a failsafe to cut the motor and bring the model down vertically as quickly as possible. He specifically mentioned that damage to the model was not a consideration and that SRG expected that flight would always take place within the boundaries of the flying site so that there would be no third party affected by this behaviour. This was before the widespread use of dr*nes.
  5. Installing the battery into a model for travelling is a really bad idea, if something goes wrong then access to the battery is unnecessarily difficult and you could end up losing the whole model when you might otherwise have been able to remove the battery to a safe location. I saw it happen some years ago at our club: a member arrived at the field with smoke coming out of his model, he was able to get it out of his car but it was too dangerous to remove the battery from the model and the whole lot went up in flames. I carry my batteries in a charging bag kept on the passenger seat where it can be monitored. If it gets hot or smokes the whole bag can be quickly removed or even flung out of the car window in the worst case.
  6. I haven’t tried updating my MZ-24 Pro yet but for my MZ-16 using the update studio is definitely the way to go, maybe you will have more success through their own software. I’ve got a vague recollection that to upgrade to the Pro software requires sending your Tx back to a service centre. Not sure about that though. You might have found this already but there’s some resources here: https://www.controlhobbies.com/graupner-mz-18-mz-24-product-support.html
  7. Thanks for that. I got one and was going to ring them later about it, no doubt they’ll be pleased to get at least one fewer calls 😆
  8. I’d also recommend the 4-max Maxlock connectors, I’ve been using them for a while, they have a good latching mechanism too. Crimping up your own wiring is the best and most cost effective way to use them.
  9. I use one of these in the shed, it’s battery powered and you can read the device from a distance via Bluetooth. That might not work in a metal box but assuming you’re not looking for real time alerts it’s very quick to download the stored data to your phone. At least then you will know the max and min temperatures. https://www.amazon.co.uk/SwitchBot-Temperature-Thermometer-Hygrometer-Bluetooth/dp/B09QBR7XJD/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?crid=2OF7ASQY2AXQI&keywords=Switchbot&qid=1690967123&sprefix=switchbot%2Caps%2C212&sr=8-2-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1
  10. I’ve been crimping up my own servo leads and extensions for a while now but so far I’ve only ever found the plug/socket shells available in black. Being able to colour code connectors would be very useful in some circumstances so has anyone come across a supplier of shells in different colours?
  11. I’ve never had one myself but several years ago someone turned up at our flying site with an electric glider in the back of his car with the battery already installed. As he was unloading smoke was spotted so the glider was quickly yanked out of the car and onto the grass where the smoke turned into a cheery conflagration, destroying his model! I think he was very lucky not to lose his car. On the other hand, I had a large electric glider crash into the tarmac sufficiently hard to mangle the battery but there was no subsequent temperature increase or flames. I carry my LiPo batteries in a containment bag on the passenger seat of the van so if anything happens I can drop the window and sling the whole lot outside.
  12. We take this sort of idiotic behaviour pretty seriously in the IOM. https://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/courts/man-who-flew-drone-near-the-tt-course-spent-a-night-in-the-cells-619479
  13. I’ve found the addition of some fluorescent trim extremely useful. All my gliders now carry orange wing tips on the upper surface for general orientation, and a strip wrapped around the leading edge which helps a lot when the model is nose on, especially during landings. light on top and dark underneath with some contrasting stripes seems to be a good general style. BTW the RAF did trials for a colour scheme to improve visibility of their training aircraft which is why they are now painted all black!
  14. Despite lots of hype, drone delivery schemes are finally bumping up against the restrictions of the real world: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/11/amazon-prime-air-drone-business-stymied-by-regulations-weak-demand.html?futusource=news_headline_list
  15. How about a link to the briefing sheet?
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