Baron Build. No 1 Build Blog.

[David Davis]

I see that I started this thread in December 1916. It was only today that I managed the maiden flight! I put the model in the van this morning and drove the short distance to the flying field, however, I had not secured the model and when I got there the port tailplane had snapped off at the fuselage!

I drove home, got the Baron onto the workshop bench fully intending to epoxy the tailplane-half into place using cocktail sticks to secure the joints, but I couldn't find the cocktail sticks! Then I tried metal, those bits of 2mm bicycle spoke you cut off when installing pushrods, but that wasn't very successful either, besides how could I support the tailplane while the glue dried. In the end, I'm ashamed to say, I smeared the whole lot in cyano and pushed everything back into place. It held. I had a light alcohol-free lunch and tried to find the manhole cover which is underneath my front garden. That is another story but all the time my mind was on maidening the Baron.

I went down to the workshop and grabbed the starboard tailplane. This part had not broken off. With the model on its wheels I bounced the tailplane up and down twenty times. It held. I did the same to the port tailplane which I had repaired with cyano. That held too. I tied the model up in the van and drove to the field. There was nobody else there. To the French a model flying club is a social institution not somewhere where you can fly whenever the weather is suitable!

I assembled the model. I had built it with the rudder and elevators actuated by closed loop cables to simulate the real First World War aeroplanes. I noticed that one elevator was marginally lower than the other but that there was no way of adjusting it out with the system I was using. My head told me to go home again but my heart and my pride said, "We did not win two world wars by giving up!" besides I am a qualified instructor in both England and France and I have qualifications enabling me to fly at public events in the two countries. I'm hardly a novice! The model is a basic trainer with reduced dihedral and ailerons, so what was I worried about? Jonahs in the club said that my model was heavy and that four-strokes never run well inverted. I would soon find out.

After some faffing about I started the engine, an OS40 Surpass, and took it to the runway. What wind there was was across the runway but I pushed the throttle forward and took off. With the cowling rattling against the engine, the model immediately went to the left and just missed the windsock! I put this down to the enormous fin and rudder weather-cocking the model into wind. Having gained altitude I decided to restrict manoeuvres to circuits and horizontal eights as I didn't want to over-stress the tailplane but the model flew beautifully! A big grin spread across my face! After a few more eights and circuits I decided to try to fly it a little faster and was surprised to find out that I had been flying at almost full power for the entire flight. It's an excellent trainer!

I brought her into land, not on the tarmac runway I'll admit, but down on the grass alongside, with the engine, ticking over nicely. I was impressed at how slowly it flew and she settled down like a piece of gossamer. Perhaps there are a few more minor adjustments to make to the engine settings and I'll fit a remote glow connector to make things a lot safer. I have been accepted as a competitor in "La Coupe Des Barons" in June **LINK**. I need to make another, non-aileron wing and to add a machine gun and dummy wing warping cables so that's another story I will also have to add some more competirion numbers "247" as mine are hidden by the wing, but generally speaking it's been a good day and I'm celebrating with a couple of pints of beer from my native county!

Russian WW1 graphics by Tim Calvert of Model Markings.

Edited By David Davis on 22/03/2018 18:00:48

[McG 6969]

Well done with the tail 'bodging' and the maiden, David.

Now at least you will have the motivation to get that 2 axis wing and rigging build up.

Cheers

Chris

[David Davis]

Quite so Chris. I'm tempted to build another tailplane for it but I also have to build the three-channel wing with dummy wing-warping wires and a machine gun, and I'm planning to build a spare model in case this one loses its tailplane the week before the event!

I was weighing up the feasibility of an SC32, a Merco 35 or an electric motor for the reserve model but seeing how slowly the model flies on an OS 40 Surpass, I think I'll go for power and fit the SC!