Lockdown Models

[Martin McIntosh]

Unfortunately not Brian. Due to a waterlogged field and now this lot I have not even been able to check the engine, which has not been run for over ten years.

[Brian Hammond]

Perhaps we will be testing at the same time.

[Ron Gray]

Posted by Jon - Laser Engines on 05/05/2020 09:06:45:

I have started test running some models in the garden to give the engines a little clean out. I have does short videos of them and will be sticking them on youtube as, frankly, i have little else to do in the evenings!

Have you finished the build then Jon!

[Martin McIntosh]

Mine will be way down the queue for testing since at the AUW I do not have high hopes for it and don`t want to re start flying with a dud.

[Jon H]

Posted by Ron Gray on 05/05/2020 13:04:50:

Posted by Jon - Laser Engines on 05/05/2020 09:06:45:

I have started test running some models in the garden to give the engines a little clean out. I have does short videos of them and will be sticking them on youtube as, frankly, i have little else to do in the evenings!

Have you finished the build then Jon!

nah im running up all my models that have not flown in months. I also rebuilt my ASP160 twin, my SC radial and that little 40. I fired up a pair of saito 45's for a possible new twin engine model and then last night fired up my Nieuport and Tomahawk for the first time since september.

I will get my bigger models out at some point but my AWXL is likely to be the next model i test, i might do another run with the 400 radial as i dont have a video of it running with all its upgrades and its just fun to play with :D

[chris collis]

Just refurbed my XB70 Valkerie pss and like everyone else cannot wait to test fly.

[G-JIMG]

Doing a military conversion of a King Air 350. See "Scratch Build Twin".

Jim.

[Peter Christy]

Finally got the electric Lark to behave!

The biggest improvement came from removing the later style teetering rotor-head, and replacing it with the original "solid" design. This makes it much more controllable!

The glitching on the ESC turned out to be the current limiter cutting in when the gyro increased the tail-rotor pitch! It was running a bit close to the edge! I've gone back to lower gearing, tweaked the main rotor pitch, and now its flying as well as I would expect, given the conditions and confined space.

Just need to get it out in the open when the lockdown ends, now!

--

Pete

[Dwain Dibley.]

Well done Pete, very interesting.

I have recently dug out an old Heli, nowt as vintage as the Lark but interesting in as much as the setup is more demanding to get the things to fly well.

My one is the Twister CP, only about 15 years old LOL, I had to go back to basics with pitch and cyclic, and had to re acquaint myself with the joy of setting up an old Gyro. modern Heli's are a peach in comparison.

Here's my one, I had to refurbish the blades and they need a balance too

D.D.

Had to repair the trailing edges of both blades.

Edited By Dwain Dibley. on 05/05/2020 22:25:38

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

Posted by chris collis on 05/05/2020 16:41:33:

Just refurbed my XB70 Valkerie pss and like everyone else cannot wait to test fly.

Very nice Chris, impressed.

[Martin McIntosh]

I once test flew an original Lark for a friend because I was the only one in the club who had managed to do circuits and eights with a very large fixed pitch Schluter Engstrom something or other. No gyros on either because they had not yet been invented. Interesting to `fly`.

[Peter Christy]

Dwain: I've got a Twister 3D sitting under my workbench at the moment! Had it donkey's years! I pulled it out of retirement in the attic as something to fly in the garden to get my "fix" during the lockdown. It hovers OK, but is horrible to fly around circuits!

Martin: My next project is to electrify a Schluter DS-22 (Enstrom) which I've had for a number of years. The HP 61 powering it is now completely knackered (exhaust stack is crumbling!). Its got the collective pitch conversion on it and does fly quite well when I can get the engine to behave! This is from 2002!:

I converted John Haytree's old Schluter Cobra to electric a couple of years ago (same mechanics, but fixed pitch), and that flies really well now. I'm hoping the DS-22 will be equally successful!

--

Pete

[Simon Feather]

Here's mine. Although I'm still at work, and very busy (perils of working in IT), my evening activities have been curbed so I've resurrected my 2018 MB project, Peter Miller's Grumpy Tiger Cub enlarged to approx 130%. I got stuck on the nacelle fitting to the wings, and then other projects took over, so it got shelved. Now it's unshelved, and almost to the point of covering.

I'll do a proper update on my GTC build thread at some point, but here's a couple of pictures of where it's at, all parts roughly taped together to get an impression of the final result. Enlarged to 70" wingspan, a pair of OS52 Surpass four strokes will drive it. Still got all the access hatches underneath to do, final tidying up and fixtures and fittings.

Simon

[John Tee]

Just putting the finishing touches to a Dactyl flying wing thanks to the lockdown. I thought I had started it about 5 years ago. Found a set of photos in my album when construction started dated 2013.Only trouble is it is quite big. Had trouble storing two wing halves in the workshop but now they are joined as one piece with big wing tips and fixed undercart the space available has reduced considerably. The fuselage as such is relatively small. Would post a pic but the colour scheme is a bit bright(to aid vision in flight).

John

[Martin McIntosh]

Peter, my DS22 was from when they were first introduced, around the mid 70`s and had fixed pitch. Other than 10hrs spent glueing back on all the parts which had been shaken from the fus. during any short flying session it would have been OK but for the lack of cooling. The ducts round the motor were too far away. Ist motor was an HP61 which seized at great height; 2nd was an ABC which did the same. Neither crash exactly improved the model much so it was scrapped and the mechanics given away. End of dabble with helies.

[Peter Christy]

Martin: Many years ago, I bought a Schluter Gazelle (collective pitch) off a work colleague who had had a bad accident hang-gliding. (Broke both his legs, was off work for nearly a year and needed the money!) I flew it for a few years before dinging the fuselage. I kept all the mechanics, which were fine.

That DS-22 was given to me by the father of a workmate. I repaired his radio for him, and he offered the DS-22 as payment. The fuselage was fine, but the mechanics and engine were in a sorry state - it had been in a cellar, which flooded!

I fitted the fuselage with my old Gazelle mechanics, and that is what you see flying there!

The chap I got it from had given up flying due to age. In fact he only tried to fly the heli once, and frightened himself half to death with it! Indeed, shortly after he got it, he had a bad heart attack, though he didn't say if the two events were related!

The Heli came from Dave Nieman's shop in Wembley, and I think it could be the one that was built for review by "Radio Modeller" magazine back in 1974 or 5. The colour scheme looks identical to the one on the cover of the mag!

The HP 61 in it is a rear induction one, which makes for an interesting throttle linkage! The aluminium crankcase is starting to disintegrate! The exhaust stack already has a chunk missing from it, hence my plan to electrify it.

The mechanics are almost complete. Its just a question of stripping the old mechanics out, fitting the new ones, and then re-organising the installation. It should be fairly straightforward, but these things have a habit of throwing up unexpected problems!

Watch this space....!

--

Pete

[Paul Marsh]

Building JP Panic, almost there, wings finishing off and covering now...

[chris collis]

Just finished the refurb and rebuild of two Pss Lancasters M Mike and L Leather in the livery of 617 squadron.Both models were donated to me last year, M Mike in need of a new nose up to the central spar and wings and engine nacels on starboard wing re-attaching after wing joiner decided to fail in flight! New alloy and ramin wing joiner made.

L Leather had a severe case of lifting wing veneer after possibly been stored in damp conditions so a lot of time was spent re-attaching same and a full repaint was undertaken.M Mike was built and flown by Ian Moody and L Leather built but not yet flown by Chris Leslie so like everyone else,now waiting for the lockdown to end so we can head for the hills and test fly.Next project on the board is rebuilding my OV 10 Bronco as electric and pss. Chris

[Peter G Simpson]

Hi All - Here is my Lockdown project. I started on the first day of lockdown and 48 days later here it is.

I had been promising myself a Brian Taylor 69” Spitfire for years, after I built one in the 90’s which flew so well. I wanted to have a go at making my own retracts and having completed these last year I started gathering the other parts together... but having no time available the project didn’t start. Then the Lockdown started and time became available it was time to get going.

The wings and tail feathers are as per plan, but I redesigned the fuselage. My original spitfire was weak around the firewall, after a heavy nose over the front structure broke once or twice, so I redesigned the fuselage around the cross sections shown on the plan. I have uploaded some construction photos to this album. Spitfire

I’m looking forward to the maiden flight when the lockdown is over.

Edited By Peter G Simpson on 07/05/2020 08:41:23

[Jon H]

Thats really lovely Peter and i see from the album you got the tank in the perfect spot too.

If its only 10lbs the 120 will walk it, nice big loops await!

What paint/fuel proofer did you use?

[Peter G Simpson]

Posted by Jon - Laser Engines on 07/05/2020 08:46:54:

Thats really lovely Peter and i see from the album you got the tank in the perfect spot too.

If its only 10lbs the 120 will walk it, nice big loops await!

What paint/fuel proofer did you use?

Thanks Jon, following our chat I followed your advice and lowered the tank position. I got the paint from Phil at Fighteraces, I’m not sure what brand it is, but its the cellulose paint that he uses and he had the right colours for that model. The markings are Humbrol. Fuel proofed is KlassKote also from Fighteraces.

[Mark Kettle 1]

 

Lots of nice project's everyone, and nice Lancaster's Chris.

My own lock down project. My current car has the ability to sleep two people inside, great for when you travel to a model flying event, however you normally have to move the models and kit to the passenger seats to bed down.

Well the car has big rear windows and wide window ledges, an ideal place for a transport box to nestle into. So I set to with cardboard, ply, PVA, brown paper, bamboo, dowels, broom handle and bolts and steel etc, nothing was purchased and all of it was lying around the shed.

Here's some pictures from the raw state box at present, it's being painted to match the interior trim of the car.

Above, left side window showing window wide ledge,

Below, right side showing fitted with box.

I'll start a thread for the box explaining it's build method.

Picture link.

Edited By Mark Kettle 1 on 07/05/2020 09:45:57

[Kevin Fairgrieve]

I was not going to do any lock down builds as my stash of kits is for my retirement.

Could not resist one small one however!

Buzz 400

Used the electronics out of a long dead Radjet 800.

Radjet weight minus battery = 363.2 Grams

Buzz 400 weight minus battery = 336.6 grams

I see no reason that this should not all end in tears.

[Kevin Fairgrieve]

And I knocked this up today as well.

What is it I hear you all ask.

Well the starting benches at my local club are not friendly for starting small fast gremlin type planes.

I give to you the Gremlin starting thingymebobwhatcumacallit.

[Paul Marsh]

I bought a Gremlin last year for £5 inc OS46 AX, servos and tank.

Onto Panic, finishing wings off.