Colin Leighfield Posted July 5, 2022 Share Posted July 5, 2022 Due to getting depressed with flying site issues over the last two years, I’d more or less given up on my build projects and only done some tinkering with an F3 Res glider and indoors. However, I’ve now got access to a site that I’m very happy with and have already had a couple of good outings with my ancient HK Grasshopper, Tundra and FMS T28 Trojan V4. My mojo is definitely restored and as part of rehabilitation, I’ve dug out the Nigel Hawes Tucano 45” that I built for the 2013 Greenacres event. The second time that I flew it there, the motor burned out and I put it away in the garage loft. This week I had a look at it, opened it up and changed the motor. It’s ready to fly again this week. I took this photo tonight and after a wipe-over, it doesn’t look too bad after nine years! Phil Winks won the event with his version, do you still have it Phil, do any of the others that had a go, still have theirs? This was a very good flyer and I’m looking forward to getting it back in the air. At the time, the RAF had finished one of their Tucanos in the camouflage and markings of a Battle of Britain Spitfire, as a memorial. I dreamed up that if there had been a carrier version of the Tucano, the Navy might have commemorated the last operational use of the Seafire by finishing a “Seacano” as one of the Seafire 47s that flew from HMS Triumph in the Korean War, in 1950, the last operational use of the type. What a silly idea! However, I still think it looks good. I’ve now got a reason to finish off the well-advanced Hawker Fury build, so I’ll start posting on that again. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Billinge Posted July 5, 2022 Share Posted July 5, 2022 Wow! What a beautiful model and a really brilliant colour scheme! Well done Keith B 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyGnome Posted July 6, 2022 Share Posted July 6, 2022 They did fly brilliantly. My first experience of brushless power with an AXI 2820/10..... whooshhhh!1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Bott - Moderator Posted July 7, 2022 Share Posted July 7, 2022 That looks great Colin, I'm glad you're back at it. Those were the days eh? Mass builds and mass flying at Greenacres. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted July 10, 2022 Author Share Posted July 10, 2022 On 07/07/2022 at 17:42, Chris Bott - Moderator said: That looks great Colin, I'm glad you're back at it. Those were the days eh? Mass builds and mass flying at Greenacres. They were Chris. I was always uncomfortable flying in front of crowds though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leccyflyer Posted July 11, 2022 Share Posted July 11, 2022 On 07/07/2022 at 17:42, Chris Bott - Moderator said: That looks great Colin, I'm glad you're back at it. Those were the days eh? Mass builds and mass flying at Greenacres. Those were indeed the days - Greenacres was one of the highlights of the electric flying calendar and a marvellous couple of days out. I remember being super impressed with your modification of the Balsacraft Spitfire, to incorporate a battery hatch, rather than having to take the wing off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyGnome Posted July 11, 2022 Share Posted July 11, 2022 I almost miss those early days - everything just seems to work so well now 😏 Lovely spitfire - those Balsacraft kits made lovely flying planes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Bott - Moderator Posted July 12, 2022 Share Posted July 12, 2022 On 11/07/2022 at 06:44, leccyflyer said: Those were indeed the days - Greenacres was one of the highlights of the electric flying calendar and a marvellous couple of days out. I remember being super impressed with your modification of the Balsacraft Spitfire, to incorporate a battery hatch, rather than having to take the wing off. Ooh I should dig that out again, it's quite a while since it flew. Was that the fly in where it gained a new takeoff dolly from you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leccyflyer Posted July 12, 2022 Share Posted July 12, 2022 I think it was that one. You and Danny were experimenting with A123 packs with fair sized Seagull Hawker Sea Furies. Happy days. 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted July 13, 2022 Author Share Posted July 13, 2022 I re-maidened the Tucano yesterday and committed the heinous sin, having fitted a new motor and forgetting what size of battery I’d used previously, of not checking the c of g against the plan! Thinking “it wasn’t that fussy, should be ok”. I leave to everyone’s imagination, the sight of a plane with over 200W/lb, a c of g that turned out to be an inch behind where it should be and a sharp left-hand turn that full right aileron trim would not correct. (Don’t know where that came from). Somehow I got it down from the nightmare with no damage and went home feeling very chastened! Back in the shed, I re-positioned the battery and added a few gms of lead to get the c of g right and re-set the aileron trim at the servo. Back to the field today and transformation! Just two clicks of elevator trim and it was perfect. I’d forgotten just how good these are. Very fast, but in the groove and a thrill to fly. You need to get it right on finals, because even throttled right back it has a very flat glide and wants to fly forever! Back to the old arguments about why a simple balsa sheet wing, sanded to a thin flat-bottomed aerofoil section, could possibly work so very well across the whole speed range. Nigel Hawes isn’t doing much with model planes these days, but he did a very good job with this one. A great alternative to the increasingly expensive foamies, and quick/easy to build. It would be nice to se a few more in the air again. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leccyflyer Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 Very pleased that you got away with that simple human error Colin and got the Tucano back on the rails.😎 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Bott - Moderator Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 10 minutes ago, leccyflyer said: Very pleased that you got away with that simple human error Colin and got the Tucano back on the rails.😎 +1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted July 14, 2022 Author Share Posted July 14, 2022 23 hours ago, Chris Bott - Moderator said: I didn’t deserve to be so lucky, should have known better! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin McIntosh Posted July 19, 2022 Share Posted July 19, 2022 Still got my black retract version which flew at Greenacres. Think I used 2x 2750 packs to give 4s. Must dig it out sometime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted July 23, 2022 Author Share Posted July 23, 2022 On 19/07/2022 at 13:58, Martin McIntosh said: Still got my black retract version which flew at Greenacres. Think I used 2x 2750 packs to give 4s. Must dig it out sometime. Hi Martin, that was a nice model. A bit more ambitious than my attempt! However, I must say I’d forgotten how good a flyer it is. Frustratingly though, temporarily grounded because the field is in the Commonwealth Games controlled airspace. How annoying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin McIntosh Posted July 23, 2022 Share Posted July 23, 2022 Hi Colin, the airspace restriction seems a bit OTT to me. We are also grounded because our landlord is worried about wildfires, fair enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted July 23, 2022 Author Share Posted July 23, 2022 35 minutes ago, Martin McIntosh said: Hi Colin, the airspace restriction seems a bit OTT to me. We are also grounded because our landlord is worried about wildfires, fair enough. Yes, that’s just commonsense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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