Laser Engines 40th Anniversary Fly-in

[Jon H]

41 minutes ago, Flying Squirrel said:

That sounds pretty demoralising, maybe put a timesheet in for the hours and hours you've spent of your own time supporting people with 'the Companies' products?...

 

Unfortunately it is the expectation that 24/7 support is available. I think because Neil used to do this, but it was his company. I just work here. 

[Chris Walby]

Laser Engines - performance, reliability, quality and British

 

How about crowd fund a few stickers, as long as Jon is happy with artwork we shouldn't end up with "BoatyMcBoatFace" sort of problem!

[Moth Flyer 1]

Chris,

 

One of my friends has a decent vinyl cutting machine. She cuts my model registration letters for me. I`ve run the sticky Laser label idea past her and asked her to come up with a few designs. Its work in progress at this moment but I hope to receive a prototype design soon. Obviously there will be money to pay her for each sticker produced. I`ve no objection to buying and funding a batch from her and selling them on to interested people at a unit cost plus post basis. If Jon is happy with the design, it could be that I perhaps could have some available in time for our Buckminster event. In the meantime, I`ll keep everyone informed of the design progress.

 

My nice pre-owned Wots Wot XL is now complete and presently has a Laser 180 fitted to it using one of Jons "top hat" radial mounts. It is the same unit that Jon fits to the 160 and 200 FT series engines so it makes light work of fitting a flat twin onto the airframe at some point. Having seen videos of Ron`s WWXL fitted with his 200FT, I`ve had a chat with Jon with a view to buying one when he has the next production batch ready. This would free up my No3 180 which I had originally aquired for my Stampe rebuild. All things come to those that wait.

 

Assembly of my BNIB AcroWot XL begins shortly. This example is also likely to have a Laser 180 fitted. It must be one of the very first kits ever produced by Ripmax. Sifting though the hardware the other evening revealed the clevises were of the early  type with the threaded part being badly formed and swaged. There exists a 1-2mm gap which makes for an exceptionally loose fit onto 3mm wire pushrods. It is now a well known issue where clevis and pushrod can part company from each other as a result of these poorly manufactured parts. I`m now awaiting decent quality replacement components to arrive in the post. I`ll also be installing new metal geared 10Kg MacGregor servos to get this model off to a good reliable start. I see no reason why it won`t make an appearance at Buckminster.

 

I must appologise for my last posts duplicating and causing our Moderator to sort out the ensueing mess. I`ve not yet found a cause for the issue at my end. Perhaps someone has previously encountered the problem and could advise how this can be corrected. Hopefully this post won`t duplicate.

 

Mike K

 

 

[Chris Walby]

4 hours ago, Moth Flyer 1 said:

Chris,

 

One of my friends has a decent vinyl cutting machine. She cuts my model registration letters for me. I`ve run the sticky Laser label idea past her and asked her to come up with a few designs. Its work in progress at this moment but I hope to receive a prototype design soon. Obviously there will be money to pay her for each sticker produced. I`ve no objection to buying and funding a batch from her and selling them on to interested people at a unit cost plus post basis. If Jon is happy with the design, it could be that I perhaps could have some available in time for our Buckminster event. In the meantime, I`ll keep everyone informed of the design progress.

 

Mike K

Thanks for the update Mike, sounds like if we can get a few options for Jon to vote on, you can go with that and would be great for the fly-in.

 

As for the 180 there nothing wrong with them, just the FT200 sounds really good and as with the Eurobat I was surprised that I needed to add another 500g at the front to get C of G so weight is clearly not an issue!  The FT is meant to be going in the cub, but I still have a gallon of straight fuel and having too much fun with the Eurobat!... Oh and something special on the kitchen table (just assemble and fly, clearly not even close!)

 

Must get a better video of the Eurobat!

 

[Moth Flyer 1]

Not come across the Eurobat before, Chris. Seems to handle the stormy weather nicely.

 

A small update on the Laser sticky labels. Jon has seen some of the first ideas from my friend Emma. I`ve asked her to come up with a unit price for each "label". Her initial renditions appear as images below. None of this is set in stone and the art work is fairly easily modified. More news in due course. Comments appreciated.

 

My recently aquired pre-owned Wots Wot XL fitted with the 180 Laser borrowed from one of my Stampes, has had to be returned to Jon today for overhaul. Left nose down overnight it deposited a puddle of nasty brown oil on the workshop floor. Clearly it has a defective front crank oil seal which needs recitification before being pressed into further service or perhaps disgracing me and its manufacture in a very noticable fashion at Buckminster! This return to "Daddy" combines with me asking Jon to build a 200FT for use in the WWXL. The finished airframe should be similar to the one owned and flown by Ron. Thanks for the videos Ron. It helps confirm my own engine installation prior to Jon coming up with my engine. I hope I shall be able to collect the overhauled 180 and the new 200FT in the not too distant future and have my latest Laser models tested and flown in time for the Laser event on the 2nd June 2023.

 

The recently aquired BNIB AcroWot XL is now assembled and balanced. The 180 fitted is one I bought from Richard Street last year. This has proved to be a great engine when fitted to my Space Walker during 2022. It has never missed a beat and has proved totally reliable. This AWXL has metal geared Macgregor 10kg servos fitted. The elevator servos are fitted under the leading edge of the tailplane and a 6v 2300NiMh has been shoe-horned into the fuselage void under the tailplane. The CoG is spot on the mark with the 180, prop, spinner and specially made Just Engines manufactured prop nut parts fitted. My other AcroWot XL previously owned by Bill Macleod has been extensively reworked and now sports a new colour scheme and the registration G-ACRO. As a model, it is mechanically almost identical to my newly aquired BNIB AcroWot XL. The new AcroWot XL is some 3oz lighter than G-ACRO. The NiMh battery in G-ACRO is located mid fuselage where as the same sized battery in the BNIB model is located further aft. Both models can be seen in the image upload attached to this post. I hope to bring both airframes to Buckminster.

 

I`ve been working with Andrew White at JE to design and produce a prop nut and washer system that can be lightly reworked to allow end user modification when using typical 18x6 or 18x8 props in conjunction with typical 4mm centre bolt spinners. Andrew fully understands the prop, spinner, nut, washer issues that modellers encounter when attempting to construct an engine propulsion system from differing manufacturers parts sources. If you can work with what Jon supplies, that is obviously great. If you need something specific tailored to your own special needs, then contacting Andrew at JE often provides a bespoke solution at a very reasonable cost and avoids pestering Jon for unique parts that would interupt his normal production routine.

 

May I assure every one that I`m not attempting to divert part supply away from Jon in any way. I simply mention that on occasions I need special parts made for my own applications and contact Andrew to avoid bothering Jon. Jon obviously has his production line set up for his own production needs and attempting to divert from main stream production to after-market products is a very different matter. Its very much a case of horses for particular courses and there is a need for both Jon and Andrew to cover very different aspects of this part of the hobby. I shall be using parts from both Jon and Andrew at the Buckminster 40th Anniversary event. This statement keeps this event thread on topic!

 

So the clock has moved to BST, the evenings are longer and hopefully the weather will be improving. The months are marching by and our event is little more than about two months ahead. For me, it will be a high point in my year especially as I`m grabbing a night in a hotel on the 1st June. If you are thinking along similar accomodation lines then perhaps join me at The Blue Cow the night before we all hook up at the BMFA site next day.

 

Cheers guys,

 

Mike Kennedy.

[Chris Walby]

MF1

 

I thought I was pushing my luck having a model on the kitchen table, but you have taken it to a new level with models in the lounge and IC! Cracking models and I look forward to seeing them. 

 

Good work with the stickers, personally I like  but would be happy with whatever is agreed with Jon to be honest.

 

 

[Jon H]

Hi Guys

 

I have been thinking about flying slots for the event and would like a vote on slots 3x18 mins per hour or 5x10 with brief pauses to get organised between slots.  

 

I originally thought of having the following:

 

Slow scale/vintage small  - Tiger moths/chipmunks etc under 70 inch approx

Slow scale/vintage Large  - Tiger moths/chipmunks etc around 1/4 scale approx.

Sport - everything you got, no size limits. 

Fast scale small - WWII fighters etc under about 70 inch/150 size engine. 

Fast scale Large - WWII fighters etc over about 70 inch/150 size engine. 

 

The above is not the running order, just the list of slots. I would expect most visitors to have at least two models that fit in two different slots so they can get at least 2 flights an hour, which is more than most of us fly at our club fields i am sure. Also there will not be anyone running round with a tape measure so if the fast scale large slot looks a little sparse and your 69 inch 120 powered Spitfire is ready then by all means have at it. As long as we all try to respect the models already up there and only join them if our model is appropriate then it will be fine. 

 

The alternative:

 

Vintage/Slow scale - 18 mins slot, sort yourselves out on model compatibility

Sport - As in the 5 slot setup, 18 mins. 

Fast scale - 18 mins slot, sort yourselves out on model compatibility. 

 

A great deal depends on numbers, weather and the types of model available. There is no point having a vintage slot for one guy with a KK falcon, although in fairness i expect a fair few of those so its probably a poor example, but i like the 5 slot setup as it gives everyone some confidence that there is a slot for them and they do not have to fight to get some stick time. I also do not want it turning into a complete free for all melee. Flying at Old Warden a few times it gets late in the day and its often a mad dash to get a flight in with no structure. its just a mess and we waste time while we all debate who goes first. We also do not want any collisions caused by incompatible models being flown together. 

 

So anyway place your votes on which you think will be best. 

 

I also propose (subject to conditions and participation) that between maybe 12 and 2 (1 and 3? whatever) we have the demo type flights. Its about lunch time, seems a good time for folk to chill out with a sandwich and watch the planes go by. So between those time we have up to 10 slots (or 6 if we double time them for getting organised) for demo's depending on the nature of the beast. If someone has a monster model it can be shown off here on its own, we can get all of the twin cylinder warbirds up together, get all the 1/4 tiger moths and similar models up together and any other 'display' type items we can think of. The massed flights of warbirds or tiger moths would essentially be limited to flat circuits, but if we had 10 or 15 models up that would be plenty of excitement i think and it would just be nice seeing them all together. Again, avoiding collisions is the primary consideration and all massed demo flights will be briefed ahead of time. 

 

Those are my plans, hopefully they seem reasonable. If not...well tough 😛 

 

The only other piece of news is that i might be a little later arriving than originally planned. A friend has booked his stag do that weekend and the first event is Thursday evening with some open mic rock action at the pub. I will prep all my models beforehand, and we have to shut up at midnight at the pub. so if i leave right away, lay off the sauce through the evening and get to bed by 1am i should be in a fit enough state in the morning. Is a 2 hour drive so even if i left at half 8 it wouldnt be too bad, although i will aim for as early as i can. As much as i dont want to arrive late its not safe to be driving that far (and back after a long day) with insufficient sleep so my original plan to get up early and leave around 6am is out the window. Its a shame everything has fallen on the same weekend but we can make it work. 

[Ron Gray]

I think the alternative option of flight slots with some common sense thrown in would be OK. There would obviously be a flight line controller who should also be able to help sort out who flies when!

[Jon H]

My main reason for wanting dedicated slots is that i dont want to put people off flying. Not everyone will be happy to decide its their turn, get themselves on the line, whip up others with similar models to fly with them, then fight to claim a slot, wait for the X, Y and Z slots ahead to finish but then slot Y cancels as Bob is in the loo, Z is now before X and now they are up next for some reason but they arent fueled and ready.....ugh. Not everyone is comfortable with that sort of thing and would rather wait for their turn/slot and fly when the opportunity is offered to them so they can be ready in good time without stress. I have seen this sort of thing many times at events before where people dont fly as they feel they have not been invited to do so, or because its just too much hassle finding a slot, or there was always a massive gaggle of planes waiting to fly and they were going to wait until things quiet down. 

 

Also if people are chatting away or getting some food they might miss an impromptu WWI biplane slot they wanted to fly in as it sprang up out of nowhere. If slots are divided by type then it really helps people plan their day. 

 

Admittedly, this all depends on the numbers of people wanting to fly due to weather or whatever, but if its busy i dont want to have the area round the flight line to look like the stock exchange as people bid for slots. Equally, it makes the job of running the flight line easier as all the slots are assigned already, we all know the plan so lets just turn up and fly. 

 

So i would like to stick to the slots idea for now and adjust it on the day if we need to. If only a few people show up we can probably abandon it, but if its busy (i hope so) then we will need some structure to prevent chaos. If its 3 or 5 slots, well that is the part to be decided. I think 5 is my preference, but we will see. 

 

As a side note though, if anyone sees someone else with a similar model to their own go say hi. Introduce yourself, invite them to fly with you, make sure everyone gets involved. 

 

 

[Ron Gray]

Which is why I would go for your second option as that gives more scope and latitude as the 'slots' are longer. Too many options and people get confused!!!!!!

[Steve Dunne]

I have no strong feelings either way - both sound good - but am all for the structured flying, dedicated slots.

Looking forward to the day!!!

[Steve Dunne]

What start time do you expect, please?

[Jon H]

7 minutes ago, Steve Dunne said:

What start time do you expect, please?

 

err, not sure. I think the centre has a limit and no flying before 10am? I need to get some info from them at some stage to firm things up but my understanding is doors at 8am and flying at 10. Not sure when we get kicked off the patch. 

[Chris Walby]

I like the idea of option 1 with 5 x 10 slots, that way if I miss a particular slot it will only be a hour or so before it cycles back around again + people can pace themselves if they have two models with adjacent slots e.g  

Slow scale/vintage Large  - Tiger moths/chipmunks etc around 1/4 scale approx. - DR1

Sport - everything you got, no size limits. - Dual Ace

 

A bit of the sublime to the ridicules if I fly them back to back! 

 

Other than that I am not to fussed what we do really so will go with the flow ☺️

 

 

[Chris Walby]

Just in case people are still firming up plans, as opposed to me running around trying to get models ready for this and Model Air!

 

I asked Mannny yesterday (BMFA Buckminster) about camping and flying and I am sure he won't mind me posting his reply if it saves him having not to repeat himself.

 

The Tuesday and Wednesday is an Achievement Scheme Committee hosted Fly-in, so attendance is open to all, could also be useful if you have any attendees who fancy a go at an A or B Cert.

 

There’s nothing booked for the Thursday so its just an open flying day.

 

The Saturday is practice day for the pylon racing on the Sunday but it is actually designated as open flying so everyone has to take their turn and all disciplines mix in together.

 

Sunday is pylon racing so no other RC activity.

 

So, in summary, pilots attending your event can arrive early to camp and fly and could actually fly from Tuesday through to Saturday, camping is no problem for pretty much any number of nights even when there is other activity taking place (the only time we close the campsite is when we hold larger student/educational events).

 

If the weather looks ok I think I'll head up Wednesday afternoon, fly Thursday, Friday and Saturday and head home Sunday...even with that lot I doubt I will wear any Lasers out!

 

Hope that helps

[Moth Flyer 1]

I`m also happy to go with the flow on the day.

 

Jon has been busy overhauling my leaking Laser 180 and building a new Laser 200FT for me. I collected these two engines from him at the factory on Tuesday last week and I greatly appreciate his efforts in getting my engines sorted quickly and efficiently. Packets of Hobnobs certainly ease the passage!

 

The 180 is earmarked for my coming Stampe rebuild and the 200FT has now fitted to my recently aquired Wots Wot XL. This can be seen in the attached images together with my various Wots all fitted with Laser engines. The new cowl came from an aftermarket seller on ebay. Clamshell cut along the colour trim line, fitted with drilled and taped ali brackets, it fits to the model well and allows the top half of the cowl to be removed to gain access to the carbs and linkages. The lower half of the cowl can remain fitted to the model whilst the top half is removed. I`ll detail more fully on the Wots Wot XL thread also running on the RCM&E forums site

 

The two Acro Wot XL examples (the orange white and black recovered example was previously owned by Bill Macleod) are both fitted with 180`s. The two Wot4 XL`s have 150`s whilst the Wots Wot XL has the newly built 200FT fitted. All models shown now urgently need to be set up and test flown prior to our 40th Anniversary bash. I`m going to have to get moving as the date is now moving up on us fast. In all probability, I`ll only be able to fit three of my models in my space limited little Pugeot van thing. The WWXL will certainly be in attendance together with one or possibly two AcroWots. The Wot4 models may have to miss out on the party. I`ll have to see if I can make up a poly pipe arrangement in the van as racking. As we all know getting several sizable models into an undersized vehicle can be a real pain.

 

Do we know how many people we are expecting on the day? Count me and my pal Mick in as two flyers.

 

Cheers guys.

 

Mike

[Jon H]

Just for info i have made the executive decision to go with the 5 slot setup. There is a number of reasons for this, but mostly its because i am a bit intolerant of just winging it and hoping for the best. I have friends who operate their days/evenings out like this and it drives me mad. I like plans as then everyone knows the score, so lets have a plan. We can always throw it out if things change, but i would rather start with a plan and throw it out if we need to than have no plan and waste time with disagreement and confusion. 

 

My boss assures me he intends to come so all of you best be ready with your 'where is my smegging radial?' and other related questions. Also this will allow more transportation and the option to bring our very low tech engine test stand for a bit of a demo on tuning or troubleshooting should anyone fancy it. Would that be of any interest? It might be challenging to explain stuff with the noise of the engine but i am sure something can be worked out. I can brief what i plan to do, what to listen for, then do it? 

 

As mentioned previously i will not be spending all day tuning engines for people, but if i do a demo for everyone...teach a man to fish etc. If it is of interest we can do this in the lunch break/demo part of the day. 

 

I too have no idea how many are coming. There might just be 5 of us with the sky to ourselves 😕 

[Chris Walby]

Thanks for the update Jon, I'll have my two collies (no opposable thumbs, but quick learners) so we only need you and the boss and that makes 5! The rest will be a bonus.

 

On the tuning demo good idea, but only if you have time as you have enough going on anyway. 

 

PS As I am special needs (tuning a twin) gets my vote and I can supply my FT if that helps.

 

[Ron Gray]

I will be there! Tuning tips sounds like a good plan, especially for V twins!

[John Rickett 102]

Do we take from this that there is no need to book? Can anyone who wishes to participate just turn up with or without caravan/camper/tent. That's fine by me but it would be useful to know if there any preconditions, apart from a Laser engined model of course.

I would hate to turn up and then found I've fallen foul of some little pre-requisite that everyone else knew about except me.         

[Chris Walby]

48 minutes ago, John Rickett 102 said:

Do we take from this that there is no need to book? Can anyone who wishes to participate just turn up with or without caravan/camper/tent. That's fine by me but it would be useful to know if there any preconditions, apart from a Laser engined model of course.

I would hate to turn up and then found I've fallen foul of some little pre-requisite that everyone else knew about except me.         

John,

IIRC some people are are staying off site or just turning up for the day. Its what ever suits you really. It will take me an hour and a half to get there and with two dogs its only fair they get a walk and watch me put the tent up.

 

Only my advice, but if in doubt contact Manny and book your pitch, IIRC you don't pay a deposit and it just helps them work out if one man and his dogs are due or lots of caravans! The Beer and Warbirds meeting last year had the camping field full and they had helpers on the entrance to assist with getting people/vehicles in the right place.

 

Check out the BMFA Buckminster camping web page for rules and guidance, but other than that I can't think of any special rules, apart from it does not have to be a Laser to fly on the other days....oorr I had better go an wash my mouth out with castor...

[Moth Flyer 1]

Evening Guys,

 

Now just under two weeks until we hook up at Buckminster for our Laser celibration bash. Thanks indeed to Jon for organising the event for us.

 

I`ve been mega busy sorting household matters. A new central heating has been installed, six barrow loads of gunk removed from gutters and numerous other limited access matters attended to. Sadly my late Father left me with a huge maintenance nightmare which I`ve had to begin to resolve before water ingress began to wreck the place. The effort required has left me rather exhausted and caused me to halt modelling activities for a couple of months whilst I attended to these pressing and urgent domestic matters. Now aged 65years old and with ciatica attacking me with a vengence, the  work doesn`t become any easier with the passage of time. Pleasingly though, I`m now back to modelling activities again with the coming week or so being totally devoted to sorting out the two AcroWot XL models selected to make an appearance on the day.

 

More thanks to Jon who built me a 200FT and has overhauled two of my 180`s during my enforced layoff period.

 

So I`m ready to roll on the Thursday, will be staying at "The Blue Cow" overnight and will be at Buckminster BMFA from about 09.30hrs on the Friday. If anyone is in the local area on the Thursday night and fancies a beer in the evening, please let me know.

 

Cheers guys,

 

Mike Kennedy

[Chris Walby]

Change of plans, incomplete models and flying is all getting in the way, but I have managed to move the G30 out and the FT200 into the Cub so if all goes well it should be at Buckminster!

 

 

PS Weather permitting I'll be coming down from Northumberland and be at Buckminster from Wednesday (camping) + some others camping from Thursday so if anyone is around and about then pop in.

 

 

 

[Ron Gray]

I’ll be there on the Friday and still hoping to take the P51 (UC now repaired), the Revolver and the Hurri (not finished the repairs yet but Klass Cote delivered).

[David Davis 2]

I would love to be there but unless I've won the Euromillions that's not going to happen. Too far to go and at seventy-five years of age I no longer like driving long distances, besides I already have a 370 kms (230 miles) drive on the following weekend for La Coupe Des Barons.

 

Shame that the 45s and 50s  are no longer made. It would be ubercool to enter La Coupe with a Laser!