Jump to content

The Big Question ?


RICHARD WILLS

Recommended Posts

Thank you Learner . I am impressed that you built two models at all, considering your fellow members lack of interest . Please keep watching the thread and you will see the enthusiasm and fun we have from the simple act of construction . Lets face it , isn't that how Lego and Airfix became world wide brands ?

I do take your point though . The members you mentioned are in every club and they are an entirely different kind of person . Different but of course not bad . 

However if they struggle to bolt a wing on before they fly , then I wonder how long it will be before the onerous task of putting on their trousers, before leaving the house, confines them to a life behind doors ?🤣

  • Haha 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't think that the "struggle" to put on a wing at the field should be taken as a reluctance to build a model. I really appreciate not rigging models at the field and so greatly favour one piece models that can fit in the car fully rigged. We were only discussing at the field yesterday morning the hassle with biplanes, due to the rigging required and the solutions possible, such as the Puppeteer which travels with the wings rigged, but with the fuselage split behind the cockpit to allow it to fit in the car.

 

I think in my smaller club of 14 members at least 9 build, or have build, balsa aeroplanes, at least 11 build or have built foam aeroplanes. In my larger club of 35 members there are at least 20 that I have seen have built balsa aeroplanes and a similar number who have built with foam. The balsa builders include quite a few very active scratch builders. Out of all those I don;t think anyone particularly relishes rigging a model at the field. 🙂

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

53 minutes ago, RICHARD WILLS said:

Thank you Learner . I am impressed that you built two models at all, considering your fellow members lack of interest . Please keep watching the thread and you will see the enthusiasm and fun we have from the simple act of construction . Lets face it , isn't that how Lego and Airfix became world wide brands ?

I do take your point though . The members you mentioned are in every club and they are an entirely different kind of person . Different but of course not bad . 

However if they struggle to bolt a wing on before they fly , then I wonder how long it will be before the onerous task of putting on their trousers, before leaving the house, confines them to a life behind doors ?🤣

I think at least 1/2 have got to that stage going by numbers at recent flying days.

Both builds have now been sold complete and ready to fly to fellow members so may build a couple more.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry to keep going back to my experiences with the Hanky Planky Foamy Foamy! Out of the 20 'kits' sold, I think that 7 or 8 were built by club members who hadn't built anything before, albeit they are all seasoned flyers! The main reason they built them (apart from the cost!!!) was that there was a year long competition that they could enter into, not all have, and it looked like it could be good fun, which it really has been. One club member came up to me on Sunday and said that he was going to give up the sport having not flown for the last year and had lost interest but he decided to enter into the spirit of the Hankies. As a result he is now enjoying the sport more than he ever did and loves the way that this has brought club members closer together! Nuff said for me, that comment was the best thing that has come out of this exercise.

 

I do believe that we can do the same with Richard's new models, all it needs is for us each to encourage a couple of others to join in the fun, cos that is exactly what it will be.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Only my limited experience and observation as I decided to build Lindsay Todd's Renaissance a few years back due to the forum enthusiasm for mass builds and what really sealed it for me was the meet up at Buckminster for a fly of the models and meet Lindsay for chat!

 

From that experience and when the club I belong to announced a mass build of Peter Miller's Ohmen I was in for one of those. Interestingly most of the active club members built one so we must have ended up with about 8 being built, which has not been repeated since.

Why, well in my opinion because if you ask 10 modellers what they would like to build then you get 20 answers! IC is dead for this size and the old boy builders will add/change the design to suit themselves and the youngsters (+ those that find fitting a wing too much like hard work) stick with the standard kit. That just leaves the odd builder that just has to make it 6S and a power to weight ratio of 2:1

 

Buckminster - yes, 80th D-Day date should be avoided as people will have commitments elsewhere. 

 

Put me down for one of each, whatever is decided 

 

As has been mentioned, a good flyer essential and I would say value for money but not necessarily cheap. Easy/quickish build preferred (bear in mind how long it takes an Ohmen so anything is a positive). 

 

The last and most important thing it will all hinge of spreading the work to club members to get them involved to boost the numbers for Richard. 

 

PS Consider the most popular models at clubs, in the past there are a lot for Chris Foss designs, why because they are good fliers, but now priced out of the market. Now the Small Arrows edf's why? They fly well and are relatively cheap

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

I havent applied glue in any of these pictures as I'm just figuring out whats missing and what other details we need . 

But in the quick mock , it looks like a super quick build . Plus the shape is definitely on the money . 

The cowl will have an ABS nose ring (I'm making the mould at the moment ) but with a ply wrap for the main part . The Gun trough section between 11 o'clock and 1 will be removable and the battery/batteries will drop in vertically . That way we get all the weight up the front which for both 190 and Tempest is normally a problem . 

Paul would have said , "why dont you tidy your bench first ?

My middle name is Paul , but I never use it...

Get things done quicker if I skip the tidying !

fw3.jpg

fw4.jpg

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The rather nice Gun deck show is a superb 3D rendition by Paul Johnson (many thanks ) . A resin cast will be made and everyone will get a nice Vac formed version which will be ready to paint . I do also have a stock of proper FW190 aluminium spinners for this design . They are pre cut with two slots which will be the preferred prop as these fellas will be belly flopping for the most part . If people want to risk a 3 blade , the FMS zero spinner and prop looks the part but is prone to breakage . 

 

fw5.jpg

fw6.jpg

fw8.jpg

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Martin , what a star you are . I think i would put myself under too much pressure though . I'm still wrestling with the big Loco kit I market and what with Crimbo on the Horizon Ive got to make you lads the priority . 

If I dont have to document too much of the first batch build I should be able to get 190s and Tempests to the faithful on time . 

Hopefully the thread will pad out the instructions . 

Edited by RICHARD WILLS
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, RICHARD WILLS said:

Thanks Martin , what a star you are . I think i would put myself under too much pressure though . I'm still wrestling with the big Loco kit I market and what with Crimbo on the Horizon Ive got to make you lads the priority . 

If I dont have to document too much of the first batch build I should be able to get 190s and Tempests to the faithful on time . 

Hopefully the thread will pad out the instructions . 

Instructions???

 

INSTRUCTIONS?????

 

I barely got all the bits! And some of those were from other aircraft, just to keep me on me toes...

 

***Disclaimer: I didn't get actual kits, but what could be best described as 'workshop sweepings'. Warbirds Replicas ACTUAL kits are superb...

 

😀

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...