You Win Some...

[David Davis]

Attached a little seasonal story which proved therapeutic to write. 

You Win Some, or an Exercise in Recycling.

 

In September 2008, I was delivering some Jaguar spares to Adfa Motors in the remote village of Adfa, Powys, Mid Wales. To my delight the proprietor, a South African, was an aeromodeller and ran a separate little business designing and selling large model aeroplane kits. He also had several used models for sale. Amongst these was an Astro Hog finished largely in white with mauve stars as decoration. Dating from 1958, the Astro Hog is quite an attractive aircraft with curved lines and an open cockpit and it was the first successful aerobatic radio controlled model aircraft. This one had obviously been well-flown and one of the aileron horns had become detached but that was not a problem. “How much for the Astro Hog?” I enquired. “Oh you can have it,” said the proprietor, “it’s far too oily to sell.” I looked at the dried castor oil on the fuselage and tailplane and thought, “You should see some of the oily old specimens which I fly!”

 

So I took it home and after a brief session with some thinners and Mr Muscle the staining was largely removed and the repair to the aileron horn was the work of ten minutes. However, the previous owner had fitted the engine retaining bolts from below and had soldered them to a strip of metal to prevent them from rotating when the nuts were tightened and none of my engines matched the spacing. Now I could have cut way the balsa block from under the nose, removed the bolts and drilled new holes to take one of my own engines but the model was so well-built that I didn’t want to do that and so the project was put on hold until a suitable engine became available.

 

Months later I was in the model shop in Whitchurch. In the shop is a table with lots of second-hand stuff on it. Amongst the stuff was a Merco 61 model aircraft engine. The Merco was a popular British design in the Fifties and Sixties which went out of production in the Eighties, because more powerful and sophisticated engines were being produced by German, Italian and Japanese manufacturers. (Sound familiar?) This particular specimen seemed to have been well used and was seized solid. It had also gone almost black in colour probably because it had got too hot inside an inadequately vented cowling. A price of £12 was agreed; a modern engine of equivalent size will cost between £60 and £150.

 

So the Black Merco was mine. I took it home. I felt that it had probably seized because castor oil had solidified internally. I stuck it in the oven, (there are advantages to living on your own!) removed it after ten minutes, held it in a rag, and turned the crankshaft. It was free! A quick squirt of Three in One and the Black Merco was seized no more. Mirabile Dictu the mounting holes matched the bolts in the Astro Hog. The Black Merco was bolted in; a quick scrabble through my spares box, (junk box?) revealed a strap-on silencer and a serviceable carburettor which were soon fitted. I had some ancient Sanwa servos modified by a friend so that they fitted a modern receiver, these were installed and with freshly charged batteries the old Astro Hog was ready to fly.

 

Wednesday 23^rd December 2009 must go down as a thoroughly Blokeish Day. In the morning, with my mate Marino, we scrapped two old Alfa Romeos and got over £100 for them. In the afternoon with the temperature barely above freezing I took the Astro Hog to Forton Aerodrome. It took me over an hour to get the engine to run properly. With second-hand engines you have to guess at the carburettor settings but eventually the engine caught and ran. A few quick adjustments and the Black Merco was running well, so with a club colleague in attendance, the Astro Hog was launched and for the first time in at least two years, it flew.

 

Only one flight was attempted because it was so cold. It will require a few minor adjustments to the controls but it promises to be a beauty. All for £12 and a few favours!  

 

 

[TonyS]

Great tale!

 

This is the benefit of having been modelling for many years, knowing what you're doing and having an accumulation of 'spare bits'.

 

I've only really started building this year so when I'm short of a part I have to look for somewhere I can buy one. 

 

POst some pics of the re-born plane if you get a chance..... 

[Phil Claridge]

you should see my loft room tony, i can,t move for (spares) planes and basket cases. i inherited from two modellers

[David Ashby - Moderator]

Good Stuff David, I liked that, do you have a piccy of the model?

[Stephen Grigg]

Nice story David.Ive a Merco 61 in a Stringalong and it also arrived seized up with gunge but soon freed off and sounds fine

[David Davis]

I would post a picture but just at the moment my camera won't talk to my computer. I need a disc or something.