Messages

91

Slope Soaring / Who is building what for 2015?

« on: November 05, 2014, 20:36:43 PM »

Hi John,

Are you printing the tissue or painting?
Brush or air brush?

Chris

92

Slope Soaring / Who is building what for 2015?

« on: November 03, 2014, 23:32:28 PM »

Keith,

You could say its a bit of both. After two attempts at building the kit fuselage the ply sides were only good for templates and the kit triangle stock was matchwood.

Attempt 3 appears to be going together much more successfully.

So, hopefully I'll end up with a Little Keith P6, with a hand crafted fuselage and kit flying surfaces - the absence of a proper building board didn't have any impact on the kit flying surfaces, they all appear to be straight and true. Tonights tasks were painting over the repairs to another model and making a neat servo tray. Next I need to figure out where the Rx will fit nicely and allow some reasonable routing for the receiver antennae rather than the usual afterthought "where can these fit and still be out of the way".

BEC to be figured out yet.

Chris

93

Slope Soaring / Who is building what for 2015?

« on: November 03, 2014, 09:43:40 AM »

Hi Keith,

You can stick with all of those unpleasant thoughts about me, they were probably right. If I was sensible I wouldn't be playing with toy airplanes. I'd be playing golf or collecting stamps...

No technical problems really, I was not set up for building plywood fuselages. For the last several years I've been using a 'universal' jig for building wings and fuselages. It started life as a Lincoln Log wing jig, then got modified for carbon rod builds and more recently still got some new attachments made (ahem, essentially lumps of MDF with threaded holes in them) for building fuselages.

Anyway, my universal jig meant that until now I've not had any need for a building board, and since its around 30 years since I last built an all ply fuselage (Middle Phase), I'd forgotten how useful they can be.

The build became labour intensive when I tried making do without a proper building board for the P6, so now in addition to the model itself I've now got a new building board and after 3 attempts a device for reliably making triangle stock. I've also now got a nice set of fusleage sides cut from a single piece of 1/16 ply. At least the fuselage formers are still usable...

Freds laser cutting and cyano meant I didn't need a building board for my Quark Micro.

I strongly suspect that my universal jig will be getting rolled out when its time to stick the P6 fuselage sides together though.

Chris

94

Slope Soaring / Who is building what for 2015?

« on: November 02, 2014, 22:13:14 PM »

I'm building the worlds most labour intensive Phase 6 kit in history, even allowing for Little Keith's recommended mods.

I was originally planning to have it ready for the September Big L fly in (2014). Need I say any more?

Should be ready for September 2015

95

PSS / Blackburn Buccaneer

« on: October 19, 2014, 16:33:04 PM »

Ah, but think of the competition. It wouldn't be your laser cutter any more...

96

PSS / Blackburn Buccaneer

« on: October 19, 2014, 09:31:01 AM »

After some discussion with Little Keith (its his fault :roll: ):

Here's something else I came across on the interweb.

1/8 scale PSS Blackburn Buccaneer, depron and glass cloth.

http://www.hippocketaeronautics.com/hpa_forum/index.php?topic=15787.0

If I didn't already have too many modelling projects on the go...

97

Scale / Veron Hawker Hart

« on: October 18, 2014, 23:57:59 PM »

Yes, I reckon he has built one or two FF models before. Came across it on a free flight forum.

Looks like fun, but I wonder how many test flights there were before he had the successful flights shown.

Does look like fun though.

98

Scale / Veron Hawker Hart

« on: October 18, 2014, 19:29:52 PM »

Came across this the other day. Enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKW-wXbjPfw

99

How to... / Gorilla Glue

« on: July 05, 2014, 13:05:19 PM »

I'm an expert builder (in my dreams), so expert that I need an extensive knowledge of glue solvents in order to fix all the mistakes I make during the building process.

I've used gorilla glue on and off for this and that, but only recently one of the lads (Jim) shared this nugget with me - vinegar softens gorilla glue.

I had yet another building mistake to rectify, on a ply sided model, so I gave this a go.

I was amazed, after a very short period of time (minutes) the glue joint had softened enough to get a blade into the joint and after that the joint pretty much came away in my hand. I'm not sure how well this would work for separating balsa or foam joined with gorilla glue, but for ply or hardwood from balsa it really works a treat.

I had clear distilled malt vinegar to hand, so that is what I used. I brushed it liberally over the joint using a 1/2 inch brush, and waited.

Don't try this if you're feeling hungry though, for obvious reasons. Aroma still lingering, SWMBO still doesn't believe me, she thinks I had a secret stash of chips in the workshop...

Chris

100

Scale / P47 - Electric Conversion.

« on: May 19, 2014, 23:38:15 PM »

Here is what the current F2B World Champion is using to arrest sparks during plug in on his championship winning model. If I recall correctly he is running 5S, but don't quote me on that.

Very very simple, but not really suitable for Deans connectors.

101

Misc / spy plane fries air traffic control computers shuts down lax

« on: May 10, 2014, 21:23:59 PM »

Came across this on another forum

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/investigations/spy-plane-fries-air-traffic-control-computers-shuts-down-lax-n95886

I guess it says more about software developers/development than airplanes, even U2s

102

Slope Sites in Ireland / New slope site 1 hour north of dublin

« on: March 20, 2014, 22:57:32 PM »

Not that I have an OS map in front of me but I believe the location is called 'Clairemont Cairn' on the relevant OS map. I think that it is on the route of the annual 'puc fada', long distance hurling for anyone who doesn't know already, nothing to do with goats.

When are you lads thinking of trying it out? Its probably the best part of an hour from my base, so weather and visa's permitting I might get a day out as well.

103

Scale / The story of a Vimy...

« on: February 18, 2014, 21:17:23 PM »

I don't know Fred. Just back from the science museum in London and there are a few scale details missing....

Starboard wing on the original LE has a number of white linen patches. Traditional fixes looks like, rectangles of various sized fabric doped onto the existing covering. Almost every second rib bay.

Got to say, having stared at the full size for a bit, they were brave men. Cockpit looked very small, and very exposed, and big and all as the airplane is, it is still quite a small airplane.

Chris

104

Slope Soaring / Pentrez Plage

« on: February 13, 2014, 09:48:26 AM »

Fred,

Can't write a word of francais to save my life anymore (was never much good at writing it anyway), but any word on how Pentrez has fared out with all of these storms?

Chris

105

How to... / Soldering Deans type connectors.

« on: February 10, 2014, 09:24:13 AM »

Keith,

Agreed, but sometimes it is really hard to just hold onto the deans, hence the large dia heat shrink trick. Less of a problem with other types of connectors as they tend to be physically larger and easier to grip (at least the ones I've used). Still prefer the deans though.

Chris