WWelcome
the October
elcome to theOctober 2024 issue of RCM&E.
UK (that’s probably torn it!) but is it just me would be fine if all away, has that distinction,
We’vebeenenjoyingsome fine�lying weatherthissummerhereinthe UK(that’s probablytornit!)butis itjustme or aretheseasonalwindspickingup?Stronger summer breezesdoseem to bebecoming thenorm andtheyalsoseem to havea more westerly component ratherthanthe south westerliesthat we have traditionally enjoyed. Which wouldbe fineifall my �lying siteslinedup vaguelyinthatdirection, but of course fewofthemdo.Infact, only one, the farthest away,hasthatdistinction, whilst another(almostas far)can beusedwhen �lyingfrom itsshortrunway.Frustratingly, my neareststriplinesupNNWandSSE so is rarely‘downthestrip’atany pointinthe summer.Whichgotmethinking…
Theobvious answer to thisdilemmais to have twostrips,butthat’s alot of work for thosestalwartclubmemberswho undertake thistask andinmyexperiencesuch‘B’ strips tend to be alittleshort andnarrowsoare of limiteduse.I have heardofclubswithcircular patchessothattheirmembers cantakeo�f in anydirection,as wellthosewithlarge,square areasthatserve thesamepurpose.Butthose sitesare theexceptionratherthantherule.
Ithenhadwhat canonly bedescribedas an ‘Eureka!’moment.Whatabout asmall extensiontothesideofanexisting ‘o�fwind’ grassstrip,but wedgeshapedsothatit only added to thewidthat oneend.Overtimethe wholepatchcouldbetidied up to takeupa ‘piece of pie’shape,leaving astripinitsusual placebutwith an extrabit of widthat one end to more easilycopewith crosswindtakeo�fs andlandings.
So,whatdo youthink, anddoes your clubemployanunusuallyshaped�lying strip to allow�lying overagreater range of winddirections.
Okay,let’stake aquicklookatwhat we have instorefor youthismonth.
SteveHannon getsthings underwayas heassembles an F-22 Raptor stealth fighter, oneofanewline of small-scaletwinEDF jetsfrom XFly Models.ChrisWilliamsopens
the accounts of ourregularcolumnistswith hislatestScale Gliding feature,followed by Phil Stonewithparttwo of his ‘Building with Correx’article in whichhecompletesa HawkT1PSSslopesoarerbuiltfrom plastic sheet.Next, Je�fBarringerdetailsallthehard work that John Rogers andBillPilsbury put intomaking alargescale,electricpowered HP Halifax bomber.Our recent Flair articles were very popular, so we were full of hope aswedispatchedMikeFreemantothe Flair Fly-In;sadly, the weatherhadotherideas butevenso agranddayout wasenjoyed by allinattendance.Our pull-out Pro-Plan thismonth,designed by JonHarper, is for thelesserknown Boulton PaulOverstrand biplanebomber,whichinturnisfollowedby parttwoofMartinHardy’s article on building atri-motoredDornier�lying boat.Our final editorialslot is filledbyDaveGoodenough, whocovers another wide range of model topicsinhis One Man &His Shedcolumn, includinghowtomakesimpleWWI e�fectwheels.
Ihopeyou enjoy readingitall. HappyFlying!
Editor: Kevin Crozier
MortonsMedia Group,MediaCentre, Morton Way, Horncastle,LincsLN96JR kcrozier@mortons.co.uk
On thecover
Photo: Bill Pilsbury
“I’vealwaysfanciedabig four-engined WW2bomber.”
That fatefulcomment from John Rogers to Bill Pilsbury of the NorthamptonModel ircra t Club (NMAC) wastoleadto22 months worthofresearch, design andbuildingtoyield a104-inch scalemodel of aHandley Page Halifaxbomber. Thepairdecided that theLancaster wasa little over modelled andthe Halifax fit ted thebillper fectly.The examplemodelledhails from 466 Squadron RA AF,based at RAF
Contents
Regulars
8 SWITCHON
Ourlatestround up of model �lying news.
38 PILOTS’PICTORIAL
Send us apic ture of anew or favourite modeland it couldappearinour regularreaders’modelsg allery
58 ALLWRITE
Have your sayinRCM&E’s monthly chat room
61 COUNTERPOINT
selec tion of newg adgets,kit sand bits foryou to buy
92 GOINGPLACES
Ourupd ated list of modelshows, events andcompetitionsfor youtovisit over thenex tfew months
94 MARKETPLACE
Sell o� fyourunwanted airframesand enginesormaybe buya fewnew ones
95 NEXT ISSUE
Take alookatwhat’scominginthe November ‘2 4issue of RCM&E
98 PARTINGSHOT
Mike Freemanc apturesaCougar jetwithastick yundercarriage as it survives atrick ylanding
undert aken by John Rogers andBill Pilsbury
40 FLAIRFLY-IN
Mike Freemanjoins otherhardy souls at thecelebration of allthing sFlair hosted by Banbur yMFC
62 DORNIERDo-24ATT
Martin Hardycontinues thestory behind thebuild of hislight weight triengine sc aleamphibian
74 JP FLY-IN
Gr aham shbytravels to Buckminster to help J. PerkinsDistributionpromote theirwares across thevarious modellinghobbies
Columns
16 SCALEGLIDING
ChrisWilliamscrosses hisfinger sas ag argantuanNimbu sscale soarer makesits maiden �light
68 THEINSIDER
Join John Stennard foranother batchof indoor model� lyingtopics
74 ONEMAN &HIS SHED
Topics coveredbyDaveGoodenough this monthinclude ablightedsecondhand barg ain, finding font sfor model stickers andmakingsimpleW WI st ylewheels
Reviews
10 F-22 RAPTOR
SteveHannonscr ambles XFly-Model’s twin 40 mm EDFstealth jet
Features
22 BUILDING WITH CORREX
In hissecondarticle on building with �luted polypropylenesheet Phil Stone showshow to make thef uselageofa PSSHawkT1
30 HANDLE YPAGEHALIFAX
Je�f Barringerrepor ts on an impressive jointscale WW2warbird project
Free Pro-Plan
48 BOULTONPAULP-75OVERSTR AND JonHarperdescribes theresearchand buildofhis 72-inch‘Nugly’ bomber
Switch on
VMCWESTL ANDLYSANDER
Newlyreleasedfrom theVintage Model Company hangar,andthelatest additiontotheir Magnificent Flying Machines range,the22 wingspan Westland Lysander promises achallengingbuildwith provenfree-�light credentials.Designedby ndrewDarby, MCthinkthismaybethe first balsaLysandersincetheold Keil Kra tSmall Flying Scale kitfrom the 1950s. TheLysanderwasmost famousas astealthycarrier of SOE operatives behindenemylinesduringWWII andthisnew versionincludesblack tissuecovering andamarking schemethat re�lectsthoseoperations.The kitissuppliedwith apreciseplottedplan,detailedinstructionbooklet, lasercutparts,vacuum-formed canopy, spinner andenginecowl, 6 prop, Super Tanrubber,prophook andbushings.There’sevena bottle of wood glue thrown in.
Pricedatjust£3 .99 with freeUKshipping,you’llwanttogetthis model on your Christmaswishlistrightnow!
FLYWITHAVONVALEATR AGLE YHALL
KenRichardsonwritesinwithinformation about vonvale MFC, which wasformedin19 2 andwasbased originallyatLongMarston in Warwickshireonanex-wartimeairfield. Theclubmovedtothe Ragley Hallestatewherethemembershave transformedtheirpatchintoan excellent�lyingsite
‘Formedin1962, Avonvale Model FlyingClubhasanenthusiastic membership. We arebasedonthe RagleyEstatenearAlcesterwherewehavea dedicated field. Theclubis a�filiatedtotheBMFAandoperateswithintheir code of practice,and we encouragedevelopment of ourhobby by o�feringfreeclub membership to BMFAjuniors.
At thepresenttime we areunabletoallowtheoperationofgas turbine poweredaircra�t, but IC orelectric fixedwing and rotary aircra�t of allsizes are welcome.Thecommitteewill keepthisunder review.
Newmembers of Avonvale Model FlyingClubareencouragedand we welcomeflyers of allabilitiesandexperience,aswellas alltypes of model aircraft. As aBMFAAffiliatedcluballmembersarerequiredtomaintain currentBMFAmembershipinorderthat youare insured andcan take advantage of theBMFAachievementschemeshouldyouwish. We have club instructorsandexaminerswhocanadvise,assistand test youwhenyou areready.
Prospective newmembersareencouraged to complete ouronline form for adviceand to arrange avisit to meetmembersanddiscusseithergettinginto
thehobbyorjoiningtheclubintheeventthat youare already�lying, no matter what yourlevel of experience.’ http://www.avonvale.org.uk
SALE MFCCELEBRATE 50 YE ARS
This year Sale Model FlyingClubisnot only celebrating 50 yearssince itsinception,butitisalso, remarkably,celebrating50 yearsof�lying from thesamesiteatBanky Meadow.
Theclubhadsomeearly beginningsbeforeformally becoming Sale Model FlyingClub.Backin196 some of the founding members�lew controllinemodelsat Sale Boys GrammarSchool anda ter ashort periodthe �lyersmovedtothe CronfordFieldsrunning trackinSale wheretheycontinued to �lyfor thenextfew years. In 19 the�lyers were asked to give ademonstrationofmodel�lyingatSale Moor High School. This wasn’t thesuccessit washoped to be andasaresult the�lyers were movedbythe Counciltoanother field, which was ParkwayCricketClubnearSale WaterPark. This wasthebeginning of the formalclubbeingestablished.
Themoveto the cricket field formally createdthe first club, ParkwayModel FlyingClub,whichisstillinexistencetoday �lying from thesamesiteatSale Waterpark. t thesametimethenewly formedclubobtaineda12-monthlicenceto�ly from acouncil field on Banky Meadow.However, afarmeralsohad alicence forthe same area andwasn’t keen on sharing. s aresult, the Councilo�fered an adjacent fieldwhichis where clubhas�lownfromeversince.Thisbegan the formal creationofSale Model FlyingClubin19 .
Thefieldhaschanged overthe years. Originally aretiredtip,the field hasseenthegroundsettle whichhasmeantthe topographyhaschanged constantly. Originallytherewerea fewtrees aroundthe fieldbutnow thereare alargenumber, whichhaschangedthelandscapeconsiderably. Surrounded on threesides by theRiverMersey itconcentrates your mind on asafelanding!
TheareawasdesignatedaSSSI(SpecialSiteofScientificInterest)in the 0swhich gavesomecause forconcernatthetimeastheclub was unsure whether�lying wouldstillbepermitted.Fortunately,itcontinued without anyproblems. swithmanyclubs we have hadour ups and downs andatitspeaktheclubhadover130members,butnowadays we normallynumber around 0.
BANTHE BLEMISHES
Theclubhas dwellings within afew miles andaswith many clubsithas sometimes hadanissuewithnoise,withsomecomplaintsbeingmade to the Council. Theclubhasalwaysmanagednoise strictlyinlinewith BMF guidelines,howeverthese days theissueisfar less prevalentwith many electricmodelsbeing�lown.
Theclubhasseenmany memberscome andgoand we have sadly lostsomegreatfriends. It seems thatmanyclubsnowhaveanageing membership andweallneed to do what we can to encourage the younger generationtoget o�ftheir gamesconsoles andgetout and�ly! saclub we havewelcomedmany beginners andmentored andtaughtthemto �lymodelaircra t, bothfixedwing andhelicopters.The clubhasseveral instructorsandcurrentlytwo BMF examiners.Wecontinuetowelcome newpeopleintothesport andtoensure the continuity of theclub.
If youwanttojoina friendly club andcan takethebanter,comeon down to Sale Model FlyingClubatBanky Meadow fora greatday’s�lying.
RichardLines
The club has dwellings a few and as with clubs it has
Amix of FixandFlex withMicroBalloonsmakes asynthetic foam mixture.Thisis lightin weightandflexible to matchthe exactcharacteristicsoftheEPOwing.
F-22 RAP TOR
Steve Hannon scramblesXFly-Model’stwin40 mm EDFstealthjet
Words SteveHannon
TheXFly-ModelsF-22 Raptor arrived extremelywellpackedinacustom designedpolystyrenecrate,withall theparts well protected. Thisisa twin40 mm EDFjetconstructedfrom EPO, withABSplasticparts forstrength and rigidity.Itcomeswiththe followingitems pre-installed:
5x9-gram digitalservos
2x40mmductedfans(12 blades)with powerful5000 kV motors
2x20-ampESCslinked andfittedwith an XT60connector
Alsoincluded areabag of screwswith twoAllen keys,apair of servo balllink connectorsfor theelevators, aset of landing gear,acarbonfibrewing joinertube anda comprehensive instructionmanualshowing detailedassemblystages,controlsurface movements andthe recommended CofG. Removingthepackaging andthewings reveals awellpackedfuselagewitha removable canopycontainingapilot.The servo andESCconnections terminatein the canopyareaand arealllabelledwith theirfunctions.
F-22 Raptor is astreamlined andtrue-to-scale design. All� lyingpicturesare courtesy of XFly-Model.
XFly Model’sF-22Raptorjoins themanufacturer’s growinglineupoftwin40mmEDF jets
Scaledetails includethe air inlets,clear canopy with pilot, dummyjet e� �lux nozzlesand full-� lying horizontalstabs.
Photos Steve Hannon,KevinCrozier, XFly-Model
All components canbeassembledquickly without anygluebeingneeded. Here,an all-movingstabiliser is beingslidontoits joiner rod.
ASSEMBLY
Thecarbonfibrewingjoiner wasfirstslidinto thefuselagetube andthenthewings installed, withtheservo connectorsbeingpushed into thealready installedservo extension leads inthefuselage,makingsure thatthecorrect polarityisobservedasitispossible to makethe connectionsthewrongway around. terpushingthemhomethewingsare then fixed to thefuselageusingthesuppliedscrews. Next,thetailplanes were fitted,withthe rotatingconnector rodspushed into thetubes inthefuselage andfixedusingthesupplied screws.Iconnectedtheelevator servo leadin the canopyareatomyservo tester,ensuring thatbothelevator servoswereatneutral, and thenfittedtheelevator pushrods to theservos andelevatorswhilstmaking anyadjustments necessary to thelinkages to ensure neutral settings.Apair of balllinkpliers is very useful forattachingthelinks to theelevators.
UNDERCARRIAGE
Theverysubstantial rear landing gear legs area firmpushfitintoslotsalready presentin thefuselage. Thefrontlandinglegissteerable andslides intoa slotinthebottomofthefuselage,
“Iconnectedthe elevatorservolead inthecanopyarea tomyservotester, ensuringthatboth elevatorservoswere atneutral”
Loopsinthe aileronpushrodsallow fneadjustmentofthe controlsurfaces.
9-gramservosare fttedthroughout, fveintotal.
XFly areexperts at packagingwithall partsfrmly securedinclosely mouldedcompartments.
Easy to ft landinggearcan easily be removedfor more speedand vertical performancewhilstutilising the moulded-infngergrips( just behind thelegs) forhandlaunches.
Closeuponthe nosewheelsteeringservo andfttings.
A� lighttimeofuptoeight minutesisclaimed ona 2600 mAhpackwithproperthrottlemanagement. Thereviewmodel �lew forsix minutesonan1800 mAhpack.
not forgetting to addthewhite plasticthrust washer to thelegbeforeinserting.
Averycleverlinkageisincludedtoconnect thetop of thesteeringlegtothe installedservo inthe canopyarea. Installationisa bitfiddly, butit canbedonewith care.
FINALCHECKS
Theaileronsandelevatorsmovements were set to therecommended values andthe CofG checked. It issuggestedthat�light timesbetweenthreeandeight minutesare achievable,depending upon throttle usage,
withthe recommended four cell 1300 -2600 mAh LiPo.
Thereare moulded-in fingergrips on the bottom of thefuselage foreasyhand launching when�lyingfrom sitesnot suitable forground takeo�fs.
Asleek beast, nose on!
Fingergripsallow forhandlaunchesbut if �lying this way(recommendedifnot �lying from tarmac)then maybe remove theundercarriageand getsomethrowingpracticeinoverlonggrass.Eventhisshort-mown grass proved to be toolongfor take o� fs.
“A six-minute flight was flown,withloops andtwinklerolls easilyachieved”
FIRSTFLIGHTS
Thefirst�lights of theF-22didn’t go toowell. nearbyclubfield waschosen forthe first�lights asthereisa mownrunway whichisalways kept ingood condition.
Afour-cell1800mAhLiPowas installed and withthe CofGchecked,thecontrolsurfaces checkedandthe radio rangechecked,all was well. TheF-22 wasplaced facingintowind(a slight breeze) andthe throttleincreased to full. Themodel accelerated wellbutasthespeed increasedit wasclearthattheslight undulations intherunway were causingthemodel to bounce up anddownsothe take-o�f wasaborted.
We thendecided to trya handlaunch. Thereare fingergrips underthefuselage to makehandlaunchingeasier, so themodel was pointedintowindagain anda stronglaunch wasgiven. Unfortunately, asthemodelle t the launcher’shandthenose of the model was raised andwithnoairspeed themodelsunk to theground, causingdamage to thefront landinggearleg andminordamage to thenose. With repairscompleted Idecided to try ahandlaunchagainbutwiththe landing gearremoved. Thistime Igot ahelperto launchthemodel overlonggrass andthefirst launch, again, wasastruggle,withthe model sinkingintothelonggrass.The secondlaunch wasbetter,withmore forwardspeed,andthis timethemodelgot away. six-minute�light was�lown,with loopsandtwinkle rolls the ground, causing damage the front
landing gear leg and minor damage to the nose. a hand launch again but with the gear removed. This time I got a helper to launch the model over long grass and the first again, was a struggle, with the sinking into the long grass. The second launch was better, with more forward speed, and this time the model got six-minute �light was �lown, with loops and twinkle
Despite the e�forts of Steve's friend, John shots of the hence the use of XFly’s in-� light ft landing gear o�fers smooth take-o� f and
Despitethe best e� fortsofSteve's friend,John Freeman, good �lying shotsofthe review model proved elusive, hencethe useofXFly’sin-�light pics elsewhere.
to ft landinggearo�ferssmoothtake-o� fand landings -ifyou arelucky enough to �lyfrom
Flight timesof3 -8 minutesare claimedwhenusing therecommended4S1300–2600mAh LiPo.The test model returned sixminutes on awell-used 1800 mAhpack.
Under thecooling ventsare two20A brushlessESCs. Twin 1413-KV5000brushless motors areftted in the40mmEDF units.
easilyachieved. Controlmovements were wellharmonisedbutaswithallsmallmodels theF-22 mustbe kept reasonablyclosein whilst�lyingasitiseasy to getdisoriented ifthe model �lies toofar away.Landing intothelonggrassat highalpha waseasy andpredictable.
LESSONSLEARNED
So,thelessonslearnedwith XFly-Model’sF-22 Raptor areasfollows:
In order to get theF22 to takeo�f from the groundyou need areally �latrunway,suchas tarmac, duetothe small wheelsfitted on the landinggear.
Forhandlaunchingitis advisable to remove thelandinggeartoavoid damage andlaunchthemodel over longgrassif possible.Whenlaunching amodelwitha propelleratthefrontyouhave the advantage of airbeingpushed over the
controlsurfacesfrom thestart.With an EDF model youmustachievea good�lying speedimmediatelyfromthelaunchas you have noairmoving over thecontrol surfaces until�lying speed is achieved. In conclusion,theXFly-ModelF-22 Raptor is averynicelyfinished aeroplane andwell designed. Once intheairitperforms very predictablyandis quite fast on fullthrottle, withthetwin40mmEDFsperforming well. Slow �lyingat highalphais good funbut avery smoothrunway is an absolutemust forthis model to takeo�feasilyfromthe ground. ■
DATAFILE
Model: F-22 Raptor Twin40MM EDFjet
Modeltype:ARTFsemi-scalestealth fighter
Manufacturer:XFly-Model
UKimporter: CML Distribution https://www. cmldistribution.co.uk
RRP: £169.99
Length: 955 mm (37.6”)
Wingspan:702 mm (27.6”)
Flying weight:950 g(33.5 oz)
Wingloading:89g/dm²
Wing area 16 .3sq.in.(10.6dm )
Motorsize 1 13-K 5000 x2
ESC 20 x2
EDFSize 0 mm EDF12-Blade x2
Servos 9gx5
Functions(servos):Ailerons, elevator,throttle, rudder/nose-wheel
LiPo: 4S1300 -2600mAh
Once airborne theF-22ispredictable and� lies fast on full throttle.
XFly’s 40 mm twin powersystem delivers plenty of thrust forfastclimbs, twinklerolls andloops.
GARGANTUAN NIMBUS
ChrisWilliams crosseshisfingers andtoes as amassive scale soarer makesitsmaiden
Words& Photos ChrisWilliams
When weatherhistorians come to look atthe13th of pril202 theywill notewith considerable surprisethattheconditions were near perfectfor the first of the WhiteSheet club’sscale�ly-ins forthatyear. s muchas Ihatetopreface an event reportwithsuch matters,giventhe endless Building Weatherboth before anda terwards, it wasmiraculous indeedthat wewere able to happily frolic on the hallowedslopes to our heart’s content.Thus,itwasthatthere wasa robustturnout,withmuch to see andmarvelat.
Thelucky threestaggered to theedgeofthe slope…
It’susuallythelargestu�fthat catchestheeyefirst andWill Hosie’s gargantuanNimbus was to be no exception. Let’stakea quicklookat thespecs.Spanning1 metres,this productfrom TunModels weighs in at lbs andrunson1 channels.Scaled at1 2.5,shehaseightailerons and four �laps,plus aretract with brake, costing… But no,I didn’t evendare to speculate, other thanbut wonder howitwasgoing to escape thesurly shackles ofEarth. Therewasmuch inthe wayofconfabandconference until aconsensuswas reached and theluckythreestaggeredtothe edge
Tun Models Nimbus 4in impressive action.
of theslope,bornedown by more thanthe weight of mereexpectation. More confabensued andthelegs of thepoorguy underthefuselage started to bendandbuckleasthe surroundingthrongheld theircollective breath.Finally, thestarter’sgunwentbang,figuratively speaking, andthe Launch Collective staggered forwardsintothe reasonablyrobustbreeze. Thewingmenpeeledthankfullyaway, whilstthe ManintheMiddle gave of hisutmost,nearlygetting hisheadclipped by thetailplane in the process.Itwas aclose callasthesailplanesagged towardstheside of the slope,butgravity wasfinallythwartedandtheNimbussailedgracefully away from thehill.
On thesticks,pilot Graeme Mahoney’s face waspicture of concentration asheassimilatedallthemyriadfactorsassociatedwith amaiden�light. Butthat wasokay, the rest of us were quiterelaxed… Themodel wasquite asight to beholdasit�loated around forten or fi teen minutes,although Graemestruggled to findtheheight foraconventionalintowindlanding. Eventuallyhesettled foracrosswindsetdown on the Westernside of the hillandthe adventure came to an end. Smilesall round,then, plusthe usualcongratulations,althoughthemodelstayedonthe ground forthe rest of theday!
Launcher 1shows thestrain!
BarryCole’s, akaSmallpiece, scaledupversion of theRCM&E Slingsby Prefectat the WhiteSheet event. AntoniaGigglaunchesher DG 303.
Adam Chambers with hisPenrose Pegasus.
“Ifearedtheworst andwonderedifthe doggybaginmy pocketwouldbeall Ineededtocarther home”
Wifeandhusband team ntoniaand Mel Giggenjoyedabusyday, with ntonia’sDG 303 looking very tasty.Phil Huddleston puthis SlingsbyT21cthroughmanoeuvresthat Fred Slingsbywouldneverhave recognised andwould have beenimpossible anyway withoutallthat generouswing area. dam Chambers’ Pegasus hadnotroublestayingup andsoconfidantwas hethathedidn’t evenstrap on the propeller! llinall, agreatstart to 202 andEvent Director Jim Emptage is to becongratulated for calculatingthecorrectsizeoftheemolumentto bepaid to the Weather Gods…
PLANNEDDISINTEGR ATION
It wasattheabove-mentionedeventthat strangethingshappened to my Skylark 3,which su�fered adose of PTFCS(Premature Terra Firma Convergence Syndrome).Banking to thele t to turn intofinalsshesuddenlyfailed to respond to my increasing desperate inputs andhitthedeckwith amightythump,stillina bankedturn. Naturally, Ifearedthe worst and wonderedifthedoggybag in my rear pocket
In
wouldbeall Ineeded to cart herhome. oucan imagine my surprisewhen IarrivedatGround ero to findshedidn’t have ascratch on her, theouterwingpanels havingpulledpartially out,breakingthewingtapesintheprocess. Before Istartboastingaboutitallbeingin thedesign,letmetakeyoubacktothe same venuea fewyearsagowhen Iwasmaidening my larger versionofthe Duster.Thistoo had athree-piecewing andIhad theouterpanels retainedwithinsulatingtapewrapped around boththe topandbottom surfaces -just to be sure, youunderstand. Comingin forhermaiden landingtheportwing collidedwith amuscular
clump of grass andthemodeljustseemed to explode.PostDisaster analysis brought forth theconclusionthatthe over-useofthe tape wasthe principal culprit andeversince,when using tapeas amethod of wing retention, Ihave always usedit on the topsurface only.(This hastheextrabenefit of hiding thejoin, which mayormay nothave been constructed to be su�ficientlyneat!)
Thusit waswiththe Skylark that thesplitting of thetapeabsorbedthesudden stresses, whilst thelightness of thenearall-balsaairframe ensuredthatsaidstresses weren’tasstrongas they might otherwisehave been.
e Pegasus in action at the White Sheet event.
thepitsonthe WhiteSheet club’s south-westerly slope.
“…theuseoffilm to coverthefuselage cameas asurpriseto thosewhothought it mighthavebeen painted”
(Justin case anyone waswondering,the loss of controlturned out to have been caused by adodgysocket on thewiringharness.Said harnessisnolonger on thepremises.)
PROJECTCONCLUSION
days,
In abreakfrom my usual protocol, giventhe completeunreliability of the weatherthese days,Imadethebolddecision to give the Foka5 itsmaiden�lightatthe aforementioned White Sheetevent,justin case anotherchancemight notcomealong foragoodlywhile.
smoothlaunch by Motley Crewsawher �lysteadilyawayfromthehill,seemingly inexcellenttrim andwithno cause forany alterationtotheshape of thetrousers. Unsurprisingly, the�lightperformance provedsimilartothe of the Foka ,witha smoothperformancein abrisk breeze, and theuse of filmtocoverthefuselage came as
asurprise to thosewhothoughtitmight have beenpainted! Now, whattodoaboutthis empty workbench…?
KEEPINGSCHTUM…
Before theink forthis column haddriedthere came athunderousknockingat my frontdoor.
It wasthe Scale Police,presentingmewitha Cease &DesistOrderin relationtomyserial use of non-scalewingsectionsin my designs. No soonerhadtheygone,thefrontdoor trembled onceagain andthistimeit was the ConspiracyPolice. Cease &Desist,they said,from spreadingrumoursthatoursmart phones arereallyalien artefactsslowly
A smooth launch by Motley Crew sawthe Foka 5� ly steadily away from thehill.
I made the bold decision Foka 5 its maiden �light at the
CW with hisnew Foka 5before itsmaiden� light.
Just flm, no paint!
suckingoutourbrains.(Well,theevidenceis all around whatdo youthink ‘ irDrop’ really means anyway?)
So,I’m keepingschtumaboutthat one, butI willnotbe silencedaboutwhereallthebalsais reallygoing. Seriously,windturbineblades…? I’ll tell youwhereit’sreallygoing;it’sgoing to asecretfacilityinthe Nevada desert(where else?) where they arebuilding an all-balsa versionofthe Titanic.Itisclaimedthatthiswill bethe world’sfirst unsinkable cruiseship and will notbeintimidated by anyspare chunks of �loatingice.
Now, if only Icould remember whereI put my phone…
c_williams30@sky.com ■
Wing tipviewofthe Foka 5soaring over WhiteSheet.
g her