WelcometotheNovember2023issueofRCM&E.
Irecentlyenjoyedtwoback-to-backflying sessions.InthemorningIflewmyOspreyF5Jglider andIthoughtIwouldusesomeoftheexcellentconditionsto practicespotlandings.Inourclubcompsthismeansflyingfor 2.5minutesandlandinginthecentreofthespotdeadontime.If youmanagethetimeandlandingexactlyyouscoreonepoint foreverysecondofflighttimeplus50pointsforthelanding, givinga200-pointscoreforaperfectflight.
Foreverysecondyouflyoverorunder,thosesecondsare subtractedfromthemaximum150fortheflight.Andfor landinginthecentreofthespotyouscoreanextra50points, earningprogressivelylessuntiloutsideof10Myouscorezero landingpoints.
IhaveonlybravedoneclubcompandIthoroughlyenjoyedit. ButIdidhaveoneoftheexperiencedcompetitionpilotshelping mewithscoring.(ThanksIan,Iwouldhavebeeninacomplete brainfogwithoutyourhelp!)MykindclubmateshadplacedIan andmyselfinthecentralspotposition,whichwasabit unnervingandmeantthatIhadarelativelynarrowcorridorinto whichtoaimmyexpensivefourmetrespanglider,ontopof whichitiscommonpracticetostandattheendofthe measuringtape.Althoughflybyswouldhavebeenpossible,the chancesofmedoingsowithoutclobberingoneofmypalsinthe outerpositionswouldhavebeenfairlyhigh.So,itfeltpretty importanttohitthespotorbust!
MosttimesIhitthespot,andonceIevengotclosetothe centre,butIalsonearlywentforbusttoo-quiteliterally!On thatapproachIgotmyflapdeploymentwrongandtheOsprey arrivedwithamightythump.Aquickcheckshowedthatallwas wellsowecontinuedwithmyotherflights.
So,althoughIenjoyedmyfirstF5Jcompetition,Ididfeelthat somespotlandingpracticewouldbebeneficial,notonlyto improvemypilotingskillsbuttoalsohelpminimiseanydamage tothatlovelycarbonairframe.Hence,onthemorningin questionIborrowedoneoftheclub’sspotlandingtapesand practicedmyarrivals,standingclosetothemiddleofthespot. ThingswentwellandwhilstIdidnotdomuchthermallingthat day,IdidcomeawayfeelingthatIhadachievedsomething ratherthanjustfloatingmyglideraroundlookingforlift.
FeelingbuoyedupbythislearningexperienceIresolvedto usetheafternoonpowersessiontoimprovethecharacteristics ofmychosenaerobatfortheday,a3SsizeaerobatthatIthought waswellsortedbutknewcouldbetweakedfurther.Hence, equippedwithacopyofPeterJenkins’excellentbook‘Model
AircraftPrecisionAerobatics’,Isatinmycampingchairatthe patchandbeganrevisingthechapter‘SetupandTrimming’.
Petersays, ‘ManyclubpilotssettheCGfortheirfirstflightand neverthinkaboutitagainiftheflightwasasuccess’,whichformost ofmymodelscertainlyhasaringoftruthaboutit!Thisonehad beenflyingwiththesameCGforyearssoIthoughtitwould makeagoodsubjecttoseeifasoundflyingaeroplanecouldbe madetoperformevenbetter.MovingtheCGbackoverthe courseofafewLiPosdidindeedmakeitfeelmoreresponsive untiloneflightwhenitprovedtobeatadtoolively.So,aquick landingwasmadeandtheLiPomovedforwardtotheprevious position.
Andso,justlikemyspotlandingsessionearlierintheday,I mademywayhomewithafeelingthatIhadachievedquitea lot,ifonlyjusttomakeinvertedcircuitswiththisparticular modelfeelalotmorecomfortable.
So,beforeyougoflyingnexttimewhynotaskyourselfif thereisanywayyouthatcouldimprovetheperformanceof eitheryourselforyourmodelandhaveawell-focussedflying sessiontotryanddojustthat.It’stimewellspent,Ipromiseyou.
Okay,timenowtotakeabrieflookatwhatwehavelinedup foryouintheNovemberissueofRCM&E.Startingwithour regularcolumns,inhislatestRetroRamblings,ShaunGarrity finallygetshismousenibbledKwikFly3backinthesky,plushe coverstachos,homebuiltradiosandthePontefractfly-in.Then it’sovertoGrahamAshbyandKickTheTyresforanother selectionofcluborientatedaffairs.
Forthismonth’sPro-Plan,TonyNijhuispresentsthefourth EDFjetinhislatestseriesofTNMiniJets,anF-16Fighting Falcon.
OurfeaturesstartwithMakeBetterLandings,inwhichJeff Barringeroffersadvicetosimplifytheprocess.Forindoorfliers, JohnStennardlooksatAl’sIndoorAutogyros,withdrawingsfor somerotaryaircrafttoaddtoyourindoorfleet.ThenNickWard takesonthechallengetobuilda3-channelsportsmodel,aDave RobelenPronto,injusttwoweeks.Concludingourfeatures(and hisarticles),StephenWesselfinisheshisENVengineandrunsit forthefirsttime.
Ontestthismonth,DaveGoodenoughbuildsacurvyelectric soarernamedLaSenorita.Finally,ShaunGarrityslotstogethera quickbuildXFlykitoftheAlphaJetlightattackaircraft. Ihopeyouenjoyreadingitall.
Photo:DavidAshby
TonyNijhuis’modeloftheF-16wastestedona4SFMSfanunitas themodelneededtobepowerfulenoughforitspotentiallyhigh wingloading.Butstrangely,thewingloadingwhenthemodelwas finishedwaslessthanthePantherandcomparabletotheCougar.
10 LASENORITA
DaveGoodenoughclearshisworkbenchtobuildaBrazilianbeauty
38 ALPHAJET
ShaunGarrityslotstogetheraquickbuildkitoftheFranco-German lightattackjet
86 PILOTEXTRANG
KevinCroziercatchesuponhisbuildofthe78”spanscaleaerobat fromPilotRC
Withtheindoorflyingseasonnowuponus,JohnStennardtakesa
ShaunGarrityfilesanotherselectionoftopicsfromaroundthe worldofretroR/Caeromodelling
ShaunGarritybuildsasimpletoconstructandeasytoflyflying
TonyNijhuisreturnswiththefinalEDFjetinhislatestseriesofTN MiniJets
Allreasonablecareistakeninthepreparationofthemagazinecontents,butthepublisherscannotbe heldlegallyresponsibleforerrorsinthecontentsofthismagazineorforanylosshoweverarisingfrom sucherrors,includinglossresultingfromnegligenceofourstaff.Relianceplaceduponthecontentsofthis magazineisatreaders’ownrisk.
FutabaCorporationofChosei,Japanhas appointedJ.Perkins(Distribution)Ltd.tobe itsnewofficialdistributorintheUKand Ireland,effectiveSeptember22,2023.
FutabahaschosenJPerkinsasitsnew partnerbecauseofthedeepexperienceand strongreputationithasestablishedoverthe past45yearsservingtheUKandIrishradio controlcommunities. “JPerkinsisperfectly placedtofurtherdeveloptheFutababrandand providetheveryhigheststandardofsupportfor ourproductrangeintheseimportantmarkets”, saidEijiJinno,GeneralManager,Futaba CorporationHobbyRadioControlBusiness Centre.
Thisissueseesthelastintheseriesofarticles bytheretiredandacclaimedprofessional flutemakerStephenWesselonmakingahalf scaleENVaeroengine.Stephenhasprovided uswithashortupdateonhowwellthis magnificentreplicaengineruns:
“TherearecurrentlythreevideosonYouTube aboutit,thelatestat https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=_vV3_A-0Frc
Iamcurrentlyworkingonanotherallabout electroformingthewaterjackets.
Theenginehasnowclockednearlyfivehours runtimeandgoesverywell.Itidlesaround 900rpmandtopspeedis2200rpm.Notreally audibleonthevideosisthatlovelydeepsoundof thepropitself,quitedistinctfromtheengineand somethingoneassociatesmorewiththefull-size world.
Thecarburettorworksasitshould,givinga cleanacceleration.Wedidastaticthrust measurementbyrestingthewholethingonlarge rollersandconnectingittoatreeviaaspring balance.20kgat2000rpmwhichisafew horsepower,perhapsabouteight.
So,allweneednowissomeonemadenoughto builda1/2scaleH.Wrightbiplane.Itwon’tbeme! Drawings
Ibeganthisseriesbyexplainingthatthereareto myknowledgenosurvivingdrawingsofthis engineanywhere,yetsomethingascomplexas thiscannotbemadewithoutdetailedplans.Many oftheparts,suchasthecarburettor,magnetoand oilpumphadtobedesignedmoreorlessfrom
SeboDapper,ManagingDirectorofJ Perkins,said, “Wearedelightedtohavebeen appointedasthenewUKandIrelanddistributor forFutabaproductsandlookforwardtoavery successfulpartnershipwiththisworldfamous andmarketleadingradiocontrolmanufacturer.”
Dapperadded, “Duetothecomplexitiesofthe handoveritwilltakealittletimebeforeweare abletocarryafullrangeofstock,howeverweare workinghardtobeabletosupplymodelshops throughouttheUKandIrelandassoonaspossible, whilstofferingfull-servicesupporttoexistingand newFutabacustomers.”
Formoreinformationaboutthisexciting developmentinUKmodeldistribution
pleasecontactJPerkinsDistribution: +44(0)1622-854-300
https://www.jperkins.com
scratch,takingwhatIcouldfromphotosofthe exterior,pluswhatevertheinternethadtooffer, whichwaspreciouslittle.Asbuildingwork proceededIcouldupdatemyowndrawings accordingtohowthingsactuallyworkedouton thebench,sotospeak.
Sadly,thereisanever-increasingproblem connectedwiththisprocess:namelypoor memory!Forexample,thedistributorwas designedonscreenbutduringthemakingofit severalminorchangeswereintroducedaswork wentalong.Butnoneofthesewererecordedsoby thetimeIwentbacktofinishdimensioningthe drawingIhadtorelyonmemoryforthemany alterations.BythenIwascompletelyresistantto
strippingitalldownjustforalookbecauseitwas allfitted,wiredupandreadytogo.Monthspassed byandnotonlyhadthealterationsbeenforgotten butalsotheveryfactthattherehadbeensome!
So,ItrytomakenotesasIgoalongbutthen theygetlosti.e.,putintothatsafeplacewhose existenceisnowalsoforgotten!Oneneedsa specialfour-leggedcompaniontrainedexpressly todothedocumentation,thenfinditinstantly whenrequired.
Thankfully,thedrawingsarenowfairlyupto dateandIhopecoherentenoughforothersto follow.TheywillformthecoreofthearchivethatI hopewillaccompanytheenginethroughoutits life.”
Inlastmonth’sNextIssuepage,we inadvertentlystatedthatTonyNijhuis’ F-16,thefourthmodelinhislatestMiniJet series,wastestedona3SFMSfanunit.But asyouwilldiscoverwhenreadingTony’s article,whichstartsonpage48,the FightingFalconpull-outplanactually requiresa4SFMSfanunit.
Tonysays, “Ireallydidn’tthinkitwasworth goingthe3Srouteasthemodelneededtobe
powerfulenoughforitspotentiallyhighwing loading.Asaresult,themodelisquitequickso it’snotreallyforthefainthearted.Havingsaid thatonacalmdaythemodelwillflyvery slowly.”
Apologiestothoseofyouwhomayhave linedupa3Sfanforthisproject,butweare surethatyouwillfindagoodhomeforit inoneofTony’spreviousTN/RCM&EMini Jets–thereareplentytochoosefrom!
Startingonpage28ofthisissue,John Stennardprovidesdetailsofsome marvellousminiatureautogyros designedbyAlFoot.Clearasmallspace onyourworkbenchandyoushouldbe abletogetoneofAl’slittlemodelsup andrunningingoodtimetoflyit indoorsduringautumnandwinter sessions.Afterthearticlewasprepared wereceivedthefollowinglinkfrom John,whichshowsAlflyingoneofhis modelsonaverycalmdayoutdoors. It’swellworthawatchforanypotential ByroorTryrobuilders: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=oxLU8QeI3Ic
DeluxeMaterials,creatorsof manyofthemostpopularand advancedadhesivesand finishingproductsusedby aeromodellers,havekindly offeredtosponsora‘Gluing& FinishingTips’sectionin RCM&E.Thewinnerwill receiveavoucherfora selectionofDeluxeMaterials productstothevalueofat least£50.
Tobeinwithachanceof winningallyouneedtodois
tosendinyoursuggestions andtoptipsforusingglues andfinishingproductswhen buildingaflyingmodel aircraft.Simplydescribeyour gluingandfinishingtipina fewwordsandsendinsome sketchesorphotographsto illustrateittotheEditor: KCrozier@Mortons.co.uk Togetthingsrollinghere’sa sampleDMGluingTiptoshow youwhatyourideacouldlook likeinprint.
DaveGoodenough photos»
DaveGoodenough,MarkOllier
AshortwhileagoIsawawebpagethat highlightedarangeofmodelkitsI’dnot seenbeforebutIlaterfoundthatsome arestockedby4-MaxModels.Delvingfurther sawmelustingafterafewofthesecurvaceous loveliesandmentallycalculatingthecostof bothbuyingandimportingacoupleformyself. ThrowingcautiontothewindIcontactedthe manufacturer,BlueskyAirmodels,topriceup bothpurchaseandpostageofmychoices. Whilstthepriceofthekitsseemedreasonable enough(soldinUSDollarsforexportfrom Brazil)thefreightcostmadeitmorecosteffectiveformetobuythreemodels. Thefollowingreviewismyhonestopinion ofjustoneofthemodelkitsthatIpurchased formyownuse;Ihavenovestedinterestinthe manufactureratall.Therewillbereviewson thetwoothermodelsIsourcedastimeand weatherallows.
Idon’tknowifit’ssomethinginnate,butIdo likecurvedshapes,especiallywhenthat lovelyblendofcurvesisrenderedinto modelform.‘LaSenorita’(‘Miss’inEnglish) isonesuchkitthatcarriestheformwell.I maybeanoldrecidivistwhenitcomesto ignoringcurrent‘woke’thinkingbutthe model’snameandcurvyoutlinefitsitsgiven title.Thiskitistheoriginal1500mmwingspan versionbutthereisaslightlylarger‘Version2’ at1800mmspanavailable.Okay,let’sopen theboxandseewhatIbought.
TherewasalotofairintheboxasBluesky appeartouseastandardsizedcartonfortheir kits,eventhissmallerone.Butthebubble wrapped,laser-cutsheetsandsmallsection strips,onceunwrapped,lookedcrisplycut andofadecentqualitywood.Thebundles weretapedinsidetheboxto preventthemrattlingaround intransit,anicetouch.There’s apacketofsmallpartstoo, witha‘Bluesky’keyringfor goodmeasure.Unfortunately, the2mmfibreglasspushrod material,curledtofitinthe box,wassplit.Enoughwas leftundamagedtomakeone
pushrodandIhaveotherrodandwire‘in stock’.Ididn’tbothertoclaimareplacement;it wasn’tworththetrouble.
Noplanissupplied,justaverywelllaidout assemblydrawing,andalsoabookletwith assemblyinstructions.Minewasinreasonable Portu-Englishwithsome‘quaint’descriptions, obviouslyanauto-translatedanduncorrected document.Itwasrelativelyeasytofollowand mentionedthemodel’sonedesignquirk-it hasacurveddihedral.Theprocessofbuilding thecurveintothewinghalvesiscoveredinthe instructionsandIfounditeasytofollow,if somewhatdifferentfromthenormal ‘flatpanel’wingsI’musedto.
Asitcomesfromthebox.Lotsoflovely laser-cuttingandwitharolledpictorial instructionsheet.
Waftingoutintothe Elkstoneuplift,La Senoritaisinher element.
DespitemySinatra-likeyento‘doitmyway’,I largelyfollowedtheinstructionsequence almostslavishly,mindfulthatthismodelis designedtobesimpletobuildforanearbeginner.Thetailplane/elevatorandfin/rudder areeasilyalignedandgluedasperthe drawing,the‘hood’(canopy)too,allsimple stuff.Theinstructionstellyoutobuildthe wingsnextandalittleinterpretationfromthe ‘English’instructionswasneeded.The constructionisnovelinthatit’snotbuiltflaton aplan-itcan’tbe.One,it’sacurvedstructure andtwo,there’snoplan.Assembletheribs
ontothewingspar,gluethetwotrailingedge partstogetherandonceset,wetthetrailing edgeunitandinduceacurvebyeither tweaking,orinmycase,placingaweighton thewingrootend,puttingaspacerunderthe tipendandthen,usingsmallweights,easea curveintothetrailingedgeandlettingitdry.A permanentcurved‘set’inthewoodisthe result,followingthecurveofthemainspar.Do thesamewiththewingsheeting, rememberingthatthesheetsarebothtopand bottomandanycurvesetintothebalsamust be‘handed’leftorright.
“Idon’tknowifit’ssomethinginnate,but Idolikecurvedshapes,especiallywhen renderedintomodelform”Curveddihedralpresents alittlechallenge,easily sortedbymakinga simplesupportjigfrom bitsofscrapwood. LaSenorita’stailfeathers andbattery access ‘canopy’showhowsimpleand strongthe structure is.
Iwasreluctanttoclipallthebitstogether‘in theair’andthenwickcyanointoallthejoints asitseemedarecipeforwarping.Theslots inthetrailingedgewereatadtootightfor easyribfittingsoIeasedthemwithafinefile. Finallyadmittingthatlneededathirdhand,I assembledasimplejiggingsupportfromafew sparebitsandpiecesofscrapwood,thenrested thecurvedsparandtrailingedgeonthemfor (inmymind)amoreaccuratebuild.Itworked forme.
Addingtheribs,spars,sheetingandleading edgeaspertheinstructionsresultedina satisfyinglyrigidwingpanelandthesecond wasassembledinthesamemanner.
Wingtippartsarethinnerthanthetiprib W12,soIdampenedandeasedthemoverafelt markerbodytoformanundercamber.Once dryareinforcingscrapbalsa3mmleadingedge wasgluedonandthetipsattachedtothewing endsbeforefinalsanding.Thesolidaluminium mainwingjoinersimplyslidesintoplaceand thewoodendowelrearjoinerisgluedinplace inoneofthewinghalves.Finally,epoxyglue therootribsW0inplace,ensuringthatthere’s asmalltilttothem;thisallowsthelocating tabstofitintothefuselageformerC2.The notesdon’tmentiontheangleandIforgotthat itwasneededandsoIhadtocutandre-glue thepartstofitproperly;aminorannoyance.
Finishthewingswithyourchosencovering; Iusedtransparentfilm.Thecurveddihedral (upwards)andribcurves(downwards)mean thatwrinklesareimpossibletoavoidonthe initialtopcovering.Carefuluseoftheiron andeasingofthefilmwhilstadheringitwill removethewrinklesbutittakesabitofwork.
Bynowitwasapparentthatthisshould NOTbeabeginner’sfirstmodel.Athirdbuild perhaps,duetotheslightlyawkwardwing constructionandthe‘weassumeyouknow whatyou’redoing’instructions.
Name: LaSenorita
Modeltype: Electricglider
Manufacturedby: BlueskyAirmodels
Availablefrom: 4-MaxModels https://www.4-max.co.uk/ aircraft-ba-la-senorita.htm
RRP: £149.99
Wingspan: 1500mm(59”)
Length: 970mm(38.2”)
Weight: 570g(1.25lbs)
Rec.powersystem: PO-2830motor, 4M-HESC30AESC,9x6 foldingprop,2S800mAhor 2S1000mAhLiPo
Functions(servos): Elevator(1),rudder(1), throttle(ESC)
Thisisaself-jiggingstructureandisvery simple,providingyoufollowthenotesand ‘ease’thelasercutpartswithsandpaperwhere thefitistootightonthelocatingtabslots.It’s closetoimpossibletogetitwrongandthe sparseinstructionsandpictorialoutlineare enoughtobringthestructuretogetherquickly.
Onethingworthmentioningisthenose ring/motormount.Thenotessaytosandthe trianglenosereinforcementtofittheringbut minedidn’tneedit.Thefitwasperfectandonly neededepoxytoglueitinplace.Evenmotor downthrustistakencareofbytheangledlasercutfuselageside.
Thepreferredmotorisanominal‘2212’inthe notes,a22mmdiameteroutrunnerof1400kV. ThatequatesalmostperfectlytotheMultiplex RoxxyC22-20-20.Icouldfindnoneinstock anywhereintheUK,oranyotherequivalent 22mmdia.unitsavailable.Ididfinda28mm diameterOverlandermotorinmy‘waiting tobeused’draweranditjustfittedinthe nose,withcaretakentokeepthepower‘tails’ awayfromtheoutrunner’srotatingbody.The 2822/271200kVTornadoThumperisratedat amaximum85W,morethanenoughforthis
“Bynowitwasapparentthatthisshould NOTbeabeginner’sfirstmodel”Abitofsandingwasneededtomakethe tailplaneslotfitthefuselage. Fuselagepartassembled.It’sallself-jiggingbutthelaser-cutslotsneededsome‘easing’tofitproperly. Oops!Ididn’tallowfortheribtiltneededfor thedihedralbreakandthisistheresult.Abit ofjudicioussawingandanepoxiedplyfiller sortedit. Pre-curvingthewingtipsbeforegluinggivesatidier topsurface. Wingrootassemblybeforethefinalsheetinggoes on.Allstraightforwardstuff.
A22mmdiametermotorisrecommendedbut myspare28mmThumperfittedjustright, takingcaretoprotectthemotortailsfromthe rotatingbody.
Above:Iusedsimple‘hairyhinge’stripscyanoedin place.Perfectlyadequateandtheyhavesnot shifted,eveninabouncylanding.
Right:SuppliedT-nutswerenotuseable.Ifittedmy ownM3unitsandusednylonscrewstosecurethe wingtrailingedge.Evenarough-n-tumblelanding didn’tgetthemto‘letgo’!
modelatitslikelyweightofwellunder1kg.
A30AESCwassufficienttoprovidethe powerfroma1600mAh2SLiPo,chosen forlowpowertesting,drivinga9”x4” foldingpropeller.Themotorpowerwith thisbatteryisprobablyonlyaround50Wat most.Thenosewassandedtoaprofilethat blendedintoa40mmdia.spinner.Despite alargerthanrecommendedmotorand batterythemodelbalanced5mminfrontof therecommendedCofGpoint.
(SincethisisoneoftheBlueskyAirmodelskits stockedby4-MaxModels,arecommendedmotor sethasbeenworkedouttosuitLaSenorita: https:// www.4-max.co.uk/aircraft-ba-la-senorita.htm)
Unusually,therearenocontrolhornsorcontrol surfacehingessuppliedwiththekit.Idug aroundinmysheddrawersandunearthed some‘hairyhinge’Mylarstrip,apairofspare 20mmhornsandapairofpushrodend stopperstofitintothehorns.Ioptedtousemy own1mmwirepushrodsinsteadofthe2mm fibreglassrodsupplied.Thepushrodexitsin
thefuselagereardemandrelativelytight curvesthatmaketheoriginalfibreglassrods dragintheoutertube,but1mmwireis adequatelyrigidandslidesthroughmore easily.Z-bendsattheservoarmsgivesimple no-slop,minimallyintrusiveconnections.I optedtousecheap12gmetalgearservos.Abit ofoverkillbuttheyweregoingspare.You wouldnormallyfit9gservosbutdostaywith metalgearedunits.
Thehingeswereslidintoslotscutintothe tailfeathers,withthickcyanousedtoadhere themafterfirstcompletingthecovering.You couldalsopinthehingesinplaceas‘beltand braces’fixingsbutthisisalow-stressmodel wheninflightandIfeltthatpinningwas
unnecessary.Thecontroldeflectionswereset atthemaximumleftandrightrudderpossible betweentheelevatorhalves,with8mmup anddownelevator.Ididallowfordualrates bysetting60%ofthe‘normal’settingsasthe rudderislarge.
Thefinalallupweight,readytofly, was640g.
FLYING Ibetyoucameherefirst!Onalowwinddayof around7mphIpitchedupatalocalslopeand pluggedintheLiPo,alltheotherfettling havingbeendonepriortoleavinghome.A quickcheckofthethreefunctionsprovedall waswellandthe‘LaSenorita’waspushedout intothebreeze.
It’sclenchingtime!Castingthe littlelovelyoutoverthePeak Districtlandscape.
Trimwasalittleout,needingabitofup elevatortocountertheslightlynoseheavy balance,butafewchirpsofuptrimsortedthat. Alittlerightrudderwasneededtoo.Outit wentquitehappilywhilstthetrimwassorted fortheprevailingconditionsandonceneutral onthesticksthepowerwaseasedon.Inall honestyitdidn’taltertheflightmuchasthe 2Sbatterywasn’tenoughformuchmorethan aslowclimb.Apatchofsinkprovedthatthe modelwouldn’triseoutofit,barelykeeping itsheight.
Left:Thefinishedstructurebeforecoveringstarts.Nice,innit?
Whenfittedthepushrodoutersform acurvethroughthefuselageside whichmakesthesuppliedfibreglass pushrods‘stick’.Replacewith1.0to 1.2mmdia.pianowireandthe problemissolved.
Asecondvisittotheslopewitha3Sbattery ofaround1000mAhprovedtobemuch better.With30glessnoseweighttheCofG wasspotontherecommendedpositionanda launchintoa7to8mphbreezehadthemodel climbinggraduallyawayfromtheslopeedge. Usingtheoutrunnerprovedthatthe3Sbattery suitstheThumpermotorwell,asusingaround 75%powergavethe‘LaSenorita’asteady climb.I’venodoubtthatthiswouldbeagood combinationforflatfieldflying.
Beingonlyarudder/elevatorcontrolled modeldoesn’tappeartobeadrawbackasthe ‘LaSenorita’isresponsiveandeasytopilot.At onepointI’dgotto‘justaboutseeit’heightand decidedtoquittheliftanddivedowntostart theprocessagain.Alittledownelevatoranda smidgeofleftrudderhadthemodeldivingfast forthedeckandatafewtensoffeetIeasedoff
Blast!Mymistake.Iusedcyanoforthejointanditcouldn’tstandthepoor arrivalonMotherEarth.Ithassincebeenrepairedandreinforced,asimplejob.
theelevator,straightenedthemodelandlet itzoomupbeforeatouchof‘down’settledher intolowlevelliftagain.Thattestedmydoubts aboutthestrengthofthewingjoiner!
Aftersometwentyminutesofenjoyingthe invigoratedyounglady,Icalled‘landingright’and broughtthemodelbackinforwhatIthoughtwas areasonablygoodarrival,justclippingasmall sedgegrassclumpwithawingandspinning themodelround.WalkingacrosstocollectitI couldseedamagetothefuselage,behindthe wing.Closerinspectionrevealedthatthe‘whip’ ofspinningthemodelroundhadbrokenthe fuselageacrossthelighteningholesandthe cyanoedfuselagejoin-anareawithabuilt-in weakness.Ifyoubuildthismodel,Irecommend reinforcingthefuselageinside,acrossthathole andthefuselagegluejoin,strengtheningitwith atleast1/32’’(0.8mm)plywood.
Oncerepaired-asimplejob-Ireturnedto theslopesideinsimilarminimalconditions andthoroughlyenjoyedmyselfwiththis prettymodel.OverseveralflightsI’vefoundit tobebetterinflightthanI’dexpected,always abonus.Ithasthermalled‘fromtheflat’and likesslopebreezesof7mphuptoaround15 mph.Thefuselagereinforcementhasbeen testedinacoupleof‘clumpcollisions’,proving thattheminimalreinforcementacrossthe gluejointwasallthatwasneeded.Thecurved dihedralgetsmanyfavourablecomments,as doesthecurvaceousshape.I’veafeelingInow havemynew‘go-to’,leaveitinthecarmodel, asitfitsnicelyonthebackseat.
Ifyoubravetheinstructionsandbuildthis model,Ihavenodoubtthat,likeme,you’ll findthatitwillbecomeafirmall-round favourite.
Allprimpedandpolished,ready forthedance.‘LaSenorita’isas prettyasapicture.
Ohdear!Adifficultlandingshowsupafuselageweakness.
Well,yetagainIfailedmiserablytrying tobesteverybodywithmymystery item;maybeIshouldrenameitmy patentlyobviousitem.Forthoseofyouwho didn’tknow,itwasanearlytuningfork tachometer.Theonefeaturedwas manufacturedbyO.S.fromthelate1950stothe early1960s,Ibelieve.Touseitthehandlewas placedonthecylinderheadwhentheengine wasrunning.Oneofthetineswouldvibrateand therpmcouldbereadoffthescale.TheO.S. versionswerereasonablyaccurateandproveda usefultoolwhenoptimisingpropellersforpeak engineperformance.
Ahome-builtversionwasdescribedin the1950AeromodellerAnnualbutuseda slightlydifferentconcept.Thisrev-counterwas designedtobefixedtoyourengineteststand, leavingyourhandsfreetoadjusttheneedle valve,compressionortiming(forsparkmotors) asrequired.Itwassimplyafootlongpieceof 1/4”aluminiumsquaresectionorroundtube with20holesdrilled3/8”apartandlengthsof 20SWGpianowireinserted.Togetanaccurate baselineyougrippedapieceofpianowirein pliersthenhelditinthefieldofanold240v50 Hztransformercoil,adjustingthelengthuntil itvibratedatitsmaximumdeflection.This lengthcorrespondedto6000rpm.Youthen appliedasimplebitofmathstocalculatethe otherlengthsrequiredtogettherangeofrpm readingsdesiredandfixedthempermanently intothebar.
Amorecomplexversionthatneeded agreaterdegreeofengineeringskill wasfeaturedintheModelAeroEngine Encyclopaedia.Itlookedlikeaspinnerwitha clearPerspexdome.Insideithadaweighted springthatwouldflyoutastherpmincreased, notunlikeagovernoronasteamengineor aflyballactuator.Tocalibrateyouusedan electricmotorofknownrpmandattachedthe devicetotheshaft.Thespringwouldmoveas therevsincreasedandyoucouldthenscribea markonthedomeasaknownreferencepoint.
O.S.tuningforktachometerwhichwaslast column’smysteryitem.
Ablastfromthepast.Thisanaloguedisplay tachometerbySkyleaderworkedwell.
ThissimpletachwasdetailedintheAeromodeller Annual.
Afewradiomanufacturerssoldadd-ontachometers thatpluggeddirectlyintothetransmitteroftheir higherendsets.
Severalearlymodelbookshaddesignsfor mechanicaltachometers.
Mathsandengineering-thehobbywasvery differentbackthen.
OneemailIreceivedreferenceda tachometerthatlookedlikeanX-Acto modellingknifehandlewithawirethatslidin andout.I’massumingyouplacedoneendon theengineandextendedtheroduntilitstarted resonating.Therewasascalefromwhichyou couldreadofftherpm.Itsoundsabitlikea vibratingslide-rule;rememberthem?
Electronicsandopticalsensorsmadethings mucheasierformodellers.Varioushandheld unitsbecameavailableoperatedbysimply pointingthematthepropellerandasthe propbladespunpastthesensoritcounted therevsanddisplayedthemonananalogue ordigitaldisplay.Someradiomanufacturers suchasMultiplex(andIbelieveFutaba)even hadafacilitywhereyoucouldpluganoptional handheldsensorintotheTxandgettherpm readingonthedisplay.
Alotofreadersemailedinwiththecorrect answer,butBrucePorteouswastheonlyperson togetthemanufacturer.Welldone.
Well,we’vehada10-yearrunwhereZeus playedniceandonlyoccasionallystoppedplay forashorttime.Wemusthavereallyupsethim thisyearastheweatherwasdire,butitstill didn’tstophardcoreretrophilesturningup.In betweentheshowersweflew,havingto contendwithabriskwind,buttherewere manyflightstakenontheday.
ThethemethisyearwasKenWillardmodels andsomegreatexamplesturnedup.Some ofthesmallerdesignsweretoolightforthe conditionsbuttheGassersofPhilGreenand PaulJeffrieshitthesky,alongwithaSchool Master.Kendesignedanumberofseaplanes andStuartMackayelectedtoflyhismini Willardwonder,althoughI’msureheregretted it.StuartisknowntomanyUKmodellersfor hisrangeofradialMackayfourstrokepetrol enginesandAirworldlargescalekits.
MyoldfaithfulLightninglaughsatwind soImanagedafewflights.Themodelwasa Pro-PlanfeatureinApril2020RCM&Eand
wasmodifiedfromitsoriginalsinglechannel rudderonlybeginningstobeane-powered semiscalejetwithtailerons,rudderand throttleusingatractorpropsetup. MarkDeanshasbecomeabitofamaster inconvertingcontrollinemodelstoR/C. Interestinglyherarelymakesmodifications totheoriginaldesignotherthanadding controlsurfacesandmakingsurebothwings arethesamelength.(ForC/Lhavingaslightly longerinboardwingwithalumpofleadin theoutboardwingtiphelpedmaintainline tension.)Now,there’samanwholikesa challenge.LastyearhebroughtalongaVeron
BombBatcombatwingandthisyearaclassic KeilKraftPhantomputinanappearance. SpeakingwithMark,heinformedmeheison amissiontogothroughtheKeilKraftcontrol linebackcatalogueandconvertasmanyas possibletoR/C.Healsohasashoulderwing KKStudent,originallydesignedasatrainer for6-12channelReeds,inthebuildqueueso Iwouldimagehewillbeverybusyfortherest oftheyear.Markflewseveralrelativelysmall modelsonthedayexhibitinggreatpiloting skillinabysmalconditionsandwasthe worthywinnerofthisyear’s‘SpiritofSingle Channel’cup.
ThewindsockassumedthispositionformostofthedayatourSingleChannel& RetroFly-In.
My‘oldfaithful’Lightningdidn’tlet medownanditcopedwellwiththe lessthanperfectconditions. AmorecomplexversionfeaturedintheModelAeroEngineEncyclopaedia.FellowscribeTimHoopermadethetripto ourretromodellingValhallawithacarloadof models.Heflewaveryappropriatelynamed model,a1949RonAaronsdesigned‘Windy Ain’tIt’.IalsohadachancetoseetheR/Ccarb hemadeandfeaturedinhisAugustRCM&E column.Now,ifonlyIhadalathe,Icouldbe inspiredtohaveagomyselfandconvertsome ofmyoldcontrollinePAWenginessotheycan berepurposedforR/Cuse.
RobDayputinsomeimpressiveflights withhisMoonglow,originallydesignedby MikeBirch,andanothermodelIfeatured asaPro-PlaninRCM&ENovember 2018.Thislate1960spatternshipis agreatperformer,goodlookingand wouldmakeanexcellentretroaerobatic contenderorclubhack.
Westillmanagedtorunaspotlanding compbuttobefairthespotwasreplaced withasmalltarpaulinandtosavemodels disappearingdownwindweallowedjudicious useofthrottleontheapproachbeforegliding in.Thinkingnobodywouldbeanycloserthan acountrymileaway,Sod’sLawcameinto playandthefirstpilot,BrianCullenlanded onthebigspot.Thiswasataddemotivating foralltheotherentrantsandhisresultwasn’t matched,butfunwashadbyall.Ifyouneed confirmationofthewindstrengthwehadto battlewithjusthavealookatthephotoof thewindsockatthestartofmyreport-it’s horizontalandwaslikethatformostofthe day.RetroandSingleChannelmodellersarea hardybunch!
MikeandSarahfromRetroModeller returnedandhadavastselectionofnewstock, plussomevintageandretronew-oldstock kits.Theweatherensuredtheirtentwasfullof modellersmostofthedayandsupportingthe UKmodellingtradebyspending.
Theeventturnedintoabrilliantsocialdo aswespentalotoftimeshelteringintheclub housediscussingallthingsmodelling.Tobe Kallner,overfromSweden,andMikeKitchen weredemonstratingtheirlatestfullyhome builtradiocalledtheMiTo.Thistrulyisan outstandingachievementandlookslikeanoff theshelfcommercialset.
Somemodellerswerebetter preparedfortheweather, bringingtheirownhangars!
ThisKeilKraftPhantomcontrollinerhashadthe sametreatmentbyMark.Amazingperformance consideringthewind.Hisplanistogothroughthe KKbackcatalogueofC/Ldesignsandgivethemthe sametreatment.
UnfortunatelynotalltheKenWillardmodelscouldflyontheday.ButI’msurewe’llseethematournextevent.
MarkDean’sR/CconvertedVeronBombBat performswellandisbasicallythesameasthe originalcontrollinemodel.
FellowscribeTimHooperturnedupwiththis appropriatelynamedmodel.
Tobedesignedand3Dprintedthecase,sticks, auxiliarycontrols,servos,RxandservoPCBs, withMikesortingouttheservoandencoder electronics,thefirmwarewithinthenRF transmittermoduleandRxbasedonPhil Green’slockdownprojectTxandRx.
Itdidn’tjusthappenandhastakenTobe, MikeandPhilseveralyearsoftesting,tweaking andredesigningthevariouselementstoget wheretheyaretoday.Asizeablenumberof setshavenowhadhundredsofhoursofflight testingandit’sfairtosaytheyareperforming equallyaswellascommercialofferings.Itjust showswhatsheddwellerscanachieve. Notrestingonhislaurels,Iunderstandthat Tobehasrecentlydesignedamicrosixchannel nRFRxandmicroservotoworkwiththe MiTotransmitter.
KWIKFLY3
Thefinalchapter…
Hooray!Ifinallygotthereandthemouse vandalisedaircrafthasflown.Iseriously underestimatedtheeffortrequiredasmostof thedamagewashiddenunderthefilmand,on firstinspection,Ineverexpectedtoalmostfully recoverit.However,it’sbeenanenjoyableand relativelyinexpensivejourneytogetaclassic aircraftbackintothesky.
AjobIinitiallymissedwastherudder,which wasbentthankstoacrackintheframesoit neededstripping,repairingandrecovering. Itwaseasilyremovedasthehingeswere pinnednotglued.Itcouldhavebeenreadyfor ourretroeventbutafterseeingtheweather forecastIdecidedmytimewouldbebetter spentonotherprojectsandtestflyingmodels inwindyconditionsisn’thighonmylistof favouritethings.
Ididhaveaminorconcernaboutusinga.46 engine,eventhoughitwasatthelowerend ofrecommendedmotors.ButtheMk.3Irvine (withredcrankcase)isapowerfullittlebeast andisprobablyequivalenttoa1960sEnya60 orO.S.61.Anyway,Ihadaback-upplanifitwas lackingasIbelievetheIrvine53versionhasthe sameboltholesetc.
From1967thisLesRudddesignedGo-Jethandled thewindwellandstilllookslikeitwasdesigned yesterday.Hereit’sbeingpreppedforanothersortie.
Thegoodnewsisitthatflewwellbut Ineededtoremembertheseoldschool aerobaticmodelswereneverintendedtoprop hangetc.andyoumustflythemanoeuvres smoothly,maintaininginertia.Thebarndoor sizedaileronsareveryeffectiveandgivean impressiverollrate.Overall,itisagreataircraft
thatsitswellintheair.Iwillplayaroundwith propsizestoeekthemaximumamountofgo juicefromtheengineinthecomingweeks. Myonlyregretwasnotreplacingthewingtips withsoftbalsablockbecause,asisthecasewith manyARTFmodels,thewaytheyareconstructed makesthetipslooklikeastarvedhorse.
PeteChristybroughtalongacarloadofvintage helicopters(aboveandright)allthewayfrom Cornwall.Thesearen’thangarqueensandallare regularlyflown.
RobDay’sMoonglowputonseveralspirited displays.Consideringitwasdesignedinthelate 1960sitstillmakesacrackingpatternship.
BrianCullenhitthespot(tarpaulin)onhisfirst attempt.Ataddemotivatingfortheotherentrants butverywelldoneinthewindyconditions.Great piloting.