Mike.K

Its the middle of February 2021 and I`m still awaiting the kit....... It is possible to build direct from Laurent`s plan give a good supply of raw material. Sadly, my workshop stock is presently reduced to scraps in the off-cut box. I`ve a delivery being put together by Rob which does include some balsa. I`m concidering upping the balsa order with him and perhaps making a start on a Stampe building it totally from scratch. The kit, if it ever arrives could be built into a second Stampe model. Two models are obviously better than just one and I might need a spare! I`ll wait a few more days

Here we go again. Another model has begun. This Stampe kit comes from a little known (in the UK) colaboration between model designer Laurent Buissyne and laser cut kit maker, Guix Model. I tripped over these French guys whilst looking for Stampe plans and kits on the internet. As a teenager back in 1974, I`d built a Stampe from scratch using the still popular Dennis Bryant plan. Parts were cut from scratch as laser cutting and Sarik Models didn`t exist in those days. My model was powered by a wonderful HP.61 two stroke and although rather heavy, gave me hours of flying fun. I`d finis

The Stampe build story begins. In due course, I`ll copy and paste this text into a separate Stampe thread. For convenience tonight, I`ve just added it to the thread I started late last year. So here we are again on the first of February 2021 with the World at a halt, travelling, shopping and leisure activities all reduced to a frustrating base existance level. My personal salvation has been the internet for contact with others, ordering of supplies and some entertainment. I`m a prisoner in my own home as is everybody else. Its tough going isn`t it? With boredom setting in again, I st

A while since I updated this thread. Assembly has moved on well and the model is now complete. I`ve thoughly enjoyed the assembly of this model. It gets my "Kit of the Year" award and a four and a half star rating out of five. What a belter this model has turned out to be. Without doubt the best ARTF I`ve yet built. Well done Hobby King with my expectations exceeded by a considerable margin. Yes, I had a few dislikes...namely the previously mentioned push rod type flying wires and also the dreadful plastic tail wheel cowl. The flying rigging was replaced by 100Lb breaking strain, sta

Hey, hey,hey! I`m happy as Larry!! The Stearman arrived yesterday with thunderclap suprise and rocket like delivery from Hobby King in Ipswich in only about nineteen hours. Bravo HK and Parcel Farce. A job well done. Paid for in USD via Pay Pal and the HK site, my bank account has been debited with £4 less than I pinged on the HK UK site when I ordered. My Stearman boxed kit arrived in great shape and without internal contents damage. It appears that this Limited Edition kit is just that....somewhat limited. My kit with identifying SKU number is possibly No 104 of a consignment of 134 hel

It seems I now have the upload facility working again on my camera/laptop. Here are a few more images that have just become accesible to me starting with the Seagull Funky Cub. This is definately a designer inspired sport model which looks something like a modern Cub Crafters rendition of the original Piper Cub design. Horses for courses......like it or loath it. That`s your personal choice. Next in the attached image batch are five images of one of the tired, used Zlins being overhauled. Visually, it is hard to beielve this is one and the the same airframe..... but believe me, it is

I`ve done a bit recently. October and November saw the rebuild of two old Pat French foam wing Zlin 526 models. One from Rob and the other via ebay. Both currently fitted with two strokes. One has a .91 and the other has a 1.08. Yet to be test flown. Both were complete rebuilds. One had seen previous service at Sevenoaks Club whilst the other had never been completed. Registration graphics by dear Emma who now has a vynal cutting machine. Give her a call if you need graphics cutting. December saw me rebuild an ex-Rob`s ceiling Seagull MSX-R which had had a hard life. A couple of days

An update following my visit to Mike Ridley for Futaba radio repairs. I`m pleased to report a total success with Mike's work to my radio gear. No more radio glitches and reliable flying once again established. That said, I`ve just acquired another spare 7c transmitter as an insurance for the future. You can never have enough spare parts especially as radio gear becomes so quickly obsolete. Even buying a seemingly broken Tx is well worth doing as its bound to have usable spares that can be used to patch up other units at a later date. Happy flying. Mike K

Guys, I`ve had a run of radio failures with my Futaba 7C system. Not nice or funny when your models repeatedly plough into the floor due to a brown outs. Distributors and service agents for Futaba have been Ripmax at Enfield. Due to Covid, the establishment is currently closed and we can`t get radio gear serviced. (August 2020) In desperation, the internet found me Mike Ridley in Southampton. Mike runs Model Radio Workshop from home. See his web site for his services. Located just a couple of miles off the M27 on the A3024, he provides a whilst you wait service. Mikes` labour ch

Do we have anyone locally who can cut vinyl graphics for us at reasonable cost? Mike

The film used was from Hobby King. My favourite! Mike

I learned the hard way! Two low level prangs in less than a week......I`m quite diligent with my air frame maintenance but I missed a vital point. Having flown my Ultra Stick for over a year now, I failed to note advanced wear on the Rx fly lead to the aileron Y-lead. Each time the wing was removed for LiPo changing, wear on this connection accelerated with increased use and accumulated air time. I`d completed three successful flights out of the Falcon field last week before an issue became apparent just as I was completing a landing. The Ultra Stick failed to respond to an aileron c

It flew on Saturday but refused to answer to right aileron. So it went round in circles getting higher before being blown down wind. Ending up in a field just outside the falcon field, it didn`t take much to recover it. Damage was sustained to the motor mount together with a broken prop. Could have been worse. I think this model needs to go to Rob for flying trials. It certainly didn`t do what I expected and needs an expert on the case. Watch this space. Mike

Here is the thread, Robin. Images are there for viewing. A flying horror?! RCM&E Shaun Garrity Flying Banjo 2 build. It flew at the Falcon field in moderate winds on Saturday and frightened the living daylights out of me. It refused to turn to starboard and got blown down wind. To cut a story short, we had to go and find it which only took us ten minutes. It obviously landed on its nose because we found the motor mount broken. It lives to fly another day once I`ve fixed it but I`ll probably give it to Rob and ask him to sort the thing out. Its now in the garage in disgrace awaiti

Hello Mick, Nice to see you here. This year is an odd one for us all. Covid has wrecked many plans and that of course includes the flying at UK model flying clubs. It is only in the last month or so that we have managed to get moving again and initially that was with tight limitations to the number of people on flying sites at any one time. Slight relaxation of lockdown and social distancing have only just begun to filter through. Falcon for instance are currently applying a six person limit at the field which has sometimes necessitated us posting our flying time proposals on Whatsap

Fortunately I`m not being Emma`erd! I shudder!! After about 40hrs, the model only remains to have a receiver, ESC and UBEC fitted. Then the LiPo and a C of C check and adjust. The LiPo plate has not yet been installed and can go anywhere needed to get the C of G. Plenty of room. All built to the strains of Pink Floyds last concerts. What a band! Once the gear is in place I`ll take it to Robs for a look over and transmitter set up. Who will test fly it? Perhaps Rob? Images here of what I have tonight after just four days of spasmodic and casual building. Coverings are Hobby King.

And today, I covered it! More trim and radio installation to do tomorrow. Should be finished by tea time! Here is what I did today. Mike

Last week, having finished and flown my Grand-daughters DB Sport and Scale Twin Tub successfully, totally wrecked my prized and much loved No1 Ultra Stick, converted No 3 Ultra Stick to near identical No 1 spec, salvaged parts from No 1 and then finding myself build-less, the July 2020 copy of RCM&E arrived. Shaun Garrity had written an article about his rework off the years old Flying Banjo. A free plan was included. I`d always wanted to build one of these models as a teenager. Now I had the chance. Raking through the spares pile in my Hangar turned up a Turnigy 1070Kv motor, a UBEC, a 30

Private message sent to Jim advising contact with Trevor and Ian. Mike K

The TT is finished and ready to fly. Motors and ESC units are now harmonised to give identical starting and stopping. All done without buying another program card. Props are contra-rotate to avoid adverse torque reaction. Flying weight is 10.8Lb/5Kg with LiPo packs onboard. Total wing area is almost exactly 7 square feet. Just running the model across the drive revealed a landing gear tracking issue but that was quickly sorted by twisting the nose leg slightly until the model ran straight. Other than that, no further problems. Together, the two motors certainly pack some punch.

The TT is almost finished. It's fully covered with just a pseudo basic white and RAF detailed colour scheme. It resembles to a certain extent the colour scheme often seen on Coastal Command Sunderland flying boats. I think it suits the model reasonably well. My grand-daughter likes the model and I`ve told her it is likely to make an unusual trainer. Hopefully I can see if she might like to learn to fly in due course. She is only six and her attention span is still a little limited. Time will tell. Presently an issue exists with the ESC units. Sourced from George at 4-Max there appears to

Rob at Avicraft has re-opened the doors again to us with the usual social distancing rules applying. Although screens currently feature around the sales counter, Rob obviously hopes these can be dismantled given the passage of time and further easing of Covid restrictions. When you visit, you will immediately notice Rob`s new shop layout. There is more customer space and revised racking for all the common bits and pieces needed to build and operate your models. It's a great improvement which will become even better once the screens can be taken down. Go and have a look. You won`t be

Thanks, Gerard. Good to hear from you again. Yes, this TT certainly has raised some nice reactions within CAMFC and also with the Falcons. I`m a member of both clubs. I think this must be because the model immediately strikes one as a nice quirky odd ball but user friendly twin. Certainly it has loads of character. Its quite an unusual model but does not seem to have been that popular even in its heyday. I can`t quite think why this might of been other than that people might perhaps have wanted something rather more sporty. Only a few images appear of it on the internet and the kit is pre

Three weeks after the very basic kit arrived, the fuselage, tail feathers and hatches are complete and covered in the core white colour scheme. White? Why not...I bought a load at one of our club auctions last year. Whilst I`m the equivalent of three wing panels short of material, this is easily sorted by ordering a couple of extra rolls from Hobby King. The chord of the wing is around 300mm wide and the total wingspan some 2 metres plus. That makes for quite a large model that gobbles covering film like it`s going out of fashion! The wings are about to be built but I`m waiting on Rob`s n

Thanks, Em. Finally, I got the exhaust sorted. Quite straight forward in the end. ASP/SC 120-180 FS engines all share a common exhaust header pipe and screw on silencer with 14mm threads. I wanted to mount the silencer outside of the cowl and needed compatible after market parts. Just Engines sourced me a 14mm female to female coupler, a silencer mounting bracket and 140mm length of suitable flexi pipe. Those parts are not particularly cheap though at around £40 plus post and VAT. That said, the components are of exceptionally high quality and do the job without drama. You either pay the