arun

They still can't necessarily handle the current draw from servos however much you tape them up. Just because AA batteries look the same, does not mean their internal structure (aka resistance) is the same. Why risk a model/go against the safety recommendation for the sake of a few quid? Do keep in mind that in the case of public injury and resulting investigation by BMFA insurers, this kind of thing could jeopardise your coverage which could be financially very significant for YOU.... you have been warned!

You probably need to set the voltage to the stop voltage. In this case it should be set to a discharge rate of 0.3A and a stop voltage of 4.0v, not 4.8v. Basically what is happening is the charger is measuring the battery voltage, seeing it is less than 4.8v and stopping. But you don't want it to stop until it gets to 4.0v!

Not a good idea if you mean you are using loose cells. Straight out the BMFA book: "(b) The use of dry cell batteries in airborne battery packs is strongly discouraged and they must never be used in the airborne pack if you have four or more servos operating." (page 24) Long story short, if one shakes loose during flight, you're out of control. Also not all loose AA batteries can deliver the current requirements placed on them by multiple servos (normal or digi)

Yes, they are the ones. If you shop around I'd like to think you can get them a few quid cheaper than that, but maybe they have gone up in price. If buying new packs, no reason I can think of to buy 4.8v in a typical IC plane - go for 6v. This is a must for Spektrum receivers to avoid brownouts, and gives a better safety margin for Futaba. Also, 6v = faster+stronger servo reaction. http://www.overlander.co.uk/sanyo-enelo ... -flat.html

If you are flying regularly, I'd recommend cycling them on return from the field, then topping them up the night/morning before you fly. If not flying regularly, maybe cycle them once a month if you can be bothered! You might want to look at Sanyo Eneloop NiMh packs - these have a low self discharge so once cycled on return to field can be left fully charged and will be ready to go still weeks later.

I normally discharge to 1v per cell for NiMh - so 4v for your packs. A discharge rate of 0.3A should be fine. I don't use NiCds due to their limitations compared to NiMh, but my understanding is their charge characteristics are similar, but they are more sensitive to over/undercharging - maybe someone who uses them will comment. In terms of actually doing the discharge, a half decent digital charger should handle this for you and will cycle them up/down a preset number of times to remove memory effect. Something like this should be fine, and is a worthwhile investment: http://www.giant

Good man... the manoeuvres you've called out should keep you busy for a long while to perfect! There are lots of exercises you'll need to do to get there - and I'd recommend practices core aerobatics first; cubans, stalls turns, in/out loops, knife edge etc. As you say, stick at it, but be safe and progress at a slow and steady rate or your credit card will feel it... Highly recommend the range of books by David Scott to give you guidance: http://www.amazon.com/Precision-Aerobat ... 0981722636

P.A.D.M.A.C. passed means it passed the noise test for the Portsmouth club I imagine. The Kabriolin is a pretty standard 3D/fun-fly type design. You will not want 3 blades on this per Jim's advice. The gentle (not impossible!) stall characteristic comes from the very thick wing section. Probably all this means in people's reviews is that it will stall from the centre resulting in a clean drop, rather than an aggressive wing drop... Just being pedantic, but I assume by stunts you mean aerobatics? Stunts conjures up images of something inherently unsafe which isn't ideal...

2 blades are generally more efficient than 3. However, 3-blades can handle more torque which is one of the reasons they were found on warbirds to absorb the insane amount of power produced by their engines without risk of the tips hitting the ground (I imagine there were other design reasons too). Same might be true of the Red Bull planes you mention... which doesn't mean it applies to a scale model of the same with a different type of engine One interesting use of 3+ blades is that it may improve downline braking effect from the propeller, so this might be a consideration for a precision

Pros and cons, as with most things sliced across model size, maintainability, cost of ownership, performance etc. Google will yield you all you could possibly wish to know and probably much more...

Or even a Saito 82B 4-stroke. That is what is going in mine on Jim's advice.

Yes, top marks to Horizon for customer service. I bought a DX6i on eBay that was a couple of years old for use with BNF models/sims/indoor etc. Had a few problems with gimbals - every time they took it back for free, paid the postage and had it back to me inside 48 hrs. All that with no receipt or warranty

As mentioned on the "Winter Build" thread, I've been working on some code/hardware to use an Arduino to interface with a receiver and control one or more lighting circuits. I'm posting it because some people expressed interest on knowing more, but I apologise as the information is quite raw and although the prototype now works, there is still some way to go... For the impatient, here is a video. You can see the Tx, but you can see Rx is linked and hear switch clicking! Video The prototype that can: * Read a 3-position switch from receiver signal and decide which circuits to lig

Looks great mate!

A flippant comment in the breeze

I think the majority of people use Futaba or Spektrum

OK, I'm back on this thread to eat my words... I picked up a copy of Aerofly 5 recently for a fraction of its retail price from a guy who was selling up. After extensive testing between it and Phoenix, I can honestly say I think Aerofly has the more realistic flight model through all aspects. It looks nice too and generally feels more real, but that is a secondary concern to good physics. Not to say Phoenix is half bad... Is it worth four times the price of Phoenix? Unlikely, unless you're in the top few percent of fliers. But, if you can get a cheap copy - it's darn good. For referenc

Have you ruled out vibration - prop, mount, airframe? At high revs that is going to be at max ... And will be more audible in air than on ground. Also, maybe as second hand you should check bearings and other mechanical parts for damage. I guess what I am suggesting is that maybe this isn't a tuning issue?

Can you replicate the issue on the ground, or does it only occur in the air?

What prop is on it?

Like the look of that Sam, hope the mods go well!

Cheers Dave. I think I've persuaded the original company to make good, but if not I will give these guys a try.

Can anyone recommend a decent company for repairing window seals in our area? Last night's rain showed me that somehow water is getting between the window frame and brickwork and running to the interior

@Trevor - its a work in progress, but all the pieces work individually. As soon as I have a prototype - I'll put together a circuit diagram, code and some notes for you.

There's a chill in the air this morning... So without further ado, we clearly need a "what's your build" thread... For my part, I'm in the early stages of a 1/5th scale Piper J3 Cub. Plan is for a Saito 4-stroke, and given enough time looking to weather the model and make it look fairly realistic. Any tips on weathering appreciated although probably best to start a new thread about that. It will have navigation/landing lights etc. (even though these probably shouldn't be on a true scale model of this era?). This let's me play to another of my hobbies - I am designing and programming th