Pilot Ben

Me being a bit slow; this won’t  have any effect on us at all, since we are still operating in Biggin Hills airspace?

9 minutes ago, Gerard said:

On my way to returning to flying and amongst the renovation / maintenance items bought, I have purchased two FrSky X8R receivers for future use.  I also bought the specific standard whip antennas to replace the pcb ones.  Very easy to open the receiver and replacement of the antennas looks straight forward.

Just make sure to secure the aerials again! You’ll have seen the yellowish glue that holds them down from the factory, but I find a drop of hot glue works a treat too...

B  

Cheers Dave. Hmmm well, I do have some spare aerials, so I guess I'll stick them on instead.... The model is a nice Spitfire, and whilst it isn't small, there is a lot of wiring so I'd rather a super clean setup.

Thanks very much @Bravedan :D 

I've seen the 3D printed rigs for them, which hold them both at 45 degrees, in a sort of V shape arrangement. I've now ended up with 3 PCB aerial type units, two of which were installed in the models and had the aerials setup the same way you would rig up normal aerials, hence why I am confused about the "correct" way of setting them up. I also wondered what the actual difference between PCB and normal is? I have previously opened them up and found them to be the same, bar a cheeseboard shaped lump of PCB on one receiver, so I am wondering why the set-up is different than normal?

Thank you  

B  

I'm just wondering if this may be useful for anyone else?

I sometimes find it quite useful to watch "rc plane crash" videos, and learn from the mistakes of other pilots, to (hopefully) avoid making them myself....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-44285241

Possibly the biggest aviation mystery there has ever been. We've all heard the hundreds of theories, and seen the pieces of wreckage that is confirmed to have come from the plane. 

Who knows.......................

Positive or negative? It's been dragged up and published again though, despite having happened 5 months ago.....

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5781589/Two-U-S-F-15-fighter-jets-travelling-520mph-narrowly-avoided-midair-crash-police-drone.html?ITO=1490

The first of the new F-35Bs are set to arrive on UK soil next week! Now to get the carriers ready/built for them all!

Hope all goes well!

Cheers Dave! Interestingly, all of the surfaces have the pin method in them apart from the rudder. Guess its time for that to change!

B

 Suppose so, but 2 of the 3 rudder hinges have pulled out of the Spit so I think I may have to re glue them.

I have some surgery to do on the flap actuators too as one is a bit loose, and I also need to find a way to fix the slight warping in the “wing above the flaps” 

I’ve removed the old wasps nest from the fuselag, the 170g of lead, and a huge old rx battery voltage meter inside the cockpit.

The pilot is a wee bit small, but I don’t want to move him so I think he’ll be fine. Have to put some gun port covers on the wing and find a way of either covering up the lights or just leaving them be.

All that is left to do is to strip and clean the airframe and engine, tighten all the baggy covering and install my radio gear, including the 3 rx batteries, put it all together and I’m done!

B  

Thank you Dave!

Think they’re a bit to far out for the gun port covers TBH, and I couldn’t live with myself with putting them that far out. I’ll have to get some dark yellow solarfilm and hope for the best!

I’ve actually witnessed the Merlin make said flames whilst throttling back. Friend up in Scotland knows a guy with a Merlin! Went up there in th evening and witnessed the thing fire and spurt flames from the exhaust when throttling back. I guess that if you were sitting in the pilots position they wouldn’t help landing!

BTW I take it that if a hinge pulls out then I can just glue it back in?

B  

Hi All,

I wonder if anyone can help me please. I know that mkI and mkII Spits had landing lights, and from 1943 they were abolished on those and the newer marks after the Spit was deemed a strict day fighter only. However, I can't seem to find any pictures anywhere of where these lights may be, other than pictures of the landing light handle, leading me to believe that the Spit had a retractable light.

I only ask as the Spit that I am currently "upgrading" has two white LED landing lights in the l/e about 1/3 in from the tips, and my inner plane freak is telling me this is wrong. Can anyone suggest any suitable alternatives that could go in their places, as they will leave two holes in the yellow covering that I can't hide too well?

Thank you!

B

Someone definitely told me that West engines were re-badges Webras!

Do you know where the West engines come from if they’re not Webras?

Webra engines are the same as the Weston uk West engines. They all have a reputation of begin unreliable, hard to tune, and a tendency to blow up!

Fusion is an amazing plane, and the kit is dead easy to put together. The Cougar flies better than the Fusion however, but I think that the Fusion is perhaps better for funfly.

The only gyro I’ve even had the pleasure of working with was in an old club trainer, and the first thing it did was park the model in some trees!

I really dislike gyros, because they not only distort the flying by constantly interfering, but they give a false sense of pilot ability, and this causes problems after the gyro is removed. However, gyros are only bad IMO for LOS (decent-sized) models. For smaller foamies they are very useful, such as eflites warbird range, the gyro system helps fly the smaller warbirds in less than perfect weather. For FPV, I think that you really do need a gyro to keep the flight smooth, as well as position hold etc on multirotor models.

2kg is defo on the heavy side for a Cougar isn’t it? Mine weighs around 1.4/1.5kg and performs like a cougar should. I use the 2650mah as any bigger would make the model too heavy for what I want to do with it, as well as not really fitting inside the fuz (see previous posts about the new tray). I get about 6 mins when I do “proper” flying, and I think around 12 mins when flying gently, not that I’ve ever done that of course !

I was forced to put the model to leccy a) because the power from the 35 was awful, and b) because Dave persuaded me that for funfly these days you really want leccy for the quicker throttle response.

If the engine is set up properly, and it is happy, then there should be no deadsticks, indeed I have only ever had one on the 35 in over a year and that was due to fuel starvation (having too much fun lol). What engine did you have in it before Craig?

B  

Another reminder to be careful when running electric aircraft. I have very nearly just lost my fingers after a bench running accident. To tell the truth, 20 mins after the incident my hands are still shaking. 

Whilst bench running a 3S setup for my Equaliser, the prop ate the ESC, and very nearly my fingers. I was standing behind the prop, and had just reached under the prop arc to unplug the battery wires, when the motor started, I can only assume as a result of me accidentally turning the servo tester. The prop hit the ESC, shattering, with pieces then flying very close to my head. For the entire test I was behind the prop, having only gone into line with it at the end of my test. A very harsh reminder, and one that shall cost me £30 for a new ESC, but this time round little else. I shall now make a new rig where all of the electronics are clearly behind the prop, not just under it.

The ESC shielding plate has been sliced and severely dented, one capacitor dented, and the other somewhere in the garage.

The ESC is now hanging above my bench as a reminder for the future. 

Please be careful.

1. When I lost my rifle in the Army, they charged me $85. That’s why in the Navy, the captain goes down with the ship (An Arleigh Burke-class destroyer costs over $1 billion per ship).
2. The reason the armed forces argue all the time is because they don’t speak the same jargon. If you say, “secure a building,” the Army will set up guards on the outside, the Navy will lock the doors and turn out the lights, the Marines will kill everybody inside and set up a headquarters, and the Air Force will take out a 5 year lease with the option to buy.
3. An old Marine Sergeant Major found himself at a gala event hosted by a local liberal arts college. There was no shortage of young liberal ladies in attendance, one of whom approached the Sergeant Major for conversation. “Excuse me, Sergeant Major, but you seem to be a very serious man.. Is something bothering you?” The Marine replied, “Negative, ma’am. Just serious by nature.” The young lady said, “You know, you should lighten up a little. When’s the last time you’ve had sex?” The Marine replied, “1955 ma’am.” The young lady said, “That’s why you’re so serious. C’mon, I’ll make sure you lighten up.” She takes him to a private room. Afterwards, she says “You sure didn’t forget anything since 1955.” The Marine looks at his watch and says, “I'd hope not, it’s only 2130 now.”
4. A Japanese squad was on patrol. The first two men that went over a hill were cut in half by gun fire. The Japanese officer ordered five more to go over the hill and see what they were up against. All five were mowed down. The officer ordered ten more guys to get over that hill and see what they were up against, and they were all mowed down. The officer had had enough and ordered the entire company to get over that hill, and they were all killed too. The officer called for more troops. 25 reported to him and once again he ordered them over the hill, and they were all killed. The officer, not knowing what to do next, called his commander to ask what he should do. The commander told him not to spare any lives, but to get over the damn hill. The officer called in a battalion of troops and once again ordered them over that hill This time they were all killed except for one who came crawling back missing both his legs. The officer asked him if he saw what was on the other side of that hill. The soldier replied, “Its the US Marines sir.” The officer asked, “How many are there?” In his last breath the soldier replied, “Two sir.”
5. The Marines always say they were the first to battle or anywhere. There’s one exception: When they get to the Pearly Gates of Heaven they’ll find out they were built by the Seabees.
6. Wisdom from a WW2 veteran: If you come across an unidentified foxhole, fire one shot so it doesn’t hit anybody. If the response is a load of machine gun fire, they’re German. If they throw down their arms and surrender, they’re Italian or French. If there’s a fusillade of rapid, precise rifle fire, they’re British. If nothing happens for 5 minutes, and then your position is obliterated by artillery fire or an airstrike, they’re American. And if you’re charged by a large amount of men with bearskins screaming сука блять, they’re Russian

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  How many soldiers does it take to change a light bulb?

Navy: 2, one to hold the ladder, and another to climb and do the job.

Air Force: 30, including purchasing committee, vendor negotiator, site supervisor, and everything in between. This number does not include the vendor technicians who will           do the job.

Army: 203. 1 conscript who does the whole thing himself, 200 names of other conscripts written in budget request so a large sum of money can be drawn out of the army             accounting, and 2 commissioned officers who pocket that money

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 A grizzled Army Air Corps veteran from Scotland comes to speak at a women’s college graduation. As part of his speech, he recalls the first dogfight he got into.

 “It was 1943, I was flyin’ my P-51 over the skies of France with my squadron when I see enemy aircraft, and all of a sudden i’ve got 3 fokkers behind me and two fokkers on           my left wing”

He pauses as he sees some of the women blush or giggle

“Ladies, the Fokker was a type of plane flown by the Germans in the second World War” the headmistress intervenes curtly.

With a grin, the man replies “Aye, you’re right ma’am, but these fokkers were flyin’ Messerschmitts!”

-

A Marine is waiting in line at the armoury, spending hours in the hot sun just for the opportunity to turn his spotless weapon in.

“I’m sick of this bull**it!” He says aloud. “When I get out of the corps i’m never going to stand in line for something again”

 A passing Gunnery Sergeant overhears him and shouts back, enraged “And let me guess, devil dog, when you get out you’re gonna piss on my grave too, since you just love         the corps!”

 “Negative Gunny, didn’t you hear me say I wasn’t going to stand in line for anything ever again?” The Marine replies

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Two crows were flying along slowly minding their own business enjoying the scenery, when all of a sudden out of the blue an F/A-18E/F Super Hornet goes screaming past,         barely missing the now somersaulting, and wildly flapping crows.

"Oh my God!" exclaims one crow in surprise. "He was sure moving!"

 The other crow replies: "I reckon you would be too if you had two asses and both of them were on fire!"

Made me laugh  

The level of detail on this Yak is unbelievable! 

Thought I'd return to this 2 1/2 years later, just to say that I have recently converted my current Cougar to electric power. To say I am happy with it is an understatement, and I am sure that there will be a video of it here courtesy of @Ivan.S very soon! For those interested, I have used the 4-MAX "high performance" setup, namely a 35mm 800kv motor with a 12x6 prop mated to a 70A ESC. I am using a 2650mah 4S. I can also say that the balance and handling seems to be unaffected, whilst cutting weight by about 100g from my previous setup.

Does it still feel the same as "my" cougar? I think it does, you know!

B  

Yes, but if they give us stuff like this then I’m fine with it !

Some utterly amazing flying! Loved the heart manoeuvre at 2:30, the precise knife edge pass at 3:19 and syncro hovering at 6:34.... Time for a group of us to get some smoke systems I think!

I’ve nearly finished my build, just to cover it now and steal a rx from somewhere! Should be really fast, although that’s if I ever get it finished !

Have you flown yours @Peter Royall?

And the glider is now a reality @Martin and they fly really well!

Agreed the media has stretched it out of proportion! The blade loss is similar to the quantas ‘380 a while ago? Only difference being the complete difference of engine!

Seemingly the women that was sucked part way out of the broken window has died?

Looks like the same thing? Complete hub failure, taking with it the front of the nacelle and cowling....

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/woman-sucked-out-of-plane-window-as-passengers-scream-after-exploding-engine-smashes-glass-mid-flight/ar-AAvZ5Q6?ocid=spartanntp