Aero.modeller January.2015

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BE2cWWI Remembered

AEROMODELLERNOW MONTHLY!

January 2015No. 932. £5.00

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P01 AM14.indd 1 28/11/2014 09:10

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CONTENTS

Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire LU6 1QX, England

Issue 932. January 2015(ADH 014)

How to contact us:Tel: 01525 222573Fax: 01525 222574Email: [email protected]

Editorial:Editor: Andrew BoddingtonEmail: [email protected]: Alan HarmanGroup Editor: Ken SheppardAdministration Manager: Hannah McLaurieOffi ce Manager: Paula GrayAdvertisement Manager: Gareth LiddiattAdvertisement Assistant: Joe BrownEditorial Design: Peter Hutchinson, Alex Hall & Colin Trundle

Advertisement and circulation:ADH Publishing, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire LU6 1QX, England

Tel: 01525 222573 Fax: 01525 222574E-mail: [email protected]

Distribution: Seymour Distribution, 2 East Poultry Avenue, London, EC1A 9PTTel: 020 7429 4000

Newstrade: Select Publisher Services, 3 East Avenue, Bournemouth, BH3 7BWTel: 01202 586848 E-mail: [email protected]

Subscriptions:ADH Publishing, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX. Tel: 01525 222573 Fax: 01525 222574.Subscribe from £55 for 12 issues.

Website: www.aeromodeller.com

AeroModeller is published monthly by ADH Publishing Ltd, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle

Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX. Entire Contents © 2015 ADH Publishing Ltd. Reproduction in part or whole of any text, photograph or illustration without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. While due care is taken to ensure the content of AeroModeller is accurate, the publishers and printers cannot accept liability for errors and omissions. Advertisements are accepted for publication in AeroModeller only upon ADH Publishing’s standard terms of acceptance of advertising, copies of which are available from the advertising sales department of AeroModeller.

04 Heard at the Hangar DoorsEditorial and News from across the Globe

06 Topical TwistsA wry look at the world of aeromodelling, by Jeremy Paxolin

07 Up and ComingCalendar of Events for the next months

08 Off the ShelfA look at new and innovative products.

10 Aeromodeller and Aviation ArtistProfi le of the painter of our BE2c cover artwork, Cedric de la Nougerede.

12 South Bristol Vintage CL EventMick Lewis looks back at this popular event for vintage Team Race, Speed and Combat.

16 F1A Gliders, the Quiet RevolutionThe use of Flappers and other technology in the FAI FF Glider Class, by Mike Evatt.

20 McGillicuddyMyth or Legend? Has the Maestro fi nally met his match?

22 Openscale 2014The welcome return of Lubomir Koutný who reports on Scale and Old Timer in the Czech Republic.

24 Booster Roosters!Stuart Lodge explains Rocket Boosted Gliders – where rocketry and traditional aeromodelling overlap.

28 FREE PLAN – BE2c Andy Sephton has designed an electric powered scale model of this WWI British Reconnaissance aircraft for AeroModeller.

38 Power TripWhat will Maris Dislers make of an electric ARTF Cessna..?

42 Building a CL Sport JetHaving shown you how to get your Pulse Jet running, Dick Hart concludes with building a suitable model.

46 Scale RubberNew columnist Andy Hewitt on why and how to get in to outdoor rubber powered scale.

50 Gilding’s Engine AuctionThis popular auction of model engines always provides plenty of temptations!

53 U-Build ModelsA kit manufacturer still producing new designs for traditional balsa kits.

54 Free Flight SuppliersWhere can you buy specialist FF components through to RTF duration models?

58 Gadget ReviewHints, Tips and Devices.

60 In Scale CirclesBernard Seale on Control Line scale models.

62 Festival of FlightAndrew Boddington reports from this glorious late September event at Old Warden.

66 Tail End CharlieThe thoughts of Chris Ottewell.

3

AEROMODELLER 932 January 2015 – Next issue published on 15th January 2015

Cedric de la Nougerede’s imagined view of a BE2c over no-man’s land on Christmas Day 1914.

powered scale model of this WWI British Reconnaissance aircraft for AeroModeller.powered scale model of this WWI British Reconnaissance aircraft for AeroModeller.powered scale model of this WWI British

p03 TOC 14.indd 1 28/11/2014 09:11

The Most Expensive AeroModeller?

The recent model engines auction at Gilding’s (see pages 50 onwards) saw the selling of an original

AeroModeller Volume 1 Number 1 donated by Chris Escritt. This venerable magazine was the subject of fi erce bidding and it eventually raised over £200 for a services charity as all proceeds and premiums went to charity.

4 AeroModeller - January 2015

News, Views and Editorial

I know the cover month may be January, but many of you will be reading this issue of AeroModeller over the Christmas period, so the Season’s greeting to you all. I’ve channelled the spirit of Christmas’s past to bring you modern day takes on some AeroModeller institutions from the last 70 or so years. I hope

you enjoy them; if you do let me know and we may repeat them.The most immediately noticeable nod to the past is our painted

cover by Cedric de la Nougerede of a BE2c over no-man’s land on Christmas day 1914. Anyone who has seen an AeroModeller from the 1940s will be aware of every cover being painted, often by C Rupert Moore. Even as late as the 1960s the festive and other special issues would be a painting. You can fi nd out about our cover artist in the profi le on page 10, and I’m pleased to say that Cedric is also a keen

aeromodeller. Thanks go to Mike Parker for initially showing me one of Cedric’s aviation paintings, and then making the introduction.

Much has been lately written and broadcast about WWI, the ‘Great War’ to end all wars, in more detail than we can cover. However, I felt I wanted to acknowledge this centenary in an appropriate way; hence the cover and Free Plan subject. There is barely a family in this country and many abroad who did not suffer a loss in the confl ict, but I asked Cedric to imagine one of those moments that transcended the barbarity of the confl ict – the Christmas day truce that spontaneously appeared on some parts of the front line. I wish you and your family a peaceful New Year in 2015.

Regards, Andrew [email protected]

HANGAR DOORSHANGAR HEARD AT THE

CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

The End to Home Mixed performance Glow Fuels?

On the 2nd September 2014 the UK Government introduced legislation called ‘Licensing for home users

of explosive precursors.’ Unfortunately for modellers with high performance Glow Engines, nitromethane can be used in the illicit manufacture of explosives. Thus if you want to acquire nitromethane at greater than 30% w/w concentration, you must have

a valid EPP licence issued by the Home Offi ce. Also it will be illegal to hold such stocks without an EPP licence after 2nd March 2016.

In the future it will not be impossible to mix your own glow fuel containing nitromethane, but it will mean obtaining an EPP licence which is likely to be too onerous and expensive for many. It will also effectively cap the maximum nitromethane percentage available in pre-mixed glow fuel. You can fi nd out more by searching www.gov.uk for keywords ‘Licensing explosive precursors’.

The Most Expensive AeroModeller?

This Imperial War Museum original BE2c was photographed in London, but has now transferred to Duxford. (Photo Rob Leigh)

Matthew Boddington in the cockpit of the ‘Biggles Biplane’.

HANGAR DOORS 014.indd 2 28/11/2014 09:12

5

Why choose the BE2c as the free plan? There are many reasons both objective and personal. The BE2c was test fl own on 30th May 1914, and was in service until the Armistice in November 1918 – so if any plane could represent WWI, it is the BE2c. As

a model the BE2c has a lot going for it. Unlike later radial engine WWI aircraft it has a reasonable length nose, thus reducing the weight likely to be needed up front to get things to balance.

The BE2c owes its development to the work of Edward T. Busk at the Royal Aircraft Factory to design an aircraft that was inherently stable. For a Free Flight scale model the word stability is music to our ears, and prior to the realities of WWI this was also seen as a major requirement for aircraft. At this time the main role for aircraft was to be reconnaissance and spotting for artillery where the pilot and observer would have to take photographs or write reports while fl ying. Busk was a brilliant designer, a contemporary and friend of Geoffrey de Havilland who was at that time a test pilot at the Royal Aircraft Factory. If it wasn’t for the tragic death of Busk in a test BE2c which caught fi re and crashed on 5th November 1914, his name might be as well known as De Havilland’s.

To fi nd out more about Edward T. Busk (and other classic aviators and aeroplanes) I thoroughly recommend The Aviation Historian, a relatively new quarterly publication (www.theaviationhistorian.com) The latest issue, number 9, has a long article on Busk and the BE2c with original photographs, plus articles on Henry Folland’s monoplanes, the Spitfi re Mk III and much more to interest scale modellers.

The Reality of WarAs the war progressed, the inherent stability of the BE2c which was originally seen as such a blessing, quickly turned to a curse. With the introduction in 1915 of the German Eindecker monoplane fi ghter with forward fi ring machine gun, the BE2c became ‘Fokker Fodder’. In the BE2c the pilot sat at the back while the observer was stationed within the cabane struts, and with attacks increasing the observer’s role changed from looking at ground installations to spotting enemy fi ghters while armed with a rifl e or light machine gun – you can imagine the restricted fi eld of fi re he would have with all the struts and wires.

My thanks go to Philip Jarrett for details of an absorbing book ‘Nine Lives, the Autobiography of an Old Soldier’, by Richard Hilton (Hollis & Carter, London, 1955). During WWI Hilton served fi rst as an observer on BE2cs and later as a pilot in R.E.8s. To quote from his book;

‘In the BE2c the observer sat in front of the pilot, or rather he knelt, facing backwards, looking over the pilot’s head to guard the most

dangerous line of approach, the tail. If attacked he had to perform gymnastic feats, lifting the Lewis gun from one socket to another according to whether the enemy was attacking from port or starboard, above or below. In a slipstream of about a hundred miles an hour, it was no easy job…’

Not only did the crew have to cope with the enemy, but the vagaries of the weather could also take their toll;

‘A heavy snowstorm came up suddenly and we fl ew straight in to it. The next few moments were absolute hell. I was kneeling, as usual, on my seat looking backwards, and not secured by any safety belt. The BE seemed to behave like a bucking bronco… Suddenly I was hurled clear of my seat altogether. I just had time to grab wildly at the sides of my cockpit and hold on grimly… My arms took the full weight of my body and were nearly pulled from their sockets. Something whizzed past my head. It was one of the ammunition drums. Then a much larger object left its place and crashed through the centre section of our top plane, narrowly missing my head. It was the Lewis gun!’

BE2 ConnectionsThe BE2c was part of an alphabetical series by the Royal Aircraft Factory (the BE stands for Bleriot Experimental which was to highlight the organisation’s development and test work). It is relatively easy to alter the Free Plan to represent later d, e, f and g variants which had a shorter span lower wing. Even within the mark, aircraft varied depending on the engine that was installed, who the manufacturer was, and what modifi cations were made in service. Information and 3 views on the BE2e which was featured in February 1959 AeroModeller will be made available on www.aeromodeller.com.

Finally the BE2 has always attracted me, because it is part of my family DNA! As a child in 1969 I watched as my father David, and uncle Charles designed, built and fl ew a replica BE2 for a Biggles fi lm that was never made. Fittingly this replica was based around a DH 82a Tiger Moth, the product of Geoffrey de Havilland’s company, Edward T. Busk’s old friend. The history of this replica will have to wait for another time, but suffi ce to say that my cousin Matthew has restored and fl own it at many displays in 2014 as a fi tting memorial to those who fought in WWI, and to our fathers. www.biggles-biplane.com

As well as The Aviation Historian magazine, other useful references on the BE series are the Putnam book ‘The Royal Aircraft Factory’ by Paul R Hare, and ‘BE2 in action’ by Peter Cooksley, a Squadron/Signal publication #123 available from www.adhpublishing.com

By Andrew Boddington

BE2c Backgrounder

Family Connections! The replica BE2 was originally designed by my father David Boddington and test fl own by his brother Charles in 1969. In 2005 Matthew Boddington my cousin returned the broken BE2 remains from the USA and with Steve Slater has rebuilt it to fl ying condition.

HANGAR DOORS 014.indd 3 02/12/2014 12:45


LIE OF THE LANDNot only are fl ying sites disappearing like chuckies in a hurricane, but I’ve noticed something disturbing is happening to the handful we have left. Sprinting after my free fl ight job recently, it became apparent that the old club patch has picked up quite a daunting gradient, no doubt due to subsidence, global warming, fracking, or most likely all three. By an odd quirk of geology, the slope seems to be uphill in all directions. My better half, however, had the audacity to suggest that the problem may be less to do with physical geography than physical fi tness, which is outrageous; why, I’m barely out of my early thirties, and what’s more I bet I could still get into the purple velvet fl ares I got married in. Just as well, I intoned darkly, as I might be needing them again at this rate. Luckily she didn’t hear; she was already jogging to yoga class.

GAME OF DRONESNowadays, when you can get a sports council grant for watching the telly sitting up, hobbies seem a bit too much like hard work. Of course, RTF models have been saving us from the drudgery of aeromodelling for years, but now it seems that the wearisome business of fl ying them ourselves could also be a thing of the past. The latest craze, the multicopter, is a fully autonomous aerial vehicle capable of fl ying and landing itself - and needless to say, comes ready built. Unfortunately the purchaser still has to face the exhausting ordeal of taking the thing out of the packaging and carting it to the fl ying fi eld. No doubt pretty soon you’ll be able to shell out your cash, then sit back content in the knowledge that your model is out there somewhere, buzzing about its business, without ever having to set eyes on it at all.

“Where’s your Johnny?”“Oh, he’s following his model aircraft.”“On his mountain bike, I suppose”“No, on Twitter.”

PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCEFifty years ago, the great Pylonius remarked scathingly that while a bit of wire poked through a brass tube was good enough for a sturdy British Wake fl yer, his foreign opponent was sneakily machining parts that actually worked; the rotter. Now, of course, a top FF model contains more servos than the average model shop did back then, but at least the attitude of us Brits remains reassuringly unchanged as our latest attempt to rein in runaway technology wings its way to the ivory tower of the FAI. But will it work? Thanks to my friend Doctor Whom (he’s less famous than his brother but better spoken), I’ve got hold of a copy of AeroModeller from the year 2055. I’ll quote, if I may;

“This year’s Championships took place among the vineyards and orange groves of Vladivostok from August 10-17th. Entries were up on previous years with a total of eleven taking part, including fl yers from

both Great Britain and Scotland for the fi rst time since the Durham missile crisis. The weather started fi ne and calm, but a light breeze and patchy cloud were switched on for the later rounds. F1A glider was once again dominated by purchased models featuring mono-crystalline spars grown in zero-G in outer space. A new innovation this year was the indestructible metal prosthetic body used by Arnie Schiesskopf of Austria, which enabled him to achieve launch altitudes of 300 metres. Unfortunately, he was disqualifi ed after a random screening tested positive for WD- 40. Arnie tells us he’ll be back. In F1B Rubber, it is clearly still standard to fl y a model equipped with the integrated circuit nuclear reactors (fi ssion chips) which convert the permitted 3 grammes of rubber into pure energy, giving a still air performance of around 45 years. Zing-Lo Gates once again lifted the coveted Wakefi eld trophy, since he is the only person on the planet rich enough to afford this technology, and consequently nobody else turned up. The FAI considered this situation at the last CIAM bureau meeting, and voted unanimously against restricting technology for fear of damaging the sport.”

Incidentally, I don’t know when “AeroModeller” intends to go over to the new holographic format, but can I be the fi rst to say that I don’t like it.

AND FINALLY…All too soon it’s time to hand back this precious institution to the irreplaceable Pylonius, bearing in mind the advice of that other great satirist, Tom Lehrer; “You can always rely on Gilbert & Sullivan for a rousing fi nale, full of words and music, and signifying nothing!” Music, Maestro, please…

I am the very model of a modern competition fl yer,My solitary purpose is to get my launches ever higher.I’m in the gym all evening working on my strength & stamina,My marriage may be turbulent but all my wings are laminar.

I wear designer training shoes for optimal agility.And turbulated underpants for boundary layer stability,I took another mortgage out for necessary fi eld attire,I look the very model of a modern competition fl yer.

There is no foreign fi eld or fjord that I haven’t been to yet,My altimeter readings are the envy of the internet,My models are the best Ukrainian kit that money can acquire,Yes, I am the very model of a modern competition fl yer.

In fact if I had one of those old models that we used to fl y,That thermalled pretty nicely and that didn’t cost three grand to buy,I might not have the shiny things that all my Facebook friends admire,But I might try entering contests against other competition fl yers.

TOPICAL TWISTS

By Jeremy Paxolin. Illustrated by Sherry

Then and Now

'He's the only contestant fi t enough to fl y in the fourteenth round.'

TOPICAL TWISTS.indd 2 28/11/2014 09:13

Events

AeroModeller Calendar of EventsAeroModeller Calendar of EventsUP & COMING

Please note that the events listed are compiled weeks in advance of publication, and you should check before travelling in case of change. For future inclusion of your events, please send an email with date and details of the event in a format similar to those shown below to [email protected]

DECEMBER

13 December Tonbridge Gassers & Rubber Fanciers Indoor Meeting, King’s Rochester Sports Centre, 601 Maidstone Rd, Rochester, ME1 3QJ. Indoor & Scale. Stuart 07956 066463 [email protected] www.afterworkstuff.co.uk/little_fl yers/

14 December Medway Model Flying Club Indoor Flying, Fort Pitt Grammar School, Chatham. FF, RC & Heli in slots. £6 entry fl ying. Colin Benham [email protected] www.medwaymfc.org.uk

14 December OFMAC Indoor Funfl y, Abbey Sports centre, Berinsfi eld OX10 7NR. FF Rubber, CO2 , electric. Dave Dobson 01491 837789 [email protected]

14 December Rochdale Indoor Fly-in, Springhill Sports Center, Turf Hill Road, Rochdale, OL16 4XQ. £4 per fl yer, BMFA card. FF & Electric RC

fi xed wing only, slots. Keith Barker [email protected] 01706 659396 or David Lloyd-Jones [email protected] 01565 734 040

14 December BMFA South West Area Indoor Flying. Saints Fitness Centre, Tregorrick Park, St Austell, PL26 7AG. 12:00 to 16:00 FF and Micro RC. David Powis, 01579 362951, [email protected] or Roger Bellamy, 01752 257826, [email protected]

28 December ‘The Cold Turkey’ Barton CL event. Banish those post-Christmas Blues! Malcolm Ross, 0192 5766610 www.controlline.org.uk

29 December Wickham Indoor Free Flight, Wickham Community Association, Mill Lane Wickham PO17 5AL, No RC. Adult fl iers £4, Spectators/juniors £1. Flitehook normally in attendance. Free parking. Ken Brown 02380578866 [email protected]

2015JANUARY

3 January Indoor Fun Flying at Furzefi eld, Furzefi eld Sports Centre, Potters Bar, EN6 3BW. FF & RC, small planes and helis. Flyers £8.00

Spectators £2.00. Mike Quille, 020 8500 3549 [email protected]

4 January Peterborough MFC Indoor Flying, Bushfi eld Sports Centre, PE2 5RQ. 10:00 to 13:00 www.peterboroughmfc.org

10 January North London MFC Indoor RC, Furzefi eld Sports Centre, Potters Bar, EN6 3BW. Fixed Wing to 225g, Heli to 400g RC. Peter Elliott 01707 336982

11 January Flitehook Indoor FF Meeting, Totton Community Centre, Hazelfarm Rd, Southampton, SO40 8WU. 10.00 to 16.00 Contact Flitehook 02380 861541

11 January Rochdale Indoor Fly-in, Springhill Sports Center, Turf Hill Road, Rochdale, OL16 4XQ. Fixed wing only, 20 min slots for Fast RC, Slow RC, FF. Flyer £4, BMFA members only. Keith Barker [email protected] 01706 659396 or David Lloyd-Jones [email protected] 01565 734 040.

18 January BMFA South West Area Indoor Flying. Saints Fitness Centre, Tregorrick Park, St Austell, PL26 7AG. 12:00 to 16:00 FF and Micro RC. David Powis, 01579 362951,

[email protected] or Roger Bellamy, 01752 257826, [email protected]

27 January Bournemouth MAS Indoor Flying at the Allendale Centre, Hanham Rd, Wimborne, BH21 1AS, 19.00 to 22.00. FF only. Gyminnie Cricket League. Flitehook normally in attendance. Free parking Allendale Rd. Contacts John Taylor 01202 232206 & Roy Tiller [email protected]

31 January Peterborough MFC Indoor Flying, Bushfi eld Sports Centre, PE2 5RQ. 10:00 to 13:00 www.peterboroughmfc.org

FEBRUARY

7 February Indoor Fun Flying at Furzefi eld, Furzefi eld Sports Centre, Potters Bar, EN6 3BW. FF & RC, small planes and helis. Flyers £8.00 Spectators £2.00. Mike Quille, 020 8500 3549 [email protected]

8 February Flitehook Indoor Free Flight Meeting, Totton Community Centre, Hazelfarm Rd, Southampton, SO40 8WU. FF only. 10.00 to 16.00 Contact Flitehook 02380 861541

Full details of BMFA events can be found at: www.bmfa.org

40th Crawley Indoor Meeting, Sunday 8th March 2015

7

Congratulations for the Ruby anniversary of the Crawley Indoor Meeting which will

be held a month later than usual on Sunday 8th March 2015. This is a Free Flight only event, with plenty of fun fl ying and competitions: HLG & Catapult Glider, Peanut & Open Scale,

EZB & Living Room Stick, Gyminie Cricket, Hangar Rat & Butter Fly Mass Launch and Legal Eagle Class.

40th Crawley Indoor meeting, BMFA South Eastern Area, K2 Leisure Centre, Pease Pottage, Crawley, RH11 9BQ, from 11:00 to 18:00. Contact John Dart 01293 420830, [email protected] or www.cadmac.org.uk

p07 calander 014.indd 1 28/11/2014 09:13


Off The ShelfA round up of new and innovative products for the discerning aeromodeller. Send your product information along with high-resolution images to: [email protected]

Electric Control Line (ECL) has been widely adopted by top aerobatic pilots where a consistent motor run is essential for world class performance, probably not the highest priority for the average sports flyer. But other ECL features such as clean quiet operation, the ability to fly solo and accurate control of flight time are very attractive. The DMS E – Zee Timer has been designed to offer all these functions, and for novices or those returning, flight times can be set as short as 10 seconds…..very desirable for those first few flights! The E-Zee timer works by connecting to a standard ESC (Electronic Speed Controller). Length 28mm, width 20mm, height 11mm and weight 5gm.

Features include: • Simple duration setting by push button/LED interface• Motor power adjustable from zero to full throttle (by potentiometer) • The motor soft starts at the beginning of a flight and gradually slows down at the end. • Programmable start delay (for solo operation) – 0 to 90 seconds

The timer can also be used with a remote pushbutton for applications where the timer is not accessible and is supplied with a comprehensive instruction manual and users guide Price £11.50 + P & P from Dens Model Supplies (DMS) www.densmodelsupplies.co.uk (see Electric Control Line section) or phone 01983 294182. DMS can also supply the laser cut Stevens Aero ECL kits and will soon have their own ACE ECL Trainer.

Electric CL Timer by Dens Model Supplies

Microaces has introduced the Cessna 195 trainer to join their range of innovative Depron and Graphic finish small flying eRC models, such as the Battle of Britain Dogfighter Twin Pack of Bf109-4 and Spitfire MkIa.Over the summer months many hours were spent designing and testing to create this 18” wingspan, easy build, four channel trainer with a gentle flying nature. During this process a new aerofoil was developed. A simple fold towards the leading edge of the wing created an under-camber that improves slow

flight performance significantly.Three Cessna 195 versions are available: a classic 1950s Businessliner, a modern day ‘Estelle’ in bright colours, and a military LC-126 Arctic Rescue with floats. They are all designed to use the Spektrum AR6400 range of receivers and a specially designed receiver clip is included with each kit.As with all Microaces kits, there’s a comprehensive, step by step illustrated assembly guide included in the box, and the Cessna 195 trainer also benefits from an on-line video manual.

The Cessna 195 Businessliner & Estelle Deluxe Kits which include brushless motor and speed controller are priced at £59.99 and the LC-126 with motor, speed controller and additional floats is £74.95.Microaces is a British company based in Dorset. For further information email [email protected] or go to www.microaces.com

Microaces Cessna 195 Trainer for Micro RC

OF THE SHELF 14.indd 8 28/11/2014 09:14

Magnet” in the USA) with success. It is particularly effective in fi nal cleaning of parts (after solvent cleaning) in an ultrasonic cleaner when diluted 1 part to 10 parts water. Rinse clean in warm water afterwards and dry thoroughly with a hair dryer before applying oil protection and reassembly.

Ultrasonic cleaners do a great job, but the engine should be completely disassembled before this form of cleaning. The vibrating fl uid carries small impurities into every assembly (such as between conrod and wrist pin) that can be diffi cult to remove in the rinsing stage. This vibration also quickly ruins ball bearings by putting fl ats on the balls and dents in the races.

Carbon and varnish on pistons, cylinder bores and combustion chamber surfaces can be safely removed with a paste made from sodium bicarbonate (found in the grocery store next to baking powder) and methylated spirits or rubbing alcohol. The small water content in the alcohol dissolves some of the bicarbonate, which is a gentle degreaser. The remaining bicarbonate acts as a mild abrasive to remove the build-up without harming the metal surface. Gentle rubbing with a rag and paste will do the job. A thorough clean with toothbrush and hot water dissolves any remaining sodium bicarbonate. Dry and oil the cleaned parts.

Stuck contra pistons must be removed and cleaned to restore proper function. Remove

the cylinder and providing it has reasonable strength and is fl at on the bottom, place it on a fl at, hard surface. Using a hammer and piece of wooden dowel, tap the contra piston down the bore (not out of the top). If the cylinder jacket is still attached, use the largest piece of piano wire that fi ts down the compression screw hole. Usually tapping it down and up the bore a few times (with plenty of oil) does the job. For tougher instances, clean the contra piston and cylinder bore using sodium bicarbonate/alcohol paste, apply oil to both parts and reverse the operation by tapping it back up the cylinder bore.

Making replacement gasketsIf you follow my cleaning and maintenance method, you’ll probably need fresh back plate gaskets. It is vital that this joint is airtight, to avoid loss of primary crankcase compression. Reusing old gaskets is a prime cause of screw-in back plates and cylinders subsequently coming loose, as the fi bres in the material do not conform as well to the joint a second time. If a genuine part is not available, you can easily make your own. Motor car parts shops sell gasket paper in various thicknesses, but alternatives such as strong mailing envelopes or old plastic coated playing cards can also be used. Use the same thickness as the original. For back plates, this is not very critical providing the gasket is thick enough to ensure the crankshaft (when pushed all the

way back) doesn’t touch the back plate’s inner face.

The simplest gaskets, such as those for a screw-in backplate, can be easily marked out by measuring the backplate and drawing the two circle diameters with a compass and pencil on a piece of material cut slightly oversize. I sand the tip of the pencil to a chisel point to give a clear, fi ne line. I’ve had mixed results using circle cutting tools, as the tip of the blade must be really sharp and can wander away from the intended path when cutting our small circles. I fi nd it easier to cut by hand with a fresh No. 11 blade over a cutting board. Do the inside circle fi rst and check the fi t before cutting the outer circle. More complex gaskets follow a similar process. The photos show this step by step.

Oil the gasket before assembly. This will reduce the tendency to stick to the parts, allowing for easier disassembly and replacement. Retighten after the gasket has settled – next day, or after the fi rst run.

Paper gaskets are not suitable replacements for the old asbestos head to cylinder gaskets, so avoid disturbing these joints if possible. Modern “steam jointing sheet” does the job (Enya offers this in a suitable thickness) but is not as soft. If necessary, coat each side with a thin layer of RTV silicone when assembling, to ensure a good seal. ●

17

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CCCCCCedric de la Nougerede is a consummate scale modeller and in his paintings of aircraft he captures some of their indefi nable essence. Here he gives an insight in to his life as an artist

and aeromodeller.I was born in Assam, India at the time of the

Raj, and started to draw and take an interest in model planes at about the same time (around the age of 5 or 6 years.) My Father used to bring us kids Dinky Toy planes like the Empire Flying Boat, and I remember a Bristol Blenheim with half black and half white underside. He also brought us three boys Frog Interceptors, each with different national markings. Around about the same time I caught German measles and had to be isolated in a back bedroom. All I found to do was copy pictures from the numerous animal and bird books. If you do enough copying, anyone will train their hand and eye suffi ciently to be able to draw.

When we came to England at the time of Partition in 1947, we boys were already into building the solid model kits but had to leave them behind in Shillong. I started again when we lived in Hove and had a regular order for Aeroplane Spotter. I also bought another Frog Interceptor which had a canopy instead of an open cockpit, and the undercarriage fi tted into the wings.

I had two terms at the Brighton Art College, where we just drew and drew, no painting. I then, like most of my generation, entered National Service. After NS, I got a job as an Engineering draughtsman with Airwork General Trading Company, mostly installing ancillary equipment in a range of aircraft. The offi ce was in the centre of Brighton, and during lunchtimes a few of us would go into Woolworths for the latest

two-bob Airfi x kit. While at Airwork, I built my fi rst Jetex kits; the English Electric Lightning P1 and a Folland Gnat. These had moulded balsa fuselages with sheet wings and tails. I couldn’t resist making an aerofoil section wing with stiff paper

and a fully detailed cockpit and ejector seat. Both the Lightning and the

Gnat proved too heavy to fl y. (One of Derek Knight’s tiny ducted fans may have worked a treat.)

Airwork moved from Brighton to Hern Airport near Bournemouth but I didn’t go. I applied for and

Cover Artist

Flying indoor scale at Crawley is a great social and fl ying occasion.

two-bob Airfi x kit. While at Airwork, I built my fi rst Jetex kits; the English Electric Lightning P1 and a Folland Gnat. These had moulded balsa fuselages with sheet wings and tails. I couldn’t resist making an aerofoil section wing with stiff paper

and a fully detailed cockpit and ejector seat. Both the Lightning and the

Gnat proved too heavy to fl y. (One of Derek Knight’s tiny ducted fans may have worked a treat.)

Airwork moved from Brighton to Hern Airport near Bournemouth but I didn’t go. I applied for and

Flying indoor scale at Crawley is a great social and fl ying occasion.

Another of Cedric’s own designs, the 1/10th scale SE5a.Another of Cedric’s own designs, the 1/10th scale SE5a.

Cedric’s fi rst own design scale model

was the P-51-B Mustang published in

AeroModeller June 1979.

CAEROMODELLING AND AVIATION ART

Members of 2FSA the Free Flight Scale

Association

CDN PROFILE.indd 2 28/11/2014 09:15

unexpectedly got a job as a Technician Draughtsman in the Space Research Group of the Department of Physics at University College London, specifi cally to work on the fi rst US/UK satellite - Ariel 1, launched in 1962. I was into archaeology as well at this time, doing reconstruction drawings of Roman Villas and mosaics. After 6 years of working on various rocket and satellite experiments in London, the group moved to a country house near Dorking, Surrey, which took the name of the Mullard Space Science Laboratory, of University College London. Soon the Design Offi ce had two Engineers and a design staff of four, including myself as Chief Draughtsman. One of the ‘new’ boys was John Coker and one day he brought along a free fl ight Mercury Tiger Moth. That did it.

We decided to both build Doug McHard’s SE5A which John had as a free plan in the AeroModeller. We built these models on our drawing boards in our lunch hours. Then we started taking them home at night and a real race was on. This led us to attend fl ying meetings and once at Odiham we met three scale modellers from Epsom; Derry Eggs, Dave Kew and George Worley. Together we decided to

form an Association of free fl ight scale fl yers, and Dave coined the name 2FSA. We had fl ying gatherings and meetings in people’s homes. It was at the home of one of them that we met Aviation Artist and aeromodeller, Ken McDonough. Ken introduced us to another artist Brian Withams who had brought along a beautiful painting of a Fokker Dr1, and that got me wanting to paint aircraft. Brian told me that you couldn’t do both modelling and painting - one or the other but Ken was special. I think he meant for a living.

I applied and was accepted as an Associate Member of the Guild of Aviation Artists in October 1975 and have been exhibiting fairly regularly since 1976. I continued to build models, mostly at work on my drawing board. I’m glad to say that the paintings did improve despite the building program. Many models failed and just as many paintings failed. It is how one learns.

I really enjoy indoor fl ying and was overjoyed when the blue foam came along and we met people like Richard Crossley and Peter Smart - wonderful people and beautiful models. David Deadman (was a 2FSA member) started me off and I’m still

at it, although the appeal of indoor fl ying is fading with the advent of more and more indoor RC.

When I joined the Crawley club, model fl ying came to life for me, as I had to participate in all the Free Flight Comps that are run monthly. This was a great deal of fun building and fl ying non scale models. We still had a scale comp, and one magic moment was on a calm evening when I had my peanut foam Mustang circling about 20 feet above as in the background Concorde rose out of Gatwick. One lives for these magic moments.

All in all, it is really about having fun and not taking things too seriously. It is also about people and the pleasurable company when we are all doing what we love.

You have to grow old but you don’t have to grow up.

I shall never be a ‘Great’ aeromodeller/model fl yer or a ‘Great’ aviation artist, but it has been a fun journey. My aeromodelling is truly down to John Coker and though we don’t see too much of each other since retirement, we do get together now and again, usually at Cloud Tramp day at Epsom and at the Crawley Indoor meeting early in the year. ●

Cedric with FW190

Cedric with FW190

CDN PROFILE.indd 3 28/11/2014 09:16

SOUTH BRISTOL CONTROL LINE GALA 2014

Mick Lewis and friends look back at this summer feast of Vintage Control Line


CL Event Report

SSSSSouth Bristol club’s annual control line gala was held at Hamfi elds Leisure Centre, Berkeley in Gloucestershire on 22nd of June. The plan was for Vintage Combat,

Vintage Speed and Vintage team racing events to be run by contest directors

Mick Lewis, Peter Fox and John Mealing respectively. SB club members had worked hard over the preceding three days to prepare the grass circles and were rewarded with a perfect day of sunshine and very light winds.

The growth of Vintage Combat was

clear to see with Mick having such a large entry that he and Richard Evans withdrew their own entries to run the event. Team Racing had the expected travelling teams from Nottinghamshire, Shropshire and Suffolk, with competitors and organisers of the Vintage and Weatherman Speed events

Dave Finch releasing his 10cc Weatherman for its winning and record breaking fl ight.

SB VINTAGE CL.indd 2 28/11/2014 09:23

13

covering similar distances. Keep an eye open for the 2015 date of this popular event at www.southbristolmac.co.uk

Team Racing, by John MealingTeam Race action started with what is the main class these days, Class A. Class A is for models designed before Dec 1959, powered by 2.5cc engines, usually some version of the Oliver Tiger, old, modern or foreign. Seven teams contested class A, four visitors and three SBMAC teams. The SBMAC teams were Nick and Steve Blades, Digby Perriam and Peter Rabjohn and fi nally John Mealing and Terry Taylor.

The fi rst heat of round one saw a close fi nish between Toogood/Lewis and Catlow/Finch, with both pilots using their arms, the win by 3.8seconds going to the latter. Sadly Digby Perriam and Peter Robjohn failed to get away with a split tank in their Voodoo. The less said about the second heat the better, both teams retired, Green/Long at 19laps and Blades/Blades after 41laps. The fi nal heat of the third round saw a win for father and son team Martyn and Mark Haywood, who soundly beat the third South Bristol team of John Mealing and Terry Taylor.

Things settled down in round two with only Catlow/Finch failing to complete the distance. Surprise of the second round was Mealing/Taylor, fl ying Phil Darke’s Olympian. They posted John’s fi rst ever sub four minutes time, the third fastest heat time. This also meant that the fi nal would also be a fi rst for John.

The Class A fi nal was a bit of an anti-

climax. All three teams got away quickly but John Mealing's nerves got the better of him and he decked the model twice, luckily without damage. Things eventually settled down until at 77laps Catlow/Finch were forced to retire when Dave Finch badly cut his fi ngers during a pitstop. Tony Toogood fl ew out the winner (8 min 45.0sec) with John Mealing someway behind in second place (12min 29.0sec).

After Class A it was time for the bigger bangers - Class B. Same age limit for the models but with 5cc engines, mostly plain bearing Enya 29’s. Five teams came to the start line of the seven entered.

Heat one saw Toogood/Lewis show a clean pair of heels to Digby Perriam and Peter Rabjohn who were fl ying Phil Darke’s beloved Chowhound. Phil was there to keep an eye on them in the role of battery man.

Heat two saw Green/Long show an equally clean pair of heels to Mealing/Taylor who were fl ying Terry Taylor's pink Double Dice, internationally known as Sheila, whilst Blades/Blades failed to start their engine. The third heat was a fl yoff for the third place in the fi nal between Perriam/Rabjohn and Mealing/Taylor. To Phil Darke’s delight the victory went to Perriam/Rabjohn, when John speared Sheila into the deck on approach for his pitstop.

The fi nal went off without incidents with Toogood/Lewis running out winners from the Johns Green and Long. SBMAC’s team trailed in third, refl ecting the need for more horsepower from the motor in the Chowhound.

Class 1/2A was the next on the racing agenda. For models designed before December 1960, powered by 1.5cc engines, this class is beginning to become the cinderella of Vintage Team Racing. Only four teams assembled in the line check. In the fi rst heat Toogood/Lewis had a leg of their undercarriage break off when Dave Lewis tried to straighten it after a bouncy landing, leaving the remaining teams to progress straight to the fi nal. The fi nal was not the best example of 1/2A fi nals. Mark and Martyn Haywood were the easy winners (8min 31.1sec) after the other teams failed to fi nish, both with broken models.

The fi nal racing class of the day was Barton B. This is a class introduced by the Barton Club to encourage aerobatics pilots into team racing. It aimed at producing an even playing fi eld with a fi xed engine, fuel and propeller. Sad to say a lot of teams are still trying to fi nd that even fi eld. Six teams contested this class at Berkeley. The heats went off without incident. Green/Long decided to sit on their fi rst round time, which was second fastest of the round. Unfortunately improvements by Catlow/Jephcott and Haywood/Haywood saw them demoted to fourth place overall. A shortage of battery personnel saw Marion Mealing make her battery girl debut, joining husband John and Terry Taylor pitting John’s Dalesman. This model lacks the speed and range of the other competitors but after a year of refusing to hot restart now restarts fi rst fl ick following a minor tank modifi cation. The Barton B fi nal was the last of the day and was a cracker with Toogood/Lewis beating

Dave Finch pitting his Dimpled Dumpling in Class A

Peter Rabjohn releases Phil Darke’s Chowhound in Class B under the watchful eye of timekeeper Peter Jephcott

Ken Newbold releases the Green/Long Class B

Dave Lewis waiting for his Class B model to land, with battery man Terry Taylor ready to burst into action.

Terry Taylor and Marion Mealing about to start the team’s Dalesman in Barton B round 1

Mark Haywood overtaking John Mealing in Barton B

John Catlow, Tony Toogood and Mark Haywood contesting the Barton B fi nal


CL Event Report


Catlow/Jephcott by 0.25sec!! The Haywood duo retired at 135laps when Mark lost control and hit the ground.

Vintage Speed and Weatherman Speed, by John MealingPeter Fox and Tony Goodger ran Vintage and Weatherman Speed, combining Classic and Phantom. The events attracted 13 competitors, mostly in Weatherman. Weatherman is a healthy event, but with the engines being used now has certainly gone beyond the original intentions when the event was created. It’s sad to see the decline of Vintage speed for whatever reason, could it be that the experts only appear at the Nationals? On the day of the gala there were only two

entries in Vintage. Both events were run on a handicap basis.

In Weatherman Dave Finch was the winner with his 10cc Weatherman (Class 7, 100.5%), ably anchored to the ground by John Catlow - they created a new class record of 115.24mph from a standing start. The motor is a West 55, standard out of the box. The engine is designed to run on a pipe but Dave is running it on open exhaust, as required by the Weatherman rules. Well done Team Large. Runner-up in Weatherman was Peter Fox, who placed second (Class 2, 99.9%, 91.37mph) and third (Class 3, 99.1%, 105.2mph) with his Parra 09 and Fora15 respectively powered models. Pete was also the top Phantom entry, his model being

powered by a Rothwell R250.Vintage speed, as noted above, attracted

two entries. Both fl ew McCoy 49 powered models in Class 6. Digby Perriam was the winner, fl ying one of Gordon May’s Golden Rods, recording a speed of 100.56mph. The runner-up was Ian Russell, fl ying a Speed King. His speed was 94.74mph. Both speeds were considerably below the class record of 121mph.

Vintage Combat, by Richard EvansTo the host club’s great pleasure the anticipated large entry actually materialised. Twenty four fl iers braved the travel from as far away as Wales, Norfolk, Surrey and Lincolnshire, some making a weekend of it

A Supermonger squares up to an aptly named ‘banana’ Anduril.

A Squig (considered by many to be ‘ugly’) comes up against the only Chaos seen at the meet fl own by Chris Fisher.

Martin Kiszel’s Supermonger takes a ‘bite’ out of the opposing Squig.

Martin Kiszel’s half Supermonger still managed to win against Mike Waller’s Piranha XL.

Combat fi nalists. From the left: Mike Waller (Liquidator XL) placed third, Chris Fisher (Chaos) runner up, Martin Kiszel (Supermonger) winner, Karl Severne (Supermonger) placed fourth.

Chris Fisher and Martin Kiszel fi ght out the vintage combat fi nal.


15

staying in B&B or camping.The fi rst round did not bring any great

surprises and most fl iers with form got through unscathed. However, Tony Frost from the host club was dismayed to lose 3-2 to Tony Cookson in only his fi rst year of combat. Stu Vickers added insult to injury by taking three cuts from Eamon Forsdike’s fast Banana Anduril before removing the whole of his tail and elevator. Richard Wright and Martin Kiszel had a great ding-dong but at the end Richard’s model was reduced to the proverbial nylon bag of bits. Richard managed to get back into the main event through the losers refl y as did Bruce Dobson. Bruce is another very keen convert to our sport who certainly has an animated fl ying style. Watch this space!

During the Frost and Heaseman bout we were treated to a fl y past by two WW2 fi ghters who had been performing nearby at Weston Super Mare. We did miss the Lancaster though.

The fi rst 'star' head to roll came in the Eliminator round when Roger Fisher lost 2-1 to Martin Kiszel. Roger committed the cardinal sin of taking the whole streamer at one go, which as we all know is the combat fl yers kiss of death. Martin replied

with two good cuts. It was a very clean and fast bout between Roger’s Assagai XL and Martin’s Shogun. Roger is still using PAW 19PB motors which in his hands are very competitive against the usual Rothwell/JO19 competition.

Into the last sixteen and exits here from Tim Hobbins at the hands of another “new” fl yer, Darryl Hinton from the host club. Darryl is producing some very attractive tie and dye models in true Vintage style. We also now lost one of combat’s great characters, Moggs Morris. Now a septuagenarian Moggs’s fl ying is sheer entertainment and your writer had him down for at least the semi fi nals. That “beginner” Tony Cookson took him out. We’d better all watch out for “that” Tony…..

In the quarter fi nal, Darryl’s run of success came to an end when an on form Mike Waller beat him with a very manoeuvrable Piranha XL. A word of advice Darryl - peg your bellcranks, they stay in place longer! Mike Waller's club mate Mark Legg retired with a broken model and there was exit also for top fl yer Stuart Vickers. In a super bout, Chris Fisher fl ying a good old Chaos took two cuts after Stu had, guess what, taken the whole streamer at one go.

So, we’re nearly there folks. The semi fi nals drew together, fi rst Mike Waller and Martin Kiszel. This was certainly not the best bout of the day! One cut all and lots of ground time accompanied by Martin’s achievement of fl ying a very badly damaged model gave him the victory. Enough said. In the other easier on the eye bout Chris Fisher took two nice cuts from Karl Severne to win. Karl has not been mentioned so far but his fl ying has been getting steadier and his models defi nitely much more competitive.

The fl y off for third place lasted little time. Against Mike Waller, Karl dragged a brand new unfl own Barbarian XL out and on the fi rst crash broke the booms and removed the engine. Did I say his planes were more competitive? This one isn’t anymore!

At about 5.30pm a crowd gathered for the fi nal which was excellent. Martin fl ew a Rothwell powered Supermonger against Chris Fisher with (the same) PAW 19 Chaos that he’d been fl ying all day. Martin just had the edge and followed Chris closely for much of the bout but only managed one cut. That was all he needed to win. Four minutes of airtime and little time on the ground for either pilot. A great end to a perfect day of Vintage Combat. ●

TEAM RACE RESULTS

Class B ResultsPilot Pitman Battery Person Round 1 Round 2 FinalToogood Lewis Taylor 3min 33.5sec DNF 7min 41.2secGreen Long Newbold 3min 35.2sec DNF 7min 52.5secPerriam Rabjohn Darke 5min 0.02sec 4min 12.7sec 10min 02.4sec

Barton B ResultsPilot Pitman Battery Person Round 1 Round 2 FinalToogood Lewis Taylor 3min 23.8sec 3min 17.6sec 6min 57.81secCatlow Jephcott Finch 3min 36.3sec 3min 16.9sec 6min 58.06secHaywood Haywood Darke 3min 34.1sec 3min 22.9sec 135laps

combat fl yers kiss of death. Martin replied whole streamer at one go. combat fl yers kiss of death. Martin replied Vintage Combat.

Richard Wright and CD Mick Lewis inspect the remains of Richard’s Supermonger after his bout with Martin Kiszel.

Newcomer Bruce Dobson takes on ‘old hand’ Roger Fisher.

‘Team Rainbow’ as they became known. Left to right: Roger Fisher, son Chris and ‘Moggs’ Morris.



IIn previous articles I discussed the use of fl apping airfoil sections for the F1B/F1C classes together with the development of variable area and variable geometry models for

F1C models where the allowable projected surface area is not tightly defi ned. This review traces the history of parallel developments in the F1A glider class. Like F1B rubber it has tightly prescribed projected surface area and therefore the quest for performance has been concentrated on reducing drag for the launch phase by using variable camber airfoils, fl apping sections or Low Drag Airfoils (LDAs) without detriment to the glide.

BackgroundOver the years the F1A glider class has not benefi ted from the increases in performance due to more powerful rubber motors or more powerful/geared IC motors like the other two classes. The majority of the improvements in performance have been realised by refi ning the launch phase of the fl ight to increase the overall launch altitude. It is this increase in altitude that is responsible for greater durations rather than decreases in sinking speed due to aerodynamic improvements. I am not saying that models now are not somewhat cleaner and more effi cient but that the gains have been minimal compared with launch height gain.

The F1A glider class was formulated in 1951 and was predominantly the same as today in specifi cation, but with a minimum fuselage cross-section area and the use of a 100 metre tow-line. Good durations were possible if you could get the model to the top of the line – not easy in calm conditions.

By 1954 the fuselage cross-section area rule was dropped and the tow-line halved to 50 metres. This put pressure on development not only in terms of models with lower sinking speed but of towing techniques to place the model in a thermal.

The Holy Grail was to achieve three minutes duration when fl oating the model off that 50

Mike Evatt describes the development of ‘flappers’ and other technology in the glider class.

Model Technology

FAI GLIDER DURATION – THE QUIET REVOLUTION

Gerhard Aringer with his successful fl apper

Roland Koglot and the late Victor Stamov pushed the

performance envelope

p16-19 Flapper F1A.indd 16 26/11/2014 15:46

metre line. This equates to a sinking speed of about 0.29 m/s whereas the modern high aspect ratio model is probably closer to 0.25m/s.

By the end of the 1950s the commonplace use of clockwork timers for dethermalising the model rather than a fuse, meant that fl yers could now tow for extended periods. This also meant that tow stability and controllability was essential.

By the early 1960s zoom launches were becoming common. The addition of a “zoom rudder” (which was activated when the model

was accelerated to the top of the line) caused a high speed banked launch with a smooth transition and obvious height gain. By the end of the decade, thanks to the efforts of fl yers like Andreas Lepp and Victor Isaenko in perfecting the circle-tow hook, we had fully functioning models that could be zoom launched but with the added facility of being able to straight tow or circle tow at will with the timer start initiated by towline release.

During the next decade electronic timers

were introduced along with some fl yers using VIT (Variable Incidence Tail - tail set more negative) on the tow to make it easier to fl y in calm conditions. Electronic timers together with servo driven adjustments allowed unprecedented control over function timing.

A Step ChangeThe next real changes happened in the 1980s. Sergey Makarov introduced the two position wing-wiggler to allow tighter circles on tow and Carbon structures were becoming widespread.

The composite wings were the key to achieving high launch velocities without destroying the model. By the end of the decade Victor Tchop had developed his ‘bunt’ launch system which was further developed by Sergey Makarov & Mikhail Kochkarev.

Bunt Launch The whole philosophy of achieving extended launch height over and above merely fl oating the glider off at the top of the line is to

force the aeroplane to enter a ballistic phase prior to transition to the glide. The model is also equipped with a hook latch and wing-wiggler to facilitate tactical circle towing. When the launch is initiated the model is circled quite low (or indeed can be launched straight from the helper’s hand when lift is spotted) and rapidly towed to generate high line tension, hook unlatch and a vertical ballistic climb. At this point the model is neutrally trimmed so as not to deviate from the vertical. The on-board timer then enables the bunt function, i.e. applying a little more positive incidence to the tail, to position the model into its glide attitude at which point the rudder and tailplane assume their glide settings.

By the end of the 1990s improved Carbon structures together with refi ned electronic timers and smaller servos meant that consistent higher launch altitudes could be achieved with the consequent increase in duration. At this time Ken Bauer introduced the servo-driven hook latch.

There was still a problem! It was still advisable to launch preferably in rising air, at least neutral air but never in turbulent or sinking air. The downside with a bunt launch was that the model might end up some distance from the rising patch of air that triggered the launch; the edges of thermals are tricky things!

However, by now the best exponents of the genre were probably able to gain an altitude advantage of 20 -25 metres.

FAI GLIDER DURATION – THE QUIET REVOLUTION

17

Sergey Makarov with a conventionally sectioned ‘bunter’

Allard van Wallene with a Carbon covered fl apper

Gerhard Aringer with his successful fl apper

Robert Lesko’s Raketa Nera Mikhail Kochkarov prepares his fl apper for a fl y-off

p16-19 Flapper F1A.indd 17 26/11/2014 15:46

Enter the FlapperBy the middle of the 2000s fl apper/variable incidence wing sections were being developed. Allard van Wallene was credited with fl ying the fi rst successful fl apper F1A in 2004, closely followed by Gerhard Aringer’s design in 2005. These approaches differ in respect of the aerodynamics. Allard’s approach was to ‘fl ap’ the rear portion of the wing altering the wing incidence whereas Gerhard changed the wing camber leaving the wing incidence unchanged.

This latter approach was similar to that seen on Thomas Koster’s F1Cs of 1998 but the connection goes back further to the author’s fl apped F1B of 1969 (see AeroModeller May/June 2014 for details.)

As with the F1C power models variants

were noted using either full span fl aps or fl apping centre panels only.

Of course things are never simple and it was also necessary to optimise the circle tow by only deploying little or no fl ap until committed to the launch.

By the mid 2000s the combination of a zoom launch and a bunt transition had meant that overall launch altitudes of about 75 – 80 metres were possible and it was estimated that initial launch velocities of circa 200km/h were being achieved.

Allard van Wallene reckoned that his fl apper (2004) gave an advantage of three metres over a fi xed camber wing adding around 12 seconds to the overall duration. This was not much but it is by such fi ne margins that contests are won or lost.

Obviously with a fl apper the fl ap position

must also be altered to optimise the ballistic climb pattern. It is not surprising that multi-servo electronic timers are now de rigueur for the top fl yers.

Then Along Came LDAIn 2008 Brian Egglestone and Peter Alnutt published a paper proposing a different approach! Thicker, lower cambered airfoils that could exhibit low drag characteristics in the ballistic phase and match the glide characteristics of the best gliders fl ying. A big ask perhaps, but with Brian designing the airfoils and Peter building and fl ying test models it became clear that this approach was viable. These sections are substantially thicker than the conventional sections but exhibit good gliding characteristics with low drag at


Model Technology

Schematic of Per Findahl’s 2008 fl apper nose pod

p16-19 Flapper F1A.indd 18 26/11/2014 15:46

19

high speed. The attraction of this approach is that the wing is thicker which enables stiffer or higher Aspect Ratio models to be constructed. A higher AR potentially could reduce sinking speed. It also does away with complicated fl ap mechanisms.

Two of those fl yers who also did much to push the performance envelope of the modern F1A are Roland Koglot and the late Victor Stamov and no discussion would be complete without acknowledging them.

So Where Next?Half a decade later and models and launch techniques have been further refi ned. At major contests these days you will fi nd a mixture of conventional, fl appers, variable camber and LDAs all using a bunt launch. It is true that skill levels appear to have

increased, with those eager to do well putting in many hours of trimming and towing practice as well as many hours at the gym. To the casual observer when well-trimmed and well fl own, all the approaches look good but the fi nal arbitrator is the stopwatch or the altimeter. The best examples achieving altitudes of 100 metres and durations of about six minutes.

The models themselves are being continually improved with quite a number now featuring wings covered with thin Carbon sheet to produce a more faithful and consistent airfoil. It is claimed that this approach benefi ts all variants but whether the Carbon is moulded or applied as a thin fl exible veneer it is likely to be outside the skill set or pockets of many.

Having said that, the current World and

European F1A Champion, Croatian Robert Lesko designed and made everything for his Raketa Nera model, including the moulds and jigs to form the composite parts.

References For those who wish to delve a little deeper some key references are listed below:

Van Wallene A, “Experiments in Flapped Wing F1A” NFFS Symposium Report 2005

Egglestone B, Alnutt PJ, “F1A Airfoil Design and Wing Optimization” NFFS Symposium Report 2008

Findahl P, “The Question remains, three years later: to fl ap or not to fl ap?” NFFS Symposium Report 2008

Schlosberg A, “Variable Camber F1As” NFFS Symposium Report 2008 ●

A typical crowded electronic F1A nose pod

Roland Koglot and a pair of LDAs

Lord Flash 4 a fl apper by Per Findahl

p16-19 Flapper F1A.indd 19 26/11/2014 15:47


Fact or Fiction?

MCGILLICUDDY.indd 2 28/11/2014 09:24

21

‘‘Once upon a time’ is a traditional way to start a story, but it is also in keeping with this one. It was at a time so long ago that aeromodelling competitors actually knew the rules for the events that they entered.

It was at a place so far away that contest organisers also knew the rules - and ran meetings in accordance with them.

At this particular time and place there was a large and prestigious contest. Not only was it well attended, but it brought the Maestro and his arch-rival , Owinnall, into face-to-face competition. As this was unusual it naturally lead to much interest in their comparative performances throughout the day.

It should be explained that this meeting was being run to a domestic version of the current FAI procedures. This involved fl ying in rounds but with the important distinction of having the three classes (A, B and C) all fl ying together in each of the rounds. This was a common arrangement in this country at that time - before the implications of ‘tactical fl ying’ were fully appreciated. Nevertheless launches still had to be made from a marked-out line.

Competitors could, and did, start by fl ying more than one class. Then if one did not go well it was dropped in favour of concentrating on another.

On the day in question, scores were high. By the fi nal round McG had fl own his well-known ‘Cutty Sark’ into a leading position - much to the delight of his supporters and clubmates. His main opponent had been expected to be Owinnall, who was having a diffi cult day. A poor glider fl ight had soon led to his concentration on rubber - which went well until he had trouble fi nding his model after the penultimate round. As his reserve was admittedly old and lacking in performance he did not want to have to use it.

A little arithmetic soon revealed that he could still edge McG out of winning - but also that it needed a near- max to do so. The lengthy search meant that there was little time to waste. By now, of course, everyone

else had fi nished their fl ights and there was no-one left to mark the necessary lift.

McG and his supporters gathered to watch this fi nal and decisive fl ight - only to see Owinnall approach the line with not only his wound-up Wakefi eld (held by a clubmate) but also carrying his glider. They immediately realised that he intended to fl y ‘pilot’ for himself. Being able to circle on tow meant that the glider could easily detect lift for the benefi t of the all-important rubber fl ight. A simple and effective technique.

The Scots were not slow to react - and clever enough to object effectively. There was an immediate cry of “You can’t do that. The rules say there is to be NO test-fl ying up-wind of the line”. (This was a common measure to prevent the fl ying of pilot models)

There was an audible follow-up of “Got him! “ It was realised that after his well-known insistence on everyone keeping to the rules, he MUST comply himself. It certainly looked like becoming a classic case of ‘being hoist with his own petard’.

There was then a sudden silence - as everyone wondered how Owinnall would react. The pause lengthened until he slowly started to smile. Someone, quick-off-the-mark, was heard to say “Oh no. The old buzzard has thought of something “.

Indeed he had. He put his hand in his back pocket took out his GLIDER fl ight card, presented it to the person who had complained the loudest, and said “It’s not a problem. Not if I make it make it an OFFICIAL contest fl ight. Perhaps you might like to time it.”

Even McG was speechless. Until he was heard to say “There’s no answer! Is there?”

Indeed there wasn’t.

The rest, as they say, is history. In case anyone asks - the glider marked some weak lift, just suffi cient for the rubber model to make the crucial max. McG retired muttering “There’s always next year”.

But remember: “History is always written by the winners.” ●

The name of McGillicuddy will be familiar to long-time readers of ‘AeroYodeller’. Over the years the adventures, or more usually the misdemeanours, of the Maestro were recounted by Robert Jamieson. But his chronicles were far from complete. Whether this was due to censorship, or merely self-preservation, is open to speculation.What follows may be regarded as history, as fi ction, or even as a parable. Be assured however that it is fi rmly based on truth. There are still other stories that could be told. Of course names have been changed, if only to protect those who were involved. I have no wish to write anything resembling an auto-biography - but the incident described really did happen. How can I be so certain? Simply because I was there. JOD

MYTH OR LEGEND?THERE’S NO ANSWER!

By Jenny.

The Maestro’s loyal supporter Drambuie the Seagull.

MCGILLICUDDY.indd 3 28/11/2014 09:24

OPENSCALE 2014 @ BRNO MEDLÁNKY

After a gap of too many years, it is great to have a report from Lubomir Koutný on this FF Scale and Old-Timer competition on 24-25th May in the Czech Republic.


International Event Report

OOPENSCALE is the biggest Czech competition for rubber, CO2 and electric powered scale models, and it is also host to fl yers of old timer models. This

year the venue was the airfi eld at Brno Medlánky.

We had many people pre-entered for the contest despite the crazy weather we were having and the poor forecast; it was thought

that the competition manager’s job would be very complicated to deal with the expected conditions. But on the weekend of May 24-25th there was fantastic weather at Medlánky.

About 40 scale and 15 old-timers entered the competitions, while others turned up to fl y for fun. The undoubted high point of the weekend was the fl y-off for scale fl oat-planes from The Schneider Trophy races. The winner was the Curtiss of Antonin Alfery

which after a climb to a height of 40m fl ew for about one minute, second was Lubos Koutný with his Bernard H.V. 220 and a fl ight of 55s, and third the peanut scale REP 1913 fl own by his son Petr for a time of around 50s.

The CO2 and electric scale class won by Antonin Alfery with his superb electric powered triplane WKF 80, ahead of Pavel Stráník who fl ew his nice CO2 powered

Lubomir Koutný and his 3rd place Disperato in the BV-1 old-timer class.

Tom Heinl and his interesting Moynet 360 Jupiter push-pull model.

Jiri Doležel was third in the rubber powered class with his Nanzan.

Antonin Alfery fl ew the competition

with both his superb Morane AI

monoplane (shown) and an Albatros D-V.

OPENSCALE.indd 2 28/11/2014 09:25

23

He-112. Lubomir Koutný won the main rubber powered scale class and also a special Brno W.W.I class too, with his new Bristol M1; it fl ies very well and made consistent maximum times.

Old- timer scale required a fl y-off because

Vlastimil Simek and Jan Vodicka had both fl own three fl ights over 60s. In the end Vlastimil won with his D.H Moth, when it fl ew for over 100s. Vlastimil was also the winner of the BV-1 old-timer duration class; his MLL 301 had all 90s maxs. Adam Jakeš

and Lubomir Koutný were runners up, each with only 1s less.

The event ended with the Town Hall Mayor handing out prizes and trophies to the winners. ●

Old-timer Defi ant fl own by Jiri Doležel.

Adam Jakeš took second place with his Senator. Jiri Doležel brought along this new BV-155 made of polystyrene; it fl ew very well.

Young Jiri Doleže (son of the father) fl ew this ITOH.

This new Mr Smoothie racer by Lubomir Koutny� is an excellent fl yer.

Vlastimil Simek and his Old-timer D.H. Puss Moth. Fantastic Savoia SM-65 by Jiri Doležel was one of the Schneider Trophy entrants.

Antonin Alfery fl ew the competition

with both his superb Morane AI

monoplane (shown) and an Albatros D-V.

The old-timer Mig-3 of Koutný was third in the competition.

OPENSCALE.indd 3 28/11/2014 09:25


GGLIDERS AND ROCKETS…an oxymoron surely? Actually, 1912 saw one Carl Neubronner equip a basic model aeroplane with a fi reworks-type rocket.

This performed satisfactorily and Herr Neubronner is remembered to this day; a Bavarian World Cup Space Models’ event carries his name. In recent decades, full-size aerospace saw the need to evolve something similar and NASA’s Space Shuttle and CCCP/Russia’s equivalent Energia-Buran, represent real world, 21st Century Rocket Boosted Gliders.

We need to defi ne the terminology and sort some contradictions…Model Rockets boost upwards at hundreds of kilometres per hour, Gliders soar horizontally at ~30kph. Some circles to square then! The term, rocket boosted glider, covers a multitude of sins...what’s it all about?

Boost Gliders - Simple free fl ight gliders, small and normally resembling hand launched glider…a ‘chuckie’. These are boosted skywards using standard model rocket motors. Key defi nition - the motor is normally ejected, before the glide segment of the fl ight starts. Modern FAI rules have ‘greyed’ this key point, making motor ejection optional.

Rocket Gliders - Resemble Boost Gliders, but normally much bigger and carry radio control equipment. The Umph…motor Specifi c Impulses vary and bigger RC gliders need 20-40Newton seconds (Ns)...’D’ to ’E’ size power. Key defi nition – spent motor retained for the duration of the fl ight.

Rogallo Gliders – The already described Boost & Rocket gliders are made from rigid materials, such as balsa, polyurethane foam, and contemporary composites. Rogallos are fl exible – called fl exwings - normally like a hang glider. Naturally, they need to be rolled up to fi t in a body tube for launch, shedding this for the glide segment of the fl ight. These are rare and won’t be featuring much more in this piece.

Stability - Rockets are stable because the Centre of Gravity (CG) is 1+ body diameter ahead of the aerodynamic static Centre of Pressure (CP). Needless to say, gliders are different, with CG and CP loci normally residing at the ~50% wing chord location. The glide velocity is slow…much, much slower than any rocket boost speed. Simply fi xing a pod to hold the rocket motor will not deliver; a ground-seeking trajectory will most likely follow! So what do we need?

A glider wing’s lift potential must be neutralised whilst the model is boosting at high speed, such that the glider will boost vertically upwards. At this stage, the model rocket motor, a dense and fairly heavy piece of kit when full, plays a key role. Nose mounted motor pod...plug the motor into this and the CG migrates forwards to the wing’s leading edge, sometimes even in front. Now the wing becomes ineffective

Rocket Boosted Gliders - time to fl oat some stuff? by Stuart Lodge

Model Rockets

BOOSTER ROOSTERS...

Chuckie with a rocket boost! Bedrich Pavka (CZE) launches his rigid balsa boostie…and when these work well, you wonder why we try anything different.

Image of Carl Neubronner’s rocket boosted

glider on your scribe’s model box.

p26-28 BOOST-ROCKET GLIDERS 014.indd 24 26/11/2014 14:52

as a lifting surface and many enthusiasts even add trim tabs, resembling an aileron or takeoff fl ap, to one of the wings, promoting a slow roll during the boost segment of the fl ight. This is basic model aircraft trimming and any doubts will soon be sorted by spending an hour or two with a traditional aeromodeller; for sure, much better than any of my words here! Boost Gliders have the motor at the front to make life easier, and when the motor’s ejection charge fi res and ejects the spent case, the CG relocates to the glide segment locus.

Boost Gliders Construction MethodologyModel Rockets look different from any normal glider. Gliders have wings and so design and construction involves a completely new suite of skills from a rocket only fl yer, beyond sticking cardboard tubes together! We need tooling and the ability to carve out and section wings from balsawood and other materials; fuselages frequently from spruce, or composite tubes; tailplanes differ from rocket fi ns too. Finishing techniques are traditional…dope, sanding sealer and tissue, most of the time. Colours…bright colours help in any subsequent downwind searches...fl uorescent panels are defi nitely to be recommended!

More jargon…Decalage – these are the incidence angles of the wing and tailplane. A subject of debate too - some experts line up wings and tails in the Zero-Zero state, leading to very straight, high boosts, but more critical in the transition phase…the coast segment into the glide; get it wrong and a crash is likely! Many employ a couple of degrees positive incidence for the wing – leading edge higher than trailing edge. Inducing a roll in the boost phase makes life easier still.

Aeromodelling basics; wings are typically made from 5mm soft-medium density, quarter grain cut balsa, with a wing area of typically 300 sq cm, wingspans of 30-45cm. Fuselages are spruce strips, or composite fi shing rod tubes, the latter virtually

indestructible. Tailplanes from 1mm soft quarter grain balsa. Too few Boost Gliders are seen as fl y-for-fun sports models; the great majority are used in the FAI’s S4-Boost Glider events. So let’s have a look in detail at the FAI contest S4-Boost Gliders:

Rigid Gliders S4A-Boost Gliders boost upwards using 2.5Ns A type impulse rocket motors (that’s the ‘A’ in S4A). Weight is 25-35g, including motor and ready to go on the launcher. A smooth impulse delivery is vital, contrasting with the hard whoosh normally delivered by hobby shop motors. Most of the best boost glider propellants are made in Eastern Europe, where this event is an ‘art form’ and taken very seriously. Not getting too technical, but a soft-blowing A2-2 motor is pretty typical, with nothing in Estes’ otherwise comprehensive motor array remotely similar. Estes’ mini-motor A3-4 and A10-3 are about the best that can be found. Coast times must be kept short, as gliders slow down rapidly as the thrust decays.

As stated above, wing fl aps are used by some designers; held in the up position for boosting and released as the motor ejects for the glide. Yet more employ differential fl aps for the boost segment, one fully up, the other half down to induce a gentle, slow roll. A couple of degrees of wing incidence make a boostie a little easier to live with and differential fl aps make life easier still.

Folders In 1980, Cold War developments led to Russian Sergei Illin’s novel take on S4-Boost Glider, evolving a structure that tucked in its

wingtips and pivoted the wing through 90 degrees on the fuselage mount. The wing was folded and parallel with the fuselage, during the boost segment of the fl ight. So the Glider became a true Rocket when boosting, the motor’s ejection charge normally burning through a thread to release the spring-loaded wing…when lots of wing area appeared as the wing rotated and fl ipped out its tips for the glide. These designs are super, but at a price of being harder to design and build.

Ironically these folders were ousted from international contests by the ultra-effi cient Rogallo glider, which the Bulgarians brought to 1980’s World Space Modelling Championships, in the USA. Flexwings were novel and had not previously been seen, and consequently were permissible in competitions. Rogallos were subsequently reclassifi ed as FAI category S10 and haven’t seen the light of day since! Folders have nudged traditional rigid gliders off the podium steps in succeeding years.

Modern Russian developments include the stowing of a folded glider in a normal rocket tube, boosting to silly altitudes

BOOSTER ROOSTERS...

25

Macedonian junior, Lazar Malinov wires up his rigid balsa S4A-Boost Glider, at the Stip Cup, in 2008. Note how the motor pod is canted to produce downthrust, to prevent the glider looping during the boost phase.

Nige Bathe (GBR) sets up his ‘Toblerone Special’…this S4A-Boost Glider’s wing swivels 90 degrees and is then ‘rolled up’ around the fuselage and becomes a ‘rocket’. At the top of the boost, it all unrolls and becomes a glider again.

Slinky, that’s what a modern S8E/P-RC Rocket Glider is. This one on its landing approach at the 10th Belgrade Cup, in 2011.

Balkan Cup, Dupnica in Bulgaria 2012. Two S4A-Boost Glider ‘folders’ on the launchers ready to go, Macedonians Zoran Atanososki & Stanisa Petrovic get ready.


before spitting it out! These models resemble commercial Zing Wings, polystyrene wings that are designed to fold in half, before being fi red upwards by catapult, springing out their wings as the velocity decays. Some balsa gliders can be made to do the same and contemporary composites too, ‘rolled up’ and slid inside a lightweight body tube. The performance is stellar – just a bit too good – pretty much ‘fi re and forget’ because of the questionable visibility of small, “low profi le” gliders. Hard to fi nd on the ground too!

DethermaliserA big clumsy word, but it’s in the vocabulary of all free fl ight model aircraft enthusiasts. Gliders get into thermals & up-draughts and soar away...using a dethermaliser (DT) is the means to fouling up a glider’s trim, prompting a more rapid return to terra fi rma. There are plentiful methods...burning fuses, tiny clockwork/electronic timers may be used to tip the tailplane on its mount, drop a trim-weight from the nose area, or release a fuselage-mounted, trim-destroying fl ap. DTs are sound and should be employed in every boost. You’ll get less building time as a result!

Rocket GlidersRocket gliders are much bigger than Boost Gliders and are Radio Controlled… the RC nicely controls the CG-CP migration relationship. RC Rocket Gliders are a fantastic diversion, exciting and spectacular too, fl ying on 40Ns impulse (that’s the ‘E’ in S8E/P) to a height of 300m (~1000’) in

10 seconds. Lots more expertise is needed at every stage; many rocket gliders possess complex built-up wings, some sheeted over in balsa, and others are layered up from contemporary composites. Given the skills and investment required, Rocket Glider is an ‘experts only’ class.

What of the Radio Control needs? Two or three channel radio is the norm; at the basic level, rudder (Yaw axis) and elevator (Pitch axis) control only. Ailerons (Roll axis) may be controlled by a third channel. RC gear gets better each year; ultra-lightweight receivers, servos and power packs available in the hobby shops. Vee-tails, combining rudder and elevator functions on the same surfaces,

are often employed and work by electronic “mixing” of the servos’ functions. Some Rocket Gliders have a spoiler to ‘fl op’ the glider onto the turf for precision landings.

Decalage – re-read the Boost Glider basics, but RC rocket gliders normally feature a few degrees of wing incidence. The glider is able to be trimmed nose-heavy in the boost segment, with readjustments dialed into the RC gear for the glide segment. Normally, a whisker of down-elevator is also programmed in for the boost segment, keeping the glider’ boost very straight. Research with FAI S8E/P-RC Rocket Glider models’ has shown that having the motor tube positioned between the wing mount and the fuselage


Model Rockets

Nuria Crusellas (ESP) prepares her folding wing S4A-Boost Glider on a high effi ciency piston launcher at the Catalunya Cup, Spain, during 2009.

S8E/P-RC Rocket Glider features bigger, more sophisticated designs. Mitja Zgajner (SLO) boosts away at the 2011 32nd Ljubljana Cup, Slovenia. Check out the snow on those mountains!


27

boom, with ~3 degrees of thrust inclination focused through the glider’s CG position, really improves the boost segment.

Traditionally, motors were always mounted in a nose pod, atop the fuselage, just like a big boostie…effective, but crude and ugly! The 1990s saw underslung motor mounts coming into play and these days the motor is normally to be found under the wing. Contemporary composites, like Aramid - Kevlar, carbon and glass fi bres are common selections in construction. FAI’s contest class is a duration-based, precision landing event, the objective being to land on a spot, with a fl ight duration of exactly 6 minutes; points lost for being early or late and for being more than 1 metre from the landing spot.

Ground Support Equipment (GSE) - The Launchers!Gliders don’t resemble cylindrical rockets and with the motor placement normally towards the glider nose, ignition is harder to arrange, often needing an ‘umbilical’ connection. Consequently, simple pad and rod combinations are not the perfect solution for launch as they leave the glider’s wings

fl apping in the breeze and the ignition wires dangling and in danger of fouling the tailplane as the motor ignites! Small Boost Gliders need wing support - usually rods set up parallel with the launch rod…also most small Boost Gliders usually need launch lugs too, normally lining up with the motor’s thrust line. Big radio controlled Rocket Gliders have special needs, like a heavy duty launcher, usually angled upwind, facilitating better guidance of the glider during the boost segment. Reliable GSE is vital to the successful fl ying of rocket boosted gliders.

Flare out‘Booster roosters’ are complex. All rocket boosted gliders need more knowledge in terms of design, building and fl ying than virtually every other kind of model rocket. Vitally, they form an interface between Space Modelling and Aeromodelling. As a rocket fl yer the trick is to know someone who’s keen on the latter and lots more expertise will materialise in a very short time. And you’ll avoid coming home with the gliders in ‘kit form’ after every fl ying session!

We’ve not covered rear-motored boosties. They exist, but are more commonly found in the Americas, than in Europe. The USA is also keen on canard gliders... that is to say, models with the tail at the front and the wings at the back of the fuselage. Over many decades now, most everything has been

checked out by an enthusiast somewhere, but the elite gear is always to be found in FAI competitions around the World.

However, to summarise...Boost Gliders are where Space Modellers and traditional free fl ight Aeromodellers could fi nd common ground. Rockets and gliders form the perfect synergy, so give them a go... ●

Nige Bathe and Mike Francies (GBR) at the 34th Ljubjana Cup, in 2012. These S8E/P-RC Rocket Gliders are at the ‘Formula 1’ end of life with extensive use of contemporary composites throughout. Sensational performance.

BANG!! ..this is what happens when a model rocket motor catastrophically fails – a ‘Cato’ to use the jargon. Pretty rare and the grass was quickly put out.

Mike Francies, John Jacomb & Nige Bathe (all GBR) put their fl eeces to the test at the 2012 34th Ljubljana Cup, in Slovenia! Note the composite construction S4A-Boost Gliders, the wingtips fold under and the whole wing slews 90 degrees parallel with the fuselage, becoming ‘rockets’ for the boost phase. The wing fl ips out at apogee and the rockets become ‘gliders’.



Build Time

Andy Sephton has come up with this charming 1/20th scale 22”/56cm span electric Free Flight model, which would easily convert to rubber, micro RC or small diesel.BE2C

THE WORKHORSE OF BRITISH AERIAL RECONNAISSANCE IN WWI

III’m a sucker for a challenge and this one came right out of the blue. “Would you like to do a BE2c for AeroModeller?” said our friendly editor during the July Old Warden meeting. “Why

not” I replied. I then asked the most stupid question of the century....why the BE2c? Andrew responded: “It’s a 100 years since the start of WW1 and my cousin, Matthew Boddington, fl ys a replica!” You’ll understand my embarrassment when you learn that I’ve known Matthew for a number of years and have even spent time with him looking over his aircraft.

The fi rst thing I needed was a three-view drawing of the full-size. A look through my

library solved that with a 1/72 drawing in the 1946 Harleyford publication: Aircraft of the 1914-1918 War. The next was a prototype to model. It needed to be accessible and easily researched; the Imperial War Museums example was chosen which is currently at Duxford. If you can’t get to see the real thing, there are lots of pictures of it available on the net, so authentication of your model should not be an issue.

Andrew requested an easily built model that would be simple to trim and fl y. Liberties had to be taken to achieve this, so a fl at bottom section was chosen, the structure was simplifi ed and wing spars were moved to the surface. To aid trimming, the

elevators have been made as separate units as has a trim tab on the rudder. The latter coincides with the colour demarkation on the original, so it should be unobtrusive in fl ight. Notwithstanding, the outline is just about scale and with the incidences and balance point shown on the plan, the model looks ‘right’ in the air.

Fuselage I build the two basic sides on top of each other. Choose hard 1.6mm square balsa for the longerons and medium balsa for the rest. Starting with the fi rst side, jig the construction by using scrap 3mm balsa pinned along the edge of the drawing and

BE2C BUILD.indd 2 28/11/2014 09:32

29

then fi x the longeron in place by using more scrap 3mm. Avoid putting pins through the fuselage wood. As each piece is cut to length, cut a similar piece for the second fuselage side. When the fi rst side is dry, the second is built immediately on top. The sides will stick together, but they will be exactly the same.

When the second side is dry, remove both from the plan and sand the edges to conform and the outer sides to make them fl at. Carefully split the sides with a razor blade and you should now have two exactly similar fuselage sides. Using the jigging blocks, and making sure the smooth sides are outermost, fi x the two sides in their respective positions on the plan view. Crosspieces can now be

cut to size and the centre part of the fuselage constructed.

When dry, remove the basic fuselage from the plan, crack the longerons just behind the rear cockpit and join the fuselage at the rear end. Add the remaining crosspieces. Add the wing and undercarriage tubes, making them slightly oversize.

Take a sanding block to the fuselage at this stage to face off the tubes and ensure all the sides are fl at before adding the upper formers. When the formers are dry, take a copy of the paper pattern for the coaming and size it to your model by selective fi tting and trimming. When satisfi ed, transfer the result to 0.8mm balsa and fi x it to the model.

When the coaming is dry, fi x the motor plate (B0) to the front end, the block balsa underneath the nose and sand both to shape. When shaped, cut the block away forward of the C2 position, cement parts C2 to both faces and hollow the removable block to suit the power source used. Locate with balsa dowels at the back end and magnets at the front.

The dummy engine is made with scrap balsa onto a 0.8mm plywood base. Use 6mm for the engine blocks, 6mm rounded and wrapped with cotton for the cylinders, 2mm rounded for the exhaust collectors and 2.5mm plastic tube for the exhaust pipe.

Laminate the cover from two pieces of soft

Printwood generated with a photocopy and cellulose thinners.

Construction commenced with the fi n and rudder. The fuselage takes shape. Note the jigging blocks either side of the longerons.

Tailplane construction. Note the overlong strips of wood. They were cut to size after the tailplane had been lifted from the plan.

Wing construction commenced. Note overlong spars that will be cut to length after lifting from the plan.

The wing tips can be built up on the wing, or as separate units; I chose the latter route.

Making a paper pattern for the forward fuselage sheeting. Note strut positions and cockpit openings.

Paper pattern on model with struts jury rigged using hairclips.

View of the basic model without U/C to check general fi t of the parts.

BE2C BUILD.indd 3 28/11/2014 09:32

0.8mm balsa wrapped around a suitable bottle (foam-safe accelerator in my case), cut it to shape (with the aid of a paper template), then fi x in place. The cowl is fi xed by the 3 mm dowels at the rear and magnets at the front.

Fabricate blanks for the centre-section struts by laminating 0.8mm ply between strips of 0.8mm balsa. When dry, carve and sand to section, then cut to length using the plan as a guide. Cement in place through the coaming, ensuring that they adhere well inside the fuselage - hairclips were used as clamps on the prototype.

For the rear fuselage stringers, cut some very light 0.8mm balsa into 1.6mm wide strips. Lay the fi rst down the middle of the rear fuselage. When dry cement two more half way between the fi rst and the top fuselage longeron. Finally, when those are dry cement four more strips in the gaps between the other three.

You’ll need a built wing centre section for the next phase. Copy or trace the fuselage side elevation onto two sheets of card to include the lower and upper wing dowels. Make holes at the wing dowel points with a suitable piece

of wire. Then using the card templates as a jig over the wing dowels on either side of the fuselage, the centre section can be cemented into place on the centre section struts.

Bend the rigging Hooks A from .5mm wire and fi x to the centre section struts and fuselage side (8 hooks in total) using cyano or epoxy.

Cover the fuselage using your favourite method - mine is to use light-weight tissue, dope to stick, water to shrink, then non-shrinking dope to seal.

Finally, I made the cockpit coamings by sanding a ¼ radius onto the end of a sheet of 0.8mm balsa and then cutting a 1.6mm strip off the end grain. This was then cemented around the cockpit opening with the radius outwards. The soft end-grain balsa easily takes up the shape of the cockpit opening. When dry, the inner edge can be sanded to a radius to complete the job

Fin and TailplaneAvoid the use of heavy balsa as the structure will eventually have to be balanced with weight at the front of the model and the

lighter the tail feathers, the lighter the required balance weight. After covering, hinge with diamond shaped tin plate cut (with an old pair of scissors) from the lid off a baked bean tin.

Wings and Centre SectionUse med hard balsa for the spars, leading and trailing edge. Shape the latter before building and it’ll make the fi nishing easier. Use the lightest wood you can fi nd for the wing tips and medium balsa for the ribs. Take care when cutting out the ribs as the thickness at the rear spars is thin making the ribs weak at this point - I broke several during the construction of the model so cutting a few spares would be a good idea. Take special care over cutting the holes for the wing tubes as they set the dihedral - it may make it easier to cut the holes before cutting out the rib. The tips can be constructed on the wing, or separately and added later - your choice.

Note that the root rib on the upper wing should be set to an angle to match the dihedral, but this is not necessary on the lower wing.


Build Time

Sheathed wing tubes for lower wing. The wing root sits proud of the fuselage on the prototype machine.

Centre section showing sheeting After covering the top surface of the wing, the strut tubes are cyano’d in place. Then they are secured by sewing.

The fl ying surfaces have been covered and sprayed with water. They are seen here jigged to a fl at board while they dry off. Similarly do this after doping when they are touch dry, and leave over night.

Block balsa cut to shape with a ‘Gentleman’s’ saw

BE2C BUILD.indd 8 28/11/2014 09:32

31

Only the Top Right Wing and Low Left Wing are shown in full. Use overlays of the short wing root drawings to make the ‘other’ panels.

Fit the gussets after removing the wing from the plan, then sand the wing to shape.

To fi t the strut mounting tubes and rigging Hooks C, cover the top surface only of the bottom wing and the lower surface only of the top wing. Cyano the tubes in place to locate them, then sew them to fi x their position - the sewing thread is hidden in the wing structure by leaving one wing surface uncovered. Drill the wing to suit, then cyano or epoxy the rigging Hooks C in place. Cover the other wing surfaces, water shrink and dope.

UndercarriageBend the undercarriage wires to the shape shown on the plan making sure that both sides are the same. Cut strips of 0.8mm balsa

to suit, then laminate them either side of the wire. When dry, cut the fairing to length, then carve and sand to the required section. The spreader bar is made in a similar way.

The wheels are circles of 3.5mm balsa sandwiched between discs of 0.8mm ply. The hub is a short length of 1.6mm tube cyanoed in place. The covers are card discs, scored on the inside to represent spoked with holes punched with a sharpened tubes to represent the valve opening and the centre of the disc. The wheels are fi xed to the spreader bar with washers and either a drop of epoxy or solder. Fix the spreader bar to the U/C by binding with shearing elastic.

Make up the tail skid by laminating three strips of 0.8mm balsa over a suitable form. When dry, carve and sand to section. Build up a cruciform structure of 1.6mm round balsa around an upright of 2.4mm round balsa. A small piece of 0.8mm ply either side of the upright acts as a mount for the skid,

which can be fi xed or hinged on a wire dowel. If the latter, tension it with a small spring or rubber band.

Struts and AssemblyBend the wing struts from 0.5mm wire to the shape shown on the plan. The lengths will work out just fi ne if the centre section was fi xed in the right place on the centre section struts. If not, you’ll have to jig the wing and bend the struts by eye.

Assuming the strut wires are now the correct length, cover them with laminations of 0.8mm balsa in a similar way to the undercarriage. When dry, cut the fairing to length, then carve and sand to shape.

The wing dowels and tubes should set the correct dihedral, so it should only be a case of tying shearing elastic across the strut ends to hold them in position and using shearing elastic to add false rigging to the wings. Refer to pictures of the prototype to work out how

BE2C BUILD.indd 9 28/11/2014 09:32


Build Time

This sequence shows the wing centre section jigged into place using card templates and the wing dowels through the wing tubes.

this should be done. Finish the rigging with Hook B at the fuselage end to allow the wings to be removed for transit.

Cement the tailplane in place then do the same with the fi n/rudder.

DetailAdding further detail is optional, but it does add to the ambiance of the model. Provision has been made in the structure for control

horns which are also shown on the plan. However, do keep detail to a minimum as added weight reduces performance and too many ‘bits’ make for a vulnerable model.

ColourThe original model was given a light spray of light yellow (about 10 parts white to 1 part yellow), then the roundels and fi n fl ashed sprayed in red, white and blue and the letters

in black over the top. The front end was painted dark sea grey.

If you don’t have access to a spray system, consider using car aerosols, or coloured tissue. Avoid hand painting as it’s too heavy.

Power PlantThe prototype model was powered by a brushed motor from a ParkZone Mustang, a 350MAh LiPo and a KP Electric Flight

The coaming is made by sanding a ¼ curve on the end of a strip of 100mm wide 0.8mm balsa. A 1.6mm strip is then cut from the end grain and stuck to the cockpit. When dry, the inner radius can be sanded in as shown.

The model assembled and ready for test.

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FREE PLAN No. 500 Free with AeroModeller 932 January 2015

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36 AeroModeller - July/August 2014

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Profi ler. There are numerous adequate power plants on the market, so the fi nal choice has been left to the individual builder. As luck would have it, the choice of powerplant fi tted nicely within the cowls and balanced the model perfectly on the leading edge of the lower wing, the design C of G position.

FlyingReady to fl y, the prototype weighed in at 75 gm. With the incidences, thrustline and C of G shown on the plan, the model was not far of trim. During assembly, a hint of washin

had crept into the left wing, so I left it there to prevent spiraling. In the end, about 80% power on the motor, slight left rudder and slight up elevator gave a gentle climbing turn to the left and a left turning glide.

Initial test fl ights were carried out on a blustery day in Lincolnshire at a Model Chat Fly-In. Several successful fl ights were carried out in the lee of some trees.......until the inevitable happened, the BE ended up in a tree. The tailplane was damaged on retrieval, but she will live to fi ght another day..... Happy Landings! ●

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InfoADH Publishing plan to have a Laser Cut set of parts available for the BE2c – it will certainly make rib production easier! Watch the AeroModeller online content www.aeromodeller.com or the next issue for details.

The rudder and elevator hinges are ‘snipped’ from a ring pull off a baked bean can.

The wheels and their paper covers. Spokes were ‘made’ by scoring the inside of the cover, the holes were cut using a sharpened tube as a punch.

With the motor in place, construction of the dummy engine commences. The ‘cylinders’ are rounded 6mm balsa with thread wound round and glued in position

BE2C BUILD.indd 11 28/11/2014 09:33


TTTThe idea was simple. Buy a cheap ARTF RC model aircraft and tweak it for rudder-only RC assist mode and with a trusty diesel engine in the nose. With

rudder control alone, the model would need to do a lot more of the fl ying by itself than regular multi-RC types with their “neutral” stability and good response to control inputs. And it would need to take a knock or two, given my very limited RC skills. It’s not as simple as leaving out a few servos, but not all that diffi cult either. Our experiment had a successful outcome, taking a lot less time than building a model from scratch. You might not want to go exactly down our path, but some of the following could be applied to similar conversions.

The real ARTF bargains (around our neck

of the woods) come from mail order places with website catalogues. All that falderal about “taking you to the next level” and fancy names for high-tech electronic gadgetry aside, there were a few likely candidates for our purpose on various online sites. I went for a Cessna L-19 Bird Dog (US $53 from www.hobbyking.com or can be found elsewhere as the Vmar brand) because;

● Traditional balsa/ply construction – no foam – for ease of repair/modifi cation● 1.25m (49”) wingspan is a good size● High wing, cabin layout should be good for stability● It’s not a yellow Piper Cub (they’re too common)● It was cheaper than the cost of materials would be if scratch-built

● Vmar has been in the game for years and their models are well engineered, unlike some ARTF’s that seem to be made by toy companies more focused on churning out cheap product than something that works well and lasts in normal use.

What’s in the box?All of the major components (fuselage, wings, tails) are neatly packed in the box, each in its plastic bag, along with more bags of hardware and small bits. It comes pre-covered with Vmar’s polyester fi lm. Colour and markings are printed on the inner side of the fi lm, so they’re fuel proof and there are no decals to apply. Its vivid white/red colour scheme suggesting “don’t shoot me I’m one of you guys” probably represents an actual full size Bird Dog that had served

Power Trip

Vmar’s Cessna L-19 Bird Dog goes single channel RC

A very complete and highly prefabricated package with nicely done traditional balsa/plywood con-struction. How can they do it for the price? Colour and markings are on the inside of polyester fi lm

covering, so they won’t come off. Sheeted areas needed a “going over” with iron to properly attach the fi lm – reduces its tendency to pucker up in warm sunlight.

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Has AeroModeller lost its senses with an electric ARTF? Not when Maris Dislers alters it for diesel power and radio assist.

with the United States Army doing artillery observation, medivac and other liaison duties. Scale details include instrument panel and externally, printed panel lines, door openings and “authentic” instructions on what to do if the right grade of avgas is not available in an emergency.

Construction is traditional balsa/plywood, neatly done from laser cut parts and with just about all of the detail tasks done, aside from basic assembly and installation of radio equipment and motor. There’s a comprehensive assembly manual with lots of colour photos to guide the owner. Some of it doesn’t match the model, as a few details on the actual model have been improved since the manual was printed. One obvious fault is

the rudder pushrod exiting below the tailplane instead of on top. The rudder stops at the elevator hinge line, so the builder is left to sort that - more on that later. The Bird Dog is intended for four function RC with electric motor system, although Vmar suggest that an IC engine can be used. The instructions do not cover IC engine installation.

Sizing it upI fi rst checked component weights, wing area etc. Weights were as follows;

Fuselage 171gTail surfaces 57gWings/struts 178g

Undercarriage/wheels 32gHardware/pilot 30gSUB TOTAL 468g

PAW 80 diesel/prop 83gReceiver/servo/battery 50g

TOTAL: 601g (21.2 oz)

Wing area is two square feet, giving approximate wing loading of 10.6 oz/sq ft or 33g/sq dm. That’s a reasonable loading for a sport model, but the next light thermal would not whisk away this Bird Dog, especially given its rather thin semi-symmetrical wing section. I fi gured my PAW 80 Classic would have enough power for the job, could be set to just

Vmar’s Cessna L-19 Bird Dog goes single channel RC

The replacement tailplane frame uses traditional FF techniques. When fi nished, it weighed less than half the original.

Original pushrods and guide tubes had to go as part of the weight saving program, and anyway, the rudder pushrod was incorrectly positioned at the back. Detach clevises & withdraw pushrods. Saw cut through the tubes at the forward end and slide them out forwards. Job is easier while the rear cabin glazing is removed.

Extra wing dihedral enhances spiral stability. Replacement plywood stub-spar/joiner (top) has greater angle, giving four degrees dihedral per wing panel. Care is needed to ensure correct thickness and height, so that it is a snug slip fi t into the wings. I did not glue it in place, preferring to be able to store the wing as two halves.

Wire hooks for the “swing-wing” mounting method. All hooks are bent from 0.8mm dia. (21 SWG) piano wire. Lower hooks pass through drilled holes either side of the fuselage former in centre of cabin, then secured with epoxy. Upper hook slides into aluminium tubes glued into wing trailing edges. Rubber bands will form a triangle between all three, holding the back of the wing down and pulling it forwards, so that the front dowel pins stay engaged in fl ight. Wing is free to swing backwards from a hard landing or hitting an obstruction.

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Power Trip

the right amount of thrust and fi tted quite well within the vac-formed cowl.

It was then a simple matter of temporarily piecing things together to assess how it would balance. Not good. The PAW is a good deal lighter than the specifi ed electric motor and forward located LiPO battery. The Bird Dog would end up quite tail heavy and the prospect of 80g or more nose weight was not appealing. I’d need to “add lightness” to the tail end as part of the conversion.

The incidence meter showed the front fuselage former to be at 4 degrees downthrust relative to the wing and tailplane, both at zero degrees.

Re-engineering for its new roleConversion involved these key changes; ● Improve longitudinal stability by changing wing/tail incidence, more engine down thrust ● Improve spiral stability by increasing wing dihedral● Revise wing mounting method to reduce likelihood of damage from a rough landing

There was also deciding on how to mount the diesel engine and tackling the heavy tail end.

The tail surfaces are simple balsa sheet affairs with lightening holes and inset chordwise plywood stiffeners -standard RC stuff. The tailplane alone weighed 40g – about

the same as needed to be removed to achieve balance. I made a balsa replacement using laminated outlines for the curved parts, 4.5mm square LE and spars, and 1.5mm sheet riblets. I’d hoped to retrieve the covering fi lm for reuse, but part of the colour stayed on the wood as it was removed. So I used polyester tissue on the new tailplane. Two coats of thinned dope and red spray enamel from a hardware shop rattle-can. The new tailplane with elevators attached by strips of aluminium sheet weighed 19g. I didn’t want to lose the artwork on the fi n/rudder, so needed to reduce weight at the tail elsewhere. A simple wire skid replaced the steerable tail wheel assembly and out came the

Rudder servo is in place, with closed-loop hook-up to the rudder. Long aluminium crimp tubes can be given an S-bend to tighten the loop or adjust rudder position. Wing retaining band hooks installed through former sides. Also note the rear cabin glazing now follows the increased V-angle of the wing saddle – accommodates extra dihedral and allows wing to swing back.

With a bit of translucency and the diesel’s head just poking through the cowling, one can see this isn’t yet another ready to fl y electric foamie. Undercarriage fairings enhance the model’s good looks. I cut them from 0.4mm styrene sheet, then folded around the wire undercarriage

leg and glued at the back with plastic model cement.

Fibreglass reinforced Sellotape across the underside of wing prevents trailing centre from “opening up”. Note the installed wing retaining hook. Also hooks for attaching lower ends of wing lift struts. Make them an easy sliding fi t into the 5/16” aluminium tubing glued across fuselage at the strut mounting locations. Rubber bands stretched inside the tube between the two hooks hold struts in place while fl ying.

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rudder and elevator pushrods and guide tubes, to be replaced by a closed-loop system to the rudder servo. Total weight reduction was 46g, right on target.

Increasing wing dihedral was simply a matter of making a new plywood stub-spar joiner with four degrees angle on each side. This fi ts snugly into the two wing halves. Lift strut attachment points are a little inboard from standard, but no change is needed at the wing end. A pin through each wing tip locked the ailerons in place, leaving the option of resetting their position for trimming. It was not needed.

Standard wing attachment is via two forward-facing dowels at the leading edge engaging holes in the plywood fuselage former, and two retaining screws through the trailing edge. Lift struts are screwed to wing and fuselage. That’s fi ne for nice landings under full control, but I went for a “swing-wing” setup with rubber bands that allowed the wings to be knocked back without damage. Rubber bands between the centre cabin fuselage former and a wire hook near the wing trailing edge replace the rear screws. Rubber bands through a 7/16” aluminium tube glued across the lower fuselage engage hooks at the lower lift-strut ends, allowing them to pop out in a hard landing. The accompanying photos show more detail.

I also needed to modify the fuselage’s wing mounting saddle for the extra dihedral and to allow the wing to swing freely backwards. The rear cabin glazing came off without damage, allowing me to increase the saddle’s V angle fore and aft. Glazing was re-attached with Formula 560 canopy glue.

It is not practical to build in wing incidence on this model, so I achieved a measure of decalage by putting around 5mm up elevator trim into the tailplane.

Engine mounting began by gluing a 2.5mm plywood fi rewall to the front former. The best engine orientation was side-winder, which allows easy access to compression screw and needle valve, with less risk of fl ooding than an inverted setup. I could afford a bit of weight up front, so opted for a commercial radial engine mount and a basswood block to put the crankshaft/propeller in the correct position. The block is angled slightly increasing down thrust to a total of six degrees and one degree of right thrust. These angles worked well, with minimal trim change between powered fl ight and glide. I added a stout basswood keel piece to support the cowl in a nose-over and to provide a forward mounting point for ballast (if needed). Despite this, the cowl was damaged on its fi rst test glide. I repaired and reinforced it inside with a layer of medium weight glass cloth and epoxy. No damage since – I should have done that from the beginning.

Into the airHand glides were good with the estimated elevator pre-set angle, but the model was prone to stalling under power without the damaged 9g cowling. Don had a job feeding in turn to

reduce lift/stalling and get the model down in the blustery conditions,

but it was a promising start. The PAW was tuned to

turn the Master Airscrew 8x4 propeller at a bit less than 8,000 RPM. Any engine capable of that or 10,000 RPM with a 7x4 propeller would work just as well.

With the repaired cowl in place (now

weighing 11g) and the 30g battery pack mounted

behind the fi rewall, the CG was at 30% wing chord – right where the

instructions indicated. So the “homework” and modifi cations succeeded -no ballast needed and fi nal weight at an acceptable 590g (20.8 oz).

Subsequent fl ights confi rmed the Bird Dog is a stable, easy to fl y model, quite capable of looking after itself if set into a gentle left-hand circling pattern. I like the balance between pilot input and allowing the model to respond to the surrounding air. Not as pure as free fl ight, but without the constant pilot domination so typical of “full function” RC fl ying. Response to rudder control is fi ne under power, but quite slow when gliding. I’ll experiment with more throw (currently 8mm at full defl ection) once I’ve become more familiar with it. Anyway, airspeed is nice and slow, so there’s no real hurry. As expected, the Bird Dog is no soarer, but glide is more than adequate for safe landings. There seems nothing else to change other than perhaps replacing the existing 2.3mm diameter wire undercarriage with thicker 3mm wire, to avoid constant rebending after landings. That can easily be done, by removing the two retaining screws and withdrawing the undercarriage from its mounting box. The Vmar Cessna Bird Dog is not the perfect RC assist sport scale model, but considering the price and effort needed, it will do a fi ne job. ●

41

PAW Classic 80 has exhaust manifold and rubber extension tube fi tted. So unlike the rain in Spain, exhaust oil is mainly NOT on this plane. Extra keel piece supports vac-formed cowl in a nose-over. Cowl needed glass cloth and epoxy reinforcement to prevent splitting. Final drilling of cowl mounting screw holes is done once the engine is in place – ensures neat alignment.

Two #32 rubber bands are attached between the fuselage hooks. Then the front wing retaining pins are engaged and the bands attached to the hook on wing. Use a fairly sturdy wire hook with handle for that operation.

With the model upside down, attach the two #10 bands to one wing lift strut hook. Using a long wire hook, draw the rubber bands through the fuselage tube and capture with a toothpick or similar device. Then slip them onto the hook of the other lift strut & make sure that both hooks are in the tube. Model is small enough to be assembled at home and transported in a mid-size car to the fl ying fi eld.

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Speed CL Model Build

If you have been following Dick Hart’s previous articles on fettling the HobbyKing pulse jet you’ll be itching to build something for it!

BUILDING A SPORT JET MODEL

TThis plane is the ideal model for your fi rst venture into Sport Jet. It may not be quite as fast as the sidewinder layout but you will fi nd it easy to fl y and the model

can be fl own without a dolly. In addition your jet engine is better protected from bumpy landings being mounted on top of the fuselage. The design goes way back, many variations having been fl own over the years. Mike Coutts had the fi rst two line Sport Jet version I saw at Dayton in about 2003 but I measured up Bill Capinjola’s 2004 example for this kit. I have built four of these models since then and although the dimensions remain the same, the design has evolved to make the model simpler to fl y. Details for obtaining the kit from me are at the end of the article.

Necessary Control Line ExperienceI always thought that the heritage of pulse jets had been built around simple models,

inexpensive engines and readily available fuel (petrol). Now the HobbyKing Red Head is available at an amazingly low price it seems that building a straightforward model that will fl y at 125mph plus without the need for exotic materials or fuel is once again within the grasp of the regular modeller. That said it is probably best undertaken by those who have recent control line experience. I am 65 years old and whilst my 28 year old son is a better and much fi tter pilot than me, I can easily manage a Sport Jet. However I do practice with a Brodak Electric Super Clown on 48 ft. lines pretty much every week I am in California. Not as fast and doesn’t pull anywhere near as hard but I make 16 fl ights on a weekend just to keep in the swing of things.

The pull of a Sport Jet is fi rm but not overpowering and although it takes a good bit of ‘arm’ to get the model airborne, once fl ying it will groove pretty well. Because there is no prop wash over the elevator the response is sluggish so it can take a bit of control

anticipation to keep the model from climbing upwind and diving downwind. When the engine cuts, probably after 10 laps or so, the model will again need some ‘arm’ to get it to land rather than ‘arrive’.

I will also say that most of my fl ying experience with pulse jets has been with methanol based fuels, as mandated by US fl ying rules using 80% methanol and 20% nitromethane.

BuildingSo let’s build the model. The kit contents are shown in Photo 1 and it contains all of the essentials. You will also need some 1/8 (3mm) ply and some balsa scrap to make the tank fairing. This version will have a removable tank and a monowheel undercarriage. Being able to remove the tank will allow you to shim it or change the pick-up tube location to reduce the amount of fuel left in the tank when the engine quits. The monowheel will allow you to launch the plane without a dolly.

Mark the wing as shown in Photo 2 and

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43

sand it to shape. Do not sand the centre section of the underside because that’s where it will be glued to the top of the fuselage. The hole for the bellcrank is in the inboard wing panel. You are not building a supersonic fi ghter so when you sand the symmetrical section, have a nice rounded leading edge and don’t make the trailing edge too thin, it just weakens it.

Mark the tailplane (stabilizer) as shown in Photo 2 and cut out the elevator (inboard only). Score the centre with a v notch and crack it to form the dihedral Photo 3 (25mm under one tip). Just push the tailplane half way into the notch in the fuselage and carefully superglue the protruding part of the joint Photo 4. Remove the tailplane from the fuselage and complete gluing the joint. Use 50mm wing joining glass tape or similar to reinforce the centre of the tailplane, covering a little more of the inboard panel than the outboard to add reinforcement to the area where the elevator has been cut out. Use polyester or epoxy resin, just enough to wet out the glass Photo 5. Once set sand the tailplane and round off all edges. Ease the slot

for the tailplane to take the extra thickness of the glass reinforcement by paring back the upper slot for the forward two thirds only. It is important to glass the centre of the tail as otherwise the landing shock can break the tailplane off right at the fuselage join.

There are several ways of making the elevator, you can use the piece of ply you cut out, sand it and sew it to the tailplane. For this model I have used a piece of 0.036 (20 SWG, 0.9mm) Aluminium alloy sheet for the elevator and joined it using a method that has been around pulse jet circles for ages. I straightened a giant paper clip and used it as the material to make the staples to hinge the elevator having marked and drilled as shown. Make the joints on the underside, solder and cover with a blob of fi ve minute epoxy; Photos 6 & 7.

Check the tank for leaks and trim the tank recess in the fuselage until the tank is snug but removable. Using a piece of 1/8inch (3mm) birch ply or lite ply (not supplied), mark out and cut the lower and upper tank fairing pieces Photo 8. The rear spacer is 24 by 19. With the tank in situ tack the lower

fairing in place with superglue, remove the tank and complete the gluing of the joint. Add the rear spacer and the upper fairing triangle. Make sure you leave a generous gap to allow the tank to be removed easily. Fill in the rear with 3/16 in (5mm) balsa. Glue a fairing block (not supplied) to the front of the tank with 30 minute epoxy. I used a piece of thin polythene sheet to protect the lower fairing and the fuselage whilst the epoxy set to make sure the block only stuck to the front of the tank. Sand the front block to shape; Photo 9. Solder a couple of angle brackets to the tank so it can be screwed in place, make sure the rear bracket is not too far back or it may be covered by the wing; Photo 10.

The monowheel attaches just ahead of the front engine mount; Photo 11. I used 1/8 inch piano wire (10SWG). The peg is 10mm, the leg is 35mm long and the axle is 15mm. I made the retaining strap from 1/2 inch (12mm) stainless banding strip, you could also use a piece of jubilee clip (hose clip) or a proprietary plastic clip; Photo 12. The 2 inch (50mm) wheel is from Glenn Lee in the US, you can also get a black rubber wheel from

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Speed CL Model Build

Marc Warwashana. Failing that use a regular (not lightweight) RC 2 inch wheel.(Glen Lee’s wheel will only fi t 1/8 inch wire and cannot be drilled out). The completed wheel is shown in photo 13.

Make a 3/32 inch (12SWG, 2.6mm) piano wire skid 50 mm long with 10mm pegs and drill the rear locating hole close to the rear of the fuselage fl at. Glue in place with slow set epoxy; Photo 14.

Form the two engine mounts from the stainless banding material. The hole markings are for guidance only, the HobbyKing pipes vary a bit. Measure carefully before bending the second lug, the front mount must be tight but the rear pipe mount needs to be loose (1/16 in, 1.5mm gap) to allow for expansion when the pipe heats up. Drill the mounting holes and do a trial assembly. Whilst the front strap attaches one lug either side of the mounting block; Photo 15, the tailpipe mount is supposed to have both lugs on the inboard side with the mount outboard. Use washers front and back. I recommend that you orient the engine with the plug straight up; it is easier to get the leads on and off. It is also possible to fi le a round recess into the

front of the front strap maybe one third of the strap width so that the engine can be moved forward slightly if necessary when adjusting fl ying characteristics.

Push the tailplane into its slot, fi t the tank and wheel, and loosely assemble the bellcrank to the inboard wing panel. With the engine in position such that the front strap is lined up with the front edge of the combustion chamber use a 3/4 inch (20mm) piece of foam pushed between the tailpipe and the wing to hold the wing in place. Start with the leading edge about 250mm behind the fuel feed and move the wing until the model balances half way between the bellcrank pivot bolt and the leading edge. If you are going to fi nish the model heavy then move the wing so it balances nearer the leading edge. Mark the wing location and disassemble the wing, elevator, bellcrank, engine and mounts, tank and wheel assembly. My example balanced at 245mm from the rear of the fuel feed pipe or 105mm from the back edge of the front engine mount; Photos 16 & 17.

Round off all of the fuselage corners with the exception of the area where the wing is to be glued. Using 30 minute epoxy, glue the

tailplane and wing in position. Once dry, dowel the wing to the fuselage using 1/4 inch (6mm) wooden dowels; Photo 18. I use the regular dowels from a DIY store. Glue the dowels in place with 30 minute epoxy and trim fl ush when set.

Finish the model your favourite way. It doesn’t really need it but if you want to use glass and fi nishing epoxy try to add as little weight as possible. I have previously fi nished models with spray cans from the DIY store and also brushed on and rubbed down fi nishing epoxy. Whatever you fancy really. Just make sure that the tank will still fi t easily. Photos 19 & 20 show the model ready for fi nishing.

The line guide is designed so it will fi t on the wing tip either way around. Enlarge the guide holes to 3mm or so. Both lines will go through the same hole and thus depending upon which way round the guide is fi tted there are four possible line rake positions. This is important for trimming the model for best speed and also to empty the tank. File a fl at on the wing tip to take the guide and drill the fi rst hole 12 mm from the leading edge. Attach the guide with the bolts and captive nuts supplied; epoxy the captive nut in place.

Make a couple of small wing tip skids from 3/32 piano wire and use 30 minute epoxy to glue them in place. These will stop the wing tips from being worn away on landing.

A word about bellcranks and lines. The bellcrank supplied has rotating buttons, it is essential that these rotate freely and that the through bolt is properly supported top and bottom. I glue oversize washers in place. This is not because the fl ying pull is immense but because the pull test is signifi cant and you don’t want to have the bellcrank mount pulled out by repeated hefty pull tests. The model should be fl own on 0.022 inch (9 Music Wire Gauge, 0.56mm) ASTMS 322 piano wire, (not stainless and not stranded wires). Bind

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SPORT JET.indd 4 28/11/2014 09:36

45

the loops with copper wire and soft solder but leave about 1/4inch (6mm) unsoldered at each end of the wrap which should be epoxied. This will help to dissipate stress and reduce the chance of a failure at the end of the solder. Use a single loop at the model end but use a double loop with a ferrule at the handle end. Line length is 17.69M for UK competition and 60 ft. for US competition.

Flying the Sport JetMy son Matthew and I test fl ew this example at the October speed meeting at Whittier Narrows in Los Angeles. The HobbyKing Red Head was set up as per my recent articles in AeroModeller (issues 930 and 931). We used the US standard jet fuel of 20% Nitromethane and 80% Methanol on a 66 thou metering jet. The engine started fi rst puff and fl ew as if on rails. As we were test fl ying between rounds we did not get a properly timed speed but it was in the 130mph range which is respectable for this type of model and the prevailing weather.

As for fuel quantity, always take off with a full tank to prevent fl ame out through fuel

surge. The tank on this model is not that big and on methanol/nitro is good for 8-10 laps. On petrol it is good for 12-14laps. Always release the model as soon as it starts once the leads have been disconnected. Be ready to step back to keep the lines tight if necessary. Plan ahead for safe operation of your model and follow the instructions from the engine manufacturer. Have a bucket of water or a fi re extinguisher on hand. Make sure the starting crew have practiced. During practice starts the engine can be stopped by pinching the fuel line connection - best to do that within 5 to 10 seconds to prevent over-heating.

Make no mistake, Pulse Jets are very noisy! You need to make sure that wherever you choose to fl y there are no restrictions or prohibitions, that it is safe and you will not create a nuisance. The best place to fl y the model in the UK has to be at Barton (near Manchester), as a member of the Barton club. The circle there has a cage and there are control line enthusiasts on hand to help and advise. Otherwise, there are several speed competitions each year including the Nationals where jets can be fl own. In the US

there are a number of locations where pulse jets can be fl own; these days I fl y with a group of speed enthusiasts at Whittier Narrows, close to LA in California. There are also clubs in New Zealand and Australia where pulse jets are fl own.

Wherever you are, the key is to prepare well, fl y safely and not to create a nuisance. Sport Jets are a whole lot of fun, fl ying them is just a huge adrenalin rush which I hope I have inspired you to share. ●

InfoThe kit is available from me at US$100 or 60 pounds sterling plus shipping. Contact; Dick Hart, Upper Stepford House, Stepford Road, Dumfries, DG2 0JP, UK. [email protected] Wheels are available from Marc Warwashana, 11577 North Shore Drive, Whitmore Lake, MI 48189-9124, USA. [email protected]

Original Cartoon in August 1950 AeroModeller!

SPORT JET.indd 5 28/11/2014 09:36


I

FF Scale

Andy Hewitt asks ‘Why on earth bother with rubber power when we have all this technology at our fi ngertips?’ Photos by Ellie Hewitt and Bob Fletcher.

“DO GET YOUR KNICKERS IN A TWIST!”

The Morane N uncovered. The tailplane outline is 1/16” aluminium – Andy will give construction details in future articles.

SCALE RUBBER.indd 2 28/11/2014 09:37

I have always had a soft spot for rubber powered aircraft. There is something very pure and simple about twisting some rubber in order to propel a scale model across the sky that appeals to

me above all other forms of propulsion. I do enjoy diesel powered models, but not cleaning them. As for electric and all its paraphernalia and language barriers associated with translating word-smithery into something useful – life is too short. Wind it and bung it (there is more to trimming than that, which will be looked at later) is much better; for me simplicity is beauty.

I started successful modelling with the charming Andrew Moorhouse series of P-nut kits in the late seventies, which I consider still today amongst the best laid out plans and completeness of instructions ever put into a small kit. Each kit detailed building, covering, carving the propeller and applying the markings. All I had to do was follow the instructions and they fl ew enough to hook me for life, just a hand full of seconds was enough. I still have some kits hidden away for inspiration. The only down side is that my eye sight struggles with the tiny writing now! Through lots of fl ying of these designs I developed just about all of my present trimming skills, which have served me well. In recent years I have been developing larger scale rubber models for the BMFA scale competitions and had considerable success and lots of enjoyment fl ying this type of model. I would now like to pass on my experiences to others, with the current growing surge of interest in this class. It is a

simple class and the rewards for a good fl ying model are most satisfying…when it all works.

We are at present bereft of fl ying sites, so this often makes fl ying engine powered models out of reach except for offi cial competitions, but a large rubber model can be fl own anywhere with the space of a cricket pitch or park, no noise, no danger, no fuss. You can just use hand cranked turns for a couple of circuits in your park on a fi ne evening and all the problems of the world are lost, just for a little while.

A well-trimmed rubber model can fl y very nearly as well as an electric or diesel powered model and can be just as detailed; they do not need to be gossamer renditions or particularly light weight. Another reason that I like a good rubber scale model is that it is all totally your own work. The only bit that

I cannot make is the thrust bearing. In the instant gratifi cation world of aeromodelling that we now inhabit, I like to take part in a sport where you are rewarded for your own endeavours; there are not many of those left in modelling!

Size mattersIt is my experience that larger models fl y far better than smaller ones. A larger model will be smoother, look for all the world more impressive and scale like. Small models can be built to a very high standard and score higher on static scale marks (if your fi ngers and eye sight permit), but your total competition score is 50 % fl ying and smaller models are blown about and upset by the slightest discharge. The greater vulnerability to the conditions makes them less consistent for scale fl ight

II II me above all other forms of propulsion. I do Ime above all other forms of propulsion. I do enjoy diesel powered models, but not cleaning Ienjoy diesel powered models, but not cleaning them. As for electric and all its paraphernalia Ithem. As for electric and all its paraphernalia and language barriers associated with Iand language barriers associated with translating word-smithery into something Itranslating word-smithery into something useful – life is too short. Wind it and bung it Iuseful – life is too short. Wind it and bung it

47

My crude winder and stooge, no frills here. The

stooge is fantastic at fi nding stones when you try to push

it into an airfi eld.

Andy prepares to wind the Morane at this year’s Nats - tube already in place in the

fuselage. (Photo Andrew Boddington)

Fokker EV big and little - what you can do on an enlarging photocopier!

Gee Bee R1, any model can be made to fl y! This did fl y very fast and was great fun to sort out; this was a free plan in the old AeroModeller.


scores. Smaller models when fl own outdoors are also usually fl ying too fast and fl itting around like a house fl y; the judges’ eyes are looking for faults, so why give them the opportunity? I also fi nd it easier to trim larger models, with separate scale elevators and rudder on stiff hinges; settings are straight forward and easy to check prior to fl ying. On a more practical point they are easier to mend when things go wrong, not requiring key-hole surgery to mend, especially during a competition.

I suspect that most modellers build the smaller models because they are either indoor modellers (sticking with what they know), using a hopefully dual purpose model, or are limited by the availability of commercial plastic propellers - which are completely inadequate for our requirements. Large propellers are critical to success, enabling the power of the motor to be transmitted to moving a large volume of slow moving air; rather than spinning a small propeller at high revolutions which gives large losses

of effi ciency. As an analogy, it would be like trying to pull some train carriages out of a station with a moped, rather than a steam engine. There is no need to worry about making propellers; there have been many excellent articles recently by John O’Donnell in AeroModeller on design and manufacture and I will detail my simple methods in a later article.

As a general guide for size, I would not build a model smaller than 30 inches span, including bi-planes. For a suitable wing loading guide you go easily up to 6 ounces per square foot and still have a good performing model, remembering that for British competition rules we only need to achieve 20 seconds, but aim more for a minute to get an unhurried scale fl ight. Achieving a good height is desirable to gain the transition to glide and landing approach marks.

One warning to budding builders is that the larger models are vulnerable to clumsy handling and trimming. If you are not very methodical in your approach, you could wreck your model; there is a lot of energy in these models (and weight), so they can easily be damaged in a crash.

Basic fl ying equipmentTo operate and fl y the larger models you will need a winding stooge to hammer into the ground, or a helper with some nerve to hold the model. You will also need a meaty winder; I use an old hand powered drill, with a bent hook in the end. You could spend lots of money on a posh winder, which counts and measures torque and if someone would like to donate one I would be very grateful, but this level of equipment is not required for scale

FF Scale


1/8th Scale Fokker EIII 48inch span, a great fl yer although very touchy on tail setting. 4 times Nationals Champion.

I wish I had set the elevators! 2012 Nationals with the 1/8th Scale Morane Type N; 4 times Nationals Champion.


modelling. For winding a big rubber motor you must always use a winding tube to protect your model. A broken wound motor (or more likely the motor slipping off the winding hook) would destroy your fuselage. The only real down side to winding larger rubber motors (12 to 16 strands of ¼”fl at or similar cross section), are the beads of sweat that form on your brow as you fi nish winding and have to handle the angry twisted Anaconda as you put your propeller assembly on. If you get it wrong it can make a lot of noise or potentially throw you over a nearby hedge. For a 14 ounce model I use a 14 strand motor about 22 inches long and normally put on 650 turns, which will give about 40 seconds of power on a large 16inch propeller.

Choosing a subjectI think that nearly any subject can be made to fl y well, but some survive the trimming stages better than others! I am guilty of building diffi cult (daft) subjects. I build them because I like them, which is important, keeping the enthusiasm during the several weeks of construction, but I would not recommend that you follow my designs unless you are confi dent in your trimming abilities - you have been warned!

I like early or quirky aircraft, ones with character. I do not look for good traditional subjects with long noses and big tails. For me the challenge is to build and fl y something diffi cult, to push the boundaries. It makes winning much more satisfying. All my larger models to date have been bereft of dihedral and had tiny tail feathers (under 10% of the wing area). My fi rst was an 1/8 scale Fokker EIII monoplane which fl ew very

well provided the all moving tail surfaces were precisely set each fl ight (which I always forgot to do). Not learning from the tricky all moving tail scenario I then built a 1/8 scale Morane type N, which also fl ys very convincingly and has won many competitions to date. All moving small tails are sensitive; I use a card jig to check & set the surfaces before (nearly!) every fl ight. The wings are on wire dowels which fl ex a little giving a tiny amount of dihedral. The only good thing going for these two subjects is a short nose, which gives very good stall recovery when properly trimmed (a forward C of G, 20-25% helps also). The down side is that to achieve this, they both have nearly 4 ounces of church roof in the nose and spinner! Their fl ying weight is 12 – 14 ounces, by no means light. Being early aircraft they have simple structures which are easily reproduced and so can be built very accurately and effi ciently (minimum amount of wood). The static scores are thus very good; it is easy to put all the scale detail on a large scale simple subject thus getting good scores. They also have bags of character. (My building techniques will be detailed in other articles.)

What I hope I have demonstrated with these two successful designs, is that you can build just about any aircraft you like, but you must have the will and be prepared to break them in competition if you want to win a place. There are many better subjects, that would fl y better, hold their trim better and be simpler to build to a higher standard,

but nobody has built suitably big models to challenge my subjects’ vulnerabilities. For example a big Piper Cub would stuff them on the fl ying and static, especially the fl ying in British summer conditions (normally dreadful).

This year I built a twice size Veron Fokker D8 to enter into the BMFA kit scale event at the Free Flight Nationals. The only modifi cation made to the basic design was correcting the outline, putting scale size wheels on and taking the dihedral off and

giving it the correct wing section. The end result is a very practical model,

no effort was made to build a light model, the wood is hard timber and even the fuselage is silk on tissue covered (like a diesel model) to prevent damage to the hand painted lozenges (I was bored so

painted them all). It turned out at 37 inches span and 12 ounces

weight, so goes like a rocket with a good rate of climb; it has proved

itself nearly bomb proof so far and is good fun to fl y.

So a good start, if you fancy a big scale rubber model, would be to enlarge one of the Veron or Keil Kraft designs, correct the outline shapes, beef up the structure and have some fun. I will detail the Fokker D8 in another article to help you on your way. I have already doubled the Veron Camel plan and intend to build that also.

I hope I may have got you interested in larger outdoor rubber scale models, since they are very good fun to fl y and look very impressive in the air. ●

49

Morane and Fokker nose to nose, both have the same power and weight, the Fokker has greater duration, but does not win on looks.

which gives very good stall recovery

which are easily reproduced and so can be built very accurately and

giving it the correct wing section. The end result is a very practical model,

no effort was made to build a light model, the wood is hard timber and even the fuselage

painted them all). It turned out at 37 inches span and 12 ounces

weight, so goes like a rocket with a good rate of climb; it has proved


TT


The annual Gilding’s engine auction in Market Harborough is a magnet for aeromodellers who like the smell of diesel, the crackle of a sparkie or the

purr of a glow engine – you will rarely fi nd an electric motor here! At this the 16th year of the Aero Engine sale, we were treated to over 600 auction lots, and this attracted 170 registered bidders. Each year’s sale has its own character depending on the engines put

forward, and this is often the refl ection of a lifetime’s passion for collecting and using by individual enthusiasts.

Something for EverybodyThis year I would characterise the selection of engines as a good, diverse mix. In comparison with the last sale there were fewer large-capacity multi-cylinder handmade engines, but many more small engines, including a good selection of diesels of under 0.5cc. Whatever your particular engine interest I think you would probably have found at least a handful of lots to attract your bidding. As we have yet to see an Aeromodelling Museum in the UK (we await the BMFA’s deliberations with interest), coming to Gilding’s is one of the best ways of seeing the history of the model IC aero engine brought together in one place for a short time.My general observations of the day were that quality and scarcity will still attract the best price. This is most easily seen in the spark ignition petrol engines, where rare vintage British engines in good condition

can fetch over £200, while poor tired engines with broken lugs will only fetch £10s. Good condition volume Sparkies, such as those

produced by O&R (Ohlsson & Rice) of the USA, can be had for £40 or £50, which to my mind represents excellent value. I hope we will see more people fl ying these lovely characterful petrol engines in 2015. All prices quoted in this article are the

Engine Sales

Gilding’s Model Aero Engines Auction 8th November 2014

Four Aces radial engine from 1966. A rare unit built around four Cox Medallion engines geared together. £170

T

8th November 2014


8th November 2014


Andrew Boddington visits the annual auction and fails to keep his wallet in his pocket!

Will Gilding is the latest member of the Gilding fam-ily to take the stand at the Aero Engines Auction.

Original Stentor 6, series 2 Spark ignition engine nicely (but not overly) refurbished in a reproduction box. £130

p50-52 Engine sales.indd 50 26/11/2014 15:21

51

Gilding’s Model Aero Engines Auction 8th November 2014

hammer price observed by me at the sale. The actual price paid by the buyer needs an additional 18% adding for buyer’s premium (including VAT). The full list of prices obtained is available from the Results page of the Gilding’s website at www.gildings.co.uk The accompanying photos pick-out some of the most interesting lots.

Not just Aero Model EnginesThere were a higher proportion of marine/water-cooled engines this year. Typically they fetch slightly less than their air-cooled relations (where they exist), but bidding was still good. There were various ED marine engines (Hunter, Comp Special, Otter and Viking) that went for under £100. I wonder how many of these will stay as they are, or will be stripped down to provide spares for the aero version? An Oliver Tiger Major 3.5cc marine diesel went for £260. Of the seven Taplin Twin diesels in the auction (both 8cc and 15cc variants), fi ve were marine, one

was an air-cooled original at £310, and one was a near new 15cc Arne Hende air-cooled replica which reached the highest price of the Taplin Twins at £350. There was also a new in box Taplin Baker Hydro-Jet which achieved well

over its estimate at £150. Other marine twins included the small production run Westbury Seagull 10cc in-line twin - displayed on a wooden base it made £440.

Selling by AuctionThere are various reasons for preferring buying and selling engines at a ‘real’ auction compared with the online alternative. For families wanting to sell the engines of a deceased aeromodeller, it is an easier option to let Gilding’s do all the hard work of cataloguing, marketing and selling the engines. Yes, there is a price to pay (seller’s premium) for this service, but anyone who has managed multiple listings on eBay will know how time consuming this can be – particularly the fi nal packing and posting. As a buyer it is defi nitely preferable to see the engine close up before deciding to buy, and this you can only do at an auction house. There are also plenty of knowledgeable people around on both the viewing and sales day if you are unsure about a particular engine’s pedigree or provenance. Chief among those people are Dick Roberts and Toby Collis who spend many hours before hand cataloguing items, and then are active on the day preparing and displaying the lots being bid on. I know many people would like their hard work acknowledged, and one day Toby may even win an engine he bids on!More than all this, an auction such as Gilding’s is a great day out! Certainly this sale is a fi tting end to the year when most of the outdoor fl ying season has fi nished; the chance to catch up with many old friends. I’m pleased to say that Gilding’s had increased the number of seats this year, so more of us could sit down during what is around a 7 hour day. And as for me? I was both a seller and buyer! I could not resist buying a few diesels

in various sizes up to 3.2cc. My smallest was a Schlosser 0.25cc which had been used and was seized solid. I’ve been following Maris Dislers article in AeroModeller 928 for freeing up old engines, but have yet to get to the point of running it. Fingers crossed it will be OK, but I knew what I was bidding on! Soon afterwards, Nigel Monk contacted me about the Gilding’s Auction. I thank him for letting me publish some of his thoughts here.‘This was my fi rst Gilding’s engine auction. I counted around 100 seats and there were ten or

Plenty of interesting engines available, even at the end of the sale. A good selection of diesels illustrates the mix to be seen on the day.

The engine specialists enjoy what they do! Left Toby Collis, and right Dick Roberts work with the Gildings staff to make sure the engines are cor-rectly described and displayed.

The JPS Airstar 2.15cc. This very rare diesel has the com-pression altered via an eccentric crankshaft housing. Keen bidding saw this make £290.

This Frog 100 Mk1 ‘Stovepipe’ diesel was complete with original Frog prop (aerodynamically little better than a stick of rock!) and box. It made £160.



Engine Sales

twenty standing behind the fi lled rows. One chap I sat next to was telling me which of the well known collectors were in the room, and those who were absent. I didn’t get his name but I hope I persuaded him to try a copy of the new AeroModeller and he is reading this - I enjoyed our chat thanks. I believe each year has had its own fl avour and perhaps it has evolved away from the rarer items towards featuring more workaday engines. Andrew

stated last year that the 2013 sale featured just two Mills – this year there were at least 64, including all versions, variants, conditions, replicas and sizes. A good number of ‘Banks’ and other miniatures fetched excellent values from the

collectors. Genuine and copies - working engines - fetched similar prices to other sources, when you add in buyer’s premium and VAT. We should be most grateful to Dick Roberts and Toby Collis who organised the whole thing. I know Dick won a nice Wankel for himself and I feel slightly ashamed to have bid against him and won a Holland Hornet; I promise I will let him have fi rst refusal if I ever need to sell. Personally, I won 35 small diesel engines in 16 lots for just under £800 including buyer’s premium and VAT. (I’m fairly certain Mrs M. will never read this, dear.) Some are for spares only, others were in lots with engines I wanted; the unwanted will go on eBay to defray costs. You can judge for yourselves whether the prices realised represent bargains or madness from the Gilding’s website. One or two lots fell into either camp but most were fairly predictable. Highlights of the day undoubtedly included the Siedel 14 cylinder two row radial at £4700 inclusive, sold to a telephone bidder. I made time to visit on the preview day specifi cally to check big end wear on engines of interest, to avoid those lots because replacing them is such a pain and

would wipe out any chance of coming out ahead. To me at least, other bidders hadn’t checked as closely as I had since values were no lower that I could tell. So how does it compare to buying from eBay? ... Would it be easier and less risky to pay the higher prices on eBay for good examples of the engines you want, from the comfort of your den, with the protection of online buying, and save the time and effort visiting the auction (twice)? Probably - you can buy my spares if you like. Would it be as much fun? No chance!! See you next year? I’ll be there.’ ●

MEC 1.2cc diesel – a short production run diesel which is rarely seen. £150

The Schlosser 0.5cc was new in box and went for £200. It is ballraced and has an exhaust collector so would probably make very little noise if it is ever run.

The Aerol Gremlin 2cc diesel was the forerunner to the Elfi n series of en-gines. Made £120.

One of the many replicas of the Dyno. This one by Pfeff er and at a reduced capacity of 0.6cc. £80

A collection of small diesels at the beginning of the auction were a temptation to your editor!

Plenty of Spark Ignition Petrol engines. The more common engines such as O&R can be found at a reasonable price – why not give a Sparkies a go in 2015?

BMP 3.5cc was in very good condition. The mounting lugs/strengthening web are instantly recognisable with the trade-mark lightening holes. £180

Toby Collis holds up the immaculate Bugle Mk1 2.5cc diesel complete with multi-function valve and wooden box. This went for £650. I wonder whether it will ever thrill again to the smell of diesel fuel?


53

Possibly the best-kept secret of the free-fl ight world is U-build Models with its ‘golden age’ range of traditional balsa print-wood kit favourites like the Beech

Musketeer, Cessna, Beagle Pup and other character-worthy light aircraft. Technically unique is the rubber-powered twin-rotor Belvedere and single-rotor Robinson R22 helicopters, not to mention the genuine skirt-infl ating rubber-powered Skimaire hovercraft. Two nice gliders are also available, the Czech Blanik and the American gull-winged RS1 Zanonia. All are available by mail order. The real big kit is the Lockheed Super-Electra, which comes as a double-box kit, including three A1 sized build-plan sheets to really focus one’s mind. This twin-engine beauty is provided as rubber-powered, but cries-out for mini-electric conversion; either FF or RC.

Alan Kirtley is the kit designer and proprietor of U-Build Models, but before it came into existence he was a fl ying instructor for the ‘Faulkes Flying Foundation’, a youth fl ying charity. This charity would train youngsters from the age of eleven to fl y in full-size gliders as a fl ight experience for school and scout groups, but also provided residential courses leading to a ‘solo’ if training continued with an established Gliding Club. A requirement for students to develop a wider understanding of aircraft structures, stresses, and forces, the obvious learning medium was to build a balsa-wood model. Alan tried to purchase balsa kits from various sources, but even when available, kits were not meeting his educational and fl ying requirements. Then the penny dropped! ‘I’m a designer, a pilot, an engineer; why not produce my own?’ A balsa kit called the Kestrel was put into production by Alan, consisting of only eight ribs and with a sheeted fuselage. It was simple to build, strong, light, and fl ew well. The fl ying charity no longer exists but the Kestrel model was the spark which gave rise to the later sophisticated kits of U-Build Models.

When Alan designs for U-Build Models, he is mindful of an article many years ago in AeroModeller magazine. The write-up covered a fun-fl ying day where a rubber-powered Messerschmitt 109 with scale proportions required so much nose weight slapped on to balance it, that it was then too heavy to fl y well. Alan adopts a standard design policy for successful fl ight geometry of his rubber-powered free-fl ight kit models. Firstly a ‘no fuss’ monoplane aircraft type is selected for its character interest, and its outline profi le is digitally drawn out using

Computer Aided Design (CAD). In plan view (as seen from above), the line of the wing main-spar is a convenient boundary where the aircraft is literally shortened by a fi fth behind the wing main-spar using the CAD scaling command, and conversely, the remaining craft ahead of the main-spar is lengthened by a fi fth. This radically re-proportions the craft but still maintains its fairline characteristics, and with very little additional weight the craft may be balanced for fl ight. Other tricks also come into play such as increasing the wing-chord while reducing its span. Alan refers to this re-proportioning as ‘impressionist scale’. This then gives the outline profi le of the model; the structural development and component layout of the ‘silk-screen’ for printing the sheet balsa follows using CAD. Each kit employs the same well-considered construction technique, where the fuselage is ‘laid to plan’ as two separate half structures for accuracy, and then brought together as one.

Technical readers will no-doubt have a few questions about how the rubber-powered helicopters work. The twin-rotor Belvedere arose from a challenge to produce a rubber-powered Chinook type helicopter. The rotors of the real Chinook rotate in opposite directions so that the torque-reaction generated by the spinning rotors is cancelled-out. Well, the model’s rotors are driven by fl exible piano-wire through curved-upward

nylon tubes from a central multi-strand rubber motor, but both rotate in the same direction. So the problem still remains - how to eliminate the torque reaction from the rotors? After testing it was found that with eleven degrees ‘included-angle’ between the rotational axis of the rotors, the partial sideways thrust from the rotors then eliminated their own torque reaction. Alan says of his Belvedere design, that this is THE most complex of the rubber-powered free-fl ight kits and should be considered as a constructional indulgence.

The single-rotor Robinson R22 helicopter, unlike the Belvedere, is probably the simplest of all the rubber-powered kits in the range. It has no tail-rotor to eliminate that evil torque reaction, but a transparent acetate disc which looks like a rotating tail-rotor is actually a rudder and compensates for the torque. But, what prevents the helicopter from being rolled over by the off-centre lift generated on the advancing side of the rotor? Answer; a ‘balance wand’ projecting diagonally forward and to one side from the helicopter nose.

This year has seen the aerodynamic development and release of the lifting body model ‘Rescue 2’, loosely based on the Thunderbirds 2 aircraft, and testing continues on a new kit for 2015, the NASA Space Shuttle. For more information take a look at the website www.u-buildmodels.com or write for a free brochure to U-Build Models, 4 Vale Cottages. HP4 1RG. ●

U-Build Models are GO!!New rubber and glider designs are still kitted by this UK manufacturer.

PPPPthe free-fl ight world is U-build

Pthe free-fl ight world is U-build Models with its ‘golden age’ range

PModels with its ‘golden age’ range of traditional balsa print-wood Pof traditional balsa print-wood kit favourites like the Beech Pkit favourites like the Beech

Musketeer, Cessna, Beagle Pup and other PMusketeer, Cessna, Beagle Pup and other character-worthy light aircraft. Technically Pcharacter-worthy light aircraft. Technically unique is the rubber-powered twin-rotor Punique is the rubber-powered twin-rotor Belvedere and single-rotor Robinson R22 PBelvedere and single-rotor Robinson R22 helicopters, not to mention the genuine skirt-Phelicopters, not to mention the genuine skirt-infl ating rubber-powered Skimaire hovercraft. Pinfl ating rubber-powered Skimaire hovercraft. Two nice gliders are also available, the Czech PTwo nice gliders are also available, the Czech

Traditional Kit Manufacturer

Alan Kirtley of U-Build Models regularly has a stand at Old Warden model events. Seen here with the uncovered Rescue 2.

U BUILD.indd 3 28/11/2014 09:37


Where can I buy one of those?Mike Evatt turns the spotlight on shopping for FF competition models and components.

T

Free Flight Suppliers

These days it is not just a case of going into your local model shop and expecting to buy free fl ight models over the counter. Although a number of free fl ight

sport, scale and vintage model kits may be found there it is diffi cult to fi nd ‘state of the art’ competition models whether they are RTF, kits or plans.

The abandonment of the ‘builder of the model’ rule both domestically and internationally, together with the internet, have changed the way we can obtain our models and components and indeed what we can obtain. Life also has become busier and if one wants to keep fl ying then “buy and fl y” can be the only viable option.

It should be remembered that, generally speaking, the suppliers will be keen aeromodellers as well as excellent fl yers. For this article we’ll focus on suppliers who maintain websites, but remember many smaller niche suppliers do not, and only operate by email and perhaps telephone.

UK Based SupplierOne of the most comprehensive suppliers in the UK for the construction basics of free fl ight model aircraft is Free Flight Supplies at

www.freefl ightsupplies.co.uk . This enterprise is run by Mike Woodhouse and is usually my fi rst port of call when needing those hard to fi nd bits and pieces. As Mike says on his web pages, you will fi nd a wealth of materials, equipment, tools, plans and ideas that will help you in your journey through the world of free fl ight. There are a couple of dozen categories and it would take far too long to even scratch the surface of his stock. I leave it to you to delve deeper and so I will just concentrate on Lightweight Covering and High Tech Materials.

Lightweight Covering encompasses: Esaki tissue and silk, Modelspan tissue, condenser tissue, polyester tissue (Polyspan in the USA), Mylar covering material/foil in clear and aluminised from 1 micron to 15 micron thickness, Solarfi lm Products (Airspan and Lightspan), as well as OS Film just 0.5 microns thick for covering indoor models.

The list of High Tech Material is even more impressive. Not only does he stock basic materials such as Carbon, Glass and Kevlar cloth in various weights but also unidirectional carbon sheet in various thickness for cap strips and trailing edges. There is also ready cut trailing edge stock and various motor tubes and rear booms for most models you could imagine.

International RTF WinnersIn terms of buying a fi nished RTF model, the pre-eminent supplier website has to be that of the Andriukov/Kulakovsky F1B Rubber fame. Between them they have probably won more international competitions than anyone else. Whether it be RTF F1B models in various spans and with Electronic/Mechanical Timers, propeller assemblies or a kit of parts this is the shop for it! www.andriukov.com is the URL. Not only do they sell their products but they fl y them and win! Their latest Simplicity 3 electronic timer is very special. They also have some excellent graphics on their website covering the basic adjustments of their aircraft. This is of course the safe starting point but much has to be done on top to achieve seven minutes in a fl yoff! Their products are not cheap but they are top class. Many of us have found these models beautifully built and exciting to fl y.

If you are even vaguely interested in F1C I/C Power, then you must visit Artem Babenko’s website at artembabenko.com . This site typifi es the top end of F1C equipment. Not only are folders shown but also the Fora range of geared and non-geared engines together with electronic timer options. These models and engines are not for the faint-

FF SUPPLIER.indd 2 28/11/2014 09:38

55

Where can I buy one of those?Mike Evatt turns the spotlight on shopping for FF competition models and components.

Free Flight Suppliers

hearted. Talk to current F1C fl yers and watch them in action before jumping in!

Electric DurationIf Electric Power is your bag then you may be interested in E-36 offerings. E-36 is an exciting class to fl y even if you don’t fl y serious competitions. The model that is making the headlines is Super Pearl by Don DeLoach. If you visit the ‘Pearl’website at www.pearlfreefl ight.com you will quickly realise that the Super Pearl E-36 is just the latest design of a classic series. The brainchild of free fl ight designer/competitor Bill J. Chenault of Dallas, Texas, the Pearl series began in 1971 with the famous Mini Pearl 1/2A for Cox Tee Dee .049/.051. The design requirements were simple: Chenault wanted a model that was as easy to build as it was to trim and fl y, with a minimum of complications. The rest is history!

The one thing that is needed when fl ying free fl ight duration is a reliable timer whether it is for determining the motor run or the length of the dethermaliser actuation. There are many different types for different classes but it is well worth looking at Texas Timers at www.texastimers.com The Texas Timers eMAX is a game-changing timer for Electric FF. It is ultra-light and slim, run and DT times

are easily adjusted in the fi eld, and it accepts the popular Ken Bauer radio DT as an option. eMAX is certainly the best, most feature-laden timer currently on the market for E-36. Most of their range are mechanical devices and are ultra-reliable and robust.

Glider SuppliesW-Hobby at w-hobby.com has quite a range of F1A gliders on offer from the standard classic version through LDA equipped models to state of the art fl appers.

It is fair to say that LDA (Low Drag Airfoil) models are pretty much mainstream today. What used to be just a fl y-off glider is now becoming a regular rounds model and so has to be able to fl y in any conditions including low/high wind and high turbulence. The traditional long LDA variant is extremely diffi cult to control in mid-day turbulent air and many fl yers still prefer to use conventional models without being able to take advantage of extra launch height that LDA would offer. The new trend however is to build and fl y shorter LDA models with hybrid airfoil and now W-Hobby has one in their range.

The F1A Superba Electronic Flapper has Makarov-type wings and airfoil and is built using the latest technology. All carbon parts

are manufactured using the highest quality heat-curing epoxy resin for extraordinary strength and dimensional stability. Plastic hinges are used to attach the wing fl aps to the main panel and remain operational even under high load during acceleration. The Flapper fuselage is based on standard W-Hobby electronic fuselage with specially designed advanced wing control device.

Not forgetting Tan Super Sport rubber…It would be remiss of me if in this initial trawl of major suppliers I missed out FAI Supplies. This company has done more than most to keep rubber powered models fl ying. The ownership of the company has changed over the years from Ed Dolby to John Clapp and now Charlie Jones. This is the home of Tan Super Sport contest grade rubber! These days there is no other manufacturer, and year on year their product appears to get more consistent in its performance, at least according to my test results. www.faimodelsupply.com is the URL of their operation where you will fi nd many other delights including some interesting vintage kits. ●

FF SUPPLIER.indd 3 28/11/2014 09:38

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Battery powered IC Engine?! A small fuel tank for RC or CL, by Allan Voyce Shown is the fuel tank I made for a Sharkface. As you can see, the tank started life as a 9V battery case, and is quick & easy to make for .5 to .75cc engines. The fuel pipe is on the side, as there wasn't enough room to have the pipe at the front without kinking the fuel line. I made my fi rst tank like this in 1969 for a free-fl ight Frog 45, and have made variations for control line too.

Any 9V battery with a steel metal case can be used. Some of the more expensive batteries

GADGET REVIEWMany of you have asked about re-introducing the reader generated pages of Gadget Review in AeroModeller – so we’ll give it a go on an occasional basis. If you’ve have a technique or device that you have tried (no theoreticals please!), send it in to [email protected] for consideration and the ‘glory’ of seeing your name in AeroModeller. Please include high quality digital photos and/or a very clear drawing to illustrate.

Shown is the fuel tank I made for a Sharkface. Shown is the fuel tank I made for a Sharkface.

battery case, and is quick & easy to make for .5 battery case, and is quick & easy to make for .5 to .75cc engines. The fuel pipe is on the side, as to .75cc engines. The fuel pipe is on the side, as

the front without kinking the fuel line. I made the front without kinking the fuel line. I made

introducing the reader generated pages introducing the reader generated pages

we’ll give it a go on an occasional basis. we’ll give it a go on an occasional basis. we’ll give it a go on an occasional basis. If you’ve have a technique or device that If you’ve have a technique or device that

send it in to [email protected] for send it in to [email protected] for

include high quality digital photos and/or include high quality digital photos and/or


use a stainless steel case, which can't be soldered. Make sure the battery hasn't leaked, if it has, it should be discarded. Two reasons for this, one the chemicals can burn skin, and the tin coating inside the case will be damaged. Use only batteries that are completely discharged.

I remove the base fi rst using a small screwdriver & moving it along while twisting it between the folded over case & the base, which opens out the case end & releases the base cover. This is best done working downwards with the screwdriver, on the workbench top to prevent a screwdriver wound in your hand. The batteries and terminal cover can then be removed from the case & discarded in the correct way for the relative country. Using the base plate as a template, make 2 metal plates from a tin can (not the painted type) slightly oversize so they can be lodged in the casing. Decide where the pipes are to go, and drill the holes. I use a 3mm drill for 1/8 pipe, so they will

stay in position when soldering (or use one of those extra hand stands with the crocodile clips).

Using sandpaper, remove the paint from all areas that are to be soldered, including the folded seam that runs down one side of the case, as this will be soldered as well to make sure it won't leak.

Solder the plate in the end of the case that is still folded over fi rst, then the fi ll and vent pipes. This sequence is in case a small pipe is dropped inside the tank. The other end is then fi tted & soldered, using a thin screwdriver or piece of spring wire through the feed pipe hole (whether it's in an end, or on the side) to position it. The feed pipe is then fi tted & the tank tested for leaks (the usual way under water). I use a 75W soldering iron & acid core solder. Resin core solder is fi ne, except sometimes the resin sticks before the solder, and has to be cleaned off & the area re-soldered. Flush the tank with a little fuel before using to remove any debris.

Any 9V battery with a steel metal case can Any 9V battery with a steel metal case can Any 9V battery with a steel metal case can be used. Some of the more expensive batteries be used. Some of the more expensive batteries be used. Some of the more expensive batteries

Two reasons for this, one the Two reasons for this, one the Two reasons for this, one the chemicals can burn skin, and chemicals can burn skin, and chemicals can burn skin, and the tin coating inside the case the tin coating inside the case the tin coating inside the case will be damaged. Use only will be damaged. Use only will be damaged. Use only batteries that are completely batteries that are completely batteries that are completely discharged.discharged.discharged.

I remove the base fi rst using I remove the base fi rst using a small screwdriver & moving a small screwdriver & moving it along while twisting it it along while twisting it between the folded over case between the folded over case & the base, which opens out & the base, which opens out the case end & releases the the case end & releases the base cover. This is best done base cover. This is best done working downwards with the working downwards with the screwdriver, on the workbench screwdriver, on the workbench top to prevent a screwdriver top to prevent a screwdriver wound in your hand. The wound in your hand. The batteries and terminal cover can batteries and terminal cover can then be removed from the case then be removed from the case & discarded in the correct way & discarded in the correct way for the relative country. Using for the relative country. Using the base plate as a template, the base plate as a template, make 2 metal plates from a make 2 metal plates from a tin can (not the painted type) tin can (not the painted type) slightly oversize so they can be slightly oversize so they can be lodged in the casing. Decide lodged in the casing. Decide where the pipes are to go, and where the pipes are to go, and drill the holes. I use a 3mm drill the holes. I use a 3mm

&&HINTS TIPS

GADGET REVIEW

GADGET REVIEW.indd 2 02/12/2014 12:47

59

A couple of useful techniques from Martin Dilly

1) SPRING WINDERSThere’s often a need for a tension or compression spring, for example to move an auto-rudder; making them is a lot easier than trying to fi nd the right sort and then paying for it. A square Z-shaped piece of piano wire or knitting needle of the right diameter is bent as shown in the photo to form the core mandrel. Use a thin cut-off wheel or a silicon carbide separating disk to produce a notch in one end of this, wide enough to take the diameter of the spring wire and 2-4mm deep. Usual advice regarding safety specs applies, as a bit of fl ying disc in the eye is not really what you need. Fold a piece of alloy or steel sheet round the Z piece and squeeze it closed in a vice so as to form a partial tube for the Z piece to rotate in.In use clamp this in a vice so it can be turned. Bend a small angled hook in one end of the spring wire and locate this in the notch. Adjust so the wire is against the partial tube. Holding the wire tight, maybe with a pair of gloves, start to turn the handle and the spring will form. Holding the wire so the turns are touching will produce a tension spring, and feeding it to leave a gap will give you a compression spring. The fi nished item will spring to a slightly larger diameter than the mandrel.It’s worth producing this gadget in several different diameters. I have them from 2mm to 3.5mm.

2) GUSSET CUTTING JIGThis consists of a piece of Perspex, thickness immaterial, cut and sanded smooth and square to give a right angle at one end. Glue a strip of 1/16” square spruce at an angle to give the right shaped gusset; not all may need to be 45˚ ones, so make several jigs, say 45˚ and 60/30˚. In use, fi rst cut a length of balsa the right width for the gusset; remember the grain will need to be parallel to the hypotenuse. Lay the jig on the wood, make the fi rst cut and then slide the jig so the second cut gives a gusset of the right size. Repeat this cutting on alternate edges of the jig till you have enough gussets.

A takeaway FF fuel tank to prevent fl yaways, by Maris DislersA cheap FF fuel tank can made from a mini soy sauce bottle, as supplied with Asian takeaway meals (at least they are in Australia). It is a straightforward job to insert a piece of metal tubing at the head end, make a small fi ll hole at the tail, and to retain the tank with a thick rubber band around the model’s nose. See the photo for the DC Dart & tank which were cobbled onto my REP monoplane. (Always store the tank emptied of fuel and do not leave the converted soy bottle where it might be confused with food items – Editor).

GADGET REVIEW.indd 3 28/11/2014 09:41

IN SCALE CIRCLESBernard Seale looks at aspects of CL scale building and fl ying.


Control Line Scale

Crank that BellMy last article in AeroModeller 929 covered choosing which plan or kit to build your scale masterpiece from. What other decisions are there before you make a start? If you are building from a dedicated CL kit or plan, the bellcrank mounting method and position are already worked out for you, as is the centre of gravity (CG) position. If however you are converting an RC kit, building from an RC plan or even drawing up your own plans, then these items will need to be worked out.

Firstly you need to know where the CG is going to be. RC kits/plans will usually have this marked. If not marked or when building from my own plans I usually try to make it about 25% of the average wing chord. The bellcrank pivot point should be slightly behind the CG, say half an inch (12mm). This will partly ensure that the model will try to slightly pull out of the circle, thus keeping the lines tight, assuming of course that there is no engine thrust line or rudder offset into the circle. If it is in front of the CG there is the chance that the lines will slacken. A useful site for further CG information is www.f4bscale.co.uk set up by Mike Chapman, several times winner of CL Scale at the British National Championships.

There has long been debate about where the position of the bellcrank should be in a CL model. It has been suggested that it can be anywhere and that it is the position of the lead-out guide that is important. Mike Chapman has suggested that the bellcrank pivot should be as noted above and that the lead-out guide should be on a line at right

angles to the centre-line of the fuselage in plan view, taken from the rear lead-out position. This seems to work well enough for him, so who am I to argue. Some CL fl iers use a guide for each line, and I would suggest having a little rake back on the front line.

Bellcrank MountingOnce again, if building from a dedicated CL plan or kit, this is already sorted for you. However, if converting from an RC plan or kit, or building from your own drawings, some thought has to be given as to how the bellcrank is to be mounted. The plate on which the bellcrank is mounted should be good quality plywood, 3mm (1/8”) thick at least, and epoxied to strong fuselage longerons. Because of the forces pulling on the port side of the fuselage I usually add a 1.5mm (1/16”) reinforcing plywood plate doubler, or in the case of a curved fuselage I use two layers of 0.8mm (1/32”) plywood which can be curved to the shape of the fuselage side.

What Sort of Bellcrank?Most of the commercial available bellcranks, whether 3-line balanced systems or standard 2-line are of at least1.5mm (1/16”) aluminium. I have used up to 3mm (1/8”) thick on some of my larger models. My preferred choice these days is to use 3mm paxolin bellcranks with a ball race pressed into the pivot point to give smooth rotation, with 100mm between the lead-out positions. Because I use nylon-covered wire fi shing trace for lines, insulated for passing electric power/

signals down the lines, any wear or break down of the insulation will not be affected by the non-conductive paxolin. I must add that I no longer use 3-line systems for throttle control, now relying on converted servo testers or multi-channel systems for extra functions. There is at present discussion with the BMFA Scale Technical Committee about whether 2.4 GHz radio equipment can be used to operate functions other than elevator control in CL models.

Improving Scale Participation - My Own OpinionCertain classes of aeromodelling competition have seen a reduction in the number of entries over the years and some have closed down completely. Now, I do not believe the philosophy that we cannot have competition in schools because we would have ‘losers’ holds water. Life is a competition! You only have to look at the GB successes in various sports over the last few years to see how the dedication of competitors and the organisations behind them with suitable funding can bring results – and this includes some classes in aeromodelling.

Aeromodelling was for me, and probably for most of us, a hobby to enjoy without the pressures of competition – but then again, where competition exists there are

Ronnie Tribe’s Lockheed S3 Viking on its maiden fl ight at Damyn’s Hall Airfi eld. Andy Housden photo.

IN SCALE CIRCLES

The Paxolin bellcrank that I use, with pressed in ball bearing for

smooth operation.

IN SCALE CIRCLES.indd 2 28/11/2014 09:43

61

IN SCALE CIRCLES

some of us that have to push that little bit harder and get involved; so it happened to me. The trouble is, competition breeds developments and complications designed to improve performance, and some of us fi nd that we cannot keep up with these advances and therefore fall by the wayside as far as competition entries are concerned. This certainly happened with the original Carrier Deck class. It was not until Andy Housden introduced a much more basic class in the 1990’s, allowing profi le fuselages and banning tuned pipes and fl aps, that there was a real resurgence in interest which has continued over the years.

So as far as I am concerned, anything that makes CL Scale easier to get involved with for everyone is worth considering. What do you think?

Over to You – the ReadersOver the years this column has generated letters, photographs and news of models from some of you, for which I have been very grateful; only writing about my own models would bore you to tears. After the May/June issue of AeroModeller was published I received a letter, drawings and photographs from Alan Denham of Romford, Essex. Alan, now 82 years old, recounts his early modelling career, including some of the failures. Then he says,

“In the following years I ’progressed’ through

all the aspects of aeromodelling but always gravitated back to control-line, in fact my fi rst CL model was a Phantom Mite powered by my fi rst engine, a Mills.75, back in 1947.

The model in the photos is my 32” span Junkers Ju EF 126 Jabo, scratch built from a 3-view I found in a library book, which I laboriously traced (I wasn’t into mutilating library books to retain information). The scale of the model was dictated by the size of the BMS pulse jet (which I got from the USA) which turned out to be 1/8th the size of the Argus pulse jet (V1fl ying bomb motor, which was to power the Jabo) so that set the scale of the model.

It was completed about 17 years ago but never fl own – to be perfectly honest I chickened out after remembering (and still shuddering at) a ‘white knuckle’ experience I had with a second-hand Red-head Dynajet in a Joe Fallow design back in1952 when I was stationed at RAF Tangmere. It will probably seem perverse to build a model that you will be nervous about fl ying, but you know how it is; you get a fi xation on a particular aircraft and just have to build a model of it! It now resides as an interesting ‘ornament’.”

For various health reasons Alan is now an armchair modeller, but also occupies himself with refurbishment of his models and keeping his engines in good order, and of course still reads AeroModeller magazine. Alan sent me some small drawings and copies of his research, and I would be happy to copy and supply them upon receipt of an A4 SAE.

CL Scale EventsThere have been several CL Scale meetings over 2014, usually combined with CL Carrier Deck competitions. For now I’ll look back to the start of the season; on April 13th an early meeting took place at Damyn’s Hall Airfi eld, near Upminster in Essex, courtesy of the COSMO aeromodelling club.

With the relatively small number of scale models present the event was more of a fl y-in rather than an out and out competition. As ever, brothers Peter and Ronnie Tribe had brought along several interesting models. Ronnie had a Messerschmitt Me 262, EDF powered, which always fl ies well. Ronnie also had a new model, not yet painted and with the large cockpit area covered for protection, which he wanted to test fl y before applying the fi nal fi nish. This is a Lockheed S3 Viking, another twin EDF powered model. The test fl ight did indeed prove that this is a viable model. Peter fl ew his clipped-wing Piper Cub to good effect in the scale circle, before moving over to the Carrier circle.

FinallyIf you have any questions or you wish to make a contribution to the topic of CL Scale, you can get in touch with me at 42, Tower Street, Heathfi eld, East Sussex, TN21 8PB, telephone 01435-863856 or 07749-044508 (mobile), email [email protected] ●

Ronnie Tribe’s EDF powered Lockheed S3 Viking, still to be fi nished after its maiden fl ight at Damyn’s Hall Airfi eld. Andy Housden photo.

Peter Tribe’s Piper Cub in fl ight at Damyn’s Hall Airfi eld. Andy Housden photo.

Alan Denham’s pulse jet powered Junkers Ju EF 126 Jabo. Alan Denham photos.

IN SCALE CIRCLES.indd 3 02/12/2014 12:48

OLD WARDEN HAT TRICK FOR 2014!

Could the Festival of Flight on 27-28th September match the earlier 2014 Shuttleworth Collection events? Report by Andrew Boddington with help from Andy Brough and Wes Denton.


Event report

TTThe Old Warden Aerodrome is not the largest of sites for Free Flight fl ying, so the weather has an undue effect on the success of events there. This was the fi nal ModelAir event of 2014 and the

weather gods smiled again making it three in a row for great weekends of model fl ying. As the name suggests the Festival of Flight covers a diversity of FF, CL and RC fl ying activities, and is well supported by the model retail trade; you would have to visit both the FF and Power British Nationals to see a range of fl ying that included Combat, CL Speed, CL Aerobatics, Vintage Rubber and Scale. Low key competitive events took place all weekend, with the life and designs of Vic Smeed being celebrated on the Sunday. More intense rivalry

Another of the marvellous small scale models by Peter Iliffe. This is his OD electric Fokker D7.

Previously Ivan Taylor had always fl own his FW190 model without landing gear, but this was losing him marks during static judging. He decided to try with UC, but trim and aerodynamic changes meant that it was not turning, and the ‘magnetic’ Old Warden trees did their usual job!

p62-64 OLD WARDEN.indd 2 28/11/2014 09:52

63

OLD WARDEN HAT TRICK FOR 2014!

Belair Kits had their wide range of laser cut kits on show. Leon Cole is shown with the enlarged to 60” span Vic Smeed Popsie.

Steve Wackett was the winner of the Keil Trophy, seen here with his son also called Steve and their Madcap.

Above: Andrew Housden kindly donated the Mills Trophy for models powered by original Mills engines. From the Left: David Finch with Veron Stunter, Andrew Housden, Roger Dexter with MA Austerity, and Jack Law with his Ion.Andrew Bird with father Peter were having

loads of fun with a £5.99 RTF foam F18 from Tooley’s, with a Rapier motor on top – this quick conversion fl ew very well, with metallised sticky-tape to protect the foam. It may not be a scale engine position but helps to give a better thrust line and prevents hand burning.

Above and below: Electric Control Line Tempest of John Philips has 2.4Ghz radio for engine control and variable rudder offset depending on speed. This was originally an RC design that John has converted to CL.

Above: This Piaggio C.7 Italian Schneider Trophy design was being fl own by Malcolm Allen. The original had hydroplanes instead of fl oats, a waterscrew provide initial propulsion and the airscrew was only engaged once the racer was planing on the water. The model looks delightful, but the hydroplanes have a tendency to break off.

Left: Brian Jenkins (right), winner of the SC Spot Landing Competition, is presented with the Vic Smeed Memorial Trophy by Doug Wass. (Photo Jane Denton)

Bruce Dobson with his Vintage Combat models. This is Bruce’s fi rst season back in Combat after 37 years away. He was thoroughly enjoying the nostalgia and the return to competition fl ying.

Far left: Ron Johnson was back again with his SAAB EDF. Having successfully fl own it at the previous Old Warden he is now completing the markings.

p62-64 OLD WARDEN.indd 3 28/11/2014 09:52


could be found on the Sunday in the corner of the fi eld, with a good turnout for the Vintage Combat. A single-channel spot-landing competition was organised by SAM 35 for Vic Smeed’s models. Interest is increasing for this event; there were 15 entries this time and an audience. The winner was Brian Jenkins fl ying a Mills 0.75 powered Tomboy, landing 5.4 metres from the spot and winning an AeroModeller subscription donated by ADH Publishing. Second was Kenny Hurst fl ying an MP Jet powered Tomboy, 6.4 metres from the spot. In the spirit of the old AeroModeller days at Old Warden, SAM 35 presented a trophy for the model that best exemplifi es the character of the meetings held there. Of course the chosen model is only what takes the judge’s fancy, and this year it fell to Andy Brough to select the winner of the Eddie Keil Trophy. This went to a FF Vic Smeed Madcap being fl own endlessly through the afternoon in lazy circles. Steve Wackett had built the model some time ago and fi tted

his old ED Bee Mk1, and the Madcap was launched by his son also called Steve.There was also the competition for the Mills Trophy presented and judged by Andrew Housden. This was a concours event for models powered by original UK Mills. Roger Dextor was the winner with his Model Aircraft published Austerity FF duration model (MA50), designed by John Chinn. The engine was an original Mills 1.3 Mk1 that Roger received as a birthday present when he was 14 in 1946. His father ordered it from the Model Shop in Southampton Row, Holborn in London for £5 5s 6d. He also has the original Mills propeller which has probably survived because it is so ineffi cient! Second place went to David Finch with his Veron Stunter, an all sheet biplane (a bit of a misnomer as it doesn’t really stunt!) with Mills 1.3 Mk1. Third was Jack Law and his Performance Kits Ion with a Mills 75. Next year Andrew Housden is considering running a similar event for Frog powered models. An authenticity concours competition

was an interesting innovation for models of the Keil Kraft Phantom Mite. Static marks were given for accuracy against the late 1940’s kit plan, marks being given for original style of spinner, wooden wheels etc. and this was followed by further marks for fl ying. The judges were a very dapper Brian Lever and David Kinsella, with a new in box Rivers Silver Arrow with Sir Stirling Moss autograph, and a Trafalgar book as the prizes. Tony Johnson and Colin Shepherd tied for fi rst place. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Old Warden, meeting friends old and new, and even fi nding time to fl y a couple of Vic’s designs. Make sure you put 2015’s Old Warden dates in your diary and get building your Ebenezer www.modelair.info:

16-17 May Mayfl y, including Ron Moulton and Ebenezer Fun-Fly25-26 July Scale Weekend26-27 September Festival of Flight ●

Event report

Ali Machinchy was selling some of the excess vintage kits from his huge collection, but still found time to fl y his FF Carina (biplane Cardinal).

Matt Cordwell had a different approach to Electric Motor control - digital signals from a servo controller in the handle are sent down the insulated lines. Currently just throttle control but Matt is planning to have other scale functions such as bomb drop and fl aps. His current model is a semiscale F18 constructed from Correx.

Winners and Judges of the Phantom Mite Authenticity competition. From the left, Tony Johnson, Brian Lever, David Kinsella and Colin Shepherd.

Ivan Taylor’s FW190.The display area with Vic Smeed designs in the foreground, with Mills Trophy entrants behind.

p62-64 OLD WARDEN.indd 4 28/11/2014 09:52

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Yes, The Festival of Flight at Old Warden was once again wonderful. I’ve no idea who has infl uence and with which god, but once again the weather was absolutely outstanding as

was the fl ying, the company and everything else.It was great to see the legendary camaraderie of

the Control Liners and Free Flighters’ mirrored on the RC fl ight line as well; an example being Ali Machinchy junior spending a considerable time helping another modeller who was having diffi culties with his vintage job.

The Machinchy family were out in force with Dad selling off loads of his personal collection of vintage kits in the trade area (duplicates I’m sure) and Ali junior’s son Zavier showing his skills on the RC fl ight line. Not to be outdone, 10 year old Rory Tooley was out demonstrating his skills on an almost identical Hangar 9 Extra and a multicopter. Great to see these youngsters getting into model fl ying – now how do we coax them into the building side as well?

Control Line Sans Frontiers I wasn’t going to mention SBMAC in this edition as you might get fed up with hearing about them (if you are, please send me tales of your club in the “good old days”). But when a club mate is on the podium at the ‘Wings of Portugal’ International you can’t ignore it. So, congratulations to John Mealing on third place in Vintage Speed at the recent event in Santarém.

Elsewhere in Europe, “Paul in France” is building traditional models down in the sunny south. I was particularly taken with his Apache combat model which is a refreshing change from the Supermongers, Squigs and the like seen on our fl ying fi elds being roughly traditional “aeroplane” shaped! I see that it is also a multi-national project built by a Brit in France to an Italian plan and powered by a good old PAW. When I saw the photographs of the fi nished model and asked why he had the engine “the wrong way round” he pointed out that placing it in the normal position with the cylinder head “to the outside of the circle” would need a longer nose to allow for the fuel pipe to exit the tank. The model already carried a substantial tail weight. As it fl ies very well who am I to argue with that?

Still, my question stirred Paul’s grey cells and

he tells me he has fi tted a shorter tank and the motor is now in the “normal” orientation.

Tail End Charlie – Double Trouble!Many of you will know that there are just two Lancasters fl ying in the world today and that the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum (CWHM) fl ew their prized Avro Lancaster across the Atlantic to the UK for a month long visit last summer; a brave and generous gesture. The Canadian aircraft is called “The Mynarski Memorial Lancaster” in memory of Andrew Mynarski VC but was generally referred to as “VERA” whilst in the UK because of her “VRA” squadron letters. Andrew Mynarski was awarded the Victoria Cross for a valiant attempt to save his “tail end Charlie’s” life when their Lancaster was shot down in fl ames by a Junkers 88. Here is a brief account -

“As Mynarski approached the rear escape door, he saw through the inferno in the rear, that tail gunner Pilot Offi cer Pat Brophy was trapped in his turret. The tail turret had been jammed part way through its rotation to the escape position.

Without hesitation, Mynarski made his way through the fl ames to Brophy’s assistance. All his efforts were in vain, initially using a fi re axe to try to pry open the doors before fi nally resorting to beating at the turret with his hands. With Mynarski’s fl ight suit and parachute on fi re, Brophy eventually waved him away. Mynarski crawled back through the hydraulic fi re, returned to the rear door where he paused and saluted. He then reputedly said “Good night, sir,” his familiar nightly sign-off to his friend, and jumped.

He later died of his burns. Miraculously Brophy, the rear gunner survived the fi re and subsequent crash so was able to report his colleagues heroic and tragic deed.”

Thanks to Lisa Harding who became something of a Lancaster “Groupie” spending her summer stalking the Lancaster pair across the UK we have both aircraft in formation showing off their tail turrets as our footer this month! Lisa produces some pretty good aviation pictures for sale as well – See http://www.printsforartssake.com/lisa-harding-t287

That’s it for this month; please send your observations, anecdotes, stories, questions and complaints to [email protected] or by snail mail via the Editor. ●

Tail End CharlieAn Exceptional 2014 -Can 2015 possibly be any better?

By Chris Ottewell

Rory Tooley Prepares for Action

YYYYwas the fl ying, the company and everything else.Ywas the fl ying, the company and everything else.

It was great to see the legendary camaraderie of YIt was great to see the legendary camaraderie of the Control Liners and Free Flighters’ mirrored Ythe Control Liners and Free Flighters’ mirrored on the RC fl ight line as well; an example being Yon the RC fl ight line as well; an example being Ali Machinchy junior spending a considerable YAli Machinchy junior spending a considerable time helping another modeller who was having Ytime helping another modeller who was having diffi culties with his vintage job.Ydiffi culties with his vintage job.

Vintage Speed Podium in Portugal: Ist Salvi Angelloni (Italy), 2nd Paul Gibeault (Canada) 3rd John Mealing ( UK).

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KismetA classic style control line aerobatic model from Australia featuring coupled fl aps and elevator controls. Graceful semi-elliptical wing shape enhances elegant appearance. 50” (1278mm) span model requires .46-.50 size motor. First Appeared in: AMI - March 1996.

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Untitled-2 1 27/03/2014 12:00

Aero.modeller January.2015

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Transcript of Aero.modeller January.2015