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old timers look here must be 50+ years only

Old 11-15-2015, 09:35 AM
  #1926  
donnyman
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Ok guys

The scratch building side of this hobby as far as I am concerned is the best part of it.

I get to create something of my own in a way that is unique. as far as the cost, well that can be minimized by purchasing many items at swapmeets and from other modelers, the money is going to be spent one way or the other, beer, cigarettes, women, an so on. This is one of several boxes of balsa purchased at a swapmeet for me by a person oweing me for a repair job, and it sits close to my scrap box from which most of the balsa used to build the model in my last post. came from. The cost of hobbyshop balsa would really put a strain on my building budget, but not shut it down.

Communication helps Too by letting others know your needs, what someone considers junk maybe just the treasure you have been looking for. I don't think I could stay in this hobby relying on arf's.

There is only one way to avoid crashing models..................don't fly em...crashes give me the chance to build.
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Old 11-15-2015, 09:58 AM
  #1927  
donnyman
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Shaun the sheep

May I suggest,.........minimize the potential of crashing by getting a good trainer plane like the Sig kadet, or the like. only use full power to takeoff, otherwise do not exceed 75% power............with some instruction if available the bird can last for years. A scratch build/kit is usually easier to repair when needs arise than a ARF.
Old 11-15-2015, 12:56 PM
  #1928  
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Hi gents. I realize mishaps are to be expected but developing the co-ordination required for 4 channel flight this late in life is not coming easily, as most older fliers have been flying for many years and time honed skills are often taken for granted. If I take out 2 models and, flying and landing them sedately (both foam type trainers,1400 span)
I can now expect to bring them home in one piece and still reasonably airworthy. If I do do them some harm then it is not the end of the world as they are rather patched up anyway. I take the point about keeping material costs down etc and would like to build planes again sometime but not until I am satisfied that I have enough experience and confidence.
I see Hobbyking being lambasted (and defended to some degree) on another thread on here but to be honest, I have had around 44 transactions with them, including half a dozen planes and haven't really had any serious problems, though I might just be lucky. Considering my steep learning curve (and I do use a simulator) it would have cost me a lot more money to get to even this stage had it not been for the low prices of Hobbyking products.--Wullie.

Last edited by shaun the sheep; 11-15-2015 at 02:32 PM.
Old 11-15-2015, 01:21 PM
  #1929  
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Hello Wullie and welcome. There's nothing wrong with Hobby King AFAIK. I've had a few transactions with them with our local USA stores, and so far they have come through.

As with any vendor, sometimes problems occur. I had a minor one, ordered from their USA store and a software glitch (guess their programmers were making software improvements ) caused billing to go through their China store not US and would not accept PayPal. I cancelled, now it would allow me to pay through PayPal. a couple dollar charge appeared on my PayPal for China bank charges. I contacted them through their customer services E-mail, and they remediated with a credit to my account. Now mind you, this would apply to a future order, but combined with credits, my next order will be reduced $5, so for such small amount I felt this acceptable.

I've saved a lot of money through them, and their "Chinakote" covering is easy to work with and does a reasonable covering job, doesn't go slack and stay slack under the sun like some of the brand name coverings. At a fraction of the cost, bought extra colors so thus I am a happy camper at 5 meters versus 2 at less than half the cost.

Learning curve steep? Back in 1973, I crashed my single channel 27 inch (685 mm) Top Flite Schoolboy with Cox .020 Pee Wee and Ace Pulse Commander system many times. Then we didn't have simulators, and without throttle control, it was stay in the air until time to dead stick down. I learned how to moderate rudder to keep it in the air. (Use more rudder, drops nose, picks up speed, neutralize, hit rudder for S-turn and it slowed down and started climbing again.) To handle winds, shimmed the wing to reduce positive incidence so it wouldn't climb as fast. After the Schoolboy was beyond repair, I moved on to other rudder only aircraft with better results.
Old 11-15-2015, 02:44 PM
  #1930  
shaun the sheep
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Originally Posted by GallopingGhostler
Hello Wullie and welcome. There's nothing wrong with Hobby King AFAIK. I've had a few transactions with them with our local USA stores, and so far they have come through.

As with any vendor, sometimes problems occur. I had a minor one, ordered from their USA store and a software glitch (guess their programmers were making software improvements ) caused billing to go through their China store not US and would not accept PayPal. I cancelled, now it would allow me to pay through PayPal. a couple dollar charge appeared on my PayPal for China bank charges. I contacted them through their customer services E-mail, and they remediated with a credit to my account. Now mind you, this would apply to a future order, but combined with credits, my next order will be reduced $5, so for such small amount I felt this acceptable.

I've saved a lot of money through them, and their "Chinakote" covering is easy to work with and does a reasonable covering job, doesn't go slack and stay slack under the sun like some of the brand name coverings. At a fraction of the cost, bought extra colors so thus I am a happy camper at 5 meters versus 2 at less than half the cost.

Learning curve steep? Back in 1973, I crashed my single channel 27 inch (685 mm) Top Flite Schoolboy with Cox .020 Pee Wee and Ace Pulse Commander system many times. Then we didn't have simulators, and without throttle control, it was stay in the air until time to dead stick down. I learned how to moderate rudder to keep it in the air. (Use more rudder, drops nose, picks up speed, neutralize, hit rudder for S-turn and it slowed down and started climbing again.) To handle winds, shimmed the wing to reduce positive incidence so it wouldn't climb as fast. After the Schoolboy was beyond repair, I moved on to other rudder only aircraft with better results.
Hi GG. I wouldn't know how to begin to fly using only one channel, must have been interesting to say the least.
Nice to see someone else with something good to say about HK,--Wullie.
Old 11-15-2015, 07:41 PM
  #1931  
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Hay Wullie

You haven't lived until you have flown a Single channel with just a pulse button and rubber powered excapement ware depending how you set it up 1pluse was right, 2 was down, 3 was left, and 4 was up, so you had to have a lot of free flight savvy and trim experience. The ace commander was a real boon and the first bat, powered excapements GG is right about the nose dropping etc.

Then to make things difficult if you happened to fly close to a hi traffic R/R line there com's radios were also on 27 mH and you did not have a clue when they would hit you.

Just to add a bit of triva

Hi to all.

Cheers Bob T
Old 11-16-2015, 06:33 AM
  #1932  
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You guys got it wrong you don't crash you are merely making space available in the hanger. My wife never asks me what something costs and doesn't want to know. I trade a lot and always pay cash out of my discretionary fund. She know the fund exists but never asks what's in it and might ask to borrow some once a year. She does point out I should consider selling something when I run out of storage space and want to build a new airplane. She ignores the stuff I stash under the beds and in the spare bedroom closet as long as I keep it neat.

My R/C budget just dropped over the weekend and retirement looks like it won't get any closer for a while. Wife's car reach the point of no return it was going to cost more to fix it then it was worth. Momma got a newer car Saturday and I got the payments. Still she had a 20year old car with 171K on it and that she drove for 9 years so I can't complain. I bought her 2012 Certified Pre-owned (comes with a warranty that way) with 21K on it. At the rate she racks up mileage she won't need another until she's 79. Should let me off the hook for Christmas, anniversaries, and birthdays for a few years.
Old 11-16-2015, 08:34 AM
  #1933  
donnyman
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Shaun

Good luck! Keep practicing, I only wish I could let you fly my trainer and assist you in your piloting skills. That would be a lot of fun.

I keep a trainer to knock the rust from my thumbs as I do not do a lot of flying.
Old 11-23-2015, 04:53 AM
  #1934  
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Good Day Gentlemen!

It's been a fair time since I last posted but a lot has happened in my life recently.

Having retired to rural France in June, I met a charming and very slim French lady, a real size 8, two years my junior, I'm sixty-seven and we fell in love! It's a powerful feeling at any stage of one's life but at sixty-seven it's even more intense because you may not get the chance again! I had given myself a year to find and buy a house and then perhaps to find someone to share it with, and suddenly I had it all without having to spend a penny! We talked about buying the house next door so that I could store my models, motor cycles and classic cars. However, after a very intense couple of months it all went pear shaped. Good job I didn't shell out any serious money but I did buy her some miniscule underwear which cost me hundreds! Good job too that I kept on the lease of the house I'm renting! Mind you, it was nice to be "Mon Couer" (My Heart) if only for a few months.

I don't know whether all of this has affected my flying but I only crashed one model in the whole of 2014, I've crashed four this year! A Foam-E WOT 4 through lack of routine maintenance; an Acrowot Foam and a Super Sixty through flying across the disc of the sun, getting disorientated and putting in the wrong signals and a Chris Olsen Uproar which has never been that stable. I suspect incidence problems. American modellers may google the names to see what these British models look like! My "copains" at the club have urged me to repair the Uproar's wing and they will help with the incidences.

However, as part of my self-imposed therapy, I've started to make a model of the first radio controlled aircraft I ever built.This was in 1980 or 1981 when I'd bought my first house and was going to lots of auctions to buy furniture. I discovered a St Leonard's Models "Gemini" in amongst all of the tables and chairs. It's a 49" (1.25 metre) wingspan originally designed for a small glow engine but I'm using the bits from the elctric foamies to power it. This is as far as I've got. The building of the wings will have to wait until a bulk order of wood arrives from England.I may build two sets of wings, one with the original dihedral the other with a flat wing.




BTW I've also been assembling an ARTF Chris Foss Acrowot. It's a very popular aerobatic sports model; most people use a 70 fourstroke in them but I've had much more fun building the little Gemini!
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Old 11-23-2015, 05:36 AM
  #1935  
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Originally Posted by Joe Fisher
When you get to be like us, we love to build. It is hard to see how these people can be satisfied with ARFs. If you didn't build it its not really yours.
My sentiments exactly.
Old 11-23-2015, 07:51 AM
  #1936  
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Originally Posted by Telemaster Sales UK
Good Day Gentlemen! It's been a fair time since I last posted but a lot has happened in my life recently. Having retired to rural France in June, I met a charming and very slim French lady [...] after a very intense couple of months it all went pear shaped. [...] However, as part of my self-imposed therapy, I've started to make a model of the first radio controlled aircraft I ever built. [...] 1980 or 1981 [...] St Leonard's Models "Gemini" in amongst all of the tables and chairs. It's a 49" (1.25 metre) wingspan originally designed for a small glow engine but I'm using the bits from the elctric foamies to power it. [...] BTW I've also been assembling an ARTF Chris Foss Acrowot. It's a very popular aerobatic sports model; most people use a 70 fourstroke in them but I've had much more fun building the little Gemini!
After a brief recess, good to hear from you, Telemaster. You had us all wondering how you were doing with your move and resettling. Sorry to hear the relationship didn't work, but then sounds it worked out for best. Your Gemini build looks like it is really coming along, looks good.
Old 11-23-2015, 08:32 AM
  #1937  
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Good to here from you Telemaster! I don't need to google British models I am very familiar with them and have been on RCMF off and on for some time. I love the WOT 4 its a good sturdy platform and a great flier!

Mike
Old 11-23-2015, 08:35 AM
  #1938  
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Well lone quad/drone goobers aren't the only ones with questionable flying judgements:

http://thegrizzled.com/what-is-this-...r-pilot-up-to/
Old 11-23-2015, 09:32 AM
  #1939  
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Originally Posted by FlyerInOKC
Well lone quad/drone goobers aren't the only ones with questionable flying judgements: http://thegrizzled.com/what-is-this-...r-pilot-up-to/
That's an airfield in UK and I would say it is the people in question. They are loitering at the approach, just a short distance to the end of an active runway.
Old 11-24-2015, 12:26 PM
  #1940  
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If I were to be honest I would say I`m not completely satisfied with 'assembling' and flying ARTF's but it is a quick way of enjoying the hobby. ! spent many hours in my very early teens (with a hard backed razorblade) building free-flight models and pre-cuts were not as common so everything was cut from printed sheet on many doped tissue covered planes and gliders therefore one with die-cut parts was a luxury. The quickest builds utilised coloured pre-cut sheeting for all parts, wings, tail, fuselage sides etc. However these came on the scene a bit later ( in my local model shop anyway) and were more expensive. As I said in an earlier post that if you have extensive flying skills then you don't expect crashing to be the usual turn of events.So it will be natural to build with the knowledge that all of the care and hard work you have put in to a model will not be reduced to a pile of sticks during or just after take off.--Wullie.
Old 12-02-2015, 07:15 AM
  #1941  
donnyman
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Hello!

Thought I'd drop by to say Happy Holidays to one and all!

Here lately I have been trying to select a good medical insurance policy for my wife and I but it is looking like we will remain with what we have. other than that I have been really just lounging around and watching video's of the "son's of Anarchy" crummy weather has kept me indoors.

Again I pray all will have a Very HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON !


Old 12-02-2015, 08:27 AM
  #1942  
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Merry Christmas Donny!

Mike
Old 12-02-2015, 09:58 AM
  #1943  
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Hey Donny! Did you realise that this thread is a year old today and look how many posts have been put up?

Funny Story for you:

Having crashed both the Acrowot Foam and the WOT 4 Foam-E earlier in the summer, I was left with two serviceable motors, batteries, speed controllers and a number of little servos. "I know," thinks I, "I'll build another version of the first r/c model I ever built, the St Leonard's Models "Gemini," which I built in the late 1980s." This was a 49" trainer to which I fitted an Irvine 21 glow engine. It looks a bit like a Cessna but with a parallel wing planform and it proved to be too fast for me but I'm not a novice anymore so I should be able to manage an electrified Gemini.

Now there's a man in England called Tim Calvert who runs a business called Model Markings.I thought that the model would look nice with "Gemini" in vinyl letters on the fueslage side and on one of the wings. I sent Tim an order for three vinyl signs. These were duly cut out and sent to me.

Having retired to rural France, I live in a village, Loudouiex St Pierre, LSP for short, which is the centre of a Commune.The Commune of Loudouiex St Pierre consists of 75 other villages or hamlets including the principal village itself. Being the principal village, LSP boast an infants' school and kindergarten, a church, a mairie, which is the local administrative centre supervised by the mayor, ("maire" in French) a public toilet, a cafe-bar which is for sale if you want to buy it, and ... and this is important, ... a post office. All of these are in or close to La Place De L'Eglise or The Church Square. So is my house. If you wanted to, you could easily throw a stone and hit the post office from my front gate. My house used to be a "presbytere," a house where the priest lived, but that is not its official address.

There is another village in the commune known as La Foret Du Temple 8 kms or 5 miles away. The Knights Templar had a monastery there years ago. In that village is another old presbytere; this house is known as L'Ancienne Presbytere! Guess what! The lady who lives there is also called Davis, so the French Post Office sent my packet to her, not that there was any reference to presbyteres on the label! The bizarre thing is that I had met this lady on a few occasions in the past but neither of us knew we shared the same surname! On 16th November she returned my packet to the post office in LSP! I found out that they'd sent the packet to the wrong address a week later. I made some enquiries at my local post office but the packet had disappeared! They don't make the same mistake with my electricity bills or speeding fines!

At about the same time I ordered over £200 ($300 US) worth of wood from SLEC in England but omitted to order four strips of 1/2" x 1/16" spruce, so I can't even finish the model now! Ah but that was my fault! Fortunately a clubmate is ordering some wood from a French source so I've added my bit to his order.

This is as far as I've got with the Gemini.
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Old 12-02-2015, 10:26 AM
  #1944  
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So what happened to your vinyl?
Old 12-02-2015, 12:38 PM
  #1945  
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Originally Posted by FlyerInOKC
So what happened to your vinyl?
That I would like to know. My French isn't quite good enough to argue the toss! Some say it's at Bonnat, others say that it's been sent back to England. We will see. By contrast my £200 worth of wood arrived chez moi in less than 72 hours!
Old 12-02-2015, 12:58 PM
  #1946  
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Well at least you got the expensive stuff!
Old 12-02-2015, 03:09 PM
  #1947  
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Mery christmast to you & yours from st louis mo. If you find a good health care insurance let me know. & a better part d perscription drug insurance. We have humana but they rais the price every year,
i have a sig seniorita that is 9 years old. Every one & thier brother has flown it & i have traines about 60 guys & gals how to fly with it.
The seniorita is a good one too,
my best gal pilot learned to loop the first time she tried it. Could not stop her looping, we call her looping loiee!.
And a happy new year and good flying in 2016. I turn 87 dec 8 2015 & am building a dynaflite super decathlon. Kit & instruction book needs a lot of upgrading but the plane is a good flyer.
I hope to add smoke but i'll have to sell some of my nib engines & kits first.
I enjoy reading your post. Trainermaster80 frankie
Old 12-02-2015, 05:35 PM
  #1948  
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Frankie Happy Birthday

To All Mary Christmas and Happy New Year


Cheers Bob T
Old 12-02-2015, 09:31 PM
  #1949  
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Originally Posted by rt3232
Frankie Happy Birthday

To All Mary Christmas and Happy New Year


Cheers Bob T
Yo! From me too - Happy Birthday Frankie!!

To all, from the Shenandoah Valley - Merry Christmas (or whatever it is that all y'all celebrate) and Happy New Year!!!!!!!
Old 12-03-2015, 05:47 AM
  #1950  
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Originally Posted by trainermaster80
If you find a good health care insurance let me know. & a better part d perscription drug insurance. We have humana but they rais the price every year.
Merry Christmas you old RCU reprobates from the cultural capital of the universe Oklahoma! (Hoyt Axton doesn't lie)

Frankie, I would like to see a medical insurance that doesn't go up every year! I haven't seen one yet!

Mike

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