Flying Models

Stirling looks really nice :eagerness:

At last the Fox Moth comes out in print – October issue of QEFI.
1:5 scale at 73″ span and AUW of under 6 pounds and a wing loading of 9.5 ounces/sq.ft.

Somewhat heavier and larger (but half the scale) the Stirling has now flown three times… with undercarriage repairs each time! Here are a few shots by way of proof of flight…

As a sort of relaxation project after the Stirling – and just to try something a bit simpler (despite the wing folding and so on) – here’s something a little different.
I have installed a 3-axis stabilisation unit to help when flying in more blustery conditions. Brilliant gizmo!

Ah! I see it has been! That’s what happens when one arranges shortcuts direct from the browser… the target can be moved and you can still hit it!
The wonders of modern technology!

Another wonder is that the Short Stirling has now flown.
A partial record of the event is captured in this video…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4W9wntESP7U

Hope you enjoy it!

Now that there is a dedicated RC and models section wouldn’t it make sense to move this thread to the new area?

Okay, for Ben and others…

I have put a few photos out on other forums so only fair to post here too.
Close to first flight time now – in fact it would have happened already but for a stupid blunder in the workshop which resulted in the frying of the on-board radio system.

Since these photos I have added the gear doors but am awaiting supply of replacement parts at the moment.

Nothing is replacing the B-17. I’m not flying any more, having achieved everything I wanted to in the hobby, and I’ll only build now if it’s a customers project. With a Jeep and Dodge to play with, a Ford GPW to restore, and amateur astronomy all taking up my time, I’ve no time, money or interest in building R/C any more.

Here’s some photos from the B-17’s photo shoot after the dummy engines and props were completed. It will hopefully be heading to a museum shortly.

Thank you Haavalds. Nice to see the progress… but rivets? I haven’t the patience!

So one model approaches completion and another gets retired… and I’m STILL building the Stirling!

What is going to replace the B-17 Steve?

Here’s an idea of the size of the beast – it’s hard to get it all assembled in my workshop and still move about to work on it. Should have built a bigger workshop!
Tail section is 72″ long (from main spar back) and tailplane spans 47.5″.

Looks like it should be captioned ‘You should have seen the one that got away’!

My B-17 has been retired now, and I’m tidying it up for possible display in a museum. The main work has been to scratch build some dummy Wright Cyclone engines at 1/6 scale, enlarged from the 1/12 scale Monogram Cyclone kit.

The cylinders are all cast from resin in a silicone mould. A master pattern was made from half circles of styrene and other modelling materials. The crankcases are turned chipboard. Wiring and pushrods are all mains electrical cable.

haavalds, is your Lanc finished now?
It looked decidedly odd without its cockpit and turrets – and its escort would have had a hard time keeping up, but it had a good ‘sit’ in the air and looked very well-behaved.
Care to post a pic or two we could drool over?

My Stirling has got kind of ‘stuck’ about half way built as I have been struggling to get those Gouge flaps operating. Being electric and lightly built it would not be in the same speed category, but I am looking forward to sitting it next to a Lanc or a B-17 on the field. The Stirling is very much the forgotten bomber – which is why I chose it as a type. I prefer types that as few others as possible are flying.

getting there, only turrets missing now. Put on some 50000 rivets before painting.

Some more videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iavboS-dqnk

My Lanc and a B-17 🙂
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9n3KGokAmmU

On the end of this one you can see how slow she can fly
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gltDiHk78sg

I have close to 100 flights on her now and I don’t think that I will ever get tired of flying her 🙂

Unfortunately I can’t really put a lot about before the model design is published because my editor doesn’t like to see anything he is about to publish already in the public domain – and as I said it’s been a bit ‘stuck’ lately – for reasons non model related.
The wings are mostly done now and when assembled together making me wish I had built a larger workshop!
Just started building the plug-in nose section, which has the benefit of having no tricky aspects to it so that I can encourage myself with a bit more visible progress.

However, I did post videos on You Tube – really to show other future builders that even with my very meagre engineering skills (and equipment), that awful undercarriage is possible so they wouldn’t be put off building one themselves.
http://www.youtube.com/user/R0binF0wler?feature=watch

Thank you for your interest Ben. Maybe about this time next year….

Any pics of the Stirling ?
Sounds awesome 🙂

Ben

haavalds, is your Lanc finished now?
It looked decidedly odd without its cockpit and turrets – and its escort would have had a hard time keeping up, but it had a good ‘sit’ in the air and looked very well-behaved.
Care to post a pic or two we could drool over?

My Stirling has got kind of ‘stuck’ about half way built as I have been struggling to get those Gouge flaps operating. Being electric and lightly built it would not be in the same speed category, but I am looking forward to sitting it next to a Lanc or a B-17 on the field. The Stirling is very much the forgotten bomber – which is why I chose it as a type. I prefer types that as few others as possible are flying.

Hello everybody:) My name is Bjorn, live in Norway and are new on this forum My last project is a 1:9 scale Lancaster witch I maidened last august, video here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIXcGZ_Xwjs

The plane is flown in primed finish and I am in the prosess of finishing the painting now.

That’s good news! Sounds like you’ve made good progress since your ‘Sir Crashalot’ days! Keep having fun!

My Zenair 701 has now had a couple of good flights, but I have yet to get on top of the landings.
The Q6 is published as a plan (and part kit) in the May issue of RCMW.

I’m just starting out, got the Parkzone brushless P-51 & am having immense fun. 😀

Hi Daniel,

Small boys have been known to attempt to make that kind of model fly by the simple strategy of throwing them… but from personal experience I have to say that the flight achieved is not normally what one may call ‘realistic’ and some may quibble about the use of the word ‘flight’!

An interesting range of models though – and ones I was not aware of. Suitable for arranging on the desk as the starting point of dreams…

If you have aspirations to get involved with flying models you may be interested to know that if you have that sort of money available some models are now being sold ready to fly including radio for under £100.
How things have changed!

Unfortunately I haven’t done any flying models myself. But recently I found an amazing site where I’ve bought the most realistic airplane model online. I should say that I didn’t have any problems with shipping or payment.

Just PM’d you. I was involved in the final stages of the build, mainly rebuilding the engine after cylinder failures, engine set up, painting the nose art and ground crew during early test flights.

I can’t remember the exact prop size, but from memory, it’s around 26 inches diameter with a blade chord about 4 inches.

Did you make the 30% Skyraider for Ali ?

The canopy thread somewhere ?