Projects

P51 Retract Mod

Details: Published: Saturday, 19 October 2013 18:16; Written by Phil Ford; Hits: 6467

Modifying the P51 Mustang's Retracts. The plethoria of foamies on the market now out number the tradtional balsa ply and many come RTF (ready to fly) or ARF (almost ready to fly) Generally all the components are pre-fitted and all the user needs to supply are a receiver and battery power.

How do they sell them so cheap? By using cheap components, servos, ESC, etc, etc. Also depends on the importer requesting changes to the components, Century UK do. I believe that these large EPO warbirds are made by Starmax and branded to the contract purchaser.

But can we improve them? Of course, but may vary in expense to get the job done right. . For the foamies with due respect, modern blow moulding methods mean models can be produced with excellent scale characteristics and in vast quantities.

GP Piper Cherokee

Details: Published: Friday, 10 May 2013 07:30; Written by Phil Ford; Hits: 4852

Whilst collecting some bits from my local model shop I espied this model hanging from the ceiling. It was a Piper Cherokee, built from unknown kit at the time and very well finished. It needed an engine, servos and electronics. It was a good price so I took it on. Had a really good look at the model and thought, yes, nicely built, shame that whoever built it didn't bother with adding some flaps.

Flair SE5a

Details: Published: Thursday, 13 September 2012 07:14; Written by Phil Coupe; Hits: 10381

I bought the Flair SE 5a kit in October 2000, just before joining Northampton MAC. This is, as thousands know, a great kit. Everything fits (apart from the dihedral braces, which are at the wrong angle and far too small).

The airframe was straightforward, though longwinded. There are, as with all biplanes, too many wings. There are 63 bits of wood in the top wing centre section alone. The construction uses standard Flair techniques: cappings over the wing ribs, hollow trailing edges from two pieces of 1/16, then fill between the ribs. Good instructions and well detailed plans.

Me109e

Details: Published: Monday, 12 September 2011 16:21; Written by Phil Ford; Hits: 10791

The Messerschmitt Bf 109 (aka Me 109) was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid 1930s. It was one of the first true modern fighters of the era, including such features as an all-metal monocoque construction, a closed canopy, a retractable landing gear, and was powered by liquid-cooled, inverted-V12 aero engines.

Projects

P51 Retract Mod

GP Piper Cherokee

Flair SE5a

Me109e

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