Innehållsförteckning för February 2025 från RCM&E

Welcome to the February 2025 issue of RCM&E. In his ‘Kick The Tyres’ column in the last issue, Graham Ashby discussed airmanship when flying R/C model aircraft. One of the examples he gave was turning up at the club field on a perfect day and just not ‘feeling it’ and so not lying. I have seen this myself on many occasions, with my clubmates being happy to simply watch proceedings and not even assemble a model. I must admit to having let out a small ‘harrumph’ when reading that as preparing for a lying session, charging batteries and then transporting at least two models to a flying field takes quite a bit of e fort. So, I’m blowed if I’d miss out on the opportunity to fly having done all…

In the last part of this feature, I had finished the electric power conversion. Now I needed to get her looking pretty. As with most projects it’s the last 20% that always seems to take 80% of the time. RESEARCH If you look back to the first part of this series (Dec issue), I said that the Magister was not on my radar and that’s true. I didn’t really know much about Miles aircraft in general and to do this aircraft justice I needed to learn more. There are several books about the Miles Magister and an internet search also found a wealth of information and pictures. All of which was fantastic but to really understand your latest muse the best way is to see one in the flesh. Fortunately,…

For a new design I sometimes look online for inspiration. I had the idea to make a Self Launching Glider when I came across a glider called Stylus. It was a model from RCM magazine in the USA. The intention was not to hand launch but to shoot it with a bungee, so to reduce the model’s air resistance the fuselage was slimmed down and the profile was modified to AG35, which was also made slimmer. It still looked a little like the Stylus but with so many changes a new name called New Style was put in place. There are no ailerons on this model and only rudder and elevator are used to fly it. With all those changes it came out very well. It’s not a difficult model…

One of my workhorse chargers is the Overlander RC-S65 which is a forerunner of the RC-S100neo being reviewed here. The RC-S65 has provided sterling service over recent years and the only thing I can really find fault with it is that it is limited to charging up to 4S LiPo packs. This really covers the bulk of my packs so is not a huge problem but with recent forays into 5S and 6S powered models I welcomed the chance to test this new ‘neo’ unit from Overlander which can charge those extra couple of lithium cells. OUT OF THE BOX Gone are the days when chargers were supplied with a variety of charge leads. This one simply comes with an AC power cord and an instruction booklet. That’s no bad…

Anyone who knows me will know that my main interest is scale helicopters. So, when news broke of a new scale helicopter event I had to make space in my diary. This was the first scale helicopter event held at Prestbury Park Model Flying Club, so the level of attendance was uncertain. However, despite some questionable weather in the weeks running up to the event I can report that the conditions on the day could hardly have been better. Sunshine, light winds and no rain! A big thank you has to go to the club members involved in organising the event. Greg Fitzpatrick was the main man, but I know he had help from Martin Briggs and Andy Brooks, and he also received advice from the BMFA regarding event safety.…

The SE5a RAF Scout Experimental 5a of the Royal Aircraft Factory was one of the fastest and deadliest aircraft of WW1. However, this ‘Spitfire of the Great War’, as it is sometimes referred to, had its faults before it became a formidable fighter plane. The SE5 was designed by Henry Folland, John Kenworthy and Frank Goodden and was powered by a 150 hp V8 Hispano-Suiza engine. The first prototype made its maiden light on November 22nd, 1916, and so began its journey from a terrible aeroplane to an exceptional fighter aircraft. The first two prototypes were involved in crashes, with chief RAF test pilot Major F. W. Goodden losing his life on the 28th of January 1917. The SE5 entered service with No. 56 Sqn. RFC during April 1917. This…

LUCKY FUN FLY Designed to fit or just really lucky? I’ll let you decide! Yes, it does go in the car fully, with about 1/2” to spare. It’s a twin drone motor Class 1 fun fly model with a ‘lucky’ wingspan! Martin Wood FLYING BOAT HEAVEN Here’s some pictures of flying boat heaven at Longham one Saturday morning. The photos are by Phil Burton from the Christchurch Club using an iPhone 11. Amazing quality for a mobile phone. It shows the early morning light nicely, I think. The model is 100” span and based on the Ivan Pettigrew ‘Short Solent 480’ plan. It is 9 years old and has 140 flights - nearly 12 hours in the air. It only weighs 8 lbs and can fly very slowly; at around…

As a keen amateur photographer, I have been using a DJI Mini SE drone to supplement my camera collection. It is a very easy bit of kit to operate and I am always struck by the quality of the pictures and videos that it produces, especially when flown in strong winds that I probably wouldn’t want to fly a model aircraft in. The fact that it can take highly stabilised images whilst being bounced around in such strong breezes is truly amazing considering it is at the lower end of the DJI range. My version is the Fly More Combo, so called because it comes with three batteries to give you lots of flying and image taking time during a photography session. Just like flying an electric aeroplane, having just…

AMBISAGRUS When Bertrand Choupin decided to build his own high wing trainer as a Covid lockdown project he took a long look at the myriad of existing trainers to select a good looking one. He eventually settled on the Kamco Kadet to provide the inspiration for his new model, it being a superstar kit in the UK in the 1970s. The aim was to stay close to the original regarding aesthetical matters, but the design itself would be new and modern (electric to begin with) in all other respects. Bertrand’s major modifications were to give his model, now called Ambisagrus, a lat bottom wing with a 14% thick aerofoil and a slightly longer nose for easier balance when fitted with an electric motor. Finally, he wanted to ‘Millerise’ his project,…

One of my monthly treats is my model club’s indoor flying session. We have the use of a four-court school sports hall but at around 50 foot in width you do need to have your eye on the ball when flying otherwise those all too solid walls on either side can loom up and provide an unintentional crash barrier to our fragile indoor models. Around ten or so years ago Ready To Fly indoor models were relatively easy to come by. A lot of my models’ date from around that time but whilst I am fairly accomplished at missing those walls my concentration does lapse from time to time, so my models are starting to show their age after several meetings with the brickwork! Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be…

The timing of this article might seem a little strange, covering as it does the Christmas Edition of the Sparmax ARISM Mini Kit. However, after sitting in Kevin’s queue of products awaiting photography, by the time it reached me the last issue before the festivities (January edition) had just been put to bed. Hence, it’s appearance here in the next available issue. But not to worry as I’ve been told that the supplier’s seasonal sale at https://airbrushes.com ends on the 2nd of March, so you’ve still got time to order one. But do hurry as stock is limited and the Christmas Edition will only be available whilst stock lasts. The usual price, plus VAT, is £225.00 but it’s currently on sale at £198.00. So, get your skates on! If you…

Awhile back I bought three kits from Brazil. You might remember the pretty ‘La Senorita’ review a few months ago. One of the other kits was a supposedly easy to fly ‘Old Timer’ style rudder/elevator/motor model of 1.4 metre wingspan. A nice looking ‘pudden’ of a plane. I built it, balanced it and took it to the flying patch, which is where all my troubles began… Rechecking the C of G and confirming that all else was working, I rolled it forward, gave it the beans and took off. It wasn’t in the air for long, but it used a lot of sky whilst it was up there! A classic case of rearward balance, whose cavorting tested the strength of the model, its undercarriage and my Pampers! Sage advice and…

The Wild RC Mini IFO. Yes, or no? The yes or no is whether I spend time renovating a gifted Mini IFO. It requires a new motor to replace the old geared brushed unit, a new receiver, an ESC and some TLC. The servos are bigger than required but could remain and a few bits of covering damage need patching. It will probably be a yes for old times’ sake. Just look at the club photo of when the IFO and Mini IFO were the model to have. Basically, the only model safe to fly with IFOs was an IFO and we were flying in a two-court gym! Two models that had a big impact in the early years of indoor flying, both employed a new modelling material for their…

PORTPATRICK PRINCESS This fine-looking model of a Douglas DC-3 in Royal Aircraft Establishment livery is captured in camera by Chris Williams. Built in 2000 from the Top Flite Gold Edition kit by Trevor Hewson it’s an all-built-up airframe fitted with custom-designed Robart air retracts. Initially powered by 18 sub-C NiCd cells driving two 16 turn R/C car motors in series, geared 4.29:1 via MEC Superboxes, it was re-equipped with Astro 035 motors and the gearbox ratio dropped to 3.33:1. Propellers are Graupner 3-blade, 10” x 7”. The model still flies on the Astro 035s but now on a 6S 4000 mAh LiPo battery with the gear ratio further reduced to 3:1. The LiPo upgrade reduced all up weight from 10 lb to 8 lb 12 oz, which, together with the…