Wonwings Diary-a blog with a difference.

[wonwinglo]

There are so many different things in life to write about, that I thought it was about time to share my thoughts about a few things apart from model building,and what better way than a Blog ? for those like myself who did not know what blog means then it is simply 'an electronic web log' if you take a look at the internet, then you will see everything under the sun discussed and expressed in these manuscripts,after all a lot better than writing in that potash diary given to you last year that never hardly gets used,except for recording those never ending appointments !

So where to start this project ? well lets start at the beginning and talk a little bit about communications,I think that most people will agree that the one thing this century has given us is the ability to communicate en-masse,with so many electronic gizmo's on the market today you just cannot really ignore them,that is unless you have just returned from the planet zog after an extended holiday there ! seriously just look how our ability to communicate with one another has escalated in even recent years,the very internet has changed the way that we live,no longer do we need to whittle away on our latest model without outside assistance should we need it ? there is just nothing that is not covered these days about any hobby under the sun,and that sure cannot be a bad thing ? so where does it all end I wonder ? well with technology running at such a pace these days who can predict what will happen in say just three of four years time,my guess is that our world will become more virtual,graphics and video technology will bring with it new forms of realism,already our flight simulators are capable of navigating us across the word,real roads and rivers added as overlays,terrain contours and colours of exceptional beauty portrayed onto our screens,even virtual Global positioning to guide us within pin-point accuracy,the scope is just endless.

With leisure time activities at an all time high there is no longer any need to be felt left out,just fitting everything in that we want to try out is going to be the problem,one lesson that has been learned is never put off today that we cannot do tomorrow ?

Anyway that will do to get the ball rolling,perhaps it will serve to encourage others to make their own blogs here,so as our very own Father Fatso here says 'Spread the word dear brethren and increase the flock'

Next time I will discuss a little bit more about our social history,and how I came to arrive here in the first place !

Yours to the last bit of balsa dust,Wonwinglo.

[Guest]

very nice barry

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-The test of time & belt and braces.



This weekend saw the anniversary of the finest air transport of all time,the venerable Douglas Dakota,how this aircraft has stood the test of time through wars and pioneering flights.

The secret of the aircrafts longevity has been the wings,there is no main spars to degenerate in this old bird,the wings are bolted on with hundreds of fittings to the integral centre section,more modern machines have wing spars that are lifed,that is to say they are only good for 'x' amount of flying ( and flexing ) hours as the alloy gradually cracks no matter the quality,this is why machines such as the Vickers Viscount virtually vanished overnight,they just ran out of flying hours.

The designer could never have envisaged how long this aircraft would remain in service,there are still hundreds of Daks as they are affectionately called in flying condition thjroughout the world.

Circumstance is a great way of bringing out the very best in designers,as proven many times men of iron will set about conceiving just the right product,and this was the case with the Dakota,if it had not been for the war and the military use then many small airliners would not have evolved or even got started.

Which brings us to the other topic,belt and braces ! in this high tech world we live in,there is virtually nothing that is now built without transistors,chips or other electronic wizardry,remember when we used to set up the points on our cars ? it was not that long ago,but now with electronic ignition we are assured even the weakest spark will ignite the fuel,something that we can be truly grateful for on a bitter cold morning as we crank over the engine in the car to get to work.

If we really need to see the belt & braces approach then we need go no further back than the industrial revolution,just take a look at what could be achieved from relatively crude materials,parts and unskilled labour ? it never ceases to amaze me how they managed to get some of that gear assembled,probably with the loss of life and limb as huge gantry like structures were assembled,pithead gear,cranes and remarkable buildings as well.

Our social history,especially as applied to engineering feats is full of great inventions and the people who designed and built them,we have an awful lot to be very proud of in the past century thanks to some great people.

[Guest]

Barry,

I have to say I do appreciate your writings and thoroughly enjoy reading them. I sincerely hope that you may continue to write for masny years to come.

Now industrial heritage is a subject that always makes my ears prick up. My hero was Fred Dibnah and one of the most interesting TV programs I have seen in a long time was "Seven Wonders of the Industrial World". Absolutely fascinating stuff. You need to sail through the Panama canal then watch the episode about how it was made. The vision to do it is mind blowing.

I am also curently reading a book about the history of marine engineering written in 1937. It explains some of the very early steam engines that used sea water as feed. The brine pumps removed the concentrated brine and went through heat exchangers to warm the incoming feed water. Probably bore the rear off most people but I really enjoy coming up with such stuff.

We have one of the richest and most amazing industrial heritages in the world and we should all be proud of that fact and occassionally spend a bit of time learning about it.

This summer I am going on a day trip on a steam train to visit Iron Bridge in Shropshire. The story of how that was assembled is also absolutely amazing and I know I will just be in awe of the structure.

[wonwinglo]

*** Thank you Richard for those kind words,and yes I will be writing for many years ahead,there is so much of interest to analyse and the diary blog is one way that will give people a better insight.

You will just love Ironbridge,dont forget to visit the working museum at Blists hill,you can get a ticket that enables you and your good wife to visit all of the establishments in that area,walk across the bridge to the other end and look carefully at the iron girders and how they were rivetted together,there is also a shop mid-way that sells small booklets etc.

Down river there is a modern equivalent of the bridge,however it has non of the character of the original which has stood the test of time.

The Severn Valley railway is wonderful,a real working railway run on a very professional basis,the lathes that are used to turn the huge wheels are worth looking at if the workshop is open,hard to imagine now that the whole set up was the inspiration of the late MP General Nabaro,what a man of foresight !

The much lamented and dear Fred will always be remembered,his programmes were and still are an inspiration to everyone interested in our industrial heritage,I just hope that in some small way his workshop or part of it will be preserved for the future,also the small mineshaft that caused so many problems in his garden needs saving.

I think that people are now beginning to appreciate our industrial heritage more than ever before,like a lot of things a lot has been lost, for example we had a wonderful steam plant ripped from a building at Sutton Stop near Coventry,it should have stayed there and been a working feature.

In Birmingham we have Sarem mill,another very interesting feature of that age,the wooden cog type wheels mesmerise you when in action.

As they say Richard 'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder' and how true this is,but the very people who made these machines also fascinate me.

Great to share my thoughts with everyone.

Barry,I have to say I do appreciate your writings and thoroughly enjoy reading them. I sincerely hope that you may continue to write for masny years to come.

Now industrial heritage is a subject that always makes my ears prick up. My hero was Fred Dibnah and one of the most interesting TV programs I have seen in a long time was "Seven Wonders of the Industrial World". Absolutely fascinating stuff. You need to sail through the Panama canal then watch the episode about how it was made. The vision to do it is mind blowing.

I am also curently reading a book about the history of marine engineering written in 1937. It explains some of the very early steam engines that used sea water as feed. The brine pumps removed the concentrated brine and went through heat exchangers to warm the incoming feed water. Probably bore the rear off most people but I really enjoy coming up with such stuff.

We have one of the richest and most amazing industrial heritages in the world and we should all be proud of that fact and occassionally spend a bit of time learning about it.

This summer I am going on a day trip on a steam train to visit Iron Bridge in Shropshire. The story of how that was assembled is also absolutely amazing and I know I will just be in awe of the structure.

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-Toys that made people what they are today.



Watched the TV programme 'James Mays top toys' yesterday,did anyone else see it ? what an eye opener it really was,it covered Hornby trains,Meccano,Lego,Scalextrix,Dinky toys,Corgi toys,Matchbox cars,Etch-a-sketch,Airfix kits.

It really did go to show how things have evolved and changed in the toy market over the years and what todays children want & demand,confonted with building a simple crane in Meccano, a group of school children were instructed to go ahead and make one up from a set of instructions and the handful of parts required,what evolved was a disaster ! not one of the groups of children produced anything like the model in the instructions despite its simplicity,once more they expressed their boredom with one youngster saying 'well if that is all youngsters could do in the fifties,it is sad' it was quite obvious that these young ones just did not have the same love or feel for Meccano that we all had ? James Mays then went onto Lego introduced by the Danes into this country ( the UK ) sitting alongside a real Avro Lancaster in a museum,he fashioned a blocky example that he had dreamed up as a child,you could just see the resemblence.

The success of the Hornby/Meccano empire by Frank Hornby was no doubt due to many factors of the time,there were no toys around that offered such a challenge to produce a new model every day,in fact this was one of the advertising points,armed with tiny nuts and bolts people started to submit some very large models to the offices at Binns road,Old Swan in Liverpool,realising the potential Frank Hornby offered large ( for the day at least ) cash prizes for the best model made from a No.10 Meccano set,block setting cranes,heavy locomotives and ocean going liners were some of the hundreds of models submitted to the model building department,and once more quite a few of these were built by young people !

The Hornby railway system was another great success for the boy of the day,large rooms would mean the station in one area with track running along the landing , I know because this is what annoyed my own parents as they struggled to get past a set of points leading into the bathroom !! but what those early toys made up for in a lack of sophistication was the imagination we needed to use as they clanked over the tin track.

The diecast cars produced so well by Dinky Toys were elaborated upon by the Corgi empire who fitted real glass windows,gadgets and other gimmicks,the tiny Matchbox issues started by the MOKO Lesney duo were no real threat,just another diversion into the world of miniature cars.

I cringed as Mays assembled an Airfix battleship,then proceeded to place it into the middle of a pond and shoot it to bits with a shotgun,sheer vandalism,likewise launching a parachute equipped Action-Man from an helicopter from a couple of hundred feet,just to see if the chute really did open was equally un-acceptable,the boys doll that hit the toy world with a vengeance is now a collectors piece.

So where does play value come into the equation,in relation to the grown man ? well it really does have a big influence,quite a few of the things we buy in later life,are purchased due to the flustrations of not actually being able to afford them as a child,thus collections and models are built up to mammoth proportions,and why not ?

You know what they say 'The only difference between men and boys is the price of their toys.

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-Goodwill to all men.



Well once again Christmas time is upon us,the hustle and bustle of shops,the tills merrily ringing away as millions of presents consume enough wrapping paper to go around the world several times over,when will it ever end ! suddenly without any more ado it is Christmas day,and families gather around the tree to open their presents,yes this is a time for the family to enjoy each others company !

The older we become then Christmas seems ever more to become a poignent milestone in our life,a yardstick if you like that has measured out the year,the problem is those sections seem to become smaller and before we know it we are into yet another year before we know it.

For many there is a well earned rest and a chance to unwind and enjoy the fayre,the world seems to become a more stressful place with the passing of time and mankind needs these brief sojourns to relax even more,as children unwrap their presents and adults sip their glass of port before we know it the day is over !

Well we all know that there is always someone out there less fortunate than ourselves,and it is also a time to count our blessings and to appreciate our loved ones,as modellers we have something that little bit special,and it is also a chance to get out on Boxing day to sail or fly our models with our friends,after the food and drink that is very welcome,there is just nothing better than the fresh air to clear the mind.

So I hope that Father christmas has popped the right kits and models down the respective chimneys,and you will all have the christmas that you deserve-

HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE ! and as the header says here A GOODWILL TO ALL MEN (AND WOMEN EVERYWHERE ) :fireworks :fireworks :fireworks :beer:

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-The story of a model aeroplane & a daily pint of milk.



Before the days of radio controlled aeroplanes became commonplace we used to fly our models free flight,yes thats right we launched them into the blue with a tiny amount of fuel on-board,set the trim to give a steady bank against the engine torque,then when the fuel ran out the model would glide down into land,well that was the theory at least, but sometimes things would go wrong as was my flying session during a brisk day in October 1955,as I walked with my model under arm to the flying site,a few miles from my home at Tile Hill,Coventry the mist started to drop,keen as mustard in those days to get some flying in I carried on,the model was a Slicker Mite a kit design by Keil Kraft which I had spent hours on building her up,the engine was a tiny diesel engine made by a company called PAW ( this stood for Progress aero works,the company is still going ) as I arrived at the field which was part of a Boy scouts camping ground, the mist had dropped even more with the visability at around 300 feet,but after walking all that way I decided to at least start the engine,well you know how things go,my fingers were cold and the engine burst into life,should I try a flight ? well I held the model aloft and gently launched her into the still air,she wafted beautifully into a smooth bank with the engine running at full song,steadily she climbed into the mist and then vanished ! I could hear the motor running but what I had not realised was how economical she was,the tiny phial of fuel was it seemed more than adequate.

As she climbed the noise became less and I then as she became more distant a deathly hush ! I had underestimated how far that she would fly on what appeared to be a thimble full of fuel,my new Slicker Mite and my cherished engine was gone within a few minutes,feeling quite sick I made my way home without the model very disgruntled :sobbing:

Now here lies an amazing twist of fate,that if I had not witnessed the model vanishing myself would not have believed it,the next day on the doorstep with our daily pint of milk was my model ! the milkman who lived on a farm at Crackley just outside of Kenilworth had found it sitting in one of his fields,it was intact with no damage and looked as if it had made a perfect three point landing judging by the mud on the wheels and skid.

She had flown a total distance of several miles by air,across houses,a railway line,wooded area,trading estate and landed on that farm.

Amazing too that the milkman knew whose model it was ? there was no name and address on it,but he had just associated me with the model aeroplane,an amazing stroke of luck to say the least,why did it land in that spot where he would find it and deliver it safely back to me the very next day ?:noidea:

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-The air is still.



Just a few moments before we go for our Christmas meal as millions of others will be doing today,living near a busy bypass there is usually a daily hum-drum of activity and constant noise,but today it is still and it is quite uncanny and eerie,just as if the world is standing still,local factories usually with machinery thumping away add to the quietness as they are idle,it really makes you realise how noisy it is every normal day of your life.

Just to further add to this picture of tranquility we can hear the bells ringing from nearby Warwick town centre,the camponoligists are having a field day as the ancient bells send out their message to the local community,we hardly ever get much snow being so inland but if was such a smattering then it would set the scene.

Anyway that is my small piece for today,wherever you are or whatever you are doing,enjoy yourself.

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-Learning to fly.



The one question that crops up time and again in my mail box is 'How do I go about learning to fly' ? well with Christmas no doubt bringing lots of models and kits into the hands of raw beginners this is a good time to give advice.

Most people would say join a club ? well I am perhaps going to surprise you all now,by saying this is not the best way to go about learning to fly for many reasons which I wil go into here,firstly although all clubs have some excellent flyers very few of them will have the patience or qualifications to instruct you,on top of this people have very little time themselves and want to fly their own models in the small amount of leisure time that they have available on the flying field,there are exceptions to this however and if you are lucky enough to have a club near you that assists beginners with their own club trainer,and qualified instructor thrown in,then no harm in giving this a try.

From personal experience this has been the case where people have hung around at a model flying club to get in one flight with their model,probably a few circuits by the person who gets the model airborne,usually the model needs trimming out anyway and not suited to the job of model flying tuition.

This in no way is a reflection of model clubs in general,most clubs are geared up only to get people flying for their own pleasure on a field leased or rented from the farmer etc,this effectively gets modellers in an area in one spot,most locations have very few flying areas anyway.

All of this adds to the complications of the beginner who just wants to get flying as quickly as possible in a safe manner,several years ago I recognised the need for model flying tuition and set up my own flying school solely to teach beginners on private land,the idea worked very well if not very demanding on myself the instructor ! it takes a lot of precious time and patience,plus flustrations of the weather interveaning with teaching slots,hard work but rewarding.

The raw beginner can attempt to teach himself but will almost certainly get through a lot of models in the process,in my day this was the only way to go about it but now there are specialist teaching schols set up who cater for say a few days,to a week even months of dedicated tuition,is it expensive ? well how do you consider writing off say several models in learning to fly ? the costs are well re-couped in a dedicated set of lessions tailored to that persons individual requirements.

It will probably also mean waiting a while to organise something but rest assured you will get the best type of instruction to fit your needs whether it be for fixed wing or helicopters.

Whilst talking about model flying instruction, dont forget the excellent flight simulation programmes now on the market,which greatly assist those first steps into flying,you can learn all about orientation,spatial awareness,landings and the positioning of your model from these products,they are more than a computer game but a really useful learning tool both for beginner and more experienced alike.

[Guest]

Barry,

An excellent piece and one very close to my heart. I have always wanted to learn to fly a model and have been through the training ground of rubber band powered planes as a teen flying round a field with the wings off-set through to very simple small r/c gliders that spent more time being repaired than flown.

About three years ago I decided to go down the path of a full blown electric r/c almost RTF model which was more of a sport than a training model (Jamara 330L Extra). All I had to do was fly slow right?

Anyway I joined a local club in the knowledge that they had a trainer and were willing to teach newcomers. After weeks of hanging around at the flying site I eventually happened to be there at the same time as the trainer with the training plane and I did a few circuits to be told that I should try a model with airlerons. After a few more visits trying to get together with someone who was prepared to test fly my model I eventually got so cheesed off with watching the big boys showing off with thier helicopters I gave up.

Understandably I went up one day with a friend who threw the plane in the air for me. It lasted about two-three seconds before nose diving into the ground and wrecking the front end. That was over two years ago now and I still haven't got around to repairing it. I knew what I did wrong but 200.00 pounds per mistake is going to make it a very costly experience.

It did convince me though that too many of the people at these clubs have neither the time nor the patience to give to newcomers and they should be a lot more open and honest about this before taking subscriptions off people.

I will hopefully repair the plane one day and have another go but to be honest I enjoy the boat club so much now and I havent got the time for everything I want to do as it is. I have to say it left me bitter about the flying club though and the members who I found generally to be very selfish and self motivated.

I have since also purchased a flight simulator which uses my own radio set which I have spent a few hours on and an all in package polystyrene Cessna which should be considerably more forgiving in those first few hours in the air.

As with so many things nowadays take all the advice that you can get, and forums are fast becoming one of the best sources of that, and with a sensible approach, do it yourself!

It did make me realise though just how important it is to pass things on to newcomers to our hobby of modelling. I always actually enjoy sharing thoughts and ideas at the pond side with people who want to ask questions. I take it as a compliment that they want to know how something has been done on one of my boats and how they can use the idea themselves.

Once again Barry a very usefull comment which I can wholeheartedly endorse and only goes to emphasise what a great asset you are to this forum.

[wonwinglo]

Richard,this just goes to prove that such things can put anyone off joining a club,the fact remains that whatever our interests clubs are not for everyone,my own experience of them is that they tend to form a clique which is of no use to anyone but the people involved,believe me after running clubs for many years it is very hard work to keep everyone satisfied,especially to cater for the beginner element,my thoughts on this are that for a club to function properly it must cater for newcomers and experienced alike,but not to concentrate on one aspect.

I have distinctly noticed that model boat clubs are a very friendly bunch, and are far more relaxed and willing to share their knowledge,I am pleased that you have found the right niche to enjoy your hobby,after all that time is so valuable as to be used properly and without hassle.

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-A Question of aesthetics.



There used to be a saying in the aviation world it went like this 'If it looks right then it will fly right' after all the most beauitiful fighter designed the immortal Spitfire was a true classic in beauty both on the ground and in the air.

It does seem that aircraft of yesteryear,had that little bit of something special about them in terms of beauty when compared with the products of today,the designers used every part of the aircrafts anatomy to show it off the best they could,whilst at the same time getting the best aerodynamically.

To demonstrate what I mean then the little sketch prepared above illustrates my point,lets start with the most ugly of aircraft parts,the undercarriage,notice how neat little wheel spats ( called pants in the U.S.A ) fair over the landing gear parts,then the wing to fuselage joint is neatly faired in with alloy pre-shaped panels,next the Gipsy type engine has been beautifully cowled giving adequate air cooling with easily removed wrap round panels,couple this with a nice polished metal spinner that has been blended into the contours of the fuselage.

Working down towards the tail the essential cockpit is once again blended into the decking with its metal framework to protect the pilot.

The tail of an aircraft once was used by designers as a personal trademark of the company,such as De Havilland & Percival who were so proud of their designs,as the tail fin offers a lot of latitude as regards physical shape and size,and area which is difficult to calculate with any mathematical accuracy,then it leaves a first class blank canvas.

So you can se what I am getting at,pre war designs in particular paid a lot of attention to the way that the machine looked,some true classics include the Mosquito,De Havilland Comet Racer,the unique Lysander,the Westland Whirlwind fighter,even the stubby little Gee Bee racer had classic lines despite its dumpy nature.

Some modern designs seem to have little if any regard for aesthetic beauty,such as the Short 360 ( nicknamed 'Shed' or 'Irish Concorde' by their pilots ) prefering quick build boxy fuselages to nice clean lines.

A study of aircraft design is a rewarding project,one excellent book to get your hands on is 'Flight without formulae' this excellent reading covers all aspects of design without getting out the slide rule,or should we say today the pocket calculator !

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-Beware of the dreaded black wire corrosion.



Winter is a good time to do any maintenance jobs on your model equipment and check things out,it is also a good chance to check those receiver and transmitter batteries so vital for the operation of any radio control equipment in your inventory,here is a bit of advice about any wiring that is over three years old,charge up your transmitter and note the reading on the meter,is it lower than it was ? and when the TX is left on does it start to drop dramatically ? if it does not appear to charge up after connecting it up to the charger then you probably have a resistance in the wiring and it will need checking out,it is well known that eventually an electrolytic action sets into the negative wire of the connections,this has the effect of corroding the wires and making them black in appearance,this is where the problems start and if not checked will cause a failure of the equipment.

The receiver is equally affected as well,in this case it is easier to tell if there are any problems by checking out the plugs and sockets,if these show any signs of green or black near the pins then they will need replacing.

What happens is that over a period of time the ends of the wire degrades and the killer black wire corrosion spreads up the wire and arrests any current flow thus causing the heavy resistance,no matter of changing the cells will help as the root cause is the wiring.

So what is the answer ? well the only solution if you are feeling competent to do the job is to cut out the affected wires and replace them with new ones,the radio manufacturers will do this for you for a price and are well aware of the problem.

The problem really lies in the types of wire that are used,we all expect our equipment to be reasonable in price but this affects the quality of wire used to keep within the budget,if it was gold plated then the price would be astronomical,so for the present at least we just have to live with this problem,it is well known but not over publicised.

So before you blame the batteries check out the wires,a quick check by cutting back a tiny portion of the insulation aprox one inch from the plug or socket will reveal any problem areas,if it is tarnished and not shiny then this is more than likely the problem area.

[wonwinglo]

More on Black wire corrosion from the Futaba service department-

There have been some comparative tests designed to identify the cause of black wire corrosion, the results of which indicated that a prime factor is storage in a damp atmosphere. The combination of damp air and a charged battery leads to an electrolytic effect that results in an acidic condition at the negative terminal of the battery. It’s not only NiCads that are affected, check out the earth strap on an older car sometime, and if the connection has not been properly protected, the same corrosion effect can be seen.