discussion Wonwings Diary-a blog with a difference.

[wonwinglo]

Micro Radio sets.

http://www.hobby-lobby.com/hitec.htm

(See model HTR48725)

Here is a good one,or a cheaper way perhaps would be to buy a standard Transmitter,a Jeti mini Receiver with BEC ( Battery elimination circuitry) and three/four micro servos,have a word with Midland Helicopters,Hinckley for a good deal on the Jeti and servos,you will need a lithium 2 cell pack and a compatible speed controller ( lithium batteries should not be run flat and these controllers cut off the motor when a certain voltage is detected ) so to re-cap you will need-

Jeti BEC Receiver ( RX)

A standard 3 to 4 function Transmitter

3 to 4 Micro servos

P-Extra-Air 14 Electronic Speed Controller (ESC)

Lithium 2 cell pack 7.4 800 mamp

Dedicated Charger for the battery

State these when you ask for a quote,dont forget that they can be swopped from model to model,I use a module board which screws into different models,all you need to do then is connect up the linkages to the controls.

Dont worry the insructions are self explanatory,and above all you will get unlimited support here when screwing in the radio etc.

 

[Guest]

and how much is this all going to cost?

argh why cant they just do a nice kit like this with all thats needed!!!

i already have a 7.2v 3700mah pack, is that not good enough?

 

[wonwinglo]

***Aprox prices-

Jeti BEC Receiver ( RX) £35

A standard 3 to 4 function Transmitter

3 to 4 Micro servos Per servo about £12

P-Extra-Air 14 Electronic Speed Controller (ESC) £18

Lithium 2 cell pack 7.4 800 mamp £18

Dedicated Charger for the battery £12.50

and how much is this all going to cost?argh why cant they just do a nice kit like this with all thats needed!!!

i already have a 7.2v 3700mah pack, is that not good enough?

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-UAV,More plans for Predator.

The Air Force National Guard have big plans for the Predator mission,after much speculation about the future of the unmanned aerial vehicle mission to be split between the Grand Forks and Fargo bases, the Pentagon has set the record straight.

The Air Force and National Guard agreed on additional details of the Predator UAV mission after a round of talks at the Pentagon last week,the vice chiefs of staff of the Air Force and the Army signed the agreement June 20. The agreement is a significant step in ratifying the Air Force's plan to place a family of UAV's in Grand Forks and is good news for Fargo,It is welcome news, and a great victory for North Dakota.

The Guard and Air Force officials also agreed to purchase a joint cargo aircraft to be shared between the services, though they wouldn't specify

which aircraft.

The Air Force and the Army were independently looking for options for a light cargo aircraft to fly airlift missions in the theatre of operations.

Fargo's new cargo airplane will be used to transport UAVs.

Representatives from the Air Combat Command, the Air Force department in charge of UAV operations, participated in a working group at the Pentagon June 13. The team of experts examined different options to expand formal training for Predator operations one of the roles that Grand Forks Air Force Base is expected to play in the future.

Conrad has said that Grand Forks could become a hub for new UAV technology being tested and developed, such as the next generation of unmanned bombers.

Northrop Grumman is developing the RQ-4B, a larger and improved version of the intelligence-gathering Global Hawk.

An advanced version of the missile-carrying Predator also is in the works.ACC is slated to receive 203 Predators,some of those will be deployed to the Guard.Grand Forks initially is scheduled to receive eight Predators in 2009 and six to eight Global Hawks in 2010, but those numbers are not definite.

The details of the Grand Forks and Fargo missions were embedded in the Air Force's Total Force Integration program, which lays the ground rules for military strategies and acquisitions. Under this program, the North Dakota Air National Guard's 119th Wing was assigned two missions at Hector International Airport. Those missions are flying an unidentified joint cargo aircraft and operating a Predator UAV ground control station.

The Guard will create a new maintenance unit at Grand Forks Air Force Base that will support Predator launch and recovery operations. The new maintenance squadron also may be asked to support Global Hawk UAV operations once those aircraft arrive on base.

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-Mission rehearsal for Shuttle launch

WB-57F ( American Martin built special Canberra ) "NASA 926" has departed Patrick AFB and began his spiral to his FL560-FL590 altitude block. He will be rehearsing his role for Saturday's Shuttle launch, during which he will photograph the

orbiter to determine if there was any damage during the lift off.

You should be able to track NASA 926 at:

_http://flightaware.com/live/flight/NASA926_

(http://flightaware.com/live/flight/NASA926) _

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-Foam & Balsa log construction.

http://www.smallflyingarts.com/Current_Content/Article_3/fuse_carving_1.htm

Well I am going to let you see someone elses excellent approach to carving both, foam and balsa log construction today.

We have discussed this type of construction many times here,and was just about to do a tutorial when this came to my notice,so why re-invent the wheel ? it is a first class article which highlights all of the things that you need to now,just look at how thin the walls are carved,the secret to lightweight construction,and note the lovely clean modelling at the end with hand decorated wings and fuselage,it is a messy process best done outside but well worth the efforts to get the shapes that you want.

Scale-Models recommended.:music_too

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-TV Drama 'Coup'

Did anyone else see the TV drama last night called 'Coup' ? the true story evolved around the intended take over of an oil rich country by UK businessmen,the elaborate scheme which involved Mark Thatcher who flew helicopters,went terribly wrong with most of the people finishing up in awful prisons being caught in the act,there was a fair bit of aviation activity in the film,I noted the following-

Mark Thatchers Alouette II helicopter,some interesting aerial shots from the cockpit,low level flying in a Beech 200 ZS-LFU at 20 feet above the ground to evade radar,two Dakotas,one a turboprop ZS-CAI & ZS-AJI,Boeing 727 N4610,Learjet ZS-BXC,Antonov AN.32B which suffered a dramatic bird strike on take off and aborted,a Tiger Moth,a DC-4 in the background,and I am sure they used some shots on the ground of one of the Air Atlantique aircraft ?

I liked the quote from the film when they opened the hangar doors to see which aircraft were being used 'Are you starting a museum' ?!!

Strange bitty storyline could have been written better,but the flying kept me in front of the screen.

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-Rare item comes up for sale-Me.163 Rocket Motor

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/car/177563355.html

This appears to be a genuine Me.163 Liquid Rocket Motor,if you have a spare $5000 then it could be yours.

Quite a find these days.

 

[Guest]

I once read a book when I was a cadet about the experiments with these rocket planes. I might still have it tucked away somewhere.

The two fuels were called Z-Stoff and T-Stoff and were so unstable that if it was not all dumped prior to touching down there was a good chance the aircraft would blow up on landing. Consequently you did not get a second chance at your approach.

Enemy or not I still have a great deal of admiration for test pilots such as these.

 

[wonwinglo]

That sounds like 'Rocket Fighter' Richard,a classic book.

The two substances were a highly explosive catalyst,the fuel lines were toughened glass the only material that would not melt,if Komet back did not wreck your spine due to the rocky skid landing,then unburnt fuel that formed a residue in the lines would explode as it fused together,they climbed like a proverbial home sick angel,and landed like a brick,there was no chance for a go around.

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-The true price is what it is worth & those prepared to pay it.

We get a lot of enquiries as to what is the best price that I can expect for this and that,if you have ever been involved in the antiques trade then you will soon realise that what you buy does not always zoom out of the door fast,far from it,many items pass from dealer to dealer,the lemons of the trade as they are called.

Better to have a buoyant fluid market where money changes hands rather than something stuck on the shelf.

So bear this in mind when you need to sell something,here are some wise words from Jeremy which says it all and sums it all up-

One drawback to trying to put a price on a particular item, especially older collectibles, is that there isn't a price list. Last week your particular item may have sold for over $1000. Assuming it's a very popular item and appeals to a very wide audience, you might expect the same amount this week. However if the item is more specialised then all you know is that at least one of your potential buyers who was willing to pay a good deal is probably no longer in the market. And the others were not willing to pay that much.

Some models can be in great demand for a time and prices shoot up. If the demand dries up the prices will fall very quickly.

So the simple answer to your question is your kit is worth exactly what someone will pay for it today!

If you can set a price in your mind below which you prefer not to sell, then your ready to offer it for sale. If not, then search e-bay every now and then and see what prices are being offered. Since the item is not that common, this will take a while. Eventually you should get an idea of what's reasonable. And bear in mind what's reasonable to a seller, seemsoverpriced to a buyer!

Jeremy

> My dad purchased ~25 years ago for $250, opened it

> once and closed it back up. Fast

> forward to now. I opened it once and realized this

> is not the type of model I am going to have

> fun with. I am primarily a 1/35th scale military

> builder. It is in pristine shape. None of the

> individual packages have been opened.

> Retail, these go for around $850. What is a

> reasonable amount I should expect to get for a

> model of this quality?

> Please help.

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-The Hiller Flybar

Anyone watching the last of the 'Heartbeat' TV series on Sunday,will have seen a very historic (and correct for the period ) vintage helicopter which was used in the plot being flown between tress and landing on a road.

This was in fact a nicely preserved example of the Hiller UH-12 which is based in Leeds.

We have discussed the unique control system used in this helicopter before,but until now did not have a decent photograph to show the patented Hiller Flybar system used with great success by both Hiller and Bell.

So what is so special about two little paddles set at right angles to the main blades ? well when Igor Sikorsky built and flew his early helicopter designs he encountered a problem that can be easily seen in early movie footage of him flying,the helicopter whilst under control was flying like a bucking horse,tiny movements of the collective controls (rotor blade pitch and throttle together) were used,however he was still having problems in flying the helicopter smoothly.

So what was the answer ? well what it needed was some form of dampening so that the direct loads from the rotor blades to the stick were cushioned,a genius called Hiller set to work and started to build tethered model helicopter designs to study the problem,he tried everything and has is usual with these things it was a simple fix to the solution which proved best,he fitted another small set of blades at right angles to the main ones,these were called paddles,by experimenting with various lengths he arrived at a compromise where the load was adequately transferred from the main blades via the paddles, these are set at zero pitch as shown in the photograph above,the difference that they make needs to be appreciated.

It is true to say that model helicopters would be virtually impossible to fly without them,having tried it I can testify to that.

Modern helicopters with both low and high inertia blades, which flex in order to allow for the retreating and advancing blade movement, are mostly used today,but even that system needed to be sorted out before successful helicopter flight was feasible.

We owe a lot to Hiller and his flybar system which enabled fully controllable helicopter flight.

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-U.S.Airforce to buy Korean training aircraft ?

A U.S. Senate committee has directed the country's Air Force to study whether it should buy South Korean-made aircraft to replace its aging and inefficient trainer fleet.

Currently, the South Korean government is also looking at the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Greece as possible buyers for the trainer.

In a directive dated May 9 and attached to the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2007, the Senate Armed Services Committee called for a study to determine the suitability of South Korea's T-50 training aircraft to replace the current T-38 models, the report said.

The committee also called for a suitability study for the U.S.produced T-45 trainer.

The U.S. Air Force plans to spend $1.5 billion to maintain its T-38 fleet at a cost per flying hour that is double that of the T-45. The cost of developing a new replacement trainer and system is estimated at $2 billion.

Accordingly, the committee directed the Secretary of the Air Force to conduct a study that would determine the suitability of the T-45 and Korean-built T-50 training aircraft to replace the T-38,' according to the report.

The study should focus on cost of procurement,operating costs, the

availability of a complete training system, and developmental costs, the committee said.

The committee asked that a report on the study results be submitted by March 15 next year.

A diplomatic source in Washington D.C. confirmed Seoul's ambition to sell its T-50 trainers, the report said.

Kim Sung-il, South Korea's Air Force chief of staff, visited Washington in May to discuss a possible deal. We are making efforts through various channels, a source in Seoul was quoted as saying.

T-50s are on the expensive side because of their capabilities, he said.

Developed by the Korea Aerospace Industries, they are tagged at around $20 million apiece.

 

[Guest]

so when are we going to replace our tornados? aka "flying coffins"

 

[wonwinglo]

***Thats the problem with any high tech machine,knock out the electronics modules and trouble starts,for example the old B-17 may have been very basic but it got home shot up to pieces.

so when are we going to replace our tornados? aka "flying coffins"

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-The Avro Canada Arrow full scale model.

A new commemorative full-scale model of Canada's famous Avro Arrow aircraft, constructed by the Toronto Aerospace Museum, will be officially unveiled to the public at Downsview Park on Sunday, October 8, 2006 at 2:00 pm celebrating the 49th Anniversary of the rollout of the first Avro Arrow in October 1957. This full-scale version is the only museum-quality model of the Avro Arrow in existence.

The Avro CF-105 Arrow was a twin-engine supersonic interceptor aircraft designed and built in the Toronto region. It has attained legendary status as an icon of Canadian aeronautical achievement in the 1950s.

Five aircraft were produced, test flown, and successfully exceeded the RCAF requirements, until production was abruptly halted in 1959. All the

aircraft were destroyed, sparking a controversy that continues to this day. The Avro Arrow has been the subject of numerous books, songs, articles, plays, documentaries, and a television film.

The commemorative model was built over the past eight years to the exacting size and specifications of the original aircraft by 140 dedicated volunteers with the support of public donations and corporate sponsors. It will be a treasured addition to the Museum's permanent collection and will remain on display for the enjoyment and education of Museum visitors for years to come.

The public ceremony will take place on Sunday, October 8, 2006 at 2:00 pm at the Toronto Aerospace Museum. Special previews for Museum Members,

Volunteers and a Gala Fundraising Dinner will be held on days prior to the public unveiling. Admission to the Museum and public ceremony will be Pay What You Can (PWYC). The Museum will also be open on Monday, October 9, 2006 (Thanksgiving Day) from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm with PWYC admission.

Regular Museum hours are: Wednesdays 10:00 am to 8:00 pm, Thursdays to Saturdays (and Holiday Mondays) 10:00 am to 4:00 pm and Sundays 12:00

noon to 4:00 pm. Admission is: Adults $8.00, Seniors $6.00, Students $5.00 and Families $20.00.

The Toronto Aerospace Museum (TAM) is an exciting educational, heritage and tourist attraction in Downsview Park located in one of Canada's

oldest intact aircraft factories, established by The de Havilland Aircraft of Canada Ltd. company in 1929. Founded in 1997, the not-for-profit Museum displays a variety of aircraft and aerospace technology from the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

Downsview Park is a unique urban recreational green space, a safe and peaceful place, developed according to the principles of environmental,economic and social sustainability, for Canadians to enjoy in all

seasons. The Park reflects Canada's mosaic brilliance and celebrates its past, present, and future accomplishments.

The Toronto Aerospace Museum is located in Downsview Park, at 65 Carl

Hall Road, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M3K 2E1.

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-See what it is really like to fly a CF-18

Discovery Channel to follow seven fighter pilots on "Jetstream"

Ever wondered what it was really like to fly one of the upgraded CF-18 fighter jets with all its new bells and whistles? Seven fighter pilots from 4 Wing Cold Lake are getting that chance and every hour of their

flying time is being filmed for an upcoming series on the Discovery Channel called "Jetstream."

A Vancouver production company called Paperny Films is creating eight, one-hour episodes about seven fighter pilots who were selected to fly the

upgraded CF-18 Hornet at 410 Squadron. Filmed over a period of 35 weeks, the documentary will capture every aspect of their training from their first

days in their new quarters to their highly anticipated first solo flights."We wanted to show all aspects of the Air Force, from the behind the scenes, nitty-gritty technology to the human stories. Audiences will be able to experience them all," says Cal Schumiatcher, executive producer of the series.

Viewers will be able to tune in and watch as Lieutenant Shamus Allen, Captain Mike Dunning, Captain Riel Erickson, Captain Tristan McKee, Captain Mike Lewis, Captain Tim Coffin and Captain Yannick Jobin master the military tactics and technologies required to fly the Hornet. Every episode will

conclude with the pilots flying simulated missions with each subsequent mission becoming more intense and complex.

'Jetstream' will explore the science and technology - and indeed the psychology - of what it takes to succeed in this world that few of us will ever experience," said Paul Lewis, President and General Manager of Discovery Channel.

"We wanted to show Canadians the people who dedicate their lives in service of their country, as they are so often anonymous. When you give them a face

and allow for an understanding of their passion, work ethic and dedication to their jobs, the audience will gain a new appreciation for the tireless hours that they put in," said Cal Shumiatcher.

The production will provide high-level exposure for Air Force pilot training through a variety of media including a companion Internet site produced to

accompany the series. It will incorporate simple interactive versions of the missions flown by the pilots.

The series is expected to air on the Discovery Channel in the fall of 2007.

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-The first Special Shape model balloon.

THE FIRST SPECIAL SHAPE MODEL BALLOON TAKES TO THE SKIES.

G-GRWL is the very first Special Shape Model ballon on the British civil aircraft register,described as a minimal lift balloon this one was built by Mr 'Monty' & Mrs Thomas to the exacting shape of a bear,described as a Lilliput Type 4 the beautifully created shape is one of a series which will attend childrens charity events up and down the UK,operated by the aptly named 'Air Bears' balloon team the balloon will go to France and Germany during September and October,its all go being a celebrity bear you know says 'Monty' the Lilliput emporium are based at the Old Coach house,near Honiton ,Devon.

With thanks to Roy & Rita Boyle for bringing this piece of hot air ballooning miniatureisation to my attention.

Remember free flying model balloons require to be registered by law in order to comply with the Air Navigation order,the carrying of fire for free flying is prohibited ie meths burners etc.

 

[Guest]

Clever stuff. I guess the possibilities with model balloons are endless and limited only by one's imagination.

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-Trips to your local airfield.

Field trips to airfields are a good way to get up close to some of your favourite aircraft subjects,take your camera,notebook and talk to the pilots,engineers and owners,you will be surprised what you will learn,sometimes you will even be offered a flight to really make your day,here are a few pictures from my nearest local airfield.

Wellesbourne on 19-03-2006.

G-TAFC Maule M7-235B equipped with floats is seen here at Wellesbourne for maintenance during April 2006,she has made several trips down to coastal waters to practise the skills of waterplane flying.

With thanks to Dave Hines for supplying the photograph.

G-STPH R.44 Serial 1613 at Wellesbourne 06-07-2006 the latest out of its crate and awaiting trimming and test flight.

G-KELI R.44 at Wellesbourne 06-07-2006

The well known G-TRYG has now been re-registered as G-DCSG,seen here at Wellesbourne on 06-07-2006

G-BXYT PA.28RT-201 at Wellesbourne 08-07-2006,T-tailed Pipers were a fad that the company once had.

Another Robinson R.44 for a lucky customer being assembled,Serial 11286 will become G-JRED,seen here with Heliair on 08-07-2006

Serial 1606 on the left will become EI-YYY going to Ireland where these helicopters are proving popular,another newbie is G-STPH to the right.