Anyone fly R/C ?

Paul Thompson 'Hooligan' · 01-17-07, 05:25 PM

Just wondered - Anyone on here into R/C??

Heli - Fixed Wing - Cars - whatever - Who's into what?

(Wife gave me a Trex-450 as late Xmas Present & currently I am trying to hover - on a SIM first! - it's cheaper!!

)

Gregg · 01-17-07, 09:59 PM

Paul, only R/c equipment left is a 1/4 scale car made by Yankee. Used to run boats and a motorcycle.

Ian Anderson · 01-18-07, 04:22 AM

Paul

My brother used to fly a lot, powered, gliders, pylon racers and choppers.

Says the most difficult is the chopper.

Save yourself a pile of money on new rotors and when practicing fit a X of bamboo or fiberglass (like kite spars) on to the undercarriage (About same radius as the rotors) and at the end of each point fit a polystyrene ball (or practice golf ball) then when you come down at the wrong angle you don't smash the rotors each time!

They were all great fun but I never had the patience to make them - more into pulling my motorbike apart repeatedly!

Cheers
Ian

Andrew · 01-18-07, 04:38 AM

Yup, Helis, fixed wing, scale turbine, 7ft long 200mph F16 jet.....

Heli's are the hardest, but you are doing it right with the sim frist. The T-rex is a good heli, if a little fragile...!

Remember, small movements only, or you start to over compensate and that is when you loose it.......take your time, they are great to fly when you get it right.

Enjoy.

Andrew

Paul Thompson 'Hooligan' · 01-18-07, 04:51 AM

1/4 Scale eh Gregg - big stuff!

- I looked at a 1/4 FG Mercedes recently, 28cc Zenoah powered but I could not see many places to practice sensibly / safely.

I've got an 1/8 4WD Lancia - 1/8 Nissan Skyline - 1/10 GT40 - 1/10 Escort and nowhere to put a 1/4 scale. At least I'll be able to hang the heli from the ceiling..

(whilst it's still in one piece!

)

Ian - I'll definately be using a 'learner undercart', once I've got some more time on the sim - a LOT MORE TIME.......

and my days of pulling motorbikes apart are long gone, falling off or getting knocked off - it hurts too much either way!.. - although talking of bikes I did see a rather tasty Suzuki Hyabusa at the Autosport Show NEC last week. Described as the UKs fastest street legal road bike, it had a huge turbo and was dyno'd at 721BHP (rear wheel) with over 900 expected once tuning completed with NOS. Posted a 7.9s @ 193 at Santa-Pod - yikes!! (without any wheelie bars!) How the hell do they stay on them...?

Andrew - scale turbine - well cool!! - I love the sound they make, it really adds to the overall impression. I used to frequent the air displays some years back before turbines too off (pun not intended) and the fastest things I remember were some Dutch pulse jets - I saw them at both Plumpton and Sandown racecourses but I suspect that getting insurance for such models now is 'difficult'. I know they were bloody fast and the operators must have had both very fast reactions and extremely good eyesight - when they climbed they were a spec in seconds....

David Morton · 01-18-07, 05:15 AM

Quote:
although talking of bikes I did see a rather tasty Suzuki Hyabusa at the Autosport Show NEC last week. Described as the UKs fastest street legal road bike, it had a huge turbo and was dyno'd at 721BHP (rear wheel) with over 900 expected once tuning completed with NOS. Posted a 7.9s @ 193 at Santa-Pod - yikes!! (without any wheelie bars!) How the hell do they stay on them...?
Hi Paul,
Theres a club, called "200mph" and a company in the Reading area doing these conversions. Hugh Absolem makes the new exhausts and plenum chambers, and fits the Turbos and w/g valves. He's forever machining pistons down and balancing them as well. These "things" can be street legal and use all sorts of extras stored in the swinging arm such as Water Injection and Nitrous Oxide. Some of them look innocuous to the bystander (like me) but I have yet to see one on the road. I wonder how long an engine lasts - even a Hyabusa. Sort of a death wish.........

Sorry, back to radio control.....

John W · 01-18-07, 05:38 AM

powered fixed wing and gliders for me, although none have made it out for a few years.
I used to race i/c stock cars as a kid, and progressed onto battery stuff for indoor racing.

I still hanker after a proper helicopter and one of these days I'll buy one, just need to finish all the other projects first !!

I brought a little helicopter at christmas - cost me 20 quid

I forget what it is called, but it only weighs a few grams, and is infra-red, not radio. If I bust it who cares

Andrew · 01-18-07, 06:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by p thompson

Andrew - scale turbine - well cool!! - I love the sound they make, it really adds to the overall impression. I used to frequent the air displays some years back before turbines too off (pun not intended) and the fastest things I remember were some Dutch pulse jets - I saw them at both Plumpton and Sandown racecourses but I suspect that getting insurance for such models now is 'difficult'. I know they were bloody fast and the operators must have had both very fast reactions and extremely good eyesight - when they climbed they were a spec in seconds....

Yes the eyesight needs to be very good as they become a speck in the distance very quiclky......reactions need to be good too.....and insurance, its not possible to ensure the plane, just get public liabillity insurance.

Kinda worrying when you have a 10K investment hanging on an invisible radio link ! !

Andrew

Paul Thompson 'Hooligan' · 01-18-07, 06:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John W

I brought a little helicopter at christmas - cost me 20 quid

I forget what it is called, but it only weighs a few grams, and is infra-red, not radio. If I bust it who cares

A Silverlit Picoo? - Blue flashing LED?

They are so much FUN! and virtually unbreakable...

John W · 01-18-07, 08:23 AM

Thats the one !
A bunch of guys at a clients site brought a batch of them.
I was pointed at a couple of web sites for tuning these things

Its amazing how excited a bunch of adult men can get over a kids toy

The technology in them is stunning for the price, and the extent of miniaturisation that is done. The tail rotor is driven by a tiny motor.

Damn, I feel the need to go buy a decent copter now. Must resist...

Andy Sheldon · 01-18-07, 12:26 PM

Paul

I think you visited me a few weeks ago.

I have been flying R/C since I was 5. I am now 42.

I have done all sorts including aerobatic pattern, large petrol and jets.

Also cars and helicopters.

I have another company and we are the UKs factory importer for JetCat who manufacture one of the leading model gas turbines. We handle all of the UK servicing etc.

We also sell jet kits. Our web site is at Radio controlled model jet aircraft and accessories.

Current models range from Piccoz mentioned above to large twin turbine MIG 29 and F18C hornet.

Thanks

Andy

Chris P. · 01-18-07, 12:56 PM

Designed and built a 1/5 scale on road car. I went to the pre-Worlds when they first came over to the U.S. in soCal. I had terrible radio interference and when I finally had it going I forgot to zip-tie my battery pack in and it came flying out on a left hander - car went into a cement barrier and ended my weekend.

My first car was the Tamiya Frog. Then I got a Willy's Wheeler - fun. Then I got a Kyosho Ultima. Made a few mods to it and made it steer like it was on rails. Tried a Mugen bulldog - a 4wd electric - junk. Tried an MRP GP-10 I think it was called - on road C2 Lambo (looks just like a 956/962) - again, pretty much junk. My first car was the Challenger 2wd 1/8 scale that Hobby Shack sold. Suspension and steering was a joke, and I had a cheapo radio for that - didn't use it much. Traded it with a friend for a Kyosho electric plane. Barely used that. Had an electric boat, fun modding that up. Flew a Gentle Lady, then an RO8 - that was pretty nice. Built a .40 size trainer, flew it twice, built a .40 sized aerobatic bipe - never flew it. Did some slope soaring in Long Beach Ca with a plane I can't remember the name of. That was fun. Bought a HARM 1/5 scale to rob engine, clutch, shocks, brakes, and diff from to use in my own design. Pretty much everything else I designed and built. Didn't really enjoy driving it as much as I thought though - nothing like the real thing.

Now that I have some land I'd like to try a helicopter. Too many damn projects...

Doc Watson · 01-18-07, 02:19 PM

I've been flying rc for about 10 years on and off..... i'm getting a little adventurous with my latest project though.... a VTOL X35b.....

X-35B VTOL Project

Andy

Paul Thompson 'Hooligan' · 01-18-07, 03:29 PM

Andy (1) - I visited you recently? - are you associated with Hobbystores of Southampton...?

Actually - it all falls into place now..... The shop I visited recently, I'd been to before, some years ago, when it was called 'Solent Models' and purchased some new Computer Radio gear for my cars. I vaguely remember seing something then about a model jet engine, either at the shop or online and now, seing you on the Jetcat site with your model jet history, I guess the connection is there... If you recognised me instore, you should have said hello... Do you still fly the turbine models? - Please drop me a line if you are displaying any at future events, I'd like a look...

Of course if its not you, then I'm even more confused....

Andy (2) - Great looking project the X-35B... I'm always amazed at the ingenuity of people, especially with something that has not been done before. At least the full-size ones have probably a dozen or more computers working to keep them aloft, you will no doubt have your hands full trying to cope with that one...

Chris - Blimey, you've collected some models over time! - I notice too that some of them get built and not flown/used (or very little). This I guess means that the 'engineer' in you likes the design/build stage possibly even more than the completion of said model... Sounds very familiar to me!

MartinGough · 01-18-07, 03:52 PM

I have a number of R/C Helis and have been into the hobby for a few years. I have a few scale machines the best being a huey turbine which I am looking to sell. Its a great hobby and one that requires complete concentration otherwise it get`s very expensive.

Andy Sheldon · 01-18-07, 08:09 PM

Paul

No I do not work for Hobbystores.

I own Tornado Sports Cars.

I fly jets most weekends and at a lot of displays and events.

Thanks

Andy

Peter D · 01-19-07, 01:19 AM

No R/C flying - just floating - yachts.

I built a 10-Rater (about 6ft long) years ago & raced it for a while - did ok, but not at the front of things as mine was a carvel planked timber hull & was more than twice the weight of the modern glass racing hulls.

Next project was a scale model of Hereshoff's 1915 135ft schooner Mariette (the model is 6ft "length over deck" & about 8ft "length over all"). This project got interrupted a few years ago by the GT40 build, but now that is "almost" done, I am back into it. The hull is done (glass/balsa plank sandwich) & I am now into the R/C sail control issues - what fun !

The 1st attached pic is the hull planked in balsa, all faired & sitting over the temporary section frames. (I got all the lines & sections from Robert Eddy - probably the world's foremost yacht model builder) - check out his web-site if you want to be amazed at the sort of detail that can be achieved :

Yacht Models by Robert H. Eddy & Associates

The second pic shows the hull glassed up in and out, & with some of the frames installed.

Kind Regards,

Peter D.