CLUB NEWS

Web Page uploaded for the first time.

Club meet at the flying field, what a day's flying. The flying included Considerable low level fly byes, grass cutting and daisy cutting. Some of the first club members take off's were achieved successfully, even though the grass is sheep munch long.

Engines needed a little adjustment due to a warm environment, but once adjusted provided peek performance. I personally tried Model Techniques synthetic fuel 10% and found a marked improvement to the performance of the OS 20FP engine, allowing confidence on low level passes.

Check out the photos from this morning in pit news.

Finally the club is currently running a competition on building and flying the BMFA Frog. The first completed model was tested this weekend. Check out the Pit news for photos.

OS 25 Two Stroke Failure to Start

This morning I arrived at the field for a couple of hours flying, carried out all pre flight checks fueled up and commenced starting procedure. To my surprise the engine failed to start (normally starts within 4 to 5 flicks of the prop even on cold mornings). After many attempts by flicking I finally resorted to using a starter, the engine burst into life racing at full revs, throttle control inactive.

I shut down and checked radio and throttle control were operating correctly no problem. Puzzling as the last flight a week previous had no problems and all post flight checks were in order. Started engine once more, still racing at full revs no throttle control, stopped engine by pinching the fuel supply tube.

I decided I would investigate once more but could not find an answer. Although colleagues did checks of their own they to could not find the answer so while they were flying I checked once more, this time as I operated the throttle and I saw the throttle assembly move, I checked further, yes, the assembly was loose I must have lost a securing screw at the end of my last flight a week previous.(Kelly's Law).

The engine was sucking air from the "o" ring joint (see photograph biro pen pointing at the joint in pit news).As this part of the engine was concealed in the nose removal of engine was necessary. No flying that day frustrating.

Checking engines pre and post flights for loose parts particularly those concealed has been added to our checks.

I expect many of you very regular flyers have come across this before so you can chuckle! but for the unsuspecting beware this could happen to you.

Dalotel First Fly

Yes this was a remarkable day I must say, for all of you who know that feeling of first flight you know what I was going through.

In the summer of 1986 I purchased a magazine called "Radio Control Scale Aircraft". At the time my flying was just out of the learner school, and the free plan of a scaled down version of David Boddington's Dalotel DM-165 Viking (47" wing span) was very tempting. Over the next few years I considered the build over and over again but other models took priority. Eventually in the early 90's I started to build, but like so many of us work became the main occupation (not flying). So the build went up the loft and stayed there until 1995 when I was able to finish the plane. Built in rented accommodation away from the beloved workshop the plane finally arrived on the flying field again after changing jobs in the autumn of 1996 (10 years later from purchasing the magazeen).

The plane was powered by a Super Tiger 45 and was to become the most frustrating thing that day as it would not start. (Previously in the Flair Magnattila II which had flown a dream). The problem found later was the personally manufactured exhaust. It proved to be too restrictive. Still after the best part of an hour the engine was running enough to attempt a quick round the tree tops flight.

Launch was fine and the plane flew away with the nerve wobble of a inexperienced low wing pilot. After circling the filed I decided that was enough and could not risk battery failure etc. So I passed down the dog leg of approach slowing in anticipation for the turn into runway approach. To my horror and thoughts around me as I turned into runway approach the plane spun and fell out of the sky, behind the hedge on the boundary of the field.

When I arrived to inspect the damage I was dismayed as there was very little of the plane I could recognize. Behind the hedge was a wire link fence which the Dalotel had passed right through, just like a cheese grater.

We all ask WHY? did it happen, I had no idea it had never happened on the trainers, or the Magnattila II, had I built it incorrectly? I would never know....!

After arriving home with the bits I decided to have another go so in the spring of 2001 I sifted through the bits and salvaged what I could, finally finishing MKII December 2001. (Feeling much more confident in my flying capability having just spent a week in Corfu at the RC Hotel where I had passed my "A" certificate and had flown low wing aircraft.

I waited until a calm day (or as close to) and proceeded to the field. Wind was present, and snow was on the hills, and rain was coming!!!!. But after engine start (first time with the engines original silencer on this time, forsaking scale details) a launch was made.

This time airborne activities were fine, with an occasional twitch if elevator was applied in a slow aileron turn. Finally after successfully passing the flying test the landing was attempted (remembering the previous time) I began my approach, would you believe it it did it again spinning and sliding out of the sky. I watched in horror again, but this time my reactions were quicker, the plane was closer and I managed to right it before landing rather un-ceremonially bending one undercarriage leg and breaking the prop.

Investigating the aircraft later that day proved the control surfaces were as prescribe and functioning correctly. What had caused this problem for the second time???. I can only assume the same problem had occurred as it did when in flight, at slow speeds the plane must not have to much elevator applied in turns.

Has anyone had similar occurrence's?? or could they explain an alternative reason for this eventuality.

Still the plane fly's, and well at that just got to get used to the increased speed....

For those of you wishing to see the first flight I've prepared a short Real Player movie file you can find on the movies page or use the quick link below. Its quite a large file so download may take a while. Dalotel_first_fly.rm

Mark

Web Page updated, pit news constructed, links added and movies page added. BFMA news bulletin's made zip files for ease of down loading.

Movie link corrected, you require real movie player to view this file.

I wil be adding a projects page shortly, showing some of the clubs build projects. In perticular one of our jouiner members is to starting to build a Flair Legionaire, another the Chippy featured some months ago in RC model world and I'm just about to start building a control line wing 38" the Tamer Line.

No flying due to poor whether conditions

BFMA bulletin's and Mid Wes mins added.

Disaster, once again the Dalotel, beets me in the air, anyone got any ideas on why the right hand wing tip drops and puts the plane into a spin.?

Update to club photo pages, Film page,

Flying this easter weekend.

BMFA bullatin issue added to BFMA news.

Web page re-activated after a spell was placed on the HDD and killed the web masters PC.