Photos from H Store flying night are on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMnrnD-jMEw

Had a great night on Saturday at the H Hobbies Indoor night at Sutherland. Well organised and very friendly. I even won the lucky door prize of a micro helicopter.

Flew the PC9 (Plantraco control) , DC3 and Pond racer (X Twin), and others. Mr Mulligan flew but not for long. Dads GWS tiger flew so smooth and scale like it attracted comments.

Saw some very good pilots doing 3D with Helis and Planes. Impressive.

Thanks guys see you next time.

Had fun last week at Doonside fying some small outdoor models. Most fun with upgraded 15 year old Pitts and slightly newer Bonzo. Both flew originally with geared brushed motors and nicads, but now have been updated with some cheap outrunners, small rx, servos and controllers and good lipos. Performance boost is incredible with true Pitts type performance.
Pitts is 500mm and 280g, Bonzo is 550mm and 200g. All balsa and film covering.

On the indoor scene I have converted my Plantraco Tx from Mode 2 to mode 1 because like most Australians, I learnt to fly with elevator on the left stick. Did the mod for Don Costelloe too. (yes I checked with the factory first and made sure I did not mess anything up). Missed indoor night for October due to other committments, and November is always dubious because of exams in the school hall, so might be quiet on the indoor scene till december.

Mr Mulligan has flown, well at least across the room.
It now weighs 2.5g with a new Full River 10mil cell and bahoma connections to a cut down Tanaka IR receiver. The new Sharp SMT IR sensor allows elimination of a lot of components, PCB and weight.
Unfortunately I was doing a similar lightenning job on another receiver and dropped it onto the polished floor, and two days of searching have failed to find it. I accused the dog of eating it but he admits nothing. Such is life in the micro electronic world.

Not many posts but I have been spending some time with my indoor models.

I have resurected my Infra Red Tanaka gear and am trying to fly my 4 inch Mr Mulligan. Since giving up a few years ago I have removed the gearbox and balsa/plastic prop and installed a micro copter tail rotor. A new SMD sharp IR sensor also saved some weight and bulk. But it is still almost 4g with a 50 mil lipo and that is too heavy. It seems to be stable but does not hold height. Hoping a new 20 mil cell on order will improve potential.

I am inspired enough to have bought some new 4mm pager motors as I think my old ones are getting sick. Metal brushes just do not last. The deH Comet will get back to life with any luck.

I have just added some Plantraco 900MHz RC to my old Bit PC9. Its nice to have proportional power and rudder, and now it is available I will add elevator control.

The Plantraco gear is tiny, and good range.

I initially had some problems wih the Rx and despite some time delays with distance and timezone stagger Plantraco have exchanged the RX for a new one without issues.

Lie most Australians I fly with elevator on the left stick, but the Plantraco is set up the americal way with throttle on the left and eleavtot on the right with rudder or aileron. So I need to practice their way on the simulator. (Plantraco comes with cable and software for computer simulator using the TX)

A bit of History

My father was an aeromodeller and engine builder so I grew up with models and modeling.

When he could afford it he went flying full size cesnas and modelling activity declined. Then we both dicovered sailing and that took over our lives.

When dad retired from sailing we both went modle flying again. He took on mostly gliders and Old Timers and I addopted electric flight.

In the 1980s electric was experimental, either cheap and nasty, build it you self or expensive and not very much better.

My time is now plit between sailing and modelling with more modelling in winter.

And I am mostly interested insmall models up to anout 200g.

Some of my small models are on the Working Pager Motor Powered Model thread of RC groups: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=225017&page=4&highlight=working+pager

Pager powered Bit RC foam racers:

I was trying to model all of the Thompson Trophy winners fromthe Golden Age of air racing. Not all of them are shown because there were a few which I never got to fly well.



I will add a few more pictures from time to time.

600mm Sopwith Pup with GWS geared motor