1E.F.-U.K.

THE MAGAZINE OF THE

BRITISH ELECTRIC

FLIGHT ASSOCIATION

U.K.ELECTRIC FLIGHTISSUE No. 93 SUMMER 2008

2 E.F.-U.K.

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3E.F.-U.K.

Electric Flight - U.K. Issue 93 - SUMMER 2008

"To Encourage and Further all Aspects of Electric Model Flight inthe British Isles and Elsewhere" - B.E.F.A. Constitution

BEFA Committee 2006/7 ......................... 4Chairman's Chatter ................................ 5Current Lines ........................................ 5Foamboard Trio ..................................... 6One Boy’s Tiggie ................................... 9Electric Engine Sound ............................ 10A sad tale ........................................... 15The IMAX B6 Charger .................... 16Fairey Long-Range Monoplane part 2 ...... 18

CONTENTS

DISCLAIMERB.E.F.A. and Electric Flight U.K. wish to point out that the content, techniques and opinions expressedin this magazine are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views ofeither the Editor of this magazine or B.E.F.A. and its committee.

© All information in this magazine is copyright of the authors. Any request to use informationfrom this magazine is to be made to the editor (contact details overleaf).

All reasonable care is taken in the preparation and compilation of the magazine, but B.E.F.A. andits committee cannot be held liable for any error or omission in the content of this magazine orany subsequent damage or loss arising howsoever caused.

To allow proper appreciation of the photographs used, colour copies of them will beposted on the B.E.F.A. website after publication of this magazine. If you can, checkthem out at www.befa.org.uk

Cover Photo: Lee MarshallSee article on page 10 Electric Engine Sound by John Ranson

Next Issue: The copy date for the Autumn 2008 issue is 10th September 2008with the magazine due for publication by October 2008.

TLC from your TLO .............................. 24It Aint Half Hot Mum ............................ 28New-2-U ............................................. 32Electric Flight Calendar ......................... 40For Sale / Wanted ................................ 42Wanted by the Editor ............................ 44New to Electric Flight? Start Here ........... 45BEFA Sales .......................................... 46Advertisers Index ................................. 46

4 E.F.-U.K.

BEFBEFBEFBEFBEFA CommittA CommittA CommittA CommittA Committee 2008/9ee 2008/9ee 2008/9ee 2008/9ee 2008/9Chairman Robert Mahoney

123 Lane End Road, High Wycombe, Bucks. HP12 4HFEmail: robert@rlmahoney.co.uk

Secretary Jan BassettWebmaster 111 Plantagenet Chase, Yeovil, Somerset BA20 2PRSouth West Representative Tel. 01935 472 743

Email: sec@befa.ef-uk.net or webster@befa.ef-uk.net

Treasurer Bob SmithMembership Secretary 1 Lynwood Avenue, Tollesby, Middlesborough, Cleveland. TS5 7PDNorthern Representative Email: bobsmith7@sky.com

EF-UK Editor Jill Day6 Starboard Walk, Littlehampton, West Sussex, BN17 6QLEmail: editor@befa.ef-uk.net

Events Co-ordinator Terry Stuckey31 Dysart Avenue, Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey. KT2 5QZEmail: terrystuckey@blueyonder.co.uk

Welfare Officer Dave ChinerySouthern Representative 251 Station Road, Hayes, Middx. UB3 4JD

Email: DavidDchinery@aol.com

Indoor & Free-Flight Rep. John Thompson19 Park Avenue, Liversedge, West Yorks, WF15 7EQEmail: johnty99@ntlworld.com

Technical Liaison Officer Alan Bedingham17 Highcliffe Close, Wickford, Essex. SS11 8JZEmail: bbba18333@blueyonder.co.uk

Safety Adviser David Beavor34 Chestnut Close, Brampton, Huntingdon, Cambs., PE28 4TPEmail: wbeavor@connectfree.co.uk

Public Relations Officer Vacant

Competitions Secretary Vacant

Midlands Rep. Vacant

Please enclose an SAE with all correspondence to the committee.

5E.F.-U.K.

Welcome to the Summer edition of yourmagazine. Thank you to John

Norman for sending in not one, but twoarticles for this edition. I think some of youwill possibly relate to his article, on page 9,with some empathy! Likewise, Jan Bassett’sordeal by sprout, on page 15. There is alsosomething for the ‘boy’ in all of you fromJohn Ranson, sounds good! And of coursethank you for all the regular contributionsfrom the experts.

With the change back to a paper copy ofthe magazine, I have listed below the dates

you can expectto receive yourcopy, and thefinal dates forsubmissions.Hopefully, byDecember, I willbe able tocomply with these dates.

Enjoy your flying in this lovelyweather…well it’s lovely in Littlehampton!

JillSPRING = MARCH Copy date February 15thSUMMER = JUNE Copy date May 15thAUTUMN = SEPTEMBER Copy date August 15thWINTER = DECEMBER Copy date November 15th

Welcome to your issue of Electric Flight UKNo 93 for the summer of 2008. This is oursecond printed version, since going awayfrom the electronic version. I have receivedgood reports that you like the magazinedropping through your letter box. I wouldlike to thank Jill Day for the tireless workshe does on the magazine, and I wouldappreciate more articles and photos for herplease.

So far this year I have been to the PhoenixMFC, Lowestoft, Suffolk, and to the BMFASouthern Area Fly-in, near Winchester,where my Aeronca C2/3 came 3rd. Mythanks go to both organizers for all the hardwork in giving all the flyers a wonderful dayout.

A little bit off information on the Phoenixclub, it is the UK’s most easterly modelflying club and was the flying club of the

late Tom TaylorBEFA firsttreasurer. Youshould giveboth of theseevents a gonext year.

Middle Wallop!What do I say…I did book the weather, butnot the weather we had that weekend. Thebest day was the Sunday, when in theafternoon we held an informal scale eventfor a lovely pint beer tankard. This was wonby Martin Tremlett, with his fabulousTaylorcraft BF65. There will be photos inthe next issue.

Well that’s all for this issue, and all I cansay is Keep the Watts Up and fly safe!

Robert MahoneyCurrent LinesCurrent LinesCurrent LinesCurrent LinesCurrent Lines

Chairman’s ChatterChairman’s ChatterChairman’s ChatterChairman’s ChatterChairman’s Chatter

6 E.F.-U.K.

Foamboard TrioBy John Norman

The three models above were scratch-built,mainly out of foamboard and other paper-based materials

As the name suggests, Foamboardconsists of a layer of foam between

two cover sheets of paper- like a sheet ofDepron covered on both sides with paper.It’s light and stiff, and having nosignificant grain, very easy to cut andwork with. Some foamboards are attackedby solvent glues and paints, but the oneused on these models (called ‘Kapa’) isresistant to these substances, and is ofsuperior quality generally.

Foamboard crops up now and then inmagazine articles, but most modellers

seem to be altogether unaware of thisversatile material.

I work in the stationery trade, and sohave had access to foamboard, and otherpaper-based products, which I’ve used tosome degree or other in most of themodels I’ve made over the last twodecades.

The biplane in the photo is ‘Kapa Moth’and is totally original. The Seafire and theHunter were adapted from free magazineplans.

7E.F.-U.K.

Kapa Moth has flat-plate wings madefrom pieces of 5mm thick foamboardedged with balsa. The tail plane and finare from 6mm thick Depron. The wings arebraced with nylon fishing line and twointerplane struts cut from homemade ply -a card/balsa/card sandwich. The fuselageis a conventional slab-sider using 3mmthick foamboard for the sides and thin

card for the top and bottom. The insideof the fuselage has some balsareinforcement, and a horizontal foamboardplate strengthens the nose area, andprovides support for the motor. Themodel is rigged at zero degrees with alittle right thrust. It has an AXI 2212outrunner with 3s/1250 (15C) Lipos.Weighs 22oz. Span is 700mm.

The fuselage, and wing planform of theHunter, was cut in one piece out of asheet of 5mm foamboard. The top surfaceof the wing was scored spanwise, and thewings creased and glued to create 3mm ofcamber/undercamber. To what extent thisaccords with aerodynamic theory I don’tknow, but I work on the ‘suck it and see’principle, and it seemed to me a bit of

camber might help. The fuselage was builtonto the foamboard crutch plate withvertical keels top and bottom, andquartered formers to give shape.Covering, is thin card with blotting paperon the curvy bits, supported here andthere with shaped foam or balsa blocks.

Kapa Moth’s main components. To facilitate accurate rigging,the lower tapered rear end of the fuselage was left attached until after assembly

8 E.F.-U.K.

Plan form of Hunter fuselage and wing.The whole model was built on to this crutch-plate.

Dotted lines show where top surface was cut and creased for camber.

As with the biplane, decalage is zero. Thefolding pusher prop is driven by a Mega16/7/7 inrunner and 3s/2100 LiPos. Modelweighs 25oz. Span is 660mm.Unlike the other two models, the Seafire(Mark 22 Spitfire really) has a bolt-onwing. The foamboard wing plate wasscored and creased to create dihedral,with a little washout at the tips. Theconstruction of the fuselage is similar tothe Hunter, and the tailplane and fin are6mm Depron. Decalage is plus twodegrees. It has a Mega 16/15 inrunnerwith 3s/950 LiPos and it weighs 24oz.Span is 915mm.

All three models were low cost, easy tobuild, and perform well. Experts say, flatplate wings aren’t efficient. Myexperience with this trio, and othermodels, suggests otherwise. It may be todo with size, perhaps larger wingswouldn’t work. But on the other hand,large wings with fully symmetricalsections work, don’t they? Anytheoreticians out there want to put meright?E-mail johnnorman5@aol.com and/orsend our Editor an article.

John Norman

9E.F.-U.K.

One Boy’s TiggieBy John Norman

In aviation circles Tiger Moth stories abound. Mine is a fable.Out for an afternoon’sflying, my wife and I, loaded with two models apiece, and their attendant

paraphernalia, encountered three boys on a footpath.“Are you going to let them off?”“That’s what we’ve come for.”“Wow! We’ll come and watch.”

As a small Tiger Moth was the only model already assembled it was quickly fuelled-up and launched. After struggling manfully for about thirty seconds against a wind,which was much too strong for it, the Tiggie had climbed to around twenty feet.At this point one of the youngsters exclaimed with undisguised scorn, “Ugh, what asilly little thing!” Whereupon all three turned on their heels and stomped off.

MORAL: to impress young boys, fly a model,which is more a TIGER, and less a Moth!

John’s scratch-built, 36" span Tiger Moth, has a Model Motors’ AC1215with gearbox, a 9 x 6 prop and 3S Lipos. Weight 24 oz

10 E.F.-U.K.

Electric Engine SoundBy John Ranson

Quiet flight? That’s no good on aSpitfire. What do we want? - Some

Rolls Royce Merlin engine sound. Whendo we want it? – Now!If you have an electric scale model and itsounds a bit quiet then why not bring it tolife? Does the model have the ability totake a small amount of sound payload?Could you fit a small speaker or even two init? Well, if so, then read on…The ability to fit genuine proportionalengine sound is now easier and the resultsare now louder. As with so many ideas, ittook a bit of time to develop and there arealways improvements out there to have ago at, but it is easily a practical proposition.

Back in 2004 after seeing and hearing R/Ctanks with true engine sound, I met up withthe designer of the sound circuits, aThomas Benedini in Germany. Wediscussed the possibility of sound in amodel plane. He was receptive to the ideaand we set out on a series of tests. Hemodified his tank sound circuits foraeroplane use, and I put one in a plane totest for interference first, and then soundoutput.Our old trainer model ‘heap of the week’was duly loaded up with the sound circuitjust to see if the whole lot was to comeplummeting out of the sky. It didn’t, and Iam pleased to say that, so far, interference

Photo: Lee Marshall

11E.F.-U.K.

has never been a problem. However, thesound output was not enough.Over the last four years the circuits havebeen refined and now the sound power ismany times more than it was in thebeginning. Thomas has just released hislatest Mini sound controller circuit and hisamplifiers can be powered from the flightbatteries. Have a look on his websitewww.benedini.de The only limitation to thesound output now is the weight of theloudspeakers, which can be carried.Strangely, the sound output isproportional to the payload weight andevery time the weight is doubled, so is thesound output.The basic kit is a Benedini soundcircuit preloaded with a particularengine sound, plus an amplifier (ortwo) and a loudspeaker (or two).The sound circuit is the size of apostage stamp and the amplifier isabout the size of a conventionalreceiver. At the moment we are stillon analogue amplifiers, which donot give interference, but do needcooling. I often put them in theradiators of the planes (Bf109 andthe Spitfire), and this works reallywell.I have tried many loudspeakers to find thebest versions. Some promise to give

fantastic output, but when testedthey often disappoint. However,two speakers have been used andare proving to be good for thelighter models. The Visaton R10S4" speaker weighs 6ozs and theVisaton FRS10WP 4" speakerweighs 13ozs, but gives twice thesound power output. This speakerwas discovered by Pete Nicholson,and he put two in his super P47.

Anyone, who heard that lovely radialburbling away, would have beenimpressed.For a small model then the ‘half poundsound’ has been developed to use in say a10lb model. This is use in my 68" wingspanBrian Taylor Bf109 giving 97dBa at 1 metre.For a 100" model, like my Beaufighter orHE111 weighing about 16lbs, then ‘onepound sound’ has been used with two 4"R10S speakers. This gives 100dBa at 1metre.My 100" Hornet twin, weighing 28lbs, usesthe ‘two pound sound’ system with twoheavy duty 4" FRS10WP speakers, and thelatest Brian Taylor 83" Spitfire, weighing18½lbs, uses a modified ‘two pound

The new Benedini sound circuit

The Benedini sound circuitlinked into the 50v Amplifier

12 E.F.-U.K.

sound’ system with three speakers andgives 103dBa at 1metre.Recently, Tony Nijhuis fitted a ‘four poundsound’ to his lovely Lancaster, and thisreally sounds good. So the limitation isonly what the model can safely take as anadditional payload.Thomas has been loading up differentengine sounds, so if you would like aRolls-Royce Merlin or a huge P&W radialsound then this can be allpreloaded into the circuit. It islinked into the speed controllerreceiver output lead and his circuitcan totally fail without affecting thespeed controller. It is programmedto increase the engine soundproportionally by advancing thethrottle stick. The engine start andstop sequence are separate trueengine recordings and are triggeredby another channel using a threeposition switch on the transmitter.This channel is also used toactivate the gun sound if required.Outputs from this new Mini Benedini

circuit can now be used tosimultaneously flash high powerLED lights in the guns to wake upthat Bf109 in front. I amexperimenting with different LEDsand resistors on the Spitfire andhave found that the effect iseffective even in sunlight.I don’t think I will make an electricscale plane now without the soundsystem. So if you are thinking offitting one in your plane you reallyneed to concentrate on the speakerposition and its box. A normal loud

speaker will give out a negative soundwave from the back, which can cancel outthe sound wave from the front, so thesound at the back of the speaker has to becontained. This can be done by using thefuselage or the wing as a sound box andeven 1/16th sheet balsa is a good start as asound box. 2mm or even 3mm Lite ply isbetter, but not absolutely necessary.The loudspeaker position must be suitableof course for the C of G of the model. Thelarger the speaker box the better. However,in my bf109 the box is very small (about 1litre) and the sound output is still good. I

Spitfire wing with two Visaton R10S 4"speakers and two 50v Amplifiers with largerheat sinks. The FRS10WP speaker will goin the centre section

Spitfire wing with the removableradiator to cover the speaker

13E.F.-U.K.

Photo: Lee Marshall

The speakers are hidden away

Photo: Lee Marshall

Spitfire pass with Merlin engine sound

14 E.F.-U.K.

fit my speakers so they are facing down,and then they do not get noticed so much. Ialso think that the sound gets directedtowards the listeners better. Others mountthem in the front or the sides. We are allexperimenting.We are also trying to boost the lowfrequencies as these are the frequenciesthat travel well. This can be done with areflex hole cut in the side of the speaker boxbut it needs to be sized to the volume of thespeaker box and the particular loudspeaker.The amplifier can be powered from aseparate battery, or from the main flightpack. It really depends on the voltage ofyour system. There is an excellent 40 WattBenedini amplifier which will drive two 4"speakers and works on 12-18 volts. Theother mono amplifier, which ThomasBenedini can provide, will accept up to 50v(12s Lipos) and I use two of these on theSpitfire.

I have no commercial interest in thesecircuits, but I am pleased to see the idea iscatching on, and that people are buying thecircuits. Other manufacturers are gettinginvolved as well. It is now being used onelectric scale planes in the States, Europeand Oz. Last year at Basingstoke we hadthree electric planes in the air with recordedsound. It was a Bob Partington’s Spitfire,Tony Nijhuis’s Lancaster and my Hornet.That was six Merlins and a Griffon. Rolls-Royce was truly represented that day.On a quiet evening the new 18lb Spitfiresounds just lovely with the Merlin enginesound. The Doppler Effect makes it reallyrealistic in a low pass. To my mind at least,the scale effect has jumped on anothernotch.

John Ransonranson@talktalk.net

Will Beavor’s ‘Miles M52’ at the 2008 Middle Wallop event

Photo: Robert Mahoney

15E.F.-U.K.

...the Brussels Sprout strikes back!

A sad tale from Jan Bassett reFlyCat by Haoye Model - Part 2

Unfortunately I’ve had an accident (see

picture below). My FlyCat hit a Brussels

Sprout stalk after I lost signal on the

maiden flight (the range check was OK).

This means the 2nd part of my article won’t

be ready for this issue. I have a

replacement fuselage, and should have it

flying again fairly soon (if I can find time)

and will complete the article then.

Regards

Jan

16 E.F.-U.K.

The IMAX B6 Chargersimple and efficient

By John Thompson

Having had several chargers over theyears I have been using one of these

for about three months now and, not beinga technical man, have found it simple andeffective in operation, unlike some far moreexpensive ones that I have tried.

This well made compact unit will charge 1 to15 Nimh/Nicads, 1 to 6 Lipol/Li-ions/LiFe, or2 to 20v Pb batteries, and has acomprehensive clear two line display givinga constant reading of what is happening.

Lithium based cells can be charged ordischarged through the balancing circuitusing the built in connectors.

Specification from the handbook

Li-ion use a level of 3.6volts per cell with amaximum of 4.1 and minimum of 2.5volts percell.

Lipoly use a level of 3.7volt per cell, with amaximum of 4.2 and minimum of 3.0volts percell.

Imax charger package

Imax charger faceplate

Imax charger Powerand Temperature Sensor Sockets

Life use a level of 3.3volts per cell, with amaximum of 3.6 and minimum of 2.0volts percell and a 4C allowable charge rate.

Nicad/Nimh level at 1.2 volts, charge at 1 or2 C depending on cell performance, and cutoff at 0.85v for Nicad and 1.0 volt per cellfor Nimh

17E.F.-U.K.

Yuneec Pro-Copter

Imax Charger Balancing Sockets

Yuneec Helicopter Mirror Image

Yuneec Helicopter complete package

Yuneec Helicopter Transmitter

PBs level at 2.0Volts per cell and maximum2.46 have an allowable fast charge at 0.4C orless with a cut off at 1.75 volts per cell.

NOTE - I have only tried Lipo’s on mycharger

Two handy features are a fast chargeprogram for Lipos which for safety gives aslighty lower capacity, and a useful charge/discharge one for cells which are to bestored away.

The unit has a memory to retain the settingsfor up to five of your most used packs, atime saving feature.

As well as a normal 12 volt input there isalso a co-ax socket for an 11 to 18voltpower supply.

A selection of good quality leads issupplied with Deans type plugs fittedincluding, normal Rx battery, Crocodiles,JST, and even one for you oily’s for yourGlow Plug!

18 E.F.-U.K.

There is also a socket for a temperature cutoff sensor as an added precaution, availableas an extra.

The charger instructions are a welcomechange in that they are easy to understandand have excellent diagrams.

This package is in a neat substantial alloycase and at an attractive price.

I believe there are also smaller and largerversions of this unit.

John Thompson

Fairey Long-Range MonoplanePart 2

By Dave Chinery

In Part 1, I had reached the stage ofapplying a “king’s-ransoms-worth” of

silver Oratex to the model, and was ready todecorate it. Oratex is the “tex” companion towhat is known in the UK as “Profilm” butcalled ‘Oracover’ on the Continent. It isexpensive but superior to all Britishequivalents (sorry, Mr Solar) and usuallyunobtainable in the UK. I usually buy itwhen visiting the big Intermodellbauexhibition in Dortmund every April.

Anyway, back to the model!

The huge roundels were hand-cut using ahome-made ‘trammel’ and added from thesame grade of vinyl as the machine-cutK1991 registration letters under the stb’dwing. Smaller detail marking were generatedon my PC and applied using a Jet-Cal typematerial forming home-made waterslidetransfers.

Body languageLike the wings, the fuselage is also madeusing a balsa/ply box for the primarystructure, which is mostly covered in slabsof blue-foam (Styrofoam), which are thensanded to the final rounded shape, less thethickness of the dummy stringers. The cowland nose area are laminated from lightish12mm balsa sheet. Because of the short

nose of the model, the radio and servo trayis positioned well forward. The lattercontains three standard-size servos. Twoelevator servos operate in parallel with alink bar in between the two outputs. This(a) doubles the force available to move thelarge elevators, and (b) retains at least halfthe control throw in the event of one of theservos failing. A long, double-taperedcarbon tube pushrod operates the elevatorsfrom the middle of the link bar. The rudderservo sits between and slightly below theothers and operates the rudder via a closed-loop linkage which replicates the visiblerear section of the wires on the real thing.

The AXI 4130/20 motor is radial-mounted toa ply bulkhead and turns a 19 x 10 APC-Epropeller with tips modified to resemble aFairey-Reed metal prop. The twist of theblade of the model propeller near the hub isvery similar to the real one, which wasactually twisted from a flat slab ofduralumin during production. Shame theydon’t make left-hand ones, though! Thespinner was home-made from GRP to thecorrect shape.

The water-cooled Lion engine of the realaircraft was fitted in a clean, closely-cowledinstallation which promised to make itdifficult to cool the model motor. However,

19E.F.-U.K.

study of the archive photosshowed a pair of ‘nostril’ intakesjust below the spinner, allowing airin, now the problem was where tolet it out without un-scaleopenings! The answer was to movethe spinner forward another 2mmfrom the nose ring and addcentrifugal fan “blades” on the rearof the backplate, allowing the air tobe ‘pumped’ out!

Further back, the huge wing centre-section is stuck on top of the wooden boxframe and blended-in to the roundedfuselage turtle-deck. Presently, it containsthe 10-channel PCM RX and the switch butwill eventually also house the engine-sound-system electronics.

Landing GearThe smaller previous models had piano-wirecantilever main landing gear, with thevertical legs to the wing as dummies. Thenew, larger model has the correct scale unitswith a ‘wishbone’ each side hinged freely totwo steel pivots, made from B+Q doorhinges, each side of the lower fuselage. Thescale vertical struts are sprung by rubber intension (three of the Post Office’s best redrubber bands) each side. An extra band willbe added each side after the heavy soundsystem is added, increasing the model’sweight by about 2lb. At the bottom of thesprung legs, the joint has to accommodatemovement in several directions, and I wasfortunate enough to find a set of giant-sizethrough-hole ball links to do the job. The7mm diameter balls came drilled and tappedfor M3 screws but I was able to grip them inthe lathe and drill them out 4mm to fit on theinner ends of the wheel axles. The mouldednylon links have shanks big enough toscrew in M4, or in my case, 4BA steel studswhich form the bottom end of the metal

sprung struts. Being nylon, I was doubtfulwhether even these big ball links would bestrong enough in a heavy landing wherethe springs would “bottom” and the strutsbecome “solid”, but they haven’t brokenyet in spite of two inadvertent extremetests!

After some searching, I was lucky to find(on EBay) a pair of 6.5" diameter WilliamsGolden Era wheels, perfect for the job.These were bushed with PTFE inserts tomake them run freely but may be ball-racedlater when the huge GRP spats are finishedand fitted.

The remaining part of the landing gear, thetailskid, is also highly detailed and well-illustrated in the published drawings. Theactual skid that contacts the ground isshaped just like the bowl of a small spoon,so I obtained a suitable one from a charityshop, cut off the handle, and soldered it onto the realistically-complicated wire strutsand dummy spring.

The devil is in the detail!As I have mentioned, the level of detail onthe scale drawings was a real challenge tome to reproduce as much visible detail aspossible. One example is the pilot’s lower

Pilot and throttle-box detailclearly visible in the cockpit

20 E.F.-U.K.

window, to the side of his seat and fromabout waist level down. Prominent in thishighly visible opening is the throttle boxmounted on one of the frame struts, whichis clearly shown in some of the originalphotos. In the full-size, this carries a longball-ended lever for the throttle and ashorter one for the mixture. I managed tofold a piece of aluminium strip to reproducethe ‘figure 8’ shape of the ‘gate’ and acouple of glass-headed pins form thelevers. Inside the ‘throttle box’ and framesection, the pilot’s waist, thigh and knee arevisible.

Larger detail items like the scale-profilespinner and landing gear spring-strutfairings were made from GRP, as will be thehuge wheel spats when I get round tomaking them.

Much of the other detail is simple ‘stick-on’stuff, like the many hatches all over theairframe, which are reproduced using

Protrim. The fuel tank hatches on top of thewing have strange triangular ‘handles’,which were included on my page of smalldecals made using a Jet-Cal type product.Smaller markings such as themanufacturer’s build number and (W) (T)markings at the tail end were also done thisway.

One of the fuselage hatches on thestarboard side of the fuselage had an RAFcrest on it. I scanned in the one on the backcover of the 2008 RAF Review (Celebrating90 Years) but it wouldn’t print out properly,so I just cut the one off the magazine, whichwas exactly the right size, and stuck it on!

The photos at the time of the flight mostlyshowed the pilots in RAF uniform but I wasfairly certain they would be in white tropicalflying gear with white ‘flying topees’, sopainted the visible model one to suit. Afterpainting and installing ‘Pontius’, someonegave me a link to actual movie footage of

the LRM on You-tube, and therewere the pilots in white overallsand brown helmets! Assuming hesurvives the many missions I hopeto fly this summer, he will beremoved and repainted next winter!I could go on for some time aboutthe additional detail I have yet to fitbut I’ll leave it for anotheroccasion.

A short life but –The model was finally ready to flyin early July 2007, and because

showers were forecast for the Sunday, Idecided to nip out quickly and test it on theSaturday afternoon. A few finalpreparations like covering the top hatchand setting-up the PCM failsafe werepostponed as not essential for an informalsession.

The servo tray showing the parallelelevator servos operating the pushrod

from the centre hole in the spreader bar. Twice the thrust and I still get half the

movement if one servo fails!Centre rudder servo operates

a closed-loop linkage

21E.F.-U.K.

Arriving at the field, I found half adozen flyers already there, andthey continued to fly while Iprepared the LRM. When I wasready to fly, everybody landed towatch!

The model was lined up on theshorter and narrower of our tworunways and final checks done.With the model pointing straightinto the light breeze, the throttlewas opened and she started to roll,lifting-off after only a few yards andheading skywards with the nose coming up.A swift reduction of power and some downelevator brought things under control untilsufficient height was reached to play withthe elevator trim. With the pitch axis sortedout, I had time to check out the ailerons andturning performance, and found, as I hadexpected, that this was very sluggish andneeded lots of rudder to start or finish aturn. Higher up, a stall was tried and agentle wing-drop resulted, showing no realproblem in the low-speed handling. I foundthat very little power was needed for levelflight, half throttle being sufficient for agentle climb. After a while, I lined-up for alanding approach, which turned out perfectfor distance, but the model touched downto one side of the runway, owing to mydepth perception not being calibrated to theunaccustomed size of the model. In thelonger grass, the landing-run ended with agentle nose-over causing no damage.

Checking the model over, I considered whatI had learned on the first flight. Thetendency to pitch-up at full power was afunction of the tailplane being in thedownwash from the thick wing, the reasonthe majority of the tail was trimmable on thefull-size. I was beginning to wish I hadreplicated this feature more closely in the

model! However, cranking-in the correctamount of down elevator would do thetrick. The turning performance was not asurprise, I had expected the scale-sizeailerons to be ineffective in the wake of thethick wing, and the long span made themodel susceptible to adverse yaw. Asexpected, the landing approach was veryflat, and with the sluggish turning ability, Iwill have to practise sideslipping if I want tofly in confined spaces.

With the model checked-over after theflight, I prepared the second set of Nicadpacks I had brought with me for a secondflight. I found one of the leads had becomeunsoldered from one pack and was ready toabandon the second flight, but decided torecharge one of the packs used on the firstflight, which had been only partlydischarged. Once again, pre-flight checkswere carefully done at the runwaythreshold, with all other models down andothers present standing in the pits towatch.

I opened the throttle and she acceleratedaway, unsticking quickly and putting hernose up. I throttled-back and applied some

Model on “Queen Mary” trailer. Thelong “Jesus bolts” can be seen retaining

the root ends of the wings throughtop and bottom spar lugs

22 E.F.-U.K.

down elevator but nothing happened! Stillat full power, she described a gracefulclimbing then descending arc to the rightand crashed heavily right-wingtip firstabout 100 yards away!

With a model this size, major damage wasinevitable, and so it proved. The left wingwas virtually undamaged, the right winghad folded back at the bolted sparattachment and crushed the rear of the rootstructure, and the fuselage was totallydestroyed back to the wing main spar.However, the tail end of the fuselage and allbut the root end of the starboard wing werestructurally sound, even the Depron toDepron PVA glue joints I was suspicious of,so, after a few days of depression, Icontemplated repairing the model.Meantime, why had the crash happened?

Air Crash Investigation!I won’t bore you with all the detail, butrapidly identified the usual chain ofcontributory factors, eleven in this case,that caused the accident. A change in anyone of these eleven factors would haveprevented or avoided the accidenthappening.

The primary factors were stark and simple.Because I was in a hurry to test the model, I

hadn’t taken time to set the PCM failsafe.Also, because the flying session was aninformal one, a pegboard wasn’t beingused, verbal frequency control (calls of “I’mon 64", etc) was operated instead. Due tothis less than rigorous control, a TX hadinadvertently been left on in the pits, on myfrequency, while everybody was watchingme. My careful pre-flight checks showed upno problems at the runway threshold, butas the model passed the pits, the PCM wentinto ‘lockout’ with full power and slightright bank applied, with the results asdescribed. Other contributory factors weremore minor, for instance, when I found thewire off the ‘flight 2’ Nicad pack, should Ihave taken the hint and abandoned theflight?

I don’t need to spell out the obviouslessons learned, and I am glad theconsequences of the crash were limited tothe model (and my bank balance).

Second Chance!Two months later, the rebuilt Long RangeMonoplane again took to the air, adorned inanother king’s-ransom’s-worth of Oratex.This is unobtainable at short notice in theUK and I was fortunate that best mateRobert Mahoney was able to lend me somefrom his stock. This time, the flights went

OK and the model was put to bedfor the winter while all the detaildescribed above was added.

Transport of delight?For the fateful first outing, I hadexercised ‘droit de seigneur’ andtook the car out to the strip for thefirst flights, something I can onlydo occasionally, not as a routineoperation. We normally park about300 metres away from the strip, andI needed a way to transport the

Now fully assembled

23E.F.-U.K.

LRM along the roughish grass track acrossthe field. It would have needed at least tworeturn journeys to carry it each way, so Ibuilt a ‘Queen Mary’ transport trolley,similar to the special artics used by the RAFfor road transport of aircraft during the1960s. The 6ft long ‘ladder’ frame is madefrom 50 x 15mm softwood, screwed andglued together. The sides are 400mm apartand parallel at the wheel (and fuselagenose) end and curve inwards towards thehandle (and tail) end. The fuselage sits in afoam cradle, which also supports thefloppy, freely hinged, landing gear“wishbones” and wheels, and the tailskid isrubber-banded to a small platform at thehandle end of the trolley. The wings are setvertically, LE-down, each side of thefuselage, attached at the front by spare‘Jesus bolts’ at the correct height, and thetip ends are cradled in foam troughs thatcan teeter to match the angle of the LE. Thewheels, axle and pulling handle came from ashopping trolley the wife managed todestroy! So far, it has worked very well andtransported the model several times overthe rough track with no damage.

Credit where it’s due!Before ending, I would like to record mythanks to Robert Mahoney for all the helphe has given me in producing this model.Although the LRM is now a companion and

even a competitor to his Ryan NYP andother large models, he unstintingly helpedin many ways, some described above. Otherways he helped me include producing themachine-cut registration letters and thevinyl for the roundels, and it was Robertthat tipped me off about the very rare scalewheels on EBay!

PostscriptSo far this year, the model has performedwell at the Bickley and Phoenix Fly-Ins, andI look forward to getting to grips with itstricky flying characteristics at more venuesto come. The sound system is still to beadded, probably next winter, but I amconfident that the model will easily copewith its 2lb extra weight. Once airborne, it israrely necessary to use more than 2/3rdsthrottle and a seven-minute flight used justhalf the capacity of the 2400mAh Nicadsaboard!

Meantime, I am drawing-up plans for mynext big project, an even rarer British 1930’strainer! Watch this space!

Dave Chinery

Ready for takeoff!

24 E.F.-U.K.

TLC from your TLOBy Alan Bedingham

I’ve had a chance to have a go at a 200W/kg glider competition recently – I

understand they call it Esoaring now. Whathappened was that Brian Austin, who Iused to fly gliders with years ago, wasrunning a couple of competitions at a fieldnot ten minutes up the road from me and hekindly let me enter them.

I had a bit of a fiddle with the Silent Dreamto get it to the 200W/kg rules, justchanging the propeller was enough to get itready to go. On the day, I was surprisedhow out of practice I was at this sort ofthing, after all, I hadn’t flown F3J for atleast ten years! Still, I didn’t actually comelast!

Several things struck me about the rulesthat I think need changing to make this sortof competition more popular among electricglider flyers who aren’t dedicatedcompetition flyers.

One is that 200W/kg seems like an awful lotof power to me. It translates to around90W/lb in real money, the sort of powerlevel that’s normally recommended foraggressive aerobatics for things like scalefighters and aerobatic models. The otherpilots taking part were nearly all using hotinrunners and 6 or 7 to 1 gearboxes runningenormous propellers that got these modelsto eye-straining heights with the 30 secondmotor run that you’re allowed. There wasconsiderable discussion on the day aboutthe possibility of reducing the motor run to20 seconds to cut down the launch height.I reckon that this is not the way to go, it

think it might be better to cut the powerback to 150W/kg or even less, opening thecompetition up to people who don’t havesuch deep pockets.

Talking of launch height, Brian Austin hadan altimeter fitted to his ‘plane (more aboutthis later) and was recording launchheights of around 1600 feet! When youconsider that even the best winchlaunched F3J glider can only get amaximum of around 600 feet off a reallygood ping launch, it rather takes away theintent of these rules to produce a self-launching electric glider class that is, likeF3J, highly dependant on thermal seekingskills. I’m not saying that these launchheights make the 10 minute max easy (Iwould have won if it did!), it’s more thecase that it encourages big (so you can seethem high up), light floaters that just amblearound the sky hanging around in thegood bits of air rather than activelyworking the lift.

I don’t understand why there is a 400Wmaximum power limit and yet the rulesallow ‘planes up to 5 kg. Apart from thesheer illogicality of such a rule, it stopsyou using some of the heavier ‘planes outthere, including most second-hand F3Jgliders. You want a bargain? Just go alongto the first competition of the year and pickup last years’ models that are nowhopelessly out of date. I’m not joking,these guys are worse than women when itcomes to following fashion.

25E.F.-U.K.

There is another problem that will bite ifthis class gets popular, and that is theaccuracy (or lack) of the equipment used tocheck that your ‘plane meets the rules.Watt meters vary in their readings, as muchas 3% for the same make, and maybe morewhen comparing different makes. Digitalscales are not accurate either, my twodisagree by 20g per kilo. What do you doif you go to a competition and their kitused for checking shows your ‘plane to beat 210W/kg when your stuff says it’sbelow 200W/kg?

This accuracy thing is poorly understoodby most people. Just because your digitalvoltmeter (say) can read to a thousandth ofa Volt doesn’t mean it’s accurate to thatlevel. Put two of them side by side andthey will show different numbers. The onlyway to get accuracy is to calibrate againsta known, traceable, standard and apply theappropriate correction. One of my jobs,before I became a man of leisure, wastesting. You wouldn’t believe the troublewe had to go to to get accurate results.The equipment we use in our hobby isnowhere near up to this standard. For theprice, it’s pretty good, certainly goodenough for comparative testing using thesame kit each time. Accurate? No.

OK, the weight problem could be eased byhaving a standard 1 kilo weight that goesto all the competitions and is available foryou to check your own scales if you wantto. The watt meter problem is not so easy,someone, somewhere will have to have awatt meter that can trace it’s calibrationback to the NPL so that the one used at thecompetition can be checked andcorrections applied. You think I’m kidding?You wait until this competition gets

serious! There will always be the kind ofcharacter that pushes the rules to theabsolute limit. As Stirling Moss oncefamously said, the competition starts whenthe rule book comes in.

I didn’t like the spot-landing bonus mucheither, just like F3J you get 50 points forlanding within 1 metre of the spot,decreasing as you get further out to zeropoints at 10 metres. 50 points is the same as50 seconds of flight time or about 8% of atotal maximum score, a high enough bonusto tempt you to spear your ’plane into theground to get it. That means, apart from thesheer undignified nature of such an arrival,that you need to have a pretty strongaeroplane to take the stress, whichtranslates into carbon and kevlar andmoney. The argument for the spot-landingbonus is that it will separate the scores oftwo pilots in a round that get the sameflight time. I don’t buy this, I bet thatanalysis of competition results will show aclear winner regardless of the landingbonus. I would suggest a much simplerrule, one that is already there in fact, alanding more than 75 metres from the spotgets a zero flight score. If you can’t get aglider down within 75 metres of a spot in acivilised fashion, you shouldn’t be flying!

Apart from anything else, why copy F3J?It’s the F3J rules that have effectively killedoff BARCS. There used to be a lot of gliderpilots taking part in competitions when therules were the old BARCS Open ones,along comes F3J and their membership hasdropped dramatically. Why? Well, youneed at least two expensive carbon glidersand a power winch to fly in F3J and noteveryone has the time and money to beable to do it.

26 E.F.-U.K.

I can see this class going the same way,just the dedicated (and rich) few takingpart, which is a shame.

Do you agree, or am I just out of touch withwhat people want from an electric glidercompetition?

Please let me know.

I know that there are several altitudemeasuring devices out there, but, up tonow, they’ve either been expensive orrequired you to download data to a laptopto get at the information. The How Highaltimeter is different. For a start, it’s tiny -20x15x4 mm and weighs less that a tenth ofan ounce. The really clever bit is the way itreports altitude, what you do is wave youfinger over the LED at the end and it startsflashing at you. When the unit recognisesyour wave, the LED will come on for 4seconds. At this point, stop waving andstart counting. The unit will report thepeak altitude by flashing the LED. Forexample, an altitude of 423 feet will reportas 4 flashes followed by a pause, 2 flashes,another pause, then 3 flashes. This is thehighest altitude recorded since the unit wasreset either by powering it down or

climbing above 50 feet. You can eithermount it inside the fuselage with the LEDsticking out of a hole or under a hatchwhere you can get at it. They also do alittle magic box that you point at the LEDand it will convert the flashes into a digitalreadout. It’s made by Winged ShadowSystems in the US and is available overhere for about £25. They also do amaximum airspeed device that is verysimilar in layout and operation.

They claim accuracy of one foot, I suspectthey really mean it will resolve to one foot,accuracy is a different thing altogether,especially with manufacturing variation ofthe sensor and electronics. Nevertheless,it’s still a good tool for comparative testingand optimising your set-up.

It strikes me that a development of this unitcould possibly be used to limit launchheight by shutting down the motor at apre-determined altitude, the only problemsbeing what height to set it at and how doyou check the calibration at a competition.

Enough of this glider stuff, I know that notall of you are interested, so, until next time

Don’t let the smoke out!

Alan Bedingham

See letter from Brian Austin on oppositepage

How High Altimeter

27E.F.-U.K.

Hi Alan,

You stated that I was launching to 1600 ft, this is not correct, 950 is about average. The

reading that you saw on the height recorder was for the max height from that flight due to

the thermal . When taking height readings for the motor run you have to descend

straight after the run so as to get a true reading of the climb height.

There is a growing move towards an altitude cutoff switch that cuts at 750 ft, so everyone

would start at the same height.

Your views on the on the 400watt limit v 5 kilo weight limit I share as not being logical.

In regard to checking weight and watts, as you say it can only be a comparison, but so

what as long as they are within the limits proposed, OK.

As I said before the average club flier is not interested any way, if he were he would take

part. You cannot change a system if you are not part of it.

Best regards

Brian Austin

Photo: Robert Mahoney

Martin Tremlett’s 1946 ‘Taylorcraft BF-65’1st prize in scale at the 2008 Middle Wallop event

28 E.F.-U.K.

It Ain’t Half Hot MumBy Bob Smith

Sorry about the title but this article isgoing to be fairly theoretical so I

thought I would start with a light-heartedbeginning. The problem with writing abouttechnological elements of this hobby is thedifficulty of setting the level of the contentso that it is understandable to the majorityof readers but does not fall into thecategory which links grandparents andeggs. I will therefore apologise in advanceto any readers who find this either tooobvious or too complex, which may onlyleave the half-dozen in the middle enjoyingit!

The clue in the title is heat, which in thecontext of electric flight is something wewish (with a few exceptions) to avoid. Let’sstart with an important clarification. Heat

and temperature are not the same! TheEnglish language has innumerableconfusions built into it, and the use of heat,hot and cold, temperature, and similar termsis one of these areas. A tale recounted to meabout a sister-in-law, when very young, is agood example. One morning, when trying toavoid school, she tried to persuade hermother that she was too ill to go with thephrase “Mum, Mum, I think I’ve got athermometer”. Needless to say she gotshort shrift and was packed off to schoolamidst much hilarity, but it does illustratethe difficulty.

The temperature of matter is a measure ofthe relative level of energy within the atomsof that matter. Heat is a form of energy. Theheat within a body is the total energy held

by that body and is thereforedependant on the mass and otherphysical properties of the body. Ifwe add heat energy to a body thenits temperature will increase (andvice versa of course) but the extentof the increase is dependant onother factors. If we have twobodies of the same material but onehas twice the mass of the other,then adding the same heat energyto both of them will cause thetemperature of the smaller to risetwice as much as that of the larger.

Since temperature is a relativemeasure we need to relate it tosome physical constant so if usingthe Celsius scale (also degrees

Centigrade) we set the freezing (0ºC) andboiling (100ºC) points of water as fixed onthe scale. In everyday life we relate

Deliberate heat from electricity,a filming iron

29E.F.-U.K.

temperatures to our normalsurrounds and we call this theambient temperature (say 20ºC forthe internal environment). Sinceheat is energy, the laws of physicsmean that energy will attempt toflow from high to low, i.e. from ahotter body to the coolersurrounds, with the rate of flowdependant upon the difference intemperature.

O.K., that’s enough theory on heat,let’s now look at electric flight. Thetheory here might be a bit more familiar toyou but just to link the two areas togetherwe can say that electricity is another formof energy. Whenever an electric currentpasses through a conductor it has toovercome the resistance of the conductorand that uses some of this energy byconverting it from electrical to heat energywithin the conductor and hence theconductor temperature rises. This is often adeliberate process e.g. in an electric fire or asoldering iron, but is always present evenwhen the main aim is entirely differentwhich is why TVs get hot. In this situationthe heat energy is considered to be a loss.The theory here is that the voltage andcurrent values in volts and amps aremultiplied to produce power in watts. Ohm’slaw states that the current flow in amps isthe voltage divided by the resistance inohms.

(I = V/R or V= I x R).

If power in watts is I x V then this is I x I xR which is I²R.

Power is the rate of energy change soenergy is power multiplied by time.

All of our electric flight power train issubject to this theory. As current flows fromthe battery to the controller and the motorthen resistance in each component causeselectrical energy to be converted into heatenergy losses and the temperature of thecomponent begins to increase (a doublewhammy as we are wasting energy andheating the components). This temperaturerise is proportional to the square of thecurrent and to the length of time the systemoperates, but as each component heatsabove ambient temperature it tries totransfer heat energy into the surroundingenvironment and this is a cooling effect(though often manifested as a slowingdown of the rate of temperature rise).

Heat is the enemy! It eventually leads to thefailure of the system. Batteries overheat(sometimes catastrophically), controllersburn out, motors cook. This also applies toancillary equipment such as chargers andwe need to include them in ourconsiderations. How do we minimise theheat produced in our power train and otherunits?

Foam wrapping, Receiver yes, ESC no

30 E.F.-U.K.

The first thing is to maximise cooling. Getair flowing through the system and acrossthe surface of the components. Just as weblow across a spoonful of hot soup to coolit, the air flowing round and past acontroller will cool that. The airflow doesnot need to be high velocity as a steadyairflow is more effective. You may think it isa good idea to wrap the controller andbattery in foam to protect them in a crashbut you may ruin them if they get too hotand fry. Remember also that the temperatureincrease resulting from operating thesystem is above ambient. If the increase is40ºC and the initial ambient is only 10ºC thesystem will end at 50ºC. If the initial ambientis 25ºC then the final temperature will be65ºC which will be much worse for thecomponents. Time is also an importantfactor. High power systems which only

operate for short periods with long coolingperiods between do not give rise to largetemperature rises. Low power systemsoperating continuously throughout theflight often will.

You also need to be aware of the effect ofchanges on the power train. Suppose youdecide to run a larger propeller on thesystem. This will increase the current drawand the power and heat generated willincrease in proportion to the square of thecurrent. If the current is increased by 20%(say 10 amps to 12 amps) the power andheat will increase by 44% so the componenttemperature rise will also be increased byapproximately the same amount. In theabove example the rise will now be 58ºC andthe final temperatures will be 68ºC in winterand 83ºC on a hot summer’s day. This might

Typical Charger specification confusion

31E.F.-U.K.

obviously be critical in terms of thecomponents involved.

I hesitate to add further complication to thisproblem but you also need to appreciatethat the mechanical elements of the trainwill behave predictably, e.g. the motor,where there will be a simple response tooverheating with problems only becomingserious when the insulation on thewindings begins to break down. The unitwill generally continue to operate normallyup to that point with no deterioration at alluntil the limit is exceeded. The battery,however, is an electrochemical device andthe change in behaviour when overheatedis much more complex and difficult topredict. This complication often leads to aprogressive breakdown which isaccumulative and manifests itself in termsof an increasing loss of performance andshortening of useful life. Some of you mayalready have experienced this effect.

One last factor to tie in with this area ofanalysis. I have said above that temperature

rise is dependant upon the wattage atwhich the system operates. This involvesboth current and voltage but some of themanufacturers of the equipment we useseem to have slipped into the habit ofsetting unrelated values into theirspecifications. The prime example of this iswith chargers where the literature tells usthat the unit will charge at up to “X” ampsand work with up to “N” cells (equivalent to“Y” volts). This may well be true but theinformation is meaningless if the small printthen says that the power limit of the chargeris “W” watts where W is a fraction of X x Y.You can only charge at X amps with a lowcell count or charge N cells at a very lowcurrent. Watch out for this and be aware ofthe implications.

Remember the two rules :-

Heat is the Enemy.

and

Always work in Watts.

Bob Smith

Thanks for issue 92. I always look forward to EF-UK. Also, I appreciate how muchwork goes into such an endeavour. I produced a club’s newsletter (stapled A4 sheetsin black and white) for a couple of years - I nearly ended up in the asylum. ‘Pushingwater uphill’ is the phrase that comes to mind.

I don’t know who to thank but I’m sure you will know. It’s the person who puts eachEFUK into its envelope. Mine arrived safely due to their care in double sealing thefold-over lick-down flap with a piece of Sellotape. If it hadn’t been for that I’m surethat it wouldn’t have survived the rigors of the Post Office’s automatic sortingmachines.Thanks again for the magazine.Happy landings!

Mark DunnJan Bassett is responsible for putting all the magazines into their envelopes, and for

posting them to everybody. Ed.

32 E.F.-U.K.

New-2-UA brief round-up of new items of interest

by Bob SmithIf you are a manufacturer, importer, or retailer who has something new you wish to bring to theattention of the readers, please send details to me at the address given on page 4

This unit is similar to many of the rangeof wattmeters now on the market but it

has one major and very useful addition. Theunit is actually a combined wattmeter andservo/ESC drive with the latter functionbeing available via the additional rotaryPCM control on the face adjacent to theLCD screen (see photo). The specificationindicates that it will handle currents up to75 amps (70 continuous) and voltages from3.3 to 55. In use, the unit is connectingbetween the drive battery and the ESC, andthe ESC control lead transferred from thereceiver to the input socket on the left sideof the unit. In this way the power train canbe operated without the use of the radiowhich is a much safer option. This unit canbe used for either bench or field testing(when the power train is mounted in themodel). Advancing the rotary controlincreases the throttle and hence the motorspeed. There aretwo additionaladjustments via apair of miniatureslide switches onthe ends of thecase. Thatlabelled PWR-SET on the leftedge can isolatethe BEC supplyto the controllerso that both BECand Opto controllers can be tested. The

Neodym Multi-function DC Wattmeterother labelled PCM-SET on the right edgeswitches the pulse width range between alow range of 1 to 2 ms and a high range of0.9 to 2.1 ms so that virtually any controllercan be operated between zero and maximumthrottle.The unit is 107 x 52 x 20 mm and it weighs140 grams. The screen shows voltage andcurrent while testing and also has a readingfor the pulse width in ms. The fourthreading is an integrated value which flashesbetween mAh (battery discharge total) andpower in watts. The unit in the photos wasobtained from OverTec.OverTec, Jesmond Dene Trading Estate,Forton, Nr Lancaster, Lancs PR3 0ATTel 01524 793328website www.overlander.co.uk

Neodym Multi-function DC Wattmeter

33E.F.-U.K.

Although there are many brands ofmoulded propellers available on the

market, it is always good to find a newsource, especially if economically priced.The EMP moulded composite Electric FixedBlade propellers are available throughOverTec and there are some 30 sizesavailable ranging from 4.1" x 4.1" up to 18" x10". These units are moulded in a mattblack composite material and shapedwith good blade area and fashionablyflared tips. There is also a smaller rangeof folding propellers in the same familyranging from 5" x 5" to 12" x 8".The units are also supplied with a set ofmoulded inserts which fit into therecessed rear face of the boss and allowthe propellers to fit standard sizedshafts without adjustment. As with allmoulded propellers, the propellershould be carefully trimmed to removeany flash and should then be balancedto minimise vibration. From a safetypoint of view the packs carry a printedwarning to inspect propellers afterevery flight and to discard any damaged

New range of fixed and folding blade propellersunits. They are correctly classified asexpendable items.OverTec, Jesmond Dene Trading Estate,Forton, Nr Lancaster, Lancs PR3 0ATTel 01524 793328 websitewww.overlander.co.uk

The larger size of A123 cells (2300 mAhLiFePO4 code ANR26650M1) have

been available for some time now but theyare fairly bulky. These latest cells fromA123 are much smaller and are thereforebetter suited to any application wherespace is limited. These latest cells are codeAPR18650M1 and are only 65 mm long by18 mm diameter weighing 40 gms.All of the other aspects of the cellsare the same as the original largerunits (65 x 26 mm x 70 gms)including, of course, all of thesafety advantages. The pack in thephotograph is a 2S pack by A123Racing but the new cells will be available in

1100 mAh A123 cells and packs

1100 mAh A123 – 2S pack

the usual range of cell counts and formats.The original larger cells were approximately4/3C whilst the new smaller cells are 4/3 FA.A123 Systems, 321 Arsenal St.,Watertown, MA, 02472, USA. Websitewww.a123sytems.com

OverTec EMP composite electripropellers

34 E.F.-U.K.

There is an enormous range of ESCsavailable now and many of them are

very sophisticated electronic units. Theprice does tend to increase with complexitybut the range of brushless sensorless unitsproduced by Hacker have always beenamongst the best value. The X-Pro-SBrange of controllers is currently the top ofthe range and is available in 40, 55, and 70amp sizes. The SB designation indicatesthat these controllers have switching BECbuilt into them (rather than the normal linearBEC) and this overcomes the problem ofusing BEC controllers at high voltages/withmulti or heavy duty servos (due tooverheating). The specification of the unitin the photograph (an X-55-SB-Pro fromWest London Models) is as follows.Size 75 x 28 x 10 mm, weight 45 gms, 6-18 Ni,2-6 Li cells, 55 amps continuous current, 2 to6 servos.The unit is, of course, programmable, eitherusing throttle stick movements and audiotones when connected to the motor, Rx, andbattery, or more effectively by using the

Hacker Controllers

computer interface provided. The softwareon the disc includes facilities to set brake(off, soft, or hard), variable cut-off for LiPocell counts up to 6 cells and adjustablevoltage per cell, low voltage indication (cut-off/throttle reduction/ignore), adjustabletiming (2, 8, 15, 22, 30 degrees), accelerationsetting (low, medium, or high), rotationdirection reverse, frequency setting (8 or 16kHz), RPM control/heli governor mode, andESC firmware updates. Once all of thesevariables have been set to your requiredvalues in the software they can be sent tothe controller via the USB connection togive an instant update. These controllersare designed for specific compatibility withHacker motors, but they will also operatewith any other brushless motor at the samelevels of efficiency.Hacker Motor GmbH, Hummler Str. 5D-85416 Niederhummel Germany.Tel.: +49 8761 752129Email: info@hacker-motor.com website www.hacker-motor.com

The Hacker X-55-SB-Pro Controller

35E.F.-U.K.

Like most European modelling firms,Hacker GmbH are constantly searching

for improvement to their products. Suchimprovements are not only developed at thetop-end of the product range (high powermotors for FAI aerobatics), but are alsointroduced for situations where efficiencymay be more important than raw power. Anexample of this is the Hacker A20-6XL-10pole outrunner motor. This has an Io of 3.4amps @ 8.4 volts, an Rm of 0.020 ohms, anda Kv of 2500 rpm/V. It weighs 78 gms, has adiameter of 28 mm, a length of 40 mm, and a3.175 mm shaft with a 15 mm o/h (all withoutgearbox). The gearbox is a 4.4/1 Maxonepicyclic gearbox which increases theweight to 140 gms and the length to 80 mm(incl. shaft). The geared motor will drive a16 x 8 Aeronaut Camprop at 387 watts (5360rpm) on a 3S LiPo, and a 13 x 11 AeronautCamprop at 620 watts (7235 rpm) on a 4SLiPo. If you compare the output power toweight ratio (one measure of efficiency)implied by these figuresyou will realise that it isremarkably high.The motor has beendesigned to operate inlightweight electric gliderstypically used in thermalcompetition, but don’t letthat lead you into thinkingit is a low power unit. It iscertainly a compact unit asit is based on the standardHacker A20 outrunnerwith an outside diameterof 28 mm. This means thatit is ideal for the narrowfuselage usuallyassociated with thesemodels, but the fact that itis fitted with the Maxon 4.4

Hacker Motors

to 1 gearbox allows it to turn large diameterpropellers. The motor is nominally rated at300 watts but one of the combinations inthe Hacker specification above gives arating of over 600 watts for up to 15seconds of power. The motor here is thestandard unit (again sourced from WestLondon Models), but one of the additionalservices offered by Hacker is a customwinding service where units can be orderedwith a specification chosen by the buyer. Iam already aware of orders for modifiedmotors aimed at the 200 watt/Kgcompetitions where the competitors areseeking a much lower Kv value to enablethem to turn very large propellers (20" +) forlow power inputs.Hacker Motor GmbH, Hummler Str. 5 D-85416 Niederhummel Germany. Tel.: +498761 752129Email: info@hacker-motor.comwebsite www.hacker-motor.com

The Hacker A20-6XL-10 pole outrunner geared motor

36 E.F.-U.K.

Remarkable DSM2 radio technologymakes the ready-to-fly Vapor a plane

just about anyone can pilot withconfidence. As ParkZone’s slowest andlightest fixed-wing aircraft, it can be flownalmost anywhere - a living room, aclassroom, even a conference room at work.Incredibly compact and loaded with all ofRC’s best innovations. The Vapor offers aone-of-a-kind indoor experience, while theDSM2 radio eliminates any risk ofinterference and allows you to fly multipleplanes at the same time. No matter whatyour skill level is it will be an entertainingand easy-to-fly option during those timeswhen you cannot make it out to a park orflying field. The DSM2 transmitter (RTFVersion), charger and batteries are allincluded inside the box, making it easy toget the Vapor off the ground. The Vapor isthe second member of ParkZone’stremendous Etomic family of ultra-microaircraft. Its carbon fibre compositionrepresents the ultimate in lightweightdesign, helping it deliver the best in flightquality, value and, most importantly, fun. Itssingle-cell Li-polymer batterycharges inapproximately 20minutes andgives youextended flighttimes of nearly15 minutes,while 3-channelcontrol providesthe precisionneeded forflying in thosetight spacesindoors.Featuring the state-of-the-art looks and

Parkzone Vapor

The Parkzone Vapor

instant enjoyment people love aboutParkZone’s products, the Vapor will be astylish and unique addition to your fleet, orthe perfect introduction to the world of RCflight.

Ready-to-fly right from the box-everythingyou need is included inside, even thebatteries. Compatible with all transmittersusing DSM2 technology.

Special Features:

- Control surfaces: Elevator and Rudder

- Sold in 2 version: Ready to Fly (RTF), Bindto Fly (BTF)

- Fuselage and tail/wing framework made oflightweight carbon fibre

- Wing and tail surfaces covered inlightweight and durable PET film

- Single-cell Li-poly charger, charging timearound 20 minutes

37E.F.-U.K.

- Ready to Fly right from the box,everything included

- Spektrum DSM2 radio system eliminatesinterference- Fully proportional, super lightweightservos

- True 3-channel flight and manoeuvrabilityHorizon Hobby UK – Units 1 to 4 PloytersRd., Staple Tye, Southern Way, Harlow,Essex, CM18 7NS.Website - http://www.horizonhobby.co.uk –Email – sales@horizonhobby.co.uk

Hyperion EOS Chargers

The Hyperion EOS 0606iAC/DC charger

These are perhaps not as new to themarket as the title of this article implies

but there have been some recentdevelopments to the range which arereceiving favourable comments. I think twoof their models are particularly worthy ofinspection, and for differing reasons.

These are the EOS 0606iAC/DCand the EOS 0610iNET and thetable compares their outlinespecifications.You will see that these units arevery different with the 610 being amuch more powerful unit, but theyare included because, for the 606the provision of mains supplymakes it ideal as a permanentworkshop charger, whilst the 610has a realistic max power output.Many chargers have a maximumcharge current and a maximum cell count

(voltage) specified but fail to make itobvious that the limits to maximum poweroutput will not allow the unit to be used fora situation requiring max current at the maxcell count. The 606 is designed to allowthis, i.e. the max current of 10 amps can beused at the maximum cell count of 6 lithium

38 E.F.-U.K.

These items have also been availablefrom other sources (and with differing

names) for a few months but this particularone from OverTec is well worth a look. Ofthe units I have seen this one appearsheavier and more strongly made and thismay well improve the safety involved.Anyone who knows about the backgroundof fire prevention and regulations will knowthat much of the application to buildingregulations is in terms of containment. Noregulation can absolutely prevent afire from occurring, but when onedoes it is important to minimise therate of spread of the fire and allowmaximum time for egress of personsin the area and for safe access ofthe fire fighters. Our Lithiumbatteries are on a much smallerscale but the same logic applies.We should do all we can to preventan accidental ignition, but shouldone occur then it should becontained to prevent it spreading.The Overtec Liposafe does justthat. It is a fire resistant sack intowhich the battery under charge isplaced throughout the process. Inthe event of any ignition the sackwill contain the fire and prevent itspreading to the surrounding area.This is certainly a very good ideasince the surrounding area may wellbe a part of your home. Using theLiposafe does not remove the need

Liposafeto follow the other recommendations for thesafe use of LiPos (such as always beingpresent during charging) but it doesprovide an additional level of riskminimisation.OverTec, Jesmond Dene Trading Estate,Forton, Nr Lancaster, Lancs PR3 0ATTel 01524 793328website www.overlander.co.uk

(25.2 volts) as this is at the 250 watt outputlimit. The 606 has an additional featurewhereby two units can be “networked” toprovide double the output.Hyperion Products –website http://www.hyperion-eu.com/

UK Supplier – Robotbirds – Unit 2 BelvueRd, Belvue Industrial Est, Northolt,Middlesex, UB5 5HXTel – 0208 841 7873Website http://robotbirds.com/Email sales @robotbirds.com

The OverTec Liposafe charging bag

39E.F.-U.K.

Cellpro chargers are well-respected unitswith several unique features and this

latest version follows this trend. It has upto 10A charge current for an output powerof around 300 watts. It displays individualcell internal resistance to 0.1 mohm and willcharge Lithium Polymer or A123 Cells(variable charge rates for both LiPo andLiFePO4 cells). It will charge 1 Pack of up to10S or 2 Packs of up to 5S simultaneously.It has an LCD display and a computerinterface with many advanced features.This interface allows all charger processesto be displayed on a PC and also facilitatesthe upgrading of the charger firmware.FMA’s Cellpro Node Connector is a keypart of the system. It enables the charger tomonitor individual cells and independentlycharge each cell to its optimum level. TheCellpro 10s charger may be used to chargeany brand of Lithium pack using either theCellpro adapters or pigtails. The chargerincludes two 5s output connectors andincludes two simple 5s-to-4s adapterswhich enable you to connect any of theexisting Cellpro 4s adapters for other brandbatteries with the Cellpro 10scharger. Using the Cellpro 10sCharge Control Software, thecharger can be set to work withvirtually any good, regulated powersupply, even if the power supply isnot designed for high power. Byentering current capability; e.g., 1-25A, the charger will automaticallyadjust the maximum charge currentto protect the programmed powersupply.In addition to the unique featureslisted above, the new Cellpro 10Scharger has all the features foundin the FMA Cellpro 4S charger:Faster Auto Charge rates (1.0C, 2.0C, and

FMA Cellpro 10S Lithium charger3.0C), permit safe charging Lipo batteries atup to a 3C charge rate. This is only possiblewith FMA Direct cell-balancing technologywhich incorporates integrated, highly-accurate cell monitoring and balancingduring charge. Unprecedented accuracy,Fuel Gauge readout, simple, one buttonuser interface, unparalleled safety, selfdiagnostics, storage charge mode, safetycharge mode, support for long batteryextensions, and cold weather mode, are allfeatures of this powerful and versatile unit.FMA Direct, 5713 Industry Lane, Suite 50,Frederick, MD 21704, USAE-mail Sales: sales@fmadirect.comWebsite -http://www.fmadirect.com/index.htmUK Supplier - Aurorra Ltd, 108 WheelLane, Grenoside, Sheffield S35 8RY Tel -0114 257 0401Website -http://www.aurorra.co.uk/shop/home.php

The FMA Cellpro 10S charger

40 E.F.-U.K.

Electric Flight CalendarIf you would like details of your event to appear in these pages please send full details to theEditor EF-UK, contact details on page 4. Please bear in mind that this magazine is quarterly soensure that the details are sent in good time.

For last minute information on events please check out the events list on the BEFA websitewww.befa.org.uk. Dates, times and, even locations of events can change at the last minute. Youare strongly advised to check on events with the given contacts before setting out on your journeyto any event.

All BEFA flying events require proof of BMFA (or equivalent) insurance and an ‘A’Certificate to fly. For fixed wing models, any of the fixed wing ‘A’ certificates are acceptable.For helicopters, a helicopter ‘A’ certificate is required.

All flying models must have been satisfactorily flown at least twice since build or repairbefore flying at a BEFA event.

NO TEST FLIGHTS ON THE DAYStanding Events1 Sunday of every month - The Brighouse Vintage MAC have been using the small airfield atTockwith, near Wetherby, Yorkshire for several years, but have recently had noise problems.The field is now all electric & any BMFA Member is invited to fly there on the 1st Sunday in eachmonth from 10 - 5pm for a small fee. Do not be put off by ‘Vintage’ they fly anything! There is aconcrete runway available and details of the site can be obtainedContact: Derek Haviour 01422 204 472

2008 See also websiteAugust3 Bath SpaRCS All Electric Fly-In at RAFColerne Wiltshire. Airfield site with grass &tarmac runways. No competitions. Proof ofBMFA insurance required. Regret no facilitiesfor spectators. Pilots briefing at 1000. ContactBob Partington on 01225 891 441 or by email

10 Sutton Coldfield Radio Club electric funfly at Fradley flying site just off the A38 approx2 miles north of Lichfield, Staffs. Contact DavidOrme on 01543 686 230 for more details.

16/17 Greenacres MAC (Electric) Fun Fly.Free camping Fri/Sat and free entry. Traders,refreshments, toilets. Barbeque Fri/Sat evening.Small charge to fly. “A” cert required (someinstructors available). Please see the website formore details or phone Chris Moseley on 01922726 187 or by email or Chris Bott by email

17 Woodspring E-Fly 2008 “THE ALLELECTRIC DAY”. This event is a more relaxed

day at Woodspring Wings where you can mingleand catch up with the latest developments inelectric powered aircraft. Woodspring describe itas as much a fly-in with interested visitorsrather than a show. In 2006 they hadapproximately 500 visitors. It it always attractsmany well known names in the electric world aswell as local enthusiasts, and is supported by ahandful of traders who mainly specialise inelectric models and products. A full programmeis planned with continuous model flyingthroughout the day, from 10.00am - 5.00pm. NoIndividual Entrance Fee - Just on site carparking £5.00 per car. Pilots, Traders andModellers wishing more information contact:Bob Everitt on 01275 842651 or email

31 Hayes & DMAC 2008 Electric Fly In atCranford Park, Hayes. Just off J3 of M4.Contact Dave Chinery on 0208 573 4687 or byemail

41E.F.-U.K.

September14 Basingstoke MAC E-Vent. Free Entrance,Good Free Parking and Free to Fly. BBQ andrefreshments available. Chemical loo. Trophy’sand prizes from our sponsors 4-Max,FlightPower and Deluxe Materials for the“Peoples Choice” models. Friendly atmosphere.Large well kept field just off tarmac road. Lotsof large and cutting edge models expected. Thesite will open at 9am with the pilot’s briefing at10am and then flying can continue until dusk.Pilots must bring proof of insurance and have aminimum of a “A Cert”. To save time on the dayplease can you print out the registration form,fill it out and bring it with you on the day.Click here for maps and directions. A Posteris also available for your clubhouse, etc.

14/21 12th FAI World Championships forElectric Model Aircraft at Odesa (Ukraine).More info at http://www.wf5c2008.com

21 Pillerton Hersey Electric Fly-In. Comeand have some fun at the Pillerton HerseyElectric Fly-In, all electric flyers welcome. £2 tofly and proof of insurance is required. Fordetails contact: John Lewthwaite 01789 740 688

21 North London MFC Open Electric Fly Inat Baldock, Herts. (Just off A1). Contact JohnRaines on 01462 893 059 or Maurice on 01707275 755.

November16 BEFA Technical Workshop 2008 atKenilworth School and Sports College, LeyesLane, Kenilworth Warwickshire CV8 2DA

December14 F3P Open Indoor Aerobatics (First time onthe UK mainland) at the John Charles CentreFor Sport, Indoor Athletics Arena, MiddletonGrove, Leeds, LS11 5DJ. A, B,&C schedules tocater for all flying abilities; plus- ‘Aeromusicals’freestyle flown to music. 10am to 6.00pm.Competition entry £10.00, Spectators- £2.00.Super prizes and raffles etc,. Contact AndyWhitehead at lipoly@ntlworld.com. Moreinformation at www.f3p-uk.org.uk

PUDSEY SWAPMEET AND INDOOR FLY-INFor the last fifteen odd years the BMFA Northern Area has organised this event at thePudsey Civic Centre, near Leeds. Unfortunately, the costs of this venue has nowescalated so much, it is no longer viable, so an alternative had to be found. Therefore theSWAPMEET ONLY will be on Saturday 6th Septemberin the gymnasium at the

Spen Valley Sports College, Robertown Lane, Liversedge,West Yorkshire, WF15 7LX

from 10.0am to 1.0pmTo avoid confusion there will be a well signposted separate entrance, and car park forSellers from 9.30am with Tables at £3 to include 1 person, with £1 per extra person. Therewill be a separate car park for buyers who will be allowed in at 10.0am at £1.00 each. Under16 year olds will be free.Sadly, we cannot have indoor flying, and there are no catering facilities, except vendingmachines.

John Thompson 01924 515595 email: johnty99@ntlworld.com

42 E.F.-U.K.

If you have an electric flight event you want to haveincluded, please send an email giving the details to

webmaster@befa.ef-uk.net

Member's Sales & Wants

FOR SALE / WANTED

WANTEDWanted by Ray J Donno (Exeter) , Maxcim N32-13Y motors, Maxcim 35C-25NB controllersand Maxcim motor mounts.

Contact Ray rd018b4702@blueyonder.co.uk or phone 01392 666 912

Dave is trying to find a pair of William’s Brothers, 6" diameter, vintage style wheels(faired-over spokes). Not necessarily new but must be in good condition. Fair price paid.Money waiting!

Contact Dave Chinery daviddchinery@aol.com or phone 0208 573 4687

STOP PRESSFirst time on UK mainland!

F3P Open Indoor Aerobatics!A, B, & C schedules to cater for all flying abilities,

Plus ‘Aeromusicals’ freestyle flown to music.Venue: John Charles Centre For Sport

Indoor Athletics Arena, Middleton Grove, Leeds, LS11 5DJDate: 14th December 2008.

Time: 10am - 6.00pmCompetition entry £10.00

Spectators- £2.00Super prizes and raffles etc.

Contact: Andy Whitehead lipoly@ntlworld.comDetails later: www.f3p-uk.org.uk

43E.F.-U.K.

! EVERYTHING HALF PRICE !

(Recently acquired stock fromclosed UK model business)

IKARUS, AIRCRAFT: Shock Flyer, Superstar,Extrema, Edge: £12 each (two for £23); Ikarus3D Power set (brushed motor, gearbox, prop): £3;MGM 1210s ESC for brushed motor: £8

IKARUS, HELI: Piccolo FUN, with motor, Kit:£18; Piccolo FUN, with motor, servos,Piccoboard plus. Ready built: £40; Piccolo ECO,with motor, Kit: £38; Piccolo collective pitchconv kit: £34; G310 Tuning motor (brushed):£5; Piccolo Night flying kit: £6

TREC TAIL CONTROL FOR HELI: TREC ESCwith mix kit: £16; Gain Adjuster: £7; TRECSerial Cable: £7; Glitch reducer: £4; Servo ratereducer: £4

PMP HELI PARTS: 1-way kit with tit. shaft:£14; Tit. shaft alone: £5; CP alumn rotor head:£20; FP alumn swash plate: £23; Main gear 110teeth: £3; Motor pinions, 8T to 11T: £2.50

CSM GYRO: HLG 200: £40; GWS NARO 4chReceiver: £7

PJS BRUSHLESS MOTORS: 3D-3000 (>3kgthrust, with 4s1p LiPo pack): £36; 3D-300SF,3D-300SFR: £12; 3D-550E, 3D-550R: £15;PJS backplate mount: £2; PJS prop adaptors:£1.50

MODEL MOTORS: Brushless motor, MINI AC1215/20: £34

HACKER: Brushless motors, B20-15L: £52;B20-36S: £58

MAKE YOUR OWN CD-ROM MOTOR:22mm or 25mm Stators: 5 for £2; Magnets, highquality (Set of 12): £2; Wire (12m length),0.31mm or 0.40mm: £2; Motor bell, 25mm: 5for £2

GWS ORANGE PROPS: 7x6, 8x6, 9x4.7, 9x7,10x8, 11x4.7: two for £1;12x6, 13x6.5, 14x7: two for £1.50

GWS BRUSHED MOTORS: Dual IPS, S1,S2,A:£7; EPS 350C: £5

PROP ADAPTORS, (collet type): 3mm shaft, or4mm shaft: £2

GOLD CONNECTORS good quality: 2mm or4mm: 4 pairs male/female for £1.50

MGM-COMPRO TMM ESC, FOR AIRCRAFT:(A-C-3s; where A=Amps, C=NiCd cell no. to giveV, altho these ESC’s use LiPo): 08-10-3s: £10;12-10-3s: £10; 18-12-3s: £12; 25-12-3s: £18;40-16-3s: £26; 60-16-3s: £32; 50-24-3s: £38;60-32-3s: £54

MGM-COMPRO TMM ESC, FOR HELIS: 12-10-3s: £12; 25-12-3s: £20; 40-16-3s: £26

KOKAM LIPOLY PACKS: 360 mAh 2s1p(20C): £8; 2000 mAh 3s1p (20C): £18; 2000mAh 4s1p (20C): £24; 2100 mAh (25C), indiv.cells: £6 each (use to make desired packs)

HR-POLY BATT PROTECTOR: Low voltwarning, for LiPo, HRPoly-3A, £8

KREIGH MODELS: IFO kit £15; IFO readybuilt + covered frame (red): £25

TOPMODEL CZ, ARTF AIRCRAFT: Genie(Indoor, 1.1m w/span): £18; Rebelove X-Light(1.6 w/span): £60

FREE AIR, EPP ARTF AIRCRAFT: 2-CoolBiplane (0.9m w/span): £22; Microbat (0.96m w/span): £18; PJS Snake Biplane EPP, ARTF (1.3mw/span, luvly plane): £20; PMP-CZ, EPP,Tucano or Zlin (both 0.9 m w/span): £15

Tel: UK mob 07838 152 091 Bristol area

Email: sias2004@aol.com! DON’T MISS THIS GREAT SALE !

44 E.F.-U.K.

Wanted by the Editorany of the following (see page 4 for contact details):

•General / Technical Articles.• Hints & Tips.• New Product notifications.• Product Reviews.• Photographs of your models.• Electric Flight Event Reports.• Any other item of interest to electric model aircraft flyers.

Please send colour Digital photos or photographic prints (6” x 4” orbigger) to the editor. If possible, please do not send inkjet prints as toomuch quality is lost during the printing and scanning process.

If you have no way to email or write the files to a CD, please contact theEditor for other options.

Photographic prints supplied will be returned, unless specified otherwise(as long as you give a return address).

Digital photos should be sent at the highest resolution possible, incolour, and preferably uncompressed. Where compression isunavoidable the camera should ideally be set to the lowest compressionpossible and at the maximum resolution. Digital photographs can beemailed to the Editor at editor@befa.ef-uk.net

Readers always like to know what equipment is fitted to models so theyknow what combinations work well (or not so well). Therefore pleaseinclude as many details of the models in the photographs as possible,but ideally at least wing span, wing area, motor(s), gearbox(es),propeller(s) or fan(s), battery pack(s) used & the flight performance.

Where articles are produced on a word processor package, please sendan electronic copy - it make the Editors job much easier and quicker.Ideal formats are Microsoft Word (any version), Works word processor,WordPad or Notepad. Other formats can be accommodated, but pleasecontact the Editor first.

45E.F.-U.K.

New to ELECTRIC FLIGHT?START HERE . . . . .

You may be taking up Electric Flight for the first time or you may be converting from anotherdiscipline. Whatever your situation, help and advice is available. BEFA has prepared an informationsheet which details further sources of information which you may find useful when just joiningthe hobby. To receive a copy, please send a Stamped Addressed Envelope (S.A.E.) to RobertMahoney, address on page 4.

BEGINNER'S GUIDEA Beginner’s Guide to Electric Flight is available, which explains many of the ‘Mysteries' ofElectrics’ and will, hopefully, set you off on the right foot. Please send £3.00 per copy required toThe Editor of EF-UK at the address on page 4. Please add £1.00 extra for overseas postage andremit in Sterling. Cheques should be made payable to BEFA.

TECHNICAL HELP SERVICETechnical help is now available again for the use of all members. We regret that no telephoneservice is available, but all questions in writing (or email) will be answered by our Technical LiaisonOfficer (TLO). Please refer your queries to our TLO, to the postal or email address on page 4. Ifsent by post, please ensure that you include an S.A.E. for a reply.

CONNECTIONS SERVICERequests are frequently received from members who wish to be put in contact with other membersliving in the same area. The easiest method of doing this is to place a free 'wanted' advert in theclassified section of this magazine. Alternatively, a request may be made IN WRITING to theMembership Secretary who is allowed to divulge such information to members ONLY. Pleasesupply as much information about your location as possible and please remember to include anS.A.E. for your reply.

B.E.F.A. MEMBERSHIPMembership of the Association is open to all. Those who are not members of BMFA (ournational controlling body) will have a subscription to EF-UK membership with none of the otherbenefits. Overseas members are very welcome and will be classed as full members if they belong totheir own national controlling body.

CONTACTFor full details, please send an S.A.E. to the Membership Secretary (address on page 4) requestinga membership application form. Those with Internet access may visit the B.E.F.A. website atwww.befa.org.uk where you will find all the membership information you should require and aapplication form.

46 E.F.-U.K.

B.E.F.A. SalesBEFA Round, Coloured Rub-down Decals - Ultra-thin & light - 50p each

EF-UK Back Issues - Issues 71 to 73 and 75 to 85 are available to BEFA members at £3.00 each,or £5.00 each to non-members. These prices include UK P&P, overseas rates on application.Reprints of earlier issues may be available to special order at slightly higher cost, contact the Editorfor details (see page 4).

EF-UK Index. A comprehensive index of EF-UK, from issue 28 to date, is available by sendinga £1 coin to cover copying and postage cost.

Binders:- are available to hold 8 to 12 issues of Electric Flight U.K. Produced in dark blue withgold lettering on the spine, these cost £4.50 each including U.K. postage. Please add £1 forEuropean postage and £2 for Worldwide postage.

Please send all orders to The Editor of EF-UK at the address on page 4.

Sweat Shirts & Tee-Shirts: Stock of these is now almost all gone - please contact Robert Mahoneyregarding remaining stock, sizes and prices.

PLEASE REMIT IN STERLING ONLY,WITH ALL CHEQUES MADE PAYABLE TO B.E.F.A.

Advertisers IndexBEFA Sales ....................................................................................... 46

Fanfare .................................................................. Inside Back Cover

For Sale / Wanted ............................................................................ 42

New-2-U ............................................................................................ 32

RC Groups / E-Zone ......................................... Inside Front Cover

Traplet ................................................................ Outside Back Cover

EF-UK advertising rates are £25 per inside or outside cover page,£20 per full page, £10 per half page, all per issue.

Contact the EF-UK Editor for more details (see page 4).

47E.F.-U.K.

48 E.F.-U.K.