The sounds of silence.

[Mac]

Hello everybody. Just a quick line.
Phil, as you said, the hawk is a bit of a floater, but with ballast, she flew well in a 25mph wind at Mill Hill, Shoreham, on the South Coast.
[glow=red,2,300]BUT[/glow], it's all gone very quiet out there. What's happening with all the new members?
Mac. ;D

[AndyB]

Oh, very well then... :-)



MiG-19, 38" span, 51" long, about 12.5 oz/sq ft. Wing section is Selig S3021 with 2 degrees of washout. I'm still fiddling with the c.g. (it's way too far forwards) and have just replaced the aileron torque rods with a single aileron in each wing - the torque rods were twisting and there wasn't enough movement.

Now, if only the weather would cooperate...

[Mac]

Hi Andy. Thats a fantastic looking model! Is it plan built, or even scratch? Or did you convert a kit? It's just what I'm after.
Sometime back I did post that I was building a Hawk for PSS. I'm still building! I just seem to spend all my time at work instead at the moment! It should be roughly the same sort of size as your Mig. Just hope I can do it justice when I finish it, as you have.
I met with Phil Cooke, a while back, he said he thought you were from down 'ere in the south. Where abouts are you, and where do you fly from?
Mac

[AndyB]

It's scratch-built and it's only covered in Solarfilm :-). I live in Windsor and normally Fly at Ivinghoe beacon. You're from Sussex somewhere...? Where do you fly, and is it any good?

And what sort of Hawk is it (plan, kit, ...). Any chance of a photo of it, even if it's part-built?

[Mac]

Hi Andy.
Yes, down here in West Sussex. My favourite flying site down here is Mill Hill, at Shoreham. It's a Southwesterly slope overlooking Shoreham Airport and then the sea. It has plenty of space, and is actually a double gradient slope. People fly everything in the way of gliders there, and once in a blue moon, even electrics.
Then we have Devil's d**e near Brighton. This is a North round to West slope. North West is fantastic, absolutely viscious! Then again, it's a small flying area.
It then leaves Chantry Hill, at Storrington, which is a Northwest slope again. It's flyable, but sits in a bowl which is very turbulent. Plus there's loads of trees. Lastly, there's the Steyning Bowl, which I believe is an Easterly slope, but I've never flown it.
The Hawk I'm building is Balsa construction, and is a kit by Westfield, (available at Sussex Model Centre). It is so part built that it still doesn't even look like a plane. As soon as there's some progress, and when I eventually get a way of loading up pics, then I will post them.
On top of that, I now ave Phil Cooke's old Hawk, a 60" Vortex Vacform P51D Mustang, plus a faithful old Zagi and a Chris Foss Phase 6.
On top of building the Hawk, I'm building one of Nigel Hawes Tucanos for 600 electric power. The biggest problem is finding the time to do it all!
I really could do with some more flying sites, and time!

Mac

[Phil Cooke]

Mac,
Glad you've got the Hawk going - yes it is a bit of a floater but that is good on those marginal days when everyone else is grounded but you can scratch around!!!!

And you are right, Ive made a ballast cavity in the top of the fus (inside) over the CofG - fill that with lead on a windy day and it doesnt half improve things!

Glad it is giving you some good airtime !

All the best
Phil

[rc-pilot]

I am persuaded by Andy B to add my two-penn'orth to this dialogue and display my recent models.

First this year, N.A. FJ-4B Fury, joint design with JMB. Balsa-clad foam fus, veneered foam wing and tail surfaces, 1:12 scale, 39" span, 27oz AUW, 11.4 oz.sqft, S3021 section.



Second - N.A. P-51D Mustang, joint design with Andy B. Build completed in five days (except for wing fairings and glass skin on spinner, since done),
All balsa, 1:12 scale, wing extended slightly to 40" span, airframe 11.75oz, S3021 section, expected flying weight c.19 oz = 9.5oz/sqft.

www.voyager.zen.co.uk/photos/SG_P51_needs_canopy.JPG
[/img]

And finally (but the year's not over yet), Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk IV, for S400 and PSS, own design. Build completed in just over three days.
All balsa, 1:13.75 scale with wing slightly extended to 34.5" span, S3021 section, airframe weight 6.1 oz, expected flying weight for PSS c.12 oz = around 8 oz/sqft. Expected flying weight for S400 c.18 oz = 12 oz/sqft.



My finger's out, where's yours?

[Mac]

[glow=red,2,300]CRIKEY![/glow]
My 60" Mustang is finished, but I just haven't had a chance to fly it yet.
Having seen your models there, rc-pilot, I am encouraged to pull my finger out and crack on with my little Hawk.
rc-pilot, I am really, really impressed by your P40 Kittyhawk! I NEED ONE OF THOSE! I dont suppose you have anything like it for sale do you? At CHEAP money, (Skint because I just bought another house. £173,000 for a 2 bed semi! Scandelous!)

[rc-pilot]

Mac,

Thanks for your kind comments.

The Kittyhawk is the first off a new plan and as yet unproven, so there are no others and in any case, I don't let my designs out until I know they work . I will test it both as a glider and with electric power as soon as it is covered and the weather permits. If it works well enough, I then need to have a spinner vacformed for use with S400. At that point the plan might be available, unless I decide to sell it to a magazine or maybe see about having it kitted .

I might be able to build the odd one to order if pressed hard enough, but it's unlikely to reach that stage for several weeks, bearing in mind the season and my increasing unwillingness to stand and perish on an icy hill.

I will post an update as and when there is a significant development. You may also like to know that I am planning a model of one of its contemporary adversaries to make a dogfight pair.

[Mac]

FANTASTIC!!!!! ;D
I would be interested in getting hold of one of your planes, 'If I can press you hard enough!' What sort of money etc are we looking at?
Mac.

[rc-pilot]

Mac,

Cost will vary according to final design (i.e. after flight testing and any necessary mods, etc). However, I don't feel it appropriate to discuss this further in public, so I will email you privately.

A pic of the prototype covered and ready to fly can be found on the New Models thread.

[Mac]

Absolutely, Fair comment. I look forward to hearing from you.
Mac