The DB Spit took me nearly a year to build. It’s powered by a Laser 180 (30cc)glow fuel four stroke.
It has air retracts and fully functioning split flaps as per the full size.

With the weight of the plane which will be about 22lb including nose lead it might be a bit under powered. If it’s really too bad I will have to increase power and possibly use a 2stroke alternative ….although I’m reluctant as the four stroke noise sounds much better.

Here is a link to picture of it

https://www.dropbox.com/s/bqonnz0cg8ltpk0/Photo%2026-10-2021%2C%2011%2017%2028.jpg?dl=0

Here is a picture taken during fuselage construction

https://www.dropbox.com/s/dcvcugyptcqmvui/Photo%2016-03-2021%2C%2013%2007%2046.jpg?dl=0

You absolutely cannot put a two stroke in a Spit 😀 . Yeah, that’s really nice. I need to get building as well as just flying.

A Laser 180 should be ok at that weight I think. Good strong engines.

Yes the Lasers are great and very reliable, I have a number of them now. I agree that two strokes sound bad in scale models so will try to get the best out of the current set up first. In my Warbird fleet I also have a P47 Thunderbolt and an LA7 both with Lasers.
My Chipmunk also uses a Laser 180. Originally I was considering the new development in line 200 twin but it would have required massive fuselage and wing modification due to its excessive length.

Apart from a possible little fun model I may buy or ask for as my birthday present from the long suffering Mrs D this is my last purchase for the foreseeable as I now have a nice collection of planes of most types to be getting on with.

Apparently this particular model flies really nice and is a great into scale flying as well as biplanes.

A Flair SE5A. Just need to get a receiver in and the radio programmed. This weekend is currently looking a bit windy but if weather permits I’ll look to get her flown.

SE5A

my Grandads uncle put one of those through a hedge at Stow Maries, se gap is still there, and named after him unfortunately he didn’t survive the woopsy.

On the subject of RC and stuff.

Where the chuff can i buy 1.7g servos, I’ve tried a ariety of online shops… they appear to be the worst kind of websites in existance and haven’t actually managed to place an order!

@joshvegas – https://www.4-max.co.uk/ would be my shout.

We’ll not talk about how my SE5 maiden went on Sunday but if I were to sum it up in a single word it would be ‘short’

https://servoshop.co.uk/index.php?pid=SM17GMICRO&area=Servo

That’s seriously tiny, have to check, you definitely mean 1.7g?

yeah its only a 600mm glider with not much room!

i tried servoshop but my order keeps dissapearing! not like it doesn’t arrive just nothing happens! weird site.

4max doesn’t go so tiny 🙂

Try the DLG guys – Hyperflight or Superfly. Both owners are called Neil and on of them may be able to help.

Component shop have 2g ones in stock (1.8g are OOS)

https://www.componentshop.co.uk/2g-ultra-micro-servo-3v-4-8v.html

(Have had good service from them in the past).

…if I were to sum it up in a single word it would be ‘short’

Ooh, er… How many pieces is it in?

How many pieces is it in?

Should that be

How many bags is it in?

?

tried servoshop but my order keeps dissapearing!

Weird.

That said, they do have a telephone, you could go old school.

Luckily very little damage to the SE5. A couple of tears to the covering, the wooden blocks the UC attached to have been ripped out and a small repair needed to a wing rib but other than that she is fine.

An hour or so should be all the repairs take and then I’ll try again. Entirely my fault, mis-judged the wind failing to take into account I was flying a scale bipe and not a nice easy to fly trainer or sport low wing. But, I insisted on trying and I learned a lot in the 90 seconds or so she was airborne and it will not happen again 🙂

sorted servo shop, i was being an idiot … on two seperate occasions.

I stand by RC websites being weird retro clunky websites though.

There’s a raffle site to win planes and related stuff. I won a plane on Sunday 🙂

Nothing super special but will be a great everyday hack that will happily be thrown around the sky and not bite back too hard.

Just need to build it up which will not take long but weather over the weekend not looking great and Mrs D is on nights anyway so makes getting to the field difficult.

Oh and the Pug v2 is out as well so I have one of those on order. Not hugely different to the v1 but a bit easier to build, more secure wing mounts and hatch and a lot less sanding!

Pug2

Need some nice servos for it now…

How not to launch a DLG 😀

In other news I’ve finally finished my carbon beauty. Need a break in the weather to do the initial trim flights and then hoping to hook up with a group of DLG experts for some proper tuition.

I got my servos. they’re tiny and i am now scratching my head the best way to get them to fit and work. I ahve learnt there are maaaaaaaany JST connectors

i’m quite looking forward to getting it out and immediately crashing it 😀

@joshvegas – yep small servos with teeny tiny connectors can be a pain!. Also make sure the signal, +ve and -ve wires are in the same order. Most go signal, +ve, -ve but just a few go signal, -ve, +ve and you’ll burn the servo out if it is wrong.

Pics when you’ve finished 🙂

Well the carbon DLG is finally finished and the transmitter largely programmed (the programming has only taken around 8 hours so far). I am very keen to get it out for some initial test throws but at 236g I think it would disappear quicker than a bribe at a Tory conference at the moment so will wait for the wind to die a touch first.

Lovely lovely thing it is and I am hoping to get lots of stick time on it this spring/summer

minor set back withe the wiring of one servo…

wired the servo correctly, wired the test cable wrong 🙁

Any reason not to run a common +ve and -ve from the rx?

@joshvegas. On a very small model like the one you’re working on, no not really, you can run a common +ve & -ve. I do on a couple of my small models.

Of course once you get to larger models where the servos are under some load it is better to power each one separately.

Weather still rubbish here and so want to get out and fly but no chance at the moment. Mulling another model as well that I can fly across the road instead of having to go to the club field when time is a little tight

Well this one is ready for a maiden flight. Hoping the weather is OK for tomorrow. Pretty little thing – only a 5′ wingspan but should be a fun plane to fly.

Will take my gliders also and get some practice in, need to start work on my launches etc.

looks good danny – best of luck with first flight

I failed to order servos again! but that is now corrected and had a handy phone call from the Webb store with an out of stock query. Nice friendly service.

And then I found a website called aerofred… and now i keep thinking about building bigger things from dubious photocopies of 70s slope soarers etc 😀

https://microaces.myshopify.com/collections/brushless-electronics/products/microaces-1s-brushless-electronics-pack?variant=39832162762861

It’s a slippery slope for sure (pun intended).

Was a nearly glorious day down the field except the wind was just a touch strong for meaningful flying. I tossed my Highlight DLG around a bit which was great fun and then gave the Aurora a few light overarm chucks just to check there was nothing fundamentally out. Boy she likes to fly. Even in strong winds she just wanted to stay airborne but I didn’t dare go for some proper launches.

Likewise the wind was just a shade high to maiden the Seagull Sport. I was very very tempted and nearly went for it and it would probably have been fine but I just was not quite feeling it so decided discretion was the better part of valour and will wait until this coming weekend to see if the weather is better. I did get the engine tuned though so it’s all ready to go.

We also knuckled down to some field maintenance so much chopping down of hawthorns happened…

I found a website called aerofred

see also, outerzone

Ah yes, Outerzone. Had forgotten about that site – excellent resource it is 🙂

Still quite breezy out but took a quick half hour lunch break and went to the fields across the road from my house.

More trimming and more just slowly getting used to how she handles. I can’t wait to properly send her now but just taking things one step at a time.

Still amazed by just how far these things glide for even a couple of feet off the ground. Incredible.

Just eying up a smaller DLG that can just go everywhere with me and I also won another raffle the other night so have a foamie electric glider incoming that will be great for the fields across the road too. Something that the boy can fly as well when we can’t get to the club field.

A very different DLG this. I wanted a smaller ship that I can take anywhere with me and this caught my eye.

Note there is no elevator so it is a type of flying wing. May just get it ready for Sunday at the field but may not.

Makes a good slope soarer too so nice and versatile. My thoughts though are with all the guys in Ukraine who manufacture the gliders. For some reason the vast majority of DLG manufacturers are based there and I’ve been speaking to some people who know the guys out there and it sounds properly grim and scary.

In other news I won another raffle and picked this electric glider as the prize. I initially wanted something more aerobatic however this will be ideal for me to fly across the road with the boy to get him stick time when we can’t get to the club field. Be good for me as well when I want to fly something more relaxing and to get the thumbs warmed up on flying days 🙂

What are these raffles Danny? And are you spending all your pocket money on them – you seem to win frequently!

The raffles are via a site called rcaircraftonline.co.uk – the chap there, Andy Pinder, is a properly decent guy. The raffles are fairly priced and there on not a gazillion entries on each one.

I have spent a bit on them but I am definitely in profit so to speak but of course it is pure luck. Basically you buy entries then most Wednesdays and each Sunday they do a live draw on Facebook using Google random number generator. They have been recently audited by whoever audits such companies as well and passed with flying colours so a bona fide operation.

I also won a trainer package for my club as well so overall can’t complain. Means more money to spend on gliders as well 😀 .

And just like that my DLG hanger is complete for now. Had to have a little 1m 2 piece wing glider in my collection. They are a great size and you can fly them pretty much anywhere – local parks, fields, recs etc. And with the 2 piece wing they are very easy to pack away. Only thing to bear in mind is they are quite fragile, particularly the trailing edges of the control surfaces, so I am going to have to fashion and nice small box to transport it in but then it will just live in my car and I will fly whenever I want 🙂

Just need the servos etc for it to turn up and then I can get it built.

Maidened the Seagull Sport and the Aggressor yesterday but wasn’t really feeling powered flight.

So, most of the day was spent getting the first proper launches with the Aurora. OK I’m not gong to be winning any contests any time soon but had immense fun.

Of course I have a fair way to go with proper set up etc but managed my first DLG flights over 1.30 and just started seeing a hint of lift here and there.

Lovely glider this too – really enjoying it. I am getting more hooked with every flight. If I can crack 2mins in the next week or so I’ll be delighted 🙂

Me and my eight-year-old had a lovely time in our local park yesterday, lobbing an old polystyrene toy RC aircraft (the power and RC of which are long gone, it predates the kid) for very short glides, along with a catapult-launched foam ‘spitfire’ he picked up at the RAF museum. Anybody got any recommendations for what might be a good next step? I was thinking of those £75 trainer things, like this
https://www.modelsport.co.uk/product/volantex-sport-club-500-4ch-500mm-with-gyro-epp-rtf-1333048

…but I wonder if it might still be a bit too much skill required for us at this stage really. I might be just looking for excuses to buy a toy for myself. Perhaps we’d be better with just a slightly better hand-launched glider and no r/c yet. Or a rubber-band kit! Grateful for anyone else’s anecdotal experience and recommendations.

Rubber band planes are awesome! They are a cracking bit of fun, and still no charging to be done to be ready, just a bit of tape on your finger if you are feeling prepper-ish.

@Milko9000 – If you want to start flying anything powered I would strongly recommend joining a club. Even supposed beginner planes can have issues. Take for example the powered glider I took on a maiden flight yesterday – it needed a huge amount of left aileron trim which meant at first it was basically keeling over to the right and then nosing down.

I managed to get it back to the field but a beginner would have lost it for sure. At a club you a) have plenty of space if things do go wrong and b) people on hand to stop it going wrong in the first place.

The big issue with beginner planes like the one yo link to – in full beginner mode they teach you to fly all wrong as you have to keep the steering input in for them to turn. But, once you move away from that you have to re-learn all the muscle memory as when you switch that off you only put in the turn you need and then move the control back to centre and it’s quite a different way of flying.

IMO, much better to learn properly from the beginning 🙂

Thanks @oldnick and @dannybgoode

I’ll see what sort of clubs are round our way, we’re probably a bit urban for anything truly local though. Meanwhile some rubber-band powered fun sounds good 🙂

@milko9000 – roughly where abouts are you and I will see if I know of any…

I’ve now gone down a rabbit hole of balsa kits for rubber band free flight planes. It was much easier as a kid when I just got given a plane for my birthday, wound it up with a finger and flew it in the park. Memorably it once landed on top of a concrete park benches shelter, God knows how at 6 years old I got it down (on my own – they were the days).

hah yes indeed, various rubber-band planes just happened to me as a lad, nice to be paying it forward. @dannybgoode we are in West London, Hanwell to be exact.

https://bmfa.justgo.com/clubFinder.html finds me one reasonably close by called ‘Warren Farm Radio Flyers’ that I’ll see if I can check out for more.