RE: JETS OVER THE CAPE 2009
Great field with certified great people. You can't go wrong.
Posted on: 8/18/2009 10:34 AM by Author "JohnAgnew2978" in the forum "RC Jets"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9025318

RE: Alternate Launch Technique Idea
You could make this work, but what a lot of effort to get in the air! Could you set up a high start next to a county road that gets maybe two cars an hour?
Posted on: 3/10/2009 7:22 AM by Author "JohnAgnew2978" in the forum "RC Gliders, Sailplanes and Slope Soaring"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8562345

RE: LADO 60-1 Electric Retract 85' Review
I still have Kraft electric retracts that I used in a TopFlite P-47 some 25 years ago. They worked off the 4.8 v receiver pack, and were totally reliable. I think they were the only electrics available at the time.
Posted on: 10/8/2008 6:51 PM by Author "JohnAgnew2978" in the forum "User Product Reviews"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8031265

RE: Auto Landing with a locked out Spectrum
As the Irish say, if you're born to hang you won't drown.
Posted on: 10/8/2008 5:32 PM by Author "JohnAgnew2978" in the forum "RC Radios, Transmitters, Receivers, Servos, gyros"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8031044

RE: OS 91 fs prop
A friend tried them all (in a Chipmunk model) and found that 12-7 was best but hard to find.
Posted on: 12/6/2007 3:36 PM by Author "JohnAgnew2978" in the forum "Questions and Answers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=6722167

RE: Covering help
This may be a good place to ask about experience with Solartex. I'm a long-time builder but have not used Solartex before. Is it necessary to seal the edges with clear dope, as it is with 21st Century fabric? The instructions say it is fuel-proof and cleans up with soap-and-water, but Balsa USA suggests polyurethane for easy clean-up. Has anybody done this? Thanks, John Agnew
Posted on: 12/6/2007 3:34 PM by Author "JohnAgnew2978" in the forum "Questions and Answers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=6722155

RE: Good covering jobs!
Maybe this would be a good place to ask about Solartex. I'm a long-time builder but have not used this material before. I have used 21st. Century fabric. Is it necessary to seal the edges with clear dope? It was helpful with 21C fabric. The instructions say it is fuel-proof and can be cleaned with soap and water. Balsa USA suggests "polyurethane for easy cleanup." Anybody have experience with this? Thanks, John Agnew
Posted on: 12/6/2007 3:29 PM by Author "JohnAgnew2978" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=6722140

RE: Glue?
All of the usual model glues, when properly used (good fit of parts, clamped until set) will make joints stronger than the wood--in other words, the wood will break before the joint. Being even stronger would be pointless. That means you can use what you like best, with good results. For me, that is mostly aliphatic resin, because it is less expensive, easy to work with and sand. I use epoxy where there would be fuel exposure. It's great to have so many choices. John Agnew
Posted on: 12/6/2007 3:24 PM by Author "JohnAgnew2978" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=6722122

RE: New Builder /Input on Kit and buying framing materials
I agree that the full-size Cub is a lot better trainer than the model Cub. In the air it's fine, but getting it up and down is another story. John Agnew
Posted on: 11/9/2007 9:13 AM by Author "JohnAgnew2978" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=6600498

RE: 80" dynaflite spitefire
Since nobody volunteered, maybe I can help. I am finishing my second Dynaflite PT-19, and Dynaflite uses the same construction techniques in all their models. They just change the outlines. I'm not sure what "f2 in the plans" means, so if you'll explain further maybe I can be of assistance. John Agnew
Posted on: 11/9/2007 9:09 AM by Author "JohnAgnew2978" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=6600482

RE: 4 Star 60 Two piece Wing Conversion
Unless you travel by bicycle, why would you want to go to all that trouble to make an inferior product? A friend built a Dynaflite PT-19 with a two-piece wing, for space problems, and he did it with an aluminum-tube joiner. This requires a carbon-fiber or aluminum tube in each wing half. After all that work, he bought a van. Compared to the one-piece wing, it is a lot of work. John Agnew
Posted on: 11/9/2007 8:58 AM by Author "JohnAgnew2978" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=6600442

RE: Sig Giant Four-Star 120
I am flying my second 4-star 120, with an OS 1.08 (no longer manufactured). It is not difficult to fly. Shortening the wing by one rib bay each side reduces the tendency to float on landing. I would not be afraid of it. John Agnew
Posted on: 11/9/2007 8:43 AM by Author "JohnAgnew2978" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=6600400

RE: My first kit in a while, need some advice...
Bigger flies better. I have the Ultrasport 1000, which they no longer manufacture. John Agnew
Posted on: 11/9/2007 8:39 AM by Author "JohnAgnew2978" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=6600386

RE: Best Kit for Beginner Pilot
Jim, I have been flying at Cape Coral since the Bateman Road version of the Buckingham club folded. John
Posted on: 11/9/2007 8:37 AM by Author "JohnAgnew2978" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=6600381

RE: ARF glue joint failure
ARFs keep getting better, but the "bad glue" syndrome is still with us. At our field, the GP ARFs seem to be the most reliable. I have a GP Lancair, which I couldn't reproduce for twice the money, but I like to know what is inside the wing, and you can't do that without building it yourself. John Agnew
Posted on: 11/9/2007 8:32 AM by Author "JohnAgnew2978" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=6600363

RE: Covering help. Can i use iron?
When MonoKote first came out, the instructions called for a traveling iron. Then someone discovered that an iron used to seal packages for the freezer was much more convenient. Then they started making irons specifically for modeling, and then these improved with the addition of Teflon covering and built-in thermostat (Hanger 9 has a nice one, with a 12-foot cord). The answer is, yes you can use a household iron, and no, you won't like it. John Agnew
Posted on: 11/9/2007 8:27 AM by Author "JohnAgnew2978" in the forum "Questions and Answers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=6600348

RE: TopFlight Cessna 182
Don't do it! I built one and enjoyed the experience, but I would not recommend it for a beginner. Covering it with MonoKote took five days, because of all the compound curves. It's an excellent kit, good parts fit, good plans, etc., but for a first-ever kit it would be a 10 for difficulty. In many areas of life, it is best to work your way up, and this is one of them. John Agnew
Posted on: 11/9/2007 8:20 AM by Author "JohnAgnew2978" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=6600335

covering with Solartex
I'm a long-time builder, using Solartex for the first time. I have used Century 21 fabric, and I was told (and learned) that the edges had to be sealed with clear dope. Is that true of Solartex? Thanks John Agnew
Posted on: 11/3/2007 12:34 PM by Author "JohnAgnew2978" in the forum "Questions and Answers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=6575414

RE: Best Kit for Beginner Pilot
Jim: this is John Agnew in Fort Myers. I'd go with the 40-size Sig Kadet. Excellent plans, instructions, wood and results. It's a can't-miss.
Posted on: 11/3/2007 12:31 PM by Author "JohnAgnew2978" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=6575406

RE: Is it as hard as it looks?
Total agreement. I'm a builder, and all the kits I buy have excellent instructions, with lots of pictures. If you're willing to follow instructions and do it step-by-step, you really can't fail to produce a very nice plane. The instructions recommend the adhesives to use and list simple tools that you must have (can't get away from that). Have fun. John Agnew
Posted on: 11/3/2007 12:28 PM by Author "JohnAgnew2978" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=6575400

RE: Setup help
My guess is that you have a single conversion receiver crystal. John Agnew
Posted on: 10/25/2007 8:29 PM by Author "JohnAgnew2978" in the forum "RC Gliders, Sailplanes and Slope Soaring"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=6539010

RE: Balance question
Did you check for warps?
Posted on: 10/23/2007 4:08 PM by Author "JohnAgnew2978" in the forum "Aerodynamics"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=6528810

RE: I covered my control surfaces with light ply did I mess up?
I suspect you will be all right with the 1/64 ply. Let us know. John Agnew
Posted on: 10/23/2007 4:06 PM by Author "JohnAgnew2978" in the forum "Aerodynamics"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=6528803

RE: Increasing control surface area. How much??
I agree. Don't increase control surface size in small models, especially from a good company (which is most of them). They have flight-tested their models. You can make control surfaces more effective by sealing the gap. I do that with a strip of whatever covering material I used, usually MonoKote. Even a small gap allows air to get through, and reduces effectiveness. If you're not satisfied with your plane's performance, that's the first thing to do. Make the gaps as small as possible, to begin with. John Agnew
Posted on: 10/23/2007 4:03 PM by Author "JohnAgnew2978" in the forum "Aerodynamics"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=6528796

RE: Attitude on the Ground?
You want the wing to be just slightly positive to the ground. Sitting on the runway, the leading edge of the wing should be slightly higher than the trailing edge. With speed, it will fly itself off. If it is negative to the ground, with speed it is being forced downward, onto the wheels, and will abruptly leave the ground with elevator input, at a higher angle than you want. Are you considering learning without an instructor? (I thought your statement implied that.) John Agnew
Posted on: 10/23/2007 3:58 PM by Author "JohnAgnew2978" in the forum "Aerodynamics"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=6528771

RE: Wing Loading: What is it really?
In the early days of RC sailplanes, light wing loading was the goal (such as 4 oz/sq ft) and we were even advised to fly with the trims, so as not to increase drag by control surface deflections. These were "floaters," which might stay up a relatively long time but wouldn't go anyplace in a 5 mph breeze. It was less of a go-find-lift to a sit-there-and-wait-for-a-thermal. That was dying out by 1980, and we began to realize that the same models, ballasted to 7-8 oz./sq. ft., would stay up almost as long in dead air but would actually move around the field in search mode. We started to build them stronger and heavier, able to tolerate zoom launches without folding, getting extra altitude which translated to extra air time. It takes about 1 oz/sq. ft. of wing loading to make a perceptible difference. With an adequate and accessible ballast compartment, it was easy to experiment--find the best compromise and best performance. I'm talking about gliders in the 100-120 inch size range, in particular. John Agnew
Posted on: 10/23/2007 3:54 PM by Author "JohnAgnew2978" in the forum "Aerodynamics"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=6528749

RE: Is Monokote really garbage??
I think MonoKote is an excellent product, and I have used it for 40 years. I prefer this to UltraCote because it is more consistent, roll to roll, and because the seams are less likely to separate. UltraCote Plus, particularly, suffers from quality control problems. One roll is great and the next is useless. Don't see that with MonoKote.
Posted on: 7/22/2007 10:14 AM by Author "JohnAgnew2978" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=6141372

RE: Who invented monocoat?
After Sid Axelrod died, the company changed hands, the new owners being business people and not modelers. They decreased the amount of pigment, which saved money but made the product less opaque than the original configuration. Don't remember anything about a change in shrinkability. I remember being quite upset about the translucent MonoKote.
Posted on: 7/22/2007 10:10 AM by Author "JohnAgnew2978" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=6141369

RE: Who invented monocoat?
I started using MonoKote in 1966. This was the second version. The first was what is now MonoKote trim--adhesive backed, no shrink, and it did not go over well (obviously). Sid Axelrod, who owned TopFlite, brought it out. Mylar film was already available, and I don't know who thought to add color. The original recommendation was to use a regular household iron, which was a struggle, then they suggested a travel iron, which was a little easier to use. Then somebody used a small iron used to seal packages for the freezer, and wrote an article about it, and then the model companies started to produce those irons specifically for modeling, with a thermostat. Every time I try something new, I come back to MonoKote. Thanks, Sid, where ever you are! Incidentally, in the early days hobby shops would sell MonoKote by the foot, as well as by rolls.
Posted on: 7/22/2007 10:07 AM by Author "JohnAgnew2978" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=6141365

RE: Top Flite Cessna 182 build
I built it stock, with an OS 90 4-stroke, and it came out a little nose-heavy. If I did it again, I would move the servos a little more rearward, and probably use a Saito 100. It took me an entire week to cover it with MonoKote--all those compound curves. It was a very enjoyable build.
Posted on: 7/22/2007 9:59 AM by Author "JohnAgnew2978" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=6141346