RE: synchronizing engines
Jolly, Should be able to use the twin version. Get two systems. Connect the two outer engines to one and the inner engines to the other. I don't know why that would not work. This way, if an outer engine shuts down, the opposite outer engine will drop to idle, but the inner engines will remain at original throttle setting. Should result in close-to symmetrical thrust. Good luck with it. I love the Herc. Bedford
Posted on: 5/23/2013 1:25 AM by Author "beepee" in the forum "The Clubhouse"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11519962

RE: Trademark Request..... it's just s a joke people!
Now I know that I have significantly cut the cost of my projects by simply not finishing them. Man, I am the real genius. I don't finish any of my scale projects. There comes a point somewhere in the project that I just stop. Ain't it fun?! Bedford
Posted on: 9/10/2012 1:12 AM by Author "beepee" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11223424

RE: Camarillo, CA Channel Islands Condors Field Closure
Trent, That is the most insightful and well written post about whom and what we are that I have seen in these pages. Thank you for it. We can all learn from it. Bedford
Posted on: 8/29/2012 1:18 AM by Author "beepee" in the forum "The Clubhouse"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11209960

RE: What size of RC planes do you like?
The biggest darn thing I can get in my ride! And, it does not take 10 minutes to assemble either. I have a Balsa USA 1/4 scale EAA Bipe that will go into my Durango without disassembly at all. The rest get bigger from there. So far, I have stopped short of buying a trailer. I keep looking at some really big ones that would require one though. Hmmm. Bedford
Posted on: 8/22/2012 1:50 AM by Author "beepee" in the forum "The Clubhouse"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11201801

RE: What does it cost to run a club?
If this point is hijacking the thread, please disregard it ... Incorporating will, in my opinion (I am not a lawyer), only partially protect the leadership of the club. Why do it then? Yes, it will protect the leadership IF the club is sued and loses (assuming AMA backs out for some reason like safety rules not followed). If the club has no assets, what lawyer would pursue such a suit? On the other hand, a plaintiff's lawyer may NAME club leadership or other member on the suit, then their incorporation protection is lost. All they have to do then is prove to a jury (of which not a one will be able to spell "RC") that the action (or inaction) by the names person contributed to the loss. If someone knows better, please pipe in. I think it is risky to take a leadership position in a flying club. Even if you "win", you could be out immense sums and inconvenience. That's just me. Bedford
Posted on: 8/22/2012 1:42 AM by Author "beepee" in the forum "The Clubhouse"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11201796

RE: London Olympics are fantastic!!
Tell me ... Are the NBC broadcasts all and only about Americans as I remember they have been in the past? Being one too, I am very interested in our countrymen's performance, but I want to watch the Olympics as a whole. One nice thing about being expatriated overseas is that we can see much more of the complete games. OK, I am watching British Eurosports broadcast, but they have much better general coverage than I remember getting from NBC. Bedford
Posted on: 7/31/2012 1:28 AM by Author "beepee" in the forum "The Clubhouse"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11175575

RE: Is mounting the throttle servo close to ignition ok?
Before I knew better, I mounted my throttle servo to the back of the firewall. On the other side was a Quadra 42 on magneto. This was years ago when I was running a Futaba AM system. Never lost the plane. Go figure. Bedford
Posted on: 7/23/2012 3:51 AM by Author "beepee" in the forum "The Clubhouse"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11165448

RE: Giant Scale crop dusters?
A 1/3 scale aircraft would hold 1/27 the payload all things being about the same. You should try the Siberian mosquitos! I will now go back to my fantasy: flying a A-26 with twin Moki radials. I need that to clear my mind of those twelve quad-copters! ARRGGG! Bedford
Posted on: 7/18/2012 1:32 AM by Author "beepee" in the forum "Questions and Answers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11159567

RE: Giant Scale crop dusters?
You guys can't be serious, or you have much better depth perception than I do. Dusters have to work hard (often with ground assistance) to spread evenly. That would be impossible via RC. Maybe if you had a 1/4 scale garden growing miniature vegis. On the other hand, any excuse to fly. Bedford
Posted on: 7/17/2012 1:19 AM by Author "beepee" in the forum "Questions and Answers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11158291

RE: RC Flying in Dubai
Choppy, Interesting thread revival. Takes me back. When last I posted I was still looking for the place. As you noted, not easy, but rewarding when you do. Nice smooth runway 150x1000ft more-or-less. I agree about following rules, but you will learn when to duck into the car or not. I was an early morning flyer and could get a good day's worth even this time of year. Out before 6, done by 8:30. Sadly, I have moved on to cooler places. I sure miss my weekly air-time. I have a good friend still there that flies hellis. There are other nice places to fly. Send me a PM and I will send you his contacts. Have fun! Bedford
Posted on: 7/15/2012 5:16 AM by Author "beepee" in the forum "The Clubhouse"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11155813

RE: Balsa USA Stearman - She flies great!
Kevin, Gee, nobody would accuse you of taking baby steps! Your first giant, wow. Great flying too. Love that color scheme. Excellent visibility. One recommendation - double check your weight with full fuel. It would not take too much of a stretch for your Stearman to get close to the 54# threshold requiring inspection etc. Probably well clear of the limit, but good to know before you take it to a fly-in. I am envious! Cheers, Bedford
Posted on: 7/9/2012 1:26 AM by Author "beepee" in the forum "Giant Scale Aircraft - General"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11148352

RE: Dyna Flite Super Cub Questions
My experience is with the Dynaflite Super Decathlon. I believe these kits are worth building and putting the Quadra on them is a good fit. The SD tends toward being tail heavy. Don't know about the Super Cub. There are some structural weaknesses that needed to be addressed, but they weren't major and easily dealt with. Most of this has to do with the principal material used for the fuselage (lite-ply). some strategic doubling or replacement with A/C ply is recommended. Have fun with it! Bedford
Posted on: 7/8/2012 2:51 AM by Author "beepee" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11147216

RE: 100KM cross country flight.
Interesting John, we found facing forward from the back of the bed to be the best. Each way has it's plusses and minuses. You get more wind protection facing rearward, I agree. We liked facing forward as it gave the pilot the most natural control reference for those long hauls. It also was much better when the truck had to stop or slow down. Facing rearward, the plane may pass overhead and go out of view. We never had a problem with visual blocking from the cab. We tried real hard not to fly that low! Cheers, Bedford
Posted on: 7/4/2012 1:30 AM by Author "beepee" in the forum "Questions and Answers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11142250

RE: 100KM cross country flight.
This comes from my experience participating in cross-country competitions in Texas. These were timed events, not races. They were usually 3-leg circuits of maybe 50-60km/leg. Thoughts and recommendations: 1) Obviously, you will have to plan your battery and fuel capacity. The good thing is that you can do some testing to validate your estimated requirements. 2) Run gas. It has the highest power density for weight carried. I flew big stuff with either a Quadra 42 on magneto, or US41 on CH ignition. I carried about 1.5 ltr of fuel and had plenty. We ran some pretty fast legs to keep up with the times. 3) A large stable aircraft will make the handling easier. Big is easier to see at the distances the bird will be from the truck. You can't always be in close. I flew with a 1/4 scale Cub, or similar sized Super Decathlon. They worked. 4) Make sure the seats for the pilot and co-pilot are firmly attached to the truck. You don't want to be jostled around during truck maneuvers. We placed a piece of plywood in the bed cut to fit, then tied down the chairs with HD tie-wraps. 5) I strongly recommend goggles in the back, though I never used them (should have). The air gets very brisk back there and can make your eyes water to the point of hampering your vision. 6) Carry small 2-way radios between truck cab and flyers. Nice to have a co-driver to help in this area. Very important for the flyers to advise if they need to slow down or speed up to regain control for some reason, or if the driver needs to let the flyers know that a turn or stop is coming up. 7) Last point, I promise - on our last event I installed a Futaba Co-Pilot (the optical flight stabilizer), because there was a short section in which the plane flew over a canopy of trees and the pilot was IFR for about 5 seconds. 5 seconds that felt like 2 hours! The CP helped with this and anytime there was a loss of sight connection. You must be cautious if you use one though. They are not designed for long straight flight legs. Because the sun is usually to one side or the other, the CP will tend to lean the aircraft away from the sun. If you resist this with aileron, over time the CP gets confused and counteracts the steady aileron input. There was some real excitement getting through that bit of education, I can tell you. To counteract the CP, you have to input rudder. This results in a small amount of sideslip during the flight but gives you full and centered aileron control throughout. I wish I could come down and take part. Cross-country flying is the most fun I have ever had flying RC, BY FAR! Good luck, Bedford
Posted on: 7/3/2012 2:17 AM by Author "beepee" in the forum "Questions and Answers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11140912

RE: FPV SURVEY
It goes beyond insurance coverage. It puts our existence at risk. Have an accident that causes property damage, or injury, to a non-participant, and that particular field may get shut down. Worst yet, the club officers from the field from which the flight originated could get drawn into a lawsuit causing them great financial hardship even if they are able to prove they are not responsible for the actions of the individual(s) directly involved. This is particularly so if the AMA has determined that the safety rules have been violated and therefore their insurance coverage does not apply. Does the premise extend beyond FPV to areas like jets, or giants, or maybe extremely fast racing aircraft? Sure it does, if the flyer does not recognize and stay within their skill level. That can be said for any type of aircraft in our hobby, for that matter most any hobby. For jets specifically, limited access due to cost in the earlier days is no limit at all. Money, skill, and recognition of one’s own limits are completely unrelated/independent values. Just look at how many very stupid things are done by full scale pilots. Do I need to put on my flame suit now? Bedford
Posted on: 6/30/2012 1:04 AM by Author "beepee" in the forum "AMA Discussions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11137382

RE: FPV SURVEY
One the other hand ... RC model airplane flying without FPV is LOC limited by nature. To maintain LOC limits on FPV we have to wirte rules and enforce them. I agree that FPV can be safe and fun within the limits proposed by AMA, but I am concerned for AMA and all of us because of the small minority that will willfully go beyond those limits. Bedford
Posted on: 6/29/2012 1:47 AM by Author "beepee" in the forum "AMA Discussions"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11136126

RE: travelling to different countries
Please direct us to your source saying that internal combustion engines are not allowed in carry-on or checked bags. I just checked TSA's web site and no such restriction is listed. I can't imagine why it would be either. Bedford
Posted on: 6/29/2012 1:30 AM by Author "beepee" in the forum "The Clubhouse"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11136119

RE: Drones
I'll take that bet. No way that is going to happen. The drone has a problem with "see and avoid." That will not, however, give them r-o-w over manned aircraft. Flat scary thought. Bedford
Posted on: 6/23/2012 4:22 AM by Author "beepee" in the forum "Airplanes - Full Scale"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11128578

RE: US 41 engine manual
94, You open a mammouth subject asking about oil. Stand by. I ran mine on off-the-shelf air cooled engine oil (WalMart or elsewhere) at about 32:1. After a while I converted to Amsoil synthetic at 100:1. There has been MANY negative things said about this Amsoil on these pages, but it has worked for me. DO NOT take the Amsoil intended for 100:1 and think you can get away with working it at 50:1. That is not a viable solution. I think Amsoil says you should not go stronger than about 80:1. They have other mixes for stronger ratios. This engine will respond to most any oil ratio you give it so long as you follow the oil manufacturer's directions, and avoid water-cooled outboard motor oil. That is just me. Bedford
Posted on: 6/20/2012 4:05 AM by Author "beepee" in the forum "Gas Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11124838

RE: US 41 engine manual
I think I still have a copy of my Quadra manual somewhere in my files. I have both engines and the Quadra manual is good for both. Send me a PM and I will send it back. Meanwhile, I see if I can find it. Bedford
Posted on: 6/16/2012 2:42 AM by Author "beepee" in the forum "Gas Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11119954

RE: Recognize This One?
Definitely a Quadra. Probably a 35 or 40/42. If you pull the muffler off and give the number of rings, there are engine experts here that can tell you which one. Good engine, even if it weighs a ton. Bedford
Posted on: 6/16/2012 2:34 AM by Author "beepee" in the forum "Gas Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11119947

RE: us41 in byron p51
I have enjoyed both of mine. One has always started just fine with the spring starter. The other was converted to electronic (CH) when the magnet mounting boss broke off the front of the case (no crash involved). It starts beautifully by hand. The only difference between the two, to me, is weight. Some of my installations need the nose weight. They will get the spring started magneto version. If I need to save weight at the front, it gets the electronic version. I think it is about a 10 oz. difference. ANY time I have tried to hand start the magneto ignited engine it has been no-go. I am not in this hobby to fight my engines. If it ain't easy, I do sumptin diffurnt. Bedford
Posted on: 6/15/2012 1:34 AM by Author "beepee" in the forum "Gas Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11118856

RE: If you could only have FIVE airplanes, what would they be?
Gee, I been around flying for 25 years and I have never had 5 airworthy birds at the same time. Thinking about my 5 must-haves (all gassers): 1) 1/4 scale Cub. No fleet of mine is complete without one. 2) Warbird. Preferably one from the sharp end of the stick that can do great high speed passes, and at least a bit unusual. 3) Scale bipe. Not a modern aerobat, but maybe a Waco or an EAA. 4) Big Stick with trike gear for knocking about and having fun from a hard-surface runway, or windy day. 5) That leaves me room for one more. How 'bout a nice scale twin? I could enjoy that collection. Bedford
Posted on: 6/9/2012 1:24 AM by Author "beepee" in the forum "Questions and Answers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11112052

RE: Aircraft Structural Design
Good advice above, but I wish to reinforce a couple of points. The first is that putting numbers to the stress on the material of a design is hindered by figuring your assumed loads. Are you designing for a +/- 4G load factor, or maybe a +/- 10G. I think some guys have done testing of RC models and found in extreme cases the loads reaching +20G. You will have to decide. Next is material characteristics, particularly elasticity of the wood used. Our models are all composite constructions. Even all balsa it is still a composite. Different pieces have very different elasticities and the same piece has differences in different directions. Two pieces with different elasticities do not share the load. So now your numbers get all jumbled up. Whenever I have tried to do a stress analysis on one of my designs I get a major headache. As a recovering mechanical engineer I find myself doing this often. In the end, I give up and make sure I have met the 'TLAR' criteria (That Looks About Right) and go forward. Have fun! Bedford
Posted on: 5/28/2012 2:39 AM by Author "beepee" in the forum "Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11097030

RE: Eveyone knows it's Windy !
Wind was never an issue where I just came from, Dubai. Yes, the wind would blow on occasion, but it was the accompanying dust that ruined the day. In your eyes, lungs, what a pain! Fortunately it didn't happen often. It is a hobby. If it's not fun, I don't bother. Bedford
Posted on: 5/26/2012 2:14 AM by Author "beepee" in the forum "The Clubhouse"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11095091

RE: Does anyone have any experience with Maloney engines?
Competitively quiet in door-stop mode too. Bedford
Posted on: 5/22/2012 1:52 AM by Author "beepee" in the forum "Gas Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11089997

RE: Building a Dynaflite Super Decathlon
You guys are wimps! I can handle all the crosswind you throw at me ... so long as it is right down the runway! The first method is: don't. The second method is a little more complicated. It is the one flight maneuver that I have to think hard about the actions to get them right, and that can dangerously slow the process. Be careful! Bedford
Posted on: 5/22/2012 1:35 AM by Author "beepee" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11089991

RE: Does anyone have any experience with Maloney engines?
About 25 years ago, a fellow flyer at a field in Kansas tried like the dickins to get a 100 to work and finally gave up. I remember a few threads over the years on these spaces that related similar experience. Good luck! Bedford
Posted on: 5/20/2012 3:01 AM by Author "beepee" in the forum "Gas Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11087435

RE: Allied Planes vs Others
Actually, cmg, it was the Wildcat that was so out classed by the Zero. The Hellcat was a later Grumman developement that was intended to beat the Zero. It did so with great success. I also think the Hellcat was produced by Grumman to give modelers a WWII bird with a more reasonable landing gear design to reproduce! [:D] Bedford
Posted on: 5/20/2012 2:49 AM by Author "beepee" in the forum "RC Scale Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11087431

RE: Radio performance
Low, Everyone has their own approach to set up. Generally speaking, what you are being told is correct, setting motion via the linkage instead of radio limiters will give the highest precision. As you are a sport pilot like me, the difference is probably undetectable. I learned set up before end-point adjustment was available (at least on the radio I owned). I started with clevises at the outer end of the servo and surface horns and moved the necessary one in until I got the desired motion. This results in the highest rod motion at the lowest force, which is the best for rigidity of control. There is always the end-point adjustment to fine tune the control without losing measurable precision. Have fun! Bedford
Posted on: 5/20/2012 2:37 AM by Author "beepee" in the forum "Questions and Answers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11087427