RE: Vinyl Graphics
I've used Cal-Grafx numerous times over the past 7 - 8 years for one-off cutom vinyl and water-slide work, and I'll continue to go back to him. Great, fast, personal service. He'll send you proofs for review and approval before he sends the final product to you. I won't even consider anyone else. http://www.cal-grafx.com/
Posted on: 6/4/2012 9:17 AM by Author "mirwin" in the forum "Questions and Answers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11105899

RE: Plane noses up for no reason
[quote]ORIGINAL: 3Dforlife! Oh it noses up for a reason. Is it a little plane ? Does it nose up when you go near it? It just wants to be fed . [/quote] Maybe it hates him like my Husky did.
Posted on: 5/15/2012 8:30 PM by Author "mirwin" in the forum "Questions and Answers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11082455

RE: Plane noses up for no reason
[quote]ORIGINAL: mirwin [quote]ORIGINAL: markhamregular I hope this does not turn into the "airplanes don't feel the wind". K-Bob warned us. [/quote] Airplanes don't feel. ;) [/quote] Actually, I had a Christen Husky that I think hated me. So maybe I'm wrong about that. . .
Posted on: 5/15/2012 8:29 PM by Author "mirwin" in the forum "Questions and Answers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11082452

RE: Plane noses up for no reason
[quote]ORIGINAL: markhamregular I hope this does not turn into the "airplanes don't feel the wind". K-Bob warned us. [/quote] Airplanes don't feel. ;)
Posted on: 5/15/2012 8:27 PM by Author "mirwin" in the forum "Questions and Answers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11082449

RE: Plane noses up for no reason
As the air over the wing increases in velocity, the wing will climb. The rest of the plane usually goes where the wing goes.
Posted on: 5/15/2012 8:23 PM by Author "mirwin" in the forum "Questions and Answers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11082441

RE: Plane noses up for no reason
You said that it was flying normal straight & level, and then began to go nose-up. There's one other thing to consider: Was it simply increasing altitude, or was it actually going into a high-alpha attitude? Did the plane begin to feel unstable, or that it was tail-heavy? If it was increasing just altitude, but didn't particularly feel unstable, then is it possible that you were flying into an unusually strong headwind? The plane will increase altitude as it increases speed through the air.. Just a thought. Mike
Posted on: 5/14/2012 7:35 AM by Author "mirwin" in the forum "Questions and Answers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11080160

RE: APC Prop Painting
[quote]ORIGINAL: YAT-28E Has anyone used that FUSION paint on an APC prop? How did it work? Just wondering as a black prop loooks so much nicer on a warbird than a grey one!! Thanks Mike [/quote] Mike, I've been painting my APC props for years, and have never EVER had any problem at all. After balancing the prop, I lightly roughen up the surface with fine sandpaper, and clean it thoroughly. Then I prime it with rustoleum primer, and spray paint it with Rustoleum. I nearly always paint the tips, often with various colored stripes, to dress it up. With warbirds, I use black, and always paint the tips either white or yellow. When done, I re-balance, brushing a little paint on the tip to get a fine balance. I've never had paint chip off of one of my props. Mike
Posted on: 8/2/2011 9:59 AM by Author "mirwin" in the forum "Tips & Techniques"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10651363

RE: Lado retracts, do the really exist?
[quote]ORIGINAL: chalmrast Well I have 3 "landings" on my Lado 60-2's now with my CMPro P-40 -73". This E-conversion weighs over 12lbs. Each landing resulted in collapsed gear but not a fault of the Lado units. Here is a brief description of each setup & what happened: I am using Robart 660 struts that accept 3/16 wire (smallest) and the Lado's accept 5/32" [u]Pre-Maiden:[/u] I made adapters from 5/32 to 3/16 by using 5/32 music wire and 3/16 copper tube. I JB-welded the tube over the portion of the music wire that goes into the Robart strut. This failed even before the maiden because the set screws on the struts only made contact with the copper tube. The JB-weld didn't hold thus allowing the music wire to spin inside the copper. [u]Landing 1:[/u] I made my own wire adapters using 3/16" music wire. I cut a piece to length then inserted it in my drill press. With the wire spinning, I used a dremmel wheel to turn the diameter to 5/32" for the portion that inserts into the Lado trunion. Take-off & flight went great. Landing was smooth but the gear folded up like sticks. Everyone thought the Lados failed but they held without a problem. The wire adapters are what bent at a 90 degree angle. The act of "machining" them down weakened the metal terribly. I tested a piece on my bench at home by sticking one end into a vise and putting the strut on the other end... I could bend the wire with very little effort. [u]Landing 2:[/u] I made new adapters by "soldering" the 3/16" tube to the 5/32" music wire. I put "solder" in quotes because you cant really solder copper to steel. But, it held enough for what I needed. The copper really only needs to act as a second bushing. I then ground a flat spot on the copper/steel side that went all the way through the copper. This allowed the strut set-screw to make contact with the wire, not the copper. I then used a silver Sharpie to mark the set screw locations on the Lado side and ground those areas flat as well. I put blue Loc-Tite on all the set screws. For this flight I was not at my normal flying field, I was up in the mountains at about 6200' elevation. With less lift due to the thinner air, the plane landed a little rough. Once again, the Lado's held strong but the wire bent on the left strut. I have video of this landing and I'll post it as soon as I get it processed. [u]Landing 3:[/u] Same day as Landing 2. Since we were camping out & didn't have access to all my tools, I decided to try an allen wrench as a wire adapater. I figured it's hardened steel so it should have more strength. Also, it already has flat sides! My buddies told me it may be harder, but it will most likely snap instead of bend. I figured "what the heck" so I tried it any way. Once again, a rough landing due to less-dense air & not enough elevator throw. This time both sides bent and one side actually ripped right out of the blocks. The Lado units were un-effected! I am going to drill out the trunions to 3/16" I have nothing to lose at this point. If it doesn't work I'll just order new trunions. But, everyone at the field was thoroughly impressed with the strength of the units... for them to take that kind of force & not even flinch is impressive. [/quote] Okay, let's try this again - <![if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE <w:LidThemeComplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexscript> <![endif]><![if gte mso 9]> <![endif]><![if gte mso 10]><![endif]> chalmrast, I haven't paid much attention to this thread lately, and I've not read beyond your post above. I developed a somewhat unique fix for the same problem I was having on my H9 Corsair, bent wires. Having tried everything else I could think of, I finally found the permanent fix. Necessity is the mother of all invention, they say. Go to the hardware store, and buy a couple smallish screwdrivers. Take a caliper with you, and you’ll find that the shaft of most smaller screwdrivers are the exact diameter that you need to fit the Lados. Screwdriver shafts are made of chrome vanadium. When is the last time you saw a screwdriver bend? Me neither. I’ve had absolutely no more problems with my Lado / RoboStrut combination. <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"> Mike
Posted on: 7/30/2011 7:21 PM by Author "mirwin" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10647134

RE: Lado retracts, do the really exist?
[quote]ORIGINAL: chalmrast Well I have 3 "landings" on my Lado 60-2's now with my CMPro P-40 -73". This E-conversion weighs over 12lbs. Each landing resulted in collapsed gear but not a fault of the Lado units. Here is a brief description of each setup & what happened: I am using Robart 660 struts that accept 3/16 wire (smallest) and the Lado's accept 5/32" [u]Pre-Maiden:[/u] I made adapters from 5/32 to 3/16 by using 5/32 music wire and 3/16 copper tube. I JB-welded the tube over the portion of the music wire that goes into the Robart strut. This failed even before the maiden because the set screws on the struts only made contact with the copper tube. The JB-weld didn't hold thus allowing the music wire to spin inside the copper. [u]Landing 1:[/u] I made my own wire adapters using 3/16" music wire. I cut a piece to length then inserted it in my drill press. With the wire spinning, I used a dremmel wheel to turn the diameter to 5/32" for the portion that inserts into the Lado trunion. Take-off & flight went great. Landing was smooth but the gear folded up like sticks. Everyone thought the Lados failed but they held without a problem. The wire adapters are what bent at a 90 degree angle. The act of "machining" them down weakened the metal terribly. I tested a piece on my bench at home by sticking one end into a vise and putting the strut on the other end... I could bend the wire with very little effort. [u]Landing 2:[/u] I made new adapters by "soldering" the 3/16" tube to the 5/32" music wire. I put "solder" in quotes because you cant really solder copper to steel. But, it held enough for what I needed. The copper really only needs to act as a second bushing. I then ground a flat spot on the copper/steel side that went all the way through the copper. This allowed the strut set-screw to make contact with the wire, not the copper. I then used a silver Sharpie to mark the set screw locations on the Lado side and ground those areas flat as well. I put blue Loc-Tite on all the set screws. For this flight I was not at my normal flying field, I was up in the mountains at about 6200' elevation. With less lift due to the thinner air, the plane landed a little rough. Once again, the Lado's held strong but the wire bent on the left strut. I have video of this landing and I'll post it as soon as I get it processed. [u]Landing 3:[/u] Same day as Landing 2. Since we were camping out & didn't have access to all my tools, I decided to try an allen wrench as a wire adapater. I figured it's hardened steel so it should have more strength. Also, it already has flat sides! My buddies told me it may be harder, but it will most likely snap instead of bend. I figured "what the heck" so I tried it any way. Once again, a rough landing due to less-dense air & not enough elevator throw. This time both sides bent and one side actually ripped right out of the blocks. The Lado units were un-effected! I am going to drill out the trunions to 3/16" I have nothing to lose at this point. If it doesn't work I'll just order new trunions. But, everyone at the field was thoroughly impressed with the strength of the units... for them to take that kind of force & not even flinch is impressive. [/quote] <![if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE <w:LidThemeComplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexscript> <![endif]><![if gte mso 9]> <![endif]><![if gte mso 10]><![endif]><![if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE <w:LidThemeComplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexscript> <![endif]><![if gte mso 9]> <![endif]><![if gte mso 10]><![endif]> <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: rgb(0, 32, 96);">chalmrast, I haven't paid much attention to this thread lately, and I've not read beyond your post above. I developed a somewhat unique fix for the same problem I was having on my H9 Corsair: bent wires. Having tried everything else I could think of, I finally found the permanent fix. Necessity is the mother of all invention, they say. <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: rgb(0, 32, 96);"> <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: rgb(0, 32, 96);">Go to the hardware store, and buy a couple smallish screwdrivers. Take a caliper with you, and you’ll find that the shaft of most smaller screwdrivers are the exact diameter that you need to fit the Lados. Screwdriver shafts are made of chrome vanadium. <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: rgb(0, 32, 96);"> <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: rgb(0, 32, 96);"> When is the last time you saw a screwdriver bend? Me neither. I’ve had absolutely no more problems with my Lado / RoboStrut combination. <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: rgb(0, 32, 96);"> <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: rgb(0, 32, 96);"> Mike
Posted on: 7/30/2011 7:18 PM by Author "mirwin" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10647130

RE: Ultracote Cold Application
[quote]ORIGINAL: SeamusG Has anyone heard of applying Ultracote using a "cold application" method? If so, can you describe the process? Ok, background - just got off the phone with a guy at Aero-works. He told me that the Chinese manufacturing company that builds their ARFs use a "cold application" technique to lay down the covering, both base and trim. I like the result - especially where they overlay the base with a sizable trim piece - no bubbles (of course) but what got my attention was that the trim piece looks like it's been "tightened" so that the Ultracote "pre-shrink" marble texture is gone. TIA BTW - the guy at Aero-works has competed at Toledo with his personal build projects and has won several awards - so he's got serious building skills. He wasn't able to explain the details either. [/quote] SeamusG, I've not heard of a "cold application" method with Ultracote, but I'm very interested. Perfect overlays on MonoKote are fairly easy, but it's been a challenge for me with Ultracote. Please keep us posted if you learn what the technique is. Mike
Posted on: 7/16/2011 8:52 AM by Author "mirwin" in the forum "Questions and Answers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10623778

RE: Byron Originals Christen Husky....CG?
Karol, I can't say. I don't have the model anymore, and I don't recall dimensions. Blue77, you might answer Karol's question by measring the wing. Mike
Posted on: 6/27/2011 12:03 PM by Author "mirwin" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10594753

RE: Byron Originals Christen Husky....CG?
[quote]ORIGINAL: mirwin [quote]ORIGINAL: blue77 I am refiting an older ARF Byron Husky...I have not been able to locate a manual and I am trying to figure out where the CG should be...this plane has about a 100" WS and weighs about 15lbs without engine and electrics...Thanks, B7 [/quote] blue77, I had one of these models until about a year ago. I think I still have the manual
Posted on: 6/27/2011 5:56 AM by Author "mirwin" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10594198

RE: Byron Originals Christen Husky....CG?
[quote]ORIGINAL: blue77 I am refiting an older ARF Byron Husky...I have not been able to locate a manual and I am trying to figure out where the CG should be...this plane has about a 100" WS and weighs about 15lbs without engine and electrics...Thanks, B7 [/quote] blue77, I had one of these models until about a year ago. I think I still have the manual for it. I'll check, and get back to you. Mike
Posted on: 6/27/2011 5:42 AM by Author "mirwin" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10594183

RE: .46 Greatplanes Christen Eagle GP/EP
[quote]ORIGINAL: airraptor They will come out with a bigger one soon. think DLE 30 size........ [/quote] airraptor, Is that definite? I was going to buy one of these smaller Eagles, but I would wait if I thought GP would release a larger one. Mike
Posted on: 6/23/2011 5:16 AM by Author "mirwin" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10588063

RE: ARF's are Kits?
What's the point of this disussion? When I was a little boy, nearly 60 years ago, I built plastic model aircraft. All of the parts were already formed so all I had to do was glue the pieces together, and apply paint and decals. It was always referred to as building a model, and never as assembling a model. But I was just a dumb kid, and didn't care about the difference between building and assembling. What's the difference between building a plastic model airplane and assembing an ARF? And at what level of assembly does an ARF become more of a kit than an ARF? I once had a Byron Christen Husky, the 9' wingspan job. If ever a model blurred the line between ARF and kit, that one did. And, if I EVER get this old Pica WACO kit finished, I'll sure know it was a kit! To me, an RC plane is like eggs and bacon: the worst I ever had was still out of this world. Some planes fly better than others but I love 'em all for their good looks in the air or what they mean to me personally. I had one that flew like a broken-winged bird, but i still loved it for the challenge (although I did eventually (and gleefully) put it on the burn pile.) Point is, there must be a reason other than the simple dispute between building and assembling. Why do we go through this debate every few months? Maybe it's the pride in having built something from a pile of sticks, and then watching it soar like a homesick angel. I know that feeling and maybe that's why I've always thought of my kits as a lot more special than the ARFs I've had. But at the end of the day, all I really care about is RC flying. It's fun and I fly with a bunch of good people who don't give two hoots whether I built or assembled the darn thing.
Posted on: 5/23/2011 12:29 PM by Author "mirwin" in the forum "Questions and Answers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10536426

RE: New Monokote Technique
albsurfer, A couple of tips for you: - Change the blade as soon as you feel that it isn't cutting smoothly. On a complex job, I'll go through 4 - 5 blades. - Second: After applying the monokote to the base monokote and after you've squeegied all the liquid out, let it sit for at least 12 hours before sealing the edges with the Trim Solvent. - ordinarily, you don't need to use any heat; it'll stay there till the cows come home. I have an 8 year old Super Skybolt and the design is as tight on all edges as it was the day I laid it down. Mike
Posted on: 4/5/2011 3:02 PM by Author "mirwin" in the forum "Tips & Techniques"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10445141

RE: Hellcat F6F Wild Hare RC - G-Pete's build and review
[quote]ORIGINAL: G-Pete Yes, that is right it comes without decals installed . . . . . [/quote] Yeah!
Posted on: 3/29/2011 6:59 PM by Author "mirwin" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10431366

RE: Hellcat F6F Wild Hare RC - G-Pete's build and review
It appears that it comes without installed decals. Is that correct? It irritates me when a manufacturer comes out with a really nice warbird ARF and it's covered and sealed with just the decals I don't want. I like my Corsairs and P-47s, but I've always wanted a nice F6F-3 or -5. I'll follow this thread closely. Interested in how the retracts hold up on this heavy model. Mike
Posted on: 3/29/2011 6:28 PM by Author "mirwin" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10431290

RE: Weather website question
[quote]ORIGINAL: exeter_acres I use this one: http://www.usairnet.com/cgi-bin/launch/code.cgi?Submit=Go&sta=KPDK&model=avn&state=GA Just change the location to your area and set the bookmark... [/quote] That's a real good website but the locations aren't anywhere near where I live or fly. I've been using a NOAA website that provides similar info (e.g., winds speed / direction / gusts, humidity, temp, wind chill, precipitation, etc. It's proven over the past few years to be as accurate as any other forecast I've found. And you can plug in most any town in the country. http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?w0=t&w2=hi&w3=sfcwind&w3u=1&w4=sky&w5=pop&w6=rh&AheadHour=0&Submit=Submit&FcstType=graphical&textField1=39.55470&textField2=-77.99440&site=all&unit=0&dd=0&bw=0 Mike
Posted on: 3/23/2011 6:15 PM by Author "mirwin" in the forum "Questions and Answers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10418739

RE: How to keep muffler bolts tight?
About 40 years ago after the war, all I could afford for a car were junkers so I overhauled quite a few engines and transmissions etc. Some of those engines wouldn't take a head gasket (remember the MOPAR slant six?) and that's when I learned a good trick. I would paint both sides of the head gasket with aluminum paint, let it dry, and then bolt down the head(s). Never had another problem. I wonder if that would work on those cranky Saito mufflers. You might try putting some on the threads, let it dry, and tighten it down. Make sure the threads are real clean before you put that aluminum paint on it though. If it works, let me know. Mike
Posted on: 3/21/2011 5:51 PM by Author "mirwin" in the forum "Questions and Answers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10414634

RE: A call for action from the AMA
[quote]ORIGINAL: prop wash Gizmo,thats called"PROGRESSIVISM",same as Marksist and Communism[call for a revolution]socialism,progessive takes "Baby steps"a little at a time.Also called "Gradualism"! Tom [/quote] And here's how it works: <![if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE <w:LidThemeComplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexscript> MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]><![if gte mso 9]> <![endif]><![if gte mso 10]><![endif]> <span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif";">Catching Wild Pigs <span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif";"> <span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif";"> You catch wild pigs by finding a suitable place in the woods and putting corn on the ground. The pigs find it and begin to come every day to eat the free corn. When they are used to coming every day, you put a fence down one side of the place where they are used to coming. <span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif";"> When they get used to the fence, they begin to eat the corn again and you put up another side of the fence. They get used to that and start to eat again. You continue until you have all four sides of the fence up with a gate in the last side. <span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif";"> The pigs, which are used to the free corn, start to come through the gate to eat that free corn again. <span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif";"> You then slam the gate on them and catch the whole herd. Suddenly the wild pigs have lost their freedom. They run around and around inside the fence, but it’s too late. They are caught. <span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif";"> Soon they go back to eating the free corn . They are so used to it that they have forgotten how to forage in the woods for themselves, so they accept their captivity.
Posted on: 3/1/2011 6:47 AM by Author "mirwin" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10371786

RE: A call for action from the AMA
[quote]ORIGINAL: irocbsa No idea what number I am, I wrote my own personalized email. However, I did forward the link onto our club for those who want to use the form letter. :) Also, don't waste your time sending in a snail mail letter. Due to all the paranoia generated from the anthrax scares after 9/11, all House/Senate/Executive mail goes through a lengthy screening and rerouting process. It can take weeks for your letter to arrive, and once it does they might not even read it. Not to mention that the "mass mailing" effect that the AMA is trying to create will long have passed. One thing you have to learn about politicians is that they rarely actually care about anything personally. They usually don't take action on anything until "outrage" or "imminent threats" are manufactured by some outside entity (media, lobbyists, interest groups like ours) that gives them something to latch onto for a week in order to stand on their taxpayer funded pulpit and garner media attention that will then be used in their next re-election campaign. We need to put this on their radar. That's the only way. [/quote] That's an excellent point, irocbsa. I wonder if the AMA has considered a campaign to get this important issue out to the public through the news media. Mike
Posted on: 2/24/2011 6:27 AM by Author "mirwin" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10360032

RE: Seeking Opinions on Aeroworks YAK 54 ARF 1.20 QB
Thanks, Zippi. I do like the looks of the Yak.
Posted on: 2/13/2011 1:18 PM by Author "mirwin" in the forum "3D Flying!"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10333373

RE: Seeking Opinions on Aeroworks YAK 54 ARF 1.20 QB

Posted on: 2/13/2011 1:17 PM by Author "mirwin" in the forum "3D Flying!"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10333371

Seeking Opinions on Aeroworks YAK 54 ARF 1.20 QB
Although I'm not a 3-D pilot, I enjoy the more tame traditional aerobatics. I'm highly impressed with the Aeroworks line of ARFs, and I'm considering buying the YAK 54 ARF 1.20 QB. But I haven't made up mind yet, so I'm seeking the opinions of those with experience flying YAKs and Extras. There are two reasons that I haven't made up my mind: (1) I've flown Extras, and I like their handling characteristics a lot. But I've never flown a YAK. (2) I have an OS 1.20 4-stroke that would be a good mate to the YAK but Aeroworks doesn't offer a 1.20 size Extra. To buy an Aeroworks Extra, I would have to buy an expensive new engine which I can't afford right now. I would appreciate any comparisons - based on personal experience - between the overall flight characteristics of the YAK and the Extra. It would be a big help in my decision. Thanks much, Mike Boy, I hope I didn't just start another "What's best, FOMOCO GM or MOPAR" feud!
Posted on: 2/13/2011 9:20 AM by Author "mirwin" in the forum "3D Flying!"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10332904

RE: Warbird painting with rattle can help.
John, I'll ditto what some of the others have said about rattle cans. I frequently use Rustoleum for cowls, wheel pants and other trim areas on my gas and glow-powered models, and I've had no problems with raw glow fuel or exhaust residue. I never use a clear - coat when I use Rustoleum; it simply isn't necessary. However, if you want to use a clear-coat, use only Rustoleum over the Rustoleum. That said, I have not used all of the available Rustoleum rattle-can colors. It is possible that one color - aluminum, for example - may have some other chemical properties that would affect how it holds up to raw glow or gas fuel and exhaust residue. Good rule of thumb is to run a test. Although I've not run such a test, if I did, I would paint a a piece of material similar to what you plan to paint on your new model, attach it via tape to some area of another model where it will be exposed to the exhaust residue, and take it flying. One other bit of advice: Although it's made by Rustoleum, DO NOT USE PAINTERS TOUCH brand. It's very much inferior to Rustoleum for our RC purposes. All the best, Mike
Posted on: 2/13/2011 8:46 AM by Author "mirwin" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10332820

MOVED: Pending FAA restrictions on RC
AMA Discussions: http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10313303
Posted on: 2/5/2011 6:49 PM by Author "mirwin" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10315501

Pending FAA restrictions on RC
Apparently, the FAA is living up their motto, "We're not happy unless you're unhappy." I've been following this potential problem, and I wonder if anybody else is as concerned as I am. Nothing is carved in stone yet, but AMA seems to think that these will be some of the restrictions: - Altitude limit of 400 - Increased minimum distance from full scale airfield - Max aircraft weight of 55 pounds - Total ban of all gas turbine engines - Max speed of 100 MPH
Posted on: 2/4/2011 7:41 PM by Author "mirwin" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10313303

RE: Dumb question about Navy planes
[quote]ORIGINAL: MinnFlyer [quote]ORIGINAL: Augie11 Sounds like the congressional IQ hasn't changed much over the years! [/quote] Yes it has... It's gone DOWN! :D [/quote] That's impossible. How can anyone be dumber than a box of rocks?
Posted on: 1/26/2011 6:02 PM by Author "mirwin" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10291368

RE: Robostrut bushings tight fit - help please
Bill, I had the same problem, and I was reluctant to try forcing them in with a hammer. Here's what I did. I put a bolt about 2' long and roughly the same diameter as the inside diameter of the bushing. Next, I put a nut on the bolt, and tightened it up to the bushing. Then, I put the bolt into the chuck of my drill press (even a hand drill will work). Using medium emery cloth, I then took off just enough of the bushing's "teeth" to still fit snugly into the strut tube. Worked great. It would have been a lot easier if I'd had a metal lathe. Mike
Posted on: 1/25/2011 6:37 PM by Author "mirwin" in the forum "RC Warbirds and Warplanes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10288559