Due to the very large increase in postage costs by Royal Mail I have reluctantly increased my charges.
Please note my minimum shipping cost is now £4.50
For my full shipping cost table please click View our Shipping Costs at the top of the Home page
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Increased Shipping Costs
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Phat Phantom Maiden Flight
The Phat Phantom made its maiden flight at a very cold Easter Middle Wallop meeing ........ doing about 60 mph with a Mk 2 Oliver Tiger Cub on a 7 x 6 and oily fuel.... was too cold to fiddle about and I am sure that more performance is available with other props and racing fuel....however the Mk 2 is now nicely run in and back in my display cabinet.....the PP now has its brother engine the Oliver Tiger Cub Schneurle installed and ready for flight testing.....will report on that in due course.....must remark that I had forgotten what a pleasure it is to fly a Phantom ... its handling is impeccable ..... designer Bill Dean certainly knew a thing or two!
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A pair of Nifty Noblers
Here are a pair of very nice 1/2A Noblers built by Maurice Ashby and his friend......DC and MP Jet diesel power......Maurice reports that the Noblers are performing well and that they have been drawing an audience from the local RC flyers
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Champion trainer kits back in stock
The Champion trainer kits are back in stock after the first batch sold out in record time. This handsome trainer from the 50's is a great way to exercise that Mills 75 or ED Bee you may have tucked away, flies great with a modern MP Jet 0.6cc as well.
Se the Trainer section for more details.
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The Phat Phantom
Just thought you might like to see my Phantom XV modified to have a rear open Cockpit like the Mk 1.......I had to widen the fuselage to take the Oliver Tiger Cub up front.....hence the name Phat Phantom......point is you dont have to build exactly to the design, just use your imagination.
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Merlin Glow Plugs in Stock
I am pleased to announce that I am now stocking Merlin Glow Plugs....there is a vast range of these high quality, competitively priced plugs available to cover all applications .....I will add more plug types on customer demand so feel free to contact me to discuss your requirements.
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Boston Blackie Mods
Thought you might like to see what can be done with the Boston Blackie kit.......I changed the wing and tail plan shape to make them more elliptical.....added 3/4" wing dihedral each side....used some 3/8" balsa triangle at the wing joint and some scrap around the cowling.....flies great with a Grey Bomber engine and looks a picture in the air.
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New Website
Just to let you know that I am in the process of building a new website....its under test now and will launch shortly....the look may change but the content and service wont....but it will be better for viewing on phones and tablets :-)
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Article 9
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Article 8
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Article 7
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Article 6
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Article 4
The DMS Skunk Works has been beavering away to see if traditional balsa construction is compatible with ECL at the smaller sport model sizes.......eg: spans of 24in - 30in
Here is the third in my series of experiments....... STUMPY........at last I feel I am getting somewhere.......so could this be a kit...NO.......but it may just become a plan......keep an eye on this page for further developments;-
Here is a vid showing STUMPY in action......the planes much better than me!...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpzLJO-uKy0
Hope you enjoy
Den
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Article 2
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Article 1
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Article 0
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Increased Shipping Costs
Due to the very large increase in postage costs by Royal Mail I have reluctantly increased my charges.
Please note my minimum shipping cost is now £4.50
For my full shipping cost table please click View our Shipping Costs at the top of the Home page
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Walt Musciano...An American view
I asked Rich Kacmarsky to comment on why Walt Musciano and his designs are so important to our American cousins....here is his reply
I guess I've been building models since I was old enough to stick a pin into a tube of Ambroid glue. My first control liner was actually the old plastic Wen Mac SBD Dauntless dive bomber. It was a great looking airplane, although the weight and anemic engine made it necessary to apply a fair amount or whipping to get it airborn. That was followed by a Cox PT-19 which flew pretty well. After both of those airplanes gave up the ghost, the engines were used on a series of Scientific hollow logs - The Little Mercury, the Little Devil, and my all time favorite, the Golden Hawk. These were followed by a series of larger planes through High School when girls became more interesting. I entered the U.S. Navy in 1969 for a two year tour and actually did a bit of flying on the helo pad at the Naval Hospital in the Phillipines where I served as a Hospital Corpsman (medic). The two years became a 27 year career that saw me become a Registered Nurse and Commissioned Officer. I retired in 1996 with the rank of Commander. After settling down in civilian life I re-discovered model aviation and joined the local flying club, the Lansing Area Flying Aces for the sole purpose of doing their Web page. I am now the club President. It just goes to show that model aviation is a chronic condition that may go into remission from time to time, but is never totally cured!
I was wondering how best to explain the impact of Walt Musciano and his 1/2 A 'Hollow Log' designs on the American model aviation community when I hit upon an inspiration. As I type this I have before me a 1961 issue of American Modeler magazine, opened to the two page ad for the Scientific Model Airplane Company of Newark, New Jersey. Being a 'Baby Boomer' born in 1949, I grew up looking at these ads and dreaming of the planes that were illustrated - no less than 68 on the two pages! The vast majority of these were Walt Musciano Hollow log designs, so called because the fuselages were pre-shaped from a single piece of balsa. Walt correctly assumed that these 18 inch wingspan models would bring airplane modeling to the masses because of their reasonable price (most sold for less than $2.00) and simple but durable construction. Walt and the Scientific Model Airplane Company literally changed the face of model aviation in the USA. Like many kids, I built several of Walt's planes on the kitchen table (which is why Walt called them 'table top' designs) and gained my first flying experiences piloting one of these little gems.
Fast forward to 2006 and I discovered a company called Black Hawk Models was reproducing many of these kits. Like many of us who are a bit greyer but no less passionate about model aircraft, I began to re-live the flights of my youth with these great little airplanes. Even better, there were contests being held on both coasts featuring these designs exclusively. Being in Michigan which is in the middle of the country, a group of us decided to host a contest of our own. The event was a great success and the topper was that Mr. Musciano honoured us with his presence! At 86 years young, he is still an avid designer and writer. Walter and I have since become good friends and correspond regularly. For me it is an amazing experience to be on a first name basis with a man who I idolized as a boy.
Many of us are now introducing our grandchildren to flying using Walter's designs. Considering the facts that: Walt has been building model aircraft for 75 years; that he has been designing them for 61 years; and that a third generation of American modelers is now enjoying model aviation using his designs, his contribution and his iconic status cannot be overstated.
Perhaps Walt put it best when I asked for his thoughts regarding control line flying. He responded, “It’s a hobby for everybody – Fathers, Sons, and Grandfathers – everybody! Control line is really marvellous and should be paramount in the eyes of everyone. It’s how youngsters learn. A kid couldn’t build and learn to fly R/C on his own, but control line is different. It gives a kid something he can feel in his hand, and that’s the secret. That’s the way to go. Anyone can learn. It’s why I did so many beginners’ models. You can fly control line on a dead end street – something you can’t do with R/C or FF. In addition, kits (then and now) can be produced that are within the reach of every kid’s pocketbook
Rich Kacmarsky
April 2009
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Stunt Rockets arrive...and sell out fast!
One of Walt Musciano's most unusual designs is now available as a Black Hawk Models kit...
The 1951 Stunt Rocket just oozes that American 50's iconic look....a limited number have just arrived at a price that can not be repeated...they are going fast....dont miss out on a real opportunity to turn heads at your flying field!!
The first three kits have now sold.....I will try to get a couple more but it may be end of August at least before they arrive...if you are interested in reserving one please contact me.
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