duncan

I dont know if you know of the UK branch of SAM (Society of Antique Models) ? It can be found on www.cavegrove.freeserve.co.uk/sam All vintage,ie pre1951, some links,comps, etc. Good starting point. ALL balsa ! (John: That was the free-flight supplier I meant, thanks)

Tim Tim

Well, what can I say?

That's a great response, and many thanks for the links.

For what it's worth, and, please, understand I am as much a novice as I was when I was 12 or 13, and that's 30 years ago (gulp), here's my memory of balsa free flight.

I remember, clearly now, building up a rectangular fuselage and installing a rubber motor. I can't remember the model, other than it was probably a Keil Kraft. I may have built three or four of this kind. I had some good success with flight times, and even loop the loop in a corn field, or rather the stubble at the end of the harvest, 1975 or 1976.

I then went on to build a Zero, and it was the heaviset chunk of aeroplane to ever try to fly. And fly it did NOT! I remember it had a cardboard tube in the middle for the rubber band! It burnt nicely, when I was allowed matches, and I think I always used lots of dope. Smelled of banana as I recall! Not a great success, but looked pretty.

I never got as far as r/c. We never had the money for that. But I have never forgotten the pleasure of crafting your own 'plane. I have found more planes I would like to model. I love the JU52, and have some plans I bought from I don't know where, a few years ago, but don't really know where to start with it. I don't just want to throw money at a project, as I know as much pleasure can come from finding scraps and bits and pieces, and putting them together. I'm not the sort of person to chuck money at something then forget about it.

I also think that I enjoy building the planes more than flying them. Maybe it's just that I spent more time building them anyway? I'm waffling now.

I hope to learn techniques from this site, and produce some really high quality work. I know I need to know where to buy material, like the dopes etc., but I'm afraid my local model shop in town is not in a very nice area, and the service is a bit poor, so I don't really want to go there.

So I don't mind buying over the internet, and I don't mind trawling through forums for the information I know I need. One thing I have is patience. So here I might have found a really good source. You never know, I might have somethng to add!

Thanks

Tim

Kiwi

While you are at Tim, have a look at:
http://www.thestuarts.freeserve.co.uk/index.htm
That should give you heaps if inspiration
Nev

duncan

Dammit Kiwi, I was looking for that all evening ! Glad you found it.......Tim, allthough aeromodelling is very much slanted to ready-made stuff these days, find out from you local model shop(s) where the flying clubs are in your district. The older modellers will have gone through the stages and I`m sure advise you. Dont be scared of the "new balsa", Depron. Cheap, or free, for experiments, Balsa is getting expensive. Al`s Hobbies have just opened a branch in Bristol I think, good meeting place perhaps .

Tim Tim

Thanks Kiwi, funnily enough I have come across the stuarts before now, and yes, it's a very inspirational site.

Tim Tim

Hmm, link was dead when I tried it. Is it usually up?

duncan

I got it tonight (tues.nov 16) via Google. Just try sam1066 no http or www

Tim Tim

Hmm, seemed to get someone's cv!

Still, it's a starting point.

duncan

I got it OK again by typing into Google sam 1066 You could also try s.a.m. 1066 Note the gap between sam and 1066.

wonwinglo

Tim,you can get all of the dopes,tissue,strip wood etc from a chap called SAMS Models,he is easy to find on Google,he operates from an old chapel,very helpful chap with tons of stock for small scale model building,have to say that most model shops these days are orientated towards ARFTF models and materials are vanishing from the shelves in the high street shops as they cannot be bothered,it is now getting to be a specialised line,if you can get to Old Warden for the scale day ( well worth a visit by the way ) SAMS has a stall,you can get all the bits that you want without the hassle of postage etc there are also plenty of wood suppliers turn up with excellent balsa,but as Duncan says experiment with modern materials like Depren,it is so light and can be easily painted lightly with artists acrylic paint,Depren models fly well because it is so light and above all virtually crash proof,not trying to sway you but just give more fun ideas to build cheap successful models.
I built that Zero with the motor tube,the tube weighed more than the entire framework put together giving a somewhat high wing loading to say the least !
Just build as light as you can,build them straight without any nasty warps,get the centre of gravity in the right place and anything will fly if trimmed out,I built that Dixon circular wing thing they used in the Magnificent Men film,it was a free plan in the old Aeromodeller ( sadly missed ) what fun that was to trim out properly.
Anyway hope we have given you food for thought.

__________________
'And there I was oil on my goggles from a broken pipe,then I looked at the altimeter,all I could see was the makers name !'
www.wonwinglo.scale-models.net/