duncan

How about a slot for seaplanes and flying-boats ! Wonwings Grumman Duck started my train of thought on another page. If you havent tried it you have missed a great new set of challenges and a great deal of satisfaction to see your model conquer two elements. There are the British Waterplane Assn. events all over UK and many other clubs have "splash-ins". To whet your appetite check out Sean McHale`s www.strictlyscale.com site from Canada. Look for the "water flying " pics. Of course just about any model can be used, from deltas to autogyros,scale/nonscale,vintage or modern.

wonwinglo

Waterplanes certainly hold some magic about them,you need to get those floats just right and also need plenty of power to unstick,one technique is to do a run across the water downwind and create some waves,then crank the seaplane into wind and open the throttle,you will never forget the sight of that first airborne attempt as she unsticks from the water ! sheer magic.
There have been some excellent articles over the years by Dave Boddington on the subject.
My first successful seaplane was a 48 inch DH.60 Gipsy Moth built from a free plan in RCM & E,although the floats were simple flat bottom with a step they worked after a bit of adjustment to the position.

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'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/

adzam

i know there is a club that fly`s form a pond/loch in either fife or perthshire, you dont have any detaisl by any chance wonwinglo, i think it would be something different to watch, (with clubs permission of course)

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duncan

Well Adz if you know your geography you are correct on both locations. there is the "Monikie Ducks" in Fife who have waterplane events and another biggish event is held in Perthshire on Loch Tay. Further north is the original Scottish event, now in its 20th year, The Loch Insh Highland Splash-in. Second weekend in Sept, two days. Located 6 miles south of Aviemore at Kincraig. There is a "Surf and Turf" event on Kilbirnie Loch just south of Glasgow. This has land and water flying areas adjacent and usualy have an amphibian contest where entrants try taking-off and landing on both during one flight. Organised by Alisdair Sutherland the columnist in R/C Model World magazine. Dates and locations are published in the model press "Whats on " pages. The Large Model Assn have a strong waterplane interest and have their own lake. Newest event started last year is on Lake Windermere ( at Steamboat Museum ). Smallest waterplane model I`ve seen was a Cox .010 "Quark",14" span, but they come in all sizes and types. Most events welcome spectators , lots are open to the public because of the locations. Try it you`ll love it.

adzam

i`ll take a not eof those and keep an eye out for the dates.

thanx duncan

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Malcolm Fisher

Wonwing - I have the same plan of the DH60 and have often picked it up and put it by again.
What power did you use for yours?
I'm looking for something for the OS Wankel that one of my sons bought me as a Christmas present last year - it's had three or four six ounce tanks of fuel but has yet to get anywhere near a model - decisions, decisions.
I have also contemplated the Shavrov "freebie" by a former editor of RCM & E - Ken Sheppard?

Any other suggestions welcome.

Malcolm

wonwinglo

***I used an OS.25 two stroke but a fourstroke would be better being able to drive a larger prop.
The model flew until it fell apart with fuel soakage,she was very stable.

__________________
'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/

Kiwi

Waterplanes are alive and well down here in the colonies too. Every year, on the last weekend in August, A local club hosts a "Field and Float fly" at a artificial water skiing lake about 1/2 hours drive south of Christchurch, here in the South Island. (That gives you 8 months to save up the cash and make your holiday plans) This years event was a bit of a wash out, you can read about here.http://russram.tripod.com/id12.html
I have a OS 25 powered "Seamaster" nearly finished and I also have a set of floats for my GWS Beaver. I am building a Speed 400 "Champ" (the vintage French one from December 85 Radio Modeller) and when that is completed that will become my "land" electric model and I will then put the floats on the Beaver. Living on a farm, not only do I have 600 acres to fly on but also the farmers irrigation dam as well! (Ain't life hell!)
I had at one stage considered a Vought Kingfisher for my Wankel, but have decided to sell it instead and concentrate more on the electric side.
However I am still very tempted by the idea of the Sopwith Baby on floats for my OS 26FS (the 38" one out of RC Scale Aircraft) I'm also very keen on doing the old APS F/F Loening OL9 for electric R/C. So many aircraft, so little time! Just as well I don't have to go to work as well!
See you all at Lake Chrichton next August!

duncan

Yeah life can be hell, damn snow this morning...I`ll be forced to take out latest ski-plane for trials today when wind drops, oh well...sigh ! Land of the Long White Cloud provided me with my second floatplane (after the Tomboy) it was a Karora or Karoro or similar name . Very elegant f/f design, nice flier, floats 1/32nd balsa a bit flimsy but I was a beginner then and they developed the "starved horse" look after a while. Wonder if the APS plan is still be available. If/when I win the lottery that would be a good mission, to build one to take back to it`s homeland.

wonwinglo

Living on a farm, not only do I have 600 acres to fly on but also the farmers irrigation dam as well! (Ain't life hell!)

*** Sounds just ideal Kiwi,I saw those floats for fitting to the GWS Tiger Moth they look ideal for puddle jumping,my own strip is 50 feet below the level of a road and flanked by trees one side and an allotment the other,to take off requires a sharp left turn out to miss a tree ! once you get above that lot in clean air it is great,these mall electrics are ideal and I now have a Chrislea Ace and a scaled up twice size Frog Tomtit biplane in the mini fleet,having destroyed by Lipoly's with the incorrect speed controller I now need to get some new ones for next seasons flying,hopefully the new Swedish technology with the wafer cells promised now for the past three years will have happened,imagine just providing a slot to push in the cells out of sight with a weight saving as well ?
Lightweight floatplanes appeal to many and now that electric flight has reached new heights perfectly possible,even multi engined types not dreamed possible could now be tackled,just think of those high wing twin Dornier boats ?

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'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/