John Aero

Thank you chaps for the thoughts on the wire. I did make a rig using a 5 ft carpenters cramp to stretch the wire but it always curved when relaxed. The wire is so fine that it will glow and 'ping' even if the candle dwells too long, let alone a soldering torch. John. All metallurgical thoughts welcome 🤓

There was a rudiment-re 144 scale outline drawing in the last edition of the Harleyford Miles Aircraft book which was probably based on the final GA drawing in the Peter Amos third volume. John

I tried another experiment today. Some years ago Ray Rimmell (Windsock and former Scale Models Editor) gave me two huge coils (probably a couple of hundred metres) of fine Piano wire. He had wanted to use the wire for rigging but he could never straighten it. At the time neither could I, so it's lain in a drawer ever since. I had tried to tension and heat it before but it never worked. However today I sprung a length of .0008" in the same saw and I ran a lighted candle along the length. It worked, I achieved 6" straight lengths. So I will try it on my next Moth rig. John

The original stock in this experiment was Evergreen .040 x .080 thou. I managed to photograph a section. This is the section through the centre few inches about 3" or 75 mm. A larger adjustable frame Piercing Saw would be better John

I was playing about with an idea this morning, so I thought that I'd pass it on. Sometimes you need a small amount of a particular thickness and width of strut. Thin plastic is very difficult to sand down as it has little rigidity. This is easily solved by using a Fret or Jewelers saw to hold it in tension. The second part of this idea is to bolt together two of the light Stanley blades so they form a V. Use the widest screw head and nut you can find as this will give more holding friction. I use this little device to sharpen trailing edges on vac forms. The V knife is simply drawn along the edge of the tension-ed plastic strip so that it shaves off the plastic. By varying the angle of the Vee you can graduate the section by faceting. There's no need to remove the strip to repeat the shaving on the other side as this can be reached within the hoop of the saw. Finish off with suitable abrasive paper into a smooth ellipse. The whole thing only takes minutes. If you need multiples, then simply count the strokes on one setting, replace the strip with another and do the same number of strokes. Adjust the Vee and repeat the exercise, again counting the strokes. Do the same with the abrasive paper. John I used the light Stanley blades because they had a hole in the fitting, suitable for a reasonable screw size. I'm now thinking of modifying a pair of sharp scissors but the temptation is tempered by the marital stare if I approach the sewing box, (well I'm not using mine).

Somewhere I have some dimensioned drawings for the Lion. John

Plastic Padding products are good to use with white metal/ My favourite was PP Elastic. John

The Tripod website is very good. I flew in Millersdale and it's nice to be able to add the registration to my ancient log book I committed it to memory, and forgot. John

The Marathon was originally designed and built by Miles Aircraft. When Handley Page took over production the RAF ordered 28 as Nav trainers. They served with 2. ANS. and later 1.ANS at Manby (Trials), Topcliffe, Thorney Island and Hullavington. The only RAF one I saw was at RAF Syerston in 1957. They left RAF service in 1958. I flew in a Derby Airways Marathon out of Hucknall in (IIRC) 1959. They were used by Union of Burma Airways and West African Airway Corporation. I'll try and find my photos. I too have one of these kits in my collection. John

Hi Tony, We're fine. No, the model looked like a modified toilet roll tube, but not to a twelve year old. 😀 John

The first aircraft I ever stepped inside was a Valletta at RAF Newton in 1954. I recall that it had the cut off tail cone for the Glider tow hook which to my boyhood brain didn't look right, because my Recce book said it should have been pointy. When I got home I made a model of it in cardboard with a toilet roll tube for the centre fuselage. John

The thin blister is sits directly on a line of rivets which secure the outer of the two cross bay, partially cut away ribs to the wing top skin. I would therefore suggest that there might have been a later localized strengthening requirement, which for clearance sake, had to be incorporated on the top surface of the wing skin. This was given (or made as) a streamlined fairing (blister). I note that of the two cross bay ribs the outer rib has far more rivets at that position than the inner rib when viewed from inside the wheel bay. John.

If I may include a tip. When I've laid ribs or stringers on a surface I find the best way to make them look like fabric is to spray the item with a couple of coats of Halfords Yellow Primer filler. When it's dry but "green" I rub the whole surface down with a piece of T shirt material soaked in cigarette Lighter fuel. This will remove the paint from the high spots and it will fillet in the bottoms of the raised ribs leaving a nice gentle fabric sag effect. Repeat as required. John

Of the figures I used in my little diorama only one is a commercial figure, it's the chap with his hands in his pocket. This I believe was from Czech Republic and it was painted by a friend and given to me to restart my hobby modelling. The other figures are resin copies of my own creations. Leticia, the female pilot started off as a Monogram B.17 crewman and the proportions and shape have been much modified. Her head was from an ancient Aurora German pilot, again much changed and grafted onto the crewman. Her female shape was created by building up layers of cyano and the flying kit from plastic and etch brass buckles. The other mechanics were created in a similar way. They are all part of my Stackton Tressel 30's aerodrome project. John

Tim Mason, the author of the wonderful Testing books was the pilot of my first ever Canberra flight (12 Sqn) out of RAF Coningsby in 1960. John

One of the things about watching Moa work, is the use of everyday objects to aid construction. A lesson in it's self. John

I would think the second door was to ease the loading of passengers or light freight as with a float plane moored to a jetty you can't just walk around the other side. I first flew a couple of times in a Rapide in Scotland in 1957 G-ALPK of Cumberland Air Taxi's. I've since flown in a number of others with my son, My late wife Angela, and my present wife Clare, all making their first piston engine flights and a few more. John

"a good cold IPA" Why do you drink Iso Propyl Alcohol ?, I can understand the Malt. John

The tiny brass pieces under the wing are to represent the long, draw screws on the top and bottom metal strips covering the wing fold joint. The bump in the middle is the (Vega) top Nav light which is not on Proctors as they have a rudder mounted light. It's just one of the many confusing little items it was difficult to communicate. John

Probably because of the wide fuselage and the long nose. Good visibility by the pilot is requisite in a torpedo bomber (and for landing). There is also space at the side for the observer /gunner to communicate, (tea and biccie sir). The wide under-carriage suggests that the Torpedo role was always envisaged. The crew grouping of the Horsley and Yeovill makes better sense than in their contemporary the Berkeley. John

Ha you nautical types, Get knotted 😁 I should have consulted my book of knots, John

Heller became notorious for poor shot control when they moulded Airfix kits with the machine 'bottoming out' before the full plastic flow was packed into the mould. This will induce sinks and short shots especially in parts with a changing thickness. I won't name my source but he would know. John

This probably illustrates the Mk.III nose best of all. John

I can't at the moment date the tassels but the Mk. IV (and possibly earlier Mk.s had leather 'railway carriage' loops, which hung down. The Vega Gull door pull was of the naval 'Monkeys head' knot type. John

The reference I have is for varnished wood with a Black top to the instrument panel coaming. Most DH types up to the military contracts had a mid grey cockpit area. John