What did you do aeroplane wise today?

[TheLurker]

...so I Googled engine turned panels and found a suitable one so I printed it onto Decal paper...

I'll bear that in mind, but my current printer is a Canon and the inks are water soluble. Come to that they're not that especially fast with dope either.

Lurk, I've used canopy glue to stick foil to balsa before.  Also cover grip works

Thanks John.  Any particular brand of canopy glue?  I'll have to give the cover grip a miss; I don't think Mrs L's steam iron is quite right for the heat setting step.

[dputt7]

My printer is also a Cannon but I use "Aftermarket" cartridges and they work OK, though I try not to soak them with water. I give the printed tissue a fine mist of water just in case.  Though this was a decal and a spray of Acrylic  fixed any runs.

[SP250]

Hi Lurk, current brand of canopy glue is Pacer (Zap) but can't remember what I used in the past.  Old age and decrepitude I guess setting in!

John M

[Stunthenk]

I played around with Gasparin CO2 motors. Happily I managed to change a few leaky sieves into proper running motors, after changing O-rings etc. I was surprised to find three types of filling nozzles, with different chambers. The one on my G-63 even had a single synthetic ball in an aluminum housing in stead of the usual steel ball in a plastic sleeve.

[Stunthenk]

Now including the picture.

[Squirrelnet]

Managed to get a test fly the Captain Thermal today. Trimmed a nice flat glide then first cataplut launch and .... I thought the fuselage wood looked a bit light


I have remade it with an 1/8" top to it so it can survive my trimming at least

[Pete Fardell]

This is what I did aeroplane-wise today!

(I turned 60 in December and this trip is my birthday present!)

[Squirrelnet]

WOW what a treat. Your Bleriot looks very familiar though somewhat larger than I remember , maybe because it's closer to the camera . I'm surprised they let you fly it in the museum  Looks there could be other future projects there as well?

[Lastwoodsman]

What did you do airplane wise today?

Fri March 6 2026

The  30 inc  Beaver is in the Hangar ... with a broken wing ....   

     I checked to see if I indeed had enough striped strips for the new wing to be built from the new kit to be mailed to me,  sometime soon,  hopefully.

     And here is a  pic of the water dissolving,  blue marker ink,  damaged pin striping strips,  now with the good test results.    New strips were just glued over the damaged areas of the old strips.

Pic #1      1821     Good supply of Striped Strips and Lite Silkspan covering.

Pic #2     1818      Pic of the latest broken pieces and intact fuse etc.  while waiting for the new kit.

Pic #3     1823       Another view.

     Any roundels or maple leaf decals are just a photocopy away.   So we are good to go ....

Lastwoodsman
Richard

[Pete Fardell]

Looks there could be other future projects there as well?

Indeed! This is of course the Musée des Arts et Métiers in Paris. As well as the cross-Channel Bleriot there are various other aviation related gems. Some interesting cars too. More or less under the Bleriot for instance is Alain Prost's 1983 Renault.

[OZPAF]

Fantastic birthday present Peter - that would have kept you busy.

John

[Jmk89]

And no taxi ride from Gare du Nord required! Perfect.

[dputt7]

  Wow! what an experience, Happy Birthday Pete.

[Jmk89]

Today I took inspiration (i.e. stole) from an article in the October 1943 issue of AeroModeller (pdf attached) to design and 3D print some dihedral jigs.

As the pictures show, I made a couple of stands that can take the different stepped gauge pieces the determine the correct height in the centre slot.  There are holes in the foot of the stands so they can be pinned to a building board to keep everything steady. The three gauge pieces are 25mm high (with 10 x 2.5mm steps from 0 to 25mm), 50mm high (with 5 x 5mm steps from 25mm to 50mm) and 75mm high.

I suspect that above 75mm I may need a bigger stand.  So that's a job for another day.

[Squirrelnet]

As well as the cross-Channel Bleriot there are various other aviation related gems. Some interesting cars too. More or less under the Bleriot for instance is Alain Prost's 1983 Renault.

 The Brequet Gyroplane ? (pic 2) looks spectacularly challenging with it's strutless biplane configuration, thin fuselage and minimal attachment points but I know you can do it 


Alain Prost's Renault looks pretty cool too, enjoy the rest of you birthday trip