This page is allocated to items which may be of interest to all radio control enthusiasts such as new designs, inventions, unusual models, 'do's and don'ts', unusual stories such as your worst crash or maybe your luckiest escape. If you have an idea that is relevant to this page, your story and accompanying photo/s would be most welcome.

Heli-Launch & Heli-Cam
I have also designed an apparatus which will enable my helicopter to launch either one or two foam wings via a 'twin claw-like device' mounted underneath the undercarriage. The aim of this is to develop a competition, be it pylon, aerobatics or whatever, incorporating the Heli-Launch System. As well I am developing both a video and still shot camera system. Trials are presently being conducted on all of these ideas. When they are all working perfectly, I will share with you the finished products. Stay tuned!

Multi-Mode Flying
INTRODUCTION: Well, here it is. My multi-mode mixing setup. The diagrams below show how I have it set up in my glider. I had limited space to fit everything in. However the more I think on it, the more configurations I reckon I could come up with.
ASSEMBLY: The servos had to be mounted at the same height again due to limited space. To get all of the rods to by-pass the servo arms without obstruction, I’ve used a combination of metal rods with Z bends, ball links, and quick links. The servo arms are a combination of standard and homemade arms.
HOW IT WORKS: The diagrams indicate how the system works and not specifically how I’ve set up the rods, ball links, quick links, Z bends etc., in my glider. With so many combinations, and at the risk of describing a method which may be inadequate for your model, I’m leaving it up to you to work out your own method of construction.
RATES: You will have to mock-up some cardboard templates and play around with them on a table to get the desired rates for each channel. I haven’t done much experimenting with this, however my initial set-up has the rates of each pair of controls moving differently to each other. I.e. The left rudder for example has a different rate to the right rudder, and so on. It’s just the way it worked out. I know if I spent a lot more time experimenting, I could fine-tune the movements to be the same. Don’t be too concerned about where the centres of any particular servo arms sit. If they are not where you think they should be, it will simply mean that your set-up may experience some unwanted differential or exponential - but it will still work.

Above: This is how my glider is set up. It's a bit cramped but it does the job. The drawing on the right shows a pictorial view of one function.

Above: "U" shaped bracket held in place by either rubber bands or double-sided tape. Centreing material can be rubber bands, but fine tension springs would be preferable.

TRANSMITTER: If you've done everything correctly, you should end up with your rudder control on your left and right sticks, and your elevator control also on your left and right sticks. Now you can practice being ambidextrous. If you use mode one, the right control stick will have to be temporarily centred. On my transmitter, I was able to unscrew the control stick (which separated halfway down the shaft), insert the springs, then screw the top part of the stick back on. See diagram.

Electroni-Comp
Combat, Pylon, Limbo. You name it. The sky's the limit.
Then again, maybe there is no the limit.

Combat: Some time ago I got into combat - slope soaring style. Whilst it was a lot of fun and increased ones reflex skills quite dramatically, it did have its downsides. It could take ages before getting a strike, then when you did, usually the other person would gain control of their glider (the one you hit) fairly quickly and continue flying. As is was almost impossible to know who hit whom anyway, the general rule was that in order to score a point, someone's glider had to crash to the ground. Provided you were flying foam wings or the like, this was not such a problem, although eventually your glider would need some repair no matter how strong you think it was. So I decided there had to be a better way to do combat. So I design a system, then hoped for an electronic genius to come along and advise me on the best way of going about it. Well fortunately I found such a genius - well I thought so anyway. His name is Steve and he is very clever when it comes to dabbling in electronics. The criteria needed was lightweight hardware, durable construction, consistent operation, audible from a long distance, affordable price, accessible parts, quick to re-produce and easy to install into an aircraft. Well I' m getting a headache just thinking about it. The answer! A personal alarm. Sounds too easy doesn't it. The only problem we had to overcome was to enable the alarm to stay on for a designated time - say 5 seconds, after the strike had been made. Steve overcame this problem by altering the system with a clever piece of circuitry that was built into the unit.
The aircraft has a series of stick-on aluminium strips layed along the front, top and bottom of the leading edge of the aircraft. It also has a seven metre tail made from control line.

Pylon: Of course this system now congers up all sorts of ideas for the radio control enthusiasts. It could mean for instance, that in pylon racing, the flag-persons could be made redundant. Instead, a live electronic pole could be placed at one end. The aircraft would be required to make contact with the pole, in which case an alarm would sound, thereby letting the pilot know that he can return his aircraft.

Various Applications: Other events such as limbo, or something that you may simply make up on the day, could use this system. The best thing about electronicomp is that it is conclusive, reliable and means more people fly and less people organise. If you know of a more efficient system such as a laser-guided device, your information and accompanying photo/s would be most welcome.