Wings N' Flying Things: That Damn Phoenix just won't give up!!

What's It all About ???

This page is all about the building and flying of radio controlled model aircraft. It's a highly diversified hobby that takes in as many skills as you like to use. Everything from electronics to carpentry, to painting, to drawing and designing with a little bit of metal work thrown in. Some builders even go into doing their own machining, pattern designing, fibre glassing, moulding and engine design. You can use electric motors, 2 stroke or 4 stroke internal combustion engines or even minature turbine (jet) engines for power. My own models use 2 and 4 stroke internal combustion engines and range in size from about a metre in wingspan to well over 3 metres from tip to tip!

No matter how many times I crash this damn thing somehow it always seems to get rebuilt! As noted elsewhere I rescued it from a local hobby shop where it had been hanging on the ceiling for years. After I put a motor it and flew it for a while it began to have altercations with all sorts of obstacles. The ground jumped up, trees ran in front of it on finals and then the bloody gremlins got into the electronics.

So - after a number of repairs/ rebuilds/ patch ups/fixes and a copious quantity of bad language I decided to do a major redesign and a total upgrade. That redesign/upgrade is now in the final stages of planning and progress photos will soon be available. I've included a few photos of the trials and tribulations that have happened up to now. - Stay tuned.

Well my conscience finally got the better of me and I hauled it out from the back of the hanger where it's been sitting for months. I've completely redesigned the front of the fuselage and it now sports a cheeked cowl that encloses an OS FS61 P with a Pitts muffler to be attached. I've repaired the wing - properly this time and I'm giving the whole thing a freash rub down and new paint. Progress photos attached.

Front view

Starboard view - removable part of cowl yet to be fitted

Nearly there. I've got to find a suitable pilot, fit a windscreen and finish the cockpit detail. I've also got to fit the spinner, a Pitt's muffler and then the final paint detail .