Wait no longer, Sir Sparks, for verily hast the Ajax defied the unseen tethers fastening her to Mother Earth.


And I shall describe it via the medium of dance.....oh alright then, video...

Keilkraft Ajax - electric & RC (7 min 54 sec)

Apologies for the video quality, but it was taken with a keycam velcroed to the frame of my glasses....

Fantastic! Thanks for a most enjoyable thread

It's all go. Well done.

Great stuff Colonel, you must be well chuffed with that, and you have every right to be. It looks just about spot on, I'm really impressed by the way it ROG'd from quite rough looking ground and I love the skillful way you avoided that puddle at the end! I have duly endorsed your entry in post #1 of the build thread with the FLOWN accolade.

Thanks also for all the amusement the build thread has provided, I hope you will be with us for the proposed Britplan Build Off next year and good luck in the poll at the end of this one.

Hah! I knew it, you were bluffing us all, you know exactly what you're doing. Excellent model and a great end to a very entertaining build log. I'm so glad to have played a part in bullying you into it! Well done, Gary

However I am very open to suggestions and wouldn't be at all opposed to the date being 31st December 1970

Think that should be 31st December 1969

Ray

Originally Posted by kkphantom

Hah! I knew it, you were bluffing us all, you know exactly what you're doing. Excellent model and a great end to a very entertaining build log. I'm so glad to have played a part in bullying you into it! Well done, Gary

Yes, he had me going for a while there Gary, but I sussed him as soon as we started to see the results!

Originally Posted by RFJ

Think that should be 31st December 1969

Ray

I suppose it depends how you look at it Ray - remember the row about whether the new millenium started on 1/1/2000 or 1/1/2001? I would be perfectly happy with 1969, 1970, 1965 or even 1960 or 1959, I'm just going to wait and see what most people prefer nearer the time then make a unilateral decision - you know, like the Government do it - consult, form a focus group, canvas views and then do what they want!

I see what you mean George - guess it's no big deal.

To me the golden age of aeromodelling was the 1950s and 1960s. Earlier models are interesting but don't mean a lot personally as I wasn't around at the time.

As well as Aeromodeller and Model Aircraft plans, RCM&E started in May 1960 and Radio Modeller in January 1966 so there is a vast number of designs to choose from.

My suggestion for consultation, review and rejection would therefore be BritPlans from the swingin' 60s

Ray

Colonel, as well as the Ajax flew I have to think, what a waste that you've been on the sidelines, not building and flying all along. My compliments! It's a beautiful little bird that obviously flys very well!

David

Nice one Blink!

Great accomplishment Blink. I hope my Senator performs half as well! I've had a break from it for a while for holidays etc but am now putting finishing touches to the front end plus repairing a bit of hangar/workshop/fumble fist damage. I can break models without leaving home No doubt the same for most of us!
Regarding the proposed build off for next year, George, Would plans from Aeromodeller annuals be eligible? I would suggest "vintage" as being over fifty years. That would take us back to Dec 1962(or 1963 if allowing the full year of the build). Just a thought.
I'll post further pics of the Senator when I can present it as finished.
Blink, Your video has me thinking about getting a small camera or finding some way to mount my point & shoot on my head! Also, your flights over moorland are just the sort of thing I'll have to do. To that end I made the udercart removable as I see it as a "tripping up stick." You've just proved my totally wrong! Oh well!

Hi Bob, glad to hear you are back on with the Senator, I'm sure it will fly just as well as Blinkie's Ajax, these converted rubber jobs really do work very well. Pity geography separates us, I'd love to fly my Witch along with the Colonel's Ajax your Senator and Sparks Coupe.

Aeromodeller Annual plans? Yes, certainly, up to whatever cut-off date we finally choose.

I am leaning now towards 31/12/69, RCM&E and the early Radio Modeller plans would be fine along with Aeromodeller and Model Aircraft plus such exotica as the Ian Allen Model Aviation/Model Plans Annual magazines (IMO some of the best model flying magazines EVER, such a shame there were only seven of them, but they had lots of plans in each for some very good models), Hobbies magazine, RAF Flying Review (yes they had a model section which featured several Bill Dean designs) etc., in other words any plans, full size or reduced, in any British published magazine (or book, like the AM annual) before the chosen date. The range of choice will be vast and hugely varied.

1969 would suit me, George. There's a design in an annual from the sixties that I intend to build.
If it fits the build-off dates then I'll enter it but am going to build it anyway!
Whoops! that sounds like "leaning" on you a bit but not meant that way.

Many thanks all, I'll admit to an element of smug satisfaction creeping in!!

Not too sure I'll agree to the comments about me trying to pull the wool over eyes - I genuinely haven't built a balsa model in well over a decade. It is you chaps (and chapettes if any of the fairer sex are behind the screen names) who have assisted along the way. Often the biggest assistance has been guidance as to what it is possible to get away with, rather than how to do it 100% correctly!! But the truth of the matter is that I've had a fine time building the model, and to have it fly so gently and slowly really was the icing on the cake.

The real worry was the test glide - I really didnt know whether it would stall massively or try and bury its nose underground, or turn to one side. I knew that the surfaces weren't millimeter straight, but felt that inaccuracies were equal either side etc. Once that first glide went well, I knew I had to fly it there and then. 200yds further down the road was the golf course. I forgot to turn the camera on for the first flight - so you didnt see that when I hand launched and gave it full throttle, it stood vertical on the left wing! Luckily I got a lot of rudder in fairly quickly and caught it before it went in at full beans!! The take offs in the video were made at about 2/3rds throttle and were much easier to control. Because the camera was velcroed to my specs, I couldn't be sure what was framed - hence you missed the landings. It is a real compliment to the design that every landing finished with the model on it's wheels, only rolling a foot or two. This is the first RC model I've had with wheels, so they were the first 'proper' landings I've done.

After the flying in the video and the first flight (2min?), the 360mAh battery was showing 50% charge, so 10mins should be easy. So its pretty economical too, and flies on a whiff of throttle. A very different sort of flying, but on a calm evening, very very enjoyable indeed.

Yes, I do feel a real sense of achievement, and I will be building again. I just need to leave a few weeks / months before starting another.

Originally Posted by Sundancer

I am leaning now towards 31/12/69.....any plans, full size or reduced, in any British published magazine (or book, like the AM annual) before the chosen date.

That sounds good to me - I'm sure I can find summat within those bounds. Unless we are extending the current BritKit Build Off...???

Well done Blink! It was clearly going to fly well as soon as you launched it on that wonderfully smooth test glide on the moor.

Great video from the spec-cam (I use a hat-cam, which is also from Q's stores). My heartiest congrats on the maiden flights, a great build log and a fine looking model too.

sparks