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Some activities of the site such as the post-box and personal profiles depend entirely on your contributions which you can send via e-mail. Simply clicking on the little post-box on the home page or wherever it appears will immediately take you into your own e-mail program and display an empty e-mail form which is pre-addressed to ModelFlight. All you need to do is to type in your message, including any picture files, etc., and click on your Send button to send your message. Normal standards of good taste will apply to published contributions and we reserve the right to edit submitted material, but generally speaking you can expect your contributions to appear in the next update of ModelFlight. This first publication of the ModelFlight web pages will be updated once the site has had a chance of being listed on the major search engines with which it has been posted and some response received. Thereafter, the site will be updated at least once every two weeks, even more frequently if there is sufficient new material to make it worthwhile, although no item will be removed until it has been displayed for at least two weeks for the benefit of all - especially those of you who have taken the time and trouble to contribute (that's what the dateline in square brackets at the end of each item is for) - so keep checking us out.

Other sections of interest will include information gleaned from a variety of sources, but we will still very much welcome your contributions for inclusion there.

The real fun and success of ModelFlight will only be realised if between us we can build up a large number of flight modellers communicating through our pages, getting to know one another in a friendly, relaxed and club-like atmosphere. Give it a try and let's see if we can really build a worldwide club of model flight enthusiasts! E-mail me now with your initial reaction - I very much look forward to hearing from you.

This is where you can try your hand at a bit of journalism if you feel like writing up the construction of a kit or reviewing some new gadget that you've tried and tested. Articles about any aspect of model-making, accessories or general interest relating to model flight will be welcome. We're not necessarily looking for hi-tech stuff either, but good, practical and easy-to-understand items that will be of interest and value to the majority of us! If you have found a problem with the instructions in a kit, for instance, use this section to forewarn other hobbyists what to watch out for - even better if you can suggest a solution!

FOLLOWING THE TRAGIC DEATH last March of 11-year old Adam Kirby at a UK model flying field, the Coroner's Inquest concluded that he was killed by a Loaded Dice aerobatic aircraft that was out of control. Although the Coroner is not permitted to allocate blame, it was further concluded that the most likely but not absolute cause of the accident was the simultaneous operation of two transmitters on the frequency of the accident aircraft. Although the absolute cause was not known, it was positively established that the aircraft which was fitted with PCM radio, entered 'Failsafe - Hold' mode shortly after take-off.

According to a report from the BMFA Technical Council, the vast majority of PCM users (as many as 80%) do not actually programme their transmitters for 'Failsafe', and therefore believe that it is not operational. In fact, what they have done is to leave the transmitter in the default setting as set up by the manufacturer which is normally the 'HOLD' mode. This means that should the receiver encounter interference, the controls will hold the settings they had immediately before the interference occurred. That could obviously include full throttle as well as all the control surfaces holding at whatever settings pertained at the time of the interference. If the user sets the radio for 'PRESET' mode, all the controls - including the throttle, of course - will automatically go to settings pre-determined by the person setting up the transmitter which should include setting the throttle to close to minimise the speed and momentum of the model. The BMFA suggest that the throttle be preset to bring the engine to its lowest speed (and probably the control surfaces to straight and level) - presumably so that, if the interference ceases, the model can be controlled and flown once more. However, some suggest that it would be safer to stop the engine completely with the elevator full up, and rudder and aileron full left in order to force the model to crash in the shortest distance across the ground. In the case of model helicopters, the safest setting must be to cut the throttle and at least bring the cyclic and pitch controls back to their mid-point. It must be remembered that the objective of Failsafe is not to save the model but to try and prevent an uncontrolled fly-away. If you are using PCM then Failsafe is ON - it cannot be turned OFF - and unless you have set it to PRESET and carefully selected your settings, then the potentially dangerous Hold mode is operational.

Failsafe does not apply to PPM transmission, but if a model normally flown on PPM is switched to PCM by a change of receiver, the Failsafe feature is automatically selected even if no other settings are altered.

Further to this, the BMFA safety committee has now also addressed the question of transmitter control at the flying field in order to try and avoid the possibility of two transmitters being used on the same frequency, and they urge all clubs to give the matter the same attention they have evidently been giving the Failsafe issue. The following edited comments have been taken from the BMFA Safety Bulletin which has just been published in the February 2000 issue of BMFA News.

The most traditional system of transmitter control seems to be the 'Peg Off' pegboard, where the user is required to remove a frequency peg or marker to indicate that the frequency is in use. However, once the peg is removed no indication is given as to who is actually using the frequency and another flaw in this sytem is the removal of pegs from the flying site by people forgetting to put them back on the board when they leave. This normally results in a duplicate peg being produced and if the original returns, you then have two pegs for the same channel.

The second most favoured system in use is the 'Peg On' pegboard in which the user is required to display an indicator on a pegboard to denote that he or she is using a given frequency. This system will illiminate the need for more than one peg to exist and overcomes the problem of pegs disappearing home at the end of the session. If the system requires the marker to carry some identification of the owner and this requirement is adhered to, this system can be very good indeed, say the BMFA.

The BMFA's preferred system for suitable sites is combination of the two systems described above. They say that if your infrastructure and site allows you to easily use this sytem, you should seriously consider it. In this system, frequency markers exist as with the 'Peg Off' system but when they are removed from the board, hook or whatever, they are replaced with an indicator of a distinctly different design bearing the identification of the person using the frequency. The psychologocal reassurance of being in 'control' of the peg in the 'Peg Off' system is considered to be very strong and thus it is retained with this system. If a peg does go home with the user, they will probably have left their own named marker in its place. A new indicator can be made when it is clear that the original is irrecoverable, and a temporary 'Missing Peg' indicator can be displayed if the original is expected back. A simple way to avoid the markers going home with the user is to remove the requirement for them to be displayed on the user's transmitter or placed in his/her pocket. Users can be requested to place the marker alongside their flight box in their personal pit area or even on the flightline. If the frequency is cleared after every flight, which it should be, the marker will be back on the board anyway.[31.01.00]

Maybe you supplement your fascination with flight by trying your hand at the nearest many of us will ever come to piloting a real aircraft - flight simulation on the computer! Or perhaps model flying is not for you for one reason or another, and this is your alternative. Whether it's Microsoft Flight Simulator, Flight Unlimited or any of the other exciting simulators now on the market, watch this space for ideas, new products and views and news from fellow flightsim pilots. Tell us what you think, what you know and what you want to know.

I'VE BEEN USING the new FS2000 for a few weeks now and must admit I wondered what all the fuss was about on Microsoft's part. Mind you, I haven't done a lot of looking around the scenery which is reported to be pretty good (but not so good as Flight Unlimited III, I'm told).

Many folk seem to have been having all sorts of problems with FS2000 - a friend of mine who really knows what he's talking about and has been a devotee of FS for years has actually given up on FS2000. For some reason, it just does not work well on his PC, taking simply ages to load and then regularly playing up and he cannot find anyone who can explain why. His is an extreme case, but it seems that quite a lot of bugs have already come to light. In fairness, Microsoft have been quick to produce a first patch to fix most known problems to date, but even the patch itself has apparently given rise to further problems for some users! However, Roy Chaffin and his boffin friends at RCS have already come to the rescue and issued a free fix for the patch! You can find it on the RCS website. You will find some magnificent panels on this site for both FS2000 and FS98 and they've also come up with a neat little fix to save you having to put the CD into the drive every time you use FS2000 - provided you've chosen the option to load all the scenery to your hard drive. Another good site for some wonderful free aircraft and scenery goodies is www.flightsim.com.

The lessons in FS2000 are demanding but tremendous fun if you like a little challenge! I thought I was fairly good at flying on instruments, but these lessons taught me a great deal and the method of presentation with Rod Machado, a real-life instructor, is superb. When you've completed a set of lessons and take the test with a fairly officious sounding examiner it will bring back memories of taking your driving test and you will wait with bated breath to hear the results of your test! Success brings the reward of some nice little FS certificates - I've managed to get my Private Pilot, Instrument Rating and Commercial Pilot certificates so far but I'm not so sure whether I will be able to gain the Airline Transport Pilot Certificate! [30.01.00]

To kick off with, here are a couple of ideas that I read in a recent issue of Aviation Modeller International- a very nice magazine, if you haven't tried it. Since they are now 'in the public domain' as they say, I guess there is no copyright on the ideas themselves and the little picture is reproduced by kind permission of AMI. The first idea was from Bob Saunders of Bury St Edmonds, England, pointing out a good source of foam plastic sheet for modelling purposes - just keep the trays that supermarket meat comes on; Bob suggests you could also try asking for some from the delicatessan or butchery department and may well be given a few unused ones. [30.01.00]

Anybody got any clever decal-making tips? I'm sure I saw an idea somewhere about printing decals out from a computer onto some sort of self-adhesive clear plastic which sounds ideal, but I can't remember the details of the material used. You can see what I tried if you read about my trainer in the picture gallery - it seems to work fine, but the idea is only good for small decals. [30.01.00]

Click the icon to return to top of page and drop a suggestion or request into the post-box!

Here's where you can read about the latest kits, gadgets and gizmos to hit the shops. Suppliers are invited to e-mail us details of new products and we will feature them in this section. Contact addresses and telephone numbers will be published so you can track items down that haven't appeared in your favourite model shop.

For young modellers, there's the DPR Hydroplane- a very smart little rubber-powered model which the manufacturers claim can fly long distances before landing on either land or water. Not only that, but this cute model can run on the water like a hydrofoil and surfs small waves just like a boat. Available through your J. Perkins dealer or call JP Products on 0181 692 2451 (UK). The recommended retail price is just £5.99 - this would make a very nice and unusual present for some lucky lad (or lass, if we're going to be politically correct, I suppose!). [30.01.00]

MacGregor's have just launched a new transmitter in the budget section of the market. This one's the JR XP-652 oufit which is apparently an update of their XP642. This latest version has 5 model memories as opposed to the four of its predecessor and for helicopter pilots there's 120 degree CCPM mixing as well as a switchable stunt trim facility. The set comes fully NiCad-ed with four ball-race JR517 servos, 6-channel receiver and charger, etc., all for just £198. Look for it at your MacGregor stockist.[30.01.00]

Here's a choice little number from Ripmax that helps you keep your engine nicely hidden inside the cowl - a neat dustbin muffler as an alternative to the protruding silencer that destroys that scale appearance of your model. Selling at a recommended price of £11.99 and made from 2.2mm thick heavy duty aluminium, this one fits 0.15 to 0.18 cu.in motors and has fixing bolts that will suit OS and MDS engines. [30.01.00]

This is something I've wished I had many times, but still haven't got round to buying - headloaders for safely running up a model helicopter engine to full power without producing any thrust and thus ensuring that it doesn't go anywhere! This one is the T A Brian Headloader and is now exclusively distributed by RC Models - £19.95 for 30 or 46/50 size engines and £26.50 for the 60 size. Check your stockist or contact RC at sales@rcmodels.org. [30.01.00]

Our hobby is well-served with some great magazines such as AMI, RCM & E, Model Helicopter World to name just the ones I regularly buy! Now there's another new title on the racks to tempt us and it certainly is a very enjoyable mag. Edited by the one and only Dave Boddington and assisted by Dave Ridgeway, Model Flyer is a monthly magazine packed to the brim with great articles and all the usual interesting ads that most of us also revel in! The February issue is around now, but since this is only the third issue, it would not be difficult or too expensive to pick up the back numbers to commence a full collection.The UK issue price is £2.75.

Here's where we can get to know one another and share such news as you may wish. Send ModelFlight an e-mail and tell us about yourself, your family, hobbies and interests, what you do for a living, how long you've been model-making, what club you belong to, if any - in fact as much or as little as you see fit. Include a picture of yourself if you wish and ensure to tell us whether or not you want your e-mail address published. Picture files ideally need to be in JPG format for best colour reproduction and to ensure that our web browsers support them. GIF files are also o.k. but have limitations in their support of colour.

Reg's personal profile
I'm 62 years of age, married to Dorothy, and took early retirement when I reached the age of 60. All our five kids are now married and we have four grandchildren - delightful and special, of course! We live in the South of England and have done all our lives except for two years spent working in Papua New Guinea - that was eighteen years ago. Just over half my working life was spent in the printing industry, firstly as a craftsman and then in management. At the age of 42 I left the printing industry to undertake charity work in administration (which included those two years in Papua New Guinea and some of the most exciting flying - only as a passenger - in single-engined Cessnas that you can imagine!) and which I continued to do until retirement. I started my interest in model flight at the time of my retirement when I fulfilled a long-held ambition to build and learn to fly a model helicopter - an Hirobo Shuttle ZXX. Only recently have I decided to have a go at fixed wing models - I have an Easy Pigeon powered glider waiting for her maiden flight and have just finished a New Yamamoto 1600 trainer (see the Picture Gallery section). Other interests include music, computer flight simulation, especially Microsoft FS2000, a bit of keep-fit, modest cycling and messing about on my computer. I am happy to be contacted personally by e-mail - in my case you can use the ModelFlight e-mail address. [30.01.00]

Click the icon to return to top of page where you'll find the e-mail post-box waiting for your submission!

No, not pictures of you - they can go in the Profiles section if you want - but pictures of your model masterpieces, whether you built them or not! Send a picture of your model(s), together with any details you care to give - scale, kit or scratch-built, ARTF, etc., etc., and let the rest of us share the pleasure of the results of your hard work or even drool over them with envy! Picture files ideally need to be in JPG format for best colour reproduction and to ensure that our web browsers support them. GIF files are also o.k. but have limitations in their support of colour. Provide only such information as you want published, which can include your full name and e-mail address if you wish.

FOR A STARTER, here's my current pride and joy - and my first-ever fixed wing model, just completed. She's the New Yamamoto 1600 trainer, with a wingspan of 1600 mm (63 ins).Construction was from a kit and fairly straightforward for a beginner such as me. I was not too sure how I would get on with using Solarfilm for the wings and tail section and although it was a bit tricky at times, I was pleased with the end result. She's fitted out with an Irvine .46 two-stroke engine and Futaba radio gear. I've christened her Dawn after one of my daughters-in-law and I made the name decals on my computer, adding a nice thick border to the lettering as below and filling the background with the same colour as my fuselage paint job, then cut round the outline of the name and applied the decals to the model overlaid with a slightly larger piece of clear waste from the main decal sheet supplied with the model. [30.01.00]

O.K., now it's over to you. We're not looking for perfection here, either, just nice piccies of what you're currently flying together with any interesting and useful information about the model.

E-mail us with your swaps, sales and wants and see what happens! Any transactions which may transpire are entirely the responsibility of the parties involved and ModelFlight will take no part or responsibility in any disputes that may arise! For this section, you will need to supply your e-mail address, telephone number or postal address for responders to establish direct contact with you. Remember, ModelFlight can only be used to display your swaps, sales or wants - but you can include non-model flight items if you wish!!

This is the section for your letters - news and views, moans and groans, compliments and commendations! Had a good or bad deal from somebody? - tell us about it! Got a pet hate? - get it off your chest! Got an amusing story? - share it with the rest of us! Pop a letter in the e-mail post-box - it will be great to hear from you!

IN RECENT MONTHS, a Steve Jeffcoat has twice written to the British model magazine RCM&E (Radio Control Models & Electronics) , airing two particular grievances which few others seem to have gone into print about. The first is the difficulty he has had in finding the warm welcome and willingness to offer training that almost every book and magazine article directed at the beginner says is waiting at your local model flying club. Whilst acknowledging that the club instructor gives up his own flying time to attend to the novice, he feels that the lack of enthusiasm he has actually found badly lets down the reputation of the club and the sport in general. There seems to have been very little response either way to Steve Jeffcoat's view on this, although I do know of another beginner who has found it very difficult to 'break the ice' and establish any sense of 'belonging' at his local club, where he says he still feels very much an outsider. Have you experienced anything similar to this or has yours been a much happier and more successful experience? Is this just a case of British reserve, has Steve got a problem that no-one will tell him about (he seems a nice enough chap, though!), or are there worldwide sufferers from this problem - do please write and tell us of your own experience or just express your view.

THE SECOND ISSUE raised by Steve was something which struck a chord when I was out at the flying field a couple of weeks ago and talking to a long-standing and active member of our local club. This experienced chap was bemoaning the insistance of the club - although not yet successfully implemented - that no one should fly solo until they had passed the BMFA (British Model Flying Association) 'A' certificate and that existing members who had not yet taken the certificate should do so. His conviction was that this was killing the enjoyment of the hobby for those people who simply wanted to enjoy the fun of flying their models and who did not particularly want to have to be put through the business of taking a test. He freely acknowledged the need for safety at the field, but insisted that good training and the general approval of the club safety officer should be good enough. Steve Jeffocat's slant on this was that when coupled with his moan about receiving training, it presented a 'catch 22' situation - no chance of getting regular training = no chance of getting the 'A' certificate = no access to the club flying field. What do you think? [30.01.00]

No, not the ubiquitous worldwide web for once, but the when, what, and where of major events in the modelling world calendar.We're not reckoning to feature local club events here, as a website such as this is hopefully viewed around the globe and not too many people would find it possible to pop along to a Saturday afternoon fly-in at the Much-Binding-in-the-Marsh Flying Club field! However, major international events are a different kettle of fish, so that's what we will be covering here. If you're involved in such an event and want it listed, then e-mail the details and we'll pop it in the diary - and if you've left it too late to notify your favourite magazine there will still be plenty of time for it to appear here!

When using the UK telephone numbers from outside the UK, precede the number with 44 and omit the opening 0 in the number shown.

when	what	where	contact
Feb 4-6	Thailand 2000	CMT Flying Club Private Airfield, Thailand	+(6638) 298-202
Feb 26	Fleet Air Arm Museum Model Show	Fleet Air Arm Museum, Somerset, UK	01935 841524
Apr 16	8th ascot Model Show	Ascot Racecourse, Berkshire, UK	01344 623828
Apr 23-24	DB Model Days	Old Warden, Bedforshire, UK	01933 226427
May 6-7	Sandown Model Symposium	Sandown Racecourse	not yet published
May 27	Air Combat UK Nationals	Pullox Hill Model FC, Bedfordshire, UK	01582 866119
May 27-29	Large Model Asscn	Longhorsley Flying Field, nr Newcastle, UK	0191 2672707
July 1-2	Woodspring Millenium 2000	not yet published	not yet published
July 8-9	Wings & Wheels Model Spectacular	North Weald Airfield, Essex, UK	01489 462265
July 13-16	Large Model Asscn Millennium event	RAF Cosford	01257 462000
August 12-13	Hastings Model Airshow	Bulverhythe Recreation Ground, Hastings, UK	01424 214313
Dec 8-12	International Model Show	Alexandra Palace, London	01322 660070

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