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Welcome to  Richard Blindheim from Norway, Kenneth Clark, Keith Kingsbury, Mark Oakes and Barry Slater all from UK (I think), Tim Knowles from Louisiana, USA, 'R.P.', Brenton Watkins from Alaska, USA and Tony and/or Audrey Whiteley, who have all joined the mailing list.

I have a miniature aeroplane engine; I'm pretty sure it's diesel. Could you tell me what sort of fuel they run on?

I have no knowledge or experience of diesel engines - in fact, I have yet to see one. However, I remembered that good old Denis Wolff is a diesel fan, so I knew he would have the answer.

Denis pointed out that the fuel can be bought ready-made from model shops, and I note that Model Technics do indeed distribute a range of diesel fuels, their D-1000 Easy Start being their 'basic' fuel for easy starting and consistent performance. The commercial fuels all contain Isopropyl Nitrate (IPN) which is a power and ignition improving additive, apparently, and a special grade of ether which is said to improve the running and cold starting of all sizes of model diesel engines.

I also recalled seeing somewhere that diesel fans often mix their own fuel, and sure enough Denis has his own recipe - equal quantities of ether, good paraffin and first pressing castor oil. He keeps his mixed fuel in metal or glass containers, well sealed, and points out that ether can escape through plastic. Ether can be difficult to obtain - you need to know a friendly chemist, Denis says! He also said that when he was a lad of 12, he not only used it for his Mills 1·3 but also for CATCHING ADDERS! I just had to ask him about that - see his brief explanation on hotchpotch!

Hi Reg - I've just surfed onto your site and I must say I'm impressed. It's a great idea and I wish you lots of success. Please add me to your mailing list.

Thanks, Barry, and welcome!

Reg,
         I wish to tell you about what is happening locally in our school system. A very dedicated principal and president of the NYS Middle School Association and I have created an R/C aeromodeling program. Eventually, we will expand this program to many, if not all schools in New York State!  We have tried to get the R/C aeromodeling industry to make donations, but so far it seems that they would rather not be bothered. Can't figure that one out.

The NYS Board of Education has approved this program, meaning that since it has been already proved successful in one school, there is no doubt that it WILL be introduced, eventually to all schools in the near future. Incredibly, members from the local R/C flying clubs at best don't want to know anything about this program, at worst, are against it. Why? By the way, I was the only flight instructor that the principal could find.

Here is a photo of the school's principal Dennis Tosetto, the two teachers I'm training and several of the school's students and their mothers, who I managed to persuade to fly. This is the second school I've been working with, by the way. What we do different from other school programs is me being available on a 7 day a week, on-call basis. I don't use a buddy-box but have trained the teachers to teach using the cord, that way, they can use either method. I stand between the SI (student/instructor) and his student and teach both student/instructor and student at the same time. I can reach over and give hands-on advice to either. I seriously doubt if anyone has done this before.

The SI really doesn't even have to be a graduate student pilot as I can simply assist him in landing and taking off or take the tx back and land it myself.

Cheers,
Clarence C Ragland
http://www.kites.org/rc_instructors

What a great idea - congratulations, Clarence. 

The lack of support does seem strange though, doesn't it, particularly when we hear so much about the need to attract youngsters into the sport? Probably not enough immediate commercial gain for the suppliers, but if the kids get keen they will want to buy models, won't they? Let's hope some of them will come on board soon.

Lovely! Nice to know that Sue liked the site as well. If you're not into model flying, Sue, you can always send something for the new hotchpotch page and Crash Corner now even caters for mangled balsa pictures, Clive!

I have had an e-mail from another modeller with whom I have been exchanging notes on interference. It seems that the general problem is pretty widespread. He reckons that with the help of the BMFA and the Radio Communications Agency, a local pager company has been revealed as causing interference in the 35 MHz band. Only time will confirm whether this has solved the problem. We are still in the early stages of sourcing our own interference bursts, but this may well point us in the right direction. Your readers may be interested to know that interference can be sourced providing the right allies are engaged - BMFA and RCA.

Thanks for that, Geoff, that information could well be very useful to others. Here's hoping you can also resolve your current difficulties. Pleasekeep us posted.

Hi fellow flyer - can you add our site to your wonderful collection of links? 

We are from Greenock, Scotland, UK.

Cheers,

Admin

Fair enough, 'Admin'. 

Here's the link - http://www.gadmac.co.uk which is now also up on our clubs links page. It takes to you to a new and developing club site that you might like to visit. Among other things, it has a useful prop chart on it, by the way.

There must be lots you can write to ModelFlight about, so click on the e-mail icon at the bottom of this page and get in touch! 

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