RC Concorde

[markjay]

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Blyme, RC planes are getting bigger..... at this rate they'll soon build a lifesize one! Quite an achievement, though.

 

[pmcgsmurf]

I seen this the other day (the video) when I was watching one of 2 very large DC10s.

Very impressive.

 

[ringway]

That's brilliant!

I found myself applauding on take off and landing.

 

[Deleted member 126251]

Takes a team of guys to manage one of those.

A English guy was one of the early pioneers with massive scale planes. Built a B52 in the early 2000s. He crashed 2 and both were destroyed and the authorities stopped any further models. IIRC the reason for both crashes was the same - and the same problem flying a full size one - no ailerons just spoilers which made them more difficult to fly.

B-52 Specs:
Builder: Gordon Nichols

Contributing Team Members:
Lance Bell (Co-constuctor, plans)
Neil Dare (Undercarriage systems design and build)
Dave Biddington (Engine pod design and moulding)
Bob Everitt (Tail cone and rear armament construction)
Wingspan: 23'
Length: 23'
Dry Weight: 297 lbs
Fueled Weight: 330lbs (inside the CAA 150kg limit)
Fuel Capacity: 22 litres Jet A1
Make: Wren (turbine British design now defunct).
Model: MW54
Thrust: 12Lb

 

[BTB 500]

That Concorde is amazing and will look fantastic when finished.

Takes a team of guys to manage one of those.

A English guy was one of the early pioneers with massive scale planes. Built a B52 in the early 2000s. He crashed 2 and both were destroyed and the authorities stopped any further models. IIRC the reason for both crashes was the same - and the same problem flying a full size one - no ailerons just spoilers which made them more difficult to fly.

B-52s prior to the G version did have small ailerons, as well as spoilerons. Conventional ailerons weren't possible because the wing structure wasn't rigid enough (it would have twisted).

Gordon Nichols admitted that he'd crashed his first B-52 due to pilot error when he became disorientated. Not 100% sure what happened with the second one, but he didn't have a great reputation as a pilot and the Large Model Association (who inspect & certify models weighing over 20kg on behalf of the CAA) stated that he wouldn't be granted permission to fly a third so that was game over.

Large models have been around for a long time - the first I remember was a Lancaster of around 18' span built by Jim Davis in the '70s. He built a pair of very large Spitfires as well and flew one of them across the channel, piloting it from a helicopter. Pretty sure that was the same year I started flying radio controlled models i.e. 1975

Other early pioneers I remember were Jeremy Shaw, Dr Keith Mitchell, and Steve Holland. The latter is still flying a 22' span half scale DH.88 Comet from the late '90s:

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Details of some of their models are on the LMA website:

» Featured

No mention of the B-52s though

There was also a guy called Simon Cocker who built some big scale slope soaring gliders in the '80s and '90s, including a B-52 which I think was around 4 metres. His largest was a 6 metre span An-225 (mid '90s). I think this is still around.

 

[Senator]

These look great, I love aviation in all forms, I've spent far too long watching all sorts of random flight related stuff on youtube! Wish I had the funds and time to do more real life flying, I've been dabbling with gliders and got to around 20hrs of solo flying but now taking a break from it as it got frustrating balancing the great British weather against the time commitment needed to make not a lot of progress!

 

[219]

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Blyme, RC planes are getting bigger..... at this rate they'll soon build a lifesize one! Quite an achievement, though.

There's at least a couple of these flying , there are quite a few other large scale RC models , including an Avro Lancaster , and a Vulcan ( probably using the same turbines as the Concorde ) .

 

[Petrol Pete]

Is there a legal maximum size limit on RC planes ? Some of these are getting close to the size of military drones ! Impressive stuff.

 

[Deleted member 126251]

Is there a legal maximum size limit on RC planes ? Some of these are getting close to the size of military drones ! Impressive stuff.

There is a weight limit. IIRC anything over 20kg has to pass an airworthiness compliance as well as a pilot competence process.

 

[Deleted member 126251]

There's at least a couple of these flying , there are quite a few other large scale RC models , including an Avro Lancaster , and a Vulcan ( probably using the same turbines as the Concorde ) .

There are about 1/2 dozen turbine manufacturers who make a range of sizes. I sold off my jets about 8 years ago. They need a lot of time for maintenance, storage, they are generally big beasts. Turbines had to be serviced every 100 hours...........not a cheap hobby. When I started they all had to fly on Jet-A1 (or Kerosene) with a mix of Jet Turbine Oil (both hard to get and expensive) these days Low Sulphur Diesel and 2 stroke oil can be used in many of the turbines.

 

[Deleted member 126251]

T.......
Other early pioneers I remember were Jeremy Shaw, Dr Keith Mitchell, and Steve Holland. The latter is still flying a 22' span half scale DH.88 Comet from the late '90s:

.................

IIRC Gordon was the first with a plane the size of the B52 and also multiple turbines.

The slope soarers were generally flying lumps of foam and a much easier build than a multi turbine powered aircraft, with landing gear etc

I flew at a couple of airshows with Steve Holland and Ali Maschinsky - both great guys to meet and talk to.

 

[BTB 500]

Turbines are certainly complex, and flying with eight of them was unique AFAIK ... not least because of the cost (IIRC GN was at least partially sponsored by Wren)! Hence it's not unusual to use less engines than the full-size - a four-engined aircraft might have turbines in the inboard nacelles only, and three-engined DC-10 / Tristar types are often flown with just a single tail engine. There were some very large jet models before the B-52 ... e.g. the huge C-17 that I think first flew in 2003 (I remember it featuring in a TV documentary at the time):

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I actually saw the world's first turbine-powered r/c model (designed and built by Jerry Jackman in the early '80s) fly at Sywell - that ran on propane, like the first commercial engines from JPX.

I've never met Steve Holland but I flew with Ali Machinchy in the '90s at the Model Engineer Exhibition, Olympia. He wore a kilt!

 

[BTB 500]

Is there a legal maximum size limit on RC planes ?

In practice it's 150 kg (in the UK, anyway), which is the limit for the LMA certification scheme. Anything over that is effectively treated as a real aircraft by the CAA.

 

[Wolfie1]

I love rc stuff, got cars, boats and drones, drones are all those ready to fly things, biggest car is 1/5 scale and runs a 30cc 2 stroke engine and the biggest boat is 7 feet long and weighs 120 lbs.
Never had a plane though

 

[Smart320]

Never realised they did such large models let alone fly them. Even my wife who walked past as the Concorde flight was playing on my iPad thought it was amazing

 

[BTB 500]

Never realised they did such large models let alone fly them. Even my wife who walked past as the Concorde flight was playing on my iPad thought it was amazing

It was flown in formation with a pair of large 'Red Arrows' BAE Hawks at a show in September:

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The amazing thing about this model is that it's completely home-designed and built from carbon composites. It will be great when finished (it still has a fair bit of scale detail to be added).

 

[Deleted member 126251]

Turbines are certainly complex, and flying with eight of them was unique AFAIK ... not least because of the cost (IIRC GN was at least partially sponsored by Wren)! Hence it's not unusual to use less engines than the full-size - a four-engined aircraft might have turbines in the inboard nacelles only, and three-engined DC-10 / Tristar types are often flown with just a single tail engine. There were some very large jet models before the B-52 ... e.g. the huge C-17 that I think first flew in 2003 (I remember it featuring in a TV documentary at the time):

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I actually saw the world's first turbine-powered r/c model (designed and built by Jerry Jackman in the early '80s) fly at Sywell - that ran on propane, like the first commercial engines from JPX.

I've never met Steve Holland but I flew with Ali Machinchy in the '90s at the Model Engineer Exhibition, Olympia. He wore a kilt!

Looks like we are both veterans of the hobby. My granddad was a champ in the 60's (won teh SA nationals in some class) and I grew up flying free flight with him, my dad and my uncle.

Very young me in the 60s - I was the "retriever"

 

[Smart320]

I used to fly little control line models with both glo plug and diesel motors, but that was nearly 60 years ago

 

[Deleted member 126251]

I used to fly little control line models with both glo plug and diesel motors, but that was nearly 60 years ago

Many a sore finger from a backfire. I have 6 stitches (caused by my carelessness and a propellor) in a finger! Knew a club member that lost 3 fingers to a Laser 150 and a carbon prop.

 

[Smart320]

Painful