Christchurch and District Model Flying Club
Sloping Off - our newsletter

BRIAN WISEMAN’S WISDOM

“A Chittering Plane and a Crowing Hen are no use to God nor men”

Nearly the end of another year how time flies.  You will recall that I am having an affair with a curvaceous small plane, the Extra 300. The course of true love seldom runs smoothly and so it is here.  I have had several problems with it and here is the  latest one. I was going to say the last one but I bet is it not.

Having tipped it up on its nose and broken the spare propeller I found that so many other people had done the same that there were no spares in the country. It is a 12 by 8 prop. Eventually I managed to get a 11 by 9 which I am told should do the job. As

I waited for it to be delivered the 12 x 8s came and in it went. Then the chittereing started. I have done  29 flights with this plane so I would have thought that the systems would have settled down by now but not so. By chittering I mean that the prop would not revolve only go backward and forward by half an inch .

I sent it back to Sussex Model Centre who passed it on to Multiplex. Both could find no fault with the motor or the speed controller. Multiplex rang me to tell me  that they could find no fault. I told them I would not have returned it to them if it was right. So they said they would send a new set.

I installed the 'new set and it went well. I went to the airfield at Beaulieu and it started well. Then it started chittering again.  Then it went  well again. I got to the flight line and off it went then in the air it started chittering again. They had sent  the  old lot back and not a new set.

I sat looking glum when Richard our Chairman came along having heard about my problems. When it comes to technical stuff he is the tops. He said that the symptoms showed that one of the wires into the motor from the speed controller was faulty. It could be either a broken wire inside the insulation. ,Not very likely. A dry soldered joint, the most likely or a faulty plug where the little springs were not working right.

I set it up in the workshop  I   put the wires outside the airframe and started it up. I wobbled the wires and one came lose and the plug dropped out. What had

happened was that the springs had become weak, they seemed   to push  in tight but it was only weak  push fit and it must have been loose. When I looked at it I could see that the plug had black deposits on it so there must have been sparking in there. I fitted a new plug and she runs well.  I am amazed that Multiplex did not see the deposits and recognise what was at fault.

I have not yet written to Multiplex but will probably do so. I tell you this story because since my troubles There has been two more people who had the same trouble but  like me did not know what to do.

I wish you all a happy Christmas and keep flying.

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