tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87104147910363149862024-02-18T19:37:31.334-08:00Baby Wingwalkers30% scale radio controlled Baby Breitling Wingwalking Team.Baby Wingwalkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10576044849004893032noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8710414791036314986.post-58597546478900685452016-06-19T12:18:00.001-07:002016-06-19T12:19:20.988-07:00New engines for the StearmansTango 1 and Tango 2 now have brand new engines. Richard has never been happy with the pickup of the DA150s on take off because he didn't think it was smooth enough. For formation flights you want a smooth acceleration of power. So, he decided to invest in 2 new Valach 170 engines.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRVQ6Po1BN_1r6nWvPclMfdOd-I1OEOIsOZNeAu7WWh2lH-YP6HRaQAR7n2-NmP6kAg9CKEe6giYfcgsXqhuX2V5MOtCMK0CudtttbVt7O8J_OnX3hC1b0D6q6q5Pv4fXVOLKUmOnjTO9E/s1600/Resize+of+DSD_1386.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRVQ6Po1BN_1r6nWvPclMfdOd-I1OEOIsOZNeAu7WWh2lH-YP6HRaQAR7n2-NmP6kAg9CKEe6giYfcgsXqhuX2V5MOtCMK0CudtttbVt7O8J_OnX3hC1b0D6q6q5Pv4fXVOLKUmOnjTO9E/s320/Resize+of+DSD_1386.JPG" width="320" /></a>
The change over wasn't too bad but a different engine always means a few changes. Tango 2 was the first plane to be dealt with. The old engine came out
easily and the new one went in easily although it's not the lightest
thing to hold whilst bolting it in.<br />
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The fuel and smoke tanks were taken out to check they were still serviceable and given new tubing.<br />
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New bolt holes had to be made to hold the engine to the firewall. The throttle linkages on the Valachs are on the opposite side to the DAs so the pushrods hat to be moved across. This meant that the smoke tanks had to be lifted up so it didn't foul the movement of the pushrods. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmfAmh2YHvFNdL1NBuUw17iTJl6QCaH0z1rc6xFYcYkdP91LhEx-cW8rn-FKkjoB7E8iT77l8I1vlLvniBx0wcV13xQE7uXoMUmzxeBEG9xlGHcfpWfn4eIBkegRPzGJ1wLvLM8rClWz_k/s1600/resized_DSD_1390.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmfAmh2YHvFNdL1NBuUw17iTJl6QCaH0z1rc6xFYcYkdP91LhEx-cW8rn-FKkjoB7E8iT77l8I1vlLvniBx0wcV13xQE7uXoMUmzxeBEG9xlGHcfpWfn4eIBkegRPzGJ1wLvLM8rClWz_k/s400/resized_DSD_1390.jpg" /></a>
The header pipes from the engine to the exhaust were modified to prevent fouling, The smoke injection points had to be worked out.<br />
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The cooling ducting was modified which meant chewing out some of the nice detail that Steve had done because it now fouled one of the cylinders.<br />
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Once everything was checked in the cowling the tanks and batteries were put back in and all the systems were checked out.<br />
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The whole process was then repeated for Tango 1. Then 34x12 props were added which is the same size used with the Mokis we had at the start. The DA150s had smaller props - 32x10. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2vV1KVpkGphIhjeACYXR6vX-Q-QKXZrJFXNPqFotrORJYV-yXwsiOauGEhgasvEU0Mc_8PQ4MA4Ob-LKDPztr0JlpXa4T4P9qpYqyMe-DjnIQE5mw1dbv6Ld0SLH0LPTtYNkn82ZU5g6q/s1600/Resize+of+DSD_1388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2vV1KVpkGphIhjeACYXR6vX-Q-QKXZrJFXNPqFotrORJYV-yXwsiOauGEhgasvEU0Mc_8PQ4MA4Ob-LKDPztr0JlpXa4T4P9qpYqyMe-DjnIQE5mw1dbv6Ld0SLH0LPTtYNkn82ZU5g6q/s400/Resize+of+DSD_1388.JPG" /></a>So what is the verdict from the pilots? So far, so good.<br />
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The engines were easy to set up. The first engine started on the second swing and the first on fired on the first flick. To date they have been starting reliably every time.<br />
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There is a slight increase in power and Richard and Steve are both impressed with the smoothness - especially on take off. The throttling is slightly different so each flight they are learning more about how they respond<br />
<br />Baby Wingwalkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10576044849004893032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8710414791036314986.post-91182790862912599092015-10-08T00:55:00.000-07:002015-10-08T00:55:52.001-07:00Baby Wingwalkers at Bex Air 2015<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf19b6zvkZm1PfhVSKqdJ6OH_HurtYpENqVckCXFr8H4AnCT9ZSsGK3DaMslraG6pXlvOajrmsJPPIPeYwsd5zwNOBg0O8XnFAlu1xxsHunzzoVY1OvCrP0XNJEloMbeMpekRirNgtQCPb/s1600/Resize+of+IMG_7193+web.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img align="middle" border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf19b6zvkZm1PfhVSKqdJ6OH_HurtYpENqVckCXFr8H4AnCT9ZSsGK3DaMslraG6pXlvOajrmsJPPIPeYwsd5zwNOBg0O8XnFAlu1xxsHunzzoVY1OvCrP0XNJEloMbeMpekRirNgtQCPb/s320/Resize+of+IMG_7193+web.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
The Bex airshow only takes place every 5 years. So we were really pleased to be invited to the 2015 show.<br />
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With 2 vans fully loaded with the Baby Wingwalkers and a few other models we set off from South West England on our 500 mile journey. 24 hours later we were very glad to arrive in Bex.<br />
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<table align="left" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkQaEwog4dIFCcAwk3CI7HWvDUymo6w0ah445h3KgUax4aQY_fxD5l44mmZ-FmBkP_5aedCNX_ei6s419Mleng4SrYmuihQcp46x8LBtoNl78yGsoRK_DBWbKsWiTZE_ytO1t5UK1d32H7/s1600/resize-DSC_6063.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkQaEwog4dIFCcAwk3CI7HWvDUymo6w0ah445h3KgUax4aQY_fxD5l44mmZ-FmBkP_5aedCNX_ei6s419Mleng4SrYmuihQcp46x8LBtoNl78yGsoRK_DBWbKsWiTZE_ytO1t5UK1d32H7/s320/resize-DSC_6063.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">All the models we took and flew during the weekend -<br />
and they all fitted into 2 vans</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The location is a full size airfield with a beautiful mountain backdrop. One of the advantage of an airfield is of course the hangars where we could store the planes overnight. But because there were so many pilots with large models it was still a squeeze.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHIZr4mys56LLzHIIYaZJzIhcoMoI2_kg8WtoxkQl0KnOoMmSB_m5OHO_jJJwM6nannBlaFCE13R6yXbUE-k_exgP34wRkd6ydM40Giw8LswdAT0nVkZ-x8fCSi_a9h0cZcOcM0Ste3Q3r/s1600/Resize+of+2015-09-04-0710.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img align="middle" border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHIZr4mys56LLzHIIYaZJzIhcoMoI2_kg8WtoxkQl0KnOoMmSB_m5OHO_jJJwM6nannBlaFCE13R6yXbUE-k_exgP34wRkd6ydM40Giw8LswdAT0nVkZ-x8fCSi_a9h0cZcOcM0Ste3Q3r/s320/Resize+of+2015-09-04-0710.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
Like many European events, this was a single day show so Saturday was test flying day. It would have been a relaxing day apart from a few mechanical problems with some of the other planes we had brought.<br />
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That is one of the hazards when models are flying regularly. However well you maintain them, just like a car, they break down at the most inconvenient times.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmSYmS7kqE0ECYy7CcvYUbyqrJ42FZmvW6T4wv9XpOicyLOC0sSe7ZLaKyuyypNOh_05C19dKV-2D_IV4Y5iLh-OS3Hok0q48LFa7_OHhja_NyP88zRHdqStRf7dcIGtEiErDvmrHr-1kH/s1600/Resize+of+IMG_7198+web.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img align="middle" border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmSYmS7kqE0ECYy7CcvYUbyqrJ42FZmvW6T4wv9XpOicyLOC0sSe7ZLaKyuyypNOh_05C19dKV-2D_IV4Y5iLh-OS3Hok0q48LFa7_OHhja_NyP88zRHdqStRf7dcIGtEiErDvmrHr-1kH/s320/Resize+of+IMG_7198+web.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
But the Stearmans were trouble free and we had 2 enjoyable flights.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh41B8rhFqzk96nzDgxhLejcaxbKWDxQY0moy2tXs8gJ7SjJ1NLhROqU4Rlhv33taWzWfASi0ZS8KfWKOFiGo2KHPQ-_coacnjCMMBLeIc2s6hDRunTCNI9D8TSEGfmcSYxkXGQatCK7w_X/s1600/IResize_MG_7225+web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img align="middle" border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh41B8rhFqzk96nzDgxhLejcaxbKWDxQY0moy2tXs8gJ7SjJ1NLhROqU4Rlhv33taWzWfASi0ZS8KfWKOFiGo2KHPQ-_coacnjCMMBLeIc2s6hDRunTCNI9D8TSEGfmcSYxkXGQatCK7w_X/s320/IResize_MG_7225+web.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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In the UK, 2015 has been the windiest year we can remember, so it was a real pleasure to fly in still air. The one disadvantage of still air is that the smoke hangs around in the air and on a few occasions made it difficult to see the planes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitKI7rd6URqn9NuOsEMZxp5K9HkOkt5OE2bTSrSncNpuvbMZC4pDJDe2JumGVgLQGQX6LWLO8ovfpu_fGjxLbNUqggxWevFUhXp-iCXRkK_VMYWFUl02_hkCpSwqtlfHWTs12eSrS0A2JF/s1600/Resize_IMG_7220+web.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img align="middle" border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitKI7rd6URqn9NuOsEMZxp5K9HkOkt5OE2bTSrSncNpuvbMZC4pDJDe2JumGVgLQGQX6LWLO8ovfpu_fGjxLbNUqggxWevFUhXp-iCXRkK_VMYWFUl02_hkCpSwqtlfHWTs12eSrS0A2JF/s320/Resize_IMG_7220+web.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
Sunday arrived with beautiful blue sky and no wind. It was a leisurely day, though because we were parked at the end of the flightline we did get a lot of exercise pushing the planes up to the pilot's box and back.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggieUyuXtD6bwKJH0u-qM0sQl6PAjAqDuvHkTyAT22ImoRuSfsavuQlO3_XYhuKgJIlys86buu9T9MZ6hTUnAJxvb6mES5uloU8lkggA0nUmA-vBTa1tRIRYK5n4uWPQ89R1I5k7m83gQc/s1600/Resize+of+IMG_7208+web.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img align="middle" border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggieUyuXtD6bwKJH0u-qM0sQl6PAjAqDuvHkTyAT22ImoRuSfsavuQlO3_XYhuKgJIlys86buu9T9MZ6hTUnAJxvb6mES5uloU8lkggA0nUmA-vBTa1tRIRYK5n4uWPQ89R1I5k7m83gQc/s320/Resize+of+IMG_7208+web.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
Our first flight was around lunchtime and went well - using less smoke than usual. Our second flight was the finale of the show. Everything went well again until we landed and noticed that the pin in Baby Danni's harness had come out and she looked as if she was going to jump off. Fortunately the other harness strap - and of course the safety cable held her on.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkW8ih-Qn7wVeIV5lsB3Fd61b-E07wm3utEMYs7JkTYQh6qsIXxsb1D5K1oJ_Ul4Yq9lLX0OacxnyGbZ1QHgK7Lu6w2ISr6LZJVZ8Rxa-wnnMyh7rwgYMd8C1nX8fg0f1gcJIcC4VSQQsn/s1600/Resize_IMG_7200+web.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img align="middle" border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkW8ih-Qn7wVeIV5lsB3Fd61b-E07wm3utEMYs7JkTYQh6qsIXxsb1D5K1oJ_Ul4Yq9lLX0OacxnyGbZ1QHgK7Lu6w2ISr6LZJVZ8Rxa-wnnMyh7rwgYMd8C1nX8fg0f1gcJIcC4VSQQsn/s320/Resize_IMG_7200+web.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
After 3 hours of packing away we treated ourselves to a few days' sightseeing in the area before the long journey home. The scenery was stunning and we would have loved to stay longer.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcYYuiULUqaPQ-jkq3CImOmpM4vHgLFG2X3VpJmeqGwjIjyl_9RINEJuLBNFEnbUGfCuu5nudoTqbE_cxKvkTTOzCAXnE9hMtniLtdM83i4pqnRkFYUbaKcEsKF8vwEcIkErcD5SQCF-b0/s1600/Resize+of+IMG_7207+web.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img align="middle" border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcYYuiULUqaPQ-jkq3CImOmpM4vHgLFG2X3VpJmeqGwjIjyl_9RINEJuLBNFEnbUGfCuu5nudoTqbE_cxKvkTTOzCAXnE9hMtniLtdM83i4pqnRkFYUbaKcEsKF8vwEcIkErcD5SQCF-b0/s320/Resize+of+IMG_7207+web.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
Thanks to our Swiss hosts who looked after us, the people who helped us to fix planes and the other show pilots who put on such good displays. Thanks also to Christopher Watts who took the great flying shots for us.<br />
<br />Baby Wingwalkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10576044849004893032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8710414791036314986.post-9979333751347695402012-06-28T11:35:00.002-07:002012-06-28T11:43:43.848-07:00Construction of 30% Breitling Stearman models numbers 3 and 4 (Foxtrot 1 and 2)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwQFTF2_oiSY_HxZwk14IvWpI4k1Lw39IHCegWIdcW5VWpTRE-shsdN1RTRrzUOr8_B_L3sp0_2K5j5t2EHlEoWZIyxyIVzsbTcDO0p2llSaTroVyi8aTQKpOP6Cw_AKvHMX6CAXSOBtur/s1600/DSCF4816-300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Foxtrot 1 in its original colour scheme" border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwQFTF2_oiSY_HxZwk14IvWpI4k1Lw39IHCegWIdcW5VWpTRE-shsdN1RTRrzUOr8_B_L3sp0_2K5j5t2EHlEoWZIyxyIVzsbTcDO0p2llSaTroVyi8aTQKpOP6Cw_AKvHMX6CAXSOBtur/s320/DSCF4816-300.jpg" title="Foxtrot 1 in its original colour scheme" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Foxtrot 1 in its original colour scheme</td></tr>
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Richard has just finished the third and fourth Stearmans to add to the collection. They were made from two airframes orginally built by Colin Bond. Steve had been flying one for a couple of years with a different colour scheme and the other one had never been flown.</div>
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It's always a good idea to have a spare plane - in this case we have two spares.
There were some modifications to make so that they were more like the full size Breitling Stearmans. </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXnfgfYhwAM9HothV5z8yN8WsYUqLW5AxpHedmBbxuwoURU92SL-UvOt-FIXzC6MxdFxxgrEudCacgxqkJ4rDXCESbLqfD41W8VHDujgLZC6eAzdh0cPJKnl1PdM9NVYF2BpjKJWezsL04/s1600/2012-06-10-035-300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Breitling Stearman number 3 model with 2 of the full size in the background" border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXnfgfYhwAM9HothV5z8yN8WsYUqLW5AxpHedmBbxuwoURU92SL-UvOt-FIXzC6MxdFxxgrEudCacgxqkJ4rDXCESbLqfD41W8VHDujgLZC6eAzdh0cPJKnl1PdM9NVYF2BpjKJWezsL04/s320/2012-06-10-035-300.jpg" title="Breitling Stearman number 3 model with 2 of the full size in the background" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Foxtrot 1 with 2 of the full size Stearmans</td></tr>
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Richard left most of the fuselage on number 3 (Steve's plane) Only the
area forward of the front struts was changed. The firewall was pushed
back because these Stearmans have the Beech cowling. </div>
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New fairings were put on the undercarriage and wheel spats were fitted. The tailplane, fin and wings were stripped and the wings modified to create top ailerons. A headrest was added. </div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7qW466jP3SlpSI6f17JBJPdBcmyfGAsWr0VLwyByvhrpCsMthNddErbP7orMTez8RWWdmxhTFYXqWQfkrUqVVzNxz-gSMLeLZJVQI6Jj7TxMMeB4BddhuaI46i1CLC3_ZCqlRgmcgrxqk/s1600/2012-06-24-070-300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="ailerons on top and bottom wing" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7qW466jP3SlpSI6f17JBJPdBcmyfGAsWr0VLwyByvhrpCsMthNddErbP7orMTez8RWWdmxhTFYXqWQfkrUqVVzNxz-gSMLeLZJVQI6Jj7TxMMeB4BddhuaI46i1CLC3_ZCqlRgmcgrxqk/s1600/2012-06-24-070-300.jpg" title="ailerons on top and bottom wing" /></a></div>
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On the full size, numbers 3 and 4 have shorter bottom ailerons than 1 and 2 so the bottom ailerons were shortened slightly to match the full size. Fittings were added to link the top and bottom ailerons. <br />
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The paintwork on 3 and 4 has been modified to reflect the 2012 alterations to the full size paintwork on the wing. </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMNEUM8ckJWKCFaDgUiaLeLnRjliOYZuBAe8F_EEUleKiLD4UDFQSQ6F4qEGmuRYa2dvueWEWnxgcODq1rA6AxNBIMpOyoLU8ln7ZOAGQ5iIIEgAWqpVAHgh0SdEEWqtMzxPJQ9HM0vq03/s1600/DSCF7704-navlight-300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Model Breitling Stearman in flight with its nav light and smoke" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMNEUM8ckJWKCFaDgUiaLeLnRjliOYZuBAe8F_EEUleKiLD4UDFQSQ6F4qEGmuRYa2dvueWEWnxgcODq1rA6AxNBIMpOyoLU8ln7ZOAGQ5iIIEgAWqpVAHgh0SdEEWqtMzxPJQ9HM0vq03/s1600/DSCF7704-navlight-300.jpg" title="Model Breitling Stearman in flight with its nav light and smoke" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Foxtro 4 with smoke and light</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The same modifications to the ailerons, wheel spats and undercarriage fairings were made on number 4, plus a few additional changes. The fuselage was virtually rebuilt to match the shape of the other three planes. The rear cockpit was moved back slightly and the front cockpit made
longer. A cowling was made. The hinge points were changed on the
elevators. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikDi5HHvhkTSpXzaeK8UM4jFT0AegcZg8dvRAI23fk_5Wr_2zpqtYwjfVkzuWCWM5KQgaWVkr0O4sIk9b20WbHbEmtNw0nLrG9O_l-pI8u6bzb3w5gaeFj4obocIGZ7LKDGjjV7RRJrkhI/s1600/2012-06-24-067-300.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="putting the tailplane onto Stearman number 4" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikDi5HHvhkTSpXzaeK8UM4jFT0AegcZg8dvRAI23fk_5Wr_2zpqtYwjfVkzuWCWM5KQgaWVkr0O4sIk9b20WbHbEmtNw0nLrG9O_l-pI8u6bzb3w5gaeFj4obocIGZ7LKDGjjV7RRJrkhI/s1600/2012-06-24-067-300.jpg" title="putting the tailplane onto Stearman number 4" /></a><br />
The original
construction of these models has a different way of attaching the
tailplane and there are also different connectors on the wires between the wings.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVKSdeioe6MrElPdsjmNEjPB81_MSxva3G6W6YWyOo0tywm3nPedpguuql-j8JxHyftugaO_qjMvb0o5AXRKGNHmDyRvhan6DGzpW10HtOgy-xd0I7RcQ4YkOEnOB95CXuG5HVn0_Ce_lw/s1600/DSCF7778-300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="detail of the new windscreen" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVKSdeioe6MrElPdsjmNEjPB81_MSxva3G6W6YWyOo0tywm3nPedpguuql-j8JxHyftugaO_qjMvb0o5AXRKGNHmDyRvhan6DGzpW10HtOgy-xd0I7RcQ4YkOEnOB95CXuG5HVn0_Ce_lw/s1600/DSCF7778-300.jpg" title="detail of the new windscreen" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Windscreen detail</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Both planes have had some changes that will be copied on the original two models. Thicker aluminium was used for the windscreen fairing as it wasn't strong enough on the first two models. Finally, lights have been added to the underside of the fuselage and on the tail.Baby Wingwalkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10576044849004893032noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8710414791036314986.post-53660613492874477752012-06-19T13:56:00.000-07:002012-06-19T13:56:31.968-07:004 Stearmans in the Baby Wingwalker Team<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXdRIQ8sr0Gpg7xxJLAeaX84OfCPYf1gvPEc4hGI-TDcgur3Hvm5oDYUKkRoys2D7V5lwQzF1NmoXTRGmdD2yd5t_pFc71Lrc-FWdURl2fJn2v_smXOg1sdcar2K2WLL32EB92m5T7eodb/s1600/Resize+of+chrisbowler-crop+DSC_9210.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXdRIQ8sr0Gpg7xxJLAeaX84OfCPYf1gvPEc4hGI-TDcgur3Hvm5oDYUKkRoys2D7V5lwQzF1NmoXTRGmdD2yd5t_pFc71Lrc-FWdURl2fJn2v_smXOg1sdcar2K2WLL32EB92m5T7eodb/s320/Resize+of+chrisbowler-crop+DSC_9210.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
It's been quiet on this website but it hasn't been quiet in the workshop. Over the last 9 months Richard has been building 2 new Stearmans to add to the team. So now we have 4 Stearmans, all of them 30% scale. <br />
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Their first outing was at the home of the full size Breitling Wingwalking team and so we couldn't resist some photos of all 8 of them together.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqOj2GgPiKFezGRKOQ2Ldjm82KDZb-cEUO6OIRe_x0lyvJZTGInqgsbOddptv-GTU4OumhWi69jdtQ_BHyrI4NQvcFHEVZD3qvyCzcoFaK5yfreVJBcvg_S_H-PB_uIBdb6ll6ecl4gnjf/s1600/Resize+of+chrisbowler-crop+DSC_9172.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqOj2GgPiKFezGRKOQ2Ldjm82KDZb-cEUO6OIRe_x0lyvJZTGInqgsbOddptv-GTU4OumhWi69jdtQ_BHyrI4NQvcFHEVZD3qvyCzcoFaK5yfreVJBcvg_S_H-PB_uIBdb6ll6ecl4gnjf/s320/Resize+of+chrisbowler-crop+DSC_9172.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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So, here are some pictures and we'll have some written information about the new models soon.<br />
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All photographs copyright Chris Bowler</div>
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<br />Baby Wingwalkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10576044849004893032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8710414791036314986.post-84055738986136567432011-09-26T13:03:00.000-07:002011-09-26T13:03:06.347-07:00Baby Breitling Wingwalkers fly at Battle of Britain Airshow 2011<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtqncHrKyelMU8YkFF1NBxd75_rQwc8IreUV0E3TetB4DSzvWMnJJi3SuPTEmDI_fBVwvhYcaqMvQmNZRU2BdQfEYzJ532LoGe8GHU4rPZNa8FqF7jtqM8G4CwxNXQ7Z4FqMkWaKe22LmI/s1600/Resize+of+cb-mail+DSC_7284-300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtqncHrKyelMU8YkFF1NBxd75_rQwc8IreUV0E3TetB4DSzvWMnJJi3SuPTEmDI_fBVwvhYcaqMvQmNZRU2BdQfEYzJ532LoGe8GHU4rPZNa8FqF7jtqM8G4CwxNXQ7Z4FqMkWaKe22LmI/s1600/Resize+of+cb-mail+DSC_7284-300.jpg" /></a></div>On 17th and 18th September it was the <a href="http://www.battleofbritainairshow.com/">Battle of Britain Airshow</a> at Cotswold Airport. We flew at the spring airshow there and really enjoyed it so were pleased to be invited back as part of the model aircraft flying display.<br />
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Richard also took along his Mosquito, Steve took his Bronco and Anson and we were joined by Eddie from the Swindon Club with his Corsair and Spitfire. Chris - our trusty helper and photographer was also there.<br />
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Our slot times tend to get moved around at full size shows because of the arrival and departure of aircraft so communication between everyone involved is important.<br />
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We were really lucky with the weather on both days because, apart from one big shower that soaked us and the planes on Sunday, the rest of the showers skirted around us. The wind on Sunday wasn't pleasant but it was still possible to fly and by the Saturday it was much calmer.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_dIBOKOPSZXxu8_FoOjoivJDE1GlvC-RpigrUdoZfrZUjENCbTuxyWp_TS6rm2_QohNh4iw0bUbT9VXmjawblcwKevT63YK1wJpCMJgpAHE3AWL21HumY_lPEGzlscWKf7noR6uM7H3Hg/s1600/DSCF6664-200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_dIBOKOPSZXxu8_FoOjoivJDE1GlvC-RpigrUdoZfrZUjENCbTuxyWp_TS6rm2_QohNh4iw0bUbT9VXmjawblcwKevT63YK1wJpCMJgpAHE3AWL21HumY_lPEGzlscWKf7noR6uM7H3Hg/s1600/DSCF6664-200.jpg" /></a></div>We found it a real luxury because <a href="http://flychc.com/Fly_CHC/Welcome.html">Costwold Helicopter Centre</a> generously allowed us to use their hangar to put the planes in overnight and we also had somewhere to take them to pieces on Sunday evening which meant we kept dry.<br />
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We thought we would lose our slot on Sunday because it poured with rain when we were due to fly. It wouldn't have been safe to fly in rain that was that heavy because of the risk of water getting into the planes' electrics. Fortunately there was some space in the schedule so we managed to fly once the rain had eased off. We don't like letting people down but we also don't want to take unnecessary risks.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis9SldsS4K_2d7E88eQ5ikD37k7YbScyhKnR4ajonLfsG3sJDqDhYy0KY-Fc11Nf9b8tw8e4JIXVNUzaZjuelty8I3XGBNqVoGr4BPAhrycp_QWRGsSahWaHXRhfBN3HtepqZ0jNA-gutu/s1600/DSCF6539-200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis9SldsS4K_2d7E88eQ5ikD37k7YbScyhKnR4ajonLfsG3sJDqDhYy0KY-Fc11Nf9b8tw8e4JIXVNUzaZjuelty8I3XGBNqVoGr4BPAhrycp_QWRGsSahWaHXRhfBN3HtepqZ0jNA-gutu/s1600/DSCF6539-200.jpg" /></a></div>A few of the planes couldn't display because of the weather and mechanical issues but we still saw some good displays. The Tiger Moth 9 were spectacular, flying in formation similar to the Red Arrows. The Lancaster and Spitfires were special to watch as always. The Antonov displayed on its own as well as droped the Renegade parachute team - and was a useful shelter for some of us during the downpour. The Red Hawks gave a graceful aerobatic display.<br />
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See <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.214779635248957.53143.107910585935863">more pictures from the show</a> on our Facebook page.Baby Wingwalkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10576044849004893032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8710414791036314986.post-5085984451673834402011-09-12T07:19:00.000-07:002011-09-12T07:24:24.603-07:00Baby Breitling Wingwalkers at Much Marcle Model Show 2011Last weekend was the <a href="http://www.largemodelassociation.com/eventinfo/muchmarcle.htm">Herefordshire Model Aero Club/Large Model Association show at Much Marcle</a> and we attended with one of the Baby Breitling Wingwalkers. It's always an enjoyable site to fly at because it's a grass strip with a picturesque backdrop. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmDpNNaySpUuOmwv0z2EK71atzEJU00jKi4owBid_j6T3r20mQC4xesm-57mg7PAky0w32EHcZFmRgxiYfaczd8J1_wq33HXswSz5G3eqcnG1jI-TNKi3kAUGzbBoyAgkfiyL_ZYWtFned/s1600/chrisbowler-mail+DSC_6901-200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="142" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmDpNNaySpUuOmwv0z2EK71atzEJU00jKi4owBid_j6T3r20mQC4xesm-57mg7PAky0w32EHcZFmRgxiYfaczd8J1_wq33HXswSz5G3eqcnG1jI-TNKi3kAUGzbBoyAgkfiyL_ZYWtFned/s320/chrisbowler-mail+DSC_6901-200.jpg" /></a></div>We certainly got a lot of exercise during the weekend as we were parked on the end of the flightline so there was a lot of walking up and down the flightline all day to collect and refuel the planes. As well as the Baby Wingwalker we had 3 other aircraft and we had about 3 flights each day with each plane.<br />
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The walking was also added to because Sharon was collecting signatures on a 40th birthday card for one of the modellers so ended up walking up and down the trade line and chasing modellers around to get them to sign the card. Still, it's a good way to have a chat with everyone.<br />
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The weather was good, though there were some interesting bumpy conditions at some times during the day. The Stearman and wingwalker Baby Sarah performed well so it was a pleasant weekend. Thanks go to <a href="http://www.slecuk.com/">SLEC</a>for letting us use their tent as a hangar overnight.<br />
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For more pictures of the show <a href="http://www.facebook.com/babywingwalkers">visit us on Facebook</a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkFEoLsqSVAayHz4r9mNNXwPI4RiUNEDlOrpPICmuO5P9vAPtbQmuTVLs4Kqghoeo-Zpa2TdWEVzrnz8B-EaKL3S2GIJ_6500VRVtN6y6kAzhCjvIJpr17bUfut3qXGN3SRNUxXS2qB3qE/s1600/04092011334-200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="94" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkFEoLsqSVAayHz4r9mNNXwPI4RiUNEDlOrpPICmuO5P9vAPtbQmuTVLs4Kqghoeo-Zpa2TdWEVzrnz8B-EaKL3S2GIJ_6500VRVtN6y6kAzhCjvIJpr17bUfut3qXGN3SRNUxXS2qB3qE/s320/04092011334-200.jpg" /></a></div>Although it was the last model show of the year, we have still got a few more <a href="http://www.babywingwalkers.com/p/events.html">displays this year</a> - the full size <a href="http://www.battleofbritainairshow.com/">Battle of Britain show at Kemble</a> on 17th and 18th September and the <a href="http://www.largemodelassociation.com/lmaevents.htm">Large Model Association's static show at Gaydon</a> in October.Baby Wingwalkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10576044849004893032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8710414791036314986.post-72529595572642434952011-08-01T04:02:00.000-07:002011-08-01T04:02:26.326-07:00Baby Breitling Wingwalkers at Chedworth Club Barbeque<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3wgqMDA79j1jzSl1RrZ3USE0uXrDtxZtc3bBPIwcvCGz2K2XhF71RJLnjmTCe-zYCZEkMr3eBvaUQ1DmvI-NlqsTVSCRPg1MQqIDu69-oCLWdKKsfAHk9TEqmbW7Wq3DVUYNW3vjbfiVt/s1600/DSCF6171-200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW-_vyYqXM-vX3r3UCUoRFJ7sSLgd4LUhvLeS72oWTARzdc1h5lKnAcg67LsDcutFUMHFh8Wq-peg1smqF09IY08koTWqObagGb2joc1MKD1JPdyNI1AJHGpbywObVy1qXb0uSHMHjeESh/s1600/DSCF6166-200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW-_vyYqXM-vX3r3UCUoRFJ7sSLgd4LUhvLeS72oWTARzdc1h5lKnAcg67LsDcutFUMHFh8Wq-peg1smqF09IY08koTWqObagGb2joc1MKD1JPdyNI1AJHGpbywObVy1qXb0uSHMHjeESh/s1600/DSCF6166-200.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Last weekend we had a relaxing day at Chedworth at their annual barbeque. It was nice to be able to fly when we wanted to without the constraints of a show programme and to have lovely sunshine and warm weather. <br />
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At Cosford we had problems with Richard's engine but during the week we made the same modification that we had to Steve's when he had problems with his engine earlier in the year. It seems to have been successful as Richard had quite a few flights without any engine trouble at all.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3wgqMDA79j1jzSl1RrZ3USE0uXrDtxZtc3bBPIwcvCGz2K2XhF71RJLnjmTCe-zYCZEkMr3eBvaUQ1DmvI-NlqsTVSCRPg1MQqIDu69-oCLWdKKsfAHk9TEqmbW7Wq3DVUYNW3vjbfiVt/s1600/DSCF6171-200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3wgqMDA79j1jzSl1RrZ3USE0uXrDtxZtc3bBPIwcvCGz2K2XhF71RJLnjmTCe-zYCZEkMr3eBvaUQ1DmvI-NlqsTVSCRPg1MQqIDu69-oCLWdKKsfAHk9TEqmbW7Wq3DVUYNW3vjbfiVt/s1600/DSCF6171-200.jpg" /></a></div><br />
One of the club members brought his grandson along for an hour or so and in true modelling tradition spent most of the afternoon there. His grandson was fascinated by the wingwalkers and he has now become the youngest person to operate them in the air (with a few reminders as to which switch operated which limb).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5f4N6d_vKwuk9Po2igNSeLKuUOFqajQLXTKlaJ_V3uv-ret3l6He1xFL4LItlrNwVVLdfnD6j51t97Bs8YgDECXqvvKGPtgokC97OlN1cd9uZ4WFp5-O9h1qcWYEn7Vd9kosV4L0TWhFf/s1600/DSCF6168-200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5f4N6d_vKwuk9Po2igNSeLKuUOFqajQLXTKlaJ_V3uv-ret3l6He1xFL4LItlrNwVVLdfnD6j51t97Bs8YgDECXqvvKGPtgokC97OlN1cd9uZ4WFp5-O9h1qcWYEn7Vd9kosV4L0TWhFf/s1600/DSCF6168-200.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Baby Wingwalker Sarah also had her hair replaited because it had become quite untidy, which is hardly surprising when you think of how much it gets blown around in the air. You can see the forces the wingwalkers are put under if you watch any of the onboard footage.Baby Wingwalkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10576044849004893032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8710414791036314986.post-14186988555814882722011-07-26T13:32:00.000-07:002011-07-26T13:32:58.139-07:00Baby Breitling Wingwalkers at Large Model Association Show at Cosford 2011We were incredibly lucky with the weather at Cosford this year - which might seem an odd thing to say when you find out that we packed up at 2pm on Sunday because of the rain. But the weather forecast had been for rain most of the weekend and yet from Saturday at 10am it was rain-free and until 2pm on Sunday it was almost rain-free. So there was lots of flying for the visitors to see.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb4f-X5nTXO38oiVyDvN07iencFwUaauZjo9ntft4PwYPUUTpIpVdv5aOOZroFIgn17Idf5nrVOS6zdpnUskUHJUyxQrJZqCMSbkI7Xkjq7pMpg8oyBEC-XvUkLbKQPGhBinZMrGgGjzob/s1600/alexwhittaker-IMG_1588-200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb4f-X5nTXO38oiVyDvN07iencFwUaauZjo9ntft4PwYPUUTpIpVdv5aOOZroFIgn17Idf5nrVOS6zdpnUskUHJUyxQrJZqCMSbkI7Xkjq7pMpg8oyBEC-XvUkLbKQPGhBinZMrGgGjzob/s1600/alexwhittaker-IMG_1588-200.jpg" /></a></div>Richard's engine lost power during both flights so he elected to land early rather than have to go for a long trek to retrieve the model if he lost the engine completely. It was frustrating because the previous day he had flown 4 times with no engine trouble at all and nothing had been changed.<br />
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(c) Alex Whittaker<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdAF9ywNgy_qmcigW-qSxs0gTDYA3Nn6-WfxdnMxh6cAo3GZHk5y0HqyGrlkBY0K20H6UQUvhcXWOZfZeBASC97S-LI0EO1w_a7_1fWtahNeP3BSb5k_suAX-zf2jEeCE1cySOliRFyO78/s1600/neilhutchinson-cosfordunderside-200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdAF9ywNgy_qmcigW-qSxs0gTDYA3Nn6-WfxdnMxh6cAo3GZHk5y0HqyGrlkBY0K20H6UQUvhcXWOZfZeBASC97S-LI0EO1w_a7_1fWtahNeP3BSb5k_suAX-zf2jEeCE1cySOliRFyO78/s1600/neilhutchinson-cosfordunderside-200.jpg" /></a></div><br />
As the engine was showing the same characteristics that Steve's showed a few weeks ago, since the show we have made the same modification that his engine had so hope it will now perform well again.<br />
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<div style="text-align: right;">(c) Neil Hutchinson</div><br />
Despite the engine problems there were some great photos of the models. Thanks to <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/60833437@N08/sets/">Neil Hutchinson</a> and <a href="http://www.alexwhittaker.com/">Alex Whittaker</a> for these great close ups. You can see more of their photos of the Baby Wingalkers on our <a href="http://www.facebook.com/babywingwalkers">Facebook page</a> and more of their photos of hundreds of different aircraft at their own sites.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4DNxbWPC21jA1lrYNac-a9febYdCOWx5WtweCRLyH8rkzjyLuqCk-MDiSROHFDA3ufX84a-R6L59HzApHdTrd0GG8y38w1nn4-738sDyaFs-AL6dEVwGgSeqsaRHGau2vdDAu2bUU3gYO/s1600/17072011269_1-200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4DNxbWPC21jA1lrYNac-a9febYdCOWx5WtweCRLyH8rkzjyLuqCk-MDiSROHFDA3ufX84a-R6L59HzApHdTrd0GG8y38w1nn4-738sDyaFs-AL6dEVwGgSeqsaRHGau2vdDAu2bUU3gYO/s1600/17072011269_1-200.jpg" /></a></div>Steve's Bronco has been a useful addition to the show models this year. He likes flying it but it's also useful on the flightline. At a couple of shows it's been a welcome sunshade but this weekend it was useful as a tent. We put the tarpaulin over it, put the other models underneath and could actually dismantle the Stearmans in the dry - though it was a bit cramped.Baby Wingwalkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10576044849004893032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8710414791036314986.post-24620065459552300062011-07-17T15:18:00.000-07:002011-07-26T12:50:51.657-07:00Baby Wingwalkers at Woodspring Wings 2011The Baby Breitling Wingwalkers flew at Woodspring Wings Model Show at the beginning of July. It marked a year since our first public display at the same show last year.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGfjAjkWtHuqpWTftoTbHPyTNhtToitBChanD_JR54cGmUL4z4cdX4Ht2KL5eLDcj5H7oGmNIwUdRPnzRQzdwXYf31PmMKWQ3p4ttF5nSsn_VcnqUs_sFbzd3n356H_17amTqr-ZYHfP94/s1600/chrisbowler-DSC_6188-200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGfjAjkWtHuqpWTftoTbHPyTNhtToitBChanD_JR54cGmUL4z4cdX4Ht2KL5eLDcj5H7oGmNIwUdRPnzRQzdwXYf31PmMKWQ3p4ttF5nSsn_VcnqUs_sFbzd3n356H_17amTqr-ZYHfP94/s1600/chrisbowler-DSC_6188-200.jpg" /></a></div>Woodspring is always an enjoyable place to fly at. The site gives a great background to fly against and the crowd can get a good view of the models. Although there is a tarmac runway there's also a lot of grass to use as well. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGxQ_U3c9Qp3Gfqqu0nxh015thjnblT5xz2YGlE8p-ekYLG1w88ysn3xuWz1V9ZbqDhfMxcGzm8NhpO-ol7txjAiCN3Qd5dLh8wVETEFnrjay2Y5Bmy0HBPXYqbiLsPPPhlPJddYGz-Ocy/s1600/chrisbowler-DSC_6185-crop200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGxQ_U3c9Qp3Gfqqu0nxh015thjnblT5xz2YGlE8p-ekYLG1w88ysn3xuWz1V9ZbqDhfMxcGzm8NhpO-ol7txjAiCN3Qd5dLh8wVETEFnrjay2Y5Bmy0HBPXYqbiLsPPPhlPJddYGz-Ocy/s320/chrisbowler-DSC_6185-crop200.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
This year is was incredibly hot on both days but the DA150 engines in the Stearmans performed well.<br />
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We were really pleased to be awarded a trophy for the best biplanes. <br />
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(Photos courtesy of Chris Bowler)<br />
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David from <a href="http://www.iceboxvideo.co.uk/">Icebox</a> was there again and we made a rig for one of his cameras so he could have some onboard footage. We didn't have the usual camera mount we use so made one out of a spare propeller. It's not as steady as our usual mount so tends to cause camera shake when the plane throttles up. But it's nice to see the whole routine from the ground and onboard.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="314" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/knFOdiLfRaE" width="500"></iframe>Baby Wingwalkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10576044849004893032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8710414791036314986.post-48362046455097496712011-06-27T13:58:00.000-07:002011-06-29T13:16:22.867-07:00Baby Wingwalkers at Wings and Wheels 25th AnniversaryThis weekend we flew at the 25th anniversary of Wings and Wheels model show. Both Steve and Richard have flown a variety of their planes there over the years.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe7NliuIEkh80xaxr-Y4KieSbuhkvjdfB8QafmVqd0JgWLY4PhokBbQjHjxTk-9owUSOI8oGJUFWgyvnJN7A9xFLcnVetGjinOmZ212unZCdNUsdAByBABil7EFvJBhCjdTG2ewk0nGbMY/s1600/25062011215-200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe7NliuIEkh80xaxr-Y4KieSbuhkvjdfB8QafmVqd0JgWLY4PhokBbQjHjxTk-9owUSOI8oGJUFWgyvnJN7A9xFLcnVetGjinOmZ212unZCdNUsdAByBABil7EFvJBhCjdTG2ewk0nGbMY/s200/25062011215-200.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Saturday wasn't a comfortable day for flying. The drizzle we drove through on our way to North Weald airfield had just about stopped when we arrived to set up but there was a strong crosswind blowing towards us. The Stearmans are difficult to land at the best of times (a feature shared with the full size) even more difficult to control on the ground in a crosswind. <br />
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We decided to fly only one plane for 2 reasons. Firstly, we have another show next week and no time for any repairs so at least if anything happened to the plane we flew this week we would still have one for next week. Secondly, when you are flying in gusty conditions the models get knocked around a lot by the wind so even if you aim to fly a straight line you can get blown off course. This means the formation looks untidy so the display actually looks better with just one plane.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZZCH85vPa1lN-yDw_4UDoEqYhCwmAJOTgfVUDNJ7N8sRr0KU8A5ibTQiBAezilL0-ptSR5scGmUPSrJ0d8YJYeJuPnU6QEggDmPA0LHoJaE2pyQ2qpsmALgQANqkBTk7CjXi-KDhYTVA/s1600/DSCF5893-300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZZCH85vPa1lN-yDw_4UDoEqYhCwmAJOTgfVUDNJ7N8sRr0KU8A5ibTQiBAezilL0-ptSR5scGmUPSrJ0d8YJYeJuPnU6QEggDmPA0LHoJaE2pyQ2qpsmALgQANqkBTk7CjXi-KDhYTVA/s200/DSCF5893-300.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
Sunday was a completely different story. It was hot before the show even started. The wind had shifted nearly 180 degrees and was now blowing on our backs. But the wind strength was much lower and so ground control was much easier.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPEvc-qSJg4rn4v2RQMVWLz6sajvaNAC35772bB7xwBHVO_G-SlRfzSPb10W0qgUd7kYbNSspw0-TeHNeSORDYYX37ljlZTaSXWs-SggWJ6rM3ACXl0pMPNkAf-r2mve__8sjEMOqAAB3E/s1600/SKM_3328-crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPEvc-qSJg4rn4v2RQMVWLz6sajvaNAC35772bB7xwBHVO_G-SlRfzSPb10W0qgUd7kYbNSspw0-TeHNeSORDYYX37ljlZTaSXWs-SggWJ6rM3ACXl0pMPNkAf-r2mve__8sjEMOqAAB3E/s1600/SKM_3328-crop.jpg" /></a></div>As we liked the 5 minute routine that we flew last weekend we decided to stick to that and add 2 new manouevres towards the end to fill an 8 minute slot. The first we call a "William Tell" where Richard flies a loop and Steve flies through the middle of the loop. The second is an "opposition bump" where the pilots fly towards each other and do a "Breitling bump" in the middle of the display area. <br />
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Flying shot (c) <a href="http://www.skmstudioaerialmastphotography.co.uk/">SKM Airscape Photography </a> <a href="http://www.imagicam.co.uk/albums/verify.php?at=lib&wpc=p1458skms&ExtAlbumList=e53405wings">See more flying shots</a>. <br />
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We're off to <a href="http://www.woodspringwings.co.uk/showposter.html">Woospring Wings</a> next weekend - always an enjoyable show with a compact flying area so the crowd get to see the models well.Baby Wingwalkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10576044849004893032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8710414791036314986.post-37378990656553882902011-06-21T15:11:00.000-07:002011-06-21T15:11:06.504-07:00Baby Wingwalkers fly at Cotswold AirshowLast weekend was our first public display this year. The Cotswold Airshow is a 2 day full size airshow in Gloucestershire but they also have a few slots for model planes. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjibSnvxLwI8L3-g_yeSLAm-wxtf54FMPnkKp3QpRFZnfF_EwVO1mC3KTGwMsGzgLdfMERm016xqqeRf248IqE-mTvS9GwYAXVwrnpnwxwFhXivKxRLX6FMsTjtl8zCL9qZRCd7jcLgQgpz/s1600/chrisbowler-GROUP+DSC_5973-500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjibSnvxLwI8L3-g_yeSLAm-wxtf54FMPnkKp3QpRFZnfF_EwVO1mC3KTGwMsGzgLdfMERm016xqqeRf248IqE-mTvS9GwYAXVwrnpnwxwFhXivKxRLX6FMsTjtl8zCL9qZRCd7jcLgQgpz/s1600/chrisbowler-GROUP+DSC_5973-500.jpg" /></a></div><br />
This year the models all had a local theme. A model Hunter to fit in with the anniversary of the planes that have a long connection with the airfield; a model Hercules and the Baby Wingwalkers which are both modelled on aircraft that are based nearby.<br />
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We also put a video camera on one of the planes during Sunday's flight so you can see what Cotswold Airport (still known to regulars as Kemble) looks like from the air and some of Baby Danni's manoeuvres during the flight.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="257" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/D-NVlsHB-e4" width="400"></iframe><br />
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The weather on Saturday was wet and windy but we were lucky and did still get two flights. The others weren't as lucky because the morning model slot was cut short to let the Dutch Hunters land so the Hercules couldn't fly and our additional slot at lunchtime was brought to a rapid end by torrential rain so the Hercules lost its flight again. We were lucky as we flew first and the rain held off but poor Geoff flew the Hunter in horrible rain.<br />
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Fortunately it was still windy which dried our clothes out so we didn't have to spend the rest of the day squelching round. We were hoping to have a picture in the Sunday Times as their photographer spent a long time setting up a shot with us - but it never made it to print.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn7_ciNSClif_D7xmOL0j-aRaGngahdvW_1fgmJQ1SIUMahl6ihLyW8DIaVi9IxsR7SxQFR6S1XrALmq1jfWZ7s0xhGBpPn753gYGzHvzzEwJxHe66-KP1DC6HTS0Dw9UY-yd56hPQxg0n/s1600/chrisbowler-PAIR+DSC_6013-cameraremoved-crop-400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="108" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn7_ciNSClif_D7xmOL0j-aRaGngahdvW_1fgmJQ1SIUMahl6ihLyW8DIaVi9IxsR7SxQFR6S1XrALmq1jfWZ7s0xhGBpPn753gYGzHvzzEwJxHe66-KP1DC6HTS0Dw9UY-yd56hPQxg0n/s200/chrisbowler-PAIR+DSC_6013-cameraremoved-crop-400.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiYYxMH-Syf4bcc_zJqd11-dHUIjfsS4QyDE12cWdv1nJXBNeAEVCDCzKcC67ipV0PTG-HVvlRV2Qg2BGS6I4OvH5s8VINcns5kOcA9r0K3SO3sSOWgN6VioUyfn17kTBAK4YKSZZDkyg9/s1600/chrisbowler-PAIR+DSC_6013-cameraremoved-400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a>Sunday was much better weather and photographer Chris - who is also a highly skilled rigger/ derigger and plane pusher - took some gorgeous photos of the planes sunlit against the dark clouds. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.174327635960824.44286.107910585935863">See more of our photos</a>.<br />
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So, another successful weekend and good to see the variety of aircraft there. You can see some great photos of the full size on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cotswold-Air-Show/224318197951">Cotswold Airshow Facebook page</a> and in <a href="http://forums.airshows.co.uk/viewforum.php?f=8&sid=dc811ff1ecffa3cf803b02e3df7c0be1">this forum</a>.Baby Wingwalkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10576044849004893032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8710414791036314986.post-69146112416655868372011-05-28T02:21:00.000-07:002011-05-28T02:22:04.581-07:00First flight for the Baby Wingwalkers in their 2011 liveryA few weeks ago Richard flew one of the Baby Wingwalkers at Rendcomb at a Help for Heroes event.<br />
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There have been a few changes on the planes and in the wingwalkers' outfits for 2011 and this was the first display for the new colour scheme. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdBFCQRHZbgdTEWWq6kV6JdF9LV6uXLJ6QDXN07xvM6IFK1aroaBTKYp0bFiUX63Qaplx3eCCEQULd3wav4IbOA7voI5js6JXUUF7hlDdmKCsUv37wLELFk0JfMf5JPCHLVfmJLQIoWL53/s1600/chrisbowler-crop+DSC_5179-200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEvxaiShKbByUFv-N3fyglvVEXexJTTg5E4I7Kt02z6CCRIvQoBtHsS3MmnN80DaraGOWMEEsC4uGWPVH5gKg1dAyP66khU3JOV4qbx5NKAKf6kXietIzAnh5T8qJKvcFdL-Iam-QAV3Yr/s1600/chrisbowler-crop+BW++DSC_5138-200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEvxaiShKbByUFv-N3fyglvVEXexJTTg5E4I7Kt02z6CCRIvQoBtHsS3MmnN80DaraGOWMEEsC4uGWPVH5gKg1dAyP66khU3JOV4qbx5NKAKf6kXietIzAnh5T8qJKvcFdL-Iam-QAV3Yr/s1600/chrisbowler-crop+BW++DSC_5138-200.jpg" /></a></div>We flew at the start of the event and it was very bumpy because there was a rainstorm coming in behind us. Part way through the routine we looked at the big black cloud getting closer and closer and advised Richard to land - just in time as the heavens opened shortly afterwards.<br />
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After about 20 minutes or so the weather cleared up and the full size planes had great weather as the wind had dropped. We were jealous! Let's hope the rest of the flights this year have better weather.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdBFCQRHZbgdTEWWq6kV6JdF9LV6uXLJ6QDXN07xvM6IFK1aroaBTKYp0bFiUX63Qaplx3eCCEQULd3wav4IbOA7voI5js6JXUUF7hlDdmKCsUv37wLELFk0JfMf5JPCHLVfmJLQIoWL53/s1600/chrisbowler-crop+DSC_5179-200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdBFCQRHZbgdTEWWq6kV6JdF9LV6uXLJ6QDXN07xvM6IFK1aroaBTKYp0bFiUX63Qaplx3eCCEQULd3wav4IbOA7voI5js6JXUUF7hlDdmKCsUv37wLELFk0JfMf5JPCHLVfmJLQIoWL53/s1600/chrisbowler-crop+DSC_5179-200.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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If you want to see more photos of the new colour scheme and wingwalker outfits visit <a href="http://www.facebook.com/babywingwalkers">Baby Wingwalkers on Facebook</a>. <br />
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Photos courtesy of and copyright of Chris BowlerBaby Wingwalkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10576044849004893032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8710414791036314986.post-48293488823021477982011-05-08T09:44:00.000-07:002011-05-08T09:44:49.030-07:00Updating the model Stearmans and wingwalkers for 2011<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiyA6Rm1nKEJQgnl7E5Mz9ZrOjY3nKfOMk8aDKyQ4vaOlOLETlrZ-FoYHahYAd-axzVv9ZfS-35Zo_NZZckqzZCWuDiWgKGr3a1Y8YfBAyAFbg3waIfpMX48LTLC6j1HB6KAGXIE-xLxzJ/s1600/DSCF5740-wingwalkers-200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiyA6Rm1nKEJQgnl7E5Mz9ZrOjY3nKfOMk8aDKyQ4vaOlOLETlrZ-FoYHahYAd-axzVv9ZfS-35Zo_NZZckqzZCWuDiWgKGr3a1Y8YfBAyAFbg3waIfpMX48LTLC6j1HB6KAGXIE-xLxzJ/s320/DSCF5740-wingwalkers-200.jpg" width="154" /></a></div><br />
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Breitling have made a few changes to the full size planes' design and the wingwalkers' costumes for 2011. We had a chance earlier this week to visit Rendcomb to take some photos for reference and saw the full size team practising their routine.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb41zygjmqCHPfifv7fcVsyHo0p1aoX4lDb5l9E-pdYZUVUcXGSeIHOF0Xic9B_TtLFlt7dT8n6r_h5Jr2T_eFFfHreZYzzUVfX-1gPNJqYy22DvojE3FwDIwF99b8edJxqyYxXyzrpt73/s1600/rr-2011-05-08_173349-200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb41zygjmqCHPfifv7fcVsyHo0p1aoX4lDb5l9E-pdYZUVUcXGSeIHOF0Xic9B_TtLFlt7dT8n6r_h5Jr2T_eFFfHreZYzzUVfX-1gPNJqYy22DvojE3FwDIwF99b8edJxqyYxXyzrpt73/s320/rr-2011-05-08_173349-200.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
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Now it's down to Richard to reflect the changes in the models. He's already added the numbers on the nose of each plane and started cutting out the new costumes.Baby Wingwalkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10576044849004893032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8710414791036314986.post-40259192311686219592011-04-03T13:30:00.000-07:002011-04-03T13:30:35.321-07:00Spraying the Baby Breitling Stearmans<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQhj-Mij6Hc_atSxtJ01uY5BUc4U2QsbSl95-w6qx45sAL8D4Y_s6Kv4lshTMZijS3yC6QyZ29DlkIctZf0cP1o7kUJUL5NK2wBIdVUbd4L9AmD9hsNqoVuTyTAbVRswZnFidsN6IJ0QdC/s1600/bww-paint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQhj-Mij6Hc_atSxtJ01uY5BUc4U2QsbSl95-w6qx45sAL8D4Y_s6Kv4lshTMZijS3yC6QyZ29DlkIctZf0cP1o7kUJUL5NK2wBIdVUbd4L9AmD9hsNqoVuTyTAbVRswZnFidsN6IJ0QdC/s200/bww-paint.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It's been quiet on this blog but not quiet in the workshop. </span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The orange paint arrived at the end of February and Richard has been spraying everything orange since then. </span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">There is a lot to spray - 2 biplane fuselages, 2 tailpanes and 8 wing sections, plus the spats and cowls.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="messagebody"> </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBUIbHO_g7WSH3uZys9jOiYKIA9KqpfosuMYU0uteKCbWeUmLX9GLLem7YI72IPecWHS-lqpddY1Typ9csZHDrg4Ju1jaFgjHy9fZeni51DWEkSsYph3rIVPkat6DDeZXslqA3CsxRCd7g/s1600/bww-maskedwing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBUIbHO_g7WSH3uZys9jOiYKIA9KqpfosuMYU0uteKCbWeUmLX9GLLem7YI72IPecWHS-lqpddY1Typ9csZHDrg4Ju1jaFgjHy9fZeni51DWEkSsYph3rIVPkat6DDeZXslqA3CsxRCd7g/s200/bww-maskedwing.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><h6 data-ft="{"type":"msg"}" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="messagebody"></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="messagebody"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The first stage is to paint all the surfaces white. Then vinyl masks are applied to protect the areas that will remain white.</span></span></span></h6><h6 data-ft="{"type":"msg"}" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="messagebody"><span style="font-weight: normal;">These wing panels have the masks applied. </span></span></span></h6><h6 data-ft="{"type":"msg"}" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="messagebody"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></span></span></h6><h6 data-ft="{"type":"msg"}" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="messagebody"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Richard had to make sure that he used the right type of vinyl for the masks because not all vinyl sticks well. </span></span></span></h6><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFbfYpQ006uKtMXrJShx_UnLpbwmwVYjEKJkjGhGfDesq6ZeWa5ax53IVzwRw1qVQssIiqqQionyY2u0Enr3Iaoep70Chv0xVl4UiEzfcPGQps_WQGXGlS4bHF5wqyBHQciS2IfBI2dZre/s1600/bww-sprayedfus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFbfYpQ006uKtMXrJShx_UnLpbwmwVYjEKJkjGhGfDesq6ZeWa5ax53IVzwRw1qVQssIiqqQionyY2u0Enr3Iaoep70Chv0xVl4UiEzfcPGQps_WQGXGlS4bHF5wqyBHQciS2IfBI2dZre/s200/bww-sprayedfus.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div><h6 style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 36pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="messagebody"> </span></span></h6><h6 style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 36pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="messagebody">This is one of the fuselages after its orange coat.</span></span></h6><h6 style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 36pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="messagebody">It takes longer to do the masking than to do the painting. It took nearly a day to mask 2 pairs of bottom wings.</span></span></h6><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5hub5ho6SYPlk0FTenS1NWFJTAQ5-FOfYmMaqzFbhEAUGsszMV7q_SzAbKRd8X96OR395EM8_-MgCTpghSFQQ-5EEiIq4itasq2rk4PiBaw_DeJXsw5UhnelvM7fn6Kwx_7lQT74q3gxp/s1600/bww-maskedwings2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5hub5ho6SYPlk0FTenS1NWFJTAQ5-FOfYmMaqzFbhEAUGsszMV7q_SzAbKRd8X96OR395EM8_-MgCTpghSFQQ-5EEiIq4itasq2rk4PiBaw_DeJXsw5UhnelvM7fn6Kwx_7lQT74q3gxp/s200/bww-maskedwings2.jpg" width="150" /></a></span></div><h6 style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 36pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></h6><h6 style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 36pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="messagebody">Once the orange coat has been applied, new masking is put on so the grey can be applied to the leading edges and also the outline of the lettering.</span></span></h6><h6 data-ft="{"type":"msg"}" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="messagebody"><span style="font-weight: normal;">For more pictures of the spraying visit our <b><a href="http://www.babywingwalkers.com/">Facebook page</a></b> where Richard is uploading pictures throughout the process.</span></span></span></h6>Baby Wingwalkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10576044849004893032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8710414791036314986.post-72969951386977092352011-03-12T13:36:00.000-08:002011-03-12T13:36:07.247-08:00Baby Breitling Wingwalkers fly together againLast week the team got together again to fly the Stearmans in formation for the first time in 6 months. It was a chilly day but good to see them both in the air again.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuMW5OcB6fSXsPYKddMhqHopD3M6sQ8DVLTcgjI_qhjZcr7LyhLX1pogYw25TraHqNS80ogIcEAJOghVoHjRJxStacpqA8_Cg7EJwyZTfzOYzp-3MUBipb1ZbLLhveQZc1Gi_z2LFe4tF9/s1600/RR-babywingwalkers-march11-200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuMW5OcB6fSXsPYKddMhqHopD3M6sQ8DVLTcgjI_qhjZcr7LyhLX1pogYw25TraHqNS80ogIcEAJOghVoHjRJxStacpqA8_Cg7EJwyZTfzOYzp-3MUBipb1ZbLLhveQZc1Gi_z2LFe4tF9/s1600/RR-babywingwalkers-march11-200.jpg" /></a></div>Each pilot did a quick solo flight first without the wingwalker rig because that reduces the risk of damage if an emergency landing is needed. Then we put the rigs and wingwalkers on the planes and took off into the routine.<br />
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It took a while to get used to the routine again. Richard had flown a solo routine in a couple of displays towards the end of last year which is slightly different to the formation routine so he needed to get used to the old manouevres. He also noticed that he made a lot more speed adjustments to keep in formation. He flies the second plane which needs more power to keep in formation with the lead plane on turns.<br />
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Sharon had to remember where all the switches on the transmitter are that operate the wingwalkers' legs and arms.<br />
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We got through 2 tanks of fuel but then the sun started going down so it was time to call it a day.Baby Wingwalkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10576044849004893032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8710414791036314986.post-77985669833528546152011-01-30T12:31:00.000-08:002011-01-30T12:34:40.398-08:00Pay attention to what you're doing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFaoXW_RdI6_f0YtqQsw5KSqDk9_42CEJNuJA4YyXao05-CCFTdwzDAT4kiXbA5DRvZFf0ioxi7oGA-AApLqVxrJswzRQ2K9ReAPLaH1AO-mzwy5ur_5cRtRKIqNMme-QrgaETH3GJuET8/s1600/wwvide-grab1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP774k1JUooYMCrkniX-Lfc5NOop94l_R2p00NFSmYEiLH69awdXrN5LLRD-SDaGrtdZ8c0clLIpMvWq5i9VzwvR3ZvdyvSIgY8Frt1UKKa0INc85INLULMDN2mw1p2afQUZCgxKcp5Atm/s1600/DSCF5096-flying-200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP774k1JUooYMCrkniX-Lfc5NOop94l_R2p00NFSmYEiLH69awdXrN5LLRD-SDaGrtdZ8c0clLIpMvWq5i9VzwvR3ZvdyvSIgY8Frt1UKKa0INc85INLULMDN2mw1p2afQUZCgxKcp5Atm/s1600/DSCF5096-flying-200.jpg" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Arial'; font-size: 12px;">When the pilots first started flying the Baby Breitlings they were distracted by the model wing walker moving around. It may sound odd, but when you fly model planes it's unusual for anything to move on the plane without you, the pilot, controlling it. After a few flights you get used to it though and can concentrate on presenting the plane to the crowd.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Arial'; font-size: 12px;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Arial'; font-size: 12px;">Sharon on the other hand found it odd to be holding a transmitter but not to be flying the plane. She also flies models and on the first few flights she found she was instinctively watching the plane and trying to fly that rather than operate the wingwalkers.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA7d2t0UoZFEvDqLE1WhF2d_83KwhqEkXYIJjP4dCli6JSjXgc24E60ujU5XtGN0U-7RnhEpuDOa4zHZnSKORF-FTmzhlmY7b8btmz_4xaPXXMJrd_Iwg74ntvMYzTW3Liy8T8XMOlz6Ln/s1600/wwvideograb5_cr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA7d2t0UoZFEvDqLE1WhF2d_83KwhqEkXYIJjP4dCli6JSjXgc24E60ujU5XtGN0U-7RnhEpuDOa4zHZnSKORF-FTmzhlmY7b8btmz_4xaPXXMJrd_Iwg74ntvMYzTW3Liy8T8XMOlz6Ln/s1600/wwvideograb5_cr.jpg" /></a></div><div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Arial'; font-size: 12px;"> The wingwalkers are operated using the same transmitter you would use to fly a plane. The sticks and switches move the arms, legs and head and a dial controls the rig rotation. Whilst it's easy to actually operate the controls, it is tricky to remember which stick controls which movement. Each arm and leg moves independently, the arms move up and down together and the head also moves. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Arial'; font-size: 12px;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Arial'; font-size: 12px;">The most important time to get everything right is when you operate the rig. The wingwalkers' legs and arms need to be in the right position when you roate the rig otherwise they get caught in the rigging wires and snap them.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Arial'; font-size: 12px;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Arial'; font-size: 12px;"></span></div><div></div>Baby Wingwalkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10576044849004893032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8710414791036314986.post-18695931670310183552011-01-08T02:53:00.000-08:002011-01-08T02:53:05.987-08:00The engines in the 30% Stearmans<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12px;">The engine is a very important tool for us during the display. Because we are constantly flying lower and slower, so the crowd can get a better view of the planes and wingwalkers, there is little room for error if the engine should stop.</span><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfrrc1grisloA1HHK5SakeLBE4OpWml4bQLyMcJTyQRmSQSG27i1WiDdPldr9RW4de7WmCP4w-ZxhUkmzNRoRjNGxrs6ANlYh9zrVi0l-weIJiDTjBvSN7UhXABGGyN0jIFx678rVx3Vu_/s1600/DSCF5192-moki-200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfrrc1grisloA1HHK5SakeLBE4OpWml4bQLyMcJTyQRmSQSG27i1WiDdPldr9RW4de7WmCP4w-ZxhUkmzNRoRjNGxrs6ANlYh9zrVi0l-weIJiDTjBvSN7UhXABGGyN0jIFx678rVx3Vu_/s1600/DSCF5192-moki-200.jpg" /></a></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12px;"> When we first flew the Baby Breitling Stearmans they were fitted with the great sounding Moki 250 radial engines. These engines give a lot of power from quite low throttle settings and have a fantastic sound. Even Sharon who isn't really into engines loved the sound of them. Unfortunately though, whilst using these engines we had a number of engine cuts which led to a few interesting landings.</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm_6Z5Q0D6MKm0cyeue4rfIIIDphtqmx0abkJoSoNKLGKVBe_0T8avFulMPczxr7Drmp2ZuVy0I10jlhTAkrKuPKe6gwrtP-6gDAQKB3Zg8YaKSgKOQmV5RBn2blsH9MZEQIQyBkQ5TZlx/s1600/DSCF5189-da150-200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm_6Z5Q0D6MKm0cyeue4rfIIIDphtqmx0abkJoSoNKLGKVBe_0T8avFulMPczxr7Drmp2ZuVy0I10jlhTAkrKuPKe6gwrtP-6gDAQKB3Zg8YaKSgKOQmV5RBn2blsH9MZEQIQyBkQ5TZlx/s1600/DSCF5189-da150-200.jpg" /></a></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12px;"> Several types of fuel mixes and types were tried before we gave in and fitted Desert Aircraft 150 engines. Since the fitment of these we haven't missed a display or even had any uncomfortable moments with them. The DAs don't sound or look as good but they keep going, allowing us to concentrate on flying a good display.</span></div>Baby Wingwalkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10576044849004893032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8710414791036314986.post-11833753894880193382010-12-25T00:59:00.000-08:002010-12-25T00:59:37.136-08:00Merry Christmas from the Baby Breitling Wingwalking Team<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUJo6zGS_Tm0fBZOD6ySLTb1BkKBxC6EN-8MPD7Opf8-tHTldt4jUORh0kLmft_FPRvKhmh1qRl885SQdBlJisvu064Ih_iGPl92P_gAxxVeN5rV5CtLIfXdCwYlXfuprurAShn70fU7DV/s1600/Resize+of+63463_133138216746433_107910585935863_195803_3338986_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUJo6zGS_Tm0fBZOD6ySLTb1BkKBxC6EN-8MPD7Opf8-tHTldt4jUORh0kLmft_FPRvKhmh1qRl885SQdBlJisvu064Ih_iGPl92P_gAxxVeN5rV5CtLIfXdCwYlXfuprurAShn70fU7DV/s1600/Resize+of+63463_133138216746433_107910585935863_195803_3338986_n.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioq7We_vMl8dVQvKxe0-xFlOm88tM5t_6UjNtjUMTlvv7Ykf_bo8Qbp8gsaA2-QPBC5DZOfyh7C5kogodzIB8Qim64OEDwLFuSYS8vE_aGZC2B_74g7sYCDooVagofjlIYAXFa7h-z7SXM/s1600/chrisbowler-crop+DSC_0784-200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioq7We_vMl8dVQvKxe0-xFlOm88tM5t_6UjNtjUMTlvv7Ykf_bo8Qbp8gsaA2-QPBC5DZOfyh7C5kogodzIB8Qim64OEDwLFuSYS8vE_aGZC2B_74g7sYCDooVagofjlIYAXFa7h-z7SXM/s1600/chrisbowler-crop+DSC_0784-200.jpg" /></a></div>Baby Wingwalkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10576044849004893032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8710414791036314986.post-1640731659212310892010-12-19T02:40:00.000-08:002010-12-19T02:40:25.622-08:00The rig on the Baby Wingwalker StearmansThe rig that supports the wingwalkers is quite a complex piece of engineering and has very accurate detail. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRWZOsVhrYqco1SY1vIQ8I64bmFw10mWZhUA9x0k3ibIbNwm0MShXdcxgp0o7sZSlg76_BnAAxUS6G7CXo7zwKoPhlRsAcnl3Ld_THBoiBcAZAYrDYB3gwcWDbGf0KJB_DI_kX2SBFsFJH/s1600/RR-stearman+rig1-200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRWZOsVhrYqco1SY1vIQ8I64bmFw10mWZhUA9x0k3ibIbNwm0MShXdcxgp0o7sZSlg76_BnAAxUS6G7CXo7zwKoPhlRsAcnl3Ld_THBoiBcAZAYrDYB3gwcWDbGf0KJB_DI_kX2SBFsFJH/s1600/RR-stearman+rig1-200.jpg" /></a></div><br />
The main vertical tube is made from stainless steel tube and is custom made because nothing suitable could be found. It was made from 20mm tube and flattened it into an aerofoil section. Aluminium blocks were machined down to make the anchor points for the pivot. The seat is made from 5mm stainless steel round tube which is silver soldered together.<br />
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The cushioning on the full size rig is made from plumber's foam tube. On the models it is made from the foam from hair curlers. Orange electrical insulation tape (found by chance on the internet) simulates the orange gaffer tape on the full size rig.<br />
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The aluminium pulley wheel was machined. The cables used to rotate the rig go over the pulley wheel to a sail winch servo with a 2:1 ratio. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDXENaVWowfXvuwYW18DqnmrloQ29d1W_Tm8tG1vW-biPEzDsTXTdilz1pZjUSoKEpc-h5VGzKugRMnzUECRTF9ViiPxXoMQy_CZgOBlvcWdZO7PYRlsvTDCl7gGxWUg5SXsPkwsDP8wo6/s1600/RR-girls2-harness-200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDXENaVWowfXvuwYW18DqnmrloQ29d1W_Tm8tG1vW-biPEzDsTXTdilz1pZjUSoKEpc-h5VGzKugRMnzUECRTF9ViiPxXoMQy_CZgOBlvcWdZO7PYRlsvTDCl7gGxWUg5SXsPkwsDP8wo6/s1600/RR-girls2-harness-200.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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The 5 point adjustable harness holds the wingwalkers to the rig. It is an exact copy of the full size one because it is the most effective way of holding the wingwalker (human or model) securely. There are 9 buckles on each harness and each is hand made. So too is the clasp that holds the harness together.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The rig is turned using a Supertech winch servo. It was important to have the smallest possible servo because it is visible.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3dh1V1LtqXizLK0fPJOvbh2sK46nBnvPpcjazung-X2-iLe0I4eByC_3ydDtZPtRtlRFi2UwDMkiod6TTRC3N-wYrPYRAJ5zdXts82d7pX3SRg0V1GOTmozCnv5UbUElaXzvknHTtGWkF/s1600/DSCF5090-rig-200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3dh1V1LtqXizLK0fPJOvbh2sK46nBnvPpcjazung-X2-iLe0I4eByC_3ydDtZPtRtlRFi2UwDMkiod6TTRC3N-wYrPYRAJ5zdXts82d7pX3SRg0V1GOTmozCnv5UbUElaXzvknHTtGWkF/s1600/DSCF5090-rig-200.jpg" /></a></div><br />
It takes a couple of minutes to put the rig onto the aircraft frame. 3 bolts hold it to the wing and 4 rigging wires stop it moving in all directions. <br />
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Theres is a battery in the centre section of aricraft wing that powers both the rig and wingwalker.<br />
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The receiver for both the rig and the wingwalker is in the wingwalker's body. 2 cables run up inside the rig to take power to the rig and wingwalker. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>After checking the battery usage we have found that the rig/wingwalker batter uses as much power during a flight as the one that powers the rest of the plane. There is a high load put on the servos as the rig moves and the wingwalkers move their arms and legs.Baby Wingwalkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10576044849004893032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8710414791036314986.post-37402281627000313452010-12-06T14:17:00.000-08:002010-12-25T01:01:04.367-08:00Landing the 30% scale Baby Wingwalker Stearmans<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12px;">At the end of the flight you have to be on your toes with the Stearmans. This is because the model wingwalkers are are full of radio gear and weigh more of a proportion of the overall weight of the aircraft than the slender full size wingwalkers!</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12px;"> Because of this you need to be landing into wind or as near to into wind as you can get. There are two ways to land the aircraft. </span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwHJcf4cUNySsDSWD4QNm0rTOSdQ7LarIUM8YM-0AWlg4fiTup2UQiLK0LqIpxdlioAFeo3M2Q3tpGRL4K3nKY0aJQ-N5a6BbSaSmM4LacMptBAqzfsqxFaPGl9D20_lQLBsyDviADvstZ/s1600/DSCF4587-landing-200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwHJcf4cUNySsDSWD4QNm0rTOSdQ7LarIUM8YM-0AWlg4fiTup2UQiLK0LqIpxdlioAFeo3M2Q3tpGRL4K3nKY0aJQ-N5a6BbSaSmM4LacMptBAqzfsqxFaPGl9D20_lQLBsyDviADvstZ/s1600/DSCF4587-landing-200.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12px;">One is to settle into a gentle three point landing when there is little or no wind to speak of. This type of landing looks really good on grass strips and you can afford to be a bit out of wind. The wheels slip more than they do on tarmac and you are much less likely to ground loop. </span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 12px;">The second way is to fly them in faster and land only on the main wheels and use crossed rudder and ailerons to correct any direction changes as you slow down. This is the type of landing that Steve favours in stronger crosswinds especially when flying from tarmac. </span></div>Baby Wingwalkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10576044849004893032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8710414791036314986.post-80048535605473611822010-11-29T13:15:00.000-08:002010-11-29T13:16:44.730-08:00Construction information about the Baby WingwalkersHowever great the planes look, the model wingwalkers always steal the show. We are often asked where people can buy them and the answer is "you can't" because they have been individually hand made.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTw4ed-j6Dg_GtP8eSuZKwmIMKS540i9LN_vrFOeneKXrnVSUd7i9ZdIGcYwu-T-h0qtGk4ZipU0EU8P9YkVKCnMyOLbS4B0EfnmV_ZwQCK93k1cS3Gw9lbEGBjsLvCE3j7tGBX_tlZmiq/s1600/chrisbowler-breitling-crop+DSC_0378-200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTw4ed-j6Dg_GtP8eSuZKwmIMKS540i9LN_vrFOeneKXrnVSUd7i9ZdIGcYwu-T-h0qtGk4ZipU0EU8P9YkVKCnMyOLbS4B0EfnmV_ZwQCK93k1cS3Gw9lbEGBjsLvCE3j7tGBX_tlZmiq/s1600/chrisbowler-breitling-crop+DSC_0378-200.jpg" /></a></div><br />
The arms and legs are carved from balsa. Richard tried making moulds but found they were too heavy if they were moulded. The bodies are made from a two-piece fibreglass mould, using lightweight cloth, The bodies are slightly larger than the real wingwalkers because there has to be room for the 2.4 GHz receiver inside which powers 5 mini servos that move the arms, legs and heads.<br />
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Each head is individual and based on one of the real wingwalkers from the team, currently we have Sarah and Danielle. The heads are carved from plastic wood, a two-piece silicone mould is made and filled with fibreglass. Richard tried a slush mould head but it was too brittle and he couldn't get a consistent thickness. After all the trials he now has a box full of heads!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmYU3aF_eWBH3-he1L-S35PZr0aHl10I8drZl8egS3a08bz0zLcNZSKfl9VVyoX6BDLMCA2Og9TnzEirJQ7EZMm31UV1m5HL3ICUYt2dl8Md10PRO8J6HXuieodg5VUaNoZnMgo7vSeJou/s1600/chrisbowler-breitling-crop+DSC_0347-head-200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmYU3aF_eWBH3-he1L-S35PZr0aHl10I8drZl8egS3a08bz0zLcNZSKfl9VVyoX6BDLMCA2Og9TnzEirJQ7EZMm31UV1m5HL3ICUYt2dl8Md10PRO8J6HXuieodg5VUaNoZnMgo7vSeJou/s1600/chrisbowler-breitling-crop+DSC_0347-head-200.jpg" /></a></div> Probably the most time consuming job is stitching the hair into place. Richard made thousands of 1mm holes in the heads and each hole had 6 strands of hair hooked through. It took 3 long days per head, working 15 hour days. Danielle's hair took slightly longer because 3 colours were used to match her hair colour. The hair on the models is slightly longer than the real wingwalkers' hair because it's real hair so it is proportionally thicker and so not as supple. When it's longer it holds its shape better because of the extra weight.<br />
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The costumes are also hand made, using pictures of the real ones to work from. Because the fabric pieces were so small the patterns were turned into computer drawings and then laser cut to get them as accurate as possible. Then they were sewed on a standard sewing machine. Lycra is not easy to work with at the best of times because it stretches, but with such small pieces it was very difficult and there was some unpicking and starting again.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAs6NdN9DDPVZcq4343U8X-b6Z5WlZZNkJZ-yFaDZmyKEPW1Vsv_XoDYOgHCnnDteQIjS3KTVNJTUBEGehhLdc8EaNX4Bls7wjO4bgNC-wrDxqVQoAqmEVstxf4Vkw4FLsboHBJvfXSxxn/s1600/chrisbowler-breitling-crop+DSC_0371-foot-200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAs6NdN9DDPVZcq4343U8X-b6Z5WlZZNkJZ-yFaDZmyKEPW1Vsv_XoDYOgHCnnDteQIjS3KTVNJTUBEGehhLdc8EaNX4Bls7wjO4bgNC-wrDxqVQoAqmEVstxf4Vkw4FLsboHBJvfXSxxn/s1600/chrisbowler-breitling-crop+DSC_0371-foot-200.jpg" /></a></div>The boots and hands are made in the same way as the head, carved and then a silicone mould made. The boots aren't identical to the full size ones because they have to be smaller so they can be taken off to put the clothes on. Both the boots and hands are slush moulded with expandable foam put in to make them rigid. The boots and legs need to be kept as light as possible to reduce the load on the arms and legs when they are lifted. They are attached to the arms and legs with a dowel.<br />
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Finally, each model has a watch which is a commercially available 1/4 scale one that has been repainted orange.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Photos copyright of Chris Bowler. </span>Baby Wingwalkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10576044849004893032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8710414791036314986.post-51603965866540749922010-11-21T11:38:00.000-08:002010-11-21T11:38:58.175-08:00Modifications from the Balsa USA Stearman kitThe Stearmans are built from Balsa USA kits but have had some modifications to make them lighter and more detailed.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxz6OwMYHP3usRrMDyqPM-qbwBISS4GJVRMQ8oVP9R03X9JZvds53lxql8q0er-In_odqtONvyfC7iNdNkz8iIxzv8ndbHD5jiRcLQ3I47Ow4_ED-iA1fJkUs3mWd6wkYMqEaYc3y3hFS9/s1600/DSCF4530-200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxz6OwMYHP3usRrMDyqPM-qbwBISS4GJVRMQ8oVP9R03X9JZvds53lxql8q0er-In_odqtONvyfC7iNdNkz8iIxzv8ndbHD5jiRcLQ3I47Ow4_ED-iA1fJkUs3mWd6wkYMqEaYc3y3hFS9/s1600/DSCF4530-200.jpg" /></a></div>Holes have been laser cut in the fuselage formers, the tailplane, fin and wing wherever possible. This reduces the weight which is especially important in these models because the rig and wingwalker add quite a lot of weight. <br />
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To get the best performance we need to keep the weight as low as we can, whilst not compromising the strength of the structure.<br />
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The tailplane was made removable to make the planes easier to transport. Both planes are transported in one van so they take up less space with the tailplanes off. Carbon fibre tubes are used to join the tailplane. Elevator servos are in each half of tailplane<br />
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The Breitling team use Super Stearmans which have more flying wires than the Stearman so extra mounting points were fitted to attach the additional flying wires. Hard mounting points also had to be added to attach the wingwalker's rig.<br />
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The spar size in the wing was reduced by half and webbing used to make the wing as light and strong as possible. The square aluminium tubes in the kit were replaced with round ones and are not glued in. That way they are easy to remove so make transportation easier.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvSDubdyBAZImplWVRAAEOHQX6R2ntXcTxw8WKD7keJhlviXRnAwVmdN6Thf8oTPNfXDpgE4FWNmFMrfTSyo47hGLohsPY5oakci64LhlRvvSL6m5vq0eSuOLcPoOcF4nhdXGEvHxbMjNu/s1600/RR-stearman101114-200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvSDubdyBAZImplWVRAAEOHQX6R2ntXcTxw8WKD7keJhlviXRnAwVmdN6Thf8oTPNfXDpgE4FWNmFMrfTSyo47hGLohsPY5oakci64LhlRvvSL6m5vq0eSuOLcPoOcF4nhdXGEvHxbMjNu/s1600/RR-stearman101114-200.jpg" /></a></div>To match the full size planes that the models are based on top ailerons have been fitted and the bottom ailerons reduced slightly. There are several configurations of top ailerons across all 4 planes that are either finished or in construction. Some top ailerons are nearly the same size as the bottome ones and others are smaller. These reflect the full size configurations.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6yAK5EkF0UI5OriSj575o5KIncYCgGkCQfANvfWYi7OYBO1EAinRLG3hnZP_npkKA3W-vfc1oY7L8Lv-f1NLvet_jROYI3TC0Nz0W4HjuS-03bkYJU4huTNIgP7pO9y8vBqQm2UrWtbFj/s1600/DSCF4750-200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6yAK5EkF0UI5OriSj575o5KIncYCgGkCQfANvfWYi7OYBO1EAinRLG3hnZP_npkKA3W-vfc1oY7L8Lv-f1NLvet_jROYI3TC0Nz0W4HjuS-03bkYJU4huTNIgP7pO9y8vBqQm2UrWtbFj/s1600/DSCF4750-200.jpg" /></a></div><br />
The nose has been shortened so the prop hub is in the correct line. A completely new cowl was made and starts from the cabane struts. On the full size the cowling was a modified Beech. New wheel spats were made to the correct shape and a new spinner was made. The spinner on the Super Stearman is a Harvard.Baby Wingwalkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10576044849004893032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8710414791036314986.post-60586142068189576532010-11-16T10:55:00.000-08:002010-11-16T11:26:07.138-08:00A pilot's impression of flying a Stearman as part of the Baby Breitling Wingwalking Team<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>After a season of flying one of the Stearmans here are some of the impressions from one of the pilots, Steve.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfgBuVV3xfD5dhDBBTDzipZGrlamjxU69v0icsQD8HMPDllu0R3GySPY3P8SFI-M2bmC2wpWvsiuMY1yv0PiIiH-GlJVAJIguE8EKG6lik46kz4inoNgFnRoOX_fMtKBXQNXjPOniQSFn2/s1600/NeilHutchinson-LMA_MG_6125-200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfgBuVV3xfD5dhDBBTDzipZGrlamjxU69v0icsQD8HMPDllu0R3GySPY3P8SFI-M2bmC2wpWvsiuMY1yv0PiIiH-GlJVAJIguE8EKG6lik46kz4inoNgFnRoOX_fMtKBXQNXjPOniQSFn2/s1600/NeilHutchinson-LMA_MG_6125-200.jpg" /></a></div>When we fly in formation Richard, who is the first pilot, controls the display and the speed and it's up to me as the second pilot to make the adjustments in position so that we stay in formation. Each display is different because of the site and the weather conditions so Richard is making adjustments to keep the display within the right area and I make adjustments to stay in formation with him.<br />
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I use the rudder a lot to slip the plane into position. I can't use the ailerons and bank because people will see that the wings are different to the other aircraft and so it spoils the look of the display.<br />
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The point at each end of the circuit is the most critical part when you're flying in formation because both pilots may be going into the turn at different speeds which then means we will enter the next manoeuvre at different speeds. If you don't get the formation right at the end then the manouevres in the middle will never be correct.<br />
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The Stearman is a simple aircraft compared to some of the planes I fly. It doesn't have retracts or flaps but it has its own complication in that the wingwalkers make it top heavy so you have to allow for that. The wheels have a narrow track so, as we have experienced at most shows this year, it is difficult to land in a crosswind.<br />
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My favourite part of the display visually is when we put the smoke on - especially when there's a blue sky too. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdzIiaeBMz-i1g2tZLL1T3Grk771wRzzbQoUOYKmHQWLMJjucGVwvQdUfFuhPLoX5iwZUm9FySob6OV7b4PYU4ky-Ix6T5079zsvjRZozH2Rp4D1VHnUk-c3s7wM4UUCQyBxFm9pQKZdV8/s1600/chrisbowler-breitling-crop+DSC_0408-200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdzIiaeBMz-i1g2tZLL1T3Grk771wRzzbQoUOYKmHQWLMJjucGVwvQdUfFuhPLoX5iwZUm9FySob6OV7b4PYU4ky-Ix6T5079zsvjRZozH2Rp4D1VHnUk-c3s7wM4UUCQyBxFm9pQKZdV8/s1600/chrisbowler-breitling-crop+DSC_0408-200.jpg" /></a></div>My favourite manouevre is the Superman at the end. It's a straightforward manouevre as it's simply flying inverted but it shows the wingwalker off perfectly. I've got used to not watching the wingwalker and just watching the plane, but in the Superman I look at the wingwalker as well to help me position the aircraft.<br />
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As I come in quite low and slow it's not a place where you want the engine to stop!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Photos copyright Neil Hutchinson & Chris Bowler and may not be used without their permission.</span>Baby Wingwalkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10576044849004893032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8710414791036314986.post-72549473843041730962010-11-02T12:42:00.000-07:002010-11-02T12:43:21.068-07:00Baby Breitling Wingwalkers at Gaydon Motor Museum, October 2010Model aircraft isn't the first thing you would expect to find at a motor museum. But this is the third year that the Large Model Association has put on a static display of models at Gaydon and each year it is popular with both the modellers and visitors. Just like Yeovilton, there is the chance to look round the museum as well so there is a double attraction.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioYIfDjh2IHjtiZFImkMIaN8HAeioNn5ROS062-SW5AtdTiC97ObxzscMa6JbKyDdIgCW-Aq5QCtGFyuEN9Dx4VuCpgnHd7Qu9rt3qhtoa7Uc6oqovuMLQ1xDp0kVEowR_G2uJUDPFItMa/s1600/Dscf5121-gaydon-200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioYIfDjh2IHjtiZFImkMIaN8HAeioNn5ROS062-SW5AtdTiC97ObxzscMa6JbKyDdIgCW-Aq5QCtGFyuEN9Dx4VuCpgnHd7Qu9rt3qhtoa7Uc6oqovuMLQ1xDp0kVEowR_G2uJUDPFItMa/s1600/Dscf5121-gaydon-200.jpg" /></a></div>After the previous day of rain it was nice to be able to put the Stearmans together in the warm and dry and know there was going to be no mad dash for rain covers. It was a good chance to catch up with the other modellers without the usual rush of a show with one eye on the schedule.<br />
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One trick we like to play is to be standing away from the models amongst the rest of the crowd and then gently turn the wingwalkers' heads. Because it's such a slight movement people aren't sure whether they've seen a movement or whether they imagined it. Then a little arm waving and leg bending and they can see the wingwalker is moving but they're not quite sure how. So, if you're at one of our shows you'll know to look out for the person with the transmitter who's standing behind you.<br />
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Wandering round the rooms, as well as familiar models you also get a preview of the partly built models that will be on the show scene in all their glory next year or the year after. One of the modellers, Chris Bates, has put together a <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/photoheliflyer/LMACADMacGaydon02#">slideshow of the models</a> that were there which shows the huge variety.Baby Wingwalkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10576044849004893032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8710414791036314986.post-31012667233595804592010-10-25T09:57:00.000-07:002010-10-25T13:22:38.930-07:00Baby Breitling Wingwalker at Yeovilton 2010Bringing this blog right up to date, this weekend we flew at the Model Show at the Fleet Air Arm Museum at Yeovilton.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGE0z2w-wt7l7mnTr_TvBkrb32KiJLSuoJBYrh3rFkaX58B-Lx6IzQVWGZH5fIoitoGFmYVgUvQGyr-d7s1jOobvIkLycIvJ3-wLM905MDb5vHR_V8IaN1kOtw6nyCpOKpyanvjK37_p1e/s1600/DSCF5103-200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGE0z2w-wt7l7mnTr_TvBkrb32KiJLSuoJBYrh3rFkaX58B-Lx6IzQVWGZH5fIoitoGFmYVgUvQGyr-d7s1jOobvIkLycIvJ3-wLM905MDb5vHR_V8IaN1kOtw6nyCpOKpyanvjK37_p1e/s1600/DSCF5103-200.jpg" /></a></div>The weather wasn't as bad as the original forecast but we only managed to get in one flight due to the heavy rain showers. <br />
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The flying display is only part of the overall show and during the rain we took the opportunity to look round at the variety of models that were on display. There was everything from Airfix models to carved wagons, spaceships, fantasy figures and Meccano diggers, all packed tightly around the museum's planes. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwvpvEuzLkxaC3sqV96zuXlFXWs8crT37_FjUiNWVx5ke2N1mMQeRgCtu0VNKIshFkMnIpQGW1IZ7fx1GW0YXVfun6vYAgiaruGwh2RhzVrUS3d4vbDA-y-TizTnLTVhGZRBPS87tKobkB/s1600/DSCF5092-200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwvpvEuzLkxaC3sqV96zuXlFXWs8crT37_FjUiNWVx5ke2N1mMQeRgCtu0VNKIshFkMnIpQGW1IZ7fx1GW0YXVfun6vYAgiaruGwh2RhzVrUS3d4vbDA-y-TizTnLTVhGZRBPS87tKobkB/s1600/DSCF5092-200.jpg" /></a></div>Outside there was also a good crowd who watched the flying displays that included warbirds, biplanes, jets and a glider as well as our Stearman and wingwalker. Because there was a short display time we only displayed one plane and wingwalker, which was just as well because the rain showers seemed to give us just enough time to assemble or dismantle one and then the heavens would open.Baby Wingwalkershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10576044849004893032noreply@blogger.com0