Hubert Boillot

Gotta say this fix makes all the difference between having a Thunderbolt-lookalike and a Typhoon … Brave, but much needed, mod, Max 👍 ! Hubert

So, MDC is the closest … and if you go for 30’’ wheels, then none is right (23.8125 mm). And Peter needs to review his design … Hubert

A chart divider? Hubert

Happy birthday, my friend ! 🎂 🎉 🍾 Hubert

She certainly looks like a Mustang, in every aspect! And I have achieved far less in far longer time … So, con gratulations are definitely the order of the day 👏🍾🎉 Hubert

Another comment regarding CAD-software exports to the slicer software. .stl is not the only printable format. A slicer like Chitubox will also work with .obj files, which have the huge benefit of being « lighter » than .stl files (some of the .stl files I printed recently were close to 12 Gb in size, and opening a few of those in Chitubox will make it have a fit). But my CAD-software (Alibre Design) produces .obj files which appeared strangely faceted in Chitubox. I thought it was a display artefact of Chitubox, but the facets appeared on the printed parts. I learned that day that Chitubox will show exactly the part as it is going to be printed. And that Alibre’s .obj exported files introduced some shape artefacts that were not linked to the part design. Maybe other softwares will have different results. Hubert

Although more expensive, I like some of the smart features of the Uniformation printers, like the way the resin vat is clipped rather than screwed-on, the easy release of the printing plate, the resin warming (useful in winter if your printer is in a colder room), etc. As for the printing parameters, my learning is that a slightly longer exposure time (we’re talking fractions of seconds) will save you time in the long run, with less failures. Achieving the right printing angle is a art in itself. A few degrees variation can make a huge difference (see the thread about the 3D-printed AD-5, where 2 degrees meant a successful or a failed print) And a few more supports, tweaking the contact depth and angle, and making sure they are positioned in an easy-to-clean position, is also a good insurance against failed prints. My issue with failed prints is not only the waste of time and resin, it’s also the higher risk of damaging the FEP film when removing the parts which stuck to the film rather than the plate …And changing a FEL film is a PITA, whatever the make of printer …So, the less frequently, the better … Hubert PS: IMHO, the difference between 8K, 12K, 14K, 16K is not so much the pixel resolution (admittedly slightly better on some 12K and higher printers, but honestly not to the point where it makes a perceptible visual difference in 95 % of the prints) as the size of the printing plate, which brings giant leaps in flexibility and number of parts printed in the same time.

Denis, don’t forget there are enough nice pubs and places to watch in Bedfordshire around Old Warden to justify more than one day there … As long as it does not justify spending more time in all those places rather than the Shuttleworth, of course. (I have a painful such experience with Ex-Ms Hubert in Krakow, where I ended sprinting though the Air Museum in 1 1/2 hour … and even then she felt it was too long ☹️ - oh well … there are reasons why she is Ms Ex …) Hubert

I had a closer look at some Amakaze 11 pictures, and its specs. Its diameter seems in-between that of the Wright J-5 (which is slightly smaller) and the P&W R-985 Wasp Junior ( which is slightly larger). The cylinders look like those of the J-5 (hence the association in my memory), but the crankcase (or more accurately the reduction gear cover) is more alike to the P&W R-985 … So I guess solutions can be found in both these directions … As for the Williams’ engines, they are frankly beyond their prime nowadays. AM cast or 3D-printed resin engines offer much better alternatives, especially for a position as visible as on the Akatombo … Just my two cents. Hubert PS: for Williams, I’m talking about their 1/32 engines. Their 1/8 Wright J-5, which is a model of the Spirit of St Louis engine, is still a lovely kit for its venerable age …

After shaking what’s left of my brain cells, FPW, Lukgraph and Kep Models, via Quinta Studio all have a 1/32 Wright J-5 on their catalogue. A visual check with the Akatombo’s engine should confirm whether they are similar-looking. Japan was known for copying Western designs, and the J-5 was THE resounding success among 9-cylinders radials of the early 30s, before the P&W R-985 Wasp Jr came into play … Hubert

I remember telling myself, when looking at the documentation, that the engine looked very much like a copy of the Wright Whirlwind (the J-5) A second look would be necessary to confirm this diffuse feeling, but there are AM Wright Whirlwinds available … Not sure it helps, as it is a lot of guesses and vague memories, but worth a try … Hubert

Nor was mine … just a MIA list Hubert

And Demon, and Skyray, and Skywarrior, and F-84, and Cutlass … Yes, I know (and have them, my precious, in the stash) that Fisher did fill some of this gap, and now Jetmads for the F-84, but they are a rare find indeed … And I did not mention the Ouragan, Mystere, Vautour, Alize or Etendard … Hubert

Lemme guess, Denis … you’re a Norman ? Hubert

The EE Lightning ? Or a cold SR-71 with full tanks … Hubert