Topic: The retro glider thread

BUMP...........         Funny how this thread just suddenly stopped...................

Maybe we just ran out of time - going backwards 

Thanks for finding it again - perfect timing - one year on from the thread start - West Blackdown BBQ again Monday evening, so the old stuff will come out to play again & get the annual aerotowing 

Come on guys - more retro !!
we know you've got stuff out there? - Phase 5,6? 1,2,3,4? - anyone still flying a Mijet?

Phil.

Maybe we need a new section dedicated to retro & vintage gliders. 

Hi Patmac

I'll second that!

Soaron Silhoette semi-kit in the loft currently, it was pod and boom polyester fuselage and had built-up wing options of100" or 124" designed by Roy Garner BTW
Also mentioned in the plastic bag of bits is the "Stylus" an aerobatit V-tail using the same fus - ANYONE BUILT ONE?
Pete

Maybe we need a new section dedicated to retro & vintage gliders. 

THEN the fight will start.............. 

Firstly "vintage" in normal machine terms means before 1930, wonder how many gliders (esp RC ones!) are around from then???     

Soaron Silhoette semi-kit in the loft currently, it was pod and boom polyester fuselage and had built-up wing options of100" or 124" designed by Roy Garner BTW

Pete

Hi Pete, thanks..............

Polyester, Ah, looks and feels glass to me! 

Any ideas on recommended throws and CG??

Dave

Well, my mijet never lasted that long but I had a couple of ridge racers, and a micro mold avenger that survived my flying but died in a car accident !

Off on a slight tangent, I was sat in the purbecks on smedmore hill one evening last week when I slowed my blizzard down too much as it turned and it flicked over as i recovered and carried on I had a real sense of deja vu as it reminded me of 1977 & flying a mini phase which used to do the same if you didnt keep the speed up in the turns ! 
Felt old afterwards.
r. 

THEN the fight will start.............. 

Firstly "vintage" in normal machine terms means before 1930, wonder how many gliders (esp RC ones!) are around from then???     

Not me, my oldest is a Veron Impala.

The one I can't identify from my collection is a V-tail with an aluminium tube boom, foam sheeted wings and a big plastic pod at the front with a clear canopy. About 2.5m span, probably 1970s-80s.

Does that sound familiar or do I need to drag it out of the loft to get some pictures?

Well, I have just made some carbon wing joiners for the Silhouette, so I might have been able to throw it together and take some pics........

but..............

the heavens have just opened with copious thunder and my garden (on a slope near the top of a hill) is now able to host the boat race!!

(Just as two grandsons will arrive wanting to play football...it'll be water polo then..................  )

Maybe we need a new section dedicated to retro & vintage gliders. 

Joking aside, maybe it COULD at least be "stickied?" Mr Moderator   Please??

Joking aside, maybe it COULD at least be "stickied?" Mr Moderator   Please??

Maybe, but even if it is, could you find it???

- anyone still flying a Mijet?

Phil.

Got a Midjet modified from the original freeby plan - it's now electric but also slopes well enough without p***r.


P.S. with all the whinging & bickering about different sections & names for each in mind, I was only joking about a separate vintage section.

Silhouette current state pics back in my thread here:-

http://www.rcmf.co.uk/4um/index.php/topic,83595.msg962768.html#msg962768

A flyer in his 20s was looking at my 2006 McMeekin Falcon and said to me "I really like the retro shape of that one."  It looks really modern to me!  So I guess retro is in the age of the beholder.

Mark my words it'll end in tears. New gliders shaped like old ones with a subtle twist and relic finished like expensive guitars so it looks like Keith Richards has been throwing it off a hill for 30 years.

TBH I'm looking at my little Huma and thinking that  it wont look that different to a SAS Aggressor. Which is good, because that is what I think of as a cool retro plane.

My SAS Apache complete with "retro 80s colour scheme"

Sorry, it was the Apache I was thinking of. (Too early in the day for the brain to work).
Very nice looking plane there.

Very nice looking plane there.

If a bit dear.............................. 

If a bit dear.............................. 

I thought it was a good price with a free Renault Cabriolet thrown in.

Anyway heres me posing at least 30 years ago with a Solitaire (think it was Soaron Sailplanes). My dad made me a new transmitter so I could have flapperons!.

I have had a couple of 'retro' models.

Sonata - goater
Fantasia - goater
Omega - chapman

Unfortunately, (maybe I should say fortunately ), both the goater designs are in the bin.

The omega though I'll post a picture of it shortly.

Currently it's on the bench after I folded the wings while pulling too many G's during aerobatics. It's a lovely looking and flying plane.

As you can see she has been flown and not sat around on the bench. Plenty of crash damage, latest repair when the wings folded. But shes still in the air. 

Retro......does this count
A lovely model to build but doesn't fly that brilliantly.  A Svenson Sunny circa 1990's. Kit bought off eBay and built spring 2011.

Svenson Sunny.mov

Haha, Mine is about 8 yrs old now and as you say they don't do much but I use mine to check the lift on new slopes or when it's so windy I don't want to risk anything else.

My other retro glider, ridge runt.

Cheers, Jon

As you can see she has been flown and not sat around on the bench. Plenty of crash damage, latest repair when the wings folded. But shes still in the air. 

(Attachment Link)

(Attachment Link)

I remember the Omega well, I think it appeared in the RM sometime around 1973/4. The reason It sticks in my memory is that I designed a model very similar in size, same E374 aerofoil (I think) & general layout to take to the Isle of Man in 1973 for the annual soaring week there. Sadly I crashed & wrote my model off the week before going so had to take an older design in it's place. When the Omega was published later that year I was tempted to get the plan but by then I had built a new slightly smaller OD with symmetrical section that went quite well. 

I remember the Omega well, I think it appeared in the RM sometime around 1973/4. The reason It sticks in my memory is that I designed a model very similar in size, same E374 aerofoil (I think) & general layout to take to the Isle of Man in 1973 for the annual soaring week there. Sadly I crashed & wrote my model off the week before going so had to take an older design in it's place. When the Omega was published later that year I was tempted to get the plan but by then I had built a new slightly smaller OD with symmetrical section that went quite well.

Ok it's an old model design. But it cope well in lighter light, holds inertia well round the bends, is fully aerobatic, and most importantly looks very good in the air.

Those low wings with taper, elegant tail and sleek fuse have very enduring lines. If it wasn't my favourite it would in the bun with the goater designs.

I have to admit I actually like a lot of these slopers from yesteryear and have quite a collection. Attached image is my John Hancock Jubilee going over the edge at Watership Down. Other image was taken by Mike Shellim at Ivinghoe.  Doesn't do anything inverted very well but is nice to tootle about and is far better than an EasyGlider.
Also have a Radio Sailplanes Scirocco, MPX Fiesta and an Impala (soon to be on 2.4 GHz Bang-bang with kick up/down elevator)

Ok it's an old model design. But it cope well in lighter light, holds inertia well round the bends, is fully aerobatic, and most importantly looks very good in the air.

Those low wings with taper, elegant tail and sleek fuse have very enduring lines. If it wasn't my favourite it would in the bun with the goater designs.

I wasn't disagreeing. In fact I have a feeling that it's a better all-rounder than a Phase 6 especially if it had a pair of aileron servos instead of the arrangement that was normal when it came on the scene. 

I wasn't disagreeing. In fact I have a feeling that it's a better all-rounder than a Phase 6 especially if it had a pair of aileron servos instead of the arrangement that was normal when it came on the scene. 

Ive not flown a P6. But ive flown an advanced middle phase. I was very unimpressed.

Ok its not as slick as modern stuff, but in a good blow and good slope for fun factor its up there with the best of them.

And its certainly more satisfying when you say 'yes its 25 years old, i built it from scratch and its still flying patches and all'...

Roger, good to see you Apache as I am just about finished in the building of my 6th model of the Apache!! A mk 2 with the glass fuselage and a standard build apart from the fin which has a triangle balsa base both sides (a weak spot without in high winds) and 2 aileron servos. Alan Head certainly had a great fun design with these models for sure and still wonder if anyone is still making the kits?

This is my Ninja from back in the day. You have to dress appropriately to fly it, so I always dig out my wig, shades, fake moustache and "stubbies".

Sig Ninja ridge soaring glider

DB Rookie 84 filmed this week.  Plans still available from DB Models but this bird was born some years ago.

DB Rookie 84.mov

 

Todays instalment  of Retro is my 3m span Cliff Charlesworth Senior. I bought this a couple of years ago and repaired/recovered it. So far I have only aerotowed it but hope to slope it next time the wind gods favour Watership Down.

I have today been given the Fuselage (fibreglass) and wings (foam veneer) for a Firecrest 65. No rudder or tailplane (all flying), not that that is much of an issue. Has a vac form clear canopy and a vac form cockpit with pilot (with no head!!)

I know it's called this only because the yellowed but complete instructions with pic but no other origin information say so!!

Google is having a bad hair day..................so, more info on it please!!

Here's my 'homebrew' Diablo with lengthened fuse and few other strengthening mods. Also has 2 wing servos for ailerons.

From 1974. But Recently built from a hobbystore plan.

Anybody remember the Veron Vertex (i think) done in 2 sizes one would of been about 86inch and the other somewhat smaller. A aerobatic glider with glass fus and built up wings. Looked a bit like a Kamco Kittehawk

Anybody remember the Veron Vertex (i think) done in 2 sizes one would of been about 86inch and the other somewhat smaller. A aerobatic glider with glass fus and built up wings. Looked a bit like a Kamco Kittehawk

I remember them, never had one, they come up on Ebay every now and then and fetch fairly good money. Now if only I could get an untouched kit of a Robbe Verso

Thanks Johnny will have to keep my eye open for one, Terry Gain from Avonaire in Bristol gave me one many years ago which he won some aerobatic comps with at West Mendip. Somehow over the years its disappeared but I always get confused between a Vortex and a Vertex.

I think you may be confusing two completely different gliders with similar names.

The Veron Vortex was a 100" r/e thermal designed to the old 100s comp rules. IIRC the fg fuselage came in two parts that had to be joined.

The Vertex was a sloper made by a different company (cottage industry ?), had a slimmer single piece fuselage & I think was produced before the Vortex but probably because it wasn't a mainstream product it was never as popular. I can't remember seeing an option of wing sizes. 

This was definatly a one piece aerobatic, so its not made by Veron, thanks for the help Patmac will find one someday

Absolutely perfect day up at Callow, 20mph smack on the west slope, beautiful sunshine, can't believe there was no-one there for most of the afternoon!   Just took the Fox and Impala as I found last week that throughout the ancient Phase 6 airframe all the glue has decided not to and its literally falling apart!
Let Andy Shaw have a fly on Reeds, he'd never seen a reed set let alone flown one!
Veron Impala on reeds, thats retro that is     
Phil

About time your Moonbeam S/C project took flight I think.........