Is there much interest in vintage here?

[Tim Tim]

I'm asking as I would really like to do some quality modelling on my free flight balsa aircraft.

I built quite a few planes back in the mid 1970s, and have dabbled on and off ever since. Now I am trying again, I would like to create something a little better finished.

Is there much support for rubber flight on these forums?

Tim

 

[duncan]

.....over to you Barry I think:sunglasse

 

[john]

.....over to you Barry I think:sunglasse

Yep Barry's your man :plane:

 

[Kiwi]

One of the most active forums for rubber powered models would probably be:

http://www.smallflyingarts.com/index.htm

 

[Tim Tim]

Barry?

 

[john]

Barry?

wonwinglo our resident expert

 

[wonwinglo]

Hello again Tim,yes I started really young with rubber models at the tender age of 5,things progressed as my father built rubber scale models all the time,as I watched him cut out wing ribs and carve beautiful propellers so I used to copy him,my pocket money was spent on those balsa packs and everything was used,usually I had kits for birthdays and Christmas presents,some that come to mind are the Skyleader Hawker Tempest,Keil Kraft Fairey Gannet,Spitfire,Hurricane etc with assistance from dad they were made to fly reasonably well,as you know the secret is in the trimming,getting the thrust line adjusted is paramount with free flight models of any type whether scale or semi-scale,the art of rigging such models is only learned by experience you can give a guide but that tiny piece of nose packing to stop a power stall is learned the hard way by practise !

I think that we have a good cross section of modelling subjects here for everyone from the smallest rubber job to quarter scale monsters,feel free to add anything whether a question or your own contribution,I will get back with some links to my own models so that you can see the type of thing that I build myself,we all need inspiration and these is quite a bit out there relating to this type of modelling,some magnificent work in fact.

 

[wonwinglo]

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/barry.clay1/

Plenty of small scale models here,check the various pages,some constructional pictures taken during build.

 

[wonwinglo]

http://www.wonwinglo.scale-models.net/

And here,lots of tips and pictures.

 

[wonwinglo]

http://cloudancer100.tripod.com/

First site now spoiled by silly ads,but there is quite a bit on there about small scale models,if you can zap the ads which in some cases obliterate the pages,sorry about this inconvenience.

 

[duncan]

I dont know if you know of the UK branch of SAM (Society of Antique Models) ? It can be found on www.cavegrove.freeserve.co.uk/sam All vintage,ie pre1951, some links,comps, etc. Good starting point. ALL balsa ! (John: That was the free-flight supplier I meant, thanks)

 

[Tim Tim]

Well, what can I say?

That's a great response, and many thanks for the links.

For what it's worth, and, please, understand I am as much a novice as I was when I was 12 or 13, and that's 30 years ago (gulp), here's my memory of balsa free flight.

I remember, clearly now, building up a rectangular fuselage and installing a rubber motor. I can't remember the model, other than it was probably a Keil Kraft. I may have built three or four of this kind. I had some good success with flight times, and even loop the loop in a corn field, or rather the stubble at the end of the harvest, 1975 or 1976.

I then went on to build a Zero, and it was the heaviset chunk of aeroplane to ever try to fly. And fly it did NOT! I remember it had a cardboard tube in the middle for the rubber band! It burnt nicely, when I was allowed matches, and I think I always used lots of dope. Smelled of banana as I recall! Not a great success, but looked pretty.

I never got as far as r/c. We never had the money for that. But I have never forgotten the pleasure of crafting your own 'plane. I have found more planes I would like to model. I love the JU52, and have some plans I bought from I don't know where, a few years ago, but don't really know where to start with it. I don't just want to throw money at a project, as I know as much pleasure can come from finding scraps and bits and pieces, and putting them together. I'm not the sort of person to chuck money at something then forget about it.

I also think that I enjoy building the planes more than flying them. Maybe it's just that I spent more time building them anyway? I'm waffling now.

I hope to learn techniques from this site, and produce some really high quality work. I know I need to know where to buy material, like the dopes etc., but I'm afraid my local model shop in town is not in a very nice area, and the service is a bit poor, so I don't really want to go there.

So I don't mind buying over the internet, and I don't mind trawling through forums for the information I know I need. One thing I have is patience. So here I might have found a really good source. You never know, I might have somethng to add!

Thanks

Tim

 

[Kiwi]

While you are at Tim, have a look at:

http://www.thestuarts.freeserve.co.uk/index.htm

That should give you heaps if inspiration

Nev

 

[duncan]

Dammit Kiwi, I was looking for that all evening ! Glad you found it.:welldone:......Tim, allthough aeromodelling is very much slanted to ready-made stuff these days, find out from you local model shop(s) where the flying clubs are in your district. The older modellers will have gone through the stages and I`m sure advise you. Dont be scared of the "new balsa", Depron. Cheap, or free, for experiments, Balsa is getting expensive. Al`s Hobbies have just opened a branch in Bristol I think, good meeting place perhaps .

 

[Tim Tim]

While you are at Tim, have a look at:http://www.thestuarts.freeserve.co.uk/index.htm

That should give you heaps if inspiration

Nev

Thanks Kiwi, funnily enough I have come across the stuarts before now, and yes, it's a very inspirational site.

 

[Tim Tim]

I dont know if you know of the UK branch of SAM (Society of Antique Models) ? It can be found on www.cavegrove.freeserve.co.uk/sam All vintage' date='ie pre1951, some links,comps, etc. Good starting point. ALL balsa ! (John: That was the free-flight supplier I meant, thanks)[/quote']Hmm, link was dead when I tried it. Is it usually up?

 

[duncan]

I got it tonight (tues.nov 16) via Google. Just try sam1066 no http or www

 

[Tim Tim]

Hmm, seemed to get someone's cv!

Still, it's a starting point.

 

[duncan]

I got it OK again by typing into Google sam 1066 You could also try s.a.m. 1066 Note the gap between sam and 1066.

 

[wonwinglo]

Tim,you can get all of the dopes,tissue,strip wood etc from a chap called SAMS Models,he is easy to find on Google,he operates from an old chapel,very helpful chap with tons of stock for small scale model building,have to say that most model shops these days are orientated towards ARFTF models and materials are vanishing from the shelves in the high street shops as they cannot be bothered,it is now getting to be a specialised line,if you can get to Old Warden for the scale day ( well worth a visit by the way ) SAMS has a stall,you can get all the bits that you want without the hassle of postage etc there are also plenty of wood suppliers turn up with excellent balsa,but as Duncan says experiment with modern materials like Depren,it is so light and can be easily painted lightly with artists acrylic paint,Depren models fly well because it is so light and above all virtually crash proof,not trying to sway you but just give more fun ideas to build cheap successful models.

I built that Zero with the motor tube,the tube weighed more than the entire framework put together giving a somewhat high wing loading to say the least !

Just build as light as you can,build them straight without any nasty warps,get the centre of gravity in the right place and anything will fly if trimmed out,I built that Dixon circular wing thing they used in the Magnificent Men film,it was a free plan in the old Aeromodeller ( sadly missed ) what fun that was to trim out properly.

Anyway hope we have given you food for thought.