Nightflyer

Don't worry Tom I am sure you won't notice the aileron servo when flying. The model does look very nice and will be great once finished and flying. I am following this build with great interest.

Ok so latest is that the glider has flown twice - briefly. Motor is more than adequate and even with 2200 LiPo I had to add weight to the nose to get C of G right, but still lighter than design weight by 60 grammes. Both flights were ended premature when a wing spar started to crack right where the centre wing joining dihedral brace ends. After the first flight I replaced the brace with one that extended to the end of the next rib bay and next flight same thing happened. For simplicity am now adding a small carbon spar to strengthen the mainspar.

Model is coming along very nicely indeed Tom good colour scheme too. Nice modern look. It won't be long before its ready for the slope.

Tom, While not as easy to build as some of the modern kits you will get a lovely mode and frankly looking at the pics your building skills appear to be good even as a first effort. All I will say is that the design is really an extension of the rubber and free flight methodologies that most teenage lads and men built in the design's heyday so with careful attention you should be ok. As far as the electric set up is confirmed there are a number of links around either via You Tube or as Andy Green's link. I had a brushed geared Speed 600 power mine easily in its time driving a 13" wooden electric prop. For more specific brushless I cannot help at present as away on holiday. There will be a few others who will also be able to advise. Look forward to seeing the finished model. All I can suggest is try to keep the tail light as possible as the short nose makes balancing to the Centre of Gravity a challenge.

I have had no joy on my android device either and is using 7

Phil Ken has been retired from competitive flying and more into model yachts for some years now. It might be worthwhile contacting the Hastings or Eastbourne MFC's and asking if any of their members might be able to help as he belonged to both clubs for some years. One thing I can say for sure is that the Pacemaker is not based on the Crescent Tornado.

Simon I am not too worried about the weight situation because of the use of brushless motor and LiPo as you rightly say. I might start off with the 2200 pack to see what performance is like. To anyone else contemplating the same model I would say that for safety clearance sake I did remove a very small amount and it is small off the corner of the upper longerons in the vicinity of the motor rotor as it was almost in contact and I suspect could rub with vibration against the longeron otherwise.

I have started this thread as I wondered whether many other people have built this Traplet design from the early 00's (if I remember correctly) at all. So my teenage son who has been learning to fly wanted us to build this 60" electric glider for him as he has likes gliders. The original design used a geared Speed 400 and 7 NiCad or NiMH cells. My son wanted his to be brought up to date. His glider has an Overlander 2822 1200kV Thumper Motor with XP2 20A ESC and using a 3S LiPo pack driving an 8x4.5 folding prop. I am not sure at this time whether to use 1300 or 1500mAh LiPo packs, or to use 2200mAh cells which I have lying around. I suspect that with the weight savings and using 9g servos and 2.4G receiver that even with the higher capacity cells that this will still be lighter than the original design set up. I will post a couple of pics and flight performance when ready and wonder what others might have done and how theirs performed.

The addition of ailerons will really make sloping more enjoyable for you. Love the build pics looks good so far. I think you will find it a lovely model for flying. For me much as it is nice to see these EPP and epoxy glass fuselage jobs that you can get now, I think that glider designs of the 70's into the early 80's using balsa led to some lovely models which you could build ... and repair readily.

Hi I believe Ripmax has just released the Caprice as a laser cut out so that might be a quick and easy route to building a model.

Meant also to say that in its day the Mijet was a great and popular soarer in Sussex. I was impressed in the late 70's seeing this lovely glider off the Long Man of Wilmington on many a Sunday.

Hi Tom Thomas 2, Well as to whether you want to fit sometime or not good question. I thought it was designed as 2 channel. It should slope well as a 2 channel but ailerons would liven the performance but depends what instructions say and don't forget to reduce the dihedral. The two that were used for thermal soaring were 2 channel.

I have not seen one of these kits for years. Are you going to build it for slope or thermal? I have not seen any sloped but of the two I know of both went up off towline nicely. If memory serves me right these were about in the early 80's and the design the late 70's. Couple of guys in my old club built them before they got Sonatas. Design was good in its day to get you into flying.

It was interesting to see Denis' comment about not meeting another aeromodeller through his work. I have to admit that for myself I have one guy working for me who shares the same interest and who joined the club I belong to through me, and I know of one other who used to fly in the same firm. I worked for one company where four of my colleagues also flew and in fact the company had its own model flying club within the sports & social club (and we had a use of company land for flying from, and turned an area of the premises into a model workshop (I miss that luxury), and worked for another firm in my home area who had at least three guys who all belonged to the same flying club. I thin k one other comment that was pertinent was about access to local sites, and there I think is potentially one aspect - especially for attracting younger modellers. When I started flying control line as a boy I had permission to use my school fields, as did my secondary school model flying club. When people see these activities it can spark an interest, and other than public displays at known model shows or venues, those of a more local nature to communities are far more limited. With what Peter Bruce commented about Eastchurch Gap. I think that is very true in many cases, but the positive PR such things can generate can be a significant benefit to clubs and the hobby. I used to be in both the Hastings and also 1066 MFC's some years ago, and dealing with the local authorities could be a challenge. But it is surprising when you start to do things that promote tourism, and attract visitors to the area, etc how barriers can be overcome and the hobby seen as a positive for the community. There will always be the ne'er say wells in society but their voices get less attention when people see good intentions.

I think there are many perfectly valid arguments and individual clubs circumstances can vary too from being oversubscribed to barely being feasible groups. I am in an area where my club in the 90's and early 00's became a victim of its own success in that members were seen at various events and we were able to tutor newcomers that membership grew to a point we had doubled in size and had to restrict membership applications. Roll the clock forward 10 years and it is a core of about 30 or so, which while a few more are welcome - especially juniors, we must consider the future of our hobby/sport. While these we have internet shopping to help our hobby needs there is a danger that the hobby becomes insular and lacks visibility and credibility within the community which then becomes more of an issue when dealing with governance of our sport/hobby at national or local authority level. My son loves the pc gaming world but he has found a whole new level of challenges with undertaking model flying that he does not get on a pc. He is one I hope of the next generation of modellers that will carry model flying onwards through this century for the most part.

I wonder how many on this site like me started out model flying at first on their own but found their interest really take off once they joined a club? I know that both my dad and myself had that. The thing is we all take a lot for granted being in a club. You know all the usual, flying site, tuition if you need it, competitions, access to club tools or equipment, help and advice, etc. The list can go on. The social side can be very important and not just down the patch or the monthly club meeting, but talks, competitions, travel to shows and so on. Yet it strikes me that few clubs seem to advertise their presence either locally to their community or to the wider modelling world even. Why is that? In this time when model shops are fewer and farther between - when they used to be a good source for recruitment. Why do clubs fail to attract members like they used to when there are more opportunities for people to take up model flying and fail and give up without the support and guidance club can provide? If we do not do more we could see numbers and model choice and manufacturers decline.

Lol I used to do that and had a race against nature to get off the beach before the tide got to my car. Mind you not all were successful some years. Loved gliding off Brean Down and Brent Knoll.

Thanks John Yes about the Green feedback. That is good to hear I used to go when it was at Pontins from 78 as a young teenager through to 97 every year. I always enjoyed it and sounds like Unity Farm has grown the event since it started holding it. Noted about the RCMW reports of it. I have to admit that I used to write up an annual report for Model Cars for a few years. A possible suggestion for RCM&E would be to do a follow on article for other model holiday venues or holiday weeks if there are more out there. I for one would be interested to know either in the UK or overseas, and yes I like the new format.

I must say thanks to David and the team I really enjoyed this month's read. Having subscribed to both print and digital. The magazine turned up early (thanks guys and girls) which is always nice (and very good service) and loved the content. Two articles particularly had pertinent comments by the writers. I refer in part to the comment about no one has really experienced or understands flying more than someone who has done slope soaring. And yes having been south east born n bred and learnt my sloping skills on the likes of Long Man of Wilmington, and Firle Beacon etc, thought that the comment really hit it on the head. Coincidentally my 14 year old son started learning to fly this year and he has had immense fun with his Lidl glider conversion and wants to do proper slope soaring. He likes flying my Wot 4 foamie but really has taken a love to flying electric gliders with my Simprop Excel, which leads me onto saying again the comments about introducing some electric glider competition fun can really stimulate the interest in the club especially the hunt for the sometimes elusive thermals! It is always great when a magazine/writer gets it so right and of course it opens people's eyes and minds up to how diverse our hobby/sport can be and how an 'expert' in one form, can lift that knowledge, expertise and interest when they try another. Finally, the article regarding hobby holidays I think was a great addition, especially as it also touched on the Modellers week at Brean, which has got me planning on going to that now if I can. It will be great if there is a write up of that later in the year.

I have not been to Brean since it finished at Pontins but am looking to stay at Unity Farm this year, and wondered how much of the site us modellers take over from the 'rest of the world'. So looking to take Planes, boats and possibly a car. With all that I think I need a removal van or a mobile workshop. How busy do the flying sites get?

Personally, I still use 35MHz with my older models as got several fully equipped and still use my FF8, but have switched to 2.GHz this year with my new models now and going forwards using Spektrum. There are a number of things I do like with the new gear but equally some things I like about the old Futaba (a bit like a comfy pair of old slippers) after many years of good reliable use.

Meant also to say that aside from the usual KK and Veron models that Guillows range also lent themselves to RTP conversion. The B25 and B17 were seen to be the epitome of RTP at the time. I really like the B25 that I have. Of course it was only a matter of time before we could get a Lanc which there is good plan available. A couple of people built flying boats and I did see a Sunderland, and a Catalina a few times at the MEE and Sandown, although the ultimate I think was a Spruce Goose. Only saw it once as it needed long lines and some power too. Oh to have been able to build a B36 or Bristol Brabazon would have been good. Sadly I don't have the luxury of space to fly on 10m lines in my back garden.

Re: Pup Cam's post. Yes the Pitts was possibly my favourite RTP model I have a kit still to build in the workshop. I enjoyed my first one when in my teens with a geared motor for aerobatics. Yes the good old FT36D's the life blood of RTP in the 70's and even today. I loved RTP at Wembley and then for a while later at Earls Court IIRC and also Alexandra Palace for a year or two. I think RTP was the young modeller's friend as models could be easily built i.e. sheet profile models, or built up, and there was scope to be inventive, which is why school clubs and cadet or cubs or scouts groups found it popular. I do think from personal experience with my own children's local cubs and scouts that they can still get hooked on aeromodelling with the likes of gliders and RTP models, as they love something that stimulates them and can be competitive and fun too.

One everlasting memory I have from flying RTP in my parents back garden when I was in my teens was the number of lost props from motors as a result of mid air contact with other models instead of streamers when flying combat or when doing some racing against other family members. My dad was finding lost props for years afterwards in some of the borders, or shrubs or hedges. Even my mum got in on the act of building and also designing models. She came up with a delta that flew quite well - certainly looked good covered in transparent solarfilm.

On the subject of model magazine RTP plans. MAP published a magazine called Model Maker for about a year if I recall correctly about 1979 or 1980. One plan they did was for a RTP Autogyro. I built two of these and they flew beautifully. I just wish I still had the plan to build more.