Gee Bee

Ii still have my Tetras and it has served me well since I built it in the early 90's (I got it as an 'old stock' item from a local model shop as it was an obsolete kit back then). The kit fuselage was actually vac-formed ABS, which I was not 'confident' about for flying on our local slopes. I made a 1/16 inch ply box fuselage pod skinned in epoxy & woven glass-cloth which has served my Tetras well. i also fitted a tow hook and have bungee launched it at the club field, where it got some unusual comments relating to its unorthodox looks. I also made the twin fins detachable (I also made them as a built up frame rather than the solid sheet type in the kit). On the local slopes i would regularly fly inverted for extended periods where other flyers dubbed it 'the flying bookshelf'. The Tetras proved quite versatile and would fly in a good range of conditions and was reasonably aerobatic. The light weather performance was not brilliant, but given its general demeanor it did reasonably well if flown carefully. It did however make a good introduction to aileron models for pilots progressing from rudder & elevator models. You could trim it for a slightly nose-up attitude and it could be steered gently on ailerons with little elevator compensation required. I helped a few people to transition to ailerons using the Tetras. My friend Dennis made a smaller 'all built-up' version of the Tetras (36 inch span), which worked quite well, but didn't seem as rock-steady as my Tetras. I was given a second-hand Tetras wing, without fins - but I knew straight away what it was. That is likely to be a future 'project', possibly electric powered, as it is a model I remain fond of. I did electrify my Tetras with a Morley EDF unit, but that was before LI-Po batteries & brushless motors & I soon reverted it back to a slope model. So summing up - if you get chance of buying a kit, or used Tetras, then give it a go. the balance point, lije any flying wing, is critical for best performance, but once dialled in it is a fine flyer.