STOL Mk2/3

[Braddock, VC]

Just to keep my building well practiced I decided to dust off the stol mk 2 plan I had salted away, can I find it - no. So yesterday I ordered a replacement which arrived today pretty quick service Eh?

I have a rake of balsa and ply plus plenty of covering and wire and wheels but I also have several engines and I can't make up my mind which one to fit, they range from an irvine 20 diesel which I fitted with the glow head that came with it, an HGK 21 glow, an OS 20 FP, OS 25 FP, choice of a new or used OS 26 FS and an Irvine 36.

I suspect I'll fit one of the OS as all three fit the same mount and I can swap them over if needs be. But I love the HGK, the first modern engine I bought it in 1980, the irvine 20 is a bit on the noisy side (both the OS 2 strokes have the super silencer and are still new in their boxes). The Irvine 36 is probably far too powerful and what can I say about the 26 4 stroke that hasn't been said.

While I struggle with this choice I've made a start on cutting out the kit of parts I'll need and listing all the stripwood I'll need.

Rather than start a build thread and then let it peter out due to moral inertia, I'll take pics along the way and put it all together as one or two posts, with a target date of completion by the New Year.

Edited By John Gibbs on 19/09/2012 17:59:53

[SDF]

Watching with interest. A STOL is on my to do list but probably the MK1.

[Braddock, VC]

Well, Ive made up my mind about the engine, I'd forgotten I'd a used os 20 fp stashed away, found it when digging out the servos, of which it'll need 7, 2 per wing instead of 16 swg pushrods for the flaps and ailerons.

The use of a plain bearing engine will allow me to abuse it by not flushing with after-run oil etc. and should have adequate power when compared to the prototype's os 19.

I also dug out several packs of litespan and air(?)span that I bought donkeys' years ago.

Having commented on the speedy service of the posting out of the plan, I think I'm entitled to comment on the quality of the reproduction. In a word rubbish, defo not worth £17.50. C'mon my hobby store this is the 21st century. I've seen rubbish dyeline prints with superior quality reproduction.

Having ejected that vitriol, I'm gradually filling the box with the necessary, aliphatic glue, ca, epoxy, nuts, bolts, hinges, engine and servo mounts, pushrods, clevises and horns and prop and spinner.

The fuselage is constructed from 3/16" square hard balsa which I'll have to acquire plus a bottle of balsaloc, apart from that I've got the makings of it.

All I need now is to round up the scalpel blades, handles, razor saw and cutting mat and get cutting.

I'm looking forward to this, a model that looks like a model and not something from X box. But, each to his own.

Edited By John Gibbs on 19/09/2012 20:59:13

[Glenn Stratton]

Hi Braddock, VC,, how has/did this build go?

[Braddock, VC]

I got as far as cutting out the ribs, formers and sorting out the sheet etc then we started building an extension on the house and they were put in a box and submerged beneath a mountain of stuff and forgotten.

I found the original plan that I ordered back in the year dot (it's much better quality than I remember the newer one to be) but I've started other things now, got a wot4 two thirds the way through the build, a 1/5 scale sig cub that I'm looking forward to build and managed to get a hold of a flair astrohog kit that is just about my favourite all time plane to fly (after a lazy bee) so once those get done and I decorate all the new plaster I'll crack on with the stol. I also have a flair fokker d7 to build but since my garage was demolished to make way for the extension I don't have a lot of space to store my ever expanding fleet.

I know excuses, excuses but that's my story and I'm sticking to it, next years' excuse is going to be the new shed I have to buy and put up but in between I've had some heart problems so I'm doing those things that I really want. The real truth is I forgot all about it with all that's been happening and only remembered last week when I found the old plan, trouble is I can't remember where I put all the bits .

[Glenn Stratton]

Hi Braddock VC. Typical about the plan! Just came back into the hobby myself . My mum in law died 2yrs ago, new extension last yr,I've a bad back, kidney cancer this yr, and model shed is still flat packed on the back lawn! So can sympathize with your status. In my loft sits a CG Chipmunk and artf Seagull Spacewalker ll to build, Flair Cub & Volture to refurb. Plus got to get to grips with an Aurora 9, bit different to my old Fleet gear!! It's a shame that the old Flair company sold out, back when I was flying I had my eye on 1or2 that have been discontinued now. One day you may see a build blog of mine if and when I get round to doing the Stoll. Hope your recovered or are recovering well and one day you'll find the Stoll parts and get done what you want!

[Braddock, VC]

Most of my stuff is in my caravan in the garden it was neatly packed in there but the storm a few weeks back almost blew the van over and all the planes I had on the beds and sink etc are now packed in the central aisle. I can't be bothered to get them out tbh.

Sorry to hear of your misfortunes, I had cancer nearly 11 years ago so it's beatable. Still get paranoid around blood test time though.

Join the bad back club, it's an age thing. As I said to my gp, this aging process will be the death of me.

Get stuck into your build do it a bit at a time and it'll soon come together. My trouble is space, after years of buying and making large vintage jobs I've run out of storage space but I can't bring myself to sell them on so I've a loft full of vintage stuff all 5 to 8 foot wingspan, a caravan ful of chris foss stuff and carl goldberg planes and 3 kits on the go now

My big problem with my shed is my wife, she doesn't want the shed in our rear garden as we get the afternoon sun there, I'm not sure if the local council will let me put one up against the street though.

[John Keywood]

Hi all, I have a Stol Mk1 near to completion, just waiting to cover it. I also have a Mk11 plan and just need to build the Mk11 wing as it fits the Mk1 body, I did find that some of the parts drawn on the original plan from the 70s are not the correct size and this is still reproduced in the Mk11 plan, and in the CNC kit from My Hobbystore. I did complain but they had promised to get back to me, but after several calls and messages to them they have ignored me.

If you can get past the mistakes in the plan, and the kit, it is a great build and I can't wait to fly it at our club strip. My Stol is converted to electric.

Best wishes to anyone who decides to build the Stol Mk1 and 11.

[Glenn Stratton]

Hi John, shame about the bad customer service from MHS. Not sure which forum I saw it on, but I googled Peter Russell, Stoll mkll, and found a guy who had posted 3 articles from PR's columns, in one of them he mentions an error on the plans, pity they never got rectified! The articles made for interesting reading again, I remember his column but had forgotten his words of wisdom. I'm planning to electrify mine when I'm able to get it started, what motor/prop setup did you go for? Hope you have a successful maiden when it happens.

[John Keywood]

Hi Glen, I am sure I have overpowered mine but I am using a Tornado thumper C4250 with a 11'' x 5 prop. I can always change it later if I need to.

[PatMc]

Posted by Glenn Stratton on 15/11/2013 21:13:36:

Hi John, shame about the bad customer service from MHS. Not sure which forum I saw it on, but I googled Peter Russell, Stoll mkll, and found a guy who had posted 3 articles from PR's columns, in one of them he mentions an error on the plans, pity they never got rectified! The articles made for interesting reading again, I remember his column but had forgotten his words of wisdom. I'm planning to electrify mine when I'm able to get it started, what motor/prop setup did you go for? Hope you have a successful maiden when it happens.

Glenn, this thread in RCG might be what you're referring to. Lots of info on Peter Russell's Stols and some of his other designs.

[Glenn Stratton]

Thanks PatMc, yes that's the one. He certainly seems well respected still. Read the rest of the thread this time, didn't get past the PR articles last time! Are you the same PatMcc as on that website?

[PatMc]

Yep, that's me.