Phil Claridge Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 worst plane i ever had was a wayfarer cant remember the kit maker,had it built by a good modeller and test flown by pilot with 40 years experiance first flight he fought to keep it up. second flight after many adjustments not much better third flight he managed to land on a barbed wire fence. the ali undercart saved the plane from to much damage ,his advice was SELL IT i gave it away to a nipper at our local bootsale to hang on his bedroom wall.4years later a clubmate asked if i wanted an old bipe he had in his garage lo and behold there she was i then gave it to my older brother he liked to repair basket cases but not fly them she resided in his loft workshop for another 4years under going much restoration,but sadly my brother died suddenly and i had to clear out all his models so the wayfarer died on bonfire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slopetrashuk Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 The Wayfarer was a Svenson kit......Oh Dear - Getting old here... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Towell Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 OK so its starting to go onto slope stuff not that i have a problem with them but worst model ever has to be the Ripmax xclaim.What an absolute pig to make and took so much tweeking to fly ok it just was'nt worth it. I've built spad's (those plastic drain pipe things) with more succsess and fun as well as a lot chaeper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slopetrashuk Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 You must have seen my review! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grant Darnley Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 I had a cheap ARTF Giles, think it was a company called phoenix, and the first thing that struck me was that the wings were 10" longer than advertised. At that point I should have left it, but I wanted a plane so parted with the £110 and left. Well, the wood was that cheap "balsa but not balsa" stuff, the covering was sticky backed plastic, and the fibreglass parts were so thin you could read through them. Eventually got it to the field, and it wouldn't take off. Just wouldnt leave the ground. Tried every trick in the book and even threw it, but it just sank straight back to the ground at a high rate of descent. On the scales at home, we found out why, a 62" span aircraft that weighed over 5lbs EMPTY!!!! Stuck a 61 in it, and it just got airborne, but the ailerons were so twitchy that it was stalling and flicking everywhere, swapped it for a VMAR Extra 300, and to say that that was an improvement should surely say how truly awful it was Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Young Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 Just because a model is expensive doesn't mean it's good. I bought a Mick Reeves 1/6 scale Hurricane kit, which together with his retracts and oleo legs came to over £300. As the kit has been around for 15 years or so, you would have thought it was tried and tested, particularly considering Mick's reputation on the modelling scene.In fact it was more like a pre production kit, there were so many faults it's unbelievable. I had to replace most of the plastic parts, and those I did use were faulty. It is advertised as being suitable for a .60 2 stroke, but even with the power and weight of a 1.20 4 stroke up front, I had to add 2 lb of lead to balance it and it just about flies. I believe Mick has it made by someone else, but you'd think that as it bears his name he would at least check that all was well - apparently not. I have written to Mick and told him of the problems, but no reply. I would have been better off building from a plan, it would probably have been quicker and certainly cheaper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flanker . Posted January 20, 2008 Author Share Posted January 20, 2008 Nice to see you back online Andy. Sent you a few e mails latlely but no reply, you havn't spam blocked me have you? F Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slopetrashuk Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 No Knowingly. Wassup? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Cotsford Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 Cotswold Models produced some slopers in the late 70s, I've still got one hidden away in a cupboard. About 6' span, heavy, heavy glass fuselage, foam veneer wings and an all sheet tail, but the rudder just buts onto the top of the tailplane, which in turn is epoxied to a 3/4 wide seat moulded on top of the fuselage. Wings retained by rubber bands on top of a 2" wide oval cut out in the fuselage.The only reason I've still got it is that it's as near indestructible as you can get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flanker . Posted January 22, 2008 Author Share Posted January 22, 2008 Andy, nothing important. I had sent a piccy of my new Alula (well chuffed with the scheme!)I 'spect you were too busy pushing atoms around or being a journalist or flying one of your many sleds or trying to get the cat out of the intake of your new turbine to reply. I just don't want to fire e mails into the void AND I don't like to pester - silly voice - "did you get my last e mail, about my last e mail about..."'Ny way lets have some more NASTY models, this is fun! Did you ever have a mick reeves Heron glider? There was kit quality for you...... NOT! Tee Hee F Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slopetrashuk Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 Ooo. Thought of another from my dim and distant past - Complete-A-Pac Vulcan!What a pig! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flanker . Posted January 22, 2008 Author Share Posted January 22, 2008 Never had one. Bad fly or build or both. So I'll send a test mail ? F Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan B Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 My first model aeroplane back in the late 60's a RTF soft plastic out the box Keilcraft control line - Hurricane - It had a Mc Coy .049 glow engine in it - it flew like a brick with a prop on the front. It performed better if you just swung it around your head like a demented Hammer Thrower! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Martin 2 Posted January 23, 2008 Share Posted January 23, 2008 Howard....Pilot QB20H mkll....surely not...!!...I still fly mine regularily and it's a real pussycat. A tough little trainer made from ply but flies itself I thought...My worst experience was my first attempt at building/covering a model. The Bowmans Sunduster 049 powered 72" glider flies really well apparently, but as a boy, I painstakingly built mine then covered it in tissue and used dope for the first time...When I got up the next morning, the whole covering had shrunk sooo much it had crushed the wings to u/s and twisted up all the body! Sickener. I suppose I should have thinned down the dope and added quite a few coats instead..?I still have the plans and may have another go, it has an undercambered wing so the jurys still out on what would be best as an alternative to tissue and dope. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flanker . Posted January 23, 2008 Author Share Posted January 23, 2008 If you can't get an Alula to fly then you have real problems. READ and Follow the instructions or seek professional help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slopetrashuk Posted January 23, 2008 Share Posted January 23, 2008 I think Ivor is having a laugh! I'd put the Alula right at the top of the 'Best Plane' list. If his claim is genuine and he really couldn;t get an Alula to fly it's time to take up another hobby!Perhaps 'Muck Raking'!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flanker . Posted January 23, 2008 Author Share Posted January 23, 2008 Too True Laddie! lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Former Member Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 [This posting has been removed] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slopetrashuk Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 Skyways did do a Concorde but it was originally sold under the name of a different manufacturer..........Can't for the life of me remember it now and I know it's gonna bug me for a long time trying to remember!Sure it was Aeronautique or something like that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Former Member Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 [This posting has been removed] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Howard Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 Skyways were originally Unique Models - they designed the Hawk 70 etc. One of their really pretty early kits (plan pack/foam wings to be precise) was the Trophy Sportster, which came in 2 sizes & looked like a Schneider Trophy racer without the floats.The rights to Skyways were bought some time ago by Masons Models in Spalding. The last I heard they were having some sort of production problems, but were planning to reintroduce the Skyways kits soon. Anybody got any news of this?The only question is, which one - Hawk 70, Chipahawk, Yak 18, Mew Gull?. They were all good.So many planes, so little time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slopetrashuk Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 Aeronautique - Unique. Knew it was something like that. Good news that Skyways kits are coming out again. Can't think of any bad ones amongst them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bionic Posted January 27, 2008 Share Posted January 27, 2008 Worst plane ever ? 1980 Waterhouse and Ely Super Fly . fibreglass brick !! It almost halted my first Radio control flying before I got started. Fitted an OS Max 40, which made it fly like a breez block. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dead-stick Posted January 27, 2008 Share Posted January 27, 2008 Quote: [Howard....Pilot QB20H mkll....surely not...!!...I still fly mine regularily and it's a real pussycat. A tough little trainer made from ply but flies itself I thought...]Agreed, the QB20H was indeed a great trainer, in it's day, but things have moved on a bit since the eighties!As for the Sunduster, my father and I built one each and tissued both and had no problems. It is a plane that is ideal for calm, warm summer evenings, although it would probably benefit from a small brushless motor upgrade as the noise of an unsilenced .049 travells far! As for an alternative covering, I would have thought that Lite Span would have been the ideal solution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo565 Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 Bowman Spatman,fully areobatic as soon as it left the ground without any stick input,A horrible little model Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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