Who is still flying 'Classic' electric airframes?

[Chris Bott - Moderator]

ooh, mention of the Formosa reminds me that I still have this flying strong.

It's a Ripmax Alliance and it flies superbly on today's technology.

I also have another, BNIB, I must build that sometime.

Edited By Chris Bott - Moderator on 28/07/2014 17:44:55

[adrian lawrence 1]

Hi Chaps,

i have just seen this thread, and whilst it's overall year ago I can answer Busterprops question about Graham Mcallister. He moved to Sheboygan Wisconsin several years ago, and the last time I corresponded with him he was designing model boats. I managed to get a Skybug plan from him, but never managed to get one for the Ironic.

cheers Adrian

Edited By adrian lawrence 1 on 28/07/2014 18:13:25

[stuey]

Nice to see the thread still going. I have converted my old Kyosho F-16 to brushless now with a minifan and HET 2W20 on 4s. Will have more than double the power it ever had! I am also looking to get a Bearcat from slec when they bring it back out again.

[Steve Colman]

If a Graupner TerryS is good enough for Mr. Ashby then it's good enough for me to add. I also still occasionally fly a Graupner Elektro Uhu when conditions are suitable as a relaxing antidote to more complex models.

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

I acquired a very old Guist Elos F5b "motor glider" from a clubmate who was selling up recently which was formerly owned and campaigned by another one.

I'm reliably informed that it originally used a brushed motor and no less than 27 sub C 1000mAh nicads somehow shoehorned into a very compact fuselage. The original owner has dated it back to 1990 so this was a very early example of an "adequately" powered electric model when most were working pretty hard just to stay airborne - original power was just over a kilowatt which is close to my modern 4s LiPo/brushless set-up nut but at a fraction of the weight...

It's been performing very well in its new role as a "pure" self-launching thermal soarer (although of course, this is a part of F5b competition flying once the pylon racing phase is done) over the past few weeks.

Best fiver I've ever spent!

[Daithi O Buitigh]

This has to be THE classic leccy model (it's the very first with Colonel Taplin years and years ago. Any chance that anyone would have (or could obtain) a set of plans?

[Andrew Russell 2]

This has to count as classic I Haven't a clue what it is but i know its 18+ years old

[leccyflyer]

The Minature Aicraft Factory Searching 400, designed by Peter Kent, was one of my first electric models back in the 1990's and started life with a 6-cell pack of AR500s, and IIRC with a 7.2v sp400 motor - she was a favourite model for years, quickly gaining an extra cell and a 6v sp 400 for a bit more power, and a Robbe 6x4.5 folding prop to replace the original Graupner 6x3. That model was the Searching 400 prototype and was unfortunately to lose a contest with the ground many years later.

However courtesy of eBay I managed to get hold of another Peter Kent constructed Searching 400, just this past year - the original Robe, on-off flight switch and sp400 motor was retired and a small Keda brushless inrunner was emplaced, together with a 2s1p 1800mah lipo to take the place of the AR500s. She will fly for ages on this set up and has an excess of silent power available. It was lovely to put the Searching into a dramatic summer sky yesterday afternoon. There's a lot of life left in these classic airframes -alongside all the newer stuff.

[David Davis]

Posted by Daithi O Buitigh on 29/07/2014 01:03:14:

This has to be THE classic leccy model (it's the very first with Colonel Taplin years and years ago. Any chance that anyone would have (or could obtain) a set of plans?

I believe that the model was a modified Radio Queen.

[Phil Claridge]

i still fly a mk1 twin star with 400 brushed motors and gunther props, covered with brown paper and sprayed with grey primer, which has made the wing a lot stiffer. it belonged to my brother who has sadly passed on. i am also modifieing a multiplex cargo to run 4 brushless motors with 7by4 3 bladed props

regards phil

[MaxG]

I drag my Multiplex Twinjet out occasionally. If that counts.

[Martyn K]

I am still flying my Ohm Maiden that I built from RM473 plan (MyHobbyStore) about 4 years ago. Originally designed for a Speed 400, I fitted a small brushless and run it off a 2S LiPo with a 10x8 folding prop.

Its great - a nice relaxing fly on those balmy calm evenings that we so rarely get

Does that count as a classic? - I could never work out just when the plan was published.

Martyn

[Andy Butler]

I had a great day out with my Balsa Cabin Rhapsody on Sunday - designed for a geared 600 and 7/8 cells. Has a small brushless motor and a 3s Lipo and fly's really well.

[John E ( Puffin Models )]

I guess my Gordon Whitehead Interceptor (scaled up 4 x Frog Interceptor) counts as a classic electric model. Gordon originally used a 500 can with Olympus drive, and 6 x SubC NiCd. Mine started life with 7 x SubC and a 21 turn buggy motor, became the first AXi demo model, and now sits with a MP Jet outrunner and 3S 3250 that fit within the space of the original battery packs.

My DB Sport and Scale Moth 40 is now well over 25 years old, and originally was rudder elevator (don't do it with this model) with a Saito 40. It now has ailerons with Mega 22/30/4E (In the original engine mount), and runs on 4S 3250.

The fact is that many original electric designs, properly powered, become excellent models.

[will -0]

I've got a goldberg electra in the hangar that regularly goes soaring. Until recently it had the original brushed motor as supplied with the kit. However it spat the brushes out and I had to replace it with another. Still flies on 7 cell nicad/nimh.

[Allan Bennett]

My candidate is a Kyosho Learjet. It originally came with brushless motors and was designed to run on two 7-cell NiCd packs in parallel. It needed an olympic javelin thrower to get it going, for it didn't have enough power to ROG at our field.

Several years ago I upgraded it to WeMoTec fans and Mega EDF motors, and two 3S 3900mAh LiPos in parallel. The transformation was amazing -- it ROGs off grass without any problem, and flies really nicely. I've also installed Eflite electric retracts in it a couple of years back.