Forum members' new models: Let's see them.

[Denis Watkins]

Posted by Colin Leighfield on 20/11/2020 10:27:30:

Trevor, I've got a feeling that the Ridge Runt was from another maker, but I could be wrong. I remember the plane.

Am pretty sure I had a Ridge Runt from a kit

A Precident Kit? of T180 fame.

[Gary Binnie]

The Ridge Runt was HobbyShack, an American company, the Ripmax Coyote might have been a copy, it's very similar.

The Solent Sailplanes range in 1980 was:

• Ridge Recruit - 76" span rudder/elevator trainer.
• Mini-Racer - 60" span three-channel aileron trainer
• Ridge Racer - 72" span - pylon racer/multi-task
• Trendsetter - 62" span - low wing pylon race/aerobatic
• Ridge Rider - 86" span with extendable tip panels to 124" for cross-country events
• Ridge Rover - 104" or 151" span - Slope or flat-field
• Royalist-Special - 86" or 124" span with twist wing roll control
• Royalist - Span not given but described as a 'king size thermal model'

A mere 40 years ago!!

[Colin Leighfield]

Gary is spot on, the tamer version I was thinking of was the Ridge Recruit, not “Runner”. I know the Solent Sailplanes planes were highly thought of and it was sad that they disappeared.

[Gary Binnie]

The company (Solent Sailplanes) was founded in 1975 by a chap called Tony Baker, I rescued a catalogue in a house clearance, it runs to 136 pages, packed full of glider kits and high quality accessories, many imported from Germany (Multiplex etc).

There are 'A4' loose flyers in the catalogue from 'Solent Models Limited' with a different Southampton address. They're advertising RC car, IC engines and a radio system (Microprop Variomodul Pilot). Presumably the same company?

Also loose is a 'Viking Electronic and Model Systems' price list, Milton Keynes based. Many glider kits listed and quite a few RCM&E electronic kits (transmitters/receivers/PCBs etc.)

I've not owned a Solent Sailplanes model, becoming quite rare now, the 'F3B Sitar Special' is very sought after.

[Gary Binnie]

The Coyote is still kitted by SLEC.

There is a link between Ripmax/Balsacraft and SLEC but I can't remember exactly what it is!

It is very similar, if not the same as a Ridge Runt.

Would have to build one of each to find out.

[J D 8]

My Ripmax Coyote.  Not new but still looking good.

Edited By J D 8 on 20/11/2020 14:45:48

[Doctor Chinnery]

Gary, Tony Baker was also a professional photographer, hence the occasional Solent Sailplane pictures turning up in our comics those days were often enhanced by the presence of one of his non-flying models ( not usually overburdened with clothing suitable for the flying field! ). Also I think Tony was one of the first to introduce the concept of HotLiner/WarmLiner to to the UK model flying community.

As Hon.Sec. of the Severn Spinners at the end of the 70s I got Tony Baker to come up and do one of his talks/presentations at a club evening - I can't remember how many planes he brought, but we nearly ran out of table space, and he gave us a brilliant evening. Unfortunately the Spinners in those days were almost exclusively flat field I/C flyers and Tony, as far as I know, didn't get a single solitary sale out of his Winter evening return trip to the West Midlands, but he managed to conceal any disappointment and save me from serious embarrassment - definitely one of the Good Guys.

Edited By Doctor Chinnery on 20/11/2020 14:48:04

[Jeffrey Cottrell 2]

Hi all

Neil, of cgulltech fame is currently offering a short kit for the Ridge Runt, here.

I have one, quality is up to Neils usual high standard. Not sure when I'll get around to building it, but for £21.50, well worth adding to the schedule.

Cheers

Jeff

[Piers Bowlan]

You will need a plan from Outerzone too, here, it looks pretty simple.

[Karl-Georg Krafft]

Here my two flying wngs: the smaller one - built and flown this summer - is a " Willow" ( 1,1 m span) and the other and newer one is a " Hai 1 Evo" (1,5m span). Both were built from plans that came with FMT magazines and which are still available at VTH Shop.

[Karl-Georg Krafft]

Here my two flying wngs: the smaller one - built and flown this summer - is a " Willow" ( 1,1 m span) and the other and newer one is a " Hai 1 Evo" (1,5m span). Both were built from plans that came with FMT magazines and which are still available at VTH Shop.

[Jeffrey Cottrell 2]

Posted by Piers Bowlan on 20/11/2020 16:58:18:

You will need a plan from Outerzone too, here, it looks pretty simple.

Hi Piers

Thanks for the thought, but I already have that.

Downloaded from Outerzone in tile format, then a happy half hour with sellotape and scissors.

I have the short kit, so I'll need to check what I need in the way of stripwood. I bought a stock when it seemed that balsa might be in short supply, so should be ok.

Also, not a fan of slope soaring, so might get a motor up the sharp end, much like J D 8's Coyote.

Still at the planning stage so far.

Jeff

[Capt Kremen]

Having enjoyed the foamie 'Max Thrust Riot' for the last 8 years, I had traced these well-worn parts intending to build a Balsa/Ply version. Then, as if reading my mind, along came such a ARTF kit version. Available in several colour scheme variations plus a bare airframe version, there's the usual amount of fettling and assembly to be done. This version requires all components to be added. A 800Kv motor, ESC, 4 servo & 4S LiPo. (The foam version comes equipped with a motor, prop and ESC for 3S). I chose not to apply the supplied decals, instead opting for my own Orafilm colour scheme trim onto the base white as it comes 'out-of-the-box'. All I need now is the field to open and good weather to test fly.

[Peter Miller]

Finished apart from painting the struts, my new Team Minimax ultralight so I nipped out in the raod in a brief moment of sunshine

52" span, Weight 3 lbs 5 ounces. Electric power.

[Jon Laughton]

Cracking colour scheme Peter and well executed!

[Tim Ballinger]

I see you got your stars sorted in the end. Works well

Tim

[Anders Wellsten]

Dynam skybus , heavily modified, with retracts, flaps. Marked as a ww2 Boac C-47.

Anders

[Chris Walby]

Started life as a TN Focke Wolf Ta154, but spent more time cashing or being repaired than flying, ended its life with a spin from about 25ft and vertical lawn dart. Only part left was the wing and that had detached aileron and broken horns, plus a few scuff marks but could not bear to bin it.

Its been lying under the bench collecting dust until I had a thought...what could I do with some carbon tube and a hot glue gun.....plus bits left over in the spares draw?

Now it lives again and naturally needed to be called a Focke Stick.

Its not meant to look good or fly that well, but just needs to do one thing....fly fast.

Hence the set up

2 x 1800KV motors running from a 4S3300 lipo

Well it was maiden last week and I can say one thing....its fast enough for me. But it gets better.....with twin props and perhaps a slightly less than optimum aerodynamics it sounds great.

With both motors rotating in the same direction and no rudder it was always going to swing left on launch and guess what, it rolled left on a less than good throw. I had not quite anticipated that it would be that difficult to hold and launch with a smooth lob.

At half throttle it ripped away from my grasp and as I leveled the wings I realised I was holding full up on the stick to just climb out. With a bit of height a few clicks it was flying level and a couple of aileron clicks stopped the right roll. That was all at 1/2 throttle and it was eating up the sky quite nicely which left a couple of things to do, full throttle and stall tests. Full throttle produced an significant increase in speed and whistling as it streaked across the sky, then cut and glide showed its tendency to fly like a manhole cover as I ran out of elevator before any real stall. Landing was as expected, fast, little or no flair and a good slap into the long wet grass.

Its lasted the maiden and it will now get a paint job (invasion stripes on the upper wing and black on the underside, not much else to paint after that.

PS - plus 4 minutes and only used 50% capacity...roll on some more WOT passes.

[Nigel R]

Not one to mispronounce! Bit windy for the pilot

[Chris Walby]

Hi, my test pilots are made of stern stuff (need to be the way I fly) as it was 13 gusting 25 mph and it made little difference to its trajectory, one of the reasons for building it...back of the car and fly in any weather. The current personnel record was gusting 46 mph with a delta and this should beat that easily.

[Stuphedd]

This is the second New but very Old model that I have put on this thread , the first being the early 50s Sprite !

With lock down (and the weather ) driving us "nuts", I decided to get an airframe which I started in 1968 !!! finished to a state whereby it might fly !

The wing and tail feathers had been nylon covered and "decorated", the fuselage needed finishing and the radio installed. It was originally for free flight! So had to be adapted for radio , not that straight forward as it may appear.I also replaced the Frog 150 with a brushless.

In 1970 we moved house ,hence the main reason I never finished it .It was put in the loft during the move where it has remained till a couple of weeks ago , As you can see one side of the wings are a different colour to the other , the fuel proofer must have "aged" a bit !! other wise it appears to be in reasonable condition and well worth a flight attempt.

I did take it out this weekend and give it some taxiing runs , hence the mud splatters .I shall have to wait till the patch dries out before a proper test flight .

[ken anderson.]

Posted by Anders Wellsten on 15/12/2020 16:58:07:

Dynam skybus , heavily modified, with retracts, flaps. Marked as a ww2 Boac C-47.

Anders

nice job Anders...at the end of WW2,you could buy a surplus DC 3 for $1000 !

ken anderson...ne.....1..... WW2 surplus dept.

[Paulo Peres]

Hello to all,

Models built or completed this bizarre year:

Sprite (yet to maiden)

Weekend Wren (yet to maiden)

Agritug (with a good number of flights already meade)

KK Ladybird

Happy New Year 2021!

Edited By Paulo Peres on 27/12/2020 10:54:48

[Eric Robson]

Posted by ken anderson. on 24/12/2020 17:28:19:

Posted by Anders Wellsten on 15/12/2020 16:58:07:

Dynam skybus , heavily modified, with retracts, flaps. Marked as a ww2 Boac C-47.

Anders

nice job Anders...at the end of WW2,you could buy a surplus DC 3 for $1000 !

ken anderson...ne.....1..... WW2 surplus dept.

I remember as lot were being bought by ex pilots they got a bad reputation for a while as there were a lot of accidents mainly through lack of proper maintenance . One notable crash was one that crashed into the Empire State Building in fog.

[Eric Robson]

Before I am pulled up on it I remember the news paper said it was a Dakota , when it was actually a B25 Mitchell.

E Robson Senior citizens foggy memory dept.