Keilkraft Elmira

[James Thomas 2]

Back in the 70s Keilkraft sold a large Glider, about 10 foot wingspan, semi scale appearance, named the "Elmira", I seem to remember that it was only 2 channel and that it performed better when the rudder was enlarged! I did buy a kit, but did not start it as my shed was not big enough! this kit was sold when I gave up Model Flying for Mod Stock racing, and bad decision!. Does anyone know what happened later? I know Keilkraft sold out, but to who? I suppose the chance of finding a plan is remote, also my workshop is not that big!

[Tony Bennett]

replikit does the elmira.

**LINK**

[GONZO]

Free plan down load from 'outerzone' **LINK**

Lots and lots available to keep you happy. If your not sure how to use and make into a full size plan come back here for help.

HTH

[James Thomas 2]

Thanks a lot!! Time to go down Memory Lane!

[Tony Fry]

You can also get a full size plan for Elmira from model-plans.co.uk

[Mike Etheridge 1]

Lovely looking plane the Elmira but I just wonder what it's landing characteristics are like? In terms of size and design it's very much the same as my old 8 foot span Mico Mold Sprite. It differs in as much as the Elmira is of traditional balsa build whereas the Sprite has hard wood / foam wings and an ABS plastic moulded fuselage. However neither plane has flaps or ailerons and in the case of the Sprite I have had difficulties on landing approaches on the slope particularly on the final turns where just a rudder has for me been inadequate in strong winds.

Of course the Elmira is probably a much better thermal soarer than the Sprite,but how does it compare with other designs and modern soarers?

Picture of Sprite below, the wing dihedral has increased due to bends on the piano wire wing locators caused by bungee launches.

MJE

[Philip Ogden]

A lovely looking model. Nothing to stop you adding ailerons and spoilers. I guess in the day when the model was designed, servos were the size of a housebrick and cost a weeks wage!

[Mike Etheridge 1]

The Sprite is so battered it's hardly worth any modification. The rear of the fuselage is held together with duck-tape following a fracture/break caused by a bungee launch in which my nephew had forgotten you don't need up-elevator. The front was badly damaged on it's first flight due to a nose in caused by CB interference we think. However the plane has had many successful flights but on it's last flight at Castle Hill,Detling Kent it refused to turn for me on a landing approach and sailed off towards the car park out of control. No damage caused fortunately. However comparing the Sprite to modern carbon fibre types things have obviously moved on.

The Servos in the 70's had reduced in size to very much the standard for today as below:

MJE

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[GONZO]

Got a built but never flown 124" Super Nova, with f/g fus, in store. Have looked at it a few times with the view to adding spoilers to the wings to aid landing. But, it still remains a virgin hanger queen.

[Guest]

I built the Elmira back in 1982 from the original KK kit it was 2 ch rudder elevator back then, it turned but took a long time.

after a mishap it went into our loft and remained there until 2006 when I came back to flying so I decided to renovate the old airframe.

I cut the wings in half at the original dihedral brace to reduce the excessive amount required for R/E, then added

ailerons to the outer panels using servos in each wing. Since in the old days considerable incedence was added meaning it flew very slowly and on the pointof stalling I reduced the main plane incedence to about +3deg from over +10.

The Elmira now flies very nicely in a vintage sort of way... if your around west yorkshire (baildon/nonts) you'll probably have seen mine in shocking pink/cream. Loops and stall turns are great but she won't roll. Pictures are available on RCMF in one of my galleries.

[Bob Cotsford]

I had a St Leonards SuperNova donkey's years ago, I fitted pop-up spoilers and they certainly helped getting down out of lift and for landings. I only flew it from the flat using a bungee, my abiding memory being the extreme dihedral it got on a bungee launch

[Barrie Dav 2]

Bob, I bought a St. Leonards Super Nova kit about 25 years ago - £16. Still fly it.......... It's well named and has incredible flight endurance. It's a great glider. The problem is to get it down from altitude - it's difficult to spin it down even. I used 2mm x 15mm spruce spars in each wing and decently sized piano wire wing joiners and have not had a problem with hand-clapping.

Your spoilers would certainly help but I don't want to have to build another wing. Lazy or what.