Durafly Retro Series Junior - a quick fix

[pete taylor]

I had an email from Hobbyking yesterday informing that this had arrived.

Now, I realise that some folks will probably pass a brick at the thought, (after all, it's leccy, foam, artf AND from HK...oh, and it's got ailerons as well!!!) but what a little gem and a perfect quick fix when a spot of relaxation therapy comes along without notice!

 

Edited By pete taylor on 21/11/2013 10:17:59

[Tony Bennett]

i saw that as well.

nice little model to chuck in the boot for the odd chance of good weather.

[john melia 1]

much rather have a rad-jet

[PaulH]

It caught my eye too. Absolutely outrageous, just like my old free-flight from fifty-five years ago, and blow me down in epo, no modelling involved, just complete nostalgia, right down to the fake deisel and rubber bands. I couldn't resist, bought it yesterday, it was despatched today and should arrive on Monday. And I don't feel the least bit guilty.

[Phil Green]

Please let us know how you get on with it Paul, I think there might be a lot of interest in this. I didnt realise at first it was a foamy, which is a shame but it looks like they've simulated the framework very well. Its a bit smaller than I'd hoped, the photo and the name 'Junior' made me expect a 60" model !

If/when I order one, I'd fix the ailerons, to me they're pointless on a model like that.

It would probably make a cracking single-channel model !!!

Cheers

Phil

[ken anderson.]

looks familiar.............

ken Anderson ne,....1 JNR 60 dept.

.

[PatMc]

Posted by Phil Green on 21/11/2013 14:48:34:

If/when I order one, I'd fix the ailerons, to me they're pointless on a model like that.

Cheers

Phil

They would probably be pretty ineffective as ailerons, they might be better as flaps - though TBH I don't see the need.

[scott cuppello]

Everbody keeps saying this about the ailerons......and couldn't be more wrong......I may not be at HK anymore but this model was my concept and I have been flying one since the drawing board until present, the ailerons work just fine.

I fly the model mainly on rudder but there are occasions (like cross winds) where the ailerons come into their own when mixed with the rudder and occasions where aileron turns work better than (inefficient) flat rudder turns.......at least you have the option and commercially, it would have been suicide to not give the younger generation the option of aileron's.

Edited By scott cuppello on 21/11/2013 15:34:45

[Pete B]

Thanks for that, Scott - I'd had the email too and was wondering about the ailerons....

Pete

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[PaulH]

I'd wondered about the ailerons and think I may just not use them, but take Scott's point.

I'll let you know how I goes when I get a chance next week Phil, That is, weather and work permitting, it's a bit stormy here on the farm today.

Paul.

[Bernie]

nice little retro model .personaly I prefer to build my own but nice little park flyer.What is the price in the uk?

[pete taylor]

Hi Bernie, I've checked the HK site and it says £86 for the PNP one.

Cheers, Pete

[David Davis]

Posted by ken anderson. on 21/11/2013 15:07:45:

looks familiar............

ken Anderson ne,....1 JNR 60 dept.

I'd sue if I were you Ken!

.

[PaulH]

Well I wouldn’t be encouraging Ken to take any legal action. He’s right of course it is familiar and as I said in my first post that was what attracted me. However Ken’s piccie puzzled, because I was certain it was the kit I had as a kid and that was well before Flair models. After a little research I discovered the original was by Keil Kraft, so the Flair is also a copy. It was a design by Albert Edward Hatfull,(love that name). Born in 1926 he worked for Keil Kraft from the age of 16 and designed the Junior in 1945. He retired in 1984 and died in 2007. So the plans are well and truly in the public domain.

I promised I’d post when it arrived from HobbyKing and after 13 days travelling 1792 kilometers it arrived today. Distance from HobbyKing warehouse to me is only 740 ks Before you switch off anticipating another HobbyKing put down, the reason I’m telling the story is that frustrating though it has been, HobbyKing's service has been exemplary.

Their only problem was to despatch the parcel with a delivery company who took their money and omitted to tell them that they don’t deliver to my area. I had an instant response from HobbyKIng via live chat and they gave me the relevant contact numbers for the shipping company. That company was very reluctant and weren’t really about to give me any answer as to the whereabouts of the goods. I went back to HobbyKing, again via live chat. Within the hour the shipping company were on the phone to me, this time very polite and admitted they had not told HobbyKing of their inability to deliver to my area. By now they had traced the parcel which had gone from pickup in Sydney to Canberra, back to Sydney, on to Brisbane in Queensland, from there to the Gold Coast on the Queensland border and finally back to their transit depot in Brisbane, before they worked out where I lived. They didn’t apologize but agreed to transfer it to Australia Post who normally deliver goods from hobby King to me within two days. Meantime on request HobbyKing flagged my account to use only Australia Post in the future and the goods I ordered two days ago arrived by Australia Post at the same time.

Meanwhile I now have a rare working week. I’ve taken the wraps off and all is there and with no dings or scratches. I’ll tell you how it goes together next week and hopefully how well she flies. At the moment I seem to be unable to post any photos to this site.

Edited By PaulH on 04/12/2013 03:17:16

Edited By PaulH on 04/12/2013 03:20:38

[Rob Jones 2]

Paul, could you give me a link to the site you bought it from please? I can't get a quote below £100.

[Rob Jones 2]

Or was it Pete says it is £86?

[Masher]

Here it is Rob link

[PaulH]

Rob,

It went together in under an hour and I'm one of those elderly gents who likes taking time and neatly folds up and puts away those nice lengths of bubble wrap, just in case I need them to protect a present for someone at Xmas.

The instructions were clear and comprehensive, you don't need any glue and they supply a screwdriver with the model. It feels as light as a feather, so probably wouldn't be a model to fly in a gale. On the other hand it has a wopping amount of dihedral so should be very, very stable and if it flies as I remember my free flight version did all those years ago, then it probably flies itself with an occasional interuption from the pilot.

I'll have to wait until next week for its maiden, but I'll let you know how it goes.

[Barrie Dav 2]

I've ordered one and awaiting delivery. Thought it might be handy to fly in the small fields close by.

[Mike Etheridge 1]

Well I bought/ built my Junior 60 fifty two years ago this month and it only cost me 58 shillings plus the cost of the engine, 30 shillings (ED Racer), radio 120 shillings plus nylon dope and accessories like the Elmic 'Side winder' for winding up the rubber escapement ( Ripmax Mactuator).

It has the extensive amount of dihedral and has always flown beautifully and what amazing value for money it has been. I would guess the new foamy version could be just as good and last just as long provided the lipo flight batteries behave?

I look forward to seeing the foamy Junior 60 but buying one would represent a backward step for someone like me who has never made many forward steps with RC planes.

The foamy does look very much like Dave Davis's plane,I bet he is raking in the royalties from where ever it's made?

MJE

 

Edited By Mike Etheridge 1 on 04/12/2013 15:00:50

[David Davis]

Mike, unfortunately, the model shown in my post is Ken Anderson's model not mine, so I'm not making any money out of it. My Junior 60 was sold to my cousin years ago.

I advised Ken to sue!

Mind you, a retailer who shall be nameless, has used the picture of my Super 60 in one of his promotions without asking me for my permission, not that I'm bothered, rather flattered really.

Edited By David Davis on 04/12/2013 15:44:26

[Rob Jones 2]

Posted by PaulH on 04/12/2013 13:07:34:

Rob,

... It feels as light as a feather, so probably wouldn't be a model to fly in a gale. On the other hand it has a wopping amount of dihedral so should be very, very stable and if it flies as I remember my free flight version did all those years ago, then it probably flies itself with an occasional interuption from the pilot.

I'll have to wait until next week for its maiden, but I'll let you know how it goes.

From what I have read on RCGroups, it needs a large amount of weight in the nose, and is a little heavy, so interested you saying it is light. The axle is a bit of a concern too, do you think it might spoil take-off on grass? I look forward to your flight report with interest.

[scott cuppello]

I have flown one for a year off grass without an issue and have never needed to add lead to the nose and it's not really heavy and certainly does not fly heavy.......I stress once again, I don't work for HK anymore and have no association with them, in fact I find it difficult to support one of their products in public but the truth is.......it's a peach to fly.

As for this business of cloning, as has been pointed out already......the "Junior 60" has been cloned to death over the years.....but let's hang on a minute, in reality, the Durafly Junior and a Junior 60 are totally different in just about every respect barring a colour scheme that is hardly exclusive!

Yes it was designed to have a certain look.......bit like modern Mini's and Fiat 500's.......ok, it goes beyond the asthetic but the principal is not so different.........re-visit a classic look with modern materials and design......call it flattery.

[PaulH]

Rob, I guess it's relative. My lightest model is my old Esay Star at 525 gms + lipo 140 gms + nose weight 27 gms.

The Junior weighs 655 gms, the reccomended battery weighs 105 gms and the supplied nose weight, if needed, 26 gms. So far, without test flight the cg seems spot on without the weight. So yes it weighs 68 gms more than the Easy Star and that is not a model for wind speeds over 15kps. Compared to my Fun Cub, the Tiger Moths x 2 and the FMS Mustang, or the Dynam Waco it's very light, but I suspect not as light as my original tissue covered free flight, though unlike Mike I can't remember what engine I used.

By way of a diversion, but still sort of on subject, Monday here was a nice warm 27 degrees, an absolutely calm morning and I took the Easy Star for a float around before starting work. The great Dane decided to play with the heiffers and by the time I reigned him in the Easy Star was heading up and up in a very fast thermal. I cut the motor completely, it still went on rising. I put the nose down, but by this time it was a mere speck and I had no idea of orientation. Finally I could no longer see it and I let go of the sticks and turned off the transmitter and went back up to the house for my binoculars and to get ready for work. On the way to work I did a quick look around with no luck, but on the way home I tried to fix my bearings for another look further a field. Now the properties around mine are around 500-800 acres and mostly run cattle, it certainly isn't populated densely and it is hilly. On my second try I visited one of the people two properties away, with a view to climbing the ridge for a better look over the countryside. It was a great social occasion meeting a charming country couple around my own age and when i went to the top of the ridge, there was then Easy Star, all in one piece settled on the grass. Distance from my paddock, two and a half kilometers, perhaps a little less as the crow(Easy Star) flies.