Bowman Spatman

[David Lane 2]

ok thanks - I do have an A4 scanner and software to stich it together, but was wondering if there might be an easier way. I know someone who has an A3 scanner, but it might take a week or two to sort out - watch this space... :+)

[Ron Gray]

Here is the video that my wife filmed back in 1982. If you do find the plans I would be interested in a copy of them please!

[ROBERT BENSON 1]

Spatman 2020. COVID got me building again. Here's Spatman from the original plans. I used balsa from my balsa box that I hadn't opened in the last 20 yrs. WIng is foam core with brown paper covering then sprayed with some random paint I had. A foam board Jedelski wing in the background. Not yet flown but should get it in the air in the next month.

[Piers Bowlan]

Posted by David Lane 2 on 12/11/2020 17:35:30:

ok thanks - I do have an A4 scanner and software to stich it together, but was wondering if there might be an easier way. I know someone who has an A3 scanner, but it might take a week or two to sort out - watch this space... :+)

David, most towns have commercial printers with large format printers, easier enough to find if you google. My local printers near Bournemouth charge £3 per sheet to scan to pdf (or print to paper). They either email them to me or I get them to put the file on my memory stick.

Some of the appeal of these simple models is that that you can knock one up in no time at all from scraps in one’s (dwindling) balsa stock. Also, because there is no emotional investment in it you can fly it like you stole it 😈.

Edited By Piers Bowlan on 16/11/2020 07:44:06

[Piers Bowlan]

By the way Robert, welcome to the forum. I like your ‘agricultural’ scheme, random paint or not. I must try brown paper covered foam sometime, it used to be quite popular.

[David Lane 2]

I'm very sorry to say that I have, so far, been unable to find my copy of the plans, despite tearing my shed apart twice, now. Perhaps memory is playing tricks, but I'm sure that I saw them recently whilst looking for something else. They may yet turn up, but perhaps Robert, above, might be able to get his scanned and uploaded? It's been a delight to see that others have like this brilliant little model!

[Roy Thompson]

I can vouch for what Piers is saying. In the first lockdown I built the Simple Sailman and then had the plans scanned and put up on the Outerzone, I was amazed how little it cost.

Sitting in my loft for year is the wing from my old Spatman that I’ve been itching to remake. I did have a good search online and through my house for a plan before I started the Sailman. So imagine my delete to find all your new posts😀 as I was about to ask if anyone had a copy.

If there’s a chance of getting hold of a copy then yes please.

Edited By Roy Thompson on 16/11/2020 16:09:22

[ROBERT BENSON 1]

Copy of plan.

I did make hard copies by using a scanner at a local postal outlet. I think it was somewhere in he region of $8 /copy. I suppose I could scan to a file and post it here. Would that violate copyright?

[David Lane 2]

Hi Robert - it would be marvellous if you could upload the digitised plan to the archives at outerzone.co.uk or aerofred.com .I don't think that there would be any problem with copyright. Btw, I like the modification to the 'windscreen' - I assume to allow access to the fuel tank - and perhaps it's just the photo, but the wings look a bit longer than the original?

Cheers - so delighted to see a 'Spatman revival'!

[Roy Thompson]

Hi Robert. I did this for my Simple Sailman plans. First I took the sheets to my local office printers, they scanned them and emailed them to me, I think it was no more than £3 an A0 sheet and well worth it for the hassle free process.

I then loaded the plans, pictures and supporting material in to a folder in my Dropbox storage and then sent an email to Mary & Steve with a link. If the file not to big you could get away with just emailing it to them.

The hardest part of the hole thing was the fun and games the lady in the printers had trying to flatten the edges enough to get the drawing to start in the scanner.

It would be great to get another Bowman kit saved.

All the best Robert

[ROBERT BENSON 1]

I now have Spatman plans on a memory stick and have tried to upload them into AeroFred and AutoZone but it's more complicated than I thought. I'll dedicated more time to it shortly.

Meanwhile here's another similar sport model I had a lot of fun with. It was a kit called Executive. I believe I have plans for this as well. I ran this on a 1.5cc PAW. 2 channel.

Regarding my 2020 Spatman, the wings are about 1 " longer and the chord is probably 1/2 less. - the sharp leading edge is gone.

[Piers Bowlan]

According to Outerzone if the file size is under 25MB you just add it as an attachment to an email to [email protected]. If it is larger than that they provide a link to 'We Transfer'. I would be surprised if the file is more than 25MB but I could be wrong. Thanks for sharing the plan Robert.

[David Lane 2]

Robert- I see that you have tried to upload the plan to Aerofred - but it is showing just a picture (as above) of your Executive (which is a very nice looking alternative)...

[ROBERT BENSON 1]

Hi Peeps, seems I'm having problems uploading onto Areofred. Like I just made two left wing panels.

I deleted the post and re-entered but the plan is not showing up. Any suggestions?

[Roy Thompson]

Posted by ROBERT BENSON 1 on 16/11/2020 23:31:58:

Regarding my 2020 Spatman, the wings are about 1 " longer and the chord is probably 1/2 less. - the sharp leading edge is gone.

I going to ask about your leading edge, the original never looked quite right.

I must dig my wing out the loft.

[Piers Bowlan]

Robert, I think it might be easier to just send your pdf file as an email attachment to [email protected]. They will do the rest.

Edited By Piers Bowlan on 17/11/2020 18:40:43

[Robin Colbourne]

Posted by ROBERT BENSON 1 on 16/11/2020 23:31:58:

I now have Spatman plans on a memory stick and have tried to upload them into AeroFred and AutoZone but it's more complicated than I thought. I'll dedicated more time to it shortly.

Meanwhile here's another similar sport model I had a lot of fun with. It was a kit called Executive. I believe I have plans for this as well. I ran this on a 1.5cc PAW. 2 channel.

Regarding my 2020 Spatman, the wings are about 1 " longer and the chord is probably 1/2 less. - the sharp leading edge is gone.

Robert, you've answered a mystery for me.
I had one of Aerofred's regular emails today, which said they now had the Spatman plan. The strange thing was, it showed the picture above, which I knew wasn't a Spatman, but I couldn't put a name to it.

I was wracking my brains to remember what this was, thinking it might be a Keilkraft Mini Super or a DB Mini Tyro. I knew I had seen it somewhere. Then it dawned on me, that I actually have the smaller version of the same model, the Trueline Junior Executive, which is about 40" span, up in the roof. At the time I couldn't understand how the picture could have been muddled, but now I know you sent both designs in, it all makes sense.

Anyway, thank you for taking the time to upload both plans.

Robin

[ROBERT BENSON 1]

Apologies all, I have made a real knife and fork job of loading up the plans for Spatman. I find the AeroFred site somewhat confusing and in conjunction with me showing off my Executive and getting that all muddled I now don't know where I am. I did delete the original Spatman post but the new one I created has somehow not uploaded the plan. With regard Outerzone I will do what David has suggested and forward the file to them for them to post.

From feedback I have received I guess you all wanting the Executive plan. I'll dig it out.

[Robin Colbourne]

Robert,

I found the Spatman plan you had uploaded on Aerofred. Please don't give up, these things are rarely straightforward the first time. I'm sure I won't be alone in appreciating what you are doing!

Looking forward to the Trueline Executive.  I bought mine complete so have never seen the plan.  It is a manufacturer that is in danger of fading into history without the likes of you.

Cheers, Robin

Edited By Robin Colbourne on 17/11/2020 20:36:17

[Roy Thompson]

Robins  quite right, you’re efforts are very much appreciated. Thank you 🙏

I now really need to retrieve the wing from the loft.

Edited By Roy Thompson on 17/11/2020 20:45:36

[jeff2wings]

You guys do realise that the spatman is a direct clone of the Fred Reese Quickie that's on outerzone ? It just so happens that I built a spatman from an original kit at the start of the year,just before lockdown (bad timing or what) that I am modifying,as in,it fell of the shelf and smashed of the fin/rudder/elevator ! now needs a repaint

[Alan Gorham_]

Oh Great stuff! The Spatman was the first model I crashed when learning to fly. I got really low one day and panicked and rolled it straight into the ground.

That would have been about 1987. It sat in the loft for another half a decade before I repaired it and flew it again for a couple of years. It retired to my mothers loft in the late 1990s oil soaked and baggy of covering where it resides now.

I'll definitely build another one now the plan is available. Got plenty of white foam for the wings but might struggle for the balsa bits. Mine had an Enya .15 III and I used to love looping and rolling it like a good 'un.

[Ron Gray]

Thanks for uploading the plan Robert, I'm sure I had a 0.15 kicking around somewhere!

Here is a direct link to the plan (click on the photo to get to the plan) for those who also want it Aerofred

Edited By Ron Gray on 18/11/2020 09:49:29

[Piers Bowlan]

Robert, thanks for taking the trouble to upload the plan, I now have a copy. Very few parts so it won't take long to knock one up. I thought I would cut a foam core wing - I haven't done that in decades!

[David Lane 2]

Still smiling at the enthusiasm shown here for this model! Many thanks to Robert for uploading the plan. I've just dug my old Spatman out for a last photo - but upon closer examination, perhaps it is not too badly gunged up around the motor, and I'm thinking of sanding it down to the bare wood to see if recovery is possible. (Need the damn rain to knock it off!) Note the undercarriage modification - the one flaw with this design was the habit of ripping out the fuselage floor, and so I added a pair of dowels to allow the use of rubber bands. On the underside, there's a spring clip which was used to hold a smoke cartridge, back in the day. I first built one in 1982, but a noob to model flying, it didn't last long - but I liked it so much, that I built this one a few years later.

Yes, that leading edge is a bit unorthodox - also seen on the 'Quickie' (which was kitted in the UK by Anglia models). I'm no expert, but believe that it contributed to the fantastic rolling and spinning ability of the Spatman.

Cheers all don't forget to post your photos for this revival.