Peter Christy Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 I guess I should have posted this a while ago, but late last year I started to build a KingPin (Radio Modeller, 1963) from a BelAir laser cut pack: Power is supplied by a pre-Blackhead Webra .61, which I bought new back in 1967: It took longer than expected to complete the model - family life kept getting in the way - but I finally finished it a couple of weeks back: Radio link is provided by a FrSky system, a "hack" module sitting inside a single-stick Ace MicroPro 8000 - proper "Old School"! The engine was run for the first time in twenty years a week ago, and fired first time! The maiden flight followed last Saturday in the teeth of a howling gale: Despite the wind, it flew beautifully, and it certainly wasn't underpowered! Mind you, despite my tendency to build heavy, it came in at 6lbs, ready to fly! Back in the day, my "Tornado" (modified "Taurus" ) weighed 8lbs, and was a lively performer on the same engine. Most of the weight difference is almost certainly down to the radio gear! The "Tornado" was equipped with a Bonner Digimite-8. The airborne pack for that on its own weighed nearly 2 lbs.....!!! -- Pete Edited By Peter Christy on 12/06/2015 09:10:00 Edited By Peter Christy on 12/06/2015 09:11:39 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martyn K Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 Hi Pete A lovely looking aeroplane - well done. You can really hear that wind as well. Great video, can I put a link to it on the UKCAA Facebook page please? Is that you in the B&W photo as well. The SAAB number plate dates it to at the earliest 1969 Best wishes Martyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Green Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 Lovely jubbly Pete and a nice tranny too! But you know its really crying out for one of these Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Christy Posted June 14, 2015 Author Share Posted June 14, 2015 Apologies for the delayed reply! I've been away at my son's in Hastings, and for some reason, was unable to log in from my laptop! Grrr! Anyways.... Martyn: Thanks for the kind words! Please feel free to link to the video, if you think its worth it! Yes, that is me - nearly 50 years ago! My old SAAB was first registered in March '69, so that photo was probably taken in the summer of '69. It might have been '70, but I recognise that field, and by '70 I think we'd stopped flying there. I now have another SAAB 96 just like that one in the photo: Am I taking this retro thing too seriously? Phil: Hmm! I don't think I would have wanted to fly it on a reed set in those conditions! And my old "reed" set had a somewhat different layout: That outfit is still all working, so I'm loath to mess with it - but if I could find another Grundig transmitter, I would be tempted to "Gigarize" it! -- Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Plains Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 Hahay, the original 'Stig' car. I think my old man may have had the same wheels on his Saab 99. Back in those days I was into scratch building slot car chassis etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martyn K Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 The man responsible for *really* getting me into Aeromodelling - my Biology teacher at school - Neville Crane - had one of these as well. They had a very good reputation - IIRC, a variant was used for rallying because of its excellent capability on ice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owdlad Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 Sadly I'm a Saab officianado and if I remember correctly the alloy wheels were also fitted to the Saab 99 ems, I have driven them all my life ever since as an apprentice my Saab saved mine & my girlfriends life one night as I was side swiped at traffic junction by a drunken driver doing an estimated 70mph running a red light. The police said any other car and he would have chopped us in two. 15 weeks off work later I bought a combi coupe and stuck with Saabs ever since. Sorry digressing Owdlad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Plains Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 Not too far off topic Owdlad, as the Saab 2000 is a 58 passenger turboprop airliner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Christy Posted June 15, 2015 Author Share Posted June 15, 2015 Oh dear! I seem to have started something here! Yes, I'm a SAAB enthusiast as well, but luckily I've not yet had to subject their legendary strength to the ultimate test! It was the first car to win the RAC Rally three times on the trot, at the hands of Erik Carlsson, who only passed away a week or so back. At the time it was only powered by an 800cc 2-stroke, yet was more than capable of seeing off Porsches and the like because of its excellent traction and stability. The "Soccer Ball" alloys were originally manufactured for the SAAB Sonnet - a small, 2-seat sports car based on 96 running gear. However, they proved so popular that they were eventually made available for the rest of the range. My other car is a SAAB 9000 Aero - a truly monumental car, with shattering performance, yet still capable of 40 mpg on a run! Mine's done 187,000 miles now - just getting nicely run in! Unfortunately, Flickr is down at the moment so I can't post pix. But the 9000 makes an excellent modelling wagon! As indeed does the 96 - the rear seats fold down as in a hatchback, and I never had any problems getting the "Tornado" plus support equipment in it back in the day......! (Note to self: Get back on topic!) Hoping to sneak out for an hour this afternoon and give the KingPin a proper flight...... -- Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Plains Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 Posted by Peter Christy on 15/06/2015 14:48:58: Oh dear! I seem to have started something here! Yes, I'm a SAAB enthusiast as well, but luckily I've not yet had to subject their legendary strength to the ultimate test! My other car is a SAAB 9000 Aero - a truly monumental car, with shattering performance, yet still capable of 40 mpg on a run! Mine's done 187,000 miles now - just getting nicely run in! -- Pete Teehee, I was checking one out the other day as I rode the bus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanN Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 Another SAAB afficionado here. Always admired the 96 series. Had a 900 Turbo 16S for a good while- best country lane chaser ever. Became Mondeo man for a no of years when forced into company cars, but having since been forced back out of them my wheels are now a 10 year old Saab 9-5 estate. It's almost as it it was designed for carrying models, and allthe associated paraphernalia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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