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Precedent Fly Boy - remember it?


Andy Hat
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I had a FlyBoy, and as others have said, the take off was really tricky. A chap who did a lot of instructing at Chobham Common and had flow a number of them, reckoned that he cure was to extend the fin an inch on the front and the top to increase the area.

My FlyBoy would be all over the place on take off, then dutch roll (wallow one way then the other) when airborne, until it finally settled down. Eventually I discovered the secret was not to use minimum power, and get the tail up as soon as possible. Most models you can just ram the throttle forward and off you go, but with the FlyBoy that will just result in ground loops. As I recall, mine had an OS Max 15 which seemed to be more than enough power for rudder /elevator flying.

I've often thought about getting a part-built 'loft queen' FlyBoy, of which there must be hundreds around, and building it with a symmetrical section wing of double the normal thickness, ailerons and no dihedral. The end result probably wouldn't be pretty, but should be a lot more versatile.

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  • 6 months later...
  • 1 year later...

I acquired on of these little models last October (from somebody's loft of course) and fitted some radio gear over the Christmas holiday. Having read the posts here I was expecting trouble and I was not disappointed. The Dutch roll was hilarious. For safety I hand launched it and all was well until I touched the rudder. It's essentially set up as a freeflight model with a tiny fin to give it strong spiral stability at the expense of Dutch roll damping. I had a few flights with it in that state, with the CG at about 69mm for the LE (34%). It was quite aerobatic in it's own sweet way: loops, rolls, spins, outside loops, but all a bit hairy. I have just enlarged the fin and flown it again - what a difference. The Dutch roll is all but gone and it flies like a standard aileron trainer, although I still have to be gentle with the rudder. I've moved the CG back to 75mm (37%) and that's about as far as I think it should go. Down thrust and right thrust are both about 2 deg but I've fine tuned with throttle to down elevator at 5%. It has a nice glide on deadstick and doesn't require too much trim change with speed. Engine is a sweet little Enya 25 that is still running-in. All up weight is 1.33kg which gives a hefty wing loading of 61 g/dm2. Our strip is a bit long this time of year so I've not attempted a ground takeoff, but hand lunches need to be energetic at full power with a 10x5 prop. I definitely recommend enlarging the fin - mine has a height of 190mm with and average chord of 110mm, TE the same but much reduced LE sweepback. I extended the rudder height but not its chord. Oh, and I'm using 35MHz of course cool

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  • 9 months later...

Sound like your having fun Fin with you’re Fly boy.

I’ve only just come across this this thread, and have been smiling at some of the post. Back in the day I took my A cert with my FlyBoy and still have it packed away (you’ve guest it, in the loft) ready to fly again next time I’m feeling nostalgic😊

The rudder is very very powerful I’ll give it that. ROG need to be done with care! the less rudder input the better, I’ve parked mine upside down at the end of the strip many times😮. Once airborne I’ve always found it a peach to fly. Easy from a hand launch, low rates and a gentle push.

Mine over the years has flown with an MDS 20 (the only good MDS I had), a geared speed400, a small contra brushless and now a standard brushless motor. Of course always on 35Mhz 😂

20201121_090238.jpg

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  • 1 year later...

Nice photo of a very elegant Flyboy Roy. I like the model in the background too. I've just posted some photos of my Flyboy2, made in lock down from a spare fuselage that I couldn't bear to chuck in the bin! I've been flying it since last year and it's quite a fun little machine, with ailerons and an Enya 30 up front.

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I've test flown a few Flyboys when I used to instruct newcomers many years ago. The models could be very variable in their flight behaviour depending on how well they were built (warps, alignment and CG ) or if they finished up a tad overweight. As a beginners model they needed to be built very well, which wasn't always the case in the hands of a tyro and things that one could 'get away with' on other models would be a big problem for the Flyboy.  Excessive control movements would also make them very unpleasant to fly - just enough deflection to steer the model around is all you need and no more, at least for the first few flights to check things out. If they were built well or faults spotted and corrected beforehand then they weren't a bad model, but not one that I'd say was an ideal first time trainer.  Not being a full house design, beginners thought they'd be easier to fly - not so. Unfortunately, that's exactly how many were sold by model shops (remember them!) as a bargain package with radio, starting equipment, flightbox etc.

Character building if nothing else. Happy days.

Edited by Cuban8
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I loved my hi boy, first 3 channel model aeroplane I flew.

Saved and saved and saved for the whole thing, kit, engine and radio gear. Still have the engine and radio gear in 4 channel wot4 ish shadow. Flew to he pants off them both. Got my "A" with the hiboy 3 channel.

 

Wish I could find a hiboy, an unstarted kit would be wonderfull.

 

I had templates for both hiboy and flyboy, but recon they are lost sadly.

 

Saw a few flyboys at the club back in the day but cannot remember how they flew. I do remember "language" from a largish PAW engined owners one, they could not get the paw to run.

 

Oz do the plan I believe, so over £100 for a kit makes no sense to me.

 

But a hiboy kit does.

 

Whoever buys it, enjoy...

 

 

 

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It went for £114, which is a pretty good price but I was surprised there were no more bids.  More interestingly from my POV was a Balsacraft FW190 unstarted kit which sold for £156 because I have an unstarted Balsacraft Hurricane that I doubt I'll ever build so it's worth putting it up for sale.

 

Geoff

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Hi Boy was good, Fly Boy not so good smaller version. Very twitchy and heavy for the wing area meaning they had to fly fast. 

As a trainer I'd only give the 1 out of 5 stars and a ?

The Hi Boy  with the recommended 40 up front I'd give 4 out of five and a ? as good to teach with I windy weather.

I'd imagine the £114 kit sold on ebay will be stored away like so many kits ? Possibly a case of rose tinted specs ?

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Hi Boy, solar Tex and painted, so was on heavy side. 3 channel, flew great, could fly "backwards" in a breeze, Inverted circuits, good dead stick landings.

 

Flew the pants off it. I may have a picture of it somewhere...

 

I don't need rose tinted specs for that one...

 

Slec, how about kitting it ?

 

Vintage model company, ditto ?

 

Oh how I wish I could find an unstarted kit !

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  • 1 year later...

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