Recent acquisition - saved from the fire!

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

An unwanted part built Priory Models' Super Nova from a sadly departed member's estate has languished in our clubhouse for a couple of months and mutterings about it ending up on the bonfire saw me offering to store it in my loft for a future project as it seemed too nice to destroy. When I got it home, I realised that it was effectively a VNARTF (Very Nearly ARTF) and it might go rather nicely with an SC 120FS languishing in the spare room.

There was a bit of veneer delamination on the fuselage top deckings which resolved very easily with a covering iron and then some water based skinning varnish to seal them. The wings were already joined and I found the ailerons which were covered with what looks like white Profilm, along with the main parts of the wings. The fuselage structure was complete, with the tailplane attached - just needed the fin glueing in and a bit of 3/8 balsa to make the missing rudder - the elevators were taped to the tailplane so just need final preparation, covering and hinging.

A second sort through the "junk boxes" yesterday at the club turned up the well made glass fibre cowl and a suitable canopy shouldn't be a problem to source.

I did have to strip the covering from the ailerons as for some reason, the leading edges had just been rounded slightly and unless I wanted 1/4 inch hinge gaps, weren't going to allow any movement beyond a slight quiver!

I've done the hinging and once it's rubbed down, I'll Profilm it - then just the usual ARTF type jobs to do with engine/tank/radio/linkages etc. and the job's a good-un!

I can't find much on the 'net about this model - Priory seem to have closed down a few years back (haven't seen them at the shows for a while) but I do have the build instructions so no problem with recommended set-up for once.

So, to the point - has anyone here ever had one of these? I'm not anticipating any problems - looks like a fairly standard pattern ship layout but I was expecting to be able to find a bit of background via Google...not very popular maybe?

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

No one seems to want to share any nuggets of information so I'll assume - along with the incredibly sparse returns from Googling the model - that very few Super Novas were ever built? I've no idea when they were produced - does it count as a UKCAA eligible model perhaps? (72" span powered by an SC120FS)

Anyway, I maidened it yesterday and although the air was as rough as the badger's proverbial armpit, it seemed to perform smoothly and rather impressively. It appears very straight for a model that languished for at least 5 years in an unheated shed in part built condition and only needed a couple of clicks of down trim. I'll do some serious trimming once the wind drops a bit - and talking of trim, tidy the old bits around the rather temporary old canopy which I found in the deeper and dustiest recesses of my workshop and modified to fit...

Edited By Martin Harris on 21/10/2016 18:07:27

[WolstonFlyer]

That looks like a lovely model Martin

[Bob Cotsford]

I remember seeing these on sale at shows maybe 5 years ago? A club member was flying a rebuilt Nova a couple of weeks ago, I don't know if it was a Super or a smaller model but it looked to be going nicely on an ASP FS91. I hear it has since been subject to a major model/planet interface incident. I believe the planet in question, 'Earth', came off best.

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

Thanks WF - it's got a very sleek and purposeful look.

I remember the Silhouette, Reflection and Lancaster on their stand, Bob but the Super Nova doesn't stir anything in the depths of the grey matter...I don't know if there were 2 versions but I'm sure a 91 would fly mine quite well (the 120 is over-propped with a 16 x 8 partly to keep the noise down and partly because I didn't have a 15 x 8 to hand!) Judging by the way I've had to mount the servos and the battery in the tail and will probably be adding some lead, I suspect it was probably designed around a 60 - 72 2 stroke.

[Bob Cotsford]

It was around the time that I built the King Altair and Tornado which puts them around five seven(!) years ago, I think it may have been discounted end of production examples as they had reduced price tickets on them and weren't on the main display but in boxes on the floor.

How does the 120 run on the 16" prop? I have been using 15*8s on my ASPs and just scraping through noise tests using 180 baffled silencers, but my OS 120s seem to spin up 16*8s with ease (and lots of noise comparatively).

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

I haven't tach'd it but it was quite happy on it although I would have used a 15 x 8 if I'd had one. It measured 80dB on a standard silencer (I'd brought my rather battered J'En/Weston quiet silencer "just in case" but didn't need it).

I'm intending doing some more test flying today so may have a little more to report later.

[Cuban8]

Priory Models is quite a name from the past. I recall them at the old Sandown shows of many years ago and IIRC their gimmick of having a couple of their staff wandering around in monks' habits and handing out catalogues.

Edited By Cuban8 on 22/10/2016 14:47:36

[Chuck Plains]

That's a very handsome plane.

[Kevin Fairgrieve]

Had a Priory Models Silhouette for many years.

Solid reliable if a bit heavy and a good flyer.

Kev

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

There's plenty on the net regarding the Silhouette but virtually nothing on the Super Nova. Perhaps it came along too late to make a name for itself?

I haven't had much to do with pattern ships other than owning a Ripmax Gambler which was just after I got back into model flying so can't really compare it with anything - but I have been struck by its smoothness, precision and effortless vertical performance - it certainly eats up the sky!

I spent a little time during my first flight today adjusting throttle/elevator and throttle/rudder mixes (so easy in just one flight with a modern radio where I could assign slider/rotary controls to alter the mix in flight) to remove pitch changes with power and give vertical climbs without yaw, which certainly added to the precision feel.

Edited By Martin Harris on 22/10/2016 19:45:25