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Bowman Models Sunduster


Tom Thomas
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  • 4 years later...

How did it fly Tom..?

 

I bought mine in the early 80's for £17 and still have it and the box/plans now. My original build was around a cox 049 glow motor but my inexperience at doping tissue had the model crush itself overnight..!! I bought more wood about 15 years ago (£27) and built another over the original plan. This one has a small £5 bell motor, 15A esc and 1000mah 3s lipo.

 

I've thoroughly enjoyed it's simplicity and gentle silent climbouts. I get around 10 to a good height before the battery gets to 3.7v per cell. I covered the second model in Litespan and stuck the covering to the undercambered ribs with watered down pva before gently shrinking. I have recently taken it back to it's roots and recovered it with tissue and dope, a little bit heavier and more brittle but a lovely candy type see through effect.

 

Flying could be better described as guiding a free flight model really. The soft rudder/elevator is only used to initiate a turn then re-centre the stick and give opposite rudder to straighten out. I've regularly gone up to a frightening height in a thermal with it, but this should really be avoided, it's not just a case of putting the nose down and flying out of it, the wings start oscillating badly at speeds much beyond normal flyng speeds and can be heard fluttering.

 

My best slope flight to date was in a 5 mph warm breeze at north Kent one sunset evening. The orange sun glowed through the wing and tailplane covering as the model gently transversed the slope with hot air balloons taking off from Leeds castle in the distance slowing coming towards me. I've got full house gliders and power models but this simple model does contain a sprinkle of magic. 

 

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