Graupner ME108 Taifun

[Richard Lewis]

Has anyone built the Graupner ME108 Taifun. I am considering buying one and was wondering if anyone has built one.

Cheers Richard 

[winchweight]

Didn't RCM&E review it a few months ago?

[David Ashby - Moderator]

Yes but it's nearer a few years ago Shaun. Maybe 2-3 years possibly. I remember it looked a very attractive machine that one. I don't recall any issues with it Richard. Alex Whittaker did it.

[Braddock, VC]

It was reviewed in one of the other mags a couple of months back, iirc they gave it a good write up too.

From a scale point of view they commented the u/c was most unscalelike, but that aside it had no real howlers about it.

[winchweight]

My apologies, it was RCMW which reviewed the model in July 08

Graupner Taifun

And there's a brief uninformative thread here

Taifun

Ooo, and this too

Quick guide

[Richard Lewis]

I was recently on the Graupner website and saw that the ME108 they have on their website has the correctly retracting undercarriage. I hope this is an improvement on the undercarriage in the RCM&E write up.

[Dusty]

Here's one on sale ME108

Looks interesting!

[Peter Miller]

Stuart Pickett, our club secretary test flew his Graupner Me 108 yesterday. Very impressive, flew wll, nice scale aerobatics. great landings.

He used an SC 90 FS.for power. Flaps wroked well. he had programmed a little down elevator with the flaps. Retracts worked well but would not have been so good if our fielsd wasn't really short smooth grass.

[Terry Walters]

Lovely - One day.............................................

Just think they are great looking - still that's me 1930's!

Terry

[Daithi O Buitigh]

Didn't the BF 108 have the same system of retracts as the 109? (outward from the wing root) - that one looks as if they swing inwards from mid-wing

Edited By Daithi O Buitigh on 20/02/2012 17:12:45

[Peter Miller]

You don't think a little thing like that bothers ARTF manufatcurers do you? Even Graupner!

I reviewed a Kyosho Spitfire. wheels the wrong way. I reviewed a PT-19 and that had retracts and the full size had fixed gear, never saw retratcts in it whole life.

[Alan Cantwell]

well, you will review cheapo kits, i flew Topflite Warhawk for about 6 years, it was my weekend hack, one day it went in, it was only then that it was noticed the legs retracted sideways, instead of twist and turn, i got away with it for all those years

most buyers dont care, they want a spitfire, that looks like a spitfire, generally, if its got roundels and camo paint, they aint bothered, this is why most artf warbirds outsell the REALLY decent ones by 10-1, cheap, cheerfull, and looks like what it should be,

[Peter Miller]

One of the reasons that I gave up reviewing stuff many years ago.

[Peter Roberts]

I have one of the first set of Graupner kits bought after having read Alex's review. I was really disappointed in the kit for a number of reasons.

1. The pushrods did not slide smoothly in their aluminium sheaths which tended to bind whatever you did

2. The pushrods did not even line up as per the manual with the servo tray positions

3. The wing fairings disintegrated - they were poor quality glass fibre

4. The root fastenings for the retracts were not very strong and one side pulled loose in use.

I ended up up spending more time building it than flying. In fairness the model looked great when it flew but the front tab which located the wing broke on its first ( and only ) crash and was a s*d to repair. All in all attractive looking model but build quality was disappointing for what was then a very expensive kit. I hope mk2 (silver) is much better.

Pin fact the build issues were such that I couldn't believe that Alex W had actually built the kit himself and not experienced the same problems as I did. Obviously I must have got a Friday afternoon model!

Peter

Edited By Peter Roberts on 01/07/2012 08:12:38

[sharpy1071]

hi there, Yes i have built and flown one since April of this year. Mine has the retracts the wrong way around but this makes for great ground handling. It was one of the only planes that i flew and did aerobatics with it on its first flight, I had that much confidence in it!! I have an OS90surpass mkII in which it fits a treat, even if it overpowers it, I tend to fly it on quarter to half throttle to make it a scale speed. The landings with and without flaps are great just line it up use throttle to stretch the approach and keep the wings level and there are no problems. I set the C of G as the instructions. I was going to use electric retracts but oppted for the supplied mechanical ones because they are so smooth, I used a spectrum retract servo as you can set the throw. Looking at the kit I would think it came out of the Seagull factory as there are a few telltale signs. Aerial tube, number on parts, fuel tank all seagull trademarks. I would have no hesitation of recommending this plane to low wing experience pilot, second or third maybe. At the moment it is my prefered plane out of my airforce (23 planes). hope this helps.

[Stephen Grigg]

Yes I built the Graupner 108 last year there should be a thread on it.Ot had anSC 91 4 stroke and flew very well.Good quality ARTF and flies very well.

[Bob Cotsford]

I think I can say pretty definitively that the current VQ 108 is an update on the old Graupner 108. How do I know? I sold my glow powered VQ108 as part of the Great IC Purge. It was a nice mildly aerobatic scale model that I was sorry to see go. Then last week I saw a Graupner kit on E-bay being by someone sold just down the road in Redditch, going cheap because it was missing a few odds and ends, so I chucked in a bid. I won with my initial £50 bid and it turned out that the seller was an old clubmate from prior clubs, Gary L.

The differences between the two kits identified so far are:

The VQ version has provision for a battery tray under the nose while Graupner is IC only (so they thought!).

The Graupner uses odd wire in plastic in aluminium pushrods.

The Graupner uses what appear to be Worlds Models plastic retract units with a bent leg to bring the wheel forward while the VQ legs are straight.

Both use sticky backed plastic covering, my VQ was German camo, the Graupner is in Swiss markings on a white airframe - actually more a creamy/ivory white which should be a laugh to patch should the need arise.

Gear? Propdrive 4258 500kv motor, Yep 80A esc, 4* DS821 servos for the wing, Savox 0352 and 0252MG for the elevator/rudder, JP electric retracts, 6S 4000-5000 packs depending on fit and balance, 2S LiFe for the radio and retracts.

The missing parts were: dihedral brace/wing joiner, 10mm dia tailplane joiner + struts, servo tray, tailwheel and small item hardware pack.

The wing joiner was easy, make a pattern from cardboard and when happy cut it from 1/4" birch ply.

Tailwheel - a 20 size nosewheel recovered from some long forgotten crash fitted in a HK type noseleg bracket.

Tailplane joiner - carbon tube on order, for struts I have some 20mm streamline ali tube.

Motor mount - a Ripmax acro/Wots Wot electric conversion provides battery and engine mount.

Anyone still awake and interested in how it goes together?

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Bob Cotsford]

Reading the previous posts one point of note is that both the VQ and this Graupner kit have the legs retracting outwards, as they should.

Brian, I'd imagine that a Laser 120 would have been a Gentleman's excess of power, my previous VQ one had plenty of power with an SC91 fs. The WM marked retract units look servicable for short grass but with those wire/plastic/ali pushrods the mechanism is very stiff and the 8SWG legs look awfully spindly.

[ASH.]

Hi Bob, yes you have the earlier version in white with dark blue cowl. Mine is the later one in all silver oracover with panel lines. It is a beautiful scale model with nice curves and a huge canopy. Haven't flown mine yet, need to make ply wheel wells for it some day. Mine has a Saito 82 so should be fine. I am well impressed with the quality of Graupner, the wood quality is excellent. Shame they are no longer around. I was thinking of using a separate battery for the retracts but Dave Wiltshere once commented that it wasn't necessary.

I've seen the full size 108 close up and was very surprised at how small it was.

The 108 looks nice in desert camo colour too. I think it was Rommel's personal transport plane.

Edited By ASH. on 30/06/2018 20:21:55

[Bob Cotsford]

I don't think a separate battery is needed if you fit electric retracts, with mechanical I'd always use a dedicated retract battery.

Having opened the underside I'll just say this. I hope you epoxy coated or otherwise 'improved' the engine bulkhead joints 'cos mine definitely needed additional glue here and there. I gave the triangle stock fillet joins a good dose of Zap-a-Gap CA which instantly wicked in. That shouldn't have happened! Did yours come with a pilot? I need to see what I've got in the way of civilians big enough to look 'right'. I think most will be too short. Maybe I'll just paint the inside of the canopy

[ASH.]

No you're right, mine has a mechanical set. I believe the earlier version did need some work doing to it. The pain with mine is the separate elevator pushrods and their bends. The elevators don't move absolutely perfectly together. Will have to fly it see if there's any slight roll.

Mine does have a pilot, her name is Elly Beinhorn, I'm afraid she has to go, she looks far too happy. I was thinking of making a little suitcase for the back seat. Got to finish her and fly her first.

You could always give a short pilot a booster seat.

[Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator]

A very pretty aeoplane.

BEB

[Bob Cotsford]

Yes, it has character BEB, and the camo version fools a few people at the field.

Pulling out the retract pushrod tubes left me with a couple of guide holes in the two intervening ribs so what else could I do but use them to guide a 16mm wood bit. I now have paper tubes in each wing from the retract bay to the retract servo cutout, which has two convenient beams to take a shelf. That shelf will hold an XP Systems X10 s-bus decoder servicing the two aileron servos, two flap servos and two retracts. With just one connector lead for 6 devices, you have to love S-bus.

Luckily the retract and flap bays are just past the end of the wing joiner so a plug sized hole through the spar web will make it easy to bring all three leads through the paper tubes for the last few bays.

Last night I had a bit of a scare when I dry fitted the wing and seated it on the fuselage, the wing seat was 6mm out at the rear leaving an enormous gap between the wing and the f/g fillet moulding. After much desparate swearing and grumbling I realised that the wing l/e tab and it's matching bulkhead slot needed a bit of a fettle. That done things looked much better!

Next, I think I'll fit the servos while the wing is in two easily manouvered units. As no smalls came with the kit it's time to hit my control horns stock, most are rejects from larger ARTFs but should be fine on this size model.

One other quick point, the red covering on the rudder has detached from the t/e so I've dug out some Ferrari Red World Models Toughlon to recover it. I can't see any other major issues with the vinyl stick on covering, this warm weather helps with what trimming is needed as it's made the covering nice and supple.

[Bob Cotsford]

I never thought I'd come to think of a summer's day in the UK as being too hot to go flying, but here we are.

Progress over the last couple of weeks has been relatively slow, an hour or two here and there when the heat abates a little. I fitted the servos with the wing panels separated, it's much easier to manipulate half a wing than a full one. The flap servo has the linkage fitted nearest the top wing skin, the pushrod passing through a slot in the wing skin rather than the servo cover. A bit of a pig to fit! It does give a better angle for the pushrod on full flap though, especially with my usual reversed servo horn.

The u/c moulding needed relieving to clear the spring coil on the JP electric retract, this revealed that the rear bearer was cut down to just 3mm thick next to it's joint with the wing rib. Not clever.

I added 6mm birch ply reinforcing beams, epoxied under the existing ones.

With this weather it would be a sin to work indoors. Here I've joined the wings using rubber bands around dowels through the wing bolt holes, a clamp on the l/e tongue plus more bands around the 6mm dowels I 'd added.

Wing done

Following comments here and elsewhere regarding l/e tabs failing, I added two 6mm dowels to hold the front of the wing. Luckily there's a good thickness of balsa behind the l/e in the first rib bay.

With the wing bolted to the fuselage the big gap I first saw on the right hand wing fillet moulding is gone. Instead it's the left side moulding that now appears to be fitted to the fuselage in the wrong place leaving a visible (3-4mm) gap above the wing. I think it's going to be a job for a tube of white silicon or some epoxy and microballoons.

The other issue is that my DuBro 3" wheels are a close fit in the wells.  It won't take much to make them stick so I a) fit slimmer wheels b) search out some 2 3/4" wheels or c) cut out the plastic liner to give more clearance.  Normally I'd just go for option c) but the liners are pre-fitted and they are stuck tight to the vinyl covering so I don't know what lurks underneath.

Edited By Bob Cotsford on 15/07/2018 12:42:40