Restoring an old Flair Junior 60, Help and Advice needed

[David Davis]

Mike, I built my model from the Flair kit but over the years the plan became lost. My current plan, downloaded from the Outerzone, is for a single channel model but it features the wider fuselage and strengthened wing of the 1955 Junior 60, which is the version which Flair produced with an added elevator!

My plan shows 4" wheels which is what I have always used on my Junior 60.

[Mike Etheridge 1]

Mike, I have got the Flair Junior 60 plans and the 1955 Keil Kraft instructions sheet but not the 1955 plans which were stolen. I also have the Ben Buckle 1946 plan but not the sheet showing the wings. On both plans the wheels are shown as 4 inch diameter. If you would like copies of the plans I can get them done at a local printers , just PM your address.

[Mike Etheridge 1]

Got your PM, Mike, I assume you want just the Flair plan and not the Ben Buckle plan (Wrong junior 60) or the Keil Kraft instructions ? -cost is usually about £5 plus post.

The earliest I can get to the printers is Tuesday.

Edited By Mike Etheridge 1 on 29/03/2018 16:41:40

[Mike Collins]

The Flair is the important one for me but I would appreciate the BB too I may build that too now ,

Let me know total cost and where to send the payment I really do appreciate your help Mike

Many thanks

Mike

[Mike Collins]

Sorry guys another question

I havent installed a closed loop system before, in fact i only built one small plane other to artf's

\anyway im trying to set it up so there will be as close to neutral as i can by having the wires run parallel with the horns over the hinge point . Where the wires will come out of the fuselage in front of the stabiliser should i feed the wires through a small tube mounted in a balsa cross brace or can i feed them directly through a balsa cross brace ?

Thankyou again

Mike

[Mike Etheridge 1]

Have rolled both plans Mike to make them easier to feed into the print machine. The Flair plan is a bit dark and the BB plan outlines are a bit light so both not perfect but usable. The charges for printing are usually on a size basis, so as the plan sizes exceed A0, I think, there may be an on-cost ? I have checked and as it is Good Friday the company Cheril Print appear to be closed.

[Mike Collins]

Thats fine Mike, I appreciate your help,

the place i usually use is Staples / Office Depot whatever they are called now, they would be the same too closed

[Mike Collins]

does this look ok for the closed loop fuselage exit points ?

I have used a new thin straw from a wd40 can

They are actually about dead in line with the servos and rudder control horns.

 

 

This is how I fixed the servos in place and where the control rods/cables are installing

Edited By Mike Collins on 30/03/2018 11:45:24

[David Davis]

They should be fine Mike.

[PatMc]

If it's not too late, here's a photo of my Jnr 60 tail & some of my Magnattila:

I used small pieces of plastic tube cyanoed in place then cut flush to tidy things up.

Make sure that the plastic tube surface is roughed up with sandpaper before cyanoing. For extra security a pinch of micro-balloons or baking powder before a drop or two of cyano will ensure a good bond.

[Mike Collins]

its not too late

how did yo get them so close to the tail ?

i had to move mine forward about 3 cm to keep them in line with the servos else if i move them back the wires wont be straight.

nothing is glued here yet

my servos are very low in the frame as can be seen in other pictures too

 

 

 

i been working on the nose end a bit today

i have closed up some of the space behind the engine, i think this will look neater

 

 

Edited By Mike Collins on 31/03/2018 23:51:53

[PatMc]

Mike, there's no reason that the wires have to be straight.

BTW what wire are you using ?
I always use fishing trace wire, it's plastic coated so doesn't eat into lead out tube.

Also here's some diagram's you may find helpful that I've posted previously in other threads :

a) is OK but there's permanent strain on the lines, hinges & servo.

b) & c) are best. As the "pull line" tightens the other slackens slightly. This means that when the model's not in use if the servo is left off neutral there's no strain.

d) & e) must be avoided. In use both lines will tighten.

[Mike Collins]

Thanks Pat,

I fish too, mainly carp so yes its stainless steel 34lb 7core plastic coated trace that I am using too.

Ok I will move it further back, I will cut the tubes flush at the top but leave them a little longer inside,I guess the off angle will then act a bit like a tensioner for the wire that may go a bit slack.

For horns I just bought a pair of standard plastic horns that fit either side, but your horn is much neater, did you make it yourself ?

[Mike Etheridge 1]

I have got two planes with closed loop links , a Weston Cougar and the Fun Fly I have been repairing. I have to admit that the installations were carried out by others. When I refurbished my Junior 60 last year I retained the original balsa push rod that controls the rudder and added a small snake tube to operate the elevator. The snake tube exited the fuselage very close to the rear and was supported throughout it's length to avoid flexing.

It seems to me that you do need care with closed loops , one of our club members did not set up his Majestic Major (Big Junior 60) properly and found when it was flying he had no rudder control. The plane then went out of sight and finished up in the sea, but was spotted and rescued.

[Mike Collins]

I too have used a lightweight snake for the elevator,

I have supported it along the length and kept it as straight as possible to the servo and within the tail to the hidden elevator horn.

 

 

 

Im not sure what to do with the fuel bottle filling tube here, Either bring it up through the top of the wood in front of the windscreen to one of them metal fuel filler dots or just leave it loose and bung it then tuck it down behind the engine.

 

 

All the servo wires now go forward through the plywood into the compartment accessed on the bottom between the wheel supports.

I will mount the battery and receiver in that compartment.

I have also stripped the wings, I realised they had a twist at the root. so while straightening them I will add an extra ply brace to add a little more strength.

Is it worth adding wing bolt fixings instead of bands ?

 

Edited By Mike Collins on 01/04/2018 13:27:08

[cymaz]

Bands keep wing fitting simple. Make sure the dowels have some decent length and cross the bands ove the wings so as they don’t slip off.

[Dwain Dibley.]

Ditto, plus they look the part, just adds that bit of vintage style Mate.

D.D.

[Mike Etheridge 1]

Mike, plan prints are done. Three copies in all were made as the Flair plan due to it's width needed to be copied twice. To get reasonable reproduction of the dark plans a light setting on the print machine was selected and most of the reproduction looks OK. As I mentioned before the 1946 BB plan excludes the wings but my 1946 Junior 60 flies OK with the 1955 wings as does my Super 60. Total cost without postage is £6.60 . I will send you a PM with total cost details and my address.

[Mike Collins]

I received the plans today Mike, Many thanks

And I am so pleased because the tail end I rebuilt from the old remains is almost spot on )

[Mike Collins]

Another Question sorry guys,

I am covering it in solartex, and want to use a seperate color over the nose as detail, is it ok to put 2 layers of solartex on the nose ?

[David Davis]

Posted by Mike Collins on 05/04/2018 20:44:14:... is it ok to put 2 layers of solartex on the nose ?

Yes.My Senior Telemaster has three different colours on the nose.

[Mike Collins]

I made some more progress the last couple of nights.

after straightening and strengthening the wings I now covered them.

First set of proper wings I have covered

 

Started with the bottom,

 

Then the top, but wanted 2 tone

 

decided i wanted to put curves on it rather than just straight line across, so I drawn round a wing and played with how I could get a nice curve, then I noticed the rudder laying on the floor and thought that would do so used that for the curve shape

 

 

 

I cut a length of vintage red long enough for 1 wing and the root and then folded it in half lengthways then cut out the shape i had drawn

 

then tried it on the wing to see how it would look

 

that will do

so stuck it all down.

 

I did struggle trimming the leading edge to get a straight line so ended up giving up on trying to trim it straight.

after I got this shaped parts bonded I cut about a 3cm strip of red and and used that over the top along the leading edge to give me a nice straight line on the bottom of the leading edge.,

 

Im quite pleased with how it turned out

 

now, The question, should I satin clear coat it ???

 

 

Edited By Mike Collins on 07/04/2018 01:18:42

[Bob Cotsford]

If you want to keep it clean then yes, clearcoat it. It will also help to prevent the edges lifting.

Very nicely done, I always struggle with the curved bits and usually end up making those sections from separate pieces of film leaving a simple straight edge on the larger front section. That or I just settle for straight edges on the trim!

[Mike Collins]

added the red to the nose end

I will 2 part epoxy the engine bay next to fuel proof it,

can I mix in some black paint to colour it ?

if so what type of paint ?

[Mike Collins]

ok, I put the tail in place and put the wings and engine in place.

with no lead my c of g is level with the back edge of the first window, about 1/2 inch behind the front spar on the wing.

and i guess about 1/2 inch behind the c of G on the plan.

its currently only got a small prop on it and the brass spinner nut hasnt arrived yet.

Im not sure what prop should go on it.

With the 2 degree down on the engine and dropping the trailing edge of the stabiliser about an 1/8 of an inch will this be somewhere close do you think ?

 

 

Edited By Mike Collins on 08/04/2018 12:50:17