Krick Klemm or Mantua AvioModelli Fiesler Storch or neither

[Stearman65]

I'm about halfway through my WM Pilatus Porter build, which I'm enjoying, compared to the previous TF Stinson.

Like we do, I've been looking around for something to take its place when it's finished. I quite like the new (to me) laser cut technology, & the size of model around 2 m with a 2 piece wing suits my building facilities. So-

I've short listed the Krick Klemm & the Mantua Storch. Back in the day, I had a Bucker Bestman kit which could have been Krick, but not sure, just that it was a foreign kit & after mulling it over, thought it beyond my abilities & sold it on. I also flew a friends Svenson Fiesler Storch a few times, but this ended badly when our club was putting on a school display in conditions where we wouldn't normally fly & I trashed it on take off.. When I came back to modelling in 2004, I acquired another Svenson Storch, this time a kit. However, this wasn't to be & I sold it on when we moved house & the modelling hobby ceased yet again.

The latest Storch & Klemm look to use current laser technology & I've read a couple of reviews by buyers on other forums.

Has anyone here had either of the kits & can give an opinion. The Mantua Storch would have to be converted to electric power, the Klem is designed for electric power.

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Stearman65]

Hi David

Back in the day I built the Denny Bryant Stampe, it was pretty near scale & not an easy build as I remember. All that was available in those days was the front portion of the cowl. I well remember using the sandwich method to produce the ribs. The term "you would need to buy additional strip & sheet" would put it over £200 & over the size I'm limited to. Thanks for the link but I don't think it is for me.

Regs Eric.

[Denis Watkins]

Am lucky to initially test fly new models at the club and drew the short straw flying the Mantua Storch, due to the initial c of g

The finished model does look the business, and to my eye is a fair representation

Now the builder is very critical with kits and described this as a challenging build and he made some alterations, weakening the undercarriage with brass tube.

The u/c failed on the every landing, no matter how gentle, so steel members solved this one.

The beautiful gangly u/c needs to be strong, as landing sweeps all u/c downwards, and backwards, there is a lot of wire in the airflow to bend

The plan C of G was far too rearward by 30mm

Flying was never comfortable though it was predictable, and the model looked beautiful in the air

As with many scale type models, fly this one scale, keep the wing in an attitude that it can fly

Though landing, there was no wing dropping or misbehaviour

BTW, I am a flyer, not a builder

[Stearman65]

Posted by Denis Watkins on 16/01/2019 09:29:27:

Am lucky to initially test fly new models at the club and drew the short straw flying the Mantua Storch, due to the initial c of g

The finished model does look the business, and to my eye is a fair representation

Now the builder is very critical with kits and described this as a challenging build and he made some alterations, weakening the undercarriage with brass tube.

The u/c failed on the every landing, no matter how gentle, so steel members solved this one.

The beautiful gangly u/c needs to be strong, as landing sweeps all u/c downwards, and backwards, there is a lot of wire in the airflow to bend

The plan C of G was far too rearward by 30mm

Flying was never comfortable though it was predictable, and the model looked beautiful in the air

As with many scale type models, fly this one scale, keep the wing in an attitude that it can fly

Though landing, there was no wing dropping or misbehaviour

BTW, I am a flyer, not a builder

Thanks Denis. I read a build report on one of the American sites & the builder was complaining about the wood quality & that it was built like a boat, with a basic keel & half formers, but I discounted the comments as I have used this method & it is common in war bird construction with strip planking. Maybe he was unfamiliar with it. There is a difference in the ply used in laser cut kits & normal sheet ply & this has to be compensated for, so it didn't put me off.

BTW was it IC or electric?

Thanks again Regs Eric

Edited By Stearman65 on 16/01/2019 09:40:34

[Denis Watkins]

OS 90 4 stroke Eric,

[Don Fry]

I built the Mantua Storch back in the 90s. I get the similarities to boat building. They make 2 versions, one has a foam wing which tends to porky, one version is built up. The build of the thing was a nightmare. Just to build the fuselage top half, and bottom halves necessitated 2 custom made jigs to keep them straight. Loads of trouble for what is very much semiscale. Flew OK.

[Stearman65]

Posted by Denis Watkins on 16/01/2019 09:56:17:

OS 90 4 stroke Eric,

Thanks Denis.

[Stearman65]

Posted by Don Fry on 16/01/2019 10:01:41:

I built the Mantua Storch back in the 90s. I get the similarities to boat building. They make 2 versions, one has a foam wing which tends to porky, one version is built up. The build of the thing was a nightmare. Just to build the fuselage top half, and bottom halves necessitated 2 custom made jigs to keep them straight. Loads of trouble for what is very much semiscale. Flew OK.

Thanks Don

That's pushing me towards the Krick Klemm

Regs Eric

[Chris Freeman 3]

Krick kits where always very nice kits and had good quality wood in them, I built the Klem 35 many years ago and managed to get another kit a few years ago and a Bestman kit that have been placed in storage for later use, I will retire one day and want enough stock to keep me busy. My son is also a modeler so he will build them if I do not get to it. Nice to see that some of the ARF manufacturers are now making some kits as I thought you would not be able to buy traditional kits the way we knew them anymore.

[Don Fry]

Mine had a RCV 60, swinging a scale diameter prop, so that might give an indication of power needs for a low KV electric setup, as the RCV engine has a 2/1 reduction gearbox.

[Stearman65]

Hi Chris

It was the canopy construction that put me off the Bestman kit back in the day. This new Krick Klemm kit seems to have a lot going for it, in particularly it's for electric power.

Regs Eric

[Stearman65]

In between glue setting waiting, I surfed the net looking for possible colour schemes for the Klemm, I got the attached picture which shows the Klemm & what looks like a Ka8B in the background, what a coincidence.

[flight1]

There is an alternative kit 1 1/5 Klem for a .90 or electric and thay do bigger too very nice, Flugmodelle aus Holz

mind you , you will have to use google translate if your german is no good, there reputation is good , here is one finnished on you tube

very tempting

[Stearman65]

Hi Flight 1. The small Krick version is as large as I could go, Krick also do a larger version but it's almost an ARTF by the sound of it 600+ Euro almost 3m span & for electric power.

**LINK**

[flight1]

yes the klemm 20/25 has a large wing span 2.6 m at 1/5 scale which is a large span for its scale, but it will fly well on a 90fs glow. you could always go for a KL35 which will have a lot less span, proberly still to big for your needs

[Stearman65]

Hi Again Flight1.

I'm 75% certain it will be the Krick Klemm L25D, which at just over 6ft is as big as I want to go. Just need to get shut of the big box in the corner containing the unstarted artf, which looks like it will be sold Sunday?

[Kevan Gillings 2]

Hi, I have a Krick Klem electric,I fitted a 300 watt motor on 3cell 1800 mah LiPo,it fly's very well and looks good in the air.The kit was of very good quality and nice to build.It is the oldest model I have, and I have decided to sell it on while it is in good condition and have put it on the BMFA classified site, surprisingly I have had no interest in it, may be people do not know the aircraft !!! Do they all want foamy warbirds ?

[Stearman65]

Hi Kevan

Saw your add on the BMFA site. IMO you need to put more detail, if it is complete with the electrics? If I remember it just says servos? Why not put it on here? I have had a few things on here, but the best response I find is Ebay, but also use Gumtree, Preloved, & Craigs list.

I just ordered the kit this morning & it's being delivered tomorrow. I ordered a kit as I want to build it, I'm old school & prefer to build things myself. I have had a couple of ARTFs & one for sale at the moment, but you can't beat knowing how it's built. Hope you can sell it.

Regs Eric.

[Kevan Gillings 2]

Hi, advert does say, motor, ECS and servos. I did not think that this forum is for adverts just discussion ?

[Stearman65]

Posted by Kevan Gillings 2 on 17/01/2019 13:04:08:

Hi, advert does say, motor, ECS and servos. I did not think that this forum is for adverts just discussion ?

MMMMMMM Almost sure it said servos only? Look at the classifieds on here. What motor & ESC? may be interested in those?

[Stearman65]

Finally decided on the Klemm from Krick. Ordered one from Leeds model shop & it's supposed to arrive today. In the meantime after having researched both kits (Storch & Klemm) the only fly in the Klemm ointment was the PDF manual. You can download it from the Krick site, & it is in German English & French, however the English & French sections don't have the 40 odd pictures in the relevant sections of text. So I spent a couple of hours making my own PDF file by copying the text to an OOG file. The pictures were a bit more difficult as the can't be copied & pasted, so I screen shot them & inserted them in the relevant places (as near as dammit) then re-created an English PDF manual complete with pictures where they should be. Took my mind back when I had a Graupner Middle Stik, which only had German instructions, some were easy to guess what was written such as "Der Wiggan Wagen" for the rudder, or something similar, it was 50 years ago.

Anyway, the Krick Klemm PDF English only manual, if anyone wants a copy, PM me your email address & I'll send you one. Usual disclaimer for any errors & omissions.

If anyone has built the current (no pun intended) electric version, I would be interested in knowing what motor you used, the one suggested on the Krick site is I think a Multiplex marketed version.

**LINK**

[Stearman65]

Trauma with the delivery yet again, DPD sent a text & email this morning giving the name of the driver & a time slot between 12.45 & 1.45. At 12.39, received a text from DPD, sorry we missed you as you were out, as I was dialling the number in the text, the door bell rang, it was the DPD driver. I went down to the lounge to meet him with the phone in my hand, he was ready with the excuse "the sat nav took me round the back", round the back is a different road name, no excuse, PILOT ERROR, he was about 7ft tall so I left it at that & took the kit back to our flat.

It had arrived from Leeds Model shop just over 24 hours from ordering, superb LMS. The kit box was in a stout cardboard carton, I unpacked it revealing the Krick L25 Klemm kit box. However, on opening the box, two disappointments, folded plan & only one wing shown. Didn't unpack any further & the kit was put away for the future when the Pilatus is complete.

Edited By Stearman65 on 18/01/2019 16:21:57

[brokenenglish]

For anyone who likes the Klemm and is looking for a nice colour scheme, this video is interesting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQwAjNaO1yc&index=1&list=WL

 

 

Edited By brokenenglish on 19/01/2019 14:29:45

[Stearman65]

Hi Brokenenglish

I saw the video & took a copy of it. Unfortunately most of the 25's had the silver & yellow schemes, & there are lots of models looking the same. The 35's were the ones with numerous colour schemes, I've down loaded a few from the internet, my favourite is an off white / cream with red sunbursts on the wings & tail, Would love some detailed pictures of it, it's in a German or Swiss museum I think. It is a 35 but what the heck, it looks gorgeous. pictures show & & a couple of others I like. The video however confirms the presence of pinked tapes on the covering.

 

Edited By Stearman65 on 19/01/2019 15:31:39