Matt Carlton Posted February 16, 2022 Share Posted February 16, 2022 Hello, Did I miss something? Have SMC started producing Flair kits? https://www.sussex-model-centre.co.uk/aircraft/scale/flair-scout-series-legionaire-fl1022 Or have they got some old stock from somewhere? I thought Flair had long since disappeared. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ovenden Posted February 16, 2022 Share Posted February 16, 2022 Clearing old stock I imagine. It's says something about "opening the vault" on their website. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon H Posted February 16, 2022 Share Posted February 16, 2022 £249?! good lord 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Carlton Posted February 16, 2022 Author Share Posted February 16, 2022 I did think that Jon, I should have stocked up on them way back when. A far more lucrative investment than many it would appear. I wouldn't spend that myself though. Frankly I could get a kit laser cut from a plan at a higher quality for a lot less, but nostalgia sells apparently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff S Posted February 17, 2022 Share Posted February 17, 2022 I think my Flair SE5a cost about £80 when I built it about 25 years ago. I bought it from a local model shop as well as the OS52FS that I fitted. I think it was the third model I built after a Precedent Elecectrafly and a 40 powered trainer. I converted it to electric last year. I think there are better and cheaper kits available these days, though the Flair kits certainly flew well and were popular but they're basically a 30 year-old design. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Carlton Posted February 17, 2022 Author Share Posted February 17, 2022 It's an interesting point. When I think back to what I tend to perceive as the "good old days", I wonder how many of my dream kits of the day would bear scrutiny today? I have always, always wanted a Sitar Special, but have always been nervous about actually looking for one in case it is a disappointment. Better for it to remain untarnished in my imagination I suspect. Never meet your heroes as they say! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leccyflyer Posted February 17, 2022 Share Posted February 17, 2022 Definitely an interesting point - discussed at length in this thread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyGnome Posted February 17, 2022 Share Posted February 17, 2022 (edited) I always fancied a Sig Smith Miniplane. Found one, about three months ago - from SMC. It's been a more challenging build than I expected, with huge lumps of balsa to cut and shape; ply to cut out; a firewall to laminate........ quite a bit different to more modern kits! Edited February 17, 2022 by GrumpyGnome Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul De Tourtoulon Posted February 17, 2022 Share Posted February 17, 2022 8 hours ago, Jon - Laser Engines said: £249?! good lord At that price it needs one of your first laser Diesels,, ( ok just being silly again ) I also built their SE5a a great flyer, it fell to bits after being pressure cleaned with four stroke unburned fuel after over ten years on flying it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Robson Posted February 17, 2022 Share Posted February 17, 2022 1 hour ago, Paul De Tourtoulon said: At that price it needs one of your first laser Diesels,, ( ok just being silly again ) I also built their SE5a a great flyer, it fell to bits after being pressure cleaned with four stroke unburned fuel after over ten years on flying it. My SE 5 lasted 7yrs before a dodgy servo flipped it onto a concrete runway, I would have repaired it but the oil contamination was too bad. It cost all of £45 from the local model shop. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuban8 Posted February 17, 2022 Share Posted February 17, 2022 (edited) So sad that Flair appear to have thrown the towel in although their website still says they are 'restructuring'. Well engineered kits that were affordable and popular back in the day - just look what secondhand kits and models command pricewise now. Too good to go extinct completely, maybe someone else will eventually make a decent job of putting them back into production? Edited February 17, 2022 by Cuban8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon H Posted February 17, 2022 Share Posted February 17, 2022 While the flair models were good for their time i think they have had their day. The days of die crushed lite ply are gone and the DB 60 inch pup is better looking, better made, easier to build and generally more up to date. The SFM kit se5a also has its merits and generally i think things have moved on. That said, i have flown a number over the years and was taught to fly on a flair pup as it was all my Dad had available. it was just fantastic to fly and very forgiving while still being able to teach so much. My Dad even did his B cert with it! The model, now 34 years old, is still hung in the garage and is airworthy in theory. My Dad has not flown in the last 15 years following a new crowd taking over the club he had flown with for over 20 years and throwing out everyone they didnt want there. He jumped before being pushed, but being stubborn i held on until they claimed my renewal never arrived. In any case i am trying to convince him to join my current club as his pup would not take much to get back in the air and it would be great to get it flying again. I also own and fly the Flair nieuport, and it would be nice to fly the two models together. I can also chase down his pup with my Flair triplane when i eventually build it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john stones 1 - Moderator Posted February 17, 2022 Share Posted February 17, 2022 I have nothing but fond memories of those kits, would be great to see them back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Carlton Posted February 17, 2022 Author Share Posted February 17, 2022 I think that maybe with some tweaks to take account of change in technology (laser cut parts vs die cut etc) that there is enough good will and enough nostalgia to make the Flair name viable. Stan at PMP has resurrected his wood kits with success, so no reason that an updated Heron with a built up wing, Flamingo, Sunrise etc wouldn't sell, particularly as electric conversions. There's a big back catalogue of kits that would find a ready market I suspect. But as ever, price would be key. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maurice Dyer Posted February 17, 2022 Share Posted February 17, 2022 5 hours ago, Paul De Tourtoulon said: At that price it needs one of your first laser Diesels,, ( ok just being silly again ) I also built their SE5a a great flyer, it fell to bits after being pressure cleaned with four stroke unburned fuel after over ten years on flying it. Which is why my third one is now electric. Still a good flyer, but cleaner. Maury Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maurice Dyer Posted February 17, 2022 Share Posted February 17, 2022 5 hours ago, GrumpyGnome said: I always fancied a Sig Smith Miniplane. Found one, about three months ago - from SMC. It's been a more challenging build than I expected, with huge lumps of balsa to cut and shape; ply to cut out; a firewall to laminate........ quite a bit different to more modern kits! Yes I also have a fancy for one. Maybe not now........ Speaking of rubbish kits: I bought a Dave Smith Models Saphir. Acrobatic as hell and a really nice flyer, but the kit was the worst I've had in my 48 years of rc. Heavy where it should have been light balsa, and vice versa. Start carving or sanding something and it comes away like sliceing shredded wheat. Cheap rubbish (I threw them away) clevises and horns. Diabolical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc Posted February 17, 2022 Share Posted February 17, 2022 On the Sussex website it says " manufacturer SMC " maybe they have restarted production? Worth a phone call to check what sort of cutting they use now -laser or diecut- if you are a serious buyer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon H Posted February 17, 2022 Share Posted February 17, 2022 1 hour ago, john stones 1 - Moderator said: I have nothing but fond memories of those kits, would be great to see them back. Oh dont get me wrong, if the designs were updated and so on then i would welcome them back too. Its just that they really went the wrong direction with their design/construction and a guy i flew with found his MkII pup came with the plan in 5 pieces which made it difficult to build. When he asked why it was in 5 pieces and not two like the old one, he was told it was too much like hard work (i am paraphrasing) to get big plans printed so they did small ones. Corner cutting like this just undermines the whole product. Especially when the top, bottom, left and right wings were printed at very slightly different scales so they were all different. I found this same problem on a MkII DVII another club member was building at a similar time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Lee Posted February 17, 2022 Share Posted February 17, 2022 34 minutes ago, kc said: On the Sussex website it says " manufacturer SMC " maybe they have restarted production? Worth a phone call to check what sort of cutting they use now -laser or diecut- if you are a serious buyer. Last month I bought a Radio Sailplanes Sirocco from the SMC 'Vault', it was similarly described as manufactured by SMC but it was an original kit as I expected from the description & photos - complete with a 40 year old sealed tube of Evostick! I built one back in the late 70's (as well as the Wildfleken), for me it was worth paying the asking price. With the sudden appearance of nearly 300 twenty+ year old kits I suspect that the bulk have been acquired from one or two private collections. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Carlton Posted February 17, 2022 Author Share Posted February 17, 2022 I did also notice a "Triffik" pylon racer and a few others. If you filter the manufacturer as "SMC" there are some rather nice, if overpriced, bits and bobs there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Gaskin 1 Posted February 17, 2022 Share Posted February 17, 2022 They cleared out Spire Models when it closed down. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin b Posted February 17, 2022 Share Posted February 17, 2022 9 hours ago, Jon - Laser Engines said: I also own and fly the Flair nieuport, and it would be nice to fly the two models together. I can also chase down his pup with my Flair triplane when i eventually build it. Laser powered ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon H Posted February 18, 2022 Share Posted February 18, 2022 2 hours ago, kevin b said: Laser powered ? saito 45. Lasers are too big physically and for power. Even the saito is turning a 15 inch prop, grossly overloaded and still i only need about 1/2 throttle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Crook Posted February 18, 2022 Share Posted February 18, 2022 My Legionnair flew nicely on an OS40 FS, as did my SE5. Luckily I kept the plan for the latter and now have an electric version built from it, flies really well and doesn't deteriorate. I remember being disappointed when I bought their Fokker DVII and had to build it without a full size plan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon H Posted February 18, 2022 Share Posted February 18, 2022 Going cheap on the plans was a big mistake. IT just made them so hard to build and in the case of the revised pup design, almost impossible to fit a 4 stroke which seemed rather daft. As for powerplants, it has to be a 4 stroke. I know i am big on engines, but my nieuport is whisper quiet (quieter than half the electric models at my club!) and the soft 4 stroke sound cannot be beaten on a calm summer evening. I know some dont like the oil, but i dont think i have ever done more than a single wipe with a towel after a days flying as the little saito runs very cleanly. I think my model is about 8 or 9 years old now and it looks suitably grubby for a WWI fighter. Its due its winter inspection soon and once a few small items are fixed it should be ready for another season. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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