A Waterhouse & Eley Classic Awakens

[GaryW]

6 years ago I had to give up the hobby due to disability after being in the RC Flying Hobby almost 30 years, ( 29 & a bit yrs to be exact ) which at the time I set myself challenge to find a plane that ive had many of over the years & a plane I learnt to fly on to mark the celebrate 30 yrs in the hobby but finding one in good condition wasn't easy, But eventually I found by stroke of luck a complete 42 year old untouched kit of a Waterhouse & Eley " Superfly ".. which cost me £50.

 

With the help of a flying friend John, I had it built for me and with no intention of ever flying & with only a  motor, prop & Spinner fitted it has sat on a shelf for the last 6 yrs gather dust and occasionally being de-dusted. Since then I had not flown anymore, Well that was until October last year. I was watching RC Flying Videos on Youtube oneday back in October & I found my thumbs started to twitch which is something that hasn't happened for a long time, What the thumb twitch is , is anytime I couldn't get to the flying field for any reason my thumbs use to twitch almost like I was getting withdrawal symptoms for lack of flying,, Anyway I now found myself wanting to return to the hobby but How ?

 

Luckily after contacting a few people I know in the hobby, an Indoor Flying Club I use to got to was still running to which at this point my only intention was to only get back into the hobby as far as Indoor Flying wit 2 little indoor planes, That was 8 months ago,  Did it stop there.....? Oh heck no. I have joined a club and I'm back in the hobby again which I can only do again with the help form the arm long list of medication I have to take everyday and At present I now have 10 models  4 Planes, 3 Helicopters & 3 350 QX3 Quadcoters/Drones sitting on the shelves in the cupboard with A Chris Foss Unowot on the way ( currently being built by a friend ) An FMS Super EZ v.4 I'm picking up next week & I plane to get another model at Wings & Wheels this weekend...

 

I Digress.......

 

Anyway, Finally after 6 years of sitting on the shelf, I finally decided 2 weeks ago the time has come to get this now 48 yr old Classic fitted out with what was missing and finally get it ready for flying. The Superfly was designed for a .25 - .40 Glow Engine & 3-4 Ch setup back in 1975  which I decided this time round to go all electric with all my models , So with the kind of my clubs Chairman Phil who kindly agreed to fit the Superfly out with what it needed to get it flying I ordered what was needed from Paul @ Nexus Modelling Supplies and it went up to Phil a 10 days ago which Phil has done a fantastic job, The was finally ready to take to the skies 2 days ago, barring final TX set up by me... So Maiden Flight Day was upon me which was yesterday and I can very happily say the Superfly shot off down the patch at a rate of knots & lept into the air with great ease and flew exactly how a Waterhouse & Eley Superfly should and it was such a joy to fly one again .... After having a good fly around now the scary part was looming ... Getting it back down in one piece.... Now that went way better than I was expecting,, with just  3 or 4 clicks open throttle stick ,  ( thats just off tick over  for you glow fliers ) I turned it on to final approach and from there the only control input was a slight touch of rudder to keep the wings level , No elevator input was needed as it gently desended at its own pace , With just a slight tickle on the throttle as the plane came the hedge line of the flying field . The superfly touched down very gently with only a small amount of flare out on the elevator.....

 

Now I've flow many Superflys over the years and they all flew great, I've never had a bad one, & this one is no exception,,, I will be honest , For what it would have weighed if It was set up with a .40 glow engine, being that its set up for electric flight if anything my guess its around 6-8 oz's over weight which in all honesty now this is only estimated dont recall what any of my past Superflys weighed but they generally came in around the 4 & 1/2 - 5lb mark... so if it is a few oz's over weight you certainly couldn't tell by the way it hurls itself down the patch, Leaps in the air flies around happy and gently and as for landing ... probably the softest landing I've ever done with any plane over the years.

 

So Final Thoughts on this Classic form the 1970's....... I still say now The Superfly if not one of the best trainers of it's time, it was the best trainer from that era,, and  it's certainly the best trainer I have ever flown and flying one again now,,, yes you could say surely  I've advanced way past the need to be flying a Superfly by now, but it's one plane I have always found myself going back to now & then ,, & I wouldn't be surprised if another one appeared and find its way in to my collection one day

 

Photos of the Superfly form Kit to now posted somewhere below

 

Superfly Setup Specs

Motor:  Ripmax Quantum ll 40 

ESC : Hobbywing 60A

Prop: Master Airscrew 11x8

Servos: 2 Futaba 3003

RX: Spektrum AR 6210

RX Battery : Hi-Energy 4.8v 2200mah

Flight Battery: Hi-Energy 14.8v 4S 2800mah

 

Weight without Flight Battery: 4lb 12 oz

Flying Weight ( with lipo ) 5lb 5oz

 

Edited June 19, 2023 by Hawke225
missed photo in article

[Robin Colbourne]

Hawke225, thank you for posting this thread.  I have a couple of Super Flys that I hope to get flying and its great to see one as smart as yours.

[GaryW]

12 minutes ago, Robin Colbourne said:

Hawke225, thank you for posting this thread.  I have a couple of Super Flys that I hope to get flying and its great to see one as smart as yours.

 

Thanks Robin... will your be glow engine powered or electric?

[Robin Colbourne]

On 21/06/2023 at 23:02, Hawke225 said:

 

Thanks Robin... will your be glow engine powered or electric?

They both have glow motors in them, so I'm tempted to keep them as they are.  We have a club 'Pre-2000' model event coming up, so I may get it ready for that.

[GaryW]

2 minutes ago, Robin Colbourne said:

They both have glow motors in them, so I'm tempted to keep them as they are.  We have a club 'Pre-2000' model event coming up, so I may get it ready for that.

Must admit with how many superflys ive had over the years now flying an electric one does seem a bit odd

[EP]

Hawke225,

 

Great to see you flying again and converted to electric.  My Super Fly is still going.  In a fit of madness I cleaned up my old Merco 35 which was the original engine in the Super Fly and just for the challenge of it put the Merco 35 back in the Super Fly.  I can now fly the Super Fly either electric or glow.

 

Here is the electric version

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuSpQDmbdl4

 

Here is the Merco 35 glow version.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6v4ahwRg7U8

 

 

In all honesty the electric version is better, the glow version is messy and more difficult to get running properly.  However, it was fun cleaning up the old engine and getting it to run again.  I did it in such a way that I can easily convert back to electric.

 

 

[GaryW]

Now my Superfly has had its maiden flight and with no issues,,, as this one has been built with the exact colour scheme my very first Superfly  I learnt to fly on 36 yrs ago there was , there was only one thing missing for it to 100% match my original one which had Maltese Crosses on the underside of the wing,,, Why the person that gave me my first Superfly put the crosses under the wings I unfortunately do not know but this one had to have them ... So with a pair of Maltese crossed ordered and delivered my wife Caz decided to take on the task of cutting them out and placing them on the wings herself which she certainly did a better job at getting them straighter than I could ....

 

Now with the crosses on the wings,, this Classic, The Waterhouse & Eley Superfly is now complete, I'm sure i will enjoy flying it as much as all the other some 15+ Superflys I've had over the years & what with this being at most a 48 year model I can happily say its 2 yrs younger than I am, ( Yup I turned 50 2 days ago ) and although I use to chuck these round the sky in ways it wasn't designed to cope with ,, I can safely say this exact copy of my very first Superfly all be it this one being electric rather than glow which yes it doesn't quite feel right being electric ,,, She will be flown way more gently than any of its predecessors were... Shes an old girl now and needs treating gently,, but then my mad capped aerobatic flying days are now a memory and coming back into the hobby, I'm now taking a more relaxed flying style approach to my days at the club field

 

I will continue to update you all on how on how the plane goes along with photos and videos when I can

Edited June 23, 2023 by Hawke225

[GaryW]

On 23/06/2023 at 11:13, EP said:

Hawke225,

 

Great to see you flying again and converted to electric.  My Super Fly is still going.  In a fit of madness I cleaned up my old Merco 35 which was the original engine in the Super Fly and just for the challenge of it put the Merco 35 back in the Super Fly.  I can now fly the Super Fly either electric or glow.

 

Here is the electric version

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuSpQDmbdl4

 

Here is the Merco 35 glow version.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6v4ahwRg7U8

 

 

In all honesty the electric version is better, the glow version is messy and more difficult to get running properly.  However, it was fun cleaning up the old engine and getting it to run again.  I did it in such a way that I can easily convert back to electric.

 

 

 

Hi EP... ur video of ur superfly with the engine fitted looks great &  I will agree , having the Ripmax Quantum 40 in mine it certainly has more oomph than a glow engine wud , still feels it bit weird flying an electric superfly but it's good to see mine in the air finally & its a lot of fun to fly.. Im hoping to post a video of mine flying with in the next couple of weeks

Edited July 5, 2023 by GaryWebb

[GaryW]

Well the Superfly is flying better than I was expecting with another successful days flying now done,, 

 

Now after having 2 successful flying days with this old classic, Comparing it to the many Glow Engine powered ones I've had over the years,,,, Powering this one with the Ripmax Quantum 40 Motor with 60A ESC spinning a Master Airscrew 11x8 std Prop .... & all up flying weight around what it would have been if powered with a Glow Engine ,,, The electric setup is powering the plane far better than an engine would and the leccy setup definitely packs more punch in power...& now it's fully trimmed out & settled in flight .. I'm now getting a comfortable 10 minute flight time each flight on the 4S 2800's where in the test flights I set the timer on my DX7S @ 8 minutes to allowing for any missed approaches / aborted landings

 

Hoping to get some video of the Superfly in action at the weekend which the wife ( Caz ) has kindly said she will come and do the video for me on Sunday.... Next task is to buy another couple of 4S 2800mah lipos as I only have 2 at the moment so the 2 new ones will give me more flights in a days flying at the club field.

 

And I will admit ( althought not to the mrs ) I came across another couple of Superflys for sale in the last week and I very nearly bought both of them which the lack of space on the model shelves with the planes I currently have along with 3 QX3 quads & 2 little indoor jobbies & 2 more models still yet to come ( one coming this Thursday ) put a stop to me buying them ( that and the mrs is cringing at how the heck it all fits in ) what with the 2 yet to come....

 

All I say is,, " That's the joys of you being married to me " ..... LOL

 

 

Edited July 10, 2023 by GaryWebb

[David Davis]

On 23/06/2023 at 12:13, EP said:

Hawke225,

 

Great to see you flying again and converted to electric.  My Super Fly is still going.  In a fit of madness I cleaned up my old Merco 35 which was the original engine in the Super Fly and just for the challenge of it put the Merco 35 back in the Super Fly.  I can now fly the Super Fly either electric or glow.

 

Here is the electric version

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuSpQDmbdl4

 

Here is the Merco 35 glow version.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6v4ahwRg7U8

 

 

In all honesty the electric version is better, the glow version is messy and more difficult to get running properly.  However, it was fun cleaning up the old engine and getting it to run again.  I did it in such a way that I can easily convert back to electric.

 

Ah the Merco 35, I took my A Certificate with one in a Telemaster 66! I proceded to wear out two Merco 35s in that model and a Super 60. They were very noisy engines with the standard exhaust. I fitted a P&R silencer to mine.

 

 

 

[EP]

David,

 

I was quite satisfied with how the Merco 35 ran.  It starts a lot better than some other glow engines at our field (no need for an electric starter) and ticks over very nicely.  I've been keeping it running rich for the first few flights, re-running it in.  I haven't even adjusted the low end needle yet.  That video really was the 2nd run of the engine.  I was keeping plenty high waiting for a deadstick and was intentionally trying to let it run out of fuel so I knew how long the tank lasts.  Of course it ran out as soon as I did a low pass.  The fuel lasted about 20 minutes on the ground with the engine ticking over and 12 minutes during areal flight (6 oz tank).  I'm really an electric guy.

 

Eric

[GaryW]

Hi Again Everyone......

 

Well what started out to be a rather good day and calm wind wise.... just as I was getting ready to Fly the Superfly today the wind blew in but still managed to get a quick rather gusty flight with the ol girl

[EP]

Gary,

 

That looks seriously windy.   Do you have ailerons?   I don't think I have seen my Super Fly get tossed around that much.  More like the wind I am used to when I go slope soaring.  Impressive acceleration on takeoff through that grass.

 

All back in one piece, ready for another day.

 

EP

[GaryW]

2 minutes ago, EP said:

Gary,

 

That looks seriously windy.   Do you have ailerons?   I don't think I have seen my Super Fly get tossed around that much.  More like the wind I am used to when I go slope soaring.  Impressive acceleration on takeoff through that grass.

 

All back in one piece, ready for another day.

 

EP

 

Yes it was rather gusty wind got up as i was getting it ready to fly and no ailerons mine is 3 channel and yes the motor ripmax quantum 40 seems to be producing more and more power the more i fly it on 4s 2800 mah and i wudnt normally fly it in that much wind

Edited September 10, 2023 by GaryWebb

[EP]

Yes I thought so.  I don't really fancy flying in that wind without ailerons.

 

EP

[GaryW]

2 minutes ago, EP said:

Yes I thought so.  I don't really fancy flying in that wind without ailerons.

 

EP

 

ahh the ol girl didnt mind getting blown about a bit...lol

[GaryW]

Finally got a nice flat calm day at the club field today so took the Superfly out and 2 absolutely perfect flights ,,,, With all the Superfly's I've over the years this is the only one I've ever done electric and its the best one I've ever had wudnt be right if I ever converted it to Glow power as she flies absolutely faultlessly on the current setup... Thanks to fellow club member John for the video

 

 

[EP]

GaryW,

 

Great flight Garry.  I liked the touch and go.  I'm amazed at how well it does without ailerons.  Mine is still flying well although I haven't flown it for a while.  I'm getting ready to take my BMFA B certificate so I'm currently mostly flying a SBach 342.  I don't think I could get the Super Fly through the BMFA B!

 

Currently my Super Fly is still running the Merco 35 but then I have a WOT4 foame and SBach 342 for electric.  The Super Fly is a lot more stable and relaxing to fly compared to the SBach.

 

EP

[GaryW]

On 16/06/2024 at 12:28, EP said:

GaryW,

 

Great flight Garry.  I liked the touch and go.  I'm amazed at how well it does without ailerons.  Mine is still flying well although I haven't flown it for a while.  I'm getting ready to take my BMFA B certificate so I'm currently mostly flying a SBach 342.  I don't think I could get the Super Fly through the BMFA B!

 

Currently my Super Fly is still running the Merco 35 but then I have a WOT4 foame and SBach 342 for electric.  The Super Fly is a lot more stable and relaxing to fly compared to the SBach.

 

EP

 

 

Thanks EP.. beleive it or not she is very easy stable to fly with no unrepsponsiveness being only 3 ch with rudder & elevator,,,, and with no bad tendancies she is also very forgiving to fly when pulling loops and barrel typr rolls ,, and althought the all up flying weight is estimated at 4-6oz over weight she sure dont fly like she's overweight at all actually she is very light on her wheels..... Deffo made the right choice with kitting her out as an electric rather than glow .. Yours being 4 ch version it shud be capable of a b test but id suggest replacing the outside loop with a split s..... anyway happy flting mate

Edited June 17 by GaryW

[EP]

GaryW,

 

That would be the extra 3" of dihedral you have.

 

Rudder only version has 4 1/2 dihedral (2 1/4 each wing)

Aileron version has 1 1/2" (3/4" each wing)

 

Seriously though I can fly around quite happily using the rudder, I just don't because I am used to using ailerons.

 

I don't think the split S is an option any more on the B test and it is definitely not going to do an outside loop. I do notice with mine that inverted flight is not a strong point.  I have to hold a lot of down for level flight and I have the C of G where it is supposed to be according to the plan.  I haven't gone wild trying to move the C of G back.  The SBach is definitely more suited to the B.  BTW I did pass my SAA Bronze (BMFA A equivalent) on the Super Fly.

 

EP

 

[Dennis]

in1974 I was24years old and I needed to earn some money, so I went down to a local model shop and asked if I could please borrow the plans from all the model planes that he had. l must confess that I had never flown a RC model and never have done since. I was trained as an engineering pattern maker. I combined the various designs and the w and e super fly was born I  made a wooden pattern and then moulds and away I went. I sold  over 100 models before I found some one to see if it would fly. My Dad was very annoyed with me. Fortunately it flew very well! I perfected the plan and wrote the instruction manual, then tooled up to make the wings. I employed some lads and then went on and manufactured several thousand models. 1978 was our best year - we exported to Holland, Germany and Belgium. Then our wonderful government moved the goalposts by raising the value of the currency. 1980 we lost the export market overnight and then the knock on recession  with the home market. I voluntarily stopped trading without owing money and made everyone redundant.  I then started again on my own making high quality bespoke kitchens, which was very successful until l retired in 2012. Four weeks later I was diagnosed with prostate cancer -  I was lucky they cured me. Thank you for buying my Superfly models and i am glad that you enjoyed them and I am sorry if you are disappointed that I did not fly. I am very dyslexic and not good at texting as you can see. Best wishes, Dennis Waterhouse 

[J D 8 - Moderator]

 Hi Denis, Nice to hear your story of the Superfly development. As I recall caused a lot of excitement at the time. I was just learning RC at the time and drooled a bit at the mag adverts but being self taught stayed with motor glider types.

 There was a double post which I deleted. Any more info on how/where Superfly was made? Cheers John.

 

[Dennis]

Hello John,

Thanks, I’ll post a bit more information when I get time then. I also made the Cliffhanger - a 6 foot wingspan glider. So I’ll post a bit about that too.

 

Cheers,

 

Dennis

 

[EP]

Dennis,

 

I bought mine from Marionville Models in Edinburgh, Scotland around 1975/76 I think.  Mine has a white fuselage, most of the others seem to be red.  I had just built a Chris Foss Phase 4 glider from a plan and wanted a power model rather than another glider.  What attracted me to the Super Fly was the fibreglass fuselage and veneered foam wings.  It must have been one of the first fibreglass fuselages.  It looked like it was going to be considerably less work to build than the Phase 4.  BTW I still have the plan.  It flies well, very steady and no evil tendencies.

 

EP

[GaryW]

1 hour ago, Dennis said:

in1974 I was24years old and I needed to earn some money, so I went down to a local model shop and asked if I could please borrow the plans from all the model planes that he had. l must confess that I had never flown a RC model and never have done since. I was trained as an engineering pattern maker. I combined the various designs and the w and e super fly was born I  made a wooden pattern and then moulds and away I went. I sold  over 100 models before I found some one to see if it would fly. My Dad was very annoyed with me. Fortunately it flew very well! I perfected the plan and wrote the instruction manual, then tooled up to make the wings. I employed some lads and then went on and manufactured several thousand models. 1978 was our best year - we exported to Holland, Germany and Belgium. Then our wonderful government moved the goalposts by raising the value of the currency. 1980 we lost the export market overnight and then the knock on recession  with the home market. I voluntarily stopped trading without owing money and made everyone redundant.  I then started again on my own making high quality bespoke kitchens, which was very successful until l retired in 2012. Four weeks later I was diagnosed with prostate cancer -  I was lucky they cured me. Thank you for buying my Superfly models and i am glad that you enjoyed them and I am sorry if you are disappointed that I did not fly. I am very dyslexic and not good at texting as you can see. Best wishes, Dennis Waterhouse 

 

 

Hi Dennis,,,,,,

 

Nice to meet the man behind the Superfly and I enjoyed your post on how the model started... & I still say to this day, It was the best trainer of its time