Soaron Sunshine kit

[Roger Jepps]

Hi, Just wondering if anyone has any recollections of the Soaron Sunshine 126" span glider .   I have  aquired a complete unstarted kit. The designers name on the plan is Roy Garner with the figures 80 after the name,  this could possibly be the year it was produced. Thanks.

[PatMc]

I remember the Soaron kits well. 1980 would be about the right year.

Is the fuselage a fibreglass pod & phenolic tube boom with a  fibreglass fin ?

[Roger Jepps]

Hi,  thanks for your reply,  sounds spot on.  The pod and fin are fibreglass with what they term on the plan as a carbon fibre boom. The wings and rudder are foam veneered with a sheet balsa T tail.  Looking at the plan again it says open class thermal soarer for 2 / 3 channel (spoiler option) with an epoxy glass fuselage option.  I am presuming then this to be the deluxe version although nowhere on the plan sheet does it give any detail for building a balsa / ply alternative.  Perhaps two boxed kit versions were produced at the time.   It certainly is a nicely manufactured kit. 

[Martin Hodgson]

The sunshines I remember were built up wings and tail.

Friend of mine flew  one regularly and for calm sedate flying in light lift they were hard to beat. Towed up at walking pace or even running back towards the pilot in any kind of wind strength. They were out of fashion (and production) when I got into competition glider flying (too fragile) but you could always count on one or two appearing when the wind was absent.

Keep it as light as possible would be my advice and you'll be rewarded with a nice gentle flying model.

[Roger Jepps]

Thanks for the advice,  much appreciated.   From your description then of the build its most likely there were two versions of the sunshine.

[Marc Humphries]

I had a Sunshine and their 100S glider called Solitaire.  Both had foam wings and the pod and boom fuselage.

 

They were both very attractive looking machines and flew very well.  I flew the Solitaire in a few competetions - but they were never competition machines - the wing area was relatively low.

 

Mind you - at a comp at Warwick Racecourse in 1981 it caught an absolute hay bail lifter of a thermal in one slot.  It was dotted out after a couple of minutes and it was a struggle to get it down.  My violent manoeuvers caused a wing to fail and the resulting death dive into some woodland was spectacular.  It was flying again within the week and gave about 6 years of stirling service - particularly in light winds on the slope - where you could admire its good looks.

 

The Sunshine is also a great flyer - you will enjoy it.

Edited By Marc Humphries on 07/08/2009 11:37:23

[PatMc]

I bought an unstarted Solitaire kit s/h at a bring & buy about 15 years ago. When I built it I included several mods.The wings were built with polyhedral instead of straight, the fibreglass fin seemed very heavy so got binned in favour of a built up balsa & ply one. The fin/rudder shape was maintained but the fin went full height with no rudder forward of the hinge line. Can't remember the numbers but it turned out very light.

 

As Marc said it was quite an attractive model but had too little wing area for 100s comps. I tested & trimmed it a couple of times in light slope winds & it was a very pleasant flyer but not what I wanted so I sold it on at the Primrose Valley model week auction. I saw the buyer a couple of times at later PV holiday weeks, he reckoned it flew very well & he was delighted with it.

[Allen the soarer]

I have a Soaron Sunshine Open 126"

with the glass fuz and spoilers

at the mo I am in the middle of modding it with micro servos in the wings but i could really do with a plan of the T-tail as the origianal one was just hack up by me coz it did not have one when i got it

if you want any pics or advice I would be happy to help

Allen

Edited By Allen the soarer on 11/09/2009 12:24:49

[Allen the soarer]

Mine was 1986 by the way

[Allen the soarer]