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Re: Purbeck 1/3rd Scale DG800 Build Thread

Posted: 13 Oct 2018, 00:03
by terry white
Just as I expected Simon, Good call though.

Re: Purbeck 1/3rd Scale DG800 Build Thread

Posted: 18 Oct 2018, 18:47
by Simon WS
Maiden success on the South Downs today!

Paul will hopefully work his magic on the video editing but we should have enough footage to make it interesting. First flight, rather nose heavy but still flew without any trim applied due to the strong lift. Second flight we mounted a Go pro camera on a wing to get some interesting shots (hopefully - I haven't seen the footage yet). Still nose heavy after removing all the removable weight I can so I'll have to start applying some weight to the tail.

Phew - it was a bit stressful because the wind was far less than predicted and the landing area is a bit challenging but all went well.

I did fast passes, loops and rolls so it does everything I need it to - albeit I think it's going to be better with a more rearward cg.

Thanks to Terry for designing it...

Simon

Re: Purbeck 1/3rd Scale DG800 Build Thread

Posted: 18 Oct 2018, 21:02
by catwok
A long journey Simon but well worth it I'm sure!
2 down, or up, 1 to go! :D

Re: Purbeck 1/3rd Scale DG800 Build Thread

Posted: 19 Oct 2018, 10:26
by roo Hawkins
Well done si . We all look forward to seeing it. ROO :D

Re: Purbeck 1/3rd Scale DG800 Build Thread

Posted: 19 Oct 2018, 22:30
by Jolly Roger
A huge well done Simon. I love how you've engineered everything properly and not cut any corners. It deserves to fly well and I hope will give you many hours of fun flying.

Re: Purbeck 1/3rd Scale DG800 Build Thread

Posted: 21 Oct 2018, 16:01
by Paul W
Here's the footage from the day... congratulations Simon, she looks superb!

[youtube][/youtube]

Re: Purbeck 1/3rd Scale DG800 Build Thread

Posted: 21 Oct 2018, 16:11
by Barry_Cole
Looks good Simon, just the aerotow to go....

:geek: :geek: :geek: :geek:

BC

Re: Purbeck 1/3rd Scale DG800 Build Thread

Posted: 21 Oct 2018, 16:50
by Peter Balcombe
Well done Simon.
I can’t see why you were worried about the maiden !! :)
Perhaps you can can give her a proper work out next time around :D :D

Re: Purbeck 1/3rd Scale DG800 Build Thread

Posted: 21 Oct 2018, 17:58
by Simon WS
Brilliant video from Paul as usual - many thanks to Paul, Eric and of course the very important launcher Mark.

The on board footage reminds me I need to complete the instrument panel, pedals, joystick and levers!

Phew!

Simon

Re: Purbeck 1/3rd Scale DG800 Build Thread

Posted: 21 Oct 2018, 19:00
by terry white
Well done Simon.
She looks just awesome in the air; those huge open loops and fast,low passes is nothing but orgasmic (as they say in Whitehall) I am sure you are going to have hours and hours of fun with her. Well worth the build and small problems on the way. Also what a lovely clear well edited video,I shall keep a copy on my desktop and play it whenever the weather stops me flying. Thanks Paul.

Just a little history for those who have just joined us.
We've been waiting a long time for this day, Simon started this build thread exactly 2 years ago this week. and he has had quite a number of pit falls on his journey in completing the project. This is the very reason why I wanted him to take on the project in the first place.I new that once he had started it nothing would throw him off from completing it. He also promised to write a super build thread with a warts and all, day by day account on finishing a proto type model and this he has done admirably. For this we all thank him very much. Also Paul Watkins who had earlier in the month maidened his 800 ( which was the second prototype off the line), comes from a very respectable modelling background with his dad being none other than the legendary John Watkins. John is a little bit poorly now but still manages to fly with Paul's help. Paul too has brought many years of scale modeling experience to this project.

We at Purbeck Sailplanes started the original design of this model in 1998 twenty some years ago. The three proto- types were made purely to iron out the same pitfalls that Simon came across and wrote about. These would have been found and corrected before it had gone into full production just as the ASW27 did before it.
The 800 was the last model Purbeck produced after 12 years in the business, Each of our three families were employed full time with 2 part timers making 9 employed in total.We changed to larger premises twice, with a total of closing 2000 model kits coming out of our small family factory which were sent around the world including Hong Kong and America.
After 12 years of living,sleeping and playing model gliders, we all thought that such hard work deserved more rewards then we were getting, Also I had become sensitized to the epoxy and found that after a day in the factory with the associated fumes my eyes would not focus properly. The day had come; to call it a day and very reluctantly we sold out to an American company that had chased us to sell to them for a number of months.
Everything was packed up and shipped off to America in the coming weeks with part of the selling deal to finish the molds and templates for the coming DG800. This we did,but we just could not part with the three prototypes that had taken so much of our time and enthusiasm up until then.
So yes folk it does mean a great deal to me and my family to see these two models completed and flown, with my own ASW800 hot on their heels. I look forward to seeing all three together in the air next spring.I also hope that as his model settles down to his flying, that Simon will share future stories with us.
So once again thanks to Paul for being the first in the air, and a special thank you to Simon for this superb build thread.

Kind regards Terry.