Nice one Nigel. It has given me the spur to get going with my Spalinger. (Workshop floor is now levelled and painted and I took delivery of the carbon-fibre tub for my sportscar last week, so, no more excuses for not getting the modelling stuff down from the loft !)
Compliments of the season to all,
Dave
ps still got one more stage to do for the x-country endorsement. The paperwork for the MotorFalke's Annual is taking an age
Well, I am building a Keil Kraft Elmira. OK, I know its not scale, but it has a lot of personal significance for me. Like lots of people I started learning on gliders such a the trusty Veron Impala. The guy who taught me to fly was building an Elmira as per the the original kit. When he flew it, the sight of it soaring was new experience for me as it "looked" scale. I was hooked and from that time on my interest in kippers waned and I looked for scale gliders to build. (not that there were many back then)
So then, 50 years later I come accross Replikit and decide on a trip of pure nostalgia. However, with several models on the board needing completion, I decided this winter would be the appropriate time to build my Elmira.
So with that plan set in mind I came accross just such a kit on the BMFA, at a better price than the new kit, so I quickly made the purchase.
After a week of happy balsa bashing I have a nice smooth fuselage and some tail feathers. So, once the Christmas festivities are over the wing will be started. I have decided on two modificatons ( well quite a few actually). The main one is to give her ailerons. I remember quite well that when a turn was require you needed to send a telegram. It was numb on the rudder. And it had no airbarakes, so landing was a hastle. Mine will have both.
I have also dispensed with with the banded on wing and will use a peg at the front with a nylon bolt at the back of the wing. And I am making the talplane and fin removable with a single bolt at the back. This is just to make storage and transport easier and safer.
My hope is to take my old friend Eric one day next summer and give hime a go on the sticks. He doesn't fly any more because he is getting frail, but it will be a nice thing to do whilst he is still around.
Merry Christmas.
John