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Bowlus Super Albatross

Alex Tankink
Posts: 37
Joined: 20 Jan 2021, 11:53
Location: Adelaide

Bowlus Super Albatross

Post by Alex Tankink »

Well if you asked me a week ago that my first adventure into Scale Sailplanes would be a rebuild or a Bowlus Super Albatross that was built about 30 years ago I would have said you got the wrong person budd :D.

But ask me now and I have to confess that yes the rumours are true!

While recently visiting Alexis a new gliding friend and long time avid Scale Soaring enthusiast we got onto the topic of rebuilds and how nice it was to basically breath life into an old much loved glider and have it return to the sky. Alexis had done a few over the years and it has brought him lots of satisfaction.



Call me sentimental or foolish (or both), but that idea actually appeals to me a lot. Maybe it’s that long overlooked tinkerer that has laid dormant for far to many years.

After a recent visit I called Alexis up and said that if he knew of an old glider or someone with a glider that deserved a second chance and one I could take on with half a chance of success to please let me know.

Well, asking a bloke like Alexis this question is … err.. a very silly question! He literally has 30 years of RC and scale soaring history filling up this double garage and as I later found out his roof space!

Tucked in the corner of his garage was an old familiar fuselage. I had been a fan of vintage gliders since a young kid and the Bowlus Baby and Super Albatross were always
gliders that caught my interest. This particular model was a 1/3 scale Super Albatross and one that had seen a few incarnations throughout its life.

Alexis had built the Bowlus back in the 90’s and it had changed hands several times before returning home. Like many similar projects it sat in a corner of the shed and overtime began to suffer from bouts of hangar rash.

The method used ‘back in the day’ to construct this glider was to make a foam fuselage master, glass it up and then break into the fuselage and dissolve out the foam in strategic areas where you needed to install your radio gear and cockpit details etc.

A recent incarnation of the original model saw the original glassed fuz strip planked over and stained to resemble the mahogany of the early originals. A process that was never really fully completed.

Overall the model had seen better days. The original foam core wings were beyond repair and will be replaced with built up wings as per the original first prototypes. This is a scale forum after all 😬.

The elevator and rudder as well as vertical and horizontal stabilisers will need a full rebuild.

The aluminium litho plate covered fibreglass boom was ‘squishy and crunchy’ in the centre section and was now slightly out of alignment.

Whilst the original fibreglass fuz (basically the core) was in OK condition much of the strip plank covering in key areas had separated from the fibreglass core and there was a very big hole where an old school Canopy assembly had been roughed out but not finished.

Overall there were a few rough holes where modifications had been made by past owners but not fully finished and as with old gliders there were a few makeshift repairs that needed patching.

So in summary, it’s kind of like an old classic car good bones, but when you dig deep the list of fixes is a bit longer than what you initially anticipated 😆😆😆.

Simple rebuild you ask? Easy way into the hobby??? … hmm maybe not. But how can you go past a Bowlus Super Albatross and a challenge? Ahh the naivety of a new builder I hear some of you whisper? Yes we shall see… and it is my hope this forum keeps me honest and inspired.

I will most certainly welcome your collective knowledge experience and advice.

Below is the project as it arrived into the shed yesterday. I guess you could say at the projects Zero Hour 😆.

Please note the classic old school analogue radio gear still in situ and a decade of dust. RC archeology at its best 👍🏻

Cheers

Alex
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In its original form back in the day
In its original form back in the day
31A62EC8-6B9F-41CE-A534-9194BF578A0D.jpeg (12.82 KiB) Viewed 4288 times
Last edited by Alex Tankink on 23 Aug 2021, 13:23, edited 2 times in total.
Alex Tankink
Posts: 37
Joined: 20 Jan 2021, 11:53
Location: Adelaide

Re: Bowlus Super Albatross

Post by Alex Tankink »

D Day plus 1

Today’s work saw me
- clean out the fuz of old gear
- remove canopy
- strip the inside ‘guts’ back to the bare fibreglass to check the bones and make sure it’s all airworthy.
- I removed the old boom and cut away cracked fibreglass and strip planking that had separated from the original fuz.

Jobs to do.

1- I will retrofit a keel and wheel housing / box into the bottom of the fuz and build up some internal formers and not so ‘long-erons’ to help firm up the fuz and distribute forces when landing.

2- Fit a new box for the wing joiners etc.

3- A new thin wall Aluminium boom will be retrofitted and the rear end of the Fuz beefed up with formers to accept the new boom.

I also noted that the original proposed location of the canopy is possibly a little to far forward and will need a review.

Simples 😳😳
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Note the boom is a bit skewiff
Note the boom is a bit skewiff
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Alex Tankink
Posts: 37
Joined: 20 Jan 2021, 11:53
Location: Adelaide

Re: Bowlus Super Albatross

Post by Alex Tankink »

These are options being considered for a revised canopy set up.
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Mike F
Posts: 114
Joined: 18 Mar 2015, 14:08
Location: Gloucestershire

Re: Bowlus Super Albatross

Post by Mike F »

Hi Alex

Looks like a real rebuild of a beautiful old sailplane. We'll follow with interest as it becomes a graceful Albatross once more.

Good luck!
Mike
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chris williams
Posts: 1549
Joined: 10 Mar 2015, 10:50
Location: Blandford Dorset

Re: Bowlus Super Albatross

Post by chris williams »

I remember seeing Alexis fly this model at the Millennium aerotow at Bordertown at the turn of the century...
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Barry_Cole

Re: Bowlus Super Albatross

Post by Barry_Cole »

Now you are just showing off......

So how come you cannnot remember to bring all the parts of your gliders???

:? :? :? :?

BC
Alex Tankink
Posts: 37
Joined: 20 Jan 2021, 11:53
Location: Adelaide

Re: Bowlus Super Albatross

Post by Alex Tankink »

chris williams wrote: 23 Aug 2021, 16:37 I remember seeing Alexis fly this model at the Millennium aerotow at Bordertown at the turn of the century...
Yep that is the old girl. Both have aged gracefully.

Alexis mentioned they had you over👍🏻

Cheers 🍻
Alex Tankink
Posts: 37
Joined: 20 Jan 2021, 11:53
Location: Adelaide

Re: Bowlus Super Albatross

Post by Alex Tankink »

chris williams wrote: 23 Aug 2021, 16:37 I remember seeing Alexis fly this model at the Millennium aerotow at Bordertown at the turn of the century...
Chris,

I am planning the wing rebuild and need to get the wing root section sorted.

Knowing the glider and at just over 4metres wingspan what would be your recommendation for a good all round airfoil? I think you do use a HQ from memory.

Cheers

Alex 🍻
alexis scott
Posts: 106
Joined: 11 Mar 2015, 12:06

Re: Bowlus Super Albatross

Post by alexis scott »

This is going to be such a feel good experience, I'm thrilled Alex has taken this on and I feel super confident he's the man for this job, it's a project that needs to be done but not one I could get inspired to get back into, I think mostly because this model was my second scratch built project and comes with lots of lovely memories but also wisdom of how I would do it better next time.Thankyou Alex for taking this on and getting into it with the gusto it deserves and I couldn't bring myself to do, I'm really excited, now Im going to be here lurking and loving seeing my old dream come back to life with you.
Best wishes and it's been too long since you visited Chris Williams I have such fond memories of that when experience, from the dream to going and picking you up at the Adelaide airport,
Good times

Alexis
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chris williams
Posts: 1549
Joined: 10 Mar 2015, 10:50
Location: Blandford Dorset

Re: Bowlus Super Albatross

Post by chris williams »

Hi, Alexis, long time no see... ;)

Alex, the full-size wing section was just under 14% thick, so using HQ35/14 at the root, tapering to HQ35/12 at the tip will give you a fine flying model.
Good luck with the weirdly curved trailing edge, though...!
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