returning after 39 yrs

[Peter Etherington 1]

I would like to take up flying again after a lapse of 39 years and i`m thinking of building a Ben Buckle kit. The two that have caught my eye are the Junior 60 and the Buccaneer. My question is which of the two would be best for me to fly (i`m a bit rusty). Building is not a problem for me. I want something just to stooge around the skies with. Peter

[J D 8]

 Hi Peter, Welcome back. Both are classics and would do what you want. I do not have either but prefer the look of the Buccaneer myself. My vintage flyer is a Mercury Matador built fifty years ago for  free flight and after many years storage RC installed some ten years ago.

Are you thinking IC glow or diesel or going electric and what RC do you intend to use, nothing complicated needed for these aircraft. 

 

  

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

Welcome back Peter, can't help with the model choice sorry, but others will I'm sure.

[ken anderson.]

hello peter,

 

the junior 60 will give you a bit confidence flying after the lay off...only thing is it will be a calm weather flyer only.....i would say maybe get something to get you up and running in different sorts of conditions...ie high wing type trainer......time you are building your junior 60 etc.... whatever route you take enjoy...and come back with as many questions that you have...loads of helpful people on this forum...... some who have returned same as you...

 

ken andewrson...ne...1...returns dept.

[James Green2]

I would have a look at the Svenson Prima on Outerzone, if you fancy building from plans.

[DaveyP]

I built the Prima from an old kit I bought on Ebay, good as a trainer and also aerobatic in the right hands.....

[Peter Etherington 1]

Thanks guys, I really like the vintage planes that`s why i`m looking at the Ben Buckle kits

[Peter Etherington 1]

JD8, I have a TGY 16 transmitter and receiver I bought a couple of years ago, not sure whether to go down the route of 2 stroke or diesel

[Jon H]

you may want to pick up a ready made ARTF trainer and get that in the air right away. Then you can build your super 60 or whatever on the rainy days and fly on the sunny ones! Asking around at your club may even turn up some airframes you can use for training at a good price. 

 

You can then let this artf or 2nd hand model take the accidents you may experience getting back into it all and save the hard work of damaging your nice kit build model. 

Edited July 2, 2021 by Jon - Laser Engines

[Alan Hilton]

I second Jon’s comment re an artf trainer .

The super sixty is a much better RC model than the junior sixty .The super was designed for radio control ,the junior was a free flight design . You can also build an aileron wing for the super if required 

[kc]

One thing that has changed in the last 39 years is the online availability of plans.  You could look up the Super 60 etc on Outerzone and see what appeals most.  Files could be downloaded to a memory stick and printed at a copy shop.

[Peter Etherington 1]

I have a Grass hopper and a Minimoa hanging up in my workshop. They have been there and never flown for about 6 yrs, bought them on a whim both  have electric motors and batteries.

[Robin Colbourne]

Peter, if you can get a local club to give you a go on their club trainer, or someone with a trainer type model, you will answer the most important question of all, when returning after a long lay-off; namely, can you actually see the model and what it is doing?

I have recently returned to power flying after a nearly ten year break, and it is quite apparent that discerning the model at a distance is much more difficult now.  Contrasting colours top and bottom (dark bottom, light top) will certainly help, but also give consideration to going for one of the models from Ben Buckle's large-size model range.  None require anything over a .60, and most would fly on a good .40. so they won't require large, expensive engines and propellers.  If the design doesn't already have a two piece wing, making it such with a couple of carbon tubes is no big deal.

Ben Buckle Large-Size Vintage Models

Speed of reactions may not be what they were once, so a bit of extra crashworthiness in the form of a rubber banded-on undercarriage may be the difference between an on-site reassembly and days of repair.

Should the prices of the large kits be a concern, there are plenty of vintage plans that can be downloaded from Outerzone and scaled to whatever size you like.  Sal Taibi's 84" Powerhouse is one of my favourites, and its slab-sided fuselage makes construction easy.

 

Sal Taibi's Powerhouse


 

Edited July 2, 2021 by Robin Colbourne

[Peter Etherington 1]

Thanks Robin, I was looking at the larger models earlier. If I could build the wings in two parts it wouldn`t be a problem. There are quite a few second hand .60 engines out there at reasonable prices. That Powerhouse is lovely. The price of these bigger kits isn`t too bad considering the price of some of the bigger scale models out there. I know covering a bigger model is expensive but it is what it is. I build radio controlled scale ship models and I would think nothing of paying over a £100 for just a couple of motors, prop shafts, rudders and props. A hull will set me back well over another £100 and then the cost to build it, I think aeroplanes are not that more expensive. I cant think that a 88" (vintage) plane would be any harder to fly than a 60", or am I wrong? i`m sure someone will correct me. Peter

[Jon H]

an 88 inch vintage model would be easy enough to fly but you might want to modify it to have full 4 channel radio if you intend to fly it all the time. I know many will disagree as its not a traditional way of doing it, but the addition of the ailerons will make the model more capable in all weather conditions. 

 

A wing that size is also not a major hassle in one piece. If you like two piece wings then fair enough, but you can easily fit a wing that size in most hatchback cars. 

 

You might also want to consider a 4 stroke engine instead of 2. Lower noise, bigger prop and lower fuel consumption are all nice things to have. 

Edited July 3, 2021 by Jon - Laser Engines

[Peter Etherington 1]

Hi, Jon, the only reason I was thinking of a two piece wing is the storage factor when not flying. 80 odd inches of wing is quite a large thing to stash when you only have a 12ft x 10ft workshop. I also have a 8ft x 6ft shed but I couldn`t guarantee it`s safety in there as the wife and grandchildren use it. Peter

[Robin Colbourne]

Peter, a large model shouldn't be any more difficult to fly than a small one.  If anything, it should be easier, as it will take longer to cover its own length, so appears to fly slower.
Don't be tempted to fly a vintage model in anything other than flat calm to light winds.  Thick flat bottom or undercambered wing sections don't penetrate well, and long wings with lots of inertia and rudder control only for turning don't turn quickly, so gusts will make it a handful.
Also in a wind, as you drop down through the wind gradient, unless you keep plenty of excess speed on, it is easy to run out of energy for the flare.

As Jon says, in windy conditions ailerons will help, but my advice would be either don't fly, or fly something with a semi-symmetrical wing section more suited to the conditions.

With regard to transport and storage, I bought an extra grab handle (from a scrapyard) for one of my cars, to go above the driver's door, then fitted transverse straps between the front and rear pairs.  This way the wings were up out of the way of passengers, flight boxes etc. 
Likewise in your shed, if you can get the wings up as high as possible, the rest of the family are less likely to damage them.  Bubble wrap wing bags help too.

[Peter Etherington 1]

Thanks Robin, I wasn`t planning to fly in winds, just want an old timer just to poodle around on a still day and I so enjoy the building process, good idea with the roof area in the shed. I will have to measure the car but I have a seven seater so I think I`ll be ok in that respect. It`s just deciding which one to go for. Peter

[David Davis 2]

Either if your choices would be fine Peter, I learned to fly on a Junior 60 but I echo other people's remarks about getting a four channel trainer to take your flying to the next level.

 

 

[Robin Colbourne]

Peter, see if there are any build threads on the models you fancy, either on here, RC Groups or RC Universe.  There are also good groups on Facebook which get rapid answers (e.g BMFA, which is actually unaffiliated to the BMFA, but has 12,700 members).

Having owned a scaled up version of Fred Hempsall's 'Black Magic' which needed a lot of lead in the nose despite the OS40 four stroke, I would be tempted to look at the models with longer noses, such as the Flying Quaker and KeilKraft Falcon.

Good luck with whichever you eventually choose!
Robin 

[Peter Etherington 1]

Many thanks

[Peter Etherington 1]

I think i`ve narrowed it down between a Majestic major and a Long cabin. 

[Don Fry]

Or a Falcon, same size, very pretty.

[Frank Skilbeck]

My Ben Buckle Majestic Major wing is 2 piece so it goes in the car quite well, while it is only Rudder/Elevator (plus throttle) it will handle a reasonable wind too. Flies great on an old Laser 62.

[Peter Etherington 1]

Just had a nice phone call with Colin Buckle and he has had a foot amputation so there will be no kits from him at the moment. He has to recover more before he restocks.  Peter