STOL MkII

[Dave S.]

Any interest in a build of the old Peter Russell STOL MkII?

 

I have already made a start (having bought the plans over 25 years ago!) but am a slow builder, so haven't got far. It might be fun to crank up the old camera now and then to share the build as an incentive to keep going.

 

Before I do, though, I must first try the picture uploading to see if I can get it t work, having read of other people's difficulties. If this works, there should be a picture of half a 2 metre Chipmunk wing here:

[David Ashby - Moderator]

That's a very tidy bit of building there Dave, top marks

[Dave S.]

Thank you, David, unfortunately it still looks exactly like the picture, one year on, as I don't have a big enough building space at the moment. I may end up selling the Chippie to fund more, but smaller, models.

 

Anyway, now I know how to use the picture uploader, I'll bring the STOL up to date.

[Dave S.]

OK, the STOL story. I first wanted to build the STOL when it was first published in RCM&E back in May 1973, and finally bought the plans when the mk 2 was published 10 years later. I built the fuselage sometime around 1985, but it was then destroyed in a house move, and I moved on to other things for a while. The project was resurrected about a year ago, when I built the tail one afternoon out of scrap to alleviate boredom! 

 

Finally, while looking for a new project over Christmas, I rembered the STOL, and got back to the build. I built the fin & rudder out of scrap as well, but had to resort to the 'local' model shop, a mere 1½ hours away close to Helsinki, for more wood.

 

I have built the fuselage sides over the last couple of weeks, and right now the glue is drying on the formers joining them.

 

As I am abel to fly from the end of the garden now (Pete Russell designed the model back in the 70s so that he could fly from his garden, as well), I have decided that I will use electric power in this one, though again, PR electrified his STOL some 35 years ago. 

 

Anyway, we can't have a build thread without pictures, can we? So, first the 'one I built earlier', the tail & elevators:

 and then the fin and rudder: 

One fuselage side: 

and a close-up of the cabin area (looks like a double decker bus; maybe I'll cover it in something red!):

and finally, the view from my  'workshop' window, as good a reason to stay indoors and build as any!

 

 

 

 

[Braddock, VC]

Dave, you'll have great fun both building and flying the stol, there is an update to the mk 3, I'm sure in your pile of mags you'll have the article;iirc it was either the addition of or modification to slats.

Look forward to the build, I had the plan but lost it, also had the model but it succumbed to hangar rash in a car door. Teachme to talk to people when putting models away.

[Dave S.]

Thanks, John, I'll search through my pile to see if I can find the mk 3, though the mk 2 has both slats and flaps as standard, as well as ailerons.

 

Certainly enjoying the build so far, at least with nothing pre-cut I can make sure everything fits, and if it doesn't, I have only one person to blame!

[Tim Mackey]

Excellent quality building there Dave.....and looks ripe fpor a spot of sledging too outside

[Dave S.]

Thanks, Tim - sledges are in the shed, but we really ought to get the skis out this winter. 

 

The brick building in the picture is the old sauna (the 'new' one is in the house, has been since 1983) and currently houses general junk - skis, bikes, some tools, etc., but the long-term plan is to make it into a decent workshop. We only got this place last October, so there is plenty to do before we are happy with it.

[Dave S.]

Well, I took advantage of a day spent working from home to organise a few breaks in the modelling room. 

 

Here is the fuselage with the sides joined and the cabin area reinforced. I still think it bears a marked resemblance to a London bus!

from another angle:

and with  my slimmed-down KK OUtlaw fuselage (after 5 years service in the field) for comparison:

 

[Chris C]

looks really lovely, cover it insomething clear to show the brillant wood work? 

[Dave S.]

That's very kind of you to say so, but although they say the camera never lies, it does seem able to cover up most of my mistakes. 

 

To be honest, I had planned to cover the fuselage in black Solartex, especially after picking up a couple of 2 metre rolls for €5 each recently. The wings and tail will probably be covered with red Fibafilm, as I have plenty lying around; the resultant colour scheme reproducing a control line model of fond memory, and are also the 'national' colours of Karelia, the part of Finland my  ever-patient better half hails from.

[Dave S.]

Another day or two of gentle balsa-bashing and the fuselage from the wing back is more or less complete now.

 

Weight so far is 105 grams, feels lighter to me, I must be too used to my fuel-soaked lump of Wot 4!

 

Next step will be to sort out the nose area, but need to get my batteries from the post office next week first, so I can sort out access.

 

 

[Stephen Grigg]

Superb thread and build Dave,very interesting and enjoyable .You certainly do build slow to me,do you have an engine in mind

[Stephen Grigg]

Sorry a word was missed out,you dont seem to build slowly to me Dave

[Dave S.]

Hi Stephen, Thanks for the kind words, but I seriously doubt that anyone can be slower than me! I bought the plans in 1983....

 

This one will be electric powered, as I fly from the edge of our own land, but try to avoid drawing too much attention to the fact. I actually have the motor in front of me right now, it is a Ray C3542/06 from Puffin models, supposed to be similar to the Axi 2820/12, but less than half the price. I'll be using 3s Lipos to drive it.

 

As the electric motor is so much shorter than the glow engine it was designed for, I need to make a 40 mm box to mount it on, which I am about to do using Turbocad, sitting here at the kitchen table.

[Dave S.]

Another week, and a another small step on the road to STOLdom. Managed to lick the front of the fuselage into shape this week:

 so now the fuselage looks like this:

 

with motor:

and a foretaste of things to come:

 

The motor is mounted on a 40 mm extension made of interlocking 2mm plywood (proper plywood, not the nasty 'lite' stuff. The 'big hole' (technical term) under the motor is where the battery tray will be once I have established how far forward it needs to be for balance.

 

Next: the wing.

[Braddock, VC]

Dave, I just happened upon the june 85 rcme, in S&L peter russell mentions the mk III in passing, the mods are on the leading edge, Kruger flaps inboard and retractable slats outboard. There'll be an increase in the number of control links there eh?

[Dave S.]

I'm sure I have that magazine somewhere...but as the mk2 wing is currently pinned to the board, I think I'll stick with it! Thanks, though, I'll look it up.

 

Retractable slats, eh? Hmmm.....

[Dave S.]

Project STOL is still making slow but steady progress, I am afraid that major real-world events have recently drastically reduced my time and enthusiasm for building, but the wing is now at the stage where I need to add the laminated tips. I will upload a few pictures when I get that done.

[Tony Gower]

Has the Project progressed, or stalled? How does it fly?

[Ben B]

His profile says "Last online: 17/04/2009 05:24:53"

[John Privett]

I haven't seen or heard from Dave for quite some time. Hopefully he'll be back sooner or later.

[Mike Sanders]

This looks like a very interesting project. I would love to know whether it has been finished. Does this forum send an e mail to its authors when a new reply has been posted. If so it may jolt Dave into telling us the latest state of play. I am thinking of building one myself but I haven't got three years to spare!

[Dave S.]

Just stumbled across this thread nine years after I last posted - as my last post here said, I had some major life upheavals, which lead to this project (and modelling in general) being abandoned for some time. The complete, but uncovered, STOL was put in on of my outbuildings, where the bare structure didn't fare too well - I sold/gave all of my models and spare wood/covering, etc. to club mates in 2012 and left Finland shorty after.

I am now living in Oxfordshire, and have picked up the balsa knife again - and the reason I found this thread is that I am thinking of starting another STOL as I still have the plans (and the copies of RCM&E it featured in.

Quite strange and sad to see these pictures again, so much has changed since they were taken, but at last my enthusiasm for building and flying has returned.

[kc]

Nice to have you back!

There was some discussion about wingspan of STOL plan - recent printed plans were bigger than the 48 inch span quoted for the old plan. So be interesting to know what the wingspan is on your plan.

At the moment balsa seem in short supply - hope you have some in stock. However stripwood seems easier to obtain. STOL seems largely strip.