TOPIC: New Models for 2022 Flying Season

Hi Roger, thanks!
I don't know yet if there will be interest ...
And underneath another model, the MIG-19

In Preparation for the new TSP L-1 duration competition that will be run in September's 'Peterborough Flying Aces', and the 'open' rocket duration competitions at Buckminster, Master Luke has been making a modified Space jet for TSP L-HP and a couple copies of Howard Metcalfe's 'QT'for TSP L-1:



and very nice they are too. I helped trimm out Luke's prototype L-1 powered QT and It flew very well ... in fact all too well and on a subsequent flight on a bouncy day it went OOS

Which is why, I think, Luke has (so far) built three QTs!

Note the SpaceJet's motor mount.



This may need to be made further forward to prevent the need for a lot of nose weight (the Spacejet was originally designed for the heavier Jetex 50. We will see.

I will be posting details of the new 'Flying Aces', a 'one motor' competition to promote and demonstrate TSP motors in due course.

This of a 7” span all balsa profile Harrier that I made about 20 years ago and has been flown with Jetex 50C, Rapier L2 and a hand made CO2 device I called Exojet
.


It has flown so well that I am currently working on a slightly bigger 10.5” span version in Depron and balsa, here it is with just a bit of filler on it with low profile intakes and exhausts modelled in Depron.


While I was designing and building the new one I thought it would be nice to refurbish the old model as well with lots of new bits of balsa spliced in, during its career it has two new noses grafted on. Then I thought it might be a good idea to refresh my airbrushing skills on it before painting the new one. So here it is unfinished as yet and just after pulling off the Frisket masks for the grey. Needless to say I am tickled with it and hope it will carry on giving more years of service once complete with insignia and cockpit etc. The camo is a little bit freestyle but am happy enough with it.

Nice painting of Harrier, but probably not finished yet?

Thanks Piotr, yes there is still more to do.

As you guys may remember, Brian Lever is organising a number of duration competitions this year. These will be 'Open Duration' and any model, with any motor can be entered. Most of the models I've seen so far have been built for L-2 and L-1 motors, which makes sense. But Brian, a canny competitor, remembers the old adage, "A good big one will always beat a good little 'un", so he has been bulding a sports/duration model for L-3, or even L-4.

Happily, rather than designing a model from scratch, he is making a vintage Ian Dowsett design which appeared as a Keil Kraft kit some 50 years ago:



Originally for PAA Loader (which was claimed to have a 2-21/2 oz thust, say 5-600 mN) it should go even better with a lighter 'one shot motor.



Above: the K Star Jet. This, like Ian Dowsett's 'Space Jet' has a very long moment arrm , but the PAA Loader (a heavy motor) is underslung.

Here's Brian's progress so far:



Brian is planning to cover it with bright (red and yellow, I think) tissue to aid visibilty. Even so, I hope he fits a dethermaliser!