TOPIC: Profile Kits from TSP

Hi Chris,

have you flown the Skyray under power yet? I will be writing a review of the TSP kits for the AeroModeller soon, and any feed back and suggestions would be very welcome.

Yes Roger. At the very same week I was visiting you I tried the Skyray under Power in Buckminster (I thought I wrote that already - my bad)
Works really nice. Besides that we will be in Bucky in September again

Hi Chris,

thats good to know. I'm writing an article for AeroModeller about thse kits - history, ease of build and trimming etc - and I'd like to include flying reports from as many modellers as possible. All these will be 'boiled down' to give the reader a real sense of the fun that can be had with these sorts of models.
So, if you can remember about so long ago, anything you can give me (don't worry about the English, I can always make it readable) would be very welcome. Also, of course, photos are a great addition to anything you can say.

What dates in September are you back at Buckminster? It would be good to meet up again!

I may not be the best reference for flying reports as I am almost completely new to the rocket gliders. I think my thrust tab is at the wrong position (a bit too far backwards) as the model tends to pitch up under power. Maybe moving the pod a bit forward should help.
I take off some of the additional weight you provided to achieve a shallow glide which looks almost perfect (Tried it in the Buckminster Hangar at evening with absolutely no wind inside )
Our reunion meeting of the model squadron takes place from the 13th to 16th september in Buckninster. Bringing the Skyray with me to have some more flight since we are not allowed to fly rocket powered models in our club.

Before that my wife and me attend Duxford BoB Air Show on sunday, 11th.
Staying the whole week and may do a bit sightseeing.

Many thanks for the update.

As to the Skyray's flight profile, you write: “I think my thrust tab is at the wrong position (a bit too far backwards?) as the model tends to pitch up under power. Maybe moving the pod a bit forward should help”, but, “I take off some of the additional weight you provided to achieve a shallow glide which looks almost perfect (Tried it in the Buckminster Hangar at evening with absolutely no wind inside”.

Hmmm .... the two may not be unconnected! In general, the glide for rocket planes needs to be steeper and faster than for other model aeroplanes. Instead of moving the motor pod forward, try bending the thrust tab down a bit. Or you put back the nose weight you had taken off!

You will remember, some time ago, I posted about the TSP L-1 powered Gripen after hearing that some modellers were having problems trimming it out.



The kit went together well and I hinged the elevons and balanced it at the recommended CG with a small amount of lead (much neater than the plasticene stuff included in the kit.
It glided straight and true with just 0.5mm 'up' elevon. But would it fly under power with these settings?

It being calm (but sunny ond oh-so-hot) Daniel Rackstraw and I went flying yesterday. After Daniel had had some fun with his Sukhoi Su-11 (TSP L-2, 320 HP) and Bachem Natter (CE TSP L-1, very entertaining!) I put a new motor in the Gripen, checked the glide, lit up with a green fuse and launched. Wow! It flew, as they say, 'off the board'. After correcting a small turn with a smidgeon of right elevon a second flight was even better. The model climbed high, circled, looped, turned and glided back towards us.

As Daniel remarked, "They don't get any better than that".

We had quite a few flights with other models, Daniel's F-100, two Talons and a Lansen with mixed results. The motors were in the sun and got very hot even before lighting, and the heat perhaps caused small warps in my Talon, so some flights were great, some not so great with models arriving hard on the baked earth with the motor still burning. But, generally, we had a great time and were pleased -given the parched conditions - we hadn't set fire to anything.

So there you have it: we have reports that all the TSP models so far can be made to fly well and can be bought with confidence.