Graupner AWS22B 3 meter

[Konrad]

Well, I'm here to say that trying to relive one's youth is fraught with dangers!

I got this Graupner ASW22B P/N4213 from an estate sale. The kit looked good and unmolested. I recalled having had this kit or a similar one 30 years ago. It was one of my early European kits. At the time I recall drooling over the real Hobby Lobby catalog, dreaming of Graupner kits. I've had many since then and for the most part liked the end result. I had forgotten that this was not one of them.

The key problem was that the kit uses a steel blade as a wing joiner. I vaguely remember having to bore the fuselage and wings to convert the wing attachment system over to a 12mm carbon rod. I had forgotten how much work this was.

I also didn't like the control system back then and still don't like the control system today. But to be fair this is a dated kit. I want to get rid of the spoilers and add flaps. But as I recall the full size ASW22 was a "Simple " high performance glider, meaning that the full size did not have flaps.

Now that I got the kit home I've found that there are no plans or instruction booklet in the box. Normally this wouldn't be too much of a problem, but this kit uses a built up stab and rudder that are built off the plans. I'll have to study the parts and reverse engineer a set of building plans based off the parts in the kit.

I see that in my attic I have 1/2 a dozen of these Graupner, Multiplex, Simpro, model kits from this time period. While I loved them back then, I wonder how they will have withstood the test of time and my expectations of what make a good nice glider!

All the best,
Konrad

P.S.
If anybody has a set of plans, even a photo of the plans for the Graupner P/N4213 I'd be thankful for the help.

 

[Hank GB Z]

Konrad,

looks like a neat kit. I don’t have plans sorry. I looked on outerzone and didn’t see them there. The one person I know (other than you) who would have the plans is in the middle of a move but I’ll ask him.

Hank

 

[Konrad]

Thanks.

I hope that the widow's husband had kept the instruction manual and plans in a file cabinet. I hope this cabinet is still around.

 

[Konrad]

Like I said earlier I think I through out this wing retention feature on the one I built 30 years ago. What a complicated mess. Seeing how the steel blades fit into the wings, was it intended that the blades be epoxied in to the wings? This would make it difficult to replace the blades when they get bent.

I also don't see what would have been used to keep the wings from moving forward and crushing the fuselage on landing. The 2.0mm dimension of the blade offers little in the way of keeping the wings from moving forward on landing. The 12mm dimension should hold up to flight loads just fine, if they don't slice through the wing sheeting. I think the blades are fine for flight load but I see little in the way of structure to deal with landing loads . I also don't see much in the way of maintenance access should (when) the blades get bent.

 

[Hank GB Z]

Like my dad always says "it's one of those ideas that looks really good on paper."

Hank

 

[Konrad]

Well the full size ASW22B had flaperons, so I'll maintain that feature, by adding flaps! As the ASW22 had an aspect ratio of around 38:1 I don't know why I'm concerned with scale fidelity as this model has nothing near that kind of wing. CG is at 72mm for the 3m ASW22B.

I recall that 30 years ago I used a lathe* to bore out the wing and fuse for a 12mm carbon rod. I'm not about to do that this time. I think I'll add some anti crush beams across the fuselage at the LE of the wing and maybe some Topmodel wing retention barbs towards the rear. I hope this will allow the wings to stay put should I snag a wing tip on landing.

* I mounterd the fuse and wings to the carriage and cross slide to used the lathe as a mill.

 

[Hank GB Z]

I have a Lathe and Mill you're welcome to come use for the low low price if setting up the Mill.

Hank

 

[gp49]

Well, I'm here to say that trying to relive one's youth is fraught with dangers!

I got this Graupner ASW22B P/N4213 from an estate sale. The kit looked good and unmolested. I recalled having had this kit or a similar one 30 years ago. It was one of my early European kits. At the time I recall drooling over the real Hobby Lobby catalog, dreaming of Graupner kits. I've had many since then and for the most part liked the end result. I had forgotten that this was not one of them.

The key problem was that the kit uses a steel blade as a wing joiner. I vaguely remember having to bore the fuselage and wings to convert the wing attachment system over to a 12mm carbon rod. I had forgotten how much work this was.

I also didn't like the control system back then and still don't like the control system today. But to be fair this is a dated kit. I want to get rid of the spoilers and add flaps. But as I recall the full size ASW22 was a "Simple " high performance glider, meaning that the full size did not have flaps.

Now that I got the kit home I've found that there are no plans or instruction booklet in the box. Normally this wouldn't be too much of a problem, but this kit uses a built up stab and rudder that are built off the plans. I'll have to study the parts and reverse engineer a set of building plans based off the parts in the kit.

I see that in my attic I have 1/2 a dozen of these Graupner, Multiplex, Simpro, model kits from this time period. While I loved them back then, I wonder how they will have withstood the test of time and my expectations of what make a good nice glider!

All the best,
Konrad

P.S.
If anybody has a set of plans, even a photo of the plans for the Graupner P/N4213 I'd be thankful for the help.

Hi Konrad,

See if you can use these. They are from the "vario" version which i think was 3.8m Found them in one of the sites you don't use?

Also a 4m multiplex aws22 for similar reference...

 

[Konrad]

Thank You.
That's a good start. It adds detail to what I found on a German forum site.

I like that it shows how to add tip extension.

That Multiplex AWS22 looks to be of the same time frame or done by the same designer and the Graupner ASW22B 3m.

 

[Glenn Beer]

Have you tried searching https://aerofred.com/ to see if the plans have been uploaded there.

 

[Konrad]

Thank You,
But no joy.

 

[gp49]

@Konrad

Try these. They might make your estate find as valuable as this: https://www.ebay.com/p/19035123059

I have one more file but it's to large to post here. It's the same one that you posted above in #9, but mine is 2.6 MB - pm me your email if you need it.

Mark

 

[Konrad]

Thank you, I too have higher res photos.

Throw good money after bad. I know that is my modus operandi! $900 the guy must be thinking he has a molded carbon ship. I value these at about $200 for an obsolete glider. Heck, the Topmodel Thermic is twice the model the ASW22B is!