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Sailplanes International Axle build/rebuild
- Thread starter Konrad
- Start date
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- axle sailplanes wingaron
Konrad
Very Strong User
I hope Aloft will be cutting their own cores very soon.
Ok well it depends on what you want.
Do you want a flying axel?
If yes then I think the best compromise is to get new cores cut and use the stock fuselage with modern radio gear you’ll have a good flying model that looks cool.
If not or indifferent to the process to get a flying Axel model, then I’d take Docs advice and sell it. Just be fully honest in the description and ask for a fair price. Then you can sleep well at night.
More than once you advised me to not waste my time and talent on models that aren’t worth it. This might be your time to take the same advice.
Hank
Who thinks you should finish your Tercel.
Do you want a flying axel?
If yes then I think the best compromise is to get new cores cut and use the stock fuselage with modern radio gear you’ll have a good flying model that looks cool.
If not or indifferent to the process to get a flying Axel model, then I’d take Docs advice and sell it. Just be fully honest in the description and ask for a fair price. Then you can sleep well at night.
More than once you advised me to not waste my time and talent on models that aren’t worth it. This might be your time to take the same advice.
Hank
Who thinks you should finish your Tercel.
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Doc J
Very Strong User
Good one Hank.
Dont deride the model. In the '70's that was one of the better ones! - just sell it!
In any case you are a master repairer and this is peanuts competed to the monumental damege you have attacked before.
Bagging the wings would work - beefing the fuselage would work - its what we used to do. Worth it to you to have a 40 year old plane flying?
No idea.
Doc.
Konrad
Very Strong User
One of the driving forces for me to do these ancient builds is to validate my opinion formed way back in my youth: that these aren't good and can't live up the hype.
This and the Hobie Hawk are classic marketing and effective hype. As a young adult I wanted these ships. But ether as a result of close examination or the fact I couldn't afford them I never owned these. (Some times the gods smile on me.)
For whatever reasons I now have the ships that I lusted after in my youth. Wow, what junk! I hope to have repaired these to be structurally sound and maybe even add some of the lesson learned through the passage of time.
With the Axle the first thing will be to get a stable set of wings. Using a glass finish is in keeping with the design and time frame, as I would have used glass and epoxy back in the 80's.
I have no illusion as the fact that these were/are sub-standard models even by yesterday's standards. Now they did/do have some intriguing features! (Hopefully breaking up in the air isn't one of them!)
This and the Hobie Hawk are classic marketing and effective hype. As a young adult I wanted these ships. But ether as a result of close examination or the fact I couldn't afford them I never owned these. (Some times the gods smile on me.)
For whatever reasons I now have the ships that I lusted after in my youth. Wow, what junk! I hope to have repaired these to be structurally sound and maybe even add some of the lesson learned through the passage of time.
With the Axle the first thing will be to get a stable set of wings. Using a glass finish is in keeping with the design and time frame, as I would have used glass and epoxy back in the 80's.
I have no illusion as the fact that these were/are sub-standard models even by yesterday's standards. Now they did/do have some intriguing features! (Hopefully breaking up in the air isn't one of them!)
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LOL - Many of the old ships were pure gold! (for their period)
I will admit I wanted a Hobby Hawk since the first time I flew one, I had been flying for less than a year and a flying buddy let me carefully fly his a bit just to show how shitty I was with rudder control. They owner could make magic with his stock Hawk, and I made it look horrible. It was humbling. I have bought a few basket cases over the years and sold them off, and have 2 nice ones currently. But the only other hawk I have flown was a couple of years ago at Sunset, the one we gave away in the raffle. It humbled me again! I still suck at smooth rudder. LOL I still love these planes, I just need to improve my skills to get the most from them. And I am not alone. I have seen really good pilots humbled by the Hawk. It is not forgiving of poor rudder input!
Anyhow, I have a real love of classic models and yes, some of them were just horrible, but others were great for their time frame and compared to the competition of the time. I will always have a soft spot for vintage models. Be that from just about any time frame in the hobby. Most of the guys here have built or are building vintage models as our local club is a SAM club that is based on vintage models.
Watching some of the SAM club members launching their amazing Free Flight models as the plane does exactly what they want and then safely return nearby is amazing! The big rubber powered models are again amazing to watch. There is no reason to fly rubber power this day and age, but it is a wonderful art to master!
My point being it is all in the eyes of the beholder. People will continue to fall for the Axle because it is pretty. Just like people loving a classic car even though they are rather horrible compared to a modern economy car. Doesn't mean the classic Corvette is not a pretty thing people still want to experience.
I will admit I wanted a Hobby Hawk since the first time I flew one, I had been flying for less than a year and a flying buddy let me carefully fly his a bit just to show how shitty I was with rudder control. They owner could make magic with his stock Hawk, and I made it look horrible. It was humbling. I have bought a few basket cases over the years and sold them off, and have 2 nice ones currently. But the only other hawk I have flown was a couple of years ago at Sunset, the one we gave away in the raffle. It humbled me again! I still suck at smooth rudder. LOL I still love these planes, I just need to improve my skills to get the most from them. And I am not alone. I have seen really good pilots humbled by the Hawk. It is not forgiving of poor rudder input!
Anyhow, I have a real love of classic models and yes, some of them were just horrible, but others were great for their time frame and compared to the competition of the time. I will always have a soft spot for vintage models. Be that from just about any time frame in the hobby. Most of the guys here have built or are building vintage models as our local club is a SAM club that is based on vintage models.
Watching some of the SAM club members launching their amazing Free Flight models as the plane does exactly what they want and then safely return nearby is amazing! The big rubber powered models are again amazing to watch. There is no reason to fly rubber power this day and age, but it is a wonderful art to master!
My point being it is all in the eyes of the beholder. People will continue to fall for the Axle because it is pretty. Just like people loving a classic car even though they are rather horrible compared to a modern economy car. Doesn't mean the classic Corvette is not a pretty thing people still want to experience.