As a kid, I saved money by eating a piece of bread instead of full lunch in order to buy Comet. I put it together with the focus as if handling a sacred object. On its maiden flight, I was more thrilled than upset as it flew higher and higher, farther and farther until it disappeared completely from sight. I’ll never forget it…a special memory
It happened also to me unfortunately,.......... and it was also rc controlled. By the time it was in the ascensional thermal and disappeared in the clouds even holding full down elevetor didn't do anything.
Looks good but I see a couple major issues: 1. Sanding that much wing material is a bad idea, especially *after* adding the dihedral. You always shape the entire wing as a single piece before adding dihedral, and use a razor plane to speed the process and reduce the dust (that amount of balsa dust is a fire hazard and will make you choke). The result is a more accurate wing which more than doubles your flight times and it's easier to boot! 2. Put plastic or parchment paper over the plans. Don't just glue straight on them! 3. Leave the ballast box open so you can balance the plane after sealing it. 4. Minwax Spar Varnish is by far the best sealer ever invented for sealing bare balsa in outdoor usage applications.
joshuawfinn ... I will second everything Josh has mentioned, and add that for maximum performance, this model would be great with a “Stanfoil” airfoil section. Made popular by glider expert Stan Budenbohm, the Stanfoil is an easily formed high performance section that will take just about any glider to a whole new level. It’s worth looking into, and a quick google search will get you there.
I use a thin coat of clear Krylon. After it dries I smooth out (burnish) with a smooth dowel, and apply a thin second coat. Never yellows. Works great.
@@markspahr242 I used to use krylon, but still had trouble with the planes warping in humid conditions. Switching to spar varnish made that problem go away.
James it is a lovely video but I do wish you would use a sanding block ! just a piece of balsa with glasspaper glued onto it,a sanding block ensures a even surface with no dips to it.
A nice neat kit, and the classic model looks like a larger version of a smaller "chuck" glider that I made in the early '60s (most of it survives at the bottom of a bedding-chest). The wing on this model has what amounts to a 'flat plate' balsa-wing that has to be sanded carefully to achieve a real "glider" airfoil-section: that's probably where anyone assembling the kit would have trouble, unless achieving a proper wing-section isn't all that critical, given the small scale of the glider. Would there have been any way of machine-sanding the wing-panels to the right cross-section before they were boxed along with the other parts, to "head off" any mistakes by the builder ? Would the balsa components need to be treated with some kind of filler or "dope" to harden them and prevent water-damage ?
Lots of comments on how to improve the making of this, but basically a great chuck glider. The transmitter put me off, but I watched anyway. The main thing is to plane or sand a good aerofoil, and put your telephone number on it. It’s much quicker to use a belt sander initially😀
Man Crazy when I seen the transmitter on the opening of the video I thought they were going to do just that. Could get a free flight timer/ESC a coreless motor and 150mah lipo and make it powered free flight?
Even better, you could slap a couple 1.1 gram servos on there with a little frsky receiver and all you’d need is one of those little 35 mAh batteries! It’d be a nice little hi-start flier or DLG.
Hello there I'm loving your videos because they help me out a lot and I'm just wondering if you sell the plans for the SE5a on your website because I can afford the full kit:(
Massive design fault on this mate regarding the tailplane and fin (3.18 and pause), nothing fits properly. The chord of the tailplane is to wide and the fin needs a concave shape sanding into the same shape as the tailplane. Or, raise the rear of the fuselage and do not cut the bottom leading edge of the fin.
Sad no real time flight footage lol its a real art to get some thing like this to fly well i mean like 30 seconds or so This is just a throw and see it fly 12 feet or so lol
Great build! Very informative and concise. Well edited too. Looks like your trailing edge could use a bit more sanding! Taper it right down to that nice shallow wedge shape and that thing will cut through the air like nothing you’ve ever seen! :) happy flying!
I though the same thing. Joining them first like that, he’s just making the sanding that much trickier. But really, if we’re being honest here, that wing could do with a lot more thorough shaping and airfoiling.
@@AeroCraftAviation The plywood reinforcers for the polyhedral would be too tall after sanding the wing, so you would have to cut the protruding joiners away, flush with the top of the wing.
Let us know if you're going to add one of these gliders to your fleet! ☺️☺️
www.vintagemodelcompany.com/kk-comet.html
As a kid, I saved money by eating a piece of bread instead of full lunch in order to buy Comet. I put it together with the focus as if handling a sacred object. On its maiden flight, I was more thrilled than upset as it flew higher and higher, farther and farther until it disappeared completely from sight. I’ll never forget it…a special memory
It happened also to me unfortunately,.......... and it was also rc controlled. By the time it was in the ascensional thermal and disappeared in the clouds even holding full down elevetor didn't do anything.
WWII vibes
Looks good but I see a couple major issues: 1. Sanding that much wing material is a bad idea, especially *after* adding the dihedral. You always shape the entire wing as a single piece before adding dihedral, and use a razor plane to speed the process and reduce the dust (that amount of balsa dust is a fire hazard and will make you choke). The result is a more accurate wing which more than doubles your flight times and it's easier to boot!
2. Put plastic or parchment paper over the plans. Don't just glue straight on them!
3. Leave the ballast box open so you can balance the plane after sealing it.
4. Minwax Spar Varnish is by far the best sealer ever invented for sealing bare balsa in outdoor usage applications.
joshuawfinn ... I will second everything Josh has mentioned, and add that for maximum performance, this model would be great with a “Stanfoil” airfoil section. Made popular by glider expert Stan Budenbohm, the Stanfoil is an easily formed high performance section that will take just about any glider to a whole new level. It’s worth looking into, and a quick google search will get you there.
Ha ha. I disagree with 4! The best finish is thinned down twin pack acrylic lacquer. 😀
I use a thin coat of clear Krylon.
After it dries I smooth out (burnish) with a smooth dowel, and apply a thin second coat.
Never yellows. Works great.
@@markspahr242 I used to use krylon, but still had trouble with the planes warping in humid conditions. Switching to spar varnish made that problem go away.
My 8 year old daughter and I made one of these.
It's a nice easy model to build and fix up when you inevitably knock the wings off!
A triangular fillet should be added.
A blast from the past I remember making this glider as a youngster probably about the late 1960's early 1970's
I would love to see the Contest Kits Inchworm build and fly
I love vintage models, There is something special about them 😎
Look a lot like the classic "Jetco" Thermic hand chuck gliders & they were great flyers when balanced and tweaked.
Thank God for VMC ! You guys are keeping the torch lit .
beautiful looks ! reminds me of the fifties model aircraft !
Read Joshua Finns comments to have the best experience with this one.the balsa was a bit heavy in my kit,nicely prefabbed though.
Please do a series of videos on trimming...tedious, but important. Thanks
The purest form of flight..
James it is a lovely video but I do wish you would use a sanding block ! just a piece of balsa with glasspaper glued onto it,a sanding block ensures a even surface with no dips to it.
At 2:10 I showed how too make a sanding block from a piece of balsa 😉 Cheers - James
A nice neat kit, and the classic model looks like a larger version of a smaller "chuck" glider that I made in the early '60s (most of it survives at the bottom of a bedding-chest).
The wing on this model has what amounts to a 'flat plate' balsa-wing that has to be sanded carefully to achieve a real "glider" airfoil-section: that's probably where anyone assembling the kit would have trouble, unless achieving a proper wing-section isn't all that critical, given the small scale of the glider. Would there have been any way of machine-sanding the wing-panels to the right cross-section before they were boxed along with the other parts, to "head off" any mistakes by the builder ?
Would the balsa components need to be treated with some kind of filler or "dope" to harden them and prevent water-damage ?
Ah...they showed him sealing it. And sanding in the airfoil?...easy peasy.
Lots of comments on how to improve the making of this, but basically a great chuck glider. The transmitter put me off, but I watched anyway. The main thing is to plane or sand a good aerofoil, and put your telephone number on it.
It’s much quicker to use a belt sander initially😀
Just got this for Christmas can't wait to convert it to three channel rc..lol thank bud
Why is there a tramitter in the thumbnail? 😲
For scale ☺️
@@vintagemodelco7936 oh... okay.
Put a can of soda then, most of modelist will think it's radio control with this picture, and bite the bait!
@@pinchacojones Okay will do next time! Sorry for misleading you.
Would you conversion it to rc glider ?
Man Crazy when I seen the transmitter on the opening of the video I thought they were going to do just that. Could get a free flight timer/ESC a coreless motor and 150mah lipo and make it powered free flight?
Man Crazy You could also use the power and servo unit from a umx plane. Like in one of the horizon hobby planes.
Even better, you could slap a couple 1.1 gram servos on there with a little frsky receiver and all you’d need is one of those little 35 mAh batteries! It’d be a nice little hi-start flier or DLG.
This could be an amazing little discuss launch glider. Could you make a video converting it into rc? You would sell so many more
Hello there I'm loving your videos because they help me out a lot and I'm just wondering if you sell the plans for the SE5a on your website because I can afford the full kit:(
Just ordered 3!!
It's a good glider.
And the remote tx was for?????
I wonder why the thumbnail for this video depicts this glider with a Tx? This suggests that the glider we´re going to build in the video´s RC.
Massive design fault on this mate regarding the tailplane and fin (3.18 and pause), nothing fits properly. The chord of the tailplane is to wide and the fin needs a concave shape sanding into the same shape as the tailplane. Or, raise the rear of the fuselage and do not cut the bottom leading edge of the fin.
How much us dallars is that glider kit
Around a 14 us bucks
Buy a plan and get it printed somewhere as gluing the wing together like that is hopeless and certainly does not need strentheners on the wings.
Sad no real time flight footage lol its a real art to get some thing like this to fly well i mean like 30 seconds or so This is just a throw and see it fly 12 feet or so lol
Great build! Very informative and concise. Well edited too. Looks like your trailing edge could use a bit more sanding! Taper it right down to that nice shallow wedge shape and that thing will cut through the air like nothing you’ve ever seen! :) happy flying!
I feel like he should've sanded in the airfoil before joining the wing pieces =P
I though the same thing. Joining them first like that, he’s just making the sanding that much trickier. But really, if we’re being honest here, that wing could do with a lot more thorough shaping and airfoiling.
@@AeroCraftAviation Exactly. It would be loads less word to cut the ply =P
How do you mean?
@@AeroCraftAviation The plywood reinforcers for the polyhedral would be too tall after sanding the wing, so you would have to cut the protruding joiners away, flush with the top of the wing.
super
I cut my own I could use a laser cutter.