I have the original size Gentle Lady over 30 years old. I recently stripped the covering and recovered it. Looks great and gave it a toss and it glided awesome.
This was my first rc project (the full sized one, in 1988 or so), I was sooo scared about carving the nose. But after I did it, it was actually easy and very satisfying. Cheers.
It really is the most legendary glider kit ever - so many memories for so many people! I'm glad this brought back memories for you too, maybe time for another one @utubeaccess7 :-)
Snap. I too am originally from Durban. The Gentle Lady was my very first rc model. I was about 16 yrs old. Sadly, never got round to learning to fly it before I sold because I was moving to NZ. I'm now in Oz, and have a new kit waiting to be built out of nostalgia. But now I'm really taken by the idea of a half size model, inspired by this video. Beautiful work.
Build process in video is very well shown. When dimensions are scaled down - how does one calculate and reduce the thickness/ width/ of components like wing spar, ribs etc., to reduce weight to maintain appropriate wing loading since wing span is reduced.
I have upscaled (enlarged) and half-scaled plans. There are two ways that I have used to solve this problem. First you can use a micrometer to measure the new thickness, then purchase the balsa which closely matches. Second, you can cut lighting holes in the balsa to reduce weight, while maintaining wing load and fuselog structure.
It is a great model, you can take it slow and use wood glue (like Tightbond2 or 3) if you would like. Do NOT worry about building it as light as possible, it can handle some extra weight. It is easy to cover for a first model too. Just take your time, and you will have a great flying glider for years and years. Stick a motor on it and it will fly for HOURS with cheap modern equipment.
She’s beautiful-great job on the covering too; did you manage to get hold of an iron to do that? Those colours look great on this model too. Really looking forward to seeing her fly! :)
Thank you Mr.MPW! Yes, the Solite is all applied using a covering iron, with a bit of heat gun here and there. I chose the colours to make it look a little bit retro, glad you like them!
Wow, that photo with the PC mouse shows hoe tiny this glider is.. I'm currently building a 2m Bird of Time (which looks tiny compared to my full sized one).
That is a nice build. One thing I notice is that the wing tips do not seem to be tapered in the later stages of the build or in the finished model. It seems the wing has a constant chord from root to tip. It may be a perspective optical illusion. Does your version have the same taper as the original?
Hi OliveiraX, thanks for the compliment! I guess it must just be the camera perspective but the wing plan form is the same as the original design. The centre panels have no taper but the tips are tapered. There s also a very slight taper in thickness through the tips as per the original design too.
I'm very happy to see that someone has done what I've been thinking about. And your build looks excellent. Just so you know, Outerzone has Gentle Lady plans and many others for free download. With that you can send it to a local print shop where they should have complete control over the scale you wanted. I think I paid maybe $3 - $4 for mine. No hand drawing needed. I already have one copy, but I need another sacrificial copy so I can cut out rib drawings, etc. Do you have a flight video, and any thoughts about changing anything?
Hey Joe, thanks for your constructive comment. I built this model during lockdown so the print shops were all closed, hence the hand scaling. You've probably found it already, but here's a link to a little flight video I made of it: th-cam.com/video/xbXi1am1T98/w-d-xo.html I doubt I'd change anything except I might choose some harder balsa for the spars next time just to be sure it's tough enough for bungee launching. I've got plenty of flight time on it now and its great fun every time I take it out.
Really enjoyed watching your video and all the detail. I think I must have missed something relating to the wing ribs. As well as the spars which enter from the bottom of the ribs, on the second shot of the ribs there is a top cut out for a top spar? If so what is the size. Apologies if I've missed something.
HI David, I'm glad you enjoyed the video. In the centre section panels I made the spars full depth from 1/8" balsa.. I made a slot half-depth from the top for each rib. The tips panels have just got 1/8X1/4" balsa spars and the ribs are notched to fit over them. I hope that helps!
good morning and congratulations on your channel. I'd like to ask you for some advice. After watching his videos I got a great desire to fly a plane like yours. Would you give me some advice to start well without spending a lot of money? thanks and good life
Hi Giovanni, thank you for your positive comment - I am glad you enjoyed sharing in this fantastic hobby! My honest best advice would be to support your local hobby shop. Hopefully you will get some good advice and some help to learn how to fly from an experienced modeller. You will definitely enjoy building when you become more experienced but the easiest way to start flying is with an RTF (Ready to Fly) model like a Parkzone Radian or Micro Radian. You may also consider second hand equipment but you will need to shop carefully! I hope this helps!
What a good video, my question is, with that 3.7v battery you can power the receiver and the 2 servos, since the receiver is 5v and the servos are the same and wat is the final weigh of the glider
Hi Julio, thanks fo rthe comment. Yes the single LiPo cell provides enough power to run the two servo's and receiver reliably. The battery peaks at 4.2v and I get loads of flight time before it drops too low for the system to run safely. The servo's have very light loads on small control surfaces so I think the current draw is very low.
Great video! Thanks. My first balsa plane was a Gentle Lady, built back in 1980 or 1981. I still had that glider until this year, having to rebuilt her several times. This last time the were just too small to put together again. During the video you mentioned a source for plans for the Gentle Lady still available. I was unable to hear the source mentioned. Could you give it here? Thank you. If you have the smaller plans available please let me know. They look like fun. Thank you in advance.
Hi Lee, unfortunately I do not have a digital copy of the reduced plans but you find the original plan I worked from here: outerzone.co.uk/plan_details.asp?ID=5961 I Hope this helps!
Here's a short video of some fun with her on a small hill with very light breeze providing some lift.th-cam.com/video/xbXi1am1T98/w-d-xo.html I've been wanting to do a power pod for her but I have too many other projects going and she flies great in light lift off the slope.
I built this from a kit as a kid. Amazing memories.
I have the original size Gentle Lady over 30 years old. I recently stripped the covering and recovered it. Looks great and gave it a toss and it glided awesome.
Thank you very much, this was my very first glider from way back, thanks to you i will build another 50 years on . thanks for all the details .
Thats fantastic John, enjoy the building and the flying!
I built 1 of these in around 1986, i was 11 yrs old, loved that plane.
Its such a great model, maybe its time for another one Richard :-)
This was my first rc project (the full sized one, in 1988 or so), I was sooo scared about carving the nose. But after I did it, it was actually easy and very satisfying. Cheers.
It really is the most legendary glider kit ever - so many memories for so many people! I'm glad this brought back memories for you too, maybe time for another one @utubeaccess7 :-)
That’s beautiful! I still have a Goldberg kit still waiting to be built. I’ve always liked the look of the Gentle Lady.
This brings back memories, 40 years ago building this on my bedroom floor and slope soaring near my house in Durban.
@galavanta I'm glad I brought back those great memories...and perhaps created some new enthusiasm!
Snap. I too am originally from Durban. The Gentle Lady was my very first rc model. I was about 16 yrs old. Sadly, never got round to learning to fly it before I sold because I was moving to NZ. I'm now in Oz, and have a new kit waiting to be built out of nostalgia.
But now I'm really taken by the idea of a half size model, inspired by this video. Beautiful work.
Beautiful little glider. I was given an incomplete model of her big sister, the Electra. Hope to finish this winter.
Love this build, built a full size one when I was 14. Think I'm going to have to build a half scale like yours. Thank for the inspiration.
Thank you for the positive feed back Russ! I'm glad you're feeling inspired... go for it... keep it light and you won't be disappointed!
Awesome work!!!!! You make me look like an amateur!!!!
Cheers Kevin, practise makes perfect... I hope you picked up some tips for your next build!
Fantastic! Thanks for sharing!
nice video bro
Top video!
Absolutely Amazing!♡♡♡♡
Build process in video is very well shown. When dimensions are scaled down - how does one calculate and reduce the thickness/ width/ of components like wing spar, ribs etc., to reduce weight to maintain appropriate wing loading since wing span is reduced.
I have upscaled (enlarged) and half-scaled plans. There are two ways that I have used to solve this problem. First you can use a micrometer to measure the new thickness, then purchase the balsa which closely matches. Second, you can cut lighting holes in the balsa to reduce weight, while maintaining wing load and fuselog structure.
Very nice. I'm thinking of a Gentle Lady for my first balsa build.
Great idea! Its not too complicated to build for a beginner and they fly so well!
It is a great model, you can take it slow and use wood glue (like Tightbond2 or 3) if you would like. Do NOT worry about building it as light as possible, it can handle some extra weight. It is easy to cover for a first model too. Just take your time, and you will have a great flying glider for years and years. Stick a motor on it and it will fly for HOURS with cheap modern equipment.
She’s beautiful-great job on the covering too; did you manage to get hold of an iron to do that? Those colours look great on this model too. Really looking forward to seeing her fly! :)
Thank you Mr.MPW! Yes, the Solite is all applied using a covering iron, with a bit of heat gun here and there. I chose the colours to make it look a little bit retro, glad you like them!
Wow, that photo with the PC mouse shows hoe tiny this glider is.. I'm currently building a 2m Bird of Time (which looks tiny compared to my full sized one).
That's exactly why I included that shot, gad you picked it up! Enjoy your Bird of Time build... how about 1 meter version? :-)
That is a nice build. One thing I notice is that the wing tips do not seem to be tapered in the later stages of the build or in the finished model. It seems the wing has a constant chord from root to tip. It may be a perspective optical illusion. Does your version have the same taper as the original?
Hi OliveiraX, thanks for the compliment! I guess it must just be the camera perspective but the wing plan form is the same as the original design. The centre panels have no taper but the tips are tapered. There s also a very slight taper in thickness through the tips as per the original design too.
I'm very happy to see that someone has done what I've been thinking about. And your build looks excellent.
Just so you know, Outerzone has Gentle Lady plans and many others for free download. With that you can send it to a local print shop where they should have complete control over the scale you wanted. I think I paid maybe $3 - $4 for mine. No hand drawing needed. I already have one copy, but I need another sacrificial copy so I can cut out rib drawings, etc. Do you have a flight video, and any thoughts about changing anything?
Hey Joe, thanks for your constructive comment. I built this model during lockdown so the print shops were all closed, hence the hand scaling. You've probably found it already, but here's a link to a little flight video I made of it: th-cam.com/video/xbXi1am1T98/w-d-xo.html
I doubt I'd change anything except I might choose some harder balsa for the spars next time just to be sure it's tough enough for bungee launching. I've got plenty of flight time on it now and its great fun every time I take it out.
Really enjoyed watching your video and all the detail. I think I must have missed something relating to the wing ribs. As well as the spars which enter from the bottom of the ribs, on the second shot of the ribs there is a top cut out for a top spar? If so what is the size. Apologies if I've missed something.
HI David, I'm glad you enjoyed the video. In the centre section panels I made the spars full depth from 1/8" balsa.. I made a slot half-depth from the top for each rib. The tips panels have just got 1/8X1/4" balsa spars and the ribs are notched to fit over them. I hope that helps!
Thanks Matt, yes that's clarified it. Looking forward to having a crack at it.
good morning and congratulations on your channel. I'd like to ask you for some advice. After watching his videos I got a great desire to fly a plane like yours. Would you give me some advice to start well without spending a lot of money? thanks and good life
Hi Giovanni, thank you for your positive comment - I am glad you enjoyed sharing in this fantastic hobby! My honest best advice would be to support your local hobby shop. Hopefully you will get some good advice and some help to learn how to fly from an experienced modeller. You will definitely enjoy building when you become more experienced but the easiest way to start flying is with an RTF (Ready to Fly) model like a Parkzone Radian or Micro Radian. You may also consider second hand equipment but you will need to shop carefully! I hope this helps!
Are you South Africa? Cheers !
I've just added a motor t mine. Flies so sweet and slow. @
Now that sounds like a great idea! Did you go for a nose mount or did you make a pod to mount the motor above the wing?
What a good video, my question is, with that 3.7v battery you can power the receiver and the 2 servos, since the receiver is 5v and the servos are the same and wat is the final weigh of the glider
Hi Julio, thanks fo rthe comment. Yes the single LiPo cell provides enough power to run the two servo's and receiver reliably. The battery peaks at 4.2v and I get loads of flight time before it drops too low for the system to run safely. The servo's have very light loads on small control surfaces so I think the current draw is very low.
Great video! Thanks. My first balsa plane was a Gentle Lady, built back in 1980 or 1981. I still had that glider until this year, having to rebuilt her several times. This last time the were just too small to put together again. During the video you mentioned a source for plans for the Gentle Lady still available. I was unable to hear the source mentioned. Could you give it here? Thank you. If you have the smaller plans available please let me know. They look like fun. Thank you in advance.
Hi Lee, unfortunately I do not have a digital copy of the reduced plans but you find the original plan I worked from here: outerzone.co.uk/plan_details.asp?ID=5961 I Hope this helps!
@TrueBalsaModelle good luck in this deal. Me doing same thing too
can you sale me a a set of plans
Hi bucky dr1, the original plans are available free here:outerzone.co.uk/plan_details.asp?ID=5961😎
Where is the flying video and power pod?
Here's a short video of some fun with her on a small hill with very light breeze providing some lift.th-cam.com/video/xbXi1am1T98/w-d-xo.html
I've been wanting to do a power pod for her but I have too many other projects going and she flies great in light lift off the slope.