Vic Smeed oldies

Anything with a propeller
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PaulJ
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Joined: 16 Feb 2018, 19:01
Location: Ipswich, UK

Re: Vic Smeed oldies

Post by PaulJ »

Stew wrote: 10 Mar 2018, 11:37 Best flight I ever had was a Poppet..........................etc.
Not done a Chatterbox yet but it's on my list, as is the Mamselle and the Debutante.
Stew, I'm with you on the Poppet, I too have built four of them over the years. This is the most recent.......
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The pic was taken just after it was finished but sadly it doesn't look quite so pretty now...... It is freeflight and went awol at Old Warden in 2016. I searched for two hours but couldn't find it so I waited for the leaves to fall and then went back to look for it a couple of months later. In the meantime there had been three frosts and two horrendous storms so by the time I went back in November I was expecting to find a pile of pulp..... but I wanted the engine back! We found it in a matter of minutes and to my utter amazement it was undamaged bar one small tear in the tissue! The coloured tissue had faded badly but after drying out, it would fly again....... So, I took it to the Chuck 'n Duck at the Nats last year and it was static ON THE GROUND when another model crashed into it :( and smashed the wing..... 'End of chuck and Duck for another year. I have repaired it but I fear it is not the model it used to be so another is planned, though I think I will put radio in the next one!

As for your Vic Smeed "To Build" list, the Debutante is a real classic, but save yourself the time and trouble and forget the Chatterbox...... Everyone is allowed one mistake and that was Vic's!

Paul
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_AL_
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Location: Sydney Australia

Re: Vic Smeed oldies

Post by _AL_ »

I'll get some video of my Chatterbox flying. It's exciting but not terrible.
If I built another I would enlarge the fin slightly by putting a section underneath like the Tomboy & eliminate the fuselage sheeting. It's issue is a high wing loading (for what it is) & to a lesser extent, the fuselage sheilding the fin causing dutch roll.
It flies as is well enough on propo but I wouldn't recommend it with S/C or Reeds unless you are very, very good.

Al
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_AL_
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Location: Sydney Australia

Re: Vic Smeed oldies

Post by _AL_ »

On looking more closely at Shaun's Cocquette, I see it has the underside fin as I just mentioned & the 2nd wing would reduce the wing loading.
I'm not surprised it flies well. It pretty much addresses all the issues with the Chatterbox.

Al
Stew
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Joined: 02 Mar 2018, 10:21
Location: Staindrop, Darlington.

Re: Vic Smeed oldies

Post by Stew »

A friend of mine, a noted FF power duration flyer, hates Tomboys, so someone bought him a short kit for his birthday and made him build it. He decided to make it a very odd creation indeed. It was free flight and it could be configured as either Tri-wing, Bi-plane, high wing, low wing, or mid wing. It flew well in any of those modes. It was called Tomboy, Ladyboy, Toyboy, etc etc depending in it's mode at the time.
Me, I'm a dreadful purist and always try to build exactly to plan, the only concession is fitting radio, which is why I like just a simple and discrete rudder control.
The Tomboy is a great little model, but the Poppet is the better flyer IMHO. If I was only allowed to build Vic's designs for the rest of my life I'd still be a happy man. (cue Wayne's World style 'not worthy' bowing...)
Andy Brough was responsible for my Tomboy addiction, giving me a perfect demo of his Free Flight example, powered by a gorgeous little Derek Giles Mills replica a few years back at Church Fenton. I was a card carrying Smeedite from then on.
Stew
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Location: Staindrop, Darlington.

Re: Vic Smeed oldies

Post by Stew »

And Paul, that is a perfect example of the modellers art! Nice one! You were very lucky to get you model back.
I've seen too many FF Smeed designs get out of sight downwind.... Non users of DT ye be warned!
Colonel Blink
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Re: Vic Smeed oldies

Post by Colonel Blink »

Vic did have the occasional wrong 'un.
...yet still we build 'em!

Like the Ohm8 which only its mother could love.... To be fair, I think mine (the one with the pilot) is very nice to fly on modern gear - but I seem to remember that Glyn was less than fond of his with bang bang controls.....
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Last edited by Colonel Blink on 21 Mar 2018, 14:34, edited 1 time in total.
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PaulJ
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Location: Ipswich, UK

Re: Vic Smeed oldies

Post by PaulJ »

'Nice pic, why did Gareth not like his? In a funny sort of way I have always rather liked the Ohm 8..... I have the plan and it is on my "To Build" list.

Paul
Colonel Blink
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Re: Vic Smeed oldies

Post by Colonel Blink »

Just remembered that it was Glyn not Gareth - I tried to edit my post to keep my error under the radar but I wasn't quick enough!
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tiptipflyer
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Re: Vic Smeed oldies

Post by tiptipflyer »

Just finished off my Tomboy. It is the 36" wingspan version and its rudder only and motor control, if I fly it electric.
But I can change the powerplant with two screws only to a 0.6ccm Diesel engine to make it even more original.
Here are the pictures of the electric version.
Maiden flight already happened, no problems besides the change of CG and an increase of the incidence by 2°.
It was build from a kit from the Czech Rep. which was of good wood quality, but poor documentation. The wing ribs were over one cm longer than on the plan, no CG mentioned and incidence not correct for S/C flying.
Maiden flight with Diesel power will be later, when all test flights are finished.
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Frank
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_AL_
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Re: Vic Smeed oldies

Post by _AL_ »

Very nice.

Al
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